Ch.18The Demon Lord’s Qualification (2)

After meeting with Ludmila.

Durin returned to his office. The familiar sight of his desk welcomed him, bringing a sense of stability to his mind. A momentary surge of motivation to work rose within him, but unfortunately, it didn’t last long.

This was because Spranches, who had hurriedly rushed to greet him as soon as he returned to the castle, welcomed him with tears of joy.

“How long has it been since I’ve seen this sight? In the next war, I will definitely serve by your side.”

His exaggerated manner remained unchanged. The excessive outpouring of loyalty once again made Durin uncomfortable. In the past, he would have told him not to waste words and focus on his duties, but now he had a means to restrain him.

“Don’t you have other important duties to attend to, Secretary? During wartime, I’ll be there, so you needn’t worry too much.”

Berdia stepped forward to block Spranches. More precisely, he was shielding Durin. Spranches’ eyes widened at the unexpected appearance. He looked dumbfounded.

“Listen here, Berdia. I am the demon who has served His Excellency more closely than anyone else in this castle.”

“War is different. Unexpected accidents can happen, which is why I, the former greatest warrior of the South, must be present.”

“Hahaha. That’s true, but still, the personal care should be my…”

A dispute broke out between the subordinates with Durin caught in the middle. The Regent, already irritated by the impending division in national opinion, cut it short from the beginning. Commotion in the office was strictly forbidden.

“Enough. You’re being noisy.”

“Gasp!”

Only then did the two startle. Berdia and Spranches, realizing what they had done, immediately prostrated themselves on the ground.

“Y-Your Excellency. We have committed a mortal sin.”

“We will pay the price. Please punish us.”

“…”

This time too, they were excessive. Moreover, being two of them made the situation even more serious than before. In the end, Durin had no choice but to look away as he always did. He intended to remain indifferent. It seemed better to worry about fighting angels instead. He opened a parchment placed on the table.

“…”

What would angels want to say to demons? It would probably be related to war. They had always tried to conquer the demon realm and bring everything under their order of light, which they claimed to serve. Despite their claims of being forces of good, their attempts to subjugate other races and make them worship them made them no different from demons.

Even the message sent to the Demon King’s castle revealed this sentiment.

[Clean your necks and wait. Soon, I will cut off all your heads.]

Just one line. There were no other words before or after it. Despite all the gold embellishments, the content was too simple. It contained an uncouth bluntness uncharacteristic of angels. Even if a demon with a grudge against him had written it, or if it was a warning sent as a declaration of war, it wouldn’t have felt out of place.

“So it’s him.”

The style was familiar. Durin could immediately gauge who had written it.

Angels and demons stood on opposite sides, but they were the beings they saw most frequently. War repeatedly led them to desolate battlefields filled with death. It was impossible to easily forget an opponent faced at the crossroads of life and death. Since the last great war between angels and demons was 100 years ago, it had been quite some time since they had seen each other’s faces.

“This time, I will settle things definitively.”

Durin crumpled the parchment with force. The two demons, still prostrating themselves on the ground, trembled. The vast amount of fighting spirit flowing from him made it difficult even for lower demons to breathe. Unable to endure, Berdia shakily raised his hand.

“H-help. Your Excellency. C-can’t breathe…”

“Don’t make a fuss, Berdia. Get up from your position and follow orders.”

“Gasp!”

Berdia and Spranches sprang to their feet in pain. It was their master’s command. They stood at attention, listening intently to Durin’s words.

“From now on, endure this much. When fighting angels, you will face even greater power.”

“Y-yes, sir!”

“Looking at your condition, it seems impossible today. I will handle the reorganization of the army myself. Return to your quarters and rest.”

“B-but Your Excellency, that’s…”

“You’re not helping. I will not accept any further objections.”

Thud.

Durin withdrew his fighting spirit. The two demons who had been struggling to endure collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. They desperately tried to suppress the coughs that were forcefully trying to escape. Having already disappointed him once, they couldn’t show such an unsightly appearance again.

“Kugh! Kuk!”

“Eek!”

In the office after the Regent had left.

The two demons who couldn’t follow their master pitifully rolled on the floor until a succubus maid came to clean up.

#

After leaving the small incident behind, Durin arrived at the training grounds.

Before the war approached, the Regent wanted to incorporate the newly joined southern warriors into the central army. With the Demon King’s absence, many warlords who had pledged loyalty to the castle had defected. Since the middle-tier forces that had solidly filled the ranks had disappeared in an instant, it was necessary to quickly replenish them.

Durin examined the general outline of the Demon King’s army with the help of a sorcerer.

Excluding the royal guards mobilized for this rebellion, the maximum number of troops that could be mobilized from the castle was 6,000. This number included all sorts of riffraff, and if one were to select only proper soldiers fit for the front lines, that number would drop to less than half.

Even 3,000 was a large force compared to armies Durin had led before, but the opponent was no mere rebel force.

Heavy armored warriors covered in holy power would pour down from the sky. Those who went to war in the name of God could not be penetrated by ordinary weapons. They were natural enemies to demons who typically seized control of the battlefield through fear and momentum, pushing forward in one go.

To counter them, more heavy infantry like the Durahan needed to be cultivated. Since only 800 had gone on the previous expedition, it was far from enough to wage war. At least 5,000 were needed to match their battle lines.

This was just about matching the front lines. To guarantee victory, higher-grade troops were needed. But considering the chaotic situation in the castle, that was a matter for later. If they recruited soldiers who couldn’t be controlled due to immediate fear, the castle might be shaken. To firmly grasp the initiative in command, they needed to gradually increase both quality and quantity.

“I tried to select suitable warriors from the South, but most of them are not suitable for pitched battles. Having mainly fought in mountainous terrain, they prioritize light armor and mobility, making them unsuitable for the front lines against armored angels.”

“We can issue equipment from the castle. We still have enough stock to arm all of them.”

“It’s not appropriate to just outfit them blindly when we haven’t properly assessed their strengths and weaknesses. I’m thinking of selecting those suitable for heavy armor first and considering the rest for special units.”

“But what we urgently need are infantry who can firmly hold their ground on the battlefield. Please don’t forget that a wall formed by solid heavy infantry doesn’t easily crumble.”

The sorcerer offered advice. Durin nodded, acknowledging the truth in those words.

“I know. Everyone talks about the Celestial Blade being the White Knights, but I’ve felt more keenly than anyone that it’s actually the infantry who fearlessly withstand all attacks. Fighting them directly, I’ve been reminded that our Demon King’s army also needs shields.”

“Yet I wonder why you’re still considering special units.”

“It’s a gap that already exists. No matter how much we invest, we can never catch up to them. Even if we scrape every corner of the demon realm to face them, we won’t be able to win. The proof is in the thousand years of war where we’ve barely managed to hold them off.”

The wall built around the Holy Knights was virtually invincible. Throughout history, Demon Kings had ceaselessly hammered at them, but to no avail. If there had been any success, we would now be fighting in the celestial realm to subjugate them, not here in the demon realm. But demons were still struggling in this barren land. The land flowing with milk and honey still shimmered in the distance.

“If there’s one thing we’re better at than them, it’s the diversity of our forces. Unlike the Holy Knights composed of knights and infantry, we can form units with strong individuality to strike at the angels’ vulnerabilities.”

“Will that be enough to penetrate their solid holy power?”

“We’ll have to scrape together every magical beast we can. In the coming war, I will not be picky about means and methods.”

Facing the celestial realm with insufficient demons. Young demon folk might think of it as a dreamlike legend, but the reality was cruel. A future of being burned to death under white holy power awaited. The Regent declared that he would make every effort to cultivate the army in a short time.

“First, we’ll replenish the Durahan. Execute all surviving slave soldiers and useless prisoners to extract their souls. We’ll also accept volunteers.”

“Yes, Your Excellency, it will be done as ordered.”

The sorcerer’s hand movements became busy. Orders were transmitted in real-time to commanders in each unit.

“I’ve brought some magical beasts that grow in the South. By registering them in the magical beast farm, we can create new types of troops.”

When Durin was devastating neighboring tribes during his expedition, he carefully observed the surrounding flora and fauna. What caught his eye were giant ravens and mountain goats. He expected that combining their characteristics to create magical beasts would greatly help the insufficient army.

“The chief’s elite unit will be placed under Berdia’s command and used as my direct unit. I will personally train them, so prepare a separate area in the training grounds.”

“What do you plan to do with the sons offered by Raktelun?”

“The same. However, send them to the reception room of the magical beast farm. I will assign them roles to keep the hostages in check so they don’t harbor other thoughts.”

“Then I will issue armor to all the remaining soldiers. They will serve as legion soldiers.”

“Yes. Make every effort to ensure their loyalty to the castle.”

The strong southern warriors would become a solid force for the castle. The army Durin wanted needed to be fearless, like the army created by the celestial realm. He wanted loyalty that would willingly advance even to death at his command. Combat power that transcended death would stop the celestial knights and make the armored soldiers retreat.

That would be the opportunity. By pushing in magical beasts and deploying all the special units he had cultivated, he would seize the advantage on the battlefield.

A victory that seemed like a dream. For now, it was just a slim possibility that existed only in dreams.

“Your Excellency.”

While Durin was deep in thought, tapping his fingers, a voice called out to him.

It was not the military advisory sorcerer but a harpy messenger of the castle. The woman, fluttering her red feathers, approached and prostrated herself before the Regent.

“What is it?”

“A report has come from the barrier.”

“Is it urgent?”

“I’m sorry. It’s classified, so even I don’t know the details.”

She folded her wings and reported to Durin.

“I was only told that someone with a twisted fate has arrived. They said you would understand upon hearing this…”

“Good work.”

No sooner had the harpy finished speaking than Durin rose from his seat.

“I have somewhere to go, so go to my office and bring Spranches. Tell him I’ll be waiting in the reception room.”

“I will do as ordered!”

The harpy sprang up and rushed to the king’s hall. Meanwhile, Durin looked down at the sorcerer who had been waiting quietly.

“That’s all the orders for the army for now. I will receive reports as results come in.”

“I hope everything you do proceeds smoothly. May you be able to pioneer a path that is not easy.”

The last part wasn’t a greeting. She was talking about the fate he had shouldered.

As expected of a sorcerer. She seemed to have glimpsed the path Durin was trying to take.

He glanced around the training grounds once more before moving forward again.

“I really hope so.”

The normalization of a castle without a king.

The Regent’s quietly expressed wish was once again buried under the task given to him.