Ch.64New Era (3)

Durin returned directly to the Demon King’s Castle.

There was no grand victory ceremony or welcome. Without any prior notice, he used the gate and was greeted by a bewildered sorcerer.

“Y-Your Excellency. What brings you here…”

“There’s a mountain of work to be done.”

He gave a brief reply and stepped into the corridor.

In the distance, he could see people hurriedly gathering. The troops remaining in the castle were busily lining up to greet him. The purged Senate members and other nobles also rushed to join them, hoping to catch his eye. Though awkward, preparations were underway.

“Congratulations on your victory!”

“Lord Regent. Lead us forever!”

The same rehearsed phrases came out. Durin did not acknowledge their greetings.

His mind was filled with thoughts about the new legion to be born. He couldn’t waste time on formalities.

He wanted to spend this period, when the angels were hesitating, wisely.

“No matter how busy you are, at least say something before you go.”

At the entrance to his office, Ludmila stood with her arms crossed—a face he hadn’t seen in a while.

Representing the other nobles who were watching cautiously, the High Sorceress stood before the Regent.

“Isn’t momentum the most important thing for demons? Right?”

“That’s correct, High Sorceress.”

“So at least glance back at them. You never know. They might get motivated and work exceptionally well.”

A mischievous smile spread across her face. The nobles’ desperate pleas behind Durin’s shoulder made it impossible for her to resist.

“You seem to be right.”

“See?”

The High Sorceress’s suggestion was accepted. The startled nobles quickly faced forward. With perfect timing, the Regent turned to examine the demons who had straightened their posture. As his red eyes fell upon them, they stood at attention like a legion.

“From now on, we will rebuild the Demon King’s Castle.”

Durin broke his heavy silence. Then he continued, as if making a proclamation to the assembly.

“This victory has given us great strength, but it’s still not enough. To stand against the Celestial Realm, we must use all our abilities without sparing day or night.”

He was still looking toward the heights—a destination other demons couldn’t even contemplate.

But Durin’s gauntlet was reaching for the shimmering sky. It seemed as if he could grasp it just by stretching out his hand.

“We will reclaim the starlight of the previous era.”

That was all.

Durin indifferently passed by Ludmila. With the sound of the office door slamming shut, the heavy atmosphere dissipated.

The demons who had been tensing their bodies staggered. They breathed heavily, barely managing to stay upright.

“H-how does the Southern Army endure this?”

Ludmila sneered at the weak high nobles. She too turned away.

“That’s why they’re called a legion. Great warriors who can stand against the Celestial Realm.”

From now on, they would be running breathlessly. The starlight viewed from the observatory was shining brighter than ever before.

Durin spoke of the glory of the previous era. He was envisioning a future they would someday reclaim.

However, the sorceress saw it differently.

The glory had already returned. The power to make others look toward the future—

That was the Regent’s greatest ability.

“Well then, let’s get started. Since we’ve won the war, we should enjoy the spoils.”

Now it was time to soar.

They would fly toward the place Durin was looking at.

Ludmila and the other demons were willing to shoulder the burden.

#

The legion had become more elite through their campaign in the West.

They had gained significant experience facing an army of a different caliber than the rebel forces they had easily suppressed before.

They were warriors who had survived battlefields where holy power rained down. Their quality had surpassed that of the Durahan, who had previously been considered the frontline of the Demon King’s army.

In the office, Spranches happily reported to Durin about the strengthening of the Demon King’s Castle forces.

“We’ve begun crafting armor and weapons that high-ranking demons can wear. They will be completed by the time the Demon King returns.”

“How many can we produce?”

“For now, enough to arm the entire Southern Army.”

“That should be sufficient. Since there’s no immediate war, focus on perfecting the work rather than rushing it.”

“I will follow your orders.”

The Durahan had been cost-effective.

During the period of decline, to survive under the threat of angels, it was necessary to minimize consumption. Simply attaching wandering souls to armor created during the golden age was enough, which is why they had been used extensively.

But now there was no need to cling to them. Through the brutal war, they had forged demon troops capable of fighting and enduring against the Celestial Realm. A higher-tier unit had emerged that could build more flexible formations than the existing medium infantry system.

The movements of the living are always faster than those of the dead.

On the day Serphin stabilizes the western region and returns with the legion, the Southern Army will be given a new mission and take its first steps as high-ranking demons.

“We’ll discuss the infantry further when the legion returns. How are things with the cavalry?”

“That’s also progressing smoothly. While Your Excellency was active in the West, His Majesty focused on developing troops. By investing magical energy, we’ve produced many high-quality magical beasts, so we’ll soon have enough mounts for 30,000 cavalry.”

Not only the medium infantry that would serve as a solid anvil, but cavalry was also a precious resource.

Durin had previously sent Durahan cavalry against the Holy Knights but was not satisfied. Undead cavalry only had the advantage of being able to recover and reuse some souls from the deceased.

In the actual battlefield, it was the Southern Army that broke through the Holy Knights’ forces with momentum, and the rest were burned to death by magical energy fired by the sorcery corps. In essence, the cavalry had not been effective.

“After completing the supply to the infantry, next will be the cavalry. They will be nobly used as the tip of His Majesty’s spear.”

“Things will go as planned in the next war that will eventually come. However, I have one concern.”

Spranches, who had been turning the parchment, showed a worried expression. Since he was a secretary who usually just followed Durin’s words, Durin immediately responded.

“Speak. What concerns you?”

“Your Excellency. Our demon realm can now operate nearly 200,000 troops. If we add soldiers from other continents, we could conscript even more.”

“It may not match our golden age, but it should be enough to engage in battle with the Celestial Realm. We could even withstand an Archangel if one came now.”

“Then isn’t the existence of commanders who can develop them important? We have sufficient numbers, so we need to build quality. But to my humble eyes, I don’t see suitable talent, which only increases my concern.”

Spranches knelt down. He reported to Durin the limitations of the current demon realm. It was a statement that could pour cold water on the joy of victory.

“Your words are correct, Spranches.”

Fortunately, Durin had been thinking the same thing. He agreed with the young lizard’s concerns.

“In fact, even the infantry units that had some structure face the same problem. The legion has been maintained only through the sacrifice of non-commissioned officers. There has been no true leader.”

Just as Durahan formed the backbone of the castle, the situation with the units was similar.

A solid lower body with discipline, a steady waist with unwavering loyalty. But the head had been filled with inadequate individuals by power-hungry groups like the Senate.

If he had wanted to deploy them where needed, he could have used them as forces, but the problem was that their absolute numbers were insufficient because Durin had purged them all while establishing internal discipline.

He had impaled all those who turned their gaze according to the color of their horns and the flow of power. Starting with the southern rebellion, he had cut them down one by one, and when the red-horned Senate members, including Killahal, revealed their true colors, he cleaned them all out.

Durin did not regret this choice. Rather, he saw it as an opportunity.

“So let’s proceed step by step from now on. The unified demon realm must have undiscovered gems that we haven’t been able to find yet, so let’s look for them together.”

Instead of demons born and raised in the central region, he intended to find talent that had bloomed in the land of struggle. He needed capable individuals like Verdia, who was leading the Southern Army that had been reborn as the elite troops of the current Demon King’s Castle.

It was time to broaden his vision and look around.

An age of revival, moving beyond decline to reclaim the golden age. Horns and race were not issues. As long as they had ability, he would use them as key figures in the Demon King’s Castle.

“Spranches.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Send word immediately to the rulers of each continent.”

“What content should I write down?”

Spranches unfolded a parchment. Durin conveyed his wishes without hesitation.

“We are recruiting high-ranking demons who will dedicate themselves to the legion from now on. Send all qualified volunteers to the central region without restriction of status or origin.”

The time had come to recruit talent for the new era.

With the long purge, there were plenty of positions available to receive them at any time.

#

The messengers spread throughout the demon realm.

The rulers of each continent received Durin’s will, transmitted through communication sorcery and harpies.

“If there are those who wish to go, I will send them freely. But they must become central figures.”

“This support will raise the status of our continent, so we should encourage it quickly.”

“Your Excellency! We will show you the strength of the South once more!”

There were various reactions, but the essence was the same.

They were all eager to create talent that would catch Durin’s eye and build power.

The Regent was the torch that would lead the demon realm to its golden age.

If one could join him and leave their name in history, nothing could be better. They would be recorded as the greatest contributors to the demon realm, beyond simply bringing glory to their family.

Especially the recent victory had ignited the hearts of demons. Those with military command experience, regardless of rank, all gathered in the central region.

“Your Excellency. We have over 10,000 applicants.”

“If we organized an army with them, it would be larger than the Southern Army.”

“But after filtering them out, it will probably be similar to the royal guard.”

“I plan to see and test them all personally. My goal is to finish before His Majesty arrives.”

Face the king with a new army.

At its center would be high-ranking demons. The commanders would soon rise to the center of power, so he wanted them to meet the Demon King early and pledge their loyalty.

The faster he organized them, the more time Durin would have for mental reconditioning, so he wanted to hurry.

“May everything go as you wish. And, would you also check this?”

Just as Durin was about to sink into contemplation, Spranches approached quietly.

The lizard placed a parchment on the office table. Judging by its reptilian leather cover, it seemed to be a message from the West.

“What is it? Did His Majesty issue separate orders?”

“Not that. An unusual point has been discovered.”

Uncharacteristically, Spranches hesitated. Since the secretary usually spoke his mind faithfully unless it was an overreach of authority, Durin became curious at this behavior.

“I’ll check it myself.”

He immediately unfolded the parchment and quickly read its contents.

“…An angel who surrendered wants to become a commander in our army?”

Immediately, he understood the ambiguous reaction Spranches had shown.