Ch.98Expeditionary Force (2)

Chapir, who was once called the Great Chieftain of the North or the Great Warrior.

Yoannina, the Monster Queen of the West.

While Serphin returned to the demon realm for political affairs, these two remained in the human realm to serve as the wings of the expeditionary force.

Their once meager force of fifteen hundred suddenly jumped to ten thousand. The undead infantry that previously filled the ranks were replaced by lizardmen warriors from the west. Born with skin as tough as heavy armor, human weapons couldn’t even scratch them. They were truly formidable soldiers.

Only blades imbued with holy power could wound them, and even then, their tenacity was such that unless their heads were severed, they wouldn’t die. Above all, these were battle-hardened warriors who had fought against the celestials in the northwestern swamplands.

They were familiar with celestial tactics and knew how to withstand knights, making them a valuable military asset.

“Don’t forget about us. The battlefield’s core is ultimately cavalry.”

As Chapir grumbled, the demon realm’s army composition had rarely included cavalry units.

The southern army barely maintained appearances with about five hundred elite riders. While they could face holy knights, crushing them would require a massive hammer.

The northern beast cavalry perfectly quenched the legion’s thirst.

A staggering four thousand had joined. Unlike the private cavalry units of warlords who rode ordinary war horses, these were all elite cavalry personally raised by the Great Warrior. Even a single unit far exceeded the strategic value of what the southern army possessed, making them the finest resource available.

They called themselves the Keshik. Once the Great Warrior’s personal guard, their loyalty had shifted slightly since the unification of the demon realm.

“We’ll take the reins for the construction of a great demon nation, and await orders worthy of such a cause.”

The demonic war horses seemed tame compared to the fierce beast mounts that growled around them. Humans passing by startled and fled before even approaching. They would certainly make worthy opponents for the holy knights on the battlefield.

With Durin’s power of death infused into them, there was one hope to be seen.

“A spear that pierces holy power.”

They could now directly withstand the blessing that had been the natural enemy of those without divine backing. An opportunity to wash away a history that had been suppressed by differences in power for ages.

“What nonsense is this, Lord Regent?”

“It means I need you to handle some grunt work for the future, Great Warrior.”

“Use the Keshik for such tasks? I trust you don’t mean trivial missions like regional stabilization.”

The Great Warrior showed his discomfort. True to their proud nature, they wouldn’t yield easily. But his opponent was Durin, Regent of the demon realm.

“The monster infantry will be deployed to rebuild this stronghold, and the southern army will continue patrol activities at the borders where the crusaders might be.”

“Then send us to the border as well. We can trample those human vermin.”

“We’re still at the stage of hiding our strength. We need to keep the angels guessing about our movements.”

“Honestly, such passive methods don’t sit well with me…”

He grumbled. As seen in the previous Cold Wind War, northern warriors preferred fiery combat over patience. From their perspective, the human-only crusaders were delicious prey. They seemed like they would crumble with just a light jab, making their mouths water.

“I’ll obey the Regent’s orders. After all, I rank lowest among the great demons here, so I have no choice.”

Chapir heaved a deep sigh. Compared to Yoannina who had lived for a thousand years and Durin who had served the Demon King Caldrag in his prime, his authority was woefully inadequate, forcing him to bow his head. Despite his complaints, he moved his troops.

“Let’s go! They may be insects unworthy of even a warm-up, but they’ll at least be a mouthful!”

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Hundreds of cavalry began to move. Only the Great Warrior’s personal guard started moving first.

The rest dismounted from their beasts and began preparations. Watching them quietly, Yoannina’s eyes sparkled.

“Have you considered deploying those fellows alongside our western friends for reconstruction work?”

“Do you want to requisition them?”

“No, no. If that were the case, I’d have asked Chapir first.”

She rolled her eyes before losing interest.

“I was wondering if later we might be able to put our monsters under those riders.”

“Monsters?”

“While cleaning up the Death Swamp, we encountered various beasts, and some were surprisingly large, so I thought they might work as cavalry mounts.”

“Couldn’t you use them as western forces?”

“Tsk. That wouldn’t work out.”

Yoannina shook her head.

“There’s an instinctive fear that prevents proper handling. Cavalry must charge boldly into enemy lines, but if they can’t spur the monsters on, they’d end up as mere pack animals.”

“I’ll consider that reason alone. I’ll suggest it to Chapir later.”

“Great! Durin! I’ll go check on how my kids are doing!”

The expeditionary force was methodically building toward the bigger picture.

There was no need to rush. The celestial realm was the one being gradually eroded, and the demon realm only needed to respond according to the direction they chose. If necessary, Durin could step forward and buy plenty of time, so it was as if the forgotten goddess was smiling upon them.

The first priority was always stabilization.

War would come after.

#

The sky filled with drifting ashes made it impossible to gauge the season, but it indicated that considerable time had passed.

The wind grew cold. The northern cavalry on patrol welcomed the familiar weather. The Holy Maiden faction rebels seemed to have gone into hibernation, disappearing without a trace. They had either been impaled on stakes or left for other continents in search of the vanished Holy Maiden.

The southern human realm had fallen completely into demon hands. This was a crisis for the celestial realm and an emergency for the demon realm.

The continent, perfectly blockaded by crusaders, leaked no information, leaving behind great fear. Humans dared not think of going south, both to avoid being branded as heretics and because rumors spread far and wide that demons would steal their souls.

“Your Excellency. You must seize this opportunity.”

The fallen angels saw their chance. They had compiled information about the Night Goddess by searching through all manner of Dark Order materials. The main sources were traces left by survivors from a thousand years ago, not from a human perspective. The children of the gods, called by names other than demons, had sought numerous methods to replace faith when the gods entered eternal rest.

“Divine power follows human consciousness. The magic that draws strength from fear has grown stronger than ever before. We must advance to the next level based on this.”

“So I should understand this as strengthening demonic magic?”

“It’s power from a different dimension, but similar in that it’s based on fear. I’ll explain this part in more detail.”

In what had now become the expeditionary force headquarters, Yursael carefully laid out the results.

“You already know that demonic magic uses the residual consciousness generated by humans’ fear of death, connecting it to demons in a form similar to faith.”

“Thanks to the efforts of previous generations, we can sustain combat despite being inferior to pure faith.”

“It was truly a remarkable decision, but it’s still second-rate power. Since it uses residual energy rather than sincere devotion to a god, it’s inevitably overwhelmed by supreme holiness. The celestial realm countered by portraying faith as an aspiration for the stage beyond death—immortality.”

This was why demons were bound to be inferior to the celestial realm. Both parasitized humans, creations of the Creator God, to gain power, so the gap between them was inevitable based on the flow of consciousness.

“However, the forgotten goddess can change the game. If we reshape the fear of death—the end of life—into fear of the divine, we can reverse the relationship that has kept us behind for a thousand years.”

“So not the concept of capturing death as faith…”

“But rather the punishment that the God of Death inflicts on those who have lived wrongfully. Implanting the notion that beyond the simple end, one can suffer in the afterlife after passing through the stage of death.”

“In the human realm, the celestial realm usually played that role.”

“The Night Goddess was forgotten because doctrine proclaimed that the God of Light governed everything.”

Erasing traces. Long ago, the Creator God divided life into two aspects—birth and death—but the God of Light monopolized all rights, contrary to this intention. For a thousand years, humans were made to think of death as merely a fearful end. Faith had accumulated over time as a starting point to overcome this.

The difference between the celestial and demon realms became starkly clear. A fragment of the arrogance possessed by white wings was visible.

“Your Excellency. Starting with this southern region, we will establish a new order. Not just a resistance organization crying for vengeance against the celestial realm, but as a religion worshipping the God of Death, adding to the demon realm’s power.”

“This power I possess will herald that beginning.”

Durin looked down at his own hand.

The power to guide the souls of the dead. The first trace left by the goddess.

Yursael nodded with joy.

“The origin of faith always begins with the actions of an apostle.”

“My first mission seems more challenging than expected.”

“You just need to set aside practical considerations for a moment, Your Excellency.”

This was the form that Durin, based in legalism, was most wary of. But it was necessary action in a world where even those abstract concepts weren’t yet formed. Though it caused him discomfort, it was unavoidable for the sake of duty.

“Where should I begin?”

“First, find the hero.”

Once a guardian, but now a human who has looked into the essence of sacred objects and questioned them.

“He will serve as a bridge.”

It was time to put a period on his confused identity.