Chapter 148: Small Change (10)

“Believe that story?”

According to Snow Leopard’s testimony, an Imp named Drak-Sai holds a banquet every week in a basin located in the direction of the Beastmen Valley. The vigilantes, including Orland, were convinced that Snow Leopard’s words were a lie. The vigilantes, who had lost family members to beastmen, argued that the moment they entered the basin, an ambushing demon unit would surely pour out.

The commanders also looked at Snow Leopard with unfriendly eyes, but the north was too cold to ignore his information, and no one knew the terrain of the valley where the beastmen lived well. Because everyone who recently entered the beastmen valley had died.

Moreover, the thought that it was just an imp, no matter how clever it tried to be, kept swirling in the commanders’ minds. There was also baseless confidence that even if there was a clumsy trap, they could overcome it if they just kept their wits about them.

The commander, torn between impatience and reason, looked at Snow Leopard and said.

“How do you prove your words are true?”

“Go and see for yourself! I’ll even tell you which hill lets you see the whole basin without being detected!”

Snow Leopard shouted at the commander with a desperate and fearful face. Both Orland and the commander shook their heads, unable to reconcile Snow Leopard’s stern face with that servile expression. The commander said.

“Send a few soldiers to the location he described to confirm. He stays here. If the soldiers don’t return or if they find anything suspicious, you die.”

Snow Leopard nodded. The soldiers, suddenly sent to their deaths, tried their best to pretend they weren’t unhappy, pouting their lips like duck bills. The commander patted the soldiers on the shoulders and said.

“Don’t worry. You aren’t going to die; you are advancing for a great victory.”

Of course, the thought of facing mere imps was widespread among the soldiers, and their motivation didn’t increase. As the soldiers dispersed, Orland spoke to the commander in a low voice.

“That guy isn’t trustworthy. He used to be a confidant of the beastmen chief.”

“But now the chief is an imp. So he has a reason to betray them, doesn’t he?”

Orland shook his head and said.

“The main force that attacked the north were the beastmen. Every night, we heard the beastmen howling in the forest, and the residents eaten by wild animals formed mountains. We can’t trust them. They pretended to be friendly with humans, then switched sides the moment they got the chance, those bastards.”

Orland had witnessed the atrocities the beastmen committed in the north. Many of the vigilantes also remembered the horrific carnage wrought by the beastmen. Not only Orland but also the vigilantes nearby gathered to persuade the commander.

“That guy is definitely lying. There were rumors near the village where I lived, too. They said a white-furred beastman was attacking villages. It must be him. Look at those hideous fangs and claws.”

The commander frowned. Snow Leopard darted his eyes around, gauging the reactions of the vigilantes and soldiers. The soldiers who came down from the capital were busy rubbing their feet on the ground to ward off the cold, but the vigilantes were preoccupied with suppressing their anger.

Snow Leopard wagged his tail gently, crouched low to the ground, and hid his claws so as not to appear threatening.

The commander found it hard to believe that the servile guy could turn so cruel. And, if the guy’s claim was true, he could leave this cold, poor north quickly and solidify his position in the capital as a competent commander who ended the war in a short period.

Logically, he should have killed Snow Leopard and devised another plan, but the possibility of a shortcut kept tempting him, preventing him from giving a definitive answer.

The standoff between the commander and the vigilantes concluded when the soldiers returned from the mountain. The vigilantes who had insisted Snow Leopard couldn’t be trusted looked somewhat surprised when the soldiers returned safely, and the commander asked with an expectant face.

“How was it?”

“Yes, there’s a hilly area where you can see the location he mentioned at a glance. There are plenty of cover spots, making it easy to hide our presence. Furthermore, there were no signs of an ambush, and we could actually see traces of a banquet being held at that location.”

“Really? Is that so? A few of you, follow me!”

The commander, beaming at the soldiers’ positive report, led his troops. The adjutants looked excited, saying the war seemed likely to end soon, and the priests were also grinning, remarking that things were going well. Orland wanted to stop the commander, but he had no way to do so.

“Perfect!”

The commander’s shout perfectly described the situation. A thick expanse of snow stretched between two hills. The hills, a mix of snow and rocks, had a solid foundation and were so ideal for hiding that one might think they were artificially made.

And in the direction overlooking them diagonally from the hills, traces of the banquet remained. Tents were hidden in the forest, and warehouses containing firewood and food were visible, placed in a corner. The high priest also remarked, admiring the scenery.

“We’ll place the magic cannons and archers on these hills, then bombard them from a distance while the banquet is underway. While they’re in a panic, the prepared soldiers will charge all at once and wipe out the demons.”

“Yes. That’s it.”

The commander liked this strategy. Perfectly crafted terrain. An advantageous position looking down. The commander could already picture victory before him. An adjutant said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

“Oh my, they’ll be swept away like a crashing wave.”

The commander decided to climb the hills. He planned to place the cannons on the high ground to secure the vantage point and turn their banquet into a scene of screams. The commander laughed and ordered.

“That’s right! Hahahaha! Everyone, get the cannons up the hills! Hide the cannons and wait nearby for the banquet day!”

“Yes!”

And then, a few more days passed. The banquet day arrived. The vigilantes and Orland remained in the village, prepared for any potential surprise attack. Even though the sun was high in the sky, the demons were already busy preparing for the banquet. The commander chuckled, thinking of the foolish Orland.

“Foolish guy. If you had fought alongside me this time, you could have come up to the capital. Now you’re out of central politics. Go live happily ever after with that Sophia or whatever her name is, getting it on.”

The commander looked up. Signals indicating readiness were drawn from both hills. The commander was itching to give the attack order immediately. His whole body trembled, like a horse eager to run straining against the reins.

“They’re gathering. Which one is the chief?”

The commander scanned the surroundings diligently, searching for the chief. Oblivious, the guys engrossed in preparing the banquet were busy singing bizarre songs in the demon tongue or dancing. The commander examined the small imps one by one, trying hard to find the ‘giant imp’ the informant mentioned.

“Ah! Drak-Sai-nim!”

And with that voice, the soldiers began to stir. From the direction of the forest far away, a massive figure like a thick tree was approaching. He had enormous steel arms, a hideous scar adorned his chest like a medal, and his entire body was packed with solid muscle.

After glancing over Drak-Sai’s appearance, the commander finally let out a sigh and reassured his subordinates. At this distance, there was no way he could spot them, and the cannons on the high ground had the first strike. No matter how tough a demon was, they couldn’t be invincible.

“Don’t panic. That’s all a trick. Huh? Using tricks even at a banquet… they’re really meticulous, aren’t they?”

The commander simply didn’t want to admit he was wrong. Who could have known? That a monster imp, seemingly on par with a demon world branch manager, actually existed. But it was too late to regret it now. Because the commander had only two options left.

Charge at that guy,

or lay down all weapons and wait for the next opportunity.

In truth, the moment the second option was chosen, this battle was effectively lost. It was no different than telling the soldiers they were already overwhelmed by that Imp and couldn’t win even with an ambush. So the commander gritted his teeth.

“This is a winnable fight. We secured the high ground, and they had no idea about our attack. To begin with, they hadn’t scouted the area or set up any sentries. Even with two hills positioned so menacingly, they were too drunk on their own power to even consider taking advantage of the terrain.”

The commander was certain. So he watched the demons bringing out wine jars and the imps setting up the stage. Amidst the tension, the imps preparing the banquet suddenly started handing weapons to each other and laughing. The demons carrying the wine jars pulled out vicious items like chain scythes and flails from inside the jars. The commander instinctively sensed something was wrong. The soldiers and archers who had brought the magic cannons looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

Drak-Sai stood up and shouted.

“Explode!”

At that command, imps holding braziers suddenly poured fire onto the ground. The moment lava was sucked down the holes in the ground, huge explosions erupted on both sides of the banquet hall, accompanied by flames.

Everyone failed to understand the situation. The explosions, shooting up like sharp, pointed conifers, were heading towards the two hills.

Red explosions and smoke soared into the pure white sky. Neither the magic cannons nor the archers could think straight as they saw the pillar of fire approaching right before their eyes.

BOOM!

The two hills collapsed with a deafening roar. The archers and cannons were smashed, entangled with heavy piles of rock.

“Aaaargh! Aaaargh!”

The high ground itself was the trap. The commander shouted in a pitiful voice.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

Drak-Sai stood up and said.

“Kill them all! Let the world know exactly who we are! That we, the imps, are the strongest in the demon world!”

The demon forces charged, dyeing the snowfields red.