When studying strategy and tactics, there are times when I wonder whether this is a rational and logical discipline or something half rooted in the realm of sorcery.
The reason lies in the very last chapter of the Strategic Theory textbook.
[Appendix: Actions a Strategist Must Never Take]
At first glance, it seems like a set of warnings for novice strategists who have learned all about strategy, but its contents are utterly absurd.
[Do not mutter to yourself “Did we really defeat the enemy?” after winning.]
[Do not imagine a beautiful life after the war before the war even begins.]
[Do not foolishly assume there can’t possibly be a single way the opponent could break this tactic.]
[If you do think such things, do not speak them aloud.]
[To win a battle, make sure not only yourself but also others are thoroughly educated not to commit the above acts.]
The textbook’s authors were sincerely serious about these ridiculous statements.
So much so that the following pages record war histories where these offenses led to defeat every 300 years.
And at the very end, there was this note:
[If there is an ally who commits any of the above acts, he is no ally but an enemy—eliminate him as quickly as possible.]
Why did I suddenly pull out that old, dusty textbook from my academy days?
Because after this war ends, I’m thinking of officially proposing to Lady Titania.
Because Duke Helpion flagrantly violated the taboos emphasized in the Strategic Theory.
According to Strategic Theory, to win the battle, Duke Helpion must be killed…
Duke Helpion? Me?
Ahahaha.
Let’s look at it another way.
If he’s that kind of monster, wouldn’t he be the one to shatter all the reasons Strategic Theory lists for defeat and seize victory?
Yes, exactly.
No matter how many Demons there are, they’re ultimately weaker than the Demon King.
He’s the man who defeated the Demon King even before gaining his current powers.
Right now, Duke Helpion is showcasing his valor on the frontlines.
[Demon 1 defeated]
[Demon 2 defeated]
[Large monsters ahead: three Drakes! Ah, correction. One Drake. Duke Helpion just defeated two of them.]
[A figure claiming to be the Demon World Duke appeared. Duke Helpion clashed with him.]
Ugh.
He’s a man who writes legends by the second—are we really going to lose because of him?
It’ll be fine.
So, I need to shake off these unnecessary thoughts and focus.
After all, I’m not exactly in a safe place myself.
Everyone.
“Kuwaaaaaa!”
“Kyeee!”
“Krayaah!”
The plains are filled with the roars of more monster species than I’ve ever faced in my life.
Yes. I’m standing on the battlefield right now.
Ugh, what the hell is all that?
There’s an Ogre over there, a Harpy there. Gargoyles, Basilisks, Trolls, Centaurs… it’s like an entire monster encyclopedia.
Not just many species, but huge numbers.
A rough count… a thousand? Ten thousand?
It was just filthy in numbers.
Moreover, the large monsters scattered throughout exuded an overwhelming presence.
That’s a Drake, that’s a Chimera, and that one’s a Minotaur.
Those are legendary beasts who, if they appeared in any decent kingdom, would become the subject of heroic tales.
Still, I’m not nervous because of them.
“Gordem Merchant Guild pays 20 gold for Minotaur horns, 12 gold for Chimera tails, 1 gold for Ogre tendons…”
“Ha, imagine how much money you’d make selling all those.”
“But you have to survive to make that wealth. If you mess up like three days ago, it’s all just pocket money.”
“Shut up. I won’t make a fool of myself like that today!”
Because there are elite mercenaries living day by day hunting those monsters.
In fact, it’s the monsters who are overwhelmed in this standoff.
I can feel it.
The tension and fear hidden beneath their roars.
It’s inevitable—we are the clean-up crew.
[Demon Grand Duke defeated!]
A voice rang out excitedly from an Artifact.
Right. The sharpest sword in the human formation.
Because Duke Helpion is leading the slaughter of Demons.
He took the elite among us and charged straight for the Demon King’s Castle.
When he wreaks havoc inside the Demon King’s Castle, our role is to herd the scattered Demons, who flee like natural disasters, into a single direction.
In the vast terrain, Swordmaster-level experts like the Chamberlain, Head Maid, and Head Chef were deployed, alongside countless mercenaries holding a broad frontline.
Look at those monsters’ condition.
Few have their bodies intact, and many are missing limbs.
No wonder they only bark from a distance without charging.
Therefore, we must be the ones to fire the signal flare on the battlefield.
“They say the Demon World Duke is dead, so the monsters will swarm again. Let’s push the front line ten kilometers forward today.”
“Understood! You bastards, let’s go!”
The mercenary captain shouted upon receiving my order, and the mercenaries charged simultaneously.
Though it was a disorderly charge without formation, if each individual’s strength is at least that of a high-grade Sword Expert?
At that moment, that charge transformed into a sharper saw blade than anything else.
“Kuwaaaaaa!”
“Die, you bags of money!”
The Gargoyles’ wings instantly soared, and the Ogre’s arms were severed.
Small monsters like Orcs and Kobolds died off without a trace.
The medium and large monsters fared no better.
Bathed in the scent of blood from the small monsters, the mid-to-large monsters began howling and rampaging.
“Gurararara!”
“Throw the ropes!”
“Now, fire the harpoons!”
As if anticipating this, the mercenaries smoothly subdued the monsters.
Those who couldn’t be killed immediately had their movements restricted, and monster attacks were naturally guided toward surrounding monsters.
It was a scene of hundreds trampling tens of thousands of monsters.
Then.
One of the Drakes, seized by madness, flashed its eyes and began gathering mana from all around.
Being a beast that never became a dragon, this was its last desperate move, usable only once in a lifetime when on the brink of death.
“Breath incoming!”
The mercenaries, alert to the situation, dispersed left and right in an instant.
Simultaneously, the breath fired in a straight line toward us.
Kuwawawawa!
With a tremendous explosion, the breath surged forward.
It seemed to have targeted us standing calmly behind, thinking the mercenaries were strong.
But the people here are far from idle.
In an instant, a blue wall of mana rose densely from ground to sky, forming a vast net.
It was a shield comparable to a fortress’s defense.
“Shield Castle!”
CCCCCI
It was a shield created by Viscountess Jamie, a 5 Circle mage, who invested most of her mana.
Unless it was a dragon’s breath, there was no way it could break through.
The breath vanished, leaving a dense smoke.
At that moment, the spells that had been safely cast behind the warriors began to take effect.
“Chain Lightning!”
“Fire Field!”
“Fire Wave!”
“Quadruple Magic Missile!”
Countless mages’ spells formed above the monsters’ heads, then crashed down upon them.
There was no need to specify targets, as monsters surrounded us from all sides.
Furthermore, the large monsters bound by the mercenaries were perfect ingredients for massive magic.
The monsters collapsed without even a proper scream.
Among them, the most spectacular was the magic unleashed from Lady Elcia’s staff.
Dark clouds gathered quickly over the clear plain sky.
Beyond them, the sunlight still shone brightly, but only above the monsters hovered gray clouds.
Blue lights flashed within the clouds, and a chilling cold spread here.
“Rain of Ice!”
Lady Elcia’s voice fell like the judge’s decree.
At the same time, huge ice chunks began raining down with a blizzard.
It was a miniature ice age.
Small monsters hit by the snow froze limb by limb into ice statues on the spot.
The large monsters fared no better.
As their whole bodies stiffened from frostbite, they were pierced through by ice spears falling from the sky.
Massive ice blocks, over a meter in diameter, shattered the frozen monsters as they crashed into the ground.
But the magic wasn’t finished yet.
“Tornado!”
If the magic that had just unfolded descended from the air to the ground, now was the time for ascent.
Countless shards of ice and monster fragments mixed together to form a massive whirlpool.
Swept up by the wind, monsters shot into the air and flew off somewhere.
Those who barely avoided the wind screamed as debris scattered and fell.
“This is… 6 Circle.”
A voice beside me gasped in disbelief.
I glanced and saw Chechil staring wide-eyed only at Lady Elcia.
Tsk tsk, it was a waste bringing this novice to the middle of the battlefield.
“You’re looking at the wrong thing.”
“Huh?”
“What you should be watching is not the power of a 6 Circle mage, but the appearance of every person fighting monsters. Lady Elcia is amazing, sure. But without those people, would she be able to cast her magic freely?”
Chechil’s gaze finally shifted toward the mercenaries.
At first glance, they seem rough and unruly, but each movement is infused with fierceness, precision, and experience.
Well, is there really any need to explain all this in detail?
As the tornado Lady Elcia summoned gradually dissipated, countless monsters fell like rain, plunging to the ground.
Even without a signal, the mercenaries charged at precisely the right moment.
The monsters no longer had any will to resist.
“The monsters are retreating to the point!”
[Demon King’s Castle secured. Monsters are abandoning the castle and moving to Point A.]
Good. Just as planned.
With all sides blocked except one escape route, the monsters rushed frantically to survive.
[This is Apel. Monsters are moving toward the point.]
[Sherina here. It’s over.]
[Chettrox, cleanup complete.]
At roughly the same time, monsters were cleared at other points as well.
A sure victory.
As I was basking in the thrill of victory—
“Um… Chief of Staff.”
Chechil called me awkwardly in a small voice.
“Where are those monsters going?”
“Oh, those guys?”
That’s the core of this operation.
Let me see.
I picked up a monster bone drifting nearby and sketched a crude map on the ground.
“You know where the Delphi Kingdom is on the continent map, right?”
“South.”
Chechil pointed to the southern part of the continent.
Yes. We are located in the southern region of the entire continent.
To the south lies the sea, to the west a vast canyon, and to the east, expansive plains.
“The Helpion Duchy is right here.”
I pointed to the far east of the Delphi Kingdom.
The border connected to harsh terrain like the northern desert, the demon forest, and the Demon King’s Castle.
I drew a line from the Helpion Duchy to the Demon King’s Castle.
And then continued drawing the line further—straight—
Until it finally reached—
“This is…”
The Imperial Capital.
“Interesting, isn’t it?”
“You don’t seriously plan to strike the Empire with monsters, do you?”
Chechil asked me with a look of disbelief.
“Ah, don’t think of me as a dreamer.”
There’s a reason the Empire is the Empire.
It holds the greatest number of Swordmasters and the most high-level mages.
It has the largest territory and population on the continent, backing a massive army.
No matter how much the Helpion Duchy is a city of warriors, the Empire is formidable.
Monsters retreating in defeat like this will surely be slaughtered by the soldiers stationed along the border.
“It’s just a warning shot. A message that Duke Helpion, who holds the supreme title of Grand Swordmaster, has powered up even more.”
So, you all better not try any funny business in the Delphi Kingdom.
Since we’ve secured the territory all the way to the Demon King’s Castle and set the border, if you act recklessly, we can strike preemptively at once.
“That’s the message I’m trying to get across.”
Chechil shook his head as if he had never thought that far.
Those stuck behind desks often can’t keep up with simple realities like this.
“Chief of Staff.”
“Hm?”
I turned to see a middle-aged mage in charge of Artifacts calling me.
“The Duke is heading to the Demon King’s Castle.”
“What’s going on?”
“He found something like ruins there and needs someone versed in history.”
Ruins?
Inside the Demon King’s Castle?
Wait. Ruins, you said?
If that’s the case, maybe I can access the Akashic Record again?
“Tell him I’ll be there soon. Hey, mercenaries! Gather a few to come with me to the Demon King’s Castle! Jamie, let’s go together!”
I hurriedly set off toward the Demon King’s Castle.