V7 Chapter 3. The Demon Lord’s Army

 

The Demon Lord’s army was made up of diverse races, and they had surrounded the castle walls that protected the Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Aarl.

The army consisted of demi-humans that had been persecuted and driven away by the humans.

Among them was a tall, muscular Lycanthrope warrior with furry ears and a tail. With a large weapon on his back, he was having an audience with the Lion General, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord’s army.

Inside the tent were several other representatives from the various demi-human races.

[Nogo], the Lion General, resembled a beast much more than he did a man. He was around two meters tall and looked no different from a lion standing on its hind legs. Women of the lion race surrounded him, forming a harem.

Undisturbed by this, Nogo chugged down some beer in front of the Lycanthrope.

“So, how long will it take us to capture the Kingdom of Aarl?”

[Glauss], the Lycanthrope warrior, was both a fighter and a strategist.

That said, he wasn’t particularly bright, and their battles always proceeded in a simple manner where they brute-forced through their opponents with overwhelming strength.

He was really only responsible for detecting traps and dealing with them appropriately.

They had used this method to defeat the Kingdom of Aarl’s army numerous times, until they finally reached the walls of the Royal Capital.

“Our warriors will be able to do it in three days. Their towering walls mean nothing against us!”

There were some demi-humans that were adept at climbing walls and if they snuck in during the dead of night, they would be able to open the gates from within.

As demi-humans were generally much stronger than humans, they would have no problem winning in one-on-one duels.

They were all seasoned warriors, and the only reason they suffered under human oppression was because the demi-humans were never united.

It was only with the birth of the Demon Lord that they gathered under a single banner, pushing even the Kingdom of Aarl to a corner.

Nogo opened his big mouth and roared with laughter.

The others around him smiled as well, convinced of their victory.

“With this, we can return to the Demon Lord bearing good news! Alright, let us drink to our victory!”

The demi-humans in the tent cheered as one.

◇

When Glauss came out of the tent, he called for [Chino], his daughter, who had been waiting for him outside.

“It’s time for us to head back.”

“Yes, father!”

Chino was a young girl with long, silver-white hair.

Both her ears and her tail were silver in color while her eyes were yellow.

Her breasts were small, and although she had a slim figure that did not look like a warrior’s, she was powerful enough to defeat ordinary warriors without breaking a sweat.

Her tail was swinging from side to side excitedly.

“Father, when will the war begin? I’m so pumped for my first battle!”

This was Chino’s first time on the battlefield, and Glauss scolded her to calm down.

“Stop swinging your tail restlessly. It’s unbecoming for a warrior.”

“M-my apologies!”

Warriors had to prevent their enemies from reading their emotions, and tail control was among the very basics.

After leaving the tent, they returned to the Lycanthropes’ camp.

Glauss then entered his own tent and had Chino come inside for a talk.

He plopped down onto the ground and let out a torrent of complaints.

“General Nogo’s being a fool again. He’s depleting all the food that we’ve looted.”

“Isn’t he depending on the fact that there will be a lot stored inside the Capital?”

The Royal Capital was a huge city, so Chino naturally assumed that a lot of food would be in store.

“The humans have been pushed to the edge of a cliff. They might not have much food left either. In the worst case scenario, we would have to fight amongst ourselves when we enter the city. Chino, take this as a lesson.”

They had invaded countless villages, towns, and cities like locusts to steal the humans’ food supply.

Glauss was fed up with General Nogo’s thoughtless behaviors.

However, as demi-humans only obeyed the strong, Glauss could not speak up against General Nogo, who was the strongest of the demi-humans.

“The Demon Lord has blessed General Nogo with strength. We must obey him at the moment as we can’t beat him even if we were to fight him together. Nevertheless, we’ll be in deep trouble if we don’t do something about this.”

It was obvious from her expression that Chino did not understand the conversation.

All she knew was that they’d be able to plunder the Capital if they won.

Thus, she soothed her anxious father.

“Father, it’ll be alright! I heard we were able to hoard a lot of food in the past through the act of plundering. There should be a tone of food in the Capital as well.”

Glauss gave up on explaining and stared sorrowfully at his daughter.

“I sure hope so.”

◇

A woman wearing a mask appears from the shadows as I’m lying down on a bed that’s situated inside a very luxurious room of the palace.

“You were dragged into this as well?”

“—My apologies for being unable to prevent the summoning magic from activating. I am ready to make up for this mistake with my life when Lord Liam returns, but until then, please allow me to protect you.”

What splendid loyalty. She’s saying that she’ll give up her life when my safety has been confirmed.

But then again, Kukuri’s clan is small already so I don’t want his men to die for this kind of trivial reason.

To begin with, I don’t mind the situation that I’m in right now.

I was almost forced to accept a harem, so I feel lucky to have escaped that situation.

I could’ve easily avoided the summoning circle if I truly wanted to.

It was by my free will that I was summoned here, so I’m reluctant to see her killed for this.

“There aren’t that many of you in the first place. It’d be a waste to have you die for this kind of thing. As such, you’re not allowed to take your life even when we’re back home. Oh, and I have some work for you to do.”

“As you will!”

Kukuri’s subordinate kneels and bows before me.

Kukuri’s men don’t have names of their own. Even if they do, they won’t tell others their name.

I don’t know Kukuri’s real name either.

“We’ll be working together for a while, so let’s decide on a name for you—hmm, yes, Kunai should do.”

“It’s an honor to be named by you, Lord Liam. I will make sure that Lord Liam is safe and sound throughout this journey.”

She’s a lucky one to be named by me.

I’ve only named a few individuals up until now. There’s that dog from my previous life, Amagi, and—and my daughter.

Even so, “Kanami” huh…

—What a frightening coincidence.

I address Kunai, who seems touched by my generosity.

“I expect great things from you.”

I decided to call her Kunai because she looks like a Ninja[1].

“Shuriken” was the first thing that came to my mind, but it’d be weird to say “Hey, Shuriken” every time I address her, so I decided on “Kunai”.

“I will now give you your first task. Gather some information—find out whether the stories that the people have been feeding me are true.”

“Your will is my command.”

I watch Kunai as she sinks back into the floor.

When she has disappeared, I let out a yawn on the bed.

“—Well, based on the state of this room, I’m not expecting much.”

Compared to my mansion, this palace is almost miniscule.

As someone that’s from an intergalactic nation, it would be inappropriate to even compare the two, but it’s just too shabby.

Still, they’re probably trying their best to accommodate me.

It’s great to see that they’re giving their all in these difficult times.

As an evil lord, however, I refuse to stoop to other people’s level even if they’re struggling financially.

It doesn’t matter to me whether Enora and her subjects are suffering.

As a villain, I’ll be spending my time surrounded in luxuries.

“Now then.”

I touch the bracelet on my left arm.

A magic circle appears and several tools pour out.

I grab one of them, get up from the bed, and approach the windowsill.

Then, I open the window and toss out the tool which soars up into the sky.

“That’s the distress signal sent. I’m sure they’ll come and pick me up in due time.”

◇

In a different room, Kanami was trying out armor.

“Wait, isn’t this quite heavy!?”

This was her first time wearing armor, and she was surprised by how heavy it was.

The armor had been crafted from a lump of metal, so it was no wonder that it was heavy.

“T-this too!? Why’s the sword this heavy as well!?”

Enora felt uneasy watching Kanami struggle.

“We’ll prepare something lightweight.”

“I can’t move well in this kind of armor. Isn’t there something lighter?”

“The lighter the armor, the less defense it has. The demi-humans are savages that only know how to push forward, but their strengths are formidable. Please bear with it.”

Kanami was slightly perturbed by Enora’s words.

“Isn’t it too much to call them savages?”

“We’ve been plagued by their act of looting for many years. They’re cold-hearted beasts that do not wish to put in effort and only seek to rob the food supply of those that they’ve slaughtered.”

Seeing the hostility in Enora’s eyes, Kanami fell silent.

“A-are they really so terrible?”

“They were the first to wag their tails at the Demon Lord. Hero, they’re undeserving of mercy.”

She was about to be sent to a battlefield, but everything felt so surreal to her.

Kanami directed her gaze elsewhere.

“Also, where’s Liam? I’m a girl for heaven’s sake! Isn’t it strange that I’m the only one that’s preparing for battle? Isn’t this normally a man’s job?”

Enora was also troubled by this, and her worry was reflected on her face.

“I’ve also requested for Liam-sama’s presence, but he refused and said that it’s unnecessary.”

“What’s up with his attitude!?”

Kanami was annoyed that she was the only one that was about to be deployed.

◇

Kunai returned to the room after several hours of investigation.

“Lord Liam, I have something to report.”

I’ve been killing time while waiting for her arrival.

I yawn as I listen to her report.

“Enemies have set up camp around the Royal Capital. It seems that they’re planning to launch an all-out attack tomorrow.”

“It’s to that extent, huh. No wonder the Queen’s so desperate.”

To be honest, I don’t really care whether the Kingdom of Aarl falls or not, but I’ve confirmed that they’re really in a crisis.

Kunai continues her report.

“The enemies are planning to send a group of elites to infiltrate the city before dawn. They’ll then open the gates from inside, allowing the main force to easily conquer the city.”

“Can the people here resist?” I ask.

“The army that they’ve set up here consists mostly of children and the elderly. In contrast, the enemies that they’re up against are all seasoned veterans.”

“Veteran warriors, you say…”

“They’ll be trampled for sure. Lord Liam, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

The destruction of this country doesn’t bother me in the least, but I don’t want to be stuck in situation where there’s no one left to take care of my needs.

Hmm, I still have some time left.

“Go and take a break. When you’re well-rested, it’ll be my turn to sleep, so don’t forget to wake me up before dawn.”

“B-but—”

“Moderate amounts of breaks are necessary to keep up work efficiency. I only expect the best results from you.”

“—Understood.”

Kunai disappears into the shadows.

With nothing left for me to do, I simply wait inside the room.

◇

Kanami had been taken to the outskirts of the city by Enora.

The roads were filled with refugees that had fled from their hometowns, and they were all covered in dirt and mud.

Enora was going around shaking their hands and encouraging the refugees.

“Things will all work out. We will definitely be able to win.”

“Enora-sama…”

Most of them were children or the elderly, and the few remaining adult men were missing their limbs.

Confronted by this cruel reality, Kanami shivered.

She had known what war entailed, but she had never experienced it before.

Her knowledge came from television shows, photos, and the internet, so she had always thought of it as someone else’s problem.

“This is too cruel.”

Enora nodded quietly.

“Yes, it’s as cruel as it can get. I wonder what we did to deserve this. If left alone, the Demon Lord will afflict us with endless suffering. Subjugation of the Demon Lord; that’s the reason why we resorted to summoning you Heroes here.”

At first, Kanami had been angry that she had been summoned against her will.

However, it didn’t matter anymore.

A terrible life awaited her in the previous world anyway.

In that case, she was better off with these people who welcomed her.

Although she had been a little sad when she was told that she could not go back, she felt like she had to do something when she witnessed the scene in front of her.

“Kanami-sama, will you be so kind as to lend us a hand in this fight?”

After looking around, Kanami nodded.

“—Alright. I’ll fight with you, but do I have the strength necessary to do so?”

“Yes, you do.”

Enora took Kanami to a training ground.

There, children around the age of 15 were wielding weapons and receiving guidance from elderly men.

There were hardly any men in their twenties to forties.

The ones that stood out the most were the women.

Kanami was surprised to see so many young men and women around her age wielding their weapons.

“I’d like to ask someone to act as the Hero’s training partner.”

The people who were present at the scene tried to line up upon noticing Enora, but she stopped them before they could do so.

An elderly man then stepped forward and readied his weapon.

“Eh, we’re using real swords!?”

The elderly man responded to Kanami’s shock in a low voice.

“If you freeze up at things like this, you’ll never be able to fight in actual battles.”

Seeing the man rush forward, Kanami’s eyes shot open, and she drew the sword on her waist.

It felt as if everything around her had slowed down, so much so that she wondered if they were making fun of her.

When she blocked the elderly man’s sword, it shattered, and the flow of time returned to normal.

The soldiers were stupefied, and Enora had to explain the situation to them.

“A mysterious power is said to dwell within summoned Heroes’ bodies, making them much stronger than the average man. During battles, they would see their enemies’ movements in slow motion.”

“T-that’s amazing.”

‘This is overpowered’, Kanami thought.

(M-maybe I could make it out of this war alive?)

Kanami’s heart was pounding because of the ability that she had been bestowed upon being summoned.