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Reincarnation as a Great Demon Lord - Chapter 16

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Chapter 16: The Great Demon Lord Marches

The Humanity Alliance is what you would call a coalition army, formed by the countless nations of the Human Realm with the explicit goal of fighting the Demon Lord and the Demon race.

One hundred years ago, this army, which centered its main fighting force around superhumans called 'Heroes,' reverse-invaded the Demon Realm by launching a surprise attack on the rear of the advancing Demon Lord's Army. With a small, elite force, they killed the previous Demon Lord and then occupied strategic strongholds throughout the Demon Realm.

That was the outcome of the battle from the prequel, My Solasia 2. For the past century, the Humanity Alliance has been colonizing various parts of the Demon Realm, exploiting resources like minerals, forests, and monster materials. This wasn't explicitly described in the source material, but it can be inferred from the situation right before and after the main story begins. I've heard several mentions that the Human Army lost their Demon Realm strongholds.

Naturally, the Demon race, led by the remnants of the Demon Lord's Army, attempted countless times to liberate these colonies, but they all failed. After the death of the former Demon Lord, the Demon Realm became a fractured land of various factions competing for dominance, preventing them from concentrating their forces.

...This is just my personal theory, but perhaps the reason the Humanity Alliance hasn't expanded its territory, despite having the military capacity, is to maintain this state of internal conflict. It's a common strategy for governance. If the enemy is fighting among themselves, it's more convenient for the ruling side to maintain that state rather than to risk an attack. Indeed, the Humanity Alliance has kept its strongholds intact for a hundred years.

But that century of "peace" ends today. Now that this Great Demon Lord has arrived, I won't let those humans walk around with such arrogant expressions! And so, the advance begins. Having departed the Dragonfolk village this morning, our Great Demon Lord's Castle arrived near the Fortress City of Vilaya just past noon. The final strategy meeting before the invasion is about to begin.

Council of War

“—The Imperial Council is in session. Prostrate yourselves before our King.”

Selen's voice echoed in the throne room. In response, Eaglet, Arcelia, and the three warriors who accompanied us from the Dragonfolk village—five individuals in total—knelt and lowered their heads.

I leaned back on the throne, watching the scene. This is the very essence of being a Final Boss. I feel a sense of pride knowing I command such followers. Although there are only five people here now, the number of those who will prostrate themselves before me and show their respect will steadily increase. Soon, they will be too numerous to fit into this throne room, and we will become an undeniable nation.

“All of you, raise your heads.”

Everyone looked up after receiving my permission. Even Arcelia followed this ritual. Although it’s extravagant, this kind of ostentatiousness is necessary to project dignity as a King. Well, I've loved behaving this way since my previous life, too.

“Now, Selen. State the objective of the council.”

“Yes, Great Demon Lord.”

In this meeting, or rather, in all such formal settings, Selen will work as my secretary. This means she will relay my will and speak with the subordinates on my behalf.

This may seem like a trivial task, but it’s a role only Selen, the most senior subordinate, can fulfill. Only someone who regularly looks after me can grasp my intentions fully and accurately. Furthermore, even if there is some discrepancy, Selen, being a succubus, can read emotions as colors, making corrections easy. There is no one more suitable than Selen to act as my spokesperson.

“We, the Great Demon Lord Army, shall now commence the invasion of the 'Fortress City' controlled by the Humanity Alliance. The objectives are the liberation of our Demon race brethren, the Rock Orcs, and the capture of the Mines. His Majesty the Great Demon Lord expects a performance befitting this first campaign from all of you.”

Good, that was a nice opening statement, Selen. I can feel the tension in the throne room sharpen. Eaglet and the Dragonfolk warriors, led by her, are all proud people. Those who value honor would naturally be roused when told their liege has high expectations for them.

Our targets are the Fortress City (for its mine) and the Rock Orcs. I chose these two targets based on information provided by Selen and my knowledge of the original game. The mine's resources and the Rock Orcs, who are both miners and artisans, are exactly what we need most right now.

“—Your Majesty. We humbly request the honor of leading the vanguard for the fortress city assault.”

As expected, Eaglet was the first to step forward. The warriors behind her shared the sentiment and followed her lead moments later.

The warriors accompanying Eaglet are the few young people left in the Dragonfolk village. They were away on a food-gathering expedition during the battle with the transformed Red-Scaled King, so they missed the decisive fight. But upon learning the situation, they re-volunteered for my army. Currently, half of them remain to defend their home village, and the other half are accompanying us here. This is all thanks to my perfect action as the Final Boss in saving their village. These five men will likely fight with their lives on the line to repay that debt.

“...Then, the vanguard will be entrusted to Knight Eaglet and her subordinates.”

“I humbly accept the mission! I will accomplish this royal command, even if it costs me my life!”

Selen relayed my will, and Eaglet responded. Good, this system is functioning properly. The Dragonfolk warriors will now carve a path for us through the Fortress City.

Five people might sound few, but in warfare, quality is more important than quantity. Ten soldiers who fight until the end are worth a hundred who fight out of coercion. Moreover, I hear that even just five Dragonfolk soldiers possess the strength of a thousand men. Considering Eaglet’s fighting style, that is certainly true.

The fighting force is sufficient. All that remains is the strategy.

That said, the details and procedures of the operation have been mostly ironed out beforehand. In any meeting, preparation is the most important part; the meeting itself is just confirmation. I believe the same holds true for battle. Of course, no matter how meticulous the plan, unexpected events will occur. It is the mark of a Final Boss to be able to enjoy dealing with those as they come.

“May I say something?”

“Yes, Lady Arcelia. You have the floor.”

The next person to speak was Arcelia. She is the technical lead of my Great Demon Lord Army, and I plan to give her a proper title someday, maybe something like 'Great Demon Lord's Minister of Arcane Science.' I'm sure she'll be delighted.

“Regarding this operation, I can't participate in direct combat. I used too much energy making the castle fly earlier. But I have an invention that will come in handy.”

Arcelia spoke exactly according to our prior arrangement. I'm already aware of the situation and the invention.

“It’s a mana-shielding device that uses an application of my Vampire characteristic. Combine this with the Great Demon Lord’s 'Mantle of Illusion,' and we can approach the enemy completely undetected.”

My Mantle of Illusion can only conceal the surface of an object. It cannot mask the mana or sounds being emitted. However, Arcelia’s shielding device can perfectly hide the castle's presence. For the enemy, having the castle and the entire force suddenly appear before them would be a total nightmare. While the shielding device won't make us 100% undetectable, it is more than adequate for a surprise attack. As expected of Arcelia—it's a wicked plan.

When I first heard about this, I couldn't stop my heart from racing. A spontaneous, appearing-out-of-nowhere Sky Castle is perfectly Final Boss-like.

“...Isn't that somewhat cowardly?”

However, Eaglet, the knight, voiced an objection. I understand her point. For an honorable knight like her, striking an enemy by surprise is not an action she would want to take.

“Eaglet.”

“Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”

When I spoke her name, Eaglet immediately became respectful. If I ordered her, she would follow without question, but that’s not enough. Since we have the time, I'll have her follow willingly after achieving consensus.

“Certainly, a surprise attack is cowardly. It violates the code of chivalry. But our objective is the liberation of our brethren. For that purpose, I will gladly bear any disgrace. Furthermore, this battle will be fought in my name. Your honor will not be stained.”

“...No, Your Majesty. I am Your knight. If Your Majesty is willing to endure disgrace, it is my duty to lead the charge into it. I will gladly take the vanguard for the surprise attack.”

This was the reaction I expected. Eaglet values honor, but her loyalty is even more paramount. If so, there's no way she would let her master take on the dirty work alone. If it's necessary, she will absolutely lend her strength.

“But even if we scatter the foot soldiers, a Hero is stationed in that Fortress City. They are troublesome.”

“In that case, please leave it to me. If you can create a one-on-one situation, I will definitely defeat them.”

Eaglet proudly responded to Arcelia's concern. It's a common gesture, but when she does it, it's just so overwhelmingly powerful. It makes the delusion that 'bigger is better' flash in my mind.

“Ahem.”

The moment my thoughts went astray, Selen cleared her throat. Ah, right. She can read emotions. I won't ask what color she saw, no matter how embarrassing, but I need to be more careful from now on. My credibility as the Final Boss is at stake.

In any case, at least one Hero is permanently stationed in that Fortress City. Yes, in this My Solasia world, 'Hero' is not an individual title but a term for multiple superhumans. Heroes are a spontaneous mutation that appears in the Human race at a certain rate. I believe the setting stated there were about a hundred of them across the Human Realm. The one stationed at the Fortress City is just one of those.

...The protagonist in the original story was one of those Heroes. He started as just one among many but grew through the narrative to become the strongest. He is the biggest threat to me. I should deal with him early, but since he's in the Human Realm, wishing for him now is pointless. Besides, I've confirmed that the Hero in question is not as powerful as the original protagonist. We can't let our guard down, but we can handle him with our current forces.

“Even so, there must be over a thousand soldiers in that city. If the Hero arrives while you're fighting them, it won't be a one-on-one, will it?”

“That is true, but... my knights and I will manage, somehow...”

“'Manage' isn’t a plan, is it? If you don’t have a better idea, shouldn't we ask our Great Demon Lord to step out onto the battlefield?”

With the discussion reaching a stalemate, Arcelia looked at me. This, too, was the flow we had agreed upon beforehand. My combat prowess was proven during the battle with the 'Giant Dragon.' If I joined the Dragonfolk warriors on the front lines, dealing with the soldiers would certainly become easier.

But this time, I will take a different approach. A more elegant and appropriately flashy strategy for a Final Boss.

“—I have a secret plan. I shall acquire that mine without a scratch.”

With that, I declared confidently.

The most crucial target when attacking a fortress is not the walls or the soldiers, but the hearts of those defending it. I shall now demonstrate the fundamental military strategy I learned in my previous life here in this world.

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