Maoyuu Maou Yuusha-Volume 3 Chapter 7, “You Are Not bandits.”

———— The Kingdom of White Night, the Palace of White Night

Strategist: “Haha. I congratulate you on this splendid victory.”

General of the Pale: “This is all thanks to the excellence of your intelligence. Please convey my thanks to the Crown Prince Marshal on behalf of the Tribe of the Demons of the Pale.”

Strategist: “Understood… And the Sigiled King? I hear he has deposed the old one and achieved many great feats while commanding the Tribe of the Pale?”

General of the Pale: “His Majesty is resting in order to recuperate his strength.”

Strategist: “I see…”

General of the Pale: “His Majesty is also extremely grateful for the assistance of the Holy Empire. This is how things should be in the beginning, should it not? We are the Race of Demons, we bring the White Night.”

Strategist: “I suppose so, hahaha.”

General of the Pale: “We are now fully in control and have no intention of relinquishing this.”

Strategist: “Thank you very much for that.”

General of the Pale: “And now to business.”

Strategist: “Yes.”

General of the Pale: “Firstly, we would like to know what we can hope to receive in compensation for taking down the Kingdom of White Night.”

Strategist: “The Tribe of the Pale now has new lands in the Surface World… Is that not enough?”

General of the Pale: “Did we not win that by our sheer strength? The Holy Empire invested nothing into that. That is a very poor transaction.”

Strategist: “I understand what you are saying… In that case, perhaps I might be able to add something to that thing we agreed on before.”

General of the Pale: “Yes. Just as you requested, we have brought along most of the product in our country. In order to move that many goods, my soldiers had to carry them man-to-man and as a result we are significantly lacking in food and weaponry.”

Strategist: “Then what do you think if I buy these goods from you at a high price? Would you consider that a transaction?”

General of the Pale: “I would be very happy for that.”

Strategist: “How much of the product do you have?”

General of the Pale: “Hmm.”

Strategist: “Approximately how much did you bring with you?”

General of the Pale: “I have 900 caravans worth.”

Strategist: “I see… In that case, I will buy that with three times the amount of food and enough weaponry for 4,000 men. What do you think?”

General of the Pale: “Saltpetre is a fairly valuable material. I believe five times the amount of food and the same amount of weaponry would be a fair agreement.”

Strategist: “…I understand.”

General of the Pale: “I will hand over half the saltpetre. We will give you the rest at least before the neighbouring countries have fallen.”

Strategist: “…Very good.”

General of the Pale: “When can you send over the food?”

Strategist: “Let me think… Since we’re only doing half the transaction first, I suppose it shouldn’t take long.”

General of the Pale: “In that case, I will arrange for someone to send the goods over. We are now about to reach our intelligence gathering units for the wars with the neighbouring countries.”

Strategist: “As to be expected from the ferocious Tribe of the Pale.”

Intelligence Officer: “Report!”

General of the Pale: “Go ahead.”

Intelligence Officer: “The Survey Corps* have been equipped. We are now ready to deploy!”

General of the Pale: “We must be in time for the end of His Majesty’s meditation.”

Intelligence Officer: “Yes!”

Strategist: “The Kingdom of Metal, then?”

General of the Pale: “Just something for us to grind our teeth on.”

Strategist: “Out of the three Kingdoms of the South, they are the one with the most sufficient army. I suppose you will be expecting some resistance, though you are very reassured about that.”

General of the Pale: “Indeed… Eh?”

Strategist: “What is it?”

General of the Pale: “No, nothing.”

- The Plains of Scilla, the Hinterland of the Kingdom of Metal

Wind blows through the grass…

The Female Paladin: “A very well-prepared formation.”

Minister of Winter: “So it would seem. Even though 3,500 is a fairly large number…”

The Female Paladin: “I suppose our army will increase?”

Minister of Winter: “Indeed. I see we have a very astute commander.”

Disciple Soldier: “Paladin!”

The Female Paladin: “Disciple Soldier!”

Disciple Soldier: “Hahahahahaha! It has been a long time! I’d thought I’d never see you again! But then again, I knew I would someday!”

Metal Lieutenant: “Don’t tell me, this is?!”

Disciple Soldier: “That is correct! Before you stands one of the three brave Companions of the Hero, the Grandmaster of the Holy Order of the Lake, and the Grand Commander of the Combined Armed Forces of the Tripartite Union! They have called her the Paladin of Destruction! The Queen of Power! The Unbreakable Wall! My teacher, my mentor, the Female Paladin!”

The Female Paladin: “You haven’t grown a bit.”

Minister of Winter: “Hahahahahaha.”

Metal Lieutenant: “Hahahahaha.”

The Female Paladin: “That was embarrassing. But I’m the Female Paladin. I will be taking up the position as the Commander for this battle. Your unit, the Border Security Division, will come under my command.”

Metal Lieutenant: “Understood! Please come into the pavilion!”

Disciple Soldier: “Heh… And I thought I would be the commander.”

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Explanation

Survey Corps: These are soldiers who are trained to survey the land and its forms and to make maps outlining the terrain and the ways it can be advantageous. It is extremely foolish to get into a battle on a battlefield you know nothing about. For this reason, if battles are to be fought on unknown territory, survey corps are sent to survey the terrain. In reverse, by annihilating the survey corps, the enemy can delay the advance of the army or force them to fight in unfamiliar situations, making them vulnerable to threats. The Army of the Pale places much emphasis on the manoeuvrability and speed of its survey corps and hence the entire unit is mounted.

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———— The Plains of Scilla, the Barracks of the Kingdom of Metal

The Female Paladin: “So, I’ve read that you’ve fought here before?”

Disciple Soldier: “I have. Bring the map.”

Metal Lieutenant: “Yes.”

Lays out map.

The Female Paladin: “Hmm.”

Disciple Soldier: “This is close to the source of the River of Purple Tears which flows through the Kingdom of Metal and the Kingdom of Ice. The spring water from the thawing snow in the mountains flows through countless rivers, streams, and small rivulets resulting in the inundation of the Plains of Scilla, which is practically a swampland.”

Minister of Winter: “Hmm.”

Disciple Soldier: “It is full of water so it could potentially be a very rich land with easy access to irrigation but at present it’s a terrible place for crops, swamps, and peat bogs*. However, close by is a large area which we can use for our army. Furthermore, this could be a gathering point for any army intending to pass from the Kingdom of White Night to the Kingdom of Metal. They would have to pass through various mountain passes and rough terrain but they could be here in two days, hence I have put stronger forms of surveillance in place.”

The Female Paladin: “And how are the sentries done?”

Disciple Soldier: “Each sentry unit is activated for half-a-day rotations, sentry is done as per normal.”

The Female Paladin: “Hmm, I’ll pass you first.”

Disciple Soldier gulps.

Metal Lieutenant: “Sir, you’re looking pale.”

Disciple Soldier: “The days I spent with the Female Paladin were fruitful but stressful, I can’t stop the cold sweat.”

The Female Paladin: “Right then, now comes the real thing.”

Disciple Soldier nods.

The Female Paladin: “We have 2,000 men at present. 500 cavalrymen and 1,500 infantrymen. They are by any counts proper soldiers with good training and decent battlefield experience.”

Disciple Soldier: “This formation and the nearby areas can give us 3,500 soldiers. All of them are proper soldiers who are fairly well-trained and have been under my command for some time now.”

Metal Lieutenant: “So in total, we have 5,500 men. We will have to recalculate how much provisions and salaries we will require.”

The Female Paladin: “The enemy is at largest 2500 strong. We do not know their strength, their equipment, nor their tactics but we are certain that they have both cavalry and archers. The cavalry are equipped with spears and the rest are generally comprised of infantry men with shields and shortswords.”

Disciple Soldier: “And the archers are longbowmen?”

The Female Paladin: “We do not have information about that. But they are fairly effective.”

Disciple Soldier: “Hmm. Then we don’t know what we’re up against.”

The Female Paladin: “Indeed.”

Disciple Soldier: “Based on our reports, the cavalry are equipped with gold-plated armour.”

The Female Paladin: “Heavy cavalry…”

Disciple Soldier: “The first thing we can say is that—”

The Female Paladin: “Let’s hear it.”

Disciple Soldier: “The enemy commander is no fool, and he is not a hesitant but a patient leader. It is clear that this Tribe of the Pale is very well-equipped, well-disciplined, and splendidly trained soldiers.”

The Female Paladin: “I feel the same way.”

Disciple Soldier: “Added to the fact that they have four times our number, if we were to engage them in a conventional war, our fate would almost surely be complete defeat.”

--

Explanation

Peat Bog: This refers to soil rich in peat. This tends to form in marshes and wetlands and since peat succumbs easily to pressure and caves in often, it is not a good terrain for marching through as horses may easily sink and get stuck in it.

-

The Female Paladin: “Indeed.”

Disciple Soldier: “And so we have to use some kind of strategy, but the first thing we need to do is to figure out what our final objective is. Without knowing our objective, we will not be able to construct a reliable strategy.”

The Female Paladin: “A good observation.”

Disciple Soldier: “I put all my attention into studying the arts of war.”

The Female Paladin: “So, you’re the Minister for Defence, right? What do you think our objective should be?”

Disciple Soldier: “To protect the people.”

The Female Paladin: “Which people?”

Disciple Soldier: “Of course, this includes the Kingdom of White Night.”

The Female Paladin: “Then we only have one objective. We will destroy the Tribe of the Pale and liberate the Kingdom of White Night.”

Minister of Winter: “Wait just a moment. At present, we don’t even know if we will be able to survive, if the Kingdom will not be destroyed, and you want to talk about liberating the Kingdom of White Night?!”

Metal Lieutenant: “That’s right! Why should we care about those traitors in the Kingdom of White Night anyway!”

The Female Paladin: “What do you have to say to that?”

Disciple Soldier: “No matter what, even though our battle objectives may change, we should always set our final objectives for the entirety of the campaign, right? If we try for the ultimate objective, we’ll be able to set our intermediate goals as well.”

Metal Lieutenant: “…”

The Female Paladin: “Right, so let’s get to the question at hand.”

Disciple Soldier: “Indeed. First, let us hide the difference in our numbers.”

The Female Paladin: “Ho, so you’re doing that?”

Disciple Soldier: “This was done in ancient times as well. It is a feature of just and noble governance to acquire the lessons of the past. Isn’t that something you taught me?” 𝐟re𝐞w𝐞𝒃𝓃𝒐𝐯𝚎𝒍.c૦𝚖

The Female Paladin: “We have refused soldiers from the Kingdom of Ice, and the 3,000 infantrymen from the Kingdom of Winter will only arrive in a week’s time.”

Minister of Winter: “Yes, they are already moving as fast as they can.”

Disciple Soldier: “I will go and call on the Settler Militia.”

The Female Paladin: “What use are they?”

Disciple Soldier: “We have had good results from using them as combat engineers.”

The Female Paladin: “Terrain then.”

Disciple Soldier: “Terrain indeed.”

The Female Paladin: “But like you said before, the enemy are no fools, right? Would a general commanding a force of heavy cavalry really choose a marshland as a battleground? It would be understandable if he has no knowledge of the terrain ahead but it would be strange if he did not send scouts or observers to the battleground.”

Disciple Soldier: “We will have to bait him then.”

The Female Paladin: “Bait, huh.”

Disciple Soldier: “Madam.”

The Female Paladin: “What’s with the change of mood, this is weird.”

Disciple Soldier: “I’ve been thinking about this for a very, very long time, but you truly have the most perfect and exquisite features. From your eyes which shine like radiant crystals to your rose-coloured lips to your rich, sleek hair. You are truly a goddess, capable of commanding the attention of everybody who looks upon you.”

Metal Lieutenant: “Uhh.”

Minister of Winter: “What a thing to say to the Grand Commander.”

The Female Paladin: “Wh-what are you saying?!”

Disciple Soldier: “No, no, I am not trying to flatter you. On top of that, you are the most capable commander ever to grace the Tripartite Union of the Southern Kingdoms; truly the Female General of legend.”

Metal Lieutenant: “Uhh—”

Disciple Soldier: (Softly) “I’m praising her.”

Metal Lieutenant: “Eh?”

Disciple Soldier: (Softly) “I’m praising her intently. I want you to join me.”

The Female Paladin: “What are you doing?”

Disciple Soldier: “I have dreamt of the days under which I fight beneath your banner.”

Metal Lieutenant: “Yes! Every soldier in the Three Kingdoms yearns for nothing less than the opportunity to fight with you.”

Minister of Winter: “That’s the truth, I now know this is the same in the Kingdom of Winter.”

The Female Paladin: “What the hell is this about?”

Disciple Soldier: “Please, there is no need to be humble. This is truly the consensus of our army, is it not? Come! Everyone together!”

Metal Lieutenant and Minister of Winter nod.

Disciple Soldier: “Everybody! Long live the Female Paladin!”

Metal Lieutenant and Minister of Winter: “Long live the Female Paladin!”

The Female Paladin: “Hey, you guys, stop!”

Disciple Soldier: “Everybody! Long live the most brilliant and radiant Female Paladin!”

Metal Lieutenant and Minister of Winter: “Long live the Female Paladin!”

The Female Paladin: “Alright, stop! I’ve had enough of this nonsense!” Slaps head.

Disciple Soldier: “Oww. And that’s how you bait someone.”

The Female Paladin: “Eh?”

Disciple Soldier: “The most delicious bait that is bound to make these Demons of the Pale drool all over themselves is you!”

- Continental Highway, a Pasture for Sheep

Rumble, rumble.

Shepherd Boy: “Hey, what’s that?”

Shepherd Girl: “The whole ground is shaking? …Eh? What’s that?”

Shepherd Boy: “People. Lots of people!”

Shepherd Girl: “What is going on?!”

Rumble, rumble.

— All is as the Spirit wills it — All is as the Spirit wills it

Shepherd Boy: “What a lot of people. Ah, it’s an army.”

Shepherd Girl: “But with this many soldiers, it can’t be a normal lord’s army. No, it can’t even be a normal king’s army…”

Travelling Merchant: “What, haven’t you guys heard?”

Shepherd Boy: “Oh, you’re the Travelling Merchant.”

Shepherd Girl: “What’s this? What’s happening?”

Travelling Merchant: “His Holiness the Primarch has mustered the Third Holy Crusade.”

Shepherd Boy: “Holy…”

Shepherd Girl: “Crusade?”

Travelling Merchant: “Yeah, that’s right.”

— All is as the Spirit wills it — All is as the Spirit wills it

Travelling Merchant: “His Holiness the Primarch has called for a massive army in order to destroy those Demons who dare to humiliate and defile our Holy Spirit of Light.”

Shepherd Boy: “They can’t all be nobles?”

Travelling Merchant: “No, there are even serfs among them.”

Shepherd Boy: “To that extent…”

Marching.

Shepherd Girl: “How amazing. It’s almost as if the world is about to end…”

Travelling Merchant: “I came from the Northwest and the same thing is going on there. It’s lasted for days on end. There’re a lot of people everywhere.”

Shepherd Boy: “Do you think they would buy mutton?”

Travelling Merchant: “Yeah, I think so? There are a lot of people following them, even prostitutes and beggars, all trying to profit from their needs.”

Shepherd Boy: “I think I’ll follow them for a while.”

Shepherd Girl: “Isn’t it kind of scary? You shouldn’t go.”

Travelling Merchant: “I have no interest in this sort of thing as well.”

Shepherd Boy: “But we could make something. I’m going to go.”

Shepherd Girl: “Hey, wait for me, I’m coming too!”

- The Plains of Scilla, behind a Ridge

Soft treading…

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “How is it?”

Archer Calvary: “This entire area seems to correspond to it.”

Scout of the Pale: “What a large plain.”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “Yes, on the map it seems to be 15km in length.”

Archer Calvary: “So, what should we look at?”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “First, scout out this ridge.”

Scout of the Pale: “Understood.”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “Be quick about it. Draw up measurements for how many rows of soldiers can advance comfortably on these plains.”

Scout of the Pale: “Understood.”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “How is the terrain?”

Archer Calvary: “Most of it is grassy plains but there are many wet areas and some parts of it look to be slippery peat bogs.”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “Hmm.”

Archer Calvary: “What do you think?”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “How would cavalry perform?”

Archer Calvary: “Light cavalry should have no issues but it may be difficult for the heavy cavalry. If a horse were to lose its footing, it might not be able to get up again. However, it may be possible to avoid the marshlands and navigate through the grassy areas…”

Scout of the Pale: “But marshlands are disadvantageous even for light infantry.”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “It is much worse than it looks. It seems like the extent of usable terrain is somewhat limited.”

Archer Calvary: “What a formidable terrain.”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “Archer Cavalry, please dismount and check the terrain from here to the centre of the plains. Note down as much of the marshlands, flatlands, and hilly terrain as you are able to. Many of these look like plains but are actually wet marshes, these are unsuitable in combat. Measure the centre area very carefully and if you encounter any enemies, avoid direct confrontation and gather as much intelligence on them as possible.”

Archer Calvary: “Understood.”

Dismounts.

Scout of the Pale: “Yes?”

Reconnaissance Leader of the Pale: “So these are scilla flowers. — Hmph, the invincible Tribe of the Pale shall easily crush these Humans just as we crush these weak plants under our boots.”

- The Southern Border, in a Deeply Forested Wood

Hoot, hoot, hoot.

Resourceful Young Man flinches.

Little Sister Maid: “It’s just Mr. Owl.”

Resourceful Young Man: “I know that!”

Caw, caw, caw, wings flapping.

Resourceful Young Man: “?!”

Disciple Nobleman: “Come now, young man. Why are you so panicky about everything? You’re scaring the birds with your nervousness.”

Little Sister Maid: “You’re slow.”

Resourceful Young Man: “That’s because I’m carrying all of your luggage!”

Disciple Nobleman: “What of it?”

Little Sister Maid: “Yeah.”

Disciple Nobleman: “I’m a nobleman, after all.”

Little Sister Maid: “I’m a girl.”

Resourceful Young Man: “So I have to carry your luggage?!”

Disciple Nobleman: “Didn’t I save your life?”

Little Sister Maid: “Yep, yep.”

Resourceful Young Man: “So now I’m your slave!”

Disciple Nobleman: “With that impertinence, I’m inclined to take this rapier* and slice your neck into some delicious food.”

Little Sister Maid: “I wonder how that would taste like!”

Disciple Nobleman: “Probably terrible. Maybe I should poke you another arsehole?”

Little Sister Maid: “That sounds good ??”

Resourceful Young Man: “Alright, fine, fine, I’ll carry it.”

Disciple Nobleman: “Hey, hey, you’re carrying everything.”

Little Sister Maid: “You can’t walk in front.”

Resourceful Young Man: “Then how am I supposed to know where the place is?!”

Disciple Nobleman: “But you know this place really well.”

Little Sister Maid: “Yeah.”

Resourceful Young Man: “There’s an abandoned ruins up ahead… There should be people there.”

Disciple Nobleman: “Ahh, here we are.”

Little Sister Maid: “This is… the smell of bean soup.”

Resourceful Young Man: “Is that good?”

Disciple Nobleman: “Yeah, that’s our destination.”

Resourceful Young Man: “Then this is enough for me, right? Those guys are bad. I don’t want to go there.”

Disciple Nobleman: “Ahahahaha. Didn’t you say you weren’t a porter?”

Resourceful Young Man: “Come on! I’ve been carrying the load of two people!”

Little Sister Maid: “?”

Disciple Nobleman: “?”

Resourceful Young Man: “Don’t pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about!”

Disciple Nobleman: “What an interesting young man.”

Little Sister Maid: “Very spritely.”

Resourceful Young Man: “Hey, please! That place is filled with dastardly mercenaries. They’re worse than bandits! They’re professionals used to a life of slaughter and murder!”

Disciple Nobleman: “That’s why we’ve come all this way.”

Resourceful Young Man: “I don’t get it!”

--

Explanation

Rapier: A very thin sword. With the invention of firearms, armour became obsolete from the 16th century onwards so smaller swords could be used just as effectively. It was not a sword you carried whilst facing a fully-armoured enemy.

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Disciple Nobleman: “I understand. They’re pros so I’m sure they’d have noticed trespassers like ourselves at this distance.”

Arrow notched.

Muscular Mercenary: “Don’t move. Drop your weapons.”

Disciple Nobleman: “You didn’t really think they wouldn’t have noticed, right?”

- The Border of the Kingdom of Winter, a Ruined Fortress in the Woods

Mercenary Leader: “Right, who the hell are you?”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “If you don’t answer, you’re not going to go back home.”

Resourceful Young Man: “I’m not related to that brat and that strange man over there. Please forgive me, oh honourable leader.”

Disciple Nobleman: “What are you saying, you terrible loser.”

Little Sister Maid: “My sister would laugh at you.”

Mercenary Leader: “So you are the Disciple Nobleman?”

Disciple Nobleman: “Disciple Nobleman is my name. I am a believer of exquisite waltzes, the fragrance of flowers, the sweetness of wine, and the love of beautiful ladies.”

Little Sister Maid: “I am the Little Sister Maid, the future Royal Head Chef.”

Mercenary Leader: “Hmph. And what are you doing here?”

Disciple Nobleman: “I heard that there were some strong mercenary stragglers hiding out here in the forests so I came to investigate.”

Mercenary Leader: “Oho…”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “Chief.” Raises spear.

Disciple Nobleman: “Please put that weapon down. I’m not proud of it, but I’m a weak guy. You might just make me wet my very gorgeous pants.”

Little Sister Maid: “That’s not very cool…”

Mercenary Leader: “Really now? I’ve lived on the battlefield for a long time. Didn’t you pick up a thing or two from that terrible woman? I’ve seen what she can do.”

Disciple Nobleman: “Just a few random swings in the backyard. I’m not good enough to ever hope to use it well. That being said, there are hundreds of scary people like yourselves in this fortress and I couldn’t possibly escape from you all. From that tower…”

Resourceful Young Man: “Eh?”

Disciple Nobleman: “…there must be quite a few crossbows pointing straight at us, right?”

Mercenary Leader: “It is as you say. Hehehe… Then, what are you here for? Are you here to give us money too? Which one is it?”

Disciple Nobleman: “…”

Resourceful Young Man: “Which one?”

Mercenary Leader: “Do you want us to ‘seize everything from the Kingdom of Winter’ or ‘forgive the Kingdom of Winter for everything’? We’re mercenaries, so you’re here to offer us money?”

Disciple Nobleman: “I see, is that what you think I came here for?”

Mercenary Leader: “…Is there something else?”

Disciple Nobleman: “Let me consider if there is anything else.”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “You cheeky fool!”

Resourceful Young Man: “Ahhh!”

Mercenary Leader: “What are you trying to say?”

Disciple Nobleman: “I was just thinking you have a very well-kept warhorse.”

Mercenary Leader: “…”

Disciple Nobleman: “It’s not just about feeding it good grass. If you don’t wipe it every day, you’ll never get that lustrous shine on its coat. That goes the same for all your other equipment; even though they’re just weapons, you really take care of them very well, like you love them, don’t you? You’ve got a good system for running this fortress so you’re clearly not bandits.”

Mercenary Leader: “What are you trying to say?”

Disciple Nobleman: “To be honest, I’m here to hire you.”

Mercenary Leader: “There you go, it’s obvious you came for that.”

Disciple Nobleman: “No, no, the meaning of this and my objectives for it are completely different.”

Mercenary Leader: “Exactly what are you trying to say?”

Disciple Nobleman: “I’m sure you know about the Kingdom of White Night, it’s not very far from here.”

Mercenary Leader: “Yeah.”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “Hmph, those guys.”

Disciple Nobleman: “Their capital has been seized by the Demons.”

Mercenary Leader: “…Ha. Those pathetic nobles. They couldn’t even do the bare minimum of protecting their own country. What a joke.”

Disciple Nobleman: “Right, I want you to rescue their capital.”

Resourceful Young Man: “What?”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “Huh?! What the hell are you talking about?!”

Disciple Nobleman: “Is that a strange request?”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “Of course! Why are you bringing us into this fight with the Demons?! And this is something for pathetic noblemen to be doing!”

Mercenary Leader: “—Hey, shut up. Right, Disciple Nobleman. While you’re still alive, is that all you want to say?”

Disciple Nobleman: “I’m not trying to cover up for their mistakes. The Kingdom of White Night has been exterminated. Their King is dead and their government has been destroyed. That place is merely a patch of land known as the White Night. There isn’t even anyone to cover up for. That’s not important.”

Resourceful Young Man: “…That’s my country.”

Disciple Nobleman: “What remains is a patch of land with large numbers of starving and tortured people, civilians who have become serfs and slaves. — That’s all.”

Little Sister Maid: “Yeah…”

Mercenary Leader: “And?”

Disciple Nobleman: “So what these people need is a hero!”

Mercenary Leader: “?”

Disciple Nobleman: “So, what do you think? Do you think you could become a People’s Liberation Army?”

Mercenary Leader: “Are you serious?!”

Disciple Nobleman: “Yes. I’m completely serious. To begin with, I come from an institution where they taught us to be completely serious even when our surroundings have degenerated into complete insanity. These are troublesome times. The Disciple Soldier, the Elder Sister Maid, even the Female Paladin, we are all very serious about this. The people need a miracle. — This is a completely serious matter. It is very grave.”

Mercenary Leader: “…What the hell.”

Disciple Nobleman: “I’m sure you know, but those Demons are now attacking the neighbouring Kingdom of Metal. I don’t know how many are under their command but my sworn brother the Disciple Soldier heads the army that is moving to stop them.

“What this means is that the Kingdom of White Night is probably devoid of military strength. I know you can muster up a small army to attack them, right? These soldiers should be strong enough to take the city, at least for a while. That will buy a window of time for the surviving citizens to escape… I heard what you did at the border of the Kingdom of the Kingfisher.”

Mercenary Leader: “You, where did you hear that…”

Disciple Nobleman: “The diplomatic circle is much bigger than you think.”

Mercenary Leader: “…”

Disciple Nobleman: “And that’s why you wouldn’t abandon the citizens of the Kingdom of White Night. I come to you with this on my mind. I know that even if the wind of cowardice blows over you, you will still do this noble task.”

Mercenary Leader: “What is my reward?”

Disciple Nobleman: “Hey, young man.”

Resourceful Young Man: “What is it?”

Disciple Nobleman: “Empty the luggage.”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “What? You came bringing gold? Did you want to get robbed, you fool?”

Resourceful Young Man: “Got it, I’ll empty it.”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “Shall I open it, Chief? …What’s this?”

Resourceful Young Man: “What is this…”

Little Sister Maid: “Bacon, potatoes, and white cream pie.”

Mercenary Leader: “What…”

Disciple Nobleman: “Eat up.”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “What did you say?!”

Disciple Nobleman: “Shut up and eat the hell up! If you don’t, it’s going to get cold. Hurry up and eat!”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “Chief… It smells great, but it could be poisoned.”

Little Sister Maid: “No way! I made them myself!”

Mercenary Leader: “Give me one.”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “But—”

Mercenary Leader: “Hurry up… Mmm.”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “Fine, then me too.”

Mercenary Archer: “Me too.”

Mercenary Swordsman: “I’m starving.”

Mercenary Leader: “…Delicious.”

Little Sister Maid: “Thank you! I tried really hard!”

Mercenary Leader: “Ahh, delicious. How wonderful. You made this? Amazing. It’s great. Even though you’re so small. Ahh, what’s this. I seem to have wronged you—Yumm.”

Disciple Nobleman: “So, what do you think?”

Resourceful Young Man: “Why are you so proud of yourself?”

Disciple Nobleman: “If you save the Kingdom of White Night, there will be a lot more where that came from.”

Mercenary Leader: “Huh?”

Resourceful Young Man: “You will get to eat this forever.”

Mercenary Leader: “What do you mean?”

Resourceful Young Man: “The leader of the People’s Liberation Army is an official, right? Whether it is in the Kingdom of Winter or in the reborn Kingdom of White Night. Having saved these people from hell on earth, you will be their hero. The people will thank you. But how do you think they will do it? If you just wanted to be bandits then why do you continue to take care of your horses so well? Why do you sharpen your weapons? You are not bandits. You are mercenaries. You are a proud mercenary group who dreams of striding back into your hometown one day.”

Mercenary Leader: “Really? But we fought against that Female Paladin of yours before as well.”

Disciple Nobleman: “I will carry this responsibility. As the envoy of Her Majesty the Queen of Ice and Snow and as Ambassador for the Tripartite Economic Union, I plead of you. The Kingdom of Ice will bear the cost of this. Please prepare your units, arm your men, and go into hiding along the borders of the Kingdom of White Night. When you see an opportunity, you are to free the people. I am not asking you to repulse the Demons. All I want is for you to save the people to the best of your abilities.”

Little Sister Maid: “Please.”

Mercenary Leader: “…”

Mercenary Spear Horseman: “Chief…”

Mercenary Archer: “Chief…”

Disciple Nobleman: “…”

Mercenary Leader: “Could I have another one?”

Little Sister Maid: “This has a really fatty piece of pork in it. It tastes loads better when it’s hot.”

Mercenary Leader: “Heh. Delicious. Splendid. How splendid. Ha. — Alright!”

Disciple Nobleman smiles.

Mercenary Leader: “I accept your delicious advance payment! Alright, men! We’ve got a new contract! Our war is about to begin. It is the destiny of every mercenary to die gloriously in combat. So before we die, let’s earn that final bit of gratitude we never got to receive!”

- The Plains of Scilla, the Frontline

Scout: “Here they come!”

The Female Paladin: “What is their composition?”

Scout: “Infantry in the centre. We can respond with light infantry, but they seem to be armed with very large wooden shields.”

Minister of Winter: “An anti-arrow measure.”

Scout: “Moreover, their flanks are supplemented by light cavalry and heavy cavalry. It is a deep formation. The protruding section alone seems to be ten thousand strong.”

Light Cavalry of Winter: “Ten… thousand…”

The Female Paladin: “Don’t be scared! I don’t care if the enemy has two thousand soldiers, we have seven thousand! All that needs to happen is for each of us to kill three of them!”

Light Cavalry of Winter: “Yes!”

The Female Paladin: “What is the distance?”

Scout: “They are still at the bottom of the ridge. We should contact them at noon.”

Minister of Winter: “Commander…”

The Female Paladin: “If you see the enemy commander, that Sigiled King of the Pale, I want all of you to retreat. Throw down your weapons and get the hell out.”

Minister of Winter: “…Understood.”

- The Plains of Scilla, the Army of the Pale

General of the Pale: “The formation is complete. This will be the rear guard.”

Officer of the Pale: “Yes! Square Formation*!”

Running.

Soldier of the Pale: “All ready up to 15th company!”

Light Cavalryman of the Pale: “Light cavalry are ready!”

Archer of the Pale: “Archers assembled.”

General of the Pale: “And what of the enemy?”

Scout of the Pale: “They have yet to move from their reported locations. Their frontline is established along the centre hill, they are dug in and defensive.”

General of the Pale: “That is a good position, an excellent location from which to deploy their cavalry.”

Officer of the Pale: “But that is the same for us as well.”

General of the Pale: “That’s precisely why it is imperative for them to engage us with archers as much as possible, to wear down our numbers before the battle.”

Infantry Leader of the Pale: “But things aren’t going to go as they expect. We’ve got massive shields to block their arrows and once we get close enough, their arrows will be all but useless. Things won’t go the way they plan.”

General of the Pale: “Hmm. That may be so, but we should crush the resistance of these people. This is a war of the Pale. — Come! Call the Command Group!”

Commissar of the Pale: “Reporting!” Salute.

General of the Pale: “Relay my orders! Break through the line at the centre of the hill then charge through it with our heavy cavalry!”

--

Explanation

Square Formation: A formation in which soldiers form a square. It is a very basic formation and is most often used by infantry. It may not be very different from a lot of other types of formations, but it is one which prizes defensiveness over manoeuvrability.

-

- The Plains of Scilla, the Frontline

Light Cavalry of Winter: “The fog is here.”

Spearman of Winter: “Yeah…”

Archer of Winter: “The Demons draw close! They are in sight!”

The Female Paladin: “Not yet, don’t fire yet. Pull!”

Minister of Winter: “All archers ready!”

Arrows notch.

The Female Paladin: “…”

Minister of Winter: “Not yet?”

Spearman of Winter: “They’re still out of our effective range but approaching fast.”

Archer of Winter: “They have a lot less of those large shields than we thought. It seems to be some sort of emergency equipment. At this rate, our archers will be very effective.”

The Female Paladin: “…Don’t tell me.”

Archer of Winter: “We are in range. Commander, shall we fire!”

The Female Paladin: “…”

Archer of Winter: “They draw closer, please give the command!”

The Female Paladin: “…!!! Fine. Fire!”

Arrows flying.

———— The Plains of Scilla, the Vanguard of the Demons of the Pale

Slave Soldier: “Ahhhhh!”

Commissar of the Pale: “Advance! Advance!”

Slave Soldier: “No way! The arrows are like a wall!”

Commissar of the Pale: “You are losers and stragglers! Slaves!”

Slave Soldier: “We are people. People shouldn’t fight people!”

Commissar of the Pale: “Ha! All this while, the Kingdom of Metal and the Kingdom of White Night have been at war, haven’t you! Just what are you talking about! Stand up! Stand up and fight!”

Slave Soldier: “No way! I don’t want to die!”

Commissar of the Pale: “Then die here!”

Stab.

Slave Soldier: “Ahhhhhh?!”

Commissar of the Pale: “Do not forget that the Commiserate marches behind you! Any one of you who even tries to escape will be executed without question!”

Slave Soldier: “Wh-what!”

Commissar of the Pale: “Pick up your spears! Advance! Take that hill!”

——— The Plains of Scilla, in the Forest, an Ambush Spot

Disciple Soldier: “Hide the horses in the reeds. Quietly.”

Soldier of Metal: “Yes.”

Disciple Soldier: “…”

Clink, clink.

Officer of Metal: “Looks like it has begun.”

Soldier of Metal: “…”

Disciple Soldier: “Our responsibility is to stay here. Do not worry, have faith in the Commander.”

Officer of Metal: “Yes.”

Disciple Soldier: “Just three more hours and we might be able to turn this around. Until then…”

Officer of Metal: “Yeah. The plan of the Minister of Defence will work.”

Disciple Soldier: “Hahahaha. This was thought up by the Female Paladin.”

Officer of Metal: “But you gave her the inspiration for it!”

Disciple Soldier: “She is my teacher.”

Officer of Metal: “I… Ahh, fine. Actually, I’ve learnt a lot from you, and who I am today is the product of what you have given me.”

Disciple Soldier: “You’ve saved me on many occasions too.”

Officer of Metal: “Oh no, I wouldn’t say that.”

Scout: “General.”

Disciple Soldier: “What is it?”

Scout: “An unidentified force is advancing upon our position from behind.”

Soldier of Metal: “Behind?! What?”

Scout: “They’ve come down the roads and into the forests. But they’re not Demons, they’re Humans.”

Soldier of Metal: “Reinforcements? We would sure be happy for all the help we can get…”

Officer of Metal: “Send an envoy and figure out who they are first.”

Disciple Soldier: “Yeah, they could be the combat engineers since they were quite separated from us the last time. In any case, Scout, please confirm who they—”

Bang!

Officer of Metal: “?!”

Soldier of Metal: “Wh-what…”

Bang! Bang!

Disciple Soldier: “What’s this…”

Soldier of Metal: “General! General!”

Disciple Soldier: “Calm down!”

Soldier of Metal: “Our rear guard and the settler militia have come into contact with the mysterious army! They are attacking! They’re obliterating us with some sort of thunder-producing ranged weapon!”

Disciple Soldier: “What?!”

———— The Kingdom of Metal, the Palace, the Grand Hall

The Hero: “Alright, shall we go?”

The Queen of Fairies: “Any time.”

Fairy Maiden: “I’m a bit scared.”

The Hero: “Leave it to me. At the very least, I’ll make sure you’re able to escape. In any case, Humans are the kind of people who like to randomly wave their swords about.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Calm yourself. We are on a mission from the Demon King herself. She is expecting our success.”

Fairy Maiden: “Yes…”

The Hero: “Alright. Let’s go.”

Opens doors.

The Hero: “Lone Winter King. Iron Fist King. Queen of Ice and Snow. I apologise for the wait!”

The Iron Fist King: “Oho, Hero. How early.”

The Lone Winter King: “Is something the matter?”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “It must be cold this early in the morning, right? Come by the hearth.”

The Hero: “Umm, ahem. Today I have brought some guests from a very distant part of the war. Allow me to introduce them to you. —”

The Queen of Fairies: “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Fairy Maiden: “A pleasure.” Curtsies.

The Iron Fist King coughs.

The Lone Winter King: “…”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Eh?”

The Hero: “Umm, on the right… is the Iron Fist King, the King of the Kingdom of Steel. He is the sovereign of the Kingdom and the Palace which we are currently in. You could say that he is currently in command of the war with the Demons of the Pale. In the centre is the Lone Winter King. The King of the Kingdom of Winter. He’s the one who got the Three Kingdoms to unite into the Tripartite Economic Union. The lady on the left is the Queen of Ice and Snow. The Kingdom of Ice is a land famous for its poets and bards. It’s a small country sandwiched between the Kingdoms of Metal and Winter and has developed a very splendid culture for it.”

The Queen of Fairies: “I see.”

The Iron Fist King: “Eh?”

The Hero: “Right, and my guest hails from the Demon World and is one of the Eight Great Khans of the Kurultai. She is the Khan of those who live in the woods, who flit in the early dawn and the close of dusk, the Tribe of Fairies, the Queen of Fairies. She is accompanied by her lady-in-waiting the Fairy Maiden.”

The Queen of Fairies: “I apologise for the late greetings. I am the Queen of Fairies.”

Fairy Maiden bows.

The Lone Winter King: “…”

The Hero: “Umm, well, she’s a fairly powerful figure in the Demon World, but she’s not here in that capacity. She’s a special envoy representing the Kurultai, in other words, the highest authority in the Demon World. She does not just convey the intentions of the Kurultai, but also of the Demon King.”

The Iron Fist King: “Hero, is this some kind of joke?”

The Lone Winter King: “It’s not a very funny joke.”

The Hero: “No, I’m completely serious.”

The Queen of Fairies: “…”

The Iron Fist King: “Demon…”

The Lone Winter King: “Queen of Fairies. You must have come a very long way. Come and sit by our hearth. It must be cold, come and share in the warmth of the embers.”

The Iron Fist King: “What are you saying, this is a Demon?!”

The Lone Winter King: “That may be so, but she is still a Queen. Even an enemy sovereign must be treated with the respect that they deserve. Moreover, she’s come from an incredibly faraway place. Look. She hasn’t brought any guards, just a defenceless handmaiden. It’s clear that she’s not here for any sort of warlike purpose.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “But…”

The Lone Winter King: “Moreover, the Hero brought her here. I trust him.”

The Iron Fist King: “That’s true… If the Iron Fist King lets a woman scare him, I would never hear the end of it.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Thank you.”

Wings flittering.

The Lone Winter King: “Let’s hear it.”

The Queen of Fairies: “I have many things to say. Firstly, I represent the Nine, no… Eight Great Tribes, in seeking permission to pass through the Human World… We may live in troubling times, but I have made this trip to the Human World to seek this pledge.”

The Iron Fist King: “Are you intending to invade us again?” f𝐫ee𝘄ℯ𝚋no𝐯𝐞l.c𝘰m

The Lone Winter King: “…”

The Hero: “If you start like this, you won’t understand what she’s trying to say, would you?”

The Lone Winter King: “That being said, why are you accompanying a Demon? Have you crossed over to their side?”

The Hero: “No one ever said that would be a bad thing?”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “That is heresy.”

The Lone Winter King: “My Queen, please do not forget that we are all heretics.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “…True, but…”

The Hero: “This all began, well… It all began a really, really long time ago, but this thing started with the Demon King needing to recover from her injuries. And then the Kurultai.”

The Iron Fist King: “Kurultai?”

The Hero: “Yeah, the Kurultai is a large Conference. The Demon King calls the Khans of the Eight Tribes together and they congregate with large numbers of their people. The Demon World is nominally ruled by the Demon King, but in actual fact, it is factionalised between several large Tribes, which have been fighting for influence and dominance for hundreds of years. However, due to an unprecedented threat, in other words the Human invasion, there has been relative peace between the Demon Tribes for the last 15 years or so.”

The Iron Fist King: “Invasion? We were the ones who were invaded.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Well actually, it was the Humans who destroyed the seal on the gate and invaded first.”

The Lone Winter King: “I see…”

The Queen of Fairies: “Yeah.”

The Iron Fist King: “What? What do you mean?”

The Lone Winter King: “No, I had my doubts from the start. Why did the Church dispatch such a massive and well-equipped investigation squad? And why was the investigation squad known as a Crusade?”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “…”

The Queen of Fairies: “But that is not what I have come here to talk to you about today. The Demon World is at war with the Human World. Because the Demons did not end it… we have been expending much of our energy killing and attacking each other. The result is, as you know, with the Demons successfully taking the Isle of Light. However, in return, our holy land the City of the Gate was lost.”

Wings flittering.

The Queen of Fairies: “The frontlines appeared to draw into a stalemate, but reality was different. The Humans changed their tactics. There were rumours of an invincible Human warrior known as the Hero. This Hero and his companions roamed the military mustering points and the ancient temples of the Demon World. With formidable weapons and incredible magic, he broke the Demon Armies wherever he went. Because they were so few in number they were impossible to find, and we suffered continuous setbacks at their hands…

“As these attacks carried on, it became clear that the Humans would eventually triumph over the Demons with his help, and the name of the Hero struck fear and revulsion into everybody… But then, the Hero and the Demon King engaged in a fierce battle, with both being heavily injured, and they disappeared… That is the story that was widespread in the Demon World.”

The Iron Fist King smiles.

The Hero: “—”

The Queen of Fairies: “But the Demon King was not dead. We knew that immediately. This may be difficult to explain to Humans, but the Demon World cannot exist without a Demon King. If the Demon King goes down, another Demon King will be chosen immediately. As long as that does not occur, then the Demon King has not died. However, the present Demon King has received one constant criticism. And that is the fact that she is poor in combat and weak. Of course, the Demon King is a genius in strategy and administration. I myself highly respect the present Demon King, in some ways more than her predecessors but this criticism was levelled against her by many of the Khans, who were disgruntled by it. Over time, the rumours that the Demon King was recovering from her injuries continued the longer she had disappeared.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Is that why we had that period of peace?”

The Queen of Fairies: “Yes, it is. And three years passed. In that time, the Isle of Light passed back into Human hands, and the Demons reclaimed the City of the Gate, but on the whole, peace reigned.

“With the help of the Hero, many destabilising elements in the Demon World were purged. Of course, the wars in the Human World had started as well, but without the command of the Demon King we could not unite to launch any serious attacks on the Human World. I hope you do not misunderstand when I say that the vast majority of the Demon World still supported invading the Humans.”

The Lone Winter King: “Well, and then?”

The Queen of Fairies: “The Demons do not believe in venerating one god like you do in the Human World. Each Tribe has its own teachings and its own cultures. What do you think when you see me? With these wings?

“I don’t look anything like the Demons of the Pale, right? This is just a difference in appearance, but with these, it is difficult to avoid differences in ideology and culture. The Demons live in a world split into different Tribes, each comprised of countless Demons. Of course, each Tribe has its own ideology and often engages in wars with the others.

“To begin with, in those three years, there were very few Demons who were not enraged that the holy site for most of the Demon gods, the City of the Gate, belonged to the Humans. As a result, many Demons harboured ill-intentions towards the Humans. As those three years passed, rumours arose that the Demon King had rerisen, and the Kurultai was summoned.”

The Lone Winter King: (That matches the intelligence we received from Grandpa.)

The Iron Fist King: “Is that so?”

The Queen of Fairies: “Of course, the content of the Conference was how to progress the war with the Humans. At the very least, the majority of Demons considered this heavily on their minds. However, among them there were people like the Tribe of Fairies who sought an end to the war.

“Why should we, a small and fragile Tribe, expose ourselves to the immense dangers of war? We spent a long time advancing our views to the other Eight Tribes together with the Demon King, trying our best to achieve a ceasefire.”

The Iron Fist King: “A ceasefire?! Really?!”

The Lone Winter King: “…”

The Queen of Fairies: “However, even though some of us truly wished for peace, powerful elements in the Demon World fought against us. Not only were they enraged and sought revenge, they also sought the new lands and the overflowing riches of the Human World. In the eyes of powerful Demons, the Human World was like a ripe fruit waiting to be picked.

“The Conference went on for a long time. A very, very long time. Roughly a month. With the persuasiveness of the Demon King, the Kurultai slowly progressed towards a consensus for a ceasefire. That is when the Tribe of the Pale hatched their schemes to assassinate the Demon King. As a result of this betrayal, the Eight Great Tribes split into two, setting aside the agenda of the war with the Humans and focusing on the anarchy of the chaotic world in which Demons would fight each other again.

“However, due to the wisdom and courage of a select few individuals, the worst case scenario was avoided. The result was that only the Tribe of the Pale broke away from the Demon World and the circle of Khans and chose independently to oppose the entire Demon World. It is definitely true that the Tribe of the Pale are a battle-hardened martial Tribe but they do not have the strength to break the combined alliance of the Tribe of the Fang, the Tribe of Dragons, and the Tribe of Banshees. We sought to crush the Tribe of the Pale and restore the Kurultai. We thought we had them trapped in their own territory and that with a slow siege we could force them to realise that they could not possibly hope to defeat the entire Demon World on their own.”

The Lone Winter King: “And to escape, the Tribe of the Pale attacked the Human World?”

The Queen of Fairies: “That is correct. We soon received news that the Tribe of the Demons of the Pale had invaded the Human World at lightning speed and conquered the Kingdom of White Night.”

The Iron Fist King: “So in the end, you brought your misfortune to us.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Iron Fist King, your reputation for hardness precedes you. It is as you say, the situation before you is the result of our internal situation and we have brought our harm to the Human World. As a result, the Demon World hopes to be given the opportunity to right this grave wrong.”

The Iron Fist King: “Dammit.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “No, that’s not right. Putting it another way, this development is the result of the Hero injuring the Demon King and leaving the Demon World in a mess for those few years.”

The Iron Fist King: “But that’s because the Demons invaded the Human World.”

The Lone Winter King: “If you’re talking about who did what first, then there’s a good chance we started it.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow nods.

The Queen of Fairies: “The Eight Great Tribes of the Kurultai—”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Sorry, just a moment. The Tribe of the Demons of the Pale have left the Kurultai, right? So shouldn’t there be seven?”

The Hero: “Ah.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Yes. I didn’t say this earlier because I didn’t want to make it more complicated, but as a result of the Demon King’s reactions to the schemes of the Demons of the Pale, a new Tribe was added to the Kurultai. The Tribe of the Gate. They are the only Tribe in the Demon World with a Human Khan.”

The Iron Fist King: “A Human?!”

The Hero: “I’ve probably got to explain this segment. Lone Winter King. You do remember that there were approximately 20,000 Holy Crusaders garrisoned in the City of the Gate, right?”

The Lone Winter King: “Yes.”

The Hero: “And you remember that they fled with their tails between their legs to the Isle of Light?”

The Lone Winter King: “If they hadn’t attacked the Demons from behind, they would have begun a massive counterattack. We would have lost a lot of soldiers and many, many people would have died. Because of them, the value of our victory did not diminish and they practically saved the day, right? What about them?”

The Hero: “Looks like you only got half the story.”

The Lone Winter King: “But I do know that the City of the Gate remained a place with a strong Human presence.”

The Hero: “More accurately, it has become a Free City ruled by a Self-Governing Council.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Is that similar to the Free Cities in the Human World?”

The Hero: “It is the same. Except they have no sovereign and are ruled by a group of representative Councillors. Well, it’s true that the bulk of the garrison did flee from the City of the Gate, retreating into the Human World, but most of the citizens stayed. And make no mistake, there were a lot of civilians. Nearly ten thousand merchants, artisans, and shopkeepers stayed behind.

“Having been abandoned by the Crusaders, they chose to adopt amicable relations with the Demons. If they hadn’t done that, it is likely that they would all have been slaughtered to the last man. I believe it was a wise decision. As a result, the City of the Gate has become a city in which Demons and Humans live together in harmony. Furthermore, the Self-Governing Council has proclaimed that the entire city is a Tribe.”

The Iron Fist King: “A Tribe? Isn’t that a group of people who are born in the same area?”

The Hero: “Most of the time, that is so, but there is no law which says that. As long as you all adopt the same name and the same values, no matter who you are, you can start your own Tribe. That’s why the remaining Humans in the City of the Gate have joined hands with the Demons who live in the same City of the Gate and declared themselves the Tribe of the Gate.

“And they have been accepted into the Kurultai too. They oppose the war, of course. — It is because of their involvement that the Kurultai is moving towards a ceasefire. Of course, there is still strong suspicion and opposition against Humans. It is a fact that there is some doubt as to whether or not a ceasefire can ever be properly implemented.

“However, we have a lot to lose if we get into a war. It’s possible that both Worlds will be ravaged and destroyed by the end of it.”

The Iron Fist King: “Ravaged…”

The Lone Winter King: “Mmm.”

The Queen of Fairies: “I come to you today representing the will of the Kurultai, the Eight Great Tribes, and the Demon King. Of course, we know that the Human World is not a monolithic organisation. But in order for the Demon World to be involved in halting the excessive violence of the Tribe of the Demons of the Pale… I would like to outline our intentions. Firstly, I believe you should consider allowing us to deal with them directly. Allowing the Tribe of the Demons of the Pale to progress so far is our responsibility. We hence request for the permission for the Demon Army to march to the Tribe of the Demons of the Pale and engage them. Moreover, we would like to request a ceasefire with the Tripartite Economic Union. To be honest, we would like a ceasefire with the entire Human World, but achieving a ceasefire with just a section of it would be a great step forward as well.”

The Iron Fist King: “…”

The Lone Winter King: “What do you think?”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “Well…”

The Queen of Fairies: “…”

Fairy Maiden: “…”

The Iron Fist King: “And how many soldiers would the Demon Army bring into our lands?”

The Queen of Fairies: “About ten thousand.”

The Iron Fist King: “What evidence do you have to prove that everything you have told us is not a lie, that this is not just a plan for you to reinforce the Army of the Demons of the Pale and invade the Human World together?”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “That is a possibility.”

The Queen of Fairies: “By the Portal between our Worlds, there are currently one thousand Fairy Maidens waiting for my command.”

Fairy Maiden: “Yes…”

The Iron Fist King: “Maidens?”

The Queen of Fairies: “Until the Demon Army has retreated completely from your World, these Maidens, along with myself, will be held in your cities as hostages. Will that be enough?”

The Iron Fist King: “—”

The Lone Winter King: “I can’t say for sure whether or not there’s some scheme behind this, but with regards to the situation in the Demon World for the last three years and their strengths, I can say for certain that these have been verified by my own intelligence-gathering units.”

The Iron Fist King: “Hero.”

The Hero: “?”

The Iron Fist King: “Just what is your intention in having us cooperate with the Demons?”

The Hero: “Of course I have intentions and ideas but for now this is mostly a matter of gains and losses.”

The Iron Fist King: “…”

The Lone Winter King: “That’s true. It’s not like the Hero is a subject of the Southern Kingdoms.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow nods.

The Hero: “To avoid a misunderstanding, I think there is something I should say.”

The Iron Fist King: “Yes?”

The Hero: “I am not the saviour of the Human World. I am the Hero — I save whichever World has people who need saving. If there is a need for me to be there, no matter who is oppressing whom, I will be there to help.”

The Iron Fist King: “So you would even be the enemy of the Humans?”

The Hero: “This is not a matter of enemies or allies.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “…”

The Lone Winter King: “…”

The Hero: “Don’t look so scared.”

The Lone Winter King: “—So these are the crossroads.”

The Iron Fist King: “What do you mean, Lone Winter King?”

The Lone Winter King: “If we need it, then you will save us too?”

The Hero: “As much as my strength allows.”

The Queen of Ice and Snow: “How exactly are you going to save us?”

The Hero: “Well, if the dialogue between the Queen of Fairies and the Three Kingdoms continues. I believe that what we are doing here, right here right now, is what will save the World.”