“If I join, Demon King, I’ll kill humans. You still, don’t mind?”
‘Including that as well.’
The kobold sighed deeply and then laughed.
“You, really not fair. When you say things like that, I, can’t quit being a Hero.”
‘In that case, we can continue to fight together for some time.’
Sheto nodded silently.
In a world where their enemies, allies and the battlefields were ever changing, this goddess alone was always by his side.
And that alone would be the thing he could continue to believe in.
“I, finished my job. You next.”
‘Leave it to me. We have already started to move. That being said, I am not taking the lead.’
Sheto had not been told what Fi and Keita were doing, but it was the Dragon God’s plan.
It wasn’t that he felt no anxiety, but now that things were already set in motion, there was no point in worrying about it.
While he didn’t know where they were, Sheto whispered gently to the air.
“I’m counting on you, Fi, Keita.”
—
‘I had a report from Salia. Preparations are complete.’
Said the Dragon God, and Fi sighed with relief.
“So it really went through… That’s just… It’s…”
They were hiding in a mountain cave far away from any human settlement. In order to stay out of sight of the Seer’s eyes, they were careful to not walk out during the day.
‘That is what it means to fight. Sometimes, it is impossible to make something move. But once things get rolling, no one can stop it.’
“Will a lot of villages be attacked again?”
Keita muttered while carving something into a small mithril slab. He had been strongly against the current plan, and was not satisfied with it even now.
‘And if they are, we should laugh at how incompetent the Seer is. He should have been able to predict this much.’
“…You make it sound like the burnings will fail?”
‘Because they will fail.’
What did he mean? This plan was suggested because it would be an advantage to the monsters. It was supposed to allow them to fight the Hero’s army with an even chance of winning.
‘He calls himself the god of wisdom, you know? Of course he would’ve seen through his own army’s weaknesses from the start. The results of the scorched-earth attack will likely be insignificant.’
“Then why are you making them do it?”
‘While they may fail with burning the villages, they will still succeed in scattering the enemy forces. After all, the Hero’s army can’t afford to lose a single battle.’
The Hero’s army had protected every city. They were receiving gold and food in exchange for their strength. If their strength proved to be insufficient, then that foundation would crumble.
‘On top of that, they must be collecting the military tax without consulting the three Moranian kingdoms. If they’re secretly levying taxes without government approval…and then fail to protect the settlements…it’s bound to cause serious friction.’
“I see. The Hero’s army can’t just protect, but they have to protect while avoiding any damages.”
‘Exactly. Also, there shouldn’t be any human losses. Berganda ordered his men to not kill any humans.’
“Why would he do that?”
‘Because he understands that the dead do not speak.’
The dead did not eat, and they would not lash out at the soldiers in fear.
The dragon god was impressed at the demon general’s decision.
However, Fi just sighed even more than before.
“It’s just…horrible. War.”
‘Really? This one seems relatively clean compared to most.’
“Well, maybe in your twisted mind it is. But, you know…”
‘Uh, well… Indeed. You can see what both sides are thinking. It is quite ugly… However, things are finally starting to take a more ideal shape. As the scattered Hero’s army and monsters glare at each other, it will only be the much diminished main force that will head to the Kaitar capital of Gai Straum.’
“What’s so ideal about that?”
‘You don’t understand? Whether the monsters ambush them or fight on the field, there will be no losses in the surrounding towns. Only those who chose to be soldiers on their own will fight.’
“Ah…”
Limit damage to each settlement and reduce the number of people drawn into the war. Every move had been carried out with that objective in mind.