Toshizou was not convinced, and neither was Eve.
She bowed her head and asked me to reconsider.
Even Jeanne narrowed her eyebrows and said, ‘you must not!’
In spite of all three of them being against it, I had no intention of changing my mind. However, another person joined them in their disapproval.
It was the goblin servant who was holding my horse’s reins. I was not used to hearing him speak.
“A Demon King being part of a special attack? It is not right. Such assassination attempts should be left to the ninjas.”
He wasn’t talking in the goblin language but was still fluent. His voice didn’t even have the guttural quality that most goblins had.
It was just as I realized that he wasn’t the servant who was usually with me. He peeled off his skin and looked at me.
“These things should be left to professionals, Demon King.”
“Ah, Fuma Kotaro. Since when were you here?”
“We ninjas are only by your side when you need us.”
He said.
“In other words, a time like this?”
“Aye, exactly. Let the world know what we are capable of.”
“…Very well.”
I decided to give in and let the assassin do his job.
Kotaro was about to call his subordinates and leave, but I had one thing to ask him, and so I stopped him.
“Fuma Kotaro. About the information that I had asked for…”
“Ah, that. I have acquired it.”
“The…information?”
Eve asked.
“Information that will affect the outcome of this battle. I wanted to hear about the time that Demon King Zagam had his right arm cut off.”
“How would that information be of any use?”
“It will. Well, I will make it be of use. If it is as I imagined. So, how was it?”
Kotaro answered.
“It was as you said. Jochi is a calm man, but he changed the moment that his father was insulted. And that’s when he cut off Zagam’s arm.”
“I see. So it was just as the history books said.”
“What do you mean?”
“He has a near-obsession with his father. I intend to make use of this sense of inferiority.”
I said. And then I separated my army into three groups.
Fuma Kotaro would lead a team of assassins to deal with Zagam.
Then there would be a group that would draw the attention of the army that surrounded Decarbia castle.
And then there would be a group to face Jochi upon his arrival.
I did not like to split up an already small army, but my plan required that it be done.