Chapter: 36. Commander
Demons don’t often think much, they are quite foolish.
But that doesn’t mean all demons lack intelligence.
Even among fools, there’s bound to be a clever one.
Salno, as the chief of staff of the Demon King’s most orthodox First Legion, has an innate sharp instinct for the trend of battle.
If there’s any magic that could trap Princess Ailer…
It can only be assistance from the High-Level Races.
The kingdom does not possess such capability.
Combined with the fact that the Third Legion’s rebel forces are advancing north, attempting to station themselves in the Northern Region, this conclusion can be drawn.
—The rebels intend to cooperate with the High-Level Races, merging forces to establish a forward stronghold in the Northern Region, using the rebels as vanguards to intimidate the Demon Territory.
Allowing the rebels to reach the Northern Region is tantamount to giving them the conditions to be protected by the High-Level Races.
So it is necessary to cut them off or eradicate them on the spot before they reach their destination in order to quell this rebellion that should never have happened.
Once he finished expressing his views, the nobles in the grand hall basically agreed with his proposal.
What could dissent achieve? They knew their wits were not as sharp as the chief of staff’s; they could only wake up in astonishment.
The Demon King shrugged off his dark red cloak, smiling to himself as he returned to the throne.
He crossed his legs, the red armor on his body creaking.
With his hand resting against his authoritative face, Demon King Dizna was quite surprised by Salno’s sharpness.
“…Oh! I think so too! Sir Salno, you are indeed the think tank of our Demon Race.”
“Your Majesty flatters me, but the pressing issue… is that we must deploy troops immediately to quell the rebellion.”
“Of course.”
What others saw was a wise Demon King who had already figured everything out, merely aligning with his subjects’ opinions.
But his two daughters saw all the truths clearly.
“Queen Sister, Father King is pretending to be wise; he clearly hasn’t thought of anything and is just focused on going to the battlefield.”
“Shh… give Dad some face; how can you, as his daughter, be so unfilial? Can’t you learn from me?”
“……”
Oh dear, Queen Sister… how can someone say such shameless words yet still be so adorable!
The Demon King didn’t think too much.
But after listening to Salno’s speech, he surely understood the current situation.
Dizna gazed at Salno, who was half-kneeling below the platform, unmoving as a mountain.
The deep, resounding voice of the Demon King, filled with abundant magic, did not require a sound crystal to fill every corner of the grand hall.
“Eradicating the rebels… is an obvious decision, but who do you think is suitable to act as the commander for this expedition?”
Commander?
If a stone is thrown into a still lake, at first, there’s only the faint sound of water splashing.
You have to wait a bit.
Then you begin to hear the ripples forming thousands of waves on the water’s surface!
“Your Majesty! I am willing to go!”
“Please give me a chance, Your Majesty! I will not disappoint my mission!”
“Leave no remnants of the rebels! Protect the everlasting glory of our Demon Race!”
The sudden shout, which erupted without warning, startled Livra.
She shrank her neck and quickly hid as much as possible, lowering her presence; if someone didn’t know better, they might think the target of their campaign was not the rebels but her instead.
Oh…! If only the kingdom’s Knight Corps had that kind of spirit, the arrogant wild rabbits running around outside the city gates would have been caught long ago, and Livra wouldn’t always trip over them whenever she climbed over the city wall!
However, Livra didn’t voice this thought.
Otherwise, Xue Fei would definitely complain about all the strange points inside.
The great nobles were scrambling for military command, eager to achieve merit; wings extended for a life-and-death struggle…
Before this.
Half-kneeling, Salno raised his arm toward the back.
Signaling everyone to be quiet.
“Calm down.”
After waiting a few seconds, Salno slightly tilted his head towards the throne.
He resembled a calm cypress, resilient and unyielding.
At the same time, five black wings vaguely appeared behind him, casting a long shadow dragged by the dark purple candle flames.
“Your Majesty, if I may speak frankly, this matter is significant; a commander cannot be chosen impulsively. I am willing to personally go and reclaim the rebels.”
“Oh…! Sir Salno, if you are willing to go personally, that would surely be the best… hss…!”
“Your Majesty?”
“Ahahaha… It’s nothing, nothing. Please wait a moment; I need to consider.”
“Yes, I obey the royal command.”
The dignified Demon King, under normal circumstances, would never stop the appointment of a commander midway unless it was an exceptionally special situation.
Unless it was the even more dignified queen, employing exquisite magical control to release an invisible Ice Spike, striking hard on Dizna’s back.
Don’t think that Dizna’s inherent magic, Reflection, makes all magic unable to touch him.
But Herlith summoned the invisible Ice Spike, smiling and subtly hammering it on his back using physical means!
How could she turn a magical attack into close combat…!
Voices in his mind connected in an instant.
[Herlith…! What are you doing?]
[Sit down, don’t move; just don’t say anything for now.]
[Don’t say anything? Hey… don’t get it twisted; I’m the Demon King here.]
[Dear? Didn’t I already say to sit down and not worry about it? Do I need to ‘ask’ you again?]
[!]
Fine… fine.
The kids are present today. Herlith, I won’t argue with you; just because you’re holding an Ice Spike doesn’t mean I’m afraid of you!
The Demon King returned to his throne, silent.
Meanwhile, the lively ministers just moments ago also fell silent.
After all… there’s a rumor going around.
When the Demon King suddenly falls silent while speaking, everyone should also quiet down.
Otherwise—an evil spirit might appear.
It’s just a childish joke among kids… but whenever such moments arise, everyone unconsciously holds their breath.
Why?
Because the queen’s casual gesture of tossing something invisible, coupled with her gentle smile, creates an atmosphere more fearsome than that of an evil spirit!
This time, even Xue Fei shrank her neck, becoming as timid as Livra.
Herlith stood in front of the throne, her hands clasped, the dreamy blue skirt trailing on the ground, elegantly.
She looked down on the half-kneeling Salno with a posture of authority.
Silver hair fell to the side, deep purple eyes swirling with magic, speckled with light.
A cold light flashed and disappeared; while the crowd focused on the high platform, the queen always retained this soft wisdom.
“Sir Salno volunteering for the expedition is commendable. However… Sir Salno seems not to be the suitable candidate?”
“Queen…?”
“Hmm, if I’m not mistaken, the proxy commander of the rebel army at this time, Murolov Yalin, should be your younger brother, right?”
“Yes… yes, but I…!”
“Wasn’t it your recommendation that allowed him to take up the position of the proxy commander of the Third Legion?”
“Yes… my brother’s actions were so foolish… He should be executed immediately. As the recommender… I cannot escape blame either; I will personally take his head back to swear the Yalin family’s loyalty and wash away the shame, making amends for the wrongdoing.”
“Oh…?”
Herlith’s eyes, from beginning to end, emitted a beautiful dark light.
At this moment, it was retracted.
Because it had seen through his soul.
The suffocating inquiry gradually ceased.
Herlith squinted her eyes, clapped her hands together, shook her head, and smiled.
“Haha… please don’t be so tense. Recommendations and rebellion are unrelated matters. Both I and His Majesty firmly believe that Sir Salno can continue to serve the Demon Territory, just as you have done for a century in loyalty, you are different from your brother in this regard, right?”
“Yes, please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will not betray the Demon Race even if I die.”
“Then that’s settled, huh? Ha, all ministers, please listen closely.”
The woman symbolizing the beauty of the Demon Race extended her six wings behind her and slowly raised her arms to call upon the ministers.
Not because she held a high position, but because she was born with that essence, allowing her to hold a high position.
“Our Demon Race’s rules will never punish all for the mistakes of one family. Each person is responsible for their own actions. If Sir Salno is loyal to the country, we naturally will not punish loyal officers for the mistakes of others; that is wrong and tragic.”
As her voice fell.
The grand hall resounded with numerous relaxed and relieved sighs.
More significantly, approving applause surged like waves.
Livra couldn’t help but clap twice, but under a warning glance from Belis, she quickly retracted her neck, returning to being inconspicuous.
Oh… but she truly admired the queen!
It was evident that among the nobles present, many were related to the rebels.
After all, relationships within the military are complex; it’s not uncommon for nobility to have relatives or collateral branches involved in the army, causing worries among these nobles. What if future purges of the rebels resulted in the royal family punishing them due to such tenuous connections? What should they do then?
Either cooperate with the Demon King’s army to clear out the rebels… or simply rebel themselves to preserve their safety?
If there was no way out, some might genuinely resort to desperate measures.
If that happens, long before the rebellion is quelled, the capital will fall into chaos again.
In just a few words, the queen had essentially given all the nobles present a promise.
—Post-war settlements will definitely not include you, so feel free to cooperate with the Demon King’s army and do what you’re meant to do.
After this was settled, Herlith turned back to Salno below the platform.
“His Majesty and I believe that, after all, you and the rebel leader are brothers, and it would be cruel and unnecessary to have you two fight against each other.”
“Your Majesty, please do not worry…! I am willing to personally deal with the traitor as an example for the Demon King’s army!”
“Your resolve is commendable, but Sir Salno, this is also His Majesty’s wish; just follow the arrangements. The command of the combat can be entrusted to others.”
“Understood… I obey.”
Even if Salno wishes to lead the troops personally to prove his loyalty, it seems… the queen does not intend to give him that opportunity.
This is quite normal and the most correct judgment.
To avoid conflicts of interest.
The queen must consider many things; even at this moment, while Salno is utterly loyal, who can guarantee that when he encounters his brother on the battlefield, he won’t change his mind and show mercy, or outright shift allegiance?
Compared to risking such unnecessary possibilities, it’s better to choose a more reliable plan for execution.
“Xue Fei… your mother is truly amazing; just a few words from her…
It calms suspicions while keeping the chief of staff confined to the capital.”
“Isn’t it impressive? She’s even more formidable when she pulls my ear.”
“Well, that was your own doing… eh, but this isn’t something that can delay time. I think your mother should quickly name the commander and deploy troops; there’s no time for weighing pros and cons on matters like rebellion.”
“Yeah, let’s hurry up; my naptime is all messed up. I don’t even know who masterminded this rebellion. Let mother pick whoever she wants; just name a commander quickly to resolve this troublesome issue! Pick whoever…! Uh…?”
Mother… Mother Queen?
Please mobilize the troops, so I can return to sleep.
But why are you suddenly looking at me!
