I received notice from the president and immediately began gathering information.
The war between Isal and the continent.
As I, who had become a general, this fact was not something to be taken lightly by me; it was a matter of “tomorrow could be me,” so I felt a sense of crisis as the tinder was being kindled.
“So, that’s why you came to me.”
“Yes, I thought your place would be the best for getting information.”
And the most convenient place for information gathering was, of course, where the instructor was. He had gone to the trouble of building a Japanese-style mansion in Japan, even creating a separate outbuilding, and had prepared a dry landscape garden.
In the artificially created Japanese-style room, a large amount of alcohol and snacks had been brought in, creating a banquet that couldn’t be called “just a little,” but the only participants were me and the instructor.
I knew he wouldn’t tell me anything about classified matters, but if I brought alcohol, he’d tell me a certain amount. With such selfish intentions, I asked, but the instructor readily accepted me.
I wanted to ask if he was too busy with work, but knowing him, I figured he’d left it to his subordinates. Meanwhile, I had many questions.
“The war is about to begin. There’s no mistake about that, is there?”
After we both took a sip of sake to confirm the time limit given by the president’s warning, I asked.
Upon confirming the impending war, the instructor unhesitatingly took the one-liter bottle of sake I had brought, uncorked it, took a sip, and then drank the entire bottle before answering, “Yes.”
“On the Isal side, war preparations are underway everywhere. It’s not a dynamic of war between the Empire and the Kingdom, but rather the direction of the enemy is being defined. The enemy is us. It’s evidence that someone brilliant is leading this, aiming to conclude both wars while they are still profitable.”
“A brilliant leader… it’s not the Hero, is it?”
“There were guys like that in the past, but this time it’s different.”
“Do you have proof?”
The instructor, who is one half of the two tasked with frontline information gathering, the Tree King and the Oni King, explained the flow of the war with surprising confidence.
“If the Hero were the one in charge, they’d be promoting it widely to boost morale. But from my perspective, they’re clearly not doing that. It’s just a figurehead.”
“So, the Hero exists, but they are a decoy then?”
“That’s how I see it. Lunaria also holds the same view. The leader this time is remarkably good at hiding.”
Then, the instructor’s words, based on his experience and the gathered information, conveyed with certainty that the top person was in hiding.
“People like that are troublesome. Even if you sweep away the foot soldiers, they’ll just prepare new soldiers one after another. Unless you take out the head, there’s no fear of the organization collapsing. Someone who understands that and can manage an organization. That’s who we’re up against. I can’t wait!”
He declared that such opponents are sharp-minded and possess strength in a different direction than martial prowess. The instructor, who had emptied his second bottle and reached for the next, was in good spirits.
Facing strong opponents was good information for the instructor, who was an Oni. It meant he could enjoy the battle more.
“I also heard from the president that we’re going to be attacked. Do you have any information on that?”
“If the report from that Nōraifu fellow is reliable, it’s not entirely wrong. They’re going to restore the dungeons we used and use them as bridgeheads. I think it’s a decent idea. In fact, there are signs of them sending soldiers and researchers into ruins. But I suspect the main target is elsewhere. I believe they are publicly researching to gather information for the restoration of the main dungeon.”
And this Oni spares no effort in enjoying the battle. Without effort, one cannot enjoy battle, as this Oni demonstrates through his actions.
One cannot become a general solely through brute force. To enjoy oneself, one must also use one’s mind.
He meticulously analyzes the opponent’s actions based on the information and predicts them.
The more information I gathered, the more it seemed that the preparations for war were progressing. As more and more sake disappeared, I quietly stopped drinking and decided to ask for the instructor’s personal opinion, thinking it was best to get it over with.
“How much time do we have until the war?”
“If we are to defend, my prediction is next summer. At the latest, the spring of the year after. The general is also expecting around that time and has told us to prepare for war. In the worst-case scenario, if we consider attacking first, we must have our preparations complete by spring.”
“Summer… we don’t have much time.”
“That’s why everyone, including me, is in such a panic. Well, no matter how you rush it, your dungeon won’t be ready in time. We’ll just have to somehow make up for the shortcomings of Nōraifu and Kuzuri.”
Even if I rushed, my dungeon wouldn’t even break ground until next spring. The fact that construction is underway even as war preparations are being made is proof that the country has some leeway.
“Don’t make such a grim face. Even if war breaks out, it’s not like it’ll be a decisive battle immediately. It’ll start with skirmishes as they test the waters.”
“Is there a possibility of the enemy launching a surprise attack? It’s happened many times before.”
“The possibility isn’t zero, but they probably won’t this time.”
However, as I was worrying about whether it was okay for me alone to be building a dungeon while the instructor and others were fighting, he laughed and thumped me on the back.
Perhaps he saw through my assumption that “war breaking out equals decisive battle.” The instructor, uncharacteristically, gave a wry smile.
“The Seraph, our greatest war power, was defeated by us. It’s not easy to prepare for a greater force. If the Hero alone could muster an army-scale force, it would be a different story, but we are fully preventing the Otherworld summoning by any means. There will be no replenishment of new forces.”
And this time, he slowly brought the sake to his lips. Feeling a sense of consideration from the instructor, I downed the sake poured into my own glass. I realized I had been uncharacteristically tense upon hearing about the war. It could also be said that I was panicking simply due to lack of experience.
“Furthermore, looking back at the past, our wars have never ended within a year. The shortest lasted ten years, and sometimes wars have continued for a century. Isal doesn’t have the luxury of deploying such massive forces that could decide a prolonged war in a single battle.”
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to prepare for war with more time?”
“Humans are fickle. Even if they set a direction, few will strive towards a goal ten years in the future. That’s why it’s better to make a clear decision and act, even if it’s a bit reckless, to bring things together.”
Unlike long-lived races, humans grow up and grow old in the blink of an eye. The instructor, who spoke thus, gazed at the dry landscape garden as if looking into the distant future.
“However, what irritates me is that despite this being such a major war, the Elves are showing no signs of moving.”
“Elves? You mean, unlike Suella and her kind, the pale-skinned, long-eared race?”
Then, as if recalling something, he cursed and downed a liter of sake with a displeased look.
“Ah, those Elves. They sometimes cooperate with humans and sometimes don’t, making their actions difficult to predict. They don’t worship gods, so the Church seems to have trouble dealing with them, but they possess ancient magical technology, making them exceptionally powerful in terms of military strength. The fact that we cannot fight against them is…”
“Normally, one would be grateful when the enemy’s strength weakens. That’s just like you.”
“All Onis love to fight. What’s wrong with wanting to fight strong opponents?”
Elves are a staple race in fantasy novels. Having grown accustomed to the Dark Elf Suella, I had forgotten their existence, but there they were. I thought that organizationally, I would prefer not to have them involved.
“I’ve never seen an Elf before. Have you, instructor?”
“Yes, I’ve fought them in the past. They’re interesting. They fight using ancient weapons like golems, similar to Amili. They’re quite formidable.”
“Golems? Not magic?”
“Huh? Ah. I see. You’ve only seen Dark Elves, so you wouldn’t know. The reason Dark Elves and Elves have a poor relationship stems from that kind of technological difference. Elves command and control spirits, while Dark Elves aim for harmony by taking hands with spirits. They have been in conflict for many years because of that.”
“Is that related to the golems you mentioned earlier?”
“Ah, as you can see from Suella’s magic, Dark Elves summon the main bodies of spirits by using their own magic power as fuel, but Elves are different. They make use of spirits they have pre-contracted with, possess them into special golems, give those bodies a temporary form, and then bind those bodies to command the spirits. Well, those things are quite strong. When I fought a golem possessed by a high-ranking Fire Spirit in the past, I couldn’t have more fun.”
And on the topic of Elves that came up in that conversation, I was made to realize that they were entirely different beings from the Elves I knew. The Elves I knew tended to be more like Suella is now.
However, the Elves the instructor spoke of sounded like a race that prioritized efficiency, like technicians.
“According to my subordinate’s report, there’s a theory that the technology used in the bodies of past Demon Lords incorporates Elven technology. Well, without it, they wouldn’t be able to command the bodies of Demon Lords.”
I repeatedly thought how my common sense was being overturned, and I felt relieved inwardly that such an absurd race would not be participating this time.
And the instructor, who had brought a large amount of sake, was drinking it as if it were the draft beer he had ordered first. Seeing him, I also slightly increased my drinking pace.
“So, less than a year of leeway.”
“Huh? What are you, intending to have your dungeon ready for the war?”
“Is it impossible?”
“I’m not saying it’s impossible, but a half-baked dungeon would just be a hindrance. It would be wiser to stay in rear support.”
Then, I overlaid the time the instructor had told me with the schedule of what I needed to do and roughly calculated how much work I had to accomplish. It was so obviously overwhelming that my previous company’s death march seemed like a pleasant break, forcing a wry smile.
The instructor didn’t say it was impossible, but it seemed he didn’t approve of me causing trouble by overexerting myself.
“Well, I doubt the president will allow the use of a hastily constructed dungeon anyway. I was just warned by the president today.”
“Hahaha! What did the general say to you?”
I myself am not so much a battle maniac that I want to participate in the war, so I don’t deny that it’s better to take my time and build the foundation of the dungeon while I have the opportunity. The problem is how much of the dungeon I can complete within the limited time and what direction to take.
“To summarize, he told me to not shy away from a political marriage and to respond with flexibility.”
“Gahahahaha!! Speaking of which, I heard there are quite a few people trying to get involved with you!”
“I never imagined marriage talks would extend to children who haven’t even been born yet.”
When it came to that stage, it would inevitably touch upon classified matters, so I couldn’t consult him further. Therefore, I had gotten the information I wanted, and I figured the instructor understood why he had brought so much extra sake. From here on, it was just a little mood change.
“I had something like that happen too.”
“How did you handle it?”
With all the complications, there was almost no time for the two of us men to sit and drink together like this. The only times we drank together were during official banquets with nobles, where we were constantly gauging each other’s reactions and trying to read each other’s intentions, and we never had such casual conversations. Even now, I asked, thinking it might be useful.
“I told them if they were stronger than me, I’d do it, and then they stopped coming.”
“Just like you.”
To a certain extent, it was the answer I expected, and I found myself smiling as I quietly drank my sake, knowing that my wry smile would turn into a smile.
Today’s word: Having someone to consult with is a source of emotional support.
Thank you as always for your feedback and reports of typos. If you found this enjoyable, please leave a review, rating, bookmark, etc.
I am currently serializing another work: Pandora Pandemic Panic. The box of Pandora has been opened again, but I’m fighting back with secret bases and various other things!! Please check that out as well!!
