I had imagined what kind of people would come when I heard about the refugees, but…
“A notice to all personnel!! Use all available personnel to secure a safe place for them to rest first!! Mobilize all doctors and nurses!! Do not give solid food to individuals suffering from malnutrition!! Prepare thin rice porridge and distribute it!! Hurry!! It’s a race against time!!”
The moment I saw the refugees, I shouted these words.
The condition of the refugees who had finally arrived was far worse than I could have imagined.
Their cheeks caving in was the least of it. Some were injured, others were delirious.
The faces of those being pulled along by people who somehow still had the stamina were ashen.
Doctors rushed toward the wagons, examining the refugees, and even from this distance, I could tell their condition was dire.
“You there, Ogre!! Bring all the blankets you can find from the warehouse!! Minotaurus, help unload the sick from the wagons and move them to beds!! Orcs, set up a cooking area over there!!”
I’m sure there were instructions being given on-site, but when someone with authority officially rallies the troops, the actions of those below become more animated.
Although the instructor is in charge here, I also hold authority, and I often share drinks with the ogres. That’s why they smoothly follow my instructions and take action.
“To think you’d go to such lengths just to win…”
It’s a truly hateful thought, but the refugees, gaunt, with vacant eyes, clinging to the slightest hope, truly embodied the phrase “on the verge of death.” That’s precisely why I lash out at Isal’s people.
The ogres, known for their strength, carried those who had collapsed, unable to move another step, to the medical tents, ensuring they wouldn’t be in the way. The sick, brought by wagon, were also taken into the tents that had been prepared.
There were about five thousand refugees, and at this rate, the plaza would be overflowing with people in no time.
“Human King!! There are people collapsed on the road too!”
A doctor ran over, with a nurse assisting him. A messenger then rushed up to me from among them.
“Gather the goblins!! Have them pull the carts and bring them here!! Dispatch the Ogre Champions to guard them!! If anyone attacks the refugees, intercept them!! I permit it!”
In any case, I needed manpower right now. We gathered the numerous goblins, and had the stronger races join the watch.
“Human King, regarding the use of medicine…”
“Permission granted. Open the third medicine storehouse. Do not prioritize by rank; treat the patients in the worst condition first.”
“Thank you.”
A doctor approached me, subtly conveying that he needed something for treatment, and I immediately gave my permission.
An organization moves more efficiently with a top-down approach. If it fails, the momentum leads to greater losses, but it’s still better than having meddlers disrupt things.
I thought I had done everything possible in anticipation of receiving refugees, but the refugees’ health was so dire that it made me realize I had underestimated the situation.
Seeing a child struggling even to swallow the thin rice porridge brought tears to his mother’s eyes.
“Suella.”
“Yes.”
And what’s more problematic is the ratio of men and women, and the disparity between old and young. I called Suella, who was organizing the information, to ask about that aspect.
“Among the refugees, are there any men?”
“There are children, but very few adults…”
“I see.”
Looking around, it seemed only women and children had escaped; there were no elderly people. Suella’s expression wasn’t so vacant that she couldn’t grasp the implications of this.
“Is there a representative?”
“There seemed to be someone who could be considered one, but they collapsed on the way. Those who have flowed here only came by word of mouth, and there’s no one acting as a leader.”
“In that case, it would be best to decide on a representative soon… but for now, prioritizing recovery is more important. What about cooperation with the nobles?”
“They seem to be preparing for their reception, but they are not in a condition to move.”
“Indeed. Please tell them to continue preparing for their reception. Also, inform them that there are almost no men. Receiving only women might pose some challenges depending on their positions. Please be considerate of that.”
“Understood.”
These are people who could only have arrived having barely escaped with their lives. How long will it take for them to recover? They were so desperate that they accepted food from the goblins with fear in their eyes. Ironically, this desperate situation dulled their animosity towards the Demon Lord’s Army. I chuckled wryly, thinking that the instructor’s efforts to do good were paying off here.
“An order to the Harpy unit: strictly guard the border. They are probably coming.”
My intuition whispered. Danger was approaching.
“Hey.”
“Instructor.”
And I wasn’t the only one sensing this danger.
“I’m going out for a bit.”
The Ōni appeared quietly, keeping an eye on the refugees.
“Then, please take care of the west.”
“Are you heading north?”
“Yes, the north would be better handled by me. We also need to guide the refugees, and there seem to be more on the west side.”
“Well, that’s reasonable. Seeing my appearance in this state would break their spirits.”
“Surprisingly, children seem to like me.”
“Hmph, I’ll play with them once they’ve recovered. For now, let them rest.”
The instructor’s appearance would be too much for the weakened refugees. With a wry smile, the instructor moved to protect the refugees.
Those being drawn to the refugees were hardly the kind of people who would benefit them. And there are always those who are problematic for a nation if its citizens leave. A nation needs people to sustain itself. Those individuals who are so desperate they must abandon their homeland and flee abroad are likely being forcibly brought back by that country’s military.
Those movements were naturally detected by our surveillance network, and the information reached me, and I shared it with the instructor. There’s a large road in the direction I mentioned, and they are proceeding along it.
“Suella, can you take command of the situation here?”
“I don’t think it’s necessary for you Generals to go. Leaving the Ogre Champions in charge of the troops should be sufficient in terms of combat power.”
“It’s sufficient for interception alone.”
“You say ‘alone,’ implying there’s another reason?”
If they are moving troops in that direction, ambushing them wouldn’t be that difficult. The hurdle is that if we move to intercept them here, it will be revealed that the Demon Lord’s Army is also active in this area. If it’s going to be revealed, it’s better to do so in a way that is convenient for us.
Suella called back to me and the instructor, who were standing ready to fight with their backs to the refugees.
“We’ll use this as proof that there is a peaceful country here that will accept refugees. Suella, I’m sorry to trouble you, but please contact Ann and spread a rumor.”
“The soldiers who tried to abduct the refugees were repelled by the Demon Lord’s Army, and the refugees were generously protected. I see, with two Generals present, that would add more credibility.”
“That’s right. I’m a happy man to have such an astute wife.”
“However, this will draw the enemy’s attention. We also need to take measures against spies who may have infiltrated the refugees.”
“Ah, I’m not too worried about that.”
“In what sense?”
When I explained to Suella the reason for my participation in the interception, she understood. At the same time, she pointed out potential concerns, but I had no issues with those.
“We only need to be wary of groups that have some level of vitality. Given the condition of the refugees in the vanguard, any refugees who come after this will be in a dangerous situation, but their condition won’t improve.”
“!”
“That’s right. Even the most skilled spy couldn’t replicate this level of food restriction; they might even die.”
“Sadly, this current situation has reduced the gaps for the enemy to exploit. No matter how good a spy is, they can’t achieve this level of malnutrition. It would affect their muscles and magic power.”
It would be difficult to infiltrate this camp by creating a state of not eating or drinking to the point of death.
“And would those who are solidified in such biased ideologies be willing to accept charity from demons, even if it means survival?”
Even if they succeeded, there would be ideological discrepancies. Imperial spies would likely be thorough in that regard, but spies from other countries, especially Tris, seem to lack that self-control. I glanced at the food distribution area, where refugees were shedding tears as they drank the well-cooked, lightly seasoned vegetable soup, savoring its taste with all their hearts. If they could fake their emotions that much, finding the spy would be difficult.
“Complacency is the enemy. Our enemies are those who will do anything for their god, even drink dirty water. Therefore, I will implement counter-espionage measures.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Yes, supporting you is my role. I won’t yield it to anyone else.”
The fact that both the instructor and I are risking danger to help refugees like this is probably because we’re too soft. No matter the excuses, we can’t abandon people in such a broken state. As generals, this softness could be a weakness. But it’s precisely because we possess this softness… that Suella smiles and gives us a push. Therefore, to protect that warmth, I will become a demon lord.
“Alright now, from here on out, it’s work time.”
“Good luck.”
I walked towards the instructor, who was smiling and watching our exchange, and Suella and I moved to our respective tasks.
“What’s this? You can brag a little more if you want.”
“I’m the type to get troublesome work out of the way first. Let’s finish this quickly.”
“You’re right. I can’t stand the thought of my sake tasting bad.”
We walked slowly until we left the premises.
“Do you want to have a race?”
“Oh, you’re confident. I accept. What’s the stake for the loser?”
“My prized bottle.”
“Gahaha! Then I can’t afford to lose!!”
The barrier concealing the dungeon is currently being deactivated. It’s an emergency measure for refugee reception, so it can’t be helped, but there’s a risk of this place being discovered, so we want to minimize the time it’s down.
“Is it alright? You’ll be walking, and I’ll be teleporting.”
“A handicap of that magnitude should be fine.”
After entrusting Suella with the refugee reception, all I had to do was teleport to the enemy spotted by the Harpy reconnaissance network.
“Alright, there they are.”
Of course, I wouldn’t teleport directly in front of them. Teleporting to the top of a hill where I could survey the area, I found an army marching swiftly.
“Now, now, which army is this?”
The reconnaissance information didn’t display any national flags, so we couldn’t identify the country.
“They don’t want their origin revealed, do they, trying to forcibly take the refugees back?”
At least we’ve confirmed it’s not the army of any of the surrounding countries. Now, let’s get to work.
Today’s word of wisdom:
Even bad predictions sometimes fall short.
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Pandora Pandemic Panic: The box of Pandora was opened again, but we are fighting back with various things at our secret base!!
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