Not long after, White joined forces with the Third Army Group and Lauri.
In response to Lauri’s concerns, White said, “Our route just happens to overlap with the resistance, and I’ve even sent soldiers to support them. According to their intelligence, the demon clan’s legion has already entered Doug’s territory, and it’s likely they will eventually come to the Golden Ear Plains for a showdown with us.”
“That bastard Doug relied on the demon clan to kill big brother back then, and now he’s actually seeking their help again. It’s infuriating!”
White slammed the table hard, as if recalling the hardships he endured holding Fortress Winter.
“The governor has already mentioned this in the dispatch he sent us, but can the demon clan really change the situation in the war?”
Lauri rubbed his chin thoughtfully. To him, the fierce demon clan now seemed like merely stronger foot soldiers. Could it be that these demons are the source of Doug’s confidence?
White quickly regained his composure and answered Lauri’s question: “According to reports from the soldiers supporting the resistance, it seems there’s something off about the demon clan. They’ve started to believe in some sort of heresy, and those demons who have contacted the resistance appear to be like heretics—possibly even stronger than the demons we initially faced.”
“If the demons coming to plunder were ordinary, the resistance could still manage, but those regular demon legions would be very difficult for the current resistance to stop.”
The resistance’s equipment is superior to Doug’s army, but in order to prevent equipment leakage, their overall armament is certainly not as good as that of the regular army. The standard magical equipment of regular troops is something the resistance lacks, yet after his interactions, White still gave a very high evaluation of the resistance, even considering many soldiers worthy of being transferred to the Third Army Group.
However, such a resistance is helpless against the demon clan’s legions, which indeed shows that the demon army is no small threat.
But White didn’t believe that following a heretical god could change anything; if the demonic rituals were really that effective, this world would be overrun with cultists by now.
In the end, White summarized and told Lauri, “No matter what conspiracies there are, the advantage in direct combat is still on our side, and the initiative is in our hands. If you’re really concerned, we could first deploy some of our troops to probe the enemy’s strength.”
Such preemptive reconnaissance is the forte of the Lars Knights, testing the waters with a small elite force before sending in the larger army.
Lauri nodded as well; even if the demons were all like fervent cultists, in front of cannons and machine guns, everyone is equal.
Although the governor has warned that the heretic god the demons believe in may be a bit strange, the army cannot halt its progress on mere speculation.
Hammond, standing by, volunteered, “Then let me take charge of the initial attacking force; I won’t fail in my mission.”
White had heard of Hammond’s achievements, and with Hammond commanding a fully equipped professional squad, it was indeed a fitting choice.
But Lauri replied, “Not so fast. Some of our comrades are still on the way, and the governor’s railway is still under construction. We can delay for a bit. Once the governor’s railway is almost finished, we can commence battle. Before that, we should first build a stronghold to prevent any strange movements from the enemy.”
This decision was very mature, and White had no objections. Although this might allow the demon legions coming to support to prepare slowly, after all, the positions of the two armies in Graywhite Territory were somewhat deep, with behind them being some nobles who had just surrendered, making it quite untrustworthy. If the front lines showed any signs of decline, those nobles would likely start to show discontent. It was better to wait until the supply line was completed before making further plans.
At that moment, Doug was receiving the demon clan’s army commander.
Unlike ordinary demons, this commanding demon was extremely large.
“My lord Noam, this is the army of Governor Doug.”
A small-sized demon commander was introducing Doug’s army to the massive demon named Noam.
“A bunch of shrimp soldiers.”
Noam clearly looked down upon the disheveled soldiers in the castle plaza and continued, “Indeed, humans are just an inferior race. Why won’t they obediently submit to us?”
Although Doug wanted to say that previously, their demon clan couldn’t even defeat the Graywhite Territory’s resistance, he dared not retort with the demon army now entering the Northern Border.
Even though the number of the demon army was not many, the soldiers in the castle plaza were indeed in poor condition. These soldiers were the elite troops who previously achieved merit in the Eastern Border.
After looking around, Noam said to Doug, “Governor, where are your other soldiers?”
“They’ve all gone to the Golden Ear Plains.”
Though it was merely surface politeness, at least the other side still referred to him as governor, which made Doug feel considerably relieved—at least he still preserved some face.
“It’s not enough just yet. We need more, ideally calling every single person from the territory. Understand? Only then can we stop your son-in-law.”
Noam patted Doug’s shoulder, seemingly as a gesture of encouragement, but Doug stood tall as a knight and didn’t let Noam bend him.
Is the demon clan now capable of exerting such force?
“More people are simply cannon fodder.”
Doug maintained his composure, shaking his head as he said to Noam, “You haven’t faced the Graywhite Territory’s army directly, so you wouldn’t know just how terrifying their cannons are.”
Yet Noam dismissively replied, “It doesn’t matter; we have ways to deal with their cannons. Just make sure to get the people to the Golden Ear Plains. Understand, Governor Doug?”
After saying this, Noam also looked towards the River Valley outside the castle, licking his lips as he added, “Isn’t there still a crowd of ordinary people over there? They can be brought to the battlefield as well.”
“Those are just ordinary people—they wouldn’t even know how to use firearms!”
Doug began to sense something awry; it seemed the demon clan wanted to send all his subjects to the battlefield. But even if Doug could manage it and win, who would help him farm afterwards? If his population were wiped out, what meaning would there be in having territory?
“What’s the difference? Trust me, Governor, the more people we send to the battlefield, the greater our chances of victory. Only by winning will your son-in-law negotiate with you, right? If we win magnificently, it’s even possible to take back some places from elsewhere.”
Noam was like a dealer in a casino, continuously tempting Doug to up the ante; going all in was a type of wisdom.
But Doug ultimately shook his head, maintaining his poise as he took the demon commander on a round.
By evening, Doug’s two brothers and Lena’s other two uncles arrived to find him.
“Second brother!”
“Those bastards from the demon clan forcibly took our subjects to join the army!”
Though the two brothers initially harbored ill intentions, as Graywhite Territory’s strength grew more apparent, they now felt more secure hiding behind Doug, using him as a shield.
Doug said helplessly, “The demon clan is trying to take away all our population to die on the battlefield; even if we win later, with territory but no populace, we will have to obey the demon clan.”
Finally, Doug patted the shoulders of his two partners. He didn’t find the demon clan’s behavior strange; it was clearly to gain more control over him in the future. But Doug found it difficult to resist their demands; he just didn’t understand where the demons got their confidence that they could defeat the Graywhite Territory.
