Next Life – Chapter 88

Before the allied forces attacked, the evacuation of Hordia’s people and slaves proceeded swiftly.

The commander was Sembene, renowned for his expertise in fighting rearguard actions.

Approaching his twilight years, he was an anomaly among Hordia’s active generals, sincerely devoted to Asteria. Thus, he carried out his assigned duties diligently without a hint of complaint.

“What on earth is Her Majesty thinking?”

However, while Sembene himself felt this way, his subordinates did not share the same sentiment.

His subordinates harbored no ill will towards their lord, but they were genuinely perplexed, unable to grasp her true intentions.

“I don’t know.”

Sembene’s reply was curt. Indeed, how many people truly knew Asteria’s intentions?

Even Isabella, her childhood friend and most trusted confidante, did not seem to know everything.

His subordinates were dissatisfied with this lack of transparency, wishing for greater trust. Sembene, however, interpreted it differently.

“She must be wary of the demon Gerik.”

The demon responsible for the weakening of Seraeno was quite infamous. Of course, ordinary citizens were unaware of his skill, “Transform.”

It was likely to avoid widespread panic if the populace knew of a demon capable of disguising himself so perfectly that even close friends and family couldn’t recognize him.

“It’s true that Gerik seems to be the most dangerous of the demons.”

Even the soldiers could not fully comprehend the situation, resorting to vague expressions. This, in itself, was evidence of Asteria’s utmost caution.

“Well, Her Majesty truly cares for her people. Unlike the nobles.”

“Ah, I was so satisfied when she purged the nobles! Our taxes were lowered too, I wish she’d reign forever!”

The soldiers’ faces brightened instantly. For the simple-minded, a king who lowered taxes and ensured a decent life was a good king. In that sense, Asteria was popular.

Of course, Sembene had deliberately changed the subject. If the soldiers’ dissatisfaction with Asteria grew, it would make the battle more difficult. Fortunately, his tactic worked, and the soldiers began to praise Asteria one after another.

(What is she planning?)

Sembene couldn’t possibly know, and it was unlikely she would confide in him easily. Still, he wished to help the king in any way he could.

Despite her questionable reputation abroad, Queen Asteria was popular within her kingdom. However, as the allied forces ravaged the country with impunity, anxiety began to mount.

“We need to counterattack soon…”

“If they solidify their defenses, will we ever be able to take it back?”

The officials voiced their concerns, and the populace began to demand the deployment of the regular army. The allied forces were generally considered to have a 60/40 advantage, but the internal predictions for Hordia were even more dire. Due to the active liberation of slaves, the number considered reliable fighting forces had dwindled to around 100,000.

Hordia’s total military strength, comprising the regular army, reserve forces, and slave soldiers, was approximately 500,000. To counter the allied forces’ 850,000, a strategy was desperately needed. The reason for the absence of louder voices of anxiety and discontent was Asteria’s unwavering confidence and her characteristic enigmatic smile. Seeing their queen acting as usual, the people were reassured, believing, “She must have a plan.”

Yet, the limits were approaching.

(A three-nation alliance is but a small fire, though only Rebera would believe me.)

Asteria had not confided her plans to anyone. During her time as a princess, she had tried countless times to gain trust, all to no avail.

Although Hordia’s intelligence network had not yet grasped the tragedy of Berganda to the east, Asteria predicted demon attacks in that region. Hordia’s intelligence had discovered what appeared to be a demon lord sealing ground in Filat, and similar locations in the east.

Asteria considered how the demon Rubens might act. Apart from the attack on Seraeno, he had refrained from flashy assaults, and even in Seraeno’s attack, the number of participating demons was small. This was why Seraeno had not been destroyed. From this, Asteria inferred that Rubens was cautious and prioritized the demon lord’s resurrection.

Marius, whose limits of strength were unknown, had appeared, numerous demons had been defeated, and Zagan had been destroyed. So, what would be the next move?

Asteria deduced it would likely be a simultaneous attack. Simply resurrecting the demon lord might lead to its immediate defeat by Marius. Therefore, the only option was to achieve a complete resurrection to counter him. And Marius was an enormous obstacle. Thus, the most likely strategy would be a “diversion to draw Marius’s attention.”

For instance, using multiple high-ranking and low-ranking demons to attack one or even several nations. Naturally, the demon lord would also be resurrected. While Marius was busy repelling the demon army, the demon lord’s resurrection would be completed. Even if they were defeated before that, all those forces would serve as decoys. Even if Decarabia in the west were resurrected, Marius, fighting the demon lord and his minions, could not rush to their aid.

To increase the success rate of her plan, Asteria reasoned that they would choose the east, far from Filat, rather than its neighboring Hordia. Hordia was too close, making it easier for Marius to notice any anomalies and suppress the event before it escalated. Meanwhile, Rubens himself, perhaps with Gerik, who could disguise himself as a human, would head towards Hordia. The timing of passing through Filat would be after her allies in the east caused trouble, drawing human attention there. Then, at a time when Marius could not intervene, Decarabia’s seal would be broken – this was Asteria’s deduction using her “Calculation” skill.

In the worst-case scenario, Hordia would need to conserve its maximum military strength to prepare for the demon lord. Asteria had not predicted the resurrection of Auraniess, and she was aware that plans involving Marius could go awry. Furthermore, there was the difficulty of preparing evidence that those around her would believe, and the risk that if her skills became known, the demons would not leave her alone. Similarly, it would be dire if Gerik targeted Isabella and replaced her.

Fortunately for Asteria and humanity, the demons, misled by Asteria’s information manipulation, did not see Asteria or Isabella as valuable targets. Of course, deceiving the demons was Asteria’s primary objective. This feat was only possible due to Asteria’s past circumstances, where she was largely disregarded, not trusted, and almost abandoned. Was this irony, or a twist of fate?

(Now, then. A small fire should be extinguished while it’s still small…)

In Asteria’s estimation, the allied forces were a mere trifle before a greater threat, and she had repeatedly simulated battles in her mind, never to be defeated. However, she also knew that not everything goes according to plan. Marius had taught her that lesson repeatedly.

To those who came to present their petitions, Asteria declared,

“It’s time to put out a small fire.”

Her ministers, at first, tilted their heads in confusion, thinking, “What is she talking about?” Then, they realized she meant the allied forces and were dumbfounded. To refer to the current situation, where hundreds of thousands of enemy soldiers were invading and territories were being lost continuously, as a mere “small fire.” Nevertheless, some held out hope, thinking that if she called it so, she must have a countermeasure.

“Soon, the allied forces will challenge us to a decisive battle. At that time, we will crush them all at once.”

What the ministers wanted to know was *how* they would crush the allied forces. Ign, succumbing to the silent pressure from those around him, voiced the request for an explanation. Asteria responded, somewhat amused and certainly mischievous,

“It’s not a strategy… but do you know the saying, ‘Cut flesh to break bone’?”

The group was momentarily stunned by the enigmatic statement, exchanging glances. Of course, they understood its meaning, but what was its implication in this context?

“Yes, Your Majesty. It means to inflict a great blow on the opponent at the cost of our own injury.”

It was Ign who answered. Asteria nodded with satisfaction and continued,

“Then, when it is time to stop the opponent’s breath, how much injury must we sustain?”

A silence stretched for a considerable time.

“N-n-no… surely not…?”

The Chancellor was the first to break free from the spell. His face turned pale, beads of sweat forming on his brow as he repeatedly uttered, “Surely not…?” He found the conclusion he had reached terrifying, yet his reason told him it was not incorrect.

The allied forces had committed the majority of their military strength and enormous logistical support to sustain them. If they were all annihilated, the alliance would undoubtedly collapse. Throughout history, there had been instances of repelling enemies through scorched-earth tactics, but no one had ever attempted to crush the very foundation of an enemy nation.

The ministers, engrossed in the horror of Asteria attempting something unprecedented in the continent’s recorded history – and against three nations simultaneously – realized only after leaving the room that they had not received a specific plan. Hordia, in a way, could be considered a unique nation. Even without detailed information, when the king issued an order, everyone obeyed. Though, this was only during Asteria’s reign.

As the battle between Hordia and the three-nation allied forces approached its climax, in the east, the “Tragedy of Berganda” was unfolding. King Bernhard III tore up a letter from King Vester.

“Monster taming, you say? I have far more pressing matters!”

His face flushed crimson, radiating anger. This was highly unusual for the usually gentle King Filat, underscoring the severity of the situation. Two upper-rank demons and five other demons, leading monsters, had attacked and conquered the imperial capital, continuing to ravage the land. Furthermore, necromancers were animating the dead, increasing their ranks. The Bergandans were now reduced to only a few scattered settlements near the border. Rather than sending aid to Berganda, it seemed more logical to support Boltner, Seraeno, and Ranleo, bordering Berganda.

“Lord Marius, I apologize, but I must ask you to sortie.”

Marius nodded without hesitation at the King’s request. While dealing with low-ranking demons might be manageable, the presence of upper-rank demons made the task too great for ordinary individuals. According to Zofi’s assessment, even Barra could not defeat any of Gastark, Pal, or Rebera. If even a top-class human mage was thus outmatched, it was best not to imagine the plight of ordinary soldiers. Of course, Barra was not about to remain idle while her homeland was in crisis and intended to return. Catherine also wished to at least encourage the soldiers.

“My country will also send reinforcements.”

King Bernhard III declared solemnly. If these three nations fell, it was obvious that Filat would be next. As long as Marius was present, defeat was unlikely, but more strength would be beneficial.

“Then to Boltner. Forgive my bluntness, but you must be ill-suited against Undead.”

Barra’s thoughtfulness was natural. The Boltner army had a poor match-up against enemies against whom only magic was effective. They were certain to struggle more than Ranleo or Seraeno.

“Ranleo, on the other hand, must be inept at close-quarters combat,” Lucas mused.

As a magical superpower, Ranleo had plenty of mages capable of using light and fire magic, effective against the Undead, but their close-quarters combat skills were not as developed. Filat and Seraeno, in contrast, were more balanced in that regard. Garius, leaning more towards Boltner’s style, was more skilled in close-quarters combat than magic. The Hordia army was also balanced, but reinforcements were out of the question at the moment. They hurried to inform the invading three-nation allied forces and requested immediate withdrawal and cooperation in defeating the demons, but their efforts yielded little result. The excuse was that the majority of their forces were already too far to withdraw on short notice. Even Marius was angered by their apology, stating their willingness to cooperate but inability to do so.

The three-nation allied forces, wishing to avoid provoking Marius, decided to hasten the decisive battle, specifically the conquest of the Royal Capital Hordias. This was why Asteria had said, “Soon, they will challenge us to a decisive battle.” Later, the ministers would secretly gather and wonder, “To what extent did Her Majesty foresee all this?”

The fate of the Taliant Continent was about to shift dramatically.