Chapter: 54. Plan (4K)
“Hahahahaha!! Isn’t this amazing… isn’t it achievable?! I’ve completely outsmarted that Her Highness the Princess! What demon race think tank, what genius, in the end, isn’t she just falling into my trap?! She must still think she saved the Third Legion, feeling all pleased with herself, right?! Hahaha!”
Deep in the icefields, in a wooden cabin that seemed exceptionally out of place amid the boundless wind and snow.
Murolov Yalin was laughing madly, sweeping rows of military strategy books and other trinkets off the ground, carelessly disregarding the sound of expensive crystal cups shattering. His mind was filled only with the desire to vent his inner joy through wanton destruction.
It is said that people tend to throw things in extreme anger, and sometimes, excessive happiness can lead to the same.
Perhaps he realized that such turbulent behavior didn’t align with his noble identity.
Murolov straightened his uniquely styled collar made of white satin, carefully stepping over the debris on the floor. Leaning against the pleasantly warm wooden chair that shouldn’t have such a gentle temperature among the snow, he sat down in the large seat.
He raised a wine glass filled with red wine to the cold, empty air before him, and suddenly his dark eyes glimmered with a hint of anticipation as he clinked his glass with the void and tilted his head back, drinking deeply.
Logically speaking, Murolov had a good tolerance for alcohol, and how could a mere cup of fine wine intoxicate him?
But he slammed the empty wine glass down on the table. This impulsive monologue seemed almost like becoming drunk with sorrow and exhilaration.
“Soon… very soon. Do you think you can decide the future of others…? Do you think a single word can lead me to irrecoverable doom? Demon King, don’t be arrogant, go to hell!”
He dropped the empty wine glass heavily to the ground.
Listening to the crisp sound of shattering, Murolov felt as if he had finally broken free from the frozen melody of his life.
Murolov Yalin, the only son of the Yalin family, was born several decades ago during the reign of the former Demon King.
At that time, his family was not just any noble family; they resided in the capital, the head of the family held high power, and they could even stand toe-to-toe with the leading noble family of the Six-Winged Demon Jeffrey, each commanding half the nobility of the demon territory.
Their power lay in the authority to command armies.
At that time, the Yalin family simultaneously controlled the Third and Fifth Legions of the Demon King’s Army, stationed on the border, working diligently, and the family members enjoyed待遇 commensurate with their contributions. In the royal city, anyone who saw a member of the Yalin family had to treat them with utmost respect. Those days were the most cherished memories of young Murolov.
Growing up in such a family was an honor.
The education instilled in him made him firmly engrain the idea of “beneath the Demon King, above thousands, loyal to the royal family,” even if family members didn’t say it directly, everyone understood they aimed to maintain such status and worked even harder for that goal.
However, all the glory changed with the ascension of the current Demon King, Dizna Halder.
The new Demon King took drastic measures, stripping the Yalin family of control over the Third Legion with various justifications within a year, handing this power to the young demon princess, Ailer Alerek, who had just broken through to Six Wings through sheer physical strength.
The Fifth Legion had originally been the last trump card of the Yalin family, but it couldn’t be preserved either.
—When a monarch wants to strip your power, any small move will lead to your utter doom.
That was a negotiation that the Yalin family represented the demon territory in with the high-level races, the topic was an attempt to reclaim a piece of homeland north of the Northern Region, a land seized during the expulsion of the demon race three hundred years ago.
Everyone knew it was impossible; how could the high-level races return the land without suffering defeat?
Clearly, this was just a blatant scheme from the Demon King.
No, the current Demon King didn’t have that kind of intelligence; this was likely an idea from the Queen backing him.
Naturally, the negotiation failed.
The Yalin family inexplicably bore the blame of incompetence.
Seizing this opportunity, the Demon King logically stripped the Yalin family’s command of the Fifth Legion, claiming it was for training purposes, and handed this power to a child just in her teens, Princess Belis Halder.
The emergence of this young princess as a Legion Commander also marked the final decline of the Yalin family.
The core power of the demon territory had unprecedentedly concentrated in the royal family.
It was understandable, yet full of irony.
The valiant heroes of three generations could not withstand a single boast from the throne of the Demon King.
The honor of the family was shattered in the generation just as Murolov was about to take over the family power, which was an unbearable torment for this young man, born holding a noble medal.
Murolov accepted these facts.
Who told the family power to swell to a level the Demon King needed to suppress? There was nothing to be done.
So he saw this as the starting point to fight anew; after all, the foundation was still there.
Starting from a fallen noble, Murolov eventually clawed his way back to the position of Proxy Commander of the Third Legion after decades of hard work.
Proxy; this title still wasn’t stable enough.
It was only one step away from completely regaining command over the Third Legion.
This step required him to lead the Third Legion into a decisive battle, laying down real accomplishments and historical merits.
Murolov awaited the Demon King’s marching order day and night, preparing to lead the Third Legion into the Aulus Kingdom, burning down their capital city, slaughtering their royal family, and rewriting the glory of the Yalin family in the pages of the absolute power of the demon race.
The captured Princess Xue Feiya had returned home.
She said—no more fighting.
Let the Third Legion be stationed at the border town, no orders allowed for any rash actions.
Murolov found this news unbelievable.
No more fighting?
I’ve waited for decades; just a command away, and you say, no more fighting?
Murolov was a bit anxious.
He frantically wrote advice, telling the Demon King that the army he was leading was full of fighting spirit, absolutely capable of sweeping through the entirety of Aulus in the shortest time, flattening this annoying neighbor, expanding the territory of the demon race, and achieving unprecedented glory.
However, the usually warlike Demon King and Queen suddenly changed.
Princess Xue Feiya said no more fighting, and they actually supported her decision wholeheartedly, as if they weren’t the Demon King and Queen, but that Princess Xue Feiya was the real authority!
Even, Murolov received a reply from the Demon King, scolded for being too rash and was strictly ordered not to cross the border line by even a step.
In this situation, Murolov was truly panic-stricken!
Am I just waiting here? Until when?
This place is filled with ice and snow every day; damn it, I can’t even see a shadow of a person. Even birds that fly here get half-frozen to death. I’m stuck in this godforsaken place; when will this come to an end?!
Not only was there no opportunity for glory, but it also felt like being exiled to the border?!
Murolov felt that he could see the end clearly.
Looking back, he faced the dark and disappointed gazes of his family elders.
Turning around, he saw the endless white snow at the border.
What good does it do to see the end?
The path you can see is what the monarch has pointed out for you.
The Demon King did not show him the way back to Canbino, which was tantamount to asking him to die a slow death in this vast snow field.
In despair, all thoughts extinguished.
Murolov encountered a miracle.
With reverence, Murolov took off his white gloves, dreaming as he saw the half-moon pattern imprinted on the back of his hand, radiating a faint golden glow.
Power…
Yes, as long as I possess enough power, I can change everything in the future.
The Demon King can decide a person’s life with a single word because he possesses an irresistible power, right?
So if I possess even greater power than him, can I then replace him and ascend the throne?
Envisioning a future that seemed almost within reach, Murolov was trembling with excitement…
“Ahh… my lord… the power you have shown overwhelms me. Why didn’t I meet you sooner… guide me on the path…”
That power had already surpassed Murolov’s comprehension.
If someone had told him before whether it was possible to create an existence that does not exist in this world, that everyone, except for you and I, would take its existence for granted and change the causality of the world—was that possible?
Murolov would have surely said it was utterly absurd.
Creating, that was a power only the ethereal gods possessed.
If it were mental-type magic, it could indeed affect others’ perception. But to make everyone accept something that originally didn’t exist—that was beyond the scope of mental magic.
—It would be akin to adding to the original canvas of this world, a grand achievement only the Creator God could accomplish.
Yet.
That existence truly made it happen.
Salno Yalin.
This name, which had never existed before, had now rightly appeared in the capital of Canbino.
The Chief of Staff of the First Legion of the Demon King’s Army, a position that had never before been established, had actually deceived the eyes of the Demon King.
No…
That couldn’t be considered deception.
It was real; that great one created the existence of Salno Yalin, allowing him to join the cycle of this world as Murolov’s brother without anyone knowing.
At this moment, two consciousnesses existed in Murolov’s mind; he could see the streets and alleys of the royal city as soon as he closed his eyes.
And when he opened his eyes, he was back in the wooden cabin of this hidden place.
The two consciousnesses coexisted without contradiction, as if two lives were simultaneously influencing Murolov’s thoughts.
Sometimes he couldn’t even tell if he was Murolov or the never-existent Salno.
This was the power of that great one… the power to alter the causal rules of this world, how could it not be awe-inspiring!
And this power was only the tip of the iceberg bestowed by that great one.
Its wisdom was even more humbling for Murolov.
Now, everything was progressing according to plan.
Murolov rose, slightly pushing aside the wooden window of the cabin, squinting to look outside.
A hundred miles away from here is the Northern Border.
Just now, his spiritual form had already taken the Third Legion over, creating the illusion that they were betraying to join the high-level races.
And just as planned, Princess Xue Feiya and Princess Belis would come with other legions to block their advance.
A smile crept across Murolov’s lips as he looked at the glimmering golden patterns on the back of his hand again.
Using the super seal magic “Heaven’s Dome” bestowed by that great one to trap Princess Ailer Alerek was the beginning of all the plans.
Inside that sealing magic, many pieces of information were fabricated, directing all blame for this incident to the high-level races. Any intelligence department evaluating this would think it was handiwork of the high-level races.
To outsiders, “the entire Third Legion has defected to the Northern Border” meant they intended to unite with the high-level races, effectively supporting the theory that this was the high-level races causing trouble.
Moreover, the identity of Salno Yalin stirring up contention in the royal city of Canbino further directed public opinion toward the high-level races.
But in reality… this matter had nothing to do with the high-level races at all.
That great one anticipated that Princess Xue Feiya would absolutely send someone to rescue Ailer Alerek.
“Heaven’s Dome” was not an absolutely indestructible sealing barrier; it intentionally left loopholes so that it could be broken from the outside, allowing the rescue team sent by her to successfully free the impulsive princess.
Having been sealed by the high-level races and trapped in the barrier all day, Princess Ailer Alerek, with her vengeful nature… what she would do first upon escaping needed no further explanation.
The information inside “Heaven’s Dome” would firmly convince her that all of this was the doing of the high-level races.
Therefore, she would surely head straight for the territory of the high-level races north of the Northern Border to retaliate, or at the very least, cause a ruckus for relief.
That would be sufficient.
“Haha… Hahahaha! My God… this seamless strategy, to what extent do you intend to shock me!”
Murolov could hardly imagine what would happen next.
The current situation, in summary, was exceptionally magnificent.
If viewed from the perspective of the high-level races…
—As the commander of the Third Legion, Ailer Alerek took the lead and launched a surprise attack on the territory of the high-level races.
—The entire Third Legion stationed at the border, brimming with momentum.
—The Second Legion reinforcements, a hundred thousand strong army moving like a tide, pressing towards the border line.
—Princess Xue Feiya and Princess Belis, in their royal capacity, personally arrived at the battlefield, commanding from the front.
This was clearly the demon race preparing to go all out against the high-level races!
A battle was about to break out; this was an inevitable situation.
The high-level races had never trusted the words of the demon race but only believed in their actions.
The army had already arrived right under their noses, and Ailer Alerek even launched a surprise attack on their territory; could they possibly not fight?
Once the fighting started, it would meet the demands of that great one.
Yes.
That great one… was the one demanding the continuation of war.
Murolov achieved this; the rewards awaiting him would be the unparalleled power of the demon race!
Lives? Haha… what does that matter? I’ve walked this path, stepping over countless corpses and fires; there’s no turning back.
Murolov did not stop his excited trembling fists as they echoed against the table, supporting his body as he sat back in the chair.
He closed his eyes, immersed in imagining the brutal slaughter on the battlefield at this moment.
Each cry of anguish seemed to shout for his glorious tomorrow.
“Cheers to the supreme power… may your great deeds shine among the stars.”
“Did you finish speaking, or do you have more gold coins? Why is there so little?”
“Of course, my future wealth will… huh?!!”
Who is it!!
This is the hiding place of Murolov’s true self, the core of the entire plan’s progress; no one should have known about this, so how could there be a voice?!
Hearing that familiar and childish voice, Murolov’s eyes widened in shock, springing to his feet!
Then…
He saw a silver-haired creature squatting on the ground, happily picking up the shattered gold cup fragments and coins that Murolov had just knocked over and stuffing them into its pocket.
“Princess Xue Feiya?!”
