Chapter 313: Secret Plan - The Demon King Seems to Conquer the World

Chapters release for today:

1. Plant Magic Lord 159 & 160

2. Ordinary Person 19 & 20

3. Single Old Man 7

4. Demon King 312 & 313

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New chapter of Demon King is out (2/2 chapters)

At the war council, Liao had Gertrude himself explain the strategy. It was to provide a sense of conviction to the subordinate lords. Being directly briefed, and given the chance to ask questions if dissatisfied, they would have no choice but to accept it.

“As you can see, in this battle, we will be responsible for the right wing.” (Gertrude)

While pointing to the deployment map pinned on the wall with a rod tipped in red, Gertrude explained in fluent Shan language.

“We are currently blocking the main road that runs vertically from north to south. And the artillery battery is positioned at this elevated location.” (Gertrude)

Gertrude pointed with the rod to the battery on high ground.

“This circle marks the range of fire.” (Gertrude)

He traced a circle that encompassed most of the army.

“Fighting within this area is our basic policy. The enemy force led by Yuri Hou will, of course, try to break us like cracking a shell and attempt to capture this battery.” (Gertrude)

After sliding the rod forcefully upward from the bottom toward the battery, Gertrude touched the tip to a line that cut horizontally across the battlefield.

“At that time, we will make use of this river. I believe everyone has inspected it at least once. It is shallow enough that at its deepest, it only reaches up to a human’s shin. It can easily be crossed on horseback. Galloping Birds have even better off-road capability than horses, so there’s no obstacle to crossing. The bridge on the main road is also of a very simple structure using drainage pipes.” (Gertrude)

Such bridges were often used on rivers that were shallow and had gentle flow. Large drainage pipes would be lined up at the riverbed and then covered with soil and stones to form the bridge. They were inexpensive to construct and required no skilled craftsmen. While their durability was low, some had lasted over a hundred years.

“We have built a dam upstream on this river.” (Gertrude)

Gertrude himself had entered the mountains to find a suitable location. He performed foundational work in a narrow rocky area and piled up rubble to dam the river. The structure had been designed so that destroying key points would cause it to collapse all at once. It wasn’t completely sealed off. Water still leaked out in a seeping manner. He had worried that the river turning brown might reveal the work, but perhaps thanks to choosing a rocky terrain, it had returned to normal within a few days. Since this work had been done before the artillery was brought in, it had likely not been discovered.

“When the army led by Yuri Hou attacks us, we will offer only weak resistance and retreat. Once the enemy is halfway across the river, we will breach the dam. According to our calculations, a torrent strong enough that people cannot cross should last for at least one hour. During that time, we will crush the isolated enemy forces trapped on our side of the river. Of course, with artillery support.” (Gertrude)

Armies only exhibited their full strength when they were unified as a whole. Facing an army of ten thousand head-on and defeating two groups of five thousand who had become disoriented were entirely different tasks, requiring different levels of force and resistance. Gertrude picked up a charcoal stick and drew lines on the deployment map.

“Even if the enemy does not launch their main assault against us and instead aims for the gap between us and the Rube Household, the result is the same. By breaching the dam, we can split the enemy, perform a pincer attack with both our forces, and annihilate the crossing troops. Are there any questions?” (Gertrude)

One of the lords raised his hand.

“Has this dam of yours not been exposed to the Hou family? They also fly eagles for reconnaissance, and those troublesome Queen Swords are involved too.” (??)

“Of course, that possibility exists.” (Gertrude)

Gertrude honestly acknowledged it and nodded.

“However, there was a small pond originally at the location of the dam. We merely blocked its outlet. As of now, the water level of the pond, if we consider the original water level to be at the floor, has risen to about the ceiling of this room. Naturally, the trees along the lakeside are submerged up to their trunks, but such changes are hard to detect through aerial reconnaissance. The dam itself is also well-covered by the tree canopy.” (Gertrude)

“What about the Queen Swords?” (??)

“That, we don’t know. We’ve also deployed special units into the forest to avoid detection, but we can’t offer any absolute guarantee that it hasn’t been discovered.” (Gertrude)

“Don’t worry about it.” (Liao)

Liao cut in for the first time.

If distrust caused them to feel unconvinced even after hearing Gertrude’s explanation, continuing any further would be meaningless. Worse, it could spread anxiety and unease among the army.

“Rather, don’t overthink it. Could Yuri know? Of course. That guy might notice just by seeing the lake from above, or even sense that something’s wrong with the river even without any intel. There’s no way to reduce that possibility to zero. Don’t worry about things that can’t be helped.” (Liao)

…Maybe I didn’t say enough.

Liao thought.

“I decided that this operation is worth doing. If it’s unnoticed, we trap them in a snare. If it is noticed, we simply fight under artillery support. It’s a strategy to maneuver even more favorably in a situation where we already hold the advantage. You all just need to follow my judgment.” (Liao)

With those firm words, Liao fell silent.

Within the silence that enveloped the tent, a faint sense of relief seemed to drift in the air.

“Then, are there any other questions?” (Gertrude)

No one answered.

“In that case, my explanation is complete.” (Gertrude)

—

“Why do you think they’re not attacking?” (Liao)

Liao had climbed the high ground where the artillery fortifications stood. At his side was Gertrude. In their line of sight, they could see the army in the distance. Needless to say, it was the army led by Yuri. And yet, they did not attack. That was an inconvenient reality for both Liao and Gertrude, and a shared mystery.

Why aren’t they moving? What are they waiting for? What are they planning?

The answer had to exist, without a doubt, but no one could comprehend it. It was eerie.

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re thinking that if they wait, we’ll abandon the high ground and attack, or perhaps they’re waiting for reinforcements. Maybe they’re trying to figure out a way to break through the fortifications… or maybe they’ve finished constructing new cannons and are waiting for them to arrive.” (Gertrude)

I doubt it.

Liao thought.

Even if they had arrived, the range wouldn’t come close to ours, taking advantage of the elevation. In other words, we would always hold the advantage. If they pushed their artillery to the front lines, we could even crush their cannons with our shelling. Since they were using the high ground, a zone would naturally form where our artillery could reach and theirs could not.

If they brought in new models with multiple times the range, that would make sense, but otherwise, it wasn’t worth doing.

“…I deeply regret that Suomi was taken. If not for that, we would’ve had much more strategic flexibility. We could’ve forced Yuri Hou into making a wide range of difficult decisions.” (Gertrude)

“Don’t bring that up again. The person responsible has already been punished.” (Liao)

The one who should have borne responsibility, Jano Ek, was already dead. When they initially confined him gently in a private room, he had begun making disturbing requests to the knights, like demanding they give him a kidney. It was because even contact with others started to have a negative influence, they had determined that isolating him completely was necessary.

Given the situation, Yuri would not have had the option to let Jano Ek escape unscathed. Everyone understood that some form of punishment had been enacted as retaliation against a traitor, so letting people witness his suffering or brutal death would have been extremely inconvenient. Yet, they couldn’t just execute him outright either. In the end, they had thrown him into an unused underground cell beneath an old witch’s house and left him there. Letting him die quietly, without anyone noticing, was the most convenient outcome.

Jano Ek had faced an inevitable death after prolonged suffering, dying without anyone to witness his end, consumed by regret and bitterness. That was likely the conclusion Yuri had hoped for. That man had a dark, insidious side to him.

“As for the reason they haven’t attacked, the aerial reconnaissance reports bother me. It was said that the enemy force numbers more than forty thousand, but something about that is off. That would make them even larger than the entire army that returned from the continent. The number of troops in the Kilhina region should have decreased.” (Gertrude)

That was a report even Liao had doubted upon hearing. Their own army, after the previous war, had absorbed Kuran who had been taken prisoner and left unpaid, forced to earn their ransom through labor. Excluding cavalry, their numbers had swelled to nearly 40000. With that, they should have held an overwhelming numerical advantage, but Yuri had somehow gathered troops from somewhere.

“An army doesn’t appear out of thin air. He probably conscripted them in a hurry. No, maybe he didn’t even need to conscript. In this situation, he could gather as many volunteers as he wants.” (Liao)

“The issue is what does he intend to do with them?” (Gertrude)

Given the circumstances, the Hou household’s people must have been boiling with anger. If Yuri, upon returning, had called for volunteers, he could have gathered an endless number of new recruits. However, even if you suddenly gathered fresh recruits yesterday or today and threw them onto the battlefield, it didn’t mean they would perform as full soldiers.

It would be like adding more water to thin out porridge. It didn’t make the army stronger. They needed equipment for every person. Spears were one thing, but guns, as industrial products, required time and money to produce in quantity. An army whose strength couldn’t be trusted couldn’t be deployed recklessly. Since they could be broken more easily than expected, he couldn’t count on them even if they were present.

Moreover, the real impact of artillery was not the number it killed, it was the psychological shock it delivered. The morale of new recruits, driven purely by patriotism, could be shattered in an instant in the face of an exploding shell.

That was a reality Liao himself had witnessed during the war when they captured Shantinion. Even seasoned soldiers who had gathered to protect their homeland would hesitate in fear when a shell exploded beside them and turned ten of their comrades into lumps of flesh. Of course, in the near future, that sight might become normal to them, and they would grow used to it. But at the very least, they were not there yet.

“Or perhaps they’re using those troops as a diversion to hold us in place here, while their main force slips past us and heads north to the royal capital…” (Gertrude)

Gertrude spoke. It was a wild idea.

Not impossible.

Liao thought.

If the artillery emplacements were a threat, then all the enemy had to do was drive their army out of firing range. To accomplish that, the method of ignoring them and advancing northward was a feasible reality. Even in real-world war history, there had been similar battles. After passing by the enemy army without engaging, by the time the pursuing force arrived, the opposing side had already formed up and was ready to counterattack. However, in this case, that was not going to happen.

“It’s impossible. Unlike your side, which uses horses and pigeons to transmit orders, we have eagles. The moment they try to pass by, we’ll launch the eagles, and before they even arrive, the Sibyaku side will have assembled its forces. We’ll defeat the army holding us down with superior numbers, cut off the supply line, and then sandwich the now-isolated main force from the north and south.” (Liao)

“Right… I suppose so.” (Gertrude)

Gertrude scratched his head.

“I don’t understand… What in the world is that person thinking…” (Gertrude)

“How about the setup at the lake? If it’s been found out and destroyed before the decisive battle begins, you all will be left as an isolated force on the other side of the flooded river. Maybe they’re waiting for the supply of aerial bombs to arrive to initiate heavy bombardment.” (Liao)

“That has already been taken into account. Aerial bombs light enough for eagles to carry can’t destroy the dam, and the explosives for the demolition are to be installed just before the operation, so they can’t be ignited prematurely by eagle attacks. If they try such a thing while our armies are clashing, it would actually work in our favor.” (Gertrude)

“…Hmph.” (Liao)

It was difficult to completely read Yuri’s thoughts. Various hypotheses could be made. However, none of them hit the mark, none of them gave the feeling that they had truly figured him out.

“Still, the fact that he hasn’t taken the bait even after such a provocation makes it certain that he has some kind of strategy.” (Gertrude)

He was referring to the cart full of corpses that had been sent. It had been dispatched in the pre-dawn darkness, yet today, they still hadn’t attacked.

“What happened to Myaro’s body?” (Liao)

“We crucified and burned it in front of the Temple Knights. It raises morale.” (Gertrude)

“I see.” (Liao)

Liao spoke. His heart remained unmoved.

“You’re not interested, I see. I thought you’d be angrier about your beloved’s remains being burned.” (Gertrude)

“I don’t care.” (Liao)

“Is it really like that?” (Gertrude)

“I realized she could never be mine, no matter what I did. If that’s the case, then it’s actually a relief that she’s gone. It feels like one more hassle has been removed from my life.” (Liao)

In truth, he felt as though a weight had been lifted. It was like he had finally been able to unload a burden he had carried for too long, one that had always needed resolution.

“For us, that alone is sufficient as a war achievement. After the victory, even if you were to betray us and kill me, it would still be worth it.” (Gertrude)

“I don’t dislike that kind of frank attitude.” (Liao)

Of course, if they won the war, Liao fully intended to betray the Papal State’s army and kill Gertrude if the opportunity arose. If he were allowed to return, then the next time he led troops back, it would be Liao who had to face them. However, he had one more idea in mind.

“Do you like war that much? So much that, as long as you can fight, you don’t need anything else in life?” (Liao)

“Yes. That’s exactly right. I find it irresistibly fun to wage war like this. I enjoy treating the lives of people, who would be punished even for being harmed under normal circumstances, as if they were trash, building mountains of corpses and rivers of blood at the borders. It makes me happy to see history spun not through peace and treaties, but through war and military might. It feels like I can confirm that all humanity is made up of foolish beasts just like me.” (Gertrude)

That logic was incomprehensible to Liao. It was not the mindset of one who governed others. It was simply the mindset of one who killed. Yet, the fact that those most skilled in mass slaughter had shaped history was, undeniably, one of the historical truths.

“Then, if you defeat Yuri, come to me.” (Liao)

“…Huh?” (Gertrude)

“If Yuri is gone, you’ll be useless to the other side. You’d have more fun joining me, leading armies and fighting against those Iisusu cult bastards.” (Liao)

When Liao said that, Gertrude opened his mouth slightly, stunned for a moment, but then his expression twisted into something gruesome. Liao felt as if he had glimpsed Gertrude’s true nature. He had probably imagined baring his fangs at his homeland and waging a life-long, blood-soaked war. It would likely be a far more difficult, prolonged, and grueling conflict than even the one that would destroy the Shaalta Kingdom Liao had inherited.

“…I’ll consider it.” (Gertrude)

—

TLN:

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