Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Ambition of the Demon Empire

"Injured soldiers, fall back! Damn it, they keep coming one after another..."

Though I volunteered for this position to show off, this place is undoubtedly a death trap with enemies closing in from both sides. Normally...

"Hey, Daniel, what are you spacing out for? Beat them back and join up with the allies!"

But with our leader, Cecilia, around, this place is undoubtedly a safe zone.

"Cecilia, it seems the momentum of the monsters behind us is weakening. Perhaps Primera's main force has arrived."

"Good, then let Katarina and the others handle this. We will break through and join up with the main force."

"Understood. Be careful, at least."

"Who are you telling that to? Understood!"

"The Cat's Tail Squad, charge!!"

"YEAH!!!"

With a war cry, Cecilia and her Cat's Tail Squad vanished into the sea of monsters.

(However, it seems like our end is near too, huh?)

Katarina turned her gaze to a sudden explosion.

More than a hundred monsters were lifted into the air by the wind and turned into meat slices. Then, hellish flames resembling purgatory engulfed the horde of monsters, burning them to ashes.

"Amazing... That's the power of the Storm Witch and the Crimson Witch... the strength of the Death Twin Princesses... It's hard to believe it's the same person we usually see fawning over Kakeru."

"No... The Silver Devil is dangerous too. Is she really just a C-rank?"

Chloe's figure, cutting down monsters with incredible speed, was truly devilish.

"...Forgive me, but what is that? I can't even comprehend what's going on anymore."

"That's Trasilvania's Bloodsucking Princess. Rumor has it she can control blood..."

"That sounds terrifying..."

Evangeline could manipulate not only her own blood but also blood spilled from wounds. The injured monsters fell one after another under the blade of her blood.

Before they knew it, most of the horde of monsters had been defeated, and the battle's momentum had clearly shifted.

"Katarina-san, sorry we're late!"

Kakeru jumped off the griffon and landed next to Katarina.

"Oh, Kakeru-kun, you're faster than I thought. Kyaa, what's wrong, Kakeru-kun..."

Kakeru pulled Katarina close and sliced down a lizardman that lunged at her.

"Are you alright, Katarina-san?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. I just got a bit careless due to fatigue."

Leaning against Kakeru, Katarina crossed her arms. He was still dressed lightly, and she relished the blissful feeling.

"Ugh, what's with this strength? You're strong enough that you don't need any help."

"Yeah, seriously, I got chills all over from the cold."

"Apologies, Kakeru-kun, it seems there are two remaining orcs we haven't finished hunting."

"Hahaha... Take care then."

"Screams."

***

---Primeran Army Main Unit---

"I'm reporting. The momentum of the monsters is weakening. It appears they are being attacked from behind."

"Well done. It seems the knight order ahead is doing their best. Let's hurry and join forces, everyone, charge!"

Seeing the situation tilt in their favor, Alfred orders the whole army to charge. The monsters, caught in a pincer attack and in confusion, start decreasing in number.

Amidst this, five men and women break through the horde of monsters and appear before Alfred's group.

"Wait, isn't that a cat's tail...? What are they doing here?"

Alfred is puzzled. After all, they were supposed to be heading to the Western Forest on a request.

"Lord, I'm surprised to see you personally leading the charge. Is Primeran's defense alright?"

"I could say the same, Cecilia. Why are you here?"

"We received a rescue request from the knight order and flew through the skies with Kakeru and the others to get here."

"Flew through the skies? You mean... you rode griffons?"

"Yes, you got it! As expected of our Lord. The situation ahead is quite dire, so everyone is fighting there. Kakeru went to the front lines to help Lady Celestina. I hope he makes it in time."

"I see... in that case, we should have enough forces. We might be able to retake Esperanza in one fell swoop..."

With Cecilia's group joining Alfred's main unit, their offensive power significantly increases. They swiftly scatter the horde of monsters.

Cecilia looks at Alfred, who seems to be only giving commands and not participating in combat, and finds it odd.

"...Lord, aren't you going to fight? I wanted to see the fighting style of the renowned Four Sacred Swords in person."

"Well, my sword isn't suitable for this kind of melee. I might end up hurting both friend and foe. If a strong opponent appears, then I'll fight."

"...What kind of sword do you have? It sounds dangerous and exciting."

Cecilia becomes excited, her eyes sparkling.

"You seem more dangerous and exciting to me..."

Alfred glances at Cecilia with a sidelong look, sighing in exasperation.

***

"Knight Commander Celestina, it's good to see you safe. To be honest, I thought survival would be difficult."

Alfred's Primeran army, along with Kakeru's Esperanza retreat group, has gathered, setting up camp and preparing for the next strategy meeting.

Alfred is inside a makeshift tent, discussing the upcoming plans.

"It's all thanks to my husband. When he appeared just in time to save me from a tight spot... his gallant figure was just..."

As Celestina talks, she becomes more and more dreamy-eyed. She seems to be turning into a lovesick maiden.

"Well, it's unfortunate. It seems that 'safe' might not be the best way to describe it."

Alfred is slightly smiling, looking a bit uncomfortable with Celestina's affectionate behavior. "Come back soon," he thinks to himself.

***

When everyone gathers, they summon Varonos and begin the interrogation. The information that comes out shakes the entire world, with shocking revelations.

"...So, the Demon Emperor, including the calamity from six months ago, has been pulling the strings behind the scenes..."

According to Varonos, now a summoned demon, the invasion has been secretly progressing for over thirty years, and it was executed alongside the completion of the underground tunnels.

By the way, one thing I've come to realize after coming to this world is that it's almost identical to Earth. From the movement of the sun and moon to the geography, it's almost like a perfect copy. I think Primeran, where I am now, is somewhere in the southeast of Portugal.

Since the goddess, who is the creator of this world, is unlikely to have cut corners, there must be some deeper meaning to it.

(...Kakeru, there's no deeper meaning. It's just a shortcut. I'm sorry to get your hopes up.)

Huh? Did I just hear something? Or is it just my imagination?

Anyway, it turns out that the Demon Empire is located in what would be Northern Africa on Earth, specifically around Morocco and Algeria.

Although this world refers to the continent as the "Demon Continent," it seems that due to undeveloped navigation technology, there has been no trade or much information exchange with this land.

The objective of the invasion is to conquer the entire continent, and the current force here is a reconnaissance vanguard.

Among the demons, high-ranking demon nobles like Varonos have the ability to control monsters, making them extremely troublesome to deal with as they can fight with only a few commanders, utilizing the monsters as their soldiers.

With all this information, the Demon Empire poses a significant threat to us.

Fortunately, according to Varonos, the main enemy forces won't arrive for some time.

Before that happens, they must retake Esperanza Fort and deal with the vanguard's headquarters, the capital city of Astraea, Centrea.

In the subsequent meeting, it was decided to focus on reclaiming Esperanza.