“Strategic-level Magic
[RED TIDE] has been successfully cast. The destruction rate of the enemy’s city wall barrier has reached over ninety percent.”
“Good. Continue the advance!”
On the side of the Blood Race army, a middle-aged man who looked like an ordinary aristocrat issued orders to the other members of the Blood Race.
“Your Majesty, it won’t be long before the Demon Realm Capital completely falls. After that, we move on to the Great Demon King Castle.”
The middle-aged man turned to speak to a silver-haired girl with crimson eyes. She sat in a carriage pulled by Giant Wolves that were entirely black, save for their eyes which glowed with a scarlet, blood-like light.
“At that time, we will not only reclaim the status that belongs to us, but bringing the entire Demon Realm under our domination will be a simple matter!”
“…”
Egrette did not answer, merely casting a casual glance his way.
“I believe I told you to minimize casualties as much as possible, didn’t I?”
“This… this was unavoidable. War is simply like this, and the men are exceptionally excited. Taking only the lives of most of the soldiers on the walls should already be considered a low number.”
“As the General leading them, you can’t even control them? I believe I made myself clear when I entrusted these people to your management.”
The Blood Race was naturally highly hierarchical, but even someone as strong as Egrette could not maintain her own combat readiness while simultaneously micromanaging the entire Blood Race army. This was why she had divided the forces under the command of several Generals.
Under normal circumstances, with the troops divided like this, it shouldn’t have been difficult for a Blood Race General to force his subordinates to reduce the power of their attacks. However, the Blood Race General currently before Egrette claimed he could not do it.
Clearly, this was a failure on his part.
“Er… the soldiers you entrusted to me are full of passion and possess no small amount of strength. To achieve absolute control is a bit…”
In reality, the Blood Race army present here was only a portion of the total force, and it was entirely under this General’s management.
After all, one must always keep a hidden card. It would be disastrous if their home base was raided while they were away waging war.
The soldiers here were those Egrette had specifically selected—those who were dissatisfied with the Blood Race’s current status and situation, and who wished to restore the Blood Race Empire. Because of this, their strength and numbers were higher than those of the other legions.
“…Regardless, you are not allowed to cause any more unnecessary casualties from here on. They still have their uses. Furthermore, since they will be ruled by our Blood Race Empire in the future, they are my subjects. As their Queen, I must ensure their safety. If you cannot do it—”
Before she could finish, a powerful aura faintly leaked from Egrette’s body, causing the Blood Race General’s back to be instantly drenched in cold sweat.
“Your Majesty is truly merciful. Despite possessing such immense power, you still…”
“There is no need for flattery. Focus on your job.”
“Yes!”
Having received his orders, the Blood Race General used the army’s Encrypted Communication Magic to relay the command.
Egrette, however, was thinking about the words the General had just spoken.
In her eyes, such words shouldn’t be used to describe her at all. Compared to her, there was someone else who was far more suited for that description.
Once the orders were transmitted, the Blood Race army began to advance toward the city walls.
Before long, they were standing directly under the city gates.
“Ahem! Listen up, those inside! You are surrounded! You have the right to remain silent, but every word you say will be used as a final testament… as proof of your resistance against our army!”
By the end of his declaration, the Blood Race General realized something was wrong and quickly changed his wording. It was too late, however. Upon hearing his words, the already excited soldiers began to jeer and shout.
“That’s right! Kill them all!”
“There is no need for mercy toward other races!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
[QUIET!!]
In the end, the Blood Race General had to roar through the communication magic into everyone’s minds to finally force them to calm down.
It couldn’t be helped. Having experienced the once-glittering Blood Race Empire only to be reduced to just another member of the Demon Race—ruled by a Demon Race of unknown origin—the Blood Race soldiers here had long accumulated a great deal of resentment.
To them, every race other than the Blood Race was an inferior species.
“…They certainly think highly of themselves,” Egrette said with a look of disdain.
“Exactly! Those people inside think far too highly of themselves! Who do they think they are, refusing to surrender even now?”
“Didn’t you just say that every word they speak is an act of defiance against us?”
“Ah, right. That is indeed the case.”
Having been reminded, the Blood Race General called over a nearby soldier and ordered him to enter through the city gates to confirm the situation inside.
It didn’t take long before the messenger returned to the army.
“Report! The residents inside have no intention of resisting us!”
“Does that mean they’ve surrendered? That saves us a lot of trouble. Let’s go!”
As the army reached the city gates, the massive doors—reaching dozens of meters in height—slowly creaked open. The Blood Race army marched into the city.
“Ha! It seems the people here are terrified of us!”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
As they looked around, there were no terrified residents to be found. Even the soldiers responsible for security, patrols, and opening the gates were nowhere to be seen. In fact, there wasn’t a single person or even an animal on the streets. The entire place looked utterly lifeless.
Because orders had been given not to cause unnecessary casualties, and because time was of the essence, there was no need to waste effort on residents who didn’t plan to resist. Consequently, the Blood Race soldiers did not engage in any looting.
Of course, one could tell from their excited expressions that this restraint was only temporary. Once they had the time and opportunity later, these soldiers, who held no respect for other races, would surely act as they pleased.
“Hmm…“
Looking at the lifeless town, Egrette felt that something was strange.
She had been here before and had spent quite a bit of time wandering around, so she knew what this place was supposed to look like.
Even with an enemy attack, it shouldn’t have fallen into such a death-like silence. It was as if everyone here had lost their free will and thoughts entirely.
Indeed, back when she had hidden her identity with that person, they had eaten street food while watching performances and browsing the trinkets at the stalls. What she should be seeing was a bustling market full of the vibrant atmosphere of daily life, not this…
As she thought of this, Egrette involuntarily gripped something she kept carefully hidden beneath her clothes.
“Is something wrong, Your Majesty?”
“It’s nothing. Keep moving. Don’t waste time.”
Though she found it strange, she had more important things to do.
Her resolve hardening once more, Egrette looked straight ahead without wavering, as if even the distant Demon King Castle was already within her sight.