Chapter 39

The journey from the magical city of Delmond to Kirose takes about five days—a travel time nearly equal to the days I spent fleeing with Agito and the others.

“Ah… part of me misses the way we cut straight through the mountains back when we were escaping,” I said, half-joking.

“Heh. But if you were to tackle the mountains alone, you’d soon find yourself exhausted and stuck, wouldn’t you? It’s no small feat that you made it all the way here by taking the longer route, Kiwi,” Agito replied with a wry smile.

“It’s been a while, Lord Agito.”

Upon arrival, I was led to the forward base of the Demon Kingdom’s military in Kirose, where Agito greeted me. It seemed he had just wrapped up a strategy meeting with his battalion commanders.

“Shouldn’t I have attended that meeting as well? After all, I’ll be leading the charge,” I asked.

“In a sense, yes, but don’t concern yourself,” Agito replied, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Just focus on making your operation a success. You don’t need to know everything else.”

“I see… Understood.”

As expected of Agito, a high-ranking officer known as the Demon King’s jaw for his ability to crush any obstacle in his path. He’s quite meticulous with classified information.

So, I’m just a useful pawn, huh? Excellent! Personal ties and formal roles should be strictly separated in our relationship. In that sense, his restriction on information is desirable; it allows me to trust Agito even more deeply.

…Although I’ve been recognized as an exile and granted command over part of the operation, it doesn’t mean I’m free from suspicion as a “potential spy for the Kingdom.”

“By the way, could you tell me the start time of the operation?”

“Of course. Tomorrow, at 3 a.m., before dawn. Will you be ready by then, Kiwi?”

“Naturally. After all, it’s mostly just me I need to get ready.”

“Very well.”

I was then instructed to stand by until the final briefing that night and the move to the starting point. For now, I would rest. It’s a simple task—just giving commands, but it’ll be an all-night operation.

~ [Side: Demon Kingdom Military Forward Base] ~

“—Oh, Lord Agito? I heard Kiwi was here,” said Gigi Gandes, a handsome vampire and one of Agito’s closest aides, entering the room Kiwi had just left. He was carrying some food.

“I thought you’d be talking with him longer, so I brought something even humans can eat.”

“Ah, but Kiwi just finished a long journey. I wouldn’t want to keep him any longer. Best to let him rest.”

“True enough… But are you sure it’s alright not to share the operation details with him?”

“Kiwi only needs to return here to Kirose after completing his operation on the battlefield. There’s no need. And besides, the details might only become a ‘burden’ for him.”

Agito crossed his arms, spreading out the map of Elden used in the previous meeting. Two large arrows—one red and one blue—were drawn in opposite directions toward the walled town of Elden.

“We’ll lead our aerial forces from the western forest here, approaching Elden from the air ahead of the ground forces,” Agito said, pointing to the red arrow extending from the forest at the base of the mountain west of Kirose.

“Our job is to prevent the Kingdom’s clergy from deploying their ‘anti-magic barrier.’ Without support or reinforcements, we’ll take on the Kingdom’s attacks alone… It’s dangerous work.”

“Well, yes. Speed is crucial in this operation,” Gigi agreed.

“Exactly. But this plan hinges on the blue arrow from the opposite side—Kiwi’s operation—which will allow the ground troops to break through Elden’s northern gate and join us inside to provide support.”

“The speed of the ground troops depends on the success of Kiwi’s mission… meaning,” Gigi mused.

“Indeed. The casualty rate of our forward team will directly correlate with the success of Kiwi’s mission.”

“If Kiwi knew that, he might feel pressured…”

“Precisely. And we don’t want that.”

Agito sighed deeply. “Kiwi is still an ordinary demon—or rather, just a regular person. I don’t want to place such a heavy burden on him.”

“I understand, my lord.”

“Indeed. Besides, as the commander of this operation, I wouldn’t entrust our fate to any one individual—not even Kiwi.”

Agito grinned wickedly.

“Whatever may come, I’ll crush every obstacle myself and clear the path to victory.”