157 You're the best.




 The royal palace of the Caenis Empire has a uniquely distinctive appearance.

 It is a structure of flat buildings with bright yellow roof tiles, each facing exactly east, west, north, south, or southwest, with a magnificent row of eaves.
 Each of the four sides of the building is surrounded by square buildings. This is repeated, and the outermost part is enclosed by a crimson painted wall.
 The stone square at the end of the main gate is vast, and those who stand there and look down from the towering buildings of the royal palace are forced to realize their own smallness and the might of the empire.

 Deep within the palace lies the Second Throne Room.
 Ordinary people, no matter how high their social status, are not allowed to enter this place. Audiences with lowly people are held in the throne room, closer to the front. Only the emperor and high-ranking officials were allowed to enter here.

 There were many ornaments made of strands of jewels hanging down like a curtain.
 A very limited number of them were hidden in between. A limited number of elite soldiers of the Yellow Army, who were trusted by the Emperor, were waiting for him.
 On the left and right sides of the room were latticed doors carved with openwork dragons, and outside the doors was a corridor that stretched out like a balcony toward the pond. Thin silk curtains gently blocked the sunlight and the moisture-laden wind from entering.
 At the far end of the room, which seemed to float on the water, was a throne with a texture like ebony, cut from a large tree.

 The man who sorrowfully rests on that throne is the Emperor of the Caenis Empire, Minhao.
 Or, as he calls himself, ...... "Dragon Abyss".

 The king of the mighty Caenis Empire is either a big man who can pierce the clouds, or a fierce general who can kill people with his eyes alone. ......
 If you have such preconceived notions, you will be betrayed at every turn.
 Ryuyuchi is in his mid twenties. He is rather slender and not very tall.
 He has a fine face and black hair and eyes. His skin is white, and those who do not speak of him say that he looks like a woman.
 His eyes are like a warrior's, but that's all they are.
 She wears a crown with a unique shape, like a board passed over her head, and a red and black robe embroidered with divine beasts and stars.

 In front of the throne on which the dragon abyss sits, there is a man kneeling, spreading out a scroll-like document and reading it. He looked to be in his thirties by human standards.
 This man was even more slender than Ryuyuan, with long, slender arms, legs, and fingers, and was taller. He was dressed so perfectly in government uniform that there was not a crease in sight, and he had stroked green hair and pointed ears. His skin has the texture of white wood, and he has a tattoo of five black dots around his left eye.
 A rather rare race in human society. He is an elf.

 His name is Ring of Stars. His real name is Glenn Milles.
 His title is General.
 He controls all four armies, blue, red, black, and white, except for the Yellow Army, which is the emperor's personal guard. In effect, he is the supreme military leader.

 There is no such thing as nobility in this country.
 In terms of institutions, the country only has an "emperor" and an "official. General Hoshihaki is no exception to this rule.
 However, Hoshihaki, a long-lived elf, has been serving this country since the founding of the Caenis Empire, and has influence to the point of being a political privileged class.
 He is also skilled in human military tactics, which is not typical for an elf, and is a military officer with a presence and ability that can be said to be the presence of Hoshihuan in the Empire.
 In the past, he was a blue general, but now he is a great general under the leadership of the current emperor, Long Yuan.

...... So the Red Army is now on its way to secure the road that has appeared in the Ku Luo Kar Mountains.
 That's all I have to report.
"Hmm. ......

 After finishing the report, Hoshihuan lightly pushed up his rimless glasses with his fingertips and repositioned them.
 This is a great way to get the most out of your business.

"I smell the same .......
"My Lord?

 I'm not sure what you mean by that.

I only know the Demon King's army of the past from records and old stories.
 But I can't help but think that this contraption smells just like the Demon King's Army of old.
 A bold and strange plan that seems to ridicule the human race fighting for their lives. ......
 Hmm. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
"Ha, ha. ......

 In the event you're not sure what to do, there are a few things you can do.
 It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
 But since it was an uncertain guess at the moment, Hoshi Tamaki did not deny or confirm it.

 You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.
 The more weak the enemy, the better. Although he and Ryubuchi disagreed on this point, Hoshihuan trusted Ryubuchi's eagerness and ability to win.

The Red Army is already working to secure a way through the mountains. The Red Army is already working to secure a way through the mountains. If we miss this opportunity, it is possible that the country across the mountains will take the path.
 However, this would create tension between us and Diretta.
 What shall we do, my Lord?
There's no point in panicking. We can only do what we can do.
 We can't let another country take the mountain trail, not even by mistake.
 If it is known that we used a path made by a demon, it could be seen as our country being in the demon's family. If that's the case, we have no choice but to advertise that this is our achievement and excite the people at best.
 If we do this, our relations with Diretta will be extremely bad, but we have no choice. The Red Army will have to stare down Diretta's army.

 Hoshihaki didn't say anything back. The Red Army will have a standoff with the Direttas.
 Water naturally flows lower than higher. In the same way, an irresistible flow had been created.
 ...... The Caenis Empire must face the Holy Kingdom of Diretta.

 Up until now, the Empire of Caenis had conquered a number of race states through the use of coercion and force.
 However, it had avoided a decisive rupture and clash with the other four major powers.
 This was because an all-out war would have hurt the Caenis Empire as well. Even if they increased their territory at the end of a pitched battle where they were grinding each other's soldiers to a pulp, they would not be able to continue. A war of aggression should be overwhelming.


 And if they were to go to war with two of the major powers at the same time, they could be defeated. So far, the Shiro Army of the West hasn't come into direct conflict with the Kingdom of Noahcurio, but if they fall into war with Diretta, Noahcurio might come to finish them off. In addition, it would be bad if the Demon King's army attacked our hinterland when we had no reserve forces.

 This is a critical situation, but it's also an opportunity.
 Crossing the K'lukaru Mountains would be a national undertaking. Therefore, we would have had to go around.
 If a road were to suddenly open up there, it would be a very useful invasion route.

 The Frabjous Sea is just around the corner once we cross the "backbone of the earth," the Khulkar Mountains.
 If we can expand into the inland sea and gain a port, we can gain a great advantage in logistics and commerce. It would also give us an advantage over the coastal nations, including Diretta.

 Half of them had no choice.
 Half of them want it.
 The Red Army will cross the Kırkır Mountains: ......

"Ring of Stars. How do you read the Rose of Hell's intentions?
What? In the medium to long term, I think the aim is to weaken the Sacred Kingdom of Diretta by having it fight against our own natural enemy.
 I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this in the future.
"...... Hmm. It looks like I didn't have to fire you.
"Play along, .......
"So far, there is no threat to the east. If we can stop the Blue Army from invading, leave enough men to hold the occupied territories, and send them to support the Red Army, the tide will turn in our favor, but... But he said he was going to build a nest right under the nose of the Blue Army.
 In other words, the existence of the ...... "Rose Princess of Hell" will be an irreplaceable keystone of suppression for Diretta and her henchmen.

 Ryubuchi fished the edges of his mouth and smiled sarcastically.
 The pond surrounding the throne room felt as if it were surging.

"The Rose Princess of Hell is undead. No matter where you run, you can't escape the Mooneaters of Diretta. After all, they go into places that armies can't go, in small numbers. If you try to stay in one place, they will sniff you out to the ends of the earth.
 But the chains of these mad dogs are pulled by stinking monks who seek the benefits of this life rather than the realization of the teachings.
 ...... little girl. I'm not sure what to make of that.

 I'm not sure what to make of that.
 The main job of the Moon Eaters is to destroy evil warriors and the undead, but once they're sent into battle against people, they're unbeatable.
 However, the number of key combatants is strangely small. The exact number is kept secret, but it's not even 100.

 It is unclear why the number is so small, but it is said that the number is limited for some reason. As a result, the Moon Eater fighters are always flying around the world.
 Because of this situation, it was not uncommon for one of their fighters to be dispatched only a few months after the call.

 This time, Diretta's expedition to Ciel-Teira gathered more than twenty fighters, which is the same as the largest mobilization for the "Joint Expedition against the Demon King's Army and the Human Nation" that had ceased 14 years ago.
 This is the same as the largest mobilization for the Anti-Monarchies and Human Nations Joint Expedition, which was last held 14 years ago.
 If not for the bait, no matter how much effort a single childless idiot monk put in, there would not have been this many fighters.

 To put it simply, the Moon Eater's manpower is invaluable. They are the trump card of the human race, relied upon alongside high-ranking adventurers to take down the big boys that the country can't handle.
 And it was an open secret that there was a great deal of political will involved in deciding where to put them.

 If you want to get the protection of the Moon Eaters, you have to be on good terms with the Holy Kingdom of Diretta. Aside from countries like the Empire of Koenis, which has a powerful military and plenty of ace adventurers and soldiers, there are also small countries where it is a matter of life and death whether or not the Moon Eaters will come when the time comes.
 Diretta was using this relationship to her advantage in her diplomacy.

 As far as Seiryuu knew, Diretta had been very reluctant to send the Moon Eaters to Caenis recently.
 If tensions were to rise further, a complete retreat was possible.
 And if the imperial army is plagued by the "Rose Princess of Hell", making it difficult for them to move, ...... Diretta's higher-ups will probably stick their tongues out in prayer and overlook it. At least until the Caenis Empire is truly in danger.

 In the end, the situation surrounding the Caenis Empire has worsened.
 But neither the ring nor the abyss was in despair.

If that's the case, then we'll have to use the Blue Army to defeat the 'Rose Princess of Hell'.
"That's right. "That's right. As long as we defeat the Rose Princess of Hell, our problems will be solved in a chain reaction.
 He's definitely going to interfere in the frontline battle. You should reap what you sow.
 I can't give you much in the way of ...... men, but I can give you as much gold and goods as the Blue Army wants.
"As you wish.

 The only thing that matters is that the two of you decide.
 It doesn't matter if you're a human, a demon, or an undead.
 The Caenis Imperial Army, the strongest on the continent, will defeat all of its enemies and build a prosperous nation.

 I have a rough idea of the capabilities and strength of the "Rose Princess of Hell" based on the information leaked to me.
 It would be troublesome if she could gather all the demons around the Ku Luo Kar Mountains, but the Blue Army would still have an advantage if they were to face her head-on.
 If they are holed up in the jungles or mountains, they might not be able to attack, but if they cut down the enemy from the edge, the enemy will be impoverished. ......

 --I'm not sure if that's all.

 Hoshihuan, however, was also troubled.
 If she had the brains to devise such a plan, the "Rose Princess of Hell" would be aware of the difference in strength between her and him.
 Then, why did she take such an action to jump into the bosom of the Caenis Empire?

 She stood up from her throne, flipping her cloak-like jacket.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. Or do you have a plan to do so? ......
 You can show your power, "Rose of Hell".

 The surface of the water rumbled again.