novelraw Chapter 230: Abyssal Holy War - Liberated Shackles
Chapter 230: Abyssal Holy War - Liberated Shackles
Episode 230. Abyssal Holy War – Liberated Shackles
Until the reinforcement army joined and the aftermath of the battle was handled, there were no further offensives from the enemies.
Thanks to this, the command post could take shifts to get some rest, even if brief, and the commanders who gathered again had quite good expressions.
"The enemies must have also suffered severe damage. Of course, this was thanks to the timely reinforcements from His Majesty Heinrich and Her Majesty the Saintess Queen."
The face of Krafte's General Scharnhorst, as he said this, showed an indelible joy.
Even as the allied battle line was on the verge of collapsing, it was the Krafte Army that stubbornly held on to the end and supported the other Allied Forces.
This was because, having engaged in a firefight while consuming ammunition like mad, they were the unit that managed to preserve most of its strength until the end.
Of course, if you ask whether we could do the same if told to use all the ammunition we wanted, well... I'm not so sure. So I have nothing to say about that.
Moreover, the reinforcement army, which was the key card to victory, was largely comprised of 50,000 Krafte Army soldiers, and on top of that, King Heinrich himself had led them. This further boosted the already high pride of the Krafte Army.
"Haha, you saved our lives. And I express my sincere gratitude to Her Majesty the Saintess Queen as well. Seeing the more relaxed expressions of everyone gathered here, I can't help but be in awe of her phenomenal presence."Hearing the words of the Imperial Army Commander, Jill von Leonhardt, Eris gave an awkward smile.
Despite the clearly good situation, the reason Eris's expression wasn't so bright was likely because she felt a sense of responsibility for the tragic end most of the Paladin Order met.
"It's not that big of a deal..."
She might say that, but the presence Eris has on the vanguard is immense.
These weren't empty words; just by Eris appearing on the battlefield, the fog that had relentlessly plagued us thinned and receded considerably, and the fatigue that seemed to weigh down our bodies also lessened significantly.
Every single soldier felt it in their bodies, so just having Eris with them sent the soldiers' morale soaring to the heavens.
To the point where I wondered if this was really the same military force that had been gripped by despair just yesterday.
As I was thinking this, Eris turned her gaze to me and asked.
"What are your thoughts, Marquis Lafayette? Will we have another engagement with the enemies before the gate opens?"
I thought for a moment before I replied.
"I don't think so."
In the last offensive, we have to assume Paimon brought out his full force.
The number of Drones he mobilized was overwhelming.
Due to the nature of Drones, which turn to dust shortly after, leaving no corpses, it's difficult to gauge the exact number of troops, but it looked to be at least over 200,000.
"Drones are not just weaponry that can be stamped out; they are weaponry that requires materials. Now that all their routes to obtain the races of the Central Continent are blocked, their only source of supply is likely the Eastern Empire, where an invasion is currently underway."
The number of Drones we've dealt with since the landing alone must be immense.
With battles also raging in the Eastern Empire, the number of Drones Abyss Corporation is losing while managing a two-front war must be anything but light.
"In fact, near the end of the last battle, the enemies were seen retreating their Drones."
That is the biggest piece of evidence.
Until now, the enemies have treated Drones like consumables.
They've been deployed as if thrown away, as if killing even one more enemy soldier by charging into the enemy position was a benefit.
But that same Paimon tried to retreat the Drones in the last battle when he thought he had no chance of winning.
Since he judged they couldn't escape anyway, he had the rear Drones tie us down like cutting off a tail and fled, but we experienced pursuing enemy Drones with cavalry for the first time.
This is very encouraging.
"We've won now, haven't we? We did it after all! As expected of His Excellency the Marquis! Look! Don't we achieve miraculous victories just by following His Excellency the Marquis?"
The atmosphere suddenly turned cold because Damien De Millbeau had suddenly shouted triumphantly.
No, if Eris hadn't brought Desaix and Heinrich, we would have all died.
"...We are still at war, excessive optimism is forbidden, Commander Millbeau."
"I, I apologize, His Excellency the Marquis. I was just so happy..."
Damien shrank back again.
Anyway, I don't understand how this insignificant bastard became a Master of Defense.
Still, well...
"Even if we can't be overly optimistic, we have seen proof that the enemy's troops are not infinite. Even if they have reserve forces, they probably can't deploy them right now."
If they had such forces, they would have deployed them long ago.
"Ooh..."
Hope blossomed on the faces of all the commanders.
What had troubled us the most until now was the endless, tireless wave of infinite Drones.
While we were growing weary on this ominous, fog-shrouded island with casualties piling up, the enemies had repeatedly engaged in a war of attrition as if it were nothing.
But just as our troops are finite, visible evidence has emerged that the enemy's troops are also finite.
There is no fact that supports morale more than knowing we are gaining the momentum for victory.
"How long until the gate's construction is complete?"
When the King of Krafte, Heinrich, who had been listening quietly until then, spoke, Commander Maxim replied, his face etched with deep dark circles.
"It will be done in just one more day."
Oh dear.
Seeing him steeped in fatigue even though Eris had apparently helped him with her divine power was a bit pitiful, but in any case, the mages had fulfilled their role.
They had somehow managed to meet the unreasonable deadline I had demanded.
The pressure that had been weighing on me all this time vanished as if it were a lie.
Just the fact that Christine is here with me makes me no longer doubt my own judgment.
Eris, who seems like she can find hope in any situation, is also here, and so is Desaix, who will assist me even if I make a military blunder.
"Now that their last all-out offensive has failed so futilely, the enemy will either be unable to move while they handle the aftermath, or even if they do, they won't be able to launch an offensive as prepared as the last battle. This is the end. Each unit is to remain on high alert and hold out until the gate is complete."
"Haha, my goodness, I'm a bit tired after rushing to prepare and then running here right after the landing... We'll be able to rest once the gate opens, right?"
Louis Desaix threw out a joke, and I chuckled in reply.
"Well, after we stand guard while the main force crosses the gate, I'll strongly consider it."
Everyone laughed at my reply.
The end of the long fight we've been waging since setting foot on this island is in sight.
Grateful for the fact that this alone could bring back such leeway, I stood up from my seat.
"Then, to your positions!"
"Yes, Sir!"
*
"So, you failed the offensive in the end, Paimon."
Paimon ran a hand through his long, red hair, letting out a scornful laugh at the demon who spoke to him accusingly.
"If you had just activated all the Drones from the start, you could have wiped them out and seized the gate long ago."
Pierre de Lafayette's expectation was both right and wrong.
Certainly, the number of Drones Paimon had available had suffered severe damage.
However, that didn't mean the demons' forces were depleted.
From the beginning, the humans of the Central Continent, who think they are the center of the world, are under the grand delusion that by blocking access to the Central Continent, Abyss Corporation can no longer acquire materials for Drones.
After all access to the Central Continent was cut off, Abyss Corporation began a large-scale 'material procurement' on the New Continent.
A den of primitive tribes, larger than the Central Continent in size, but with a level of civilization inferior to it.
The number of Drones that Abyss Corporation secured there was a number they couldn't even dare to imagine.
Not only the Drones from the New Continent, but even the majority of the Demon Races sacrificed in the Great Purge conducted by Abyss Corporation had been converted into Drones.
So, there were plenty of reserved forces. Enough to engage the entire Central Continent if necessary.
Nevertheless, there was a separate reason why Paimon had only been operating a force numbering in the mere hundreds of thousands.
"The great Baal knows that you are not loyal."
The supervising demon spat out arrogantly.
Paimon simply replied by twisting the corners of his lips into a sneer.
The great Hero of the Demon Race, Pride itself. Baal.
Those self-proclaimed loyal subjects who worship him act as if they were Baal themselves.
From the very beginning, the reason Baal spared Paimon and brought him in was because there was no means as efficient as 'Drones' to easily purge dissenters and operate them effectively.
Neither Baal nor Paimon trusted each other.
There was no need to feel wronged.
Paimon himself was full of thoughts of betraying Baal at any moment.
"Ah, yes. The great Hero of the Demon Race sees through everything. That's why you'll only mobilize the Drones once the gate is open. Because once the gate is open, it can't be closed."
The Central Continent's vanguard, the unit led by Marquis Lafayette, must have come over with the intention to close the gate in an emergency.
However, Abyss Corporation hadn't been idle either.
Abyss Corporation is the best at Magitek, and it is also the demons who best understand the Magic Tower's near-mad desire for knowledge.
Do those so-called 'Allied Nations' even know that among the mages currently building the gate, there is one who has already been bribed by them?
If they knew, they would have given up on building the gate long ago.
Unlike their misconception, once the gate connecting the Central Continent and Abyss Corporation opens, they won't be able to close it as they please.
Because it is being designed and constructed a little differently from the design they originally planned.
From Baal's standpoint, the best thing would have been to annihilate Marquis Lafayette's vanguard beforehand, complete the gate through their collaborators, and then launch a surprise invasion on the defenseless Central Continent as soon as it was finished, but...
"Well, the Plan A that our great Hero of the Demon Race and his loyal vassals wanted has unfortunately failed."
Paimon asked with a smile.
"The gate is almost complete. So, isn't now the time to mobilize all the remaining Drones?"
The so-called 'loyal subject of Baal' assigned as Paimon's overseer scowled deeply and growled in reply.
"When the time comes, Baal will give the order. But keep this in mind, Paimon. Your life and your position were both prepared for you by Baal."
Paimon very leisurely thought about how he should decorate this bastard's neck once his utility was gone.
"The control and command authority over the Drones are certainly yours. But do not think that the great Baal would bestow such power upon you without any countermeasures."
Paimon replied with a smirk.
"No way. Could I ever forget the grace of the great Hero who released my confinement and returned my power?"
Though that too was part of the plan from the beginning, isn't mutual deception the most demon-like form of trust?
Paimon thought so and smiled with a very humble face.
"...It is good that you continue to know your place, Paimon. Your request will be delivered to the great Hero."
Having finished speaking, the demon spread its wings and flew up.
Oh, he could have used communication, but to fly there himself just to prove his loyalty—how inefficient.
Paimon let out a laugh and leisurely crossed his legs with a smile.
"Huhu, hahaha... Ahahahahaha..."
What should I do about this?
The seed that Pierre, who I thought couldn't overcome human limits, had sown, ultimately surpassed all expectations, even surpassing the hero's Pride of preparing for everything.
The shout of 'impossible' was sincere. Because I couldn't believe it even after seeing it with my own eyes.
It wasn't that Paimon hadn't been serious at all. Because Baal's watchful gaze was on him.
And yet, he still pulled it off.
"Ah, Pierre. You're so lovely, I think I might go mad."
No way.
Truly.
To think he would actually do it.
Paimon was defeated, yet he was victorious.
Because.
Baal's plan to control Paimon and wage a gradual war with the Central Continent using Drones had finally been ruined.
If Paimon had won, Baal would have proceeded step-by-step with his Central Continent invasion plan, which began with a surprise attack on Francia.
The Drone army is certainly a tireless, indomitable army, but they are ultimately consumables.
If he waged a continuous war with the Central Continent and only mobilized the necessary troops, it would be possible to maintain Paimon's forces at a controllable level.
But now, the gate they've completed will open, and the prepared Allied Forces will storm Abyss Corporation's Island.
It would be impossible to face them by just waking up a moderate number of Drones.
They will have to mobilize all the prepared Drones.
And that will surpass the line of what Baal can control.
If he wipes out the Allied Forces, Paimon will finally obtain the martial prowess to execute even the Hero.
-The control and command authority over the Drones are certainly yours. But do not think that the great Baal would bestow such power upon you without any countermeasures.
Baal isn't thoughtless. Paimon knows that Baal has set an authority to reclaim control from Paimon in the drone's manufacturing process.
However, the drone designer is Paimon.
From the design phase, the Drones are a product Paimon created as part of his plan to break his own shackles and ruin Abyss Corporation.
Such Drones have a highest priority authority inserted from the basic process, one that can nullify any functions granted later.
Disguised as if it were an essential function necessary for the maintenance and operation of the Drones, only Paimon within Sloth Corp understands their operating principle.
No one else can know of it. Not even that arrogant and great Hero of the Demon Race.
Therefore, the moment all the Drones are mobilized, Baal will essentially be awakening his greatest enemy to stop the foe before him.
"Haha, hahaha..."
Finally. The liberation from all shackles that Paimon had so ardently wished for was close at hand.
The one who made all this possible was a single Anomaly.
"Pierre, you, and only you, make me perfect..."
I must give him a reward filled with endless love, obsession, and gratitude.
"A Holy War that will burn this entire world."