“You assembled rather slowly.”
And then he grabbed the shoulder of a random subhuman from the group. It was a zerun. He tore its shoulder skin right off. Though Demiurge was one of the least powerful floor guardians, he was still capable of this sort of feat.
With an incoherent shriek, the subhuman who had lost its skin (and a chunk of flesh) fell to the ground in agony.
“All right, please begin your attack. Don’t cause too much damage. The real fight begins on the other side of the wall.” Demiurge’s demeanor suddenly changed, and now he spoke to them kindly.
The kindness he showed to members of Nazarick was genuine. He was tenderhearted when dealing with his friends. But the kindness he showed outsiders was the sort of care that a useful tool would receive.
Having received their orders, the subhumans rushed back to their groups. The one who had fallen was no exception.
They had been told that a happy outcome awaited only those who obeyed Demiurge’s orders and got excellent results. And they’d also been told that those who achieved the opposite would find an appropriate future awaiting them.
With a gentle smile, Demiurge watched them set off.
“All right. I suppose it’s time to move on to the next order of business. Demons.”
He activated one of his skills and summoned a large number of disposable demons. To him, they were an extremely weak variety, but summoning stronger ones would mean not being able to field as many. In this case, the most important thing was that the Sacred Kingdom soldiers would spread the word that they were being attacked by demons. For that, he needed numbers.
“Listen up. You’re to support the subhumans. And drive the humans off in a clever way. Don’t do anything stupid like killing every last one and leaving none to return home.”
The low-level demons nodded and flew into the air.
Though summoned monsters shared the knowledge of the summoner to some extent, it was never terribly detailed. Only assuming they could perform basic tasks like differentiating between friend and foe was the best bet. For that reason, it was important to give orders at the time of summoning.
All right…I hope the chips fall where I want.
Demiurge had employed his intellect to plot out various scenarios, calculate dozens of potential developments, and prepare contingency plans that would achieve his aim. He had anticipated things might go slightly awry. But sometimes a real idiot would show up and do something utterly unexpected.
Someone as wise as Lord Ainz can probably predict even a fool’s moves, but…I’m not quite there yet. I do hope Lord Ainz enjoys this…
The thought made his pulse quicken. What would he do if this show he had spent so much time planning for the amusement of his supreme master failed to please?
People of the Sacred Kingdom, I beg you from the bottom of my heart: Entertain Lord Ainz—with your pathetic lives. That said, I wonder how I can tweak this plan in order to get the best results.
Like a student waiting for feedback from a professor he admired, Demiurge’s breast blazed with anticipation and excitement as he smiled.
I study Lord Ainz’s actions to improve and devote myself even more fully to him. What joy!
To Demiurge, who was born to serve the Supreme Beings, there was nothing more fulfilling than doing his best for his master.
“Ahhh, I can’t wait…”
3
News quickly spread that an allied subhuman army—a huge one—had defeated the largest, sturdiest, most well-garrisoned central fortress. Word that they had gotten past the wall raced throughout the entire Sacred Kingdom.
The commander of the subhuman alliance was Evil Emperor Jaldabaoth.
He was the demon who had gone on a rampage in Re-Estize, and now he had ripped through the Sacred Kingdom’s defenses with his devastating magic like it was so much as paper.
The subhuman alliance was made up of sixteen races, and their total head count was estimated to be over a hundred thousand. Their great war host had run into difficulties breaking down the wall and destroying the fort, so its advance had stagnated.
Upon hearing that, the highest authority in the Sacred Kingdom, the Holy Lady, invoked the National Mobilization Order.
Since the Sacred Kingdom extended north and south sandwiching a bay, when it mobilized an army, it necessarily raised two: the northern army and the southern army.
The armies gathered at their respective strategic hubs—the cities of Karinsha in the north and Debonay in the south. Meanwhile, they observed the enemy’s actions for several days.
Then the scouts observing the wall reported something that made the situation more tense.
The subhuman alliance army is advancing west in full force.
Estimating arrival at northern fortress city Karinsha in a few days.
“I see. So this will end up being the battlefield.” It was the Holy Lady, Calca Bessarez, who spoke.
She was quite a few steps down the line of succession—and it was usually males who took the throne—so she never should have become the supreme holy ruler, but she received the crown for two reasons.
One was her physical beauty. Her blooming features, sometimes praised as the Roebel’s greatest treasure, combined formidably with both her charm and her determination. She also had a reputation for her long hair often likened to shimmering golden thread. It practically looked like an angel’s halo graced her head, and not a few people who caught sight of her gentle smile spoke of her as a saint.
The other reason was her high aptitude as a faith magic caster. After being recognized as a prodigy who acquired tier-four spells by the age of fifteen, she became ruler with the backing of the previous holy king and the shrines.
And in the ten years since, though some complained she was too soft, she had reigned over the kingdom without making any mistakes serious enough to be called mistakes.
But her rule was not, in fact, uncontested. Coals were smoldering.
“I understand your sorrow, Your Holy Majesty. But the people who live in Karinsha knew what was at stake. Even back…er, ahem! This city has
