Dungeon Defense (WN)

I made a suggestion as soon as the Emperor finished his long speech.

“There is no need to hesitate. Everyone, let us start our pursuit.”

The capital was captured in only a day. This was an unimaginable speed for the enemy. It would only be right to take advantage of this and launch a surprise attack.

“The Brittan soldiers scraped together whatever provisions they could from Parisiorum. They must have a fair number of supply carriages with them. As long as they are moving alongside carriages, they should not have gotten far.”

Gamigin’s wyvern unit hadn’t participated at all during this war. All of them were used as scouts. In other words, they were utilized unconventionally. They didn’t miss which route the Brittan soldiers took to escape.

“According to our scouts, the enemy is no more than 30 kilometers from the city. Let us pursue them now and take out Demon Lord Agares. We will end this war with our hands.”

I smiled widely. Once I did, the Demon Lords let out a unified response while filled with excitement. My suggestion was accepted unanimously.

* * *

Did it take about an hour? We reorganized our formation before we started our march.

There are over 25,000 soldiers, so even marching is a big task. We switched from a siege formation to a marching formation. While the other commanders were running around and organizing their units, I had something to do myself.

I had to meet Baronet Bercy.

Baronet Bercy was with the surrender envoys. He had run around last night as one of the representatives of the civilian militia. I put on my human skin mask and rushed out. Daisy quietly followed behind me.

“Your Excellency.”

“……Priest Jean Bole.”

Baronet Bercy slowly turned his head. He was visibly tired. Was it because he had been fighting Brittan soldiers all night long? He spoke coldly.

“What is it?”

“I was very worried last night. It is a relief since it seems you were not injured.”

Baronet Bercy’s expression became colder.

“……A relief, is it? Are you saying that it is a relief that there are no injuries on my body?”

“Of course, Your Excellency. Not only you, but I prayed for the safety of the entirety of Frankia’s patriotic front line.”

It happened at that moment. Baronet Bercy abruptly grabbed me by the collar.

The hands of the Baronet who lived his entire life as the lord of an isolated village were strong. I didn’t panic and stared straight at him. Baronet Bercy’s face was filled with absolute rage.

“How dare the slaughterer who murdered innocent people say something so hypocritical……!”

“…….”

“I believed that you were an honest and trustworthy priest. No, before that, I thought you were a sane human being. That was why I cooperated with you……. Tell me your excuse, Jean Bole! Why did you slaughter all those innocent people!?”

It almost felt like Baronet Bercy was about to tear my neck out. It was at this moment that I realized that the man before me wasn’t tired solely because of what happened last night.

“Why!? Why did the people who were starving and suffering simply because they met the wrong emperor……why did they have to die!?”

Baronet Bercy shouted with bloodshot eyes.

The people suffered because of the war, his comrades were purged by Henrietta, and there was a huge slaughter outside the city ramparts. These calamities had happened in succession. It was too much for a single man to shoulder by himself.

“If you cannot answer, then—I shall personally take your life!”

Baronet Bercy was probably on the brink of collapsing right now.

I could tell that he was keeping himself up with his emotions alone. The responsibility he felt toward his nation and his people and the guilt he felt for not being able to save them. There was also the sense of betrayal he received because of me…….

I pondered for a moment. Would it be fine to die to this person?

Baronet Bercy had done no harm to me. He had never threatened my life or my well-being and never would. Despite this, I used the Baronet’s trust. This man undoubtedly had the right to be angry at me.

But, is that so? Should I test it out……?

“It was for Frankia, Your Excellency.”

“For Frankia……?”

“Yes. For the sake of Frankia’s future. And, more than anything else, for the people’s pride.”

I answered calmly.

The strength in the hand that was grabbing my collar became stronger. It was getting harder to breathe, but this much was still fine. This was bearable.

“Do not use sophistry. The people you’re talking about are the ones who died! I believe you will not try to act like an uninvolved party, saying that the slaughter was decided by the higher-ups of your army……. You were in a position that allowed you to negotiate with us. You cannot claim to have been a spectator!”

“Of course.”

I raised the corners of my mouth.

“I do not plan to act as a spectator. If anything, it is the opposite. It was I, Jean Bole, who suggested the slaughter first.”

“……!”

Baronet Bercy swung his fist. It collided fully with my cheek.

My eyes met Daisy’s as my head was forcefully turned. Daisy had already unsheathed her dagger partially. Her slave seal made it so that she had to prevent any threats from reaching me, so that was probably why she was in that position.

Don’t move.

I told her with my gaze. Daisy’s hand stopped. She stared straight at me with her dagger midway out of her sheath. Is it really fine? She was asking me this with silence. Yes, this isn’t a problem.

This exchange lasted for only a brief moment. I turned my head back to look at the Baronet.

“Do you feel like you got some stress out after hitting me? I also think it is okay to solve matters with violence. Please continue to hit me until you feel better.”

“You…….”

“But this is rather disappointing, Your Excellency. Were you truly unable to grasp my intentions? Or are you deliberately feigning ignorance?”

Baronet Bercy’s eyes wavered ever so slightly. I see……. He had an assumption, but he either wasn’t certain or didn’t want to believe it. So that’s the state he’s in.

“If we did not slaughter those people, then the citizens of Parisiorum would not have become needlessly afraid. They would have solemnly accepted a siege.”

And the city would still get captured eventually.

“When the city is captured, the people from the Habsburg Empire and the Batavia Republic will be the only ones to have contributed. The people of Parisiorum will have done nothing. They will be barred from any sort of independent life.”

“…….”

“Parisiorum will once again be seized by a foreign army. They will be switching Brittany out for Habsburg and Batavia. The foreign influence will continue. Frankians will have no other choice but to abandon any desire for independence or autonomy.”

Baronet Bercy went silent. He was angry, but he understood. That was the feeling he was giving off.

All right. Despite being at his wit’s end, he still has the mental capacity to understand the current situation. This was important. By my standards, Baronet Bercy barely received a passing grade.

“What sort of future would await the people of Frankia? At most, they will end up as a foreign power’s puppet government.”

“That’s…….”

“Please let me continue. I am not finished.”

I glared at Baronet Bercy sternly. The previous demeanor I had with the man before me had disappeared without a trace. He probably couldn’t deny my words.

“It would be a relief if becoming a puppet government is all that happens. Our army is an alliance between Habsburg and Batavia. The two nations have entirely different beliefs……. Do you understand? Habsburg and Batavia would respectively try to create royalist and republican governments.”

The Batavia Republic made the decisive contribution of capturing the enemy’s provision warehouse. This couldn’t be downplayed. The Habsburg Empire, in other words, our Demon Lord army had to acknowledge their contribution.

I smiled snidely.

“Frankia would once again be split into two factions like when it was split into the Emperor and the Empress Dowager Faction four years ago. They would become puppets of an empire and a republic as they are dragged into more bloodshed……. You will finally be free from Brittany, but end up divided afterward. What an impressive joke.”

Baronet Bercy’s shoulders started to tremble. Before I knew it, the hand that was grabbing me by the collar had lost its strength. I continued to push him into a corner.

“It is hard for even me to imagine how much bloodshed there would be…….”

“…….”

“Your Excellency, do you believe that Frankians would be able to maintain their pride in a situation like this?”

They were finally able to get an opportunity, but they would end up becoming divided because of the Empire and Republic. I’m sure they would fall into misery again as they continue to kill each other. For what purpose were they Frankians? For what sake were they devoting their lives to their nation?

They would most likely lose any sort of patriotism they once had. All that would remain after they fight each other intensely is exhaustion and weariness. Aversion and disappointment. They would become prideless dogs.

“Prideless dogs obey whoever gives them food. The royalist and republican parties will eventually fall and the people will only long for a dictator who possesses a strong ability in leadership. Baronet Bercy, this would be the start of a tyranny.”

“No, there is no way…….”

“Can you say for certain that this would not happen?”

My gaze became more stern. This wasn’t utter drivel. There was an ancient country in this world that was once referred to as the old republic. In that nation’s final moments, a tyrant appeared and the nation’s very ideology was destroyed.

Baronet Bercy should know this piece of history since he’s a noble. He couldn’t deny it.

I spoke in a cheery tone.

“It is as Your Excellency said. I slaughtered humans. However, thanks to this, Parisiorum was able to maintain its pride.”

“…….”

The Baronet lowered his head. Is that so? You can’t say anything, huh……?

I brushed the Baronet’s hand away. There was no strength in his grip anymore, so it naturally slid off from my collar. I calmly adjusted my clothes. I was relieved since it didn’t get as wrinkled as I thought it would get.

“Baronet, we are now going to pursue Brittany’s army. Your Excellency should rally your troops and join us.”

“Why should I……?”

“To kill the Emperor of Frankia.”

Baronet Bercy raised his head weakly. He looked like he had aged 20 years compared to his angry state a few minutes ago.

“His Excellency the Emperor……?”

“He caused a civil war and let another nation’s ruler use him however they pleased. In the end, he even abandoned the capital and ran away. No one will acknowledge Henry III as the emperor now. It would be better for Frankia if an Emperor who only causes problems were to disappear as soon as possible.”

Did he think it was disrespectful? Baronet Bercy shook.

“Do you think it is disrespectful? Do not worry. You are no different from an accomplice now since you are unable to punish me.”

I whispered gently to him.

“Your Excellency, an end like the one General Tabarn met does not suit you. Continue to suffer for the sake of the people of Frankia for the rest of your life.”

I left after telling him to come to us after 30 minutes with his troops. Baronet Bercy couldn’t even try to stop me.

The morning sun was rising over Parisiorum.

* * *

“My dear comrades.”

Laura raised her wine glass up.

After a day of madness and slaughter, the sun rose on a cold morning. The glass of wine shimmered in the dawnlight. Thirty Demon Lords mimicked Laura as they raised their wine glasses up.

“For victory.”

“For victory!”

Everyone emptied their glasses in a single gulp. The empty cups were then slammed onto the ground. A clear sound of glass shattering echoed as dozens of cups shattered at the same time.

We decided to leave the Republic of Batavia’s army in the rear so that they could protect our provisions. There was also the secret intention of letting the republic make smooth contact with Parisiorum. We also imprisoned the prisoners in a fortress for now, since they were only a nuisance at the moment.

The rest of the army, the 25,000 soldiers of the Demon Lord army immediately carried out a pursuit.

First corps leader, ex-rank 5 Marbas.

Second corps leader, ex-rank 3 Vassago.

Third corps leader, ex-rank 8 Barbatos.

Fourth corps leader, ex-rank 9 Paimon.

Deputy Commander Laura de Farnese.

Chief advisor, ex-rank 71 Dantalian.

Authority figures that ruled over the continent, rival leaders who reigned as the masters of demonkind, heroes that have never fought under the same flag before—these individuals were marching forward as powerful allies.

The end of the war was approaching.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. You gotta feel bad for Bercy. Reality is a bitch, huh? Nothing comes without a price.

On another note, the day and day after I released the last chapter were pretty, uh, annoying? The fever wasn’t terrible, but it was enough to just prevent me from being able to concentrate on things. I had an interview on Friday and I think I did fine, but now I’m starting to worry that I might’ve fucked up cause of my condition. Bleh. I’ll just hope for the best.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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