The Humian Advance on Caboni Forest
Caboni Forest was one of the few stretches of land that had preserved its greenery despite the toxins and pollution that heralded the doom of the loathsome invaders. It was a land of peace where orcs, ogres, and all manner of flora and fauna had lived together—until cruel invaders set foot upon it. Their march was one of malice, intent on trampling and destroying everything beneath their filthy boots. It was a march of desire, meant to seize and enslave all things with bloodstained hands.
As the lush green canopy of Caboni Forest came into view from afar, the eyes of the Humian soldiers began to gleam with greed. “It is exactly as Lady Beatrice predicted.”
Beatrice and Nella had been watching the Humian army reveal itself from a distance. Nella clenched her fists, her body trembling with rage. It was not an anger that threatened to erupt at any moment, but something quiet and smoldering—hotter than flame, like burning charcoal. Her fury was restrained, yet intensely powerful. She could not understand the Humians’ actions for even a single instant.
“I know there is no such thing as fairness in war, yet I am still furious with them. They have no idea that a powerful warrior like Lady Beatrice or a trained army is stationed in this forest. They have clearly come to capture the weak and turn them into slaves, and to plunder the forest’s resources…”
“You dislike the fact that they devised this scheme with the intention of preying upon the defenseless.”
The Humians’ plan was one of deception. While Kerdihak drew attention at the Demon Lord Castle, they would strike at Caboni Forest’s flank. Their goal was to capture its inhabitants and plunder every valuable resource the forest possessed. Using deception to strike an enemy’s rear was merely a matter of the foe being foolish, but the current situation was entirely different. The Humians had come to harm civilians who had nothing to do with military strength.
If the Humians had known in advance that a fierce battle would break out in Caboni Forest, they would never have appeared in broad daylight like this. The safest and most effective strategy was undoubtedly a surprise attack. If the defenders were unaware of the impending assault, the attackers should have struck in the dead of night, driving their blades home without warning. Yet the Humians not only chose to attack in broad daylight under the guise of a surprise assault—they showed no intention of concealing their approach at all.
Countless Humian soldiers advanced in formation, accompanied by massive magical machines. Though the war had not even begun, their appearance was arrogant and ostentatious, as if they were already marching in triumph. It was a blatant display of malice, a declaration that they would thoroughly destroy Caboni Forest—now stripped of its defenders after all forces had been diverted to deal with the dragon at the Demon Lord Castle—and flaunt their power. From the very beginning, it was clear they had not planned a battle between armies, but rather an assault meant to violate the weak.
“…You are correct. It seems they intend to continue this behavior until every race besides the Humians has been driven to extinction.”
Nella could not hide her troubled feelings. Her conflicted emotions were so vivid and clear that they could be read in the trembling of her eyes alone. What could they possibly have done to deserve such atrocious cruelty from the Humians? If the orcs had never met Neromeltia… If Beatrice, who had agreed to help defend Caboni Forest, had never existed in the first place… If there had been no one to foresee the Humian attack and prepare countermeasures… Then the destruction of Caboni Forest would have been only a matter of time.
The orcs and ogres possessed tremendous strength. Even the Humians, with all their advanced magical technology, could not easily conquer Caboni Forest. The alliance of orcs and ogres would not fall helplessly; they would inflict heavy casualties upon the Humian forces. Yet there was no guarantee that the races of Caboni Forest could actually win against the Humian army. Nella’s loved ones would all become slaves to the filthy Humians, and the homeland she had lived in all her life would burn to ashes. Unless she herself met her death, she too would have no escape from the path of slavery. Even if they managed to repel this massive Humian force, the Humians—who now knew of Caboni Forest’s existence—would undoubtedly send an even stronger army next time. Without the Demon Lord and her executives, the fate awaiting the orcs and ogres was obvious.
“You see clearly. Those filthy, covetous Humians know nothing of mercy or restraint. For the sake of their own greed, they continue to pollute the world without end. Even now, as the pollution they created strangles them, they show no sign of stopping. Crushed by the fear of death, they live wrapped in purification devices, yet they only seek to operate more machines to lead even wealthier lives.”
Beatrice’s eyes were not on Nella, her conversation partner. They were fixed solely on the despicable figures ahead—the Humians—radiating hostility. Though Nella’s ordinary eyes could never perceive it, Beatrice’s lenses, crafted with advanced magical technology, revealed every detail of the Humian army. She saw their faces swollen with anticipation and smiles. She saw them drooling as they indulged in greedy, meaningless fantasies. She saw them wearing cruel, lawless grins at the thought of trampling living beings to death. Some boisterous groups of Humians were discussing exactly how they would violate the sex slaves they planned to capture. Though she could not hear their voices, Beatrice’s analytical abilities—superior even to a master’s lip-reading—allowed her to extract precise information from the movements of their mouths.
“They truly are vulgar… and repulsive creatures.”
“…What is it?”
“…It is nothing.”
Beatrice had no desire to sully her own mouth or Nella’s ears by relaying the Humians’ vulgar conversation. It was a trivial matter not worth knowing, so she did not answer Nella’s question. Nella, sensing from the atmosphere that it was nothing pleasant, did not press further about Beatrice’s sudden display of deep disgust.
Beatrice turned her head, intending to discuss a far more important matter. “The number of Humians is insufficient.”
“What? Even now, there seem to be quite a lot of them……”
Nella had thought that the number of Humians visible even now was enough to make one’s heart stop. Even the thoroughly trained orc army and the powerful ogre tribal warriors would struggle to avoid annihilation if there was the slightest flaw in their strategy. The Humian forces already appeared overwhelmingly numerous, yet Beatrice’s words implied that even more Humians should have come. However, Nella could not fathom any reason why a greater number should exist, and so Beatrice’s statement left her deeply perplexed.
“I am not speaking of mere numbers. Observe the enemy’s positions carefully.”
“…I……”
Beatrice was analyzing the Humian army’s situation with utmost seriousness and wished to explain the problem she had identified to Nella. Yet Nella only stared ahead, visibly flustered. When Beatrice met her gaze and silently inquired whether something was wrong, Nella cautiously opened her mouth.
“I am sorry, but… I cannot see that far in detail with my own eyes……”
“Ah, my apologies. I failed to consider your needs, Lady Nella.”
“N-No, it is fine!”
Beatrice raised her finger toward the front, preparing to explain the problematic situation point by point. Her first action was to list the composition of the Humian forces for Nella, whose vision could not reach that distance.
“520 soldiers for long-range shooting. 235 soldiers for long-range bombardment. 20 magical giants. 50 transport machines for supply. 20 mobile boarding machines for forward reconnaissance. 50 light infantry.”
Nella was greatly surprised by the precise analysis that missed not even single-digit units. She felt awe at the capabilities of an Ego Doll created a thousand years ago. The Humian army was positioned at a considerable distance, so Nella could only roughly estimate their numbers. She could not even clearly see what the foremost Humians were riding, yet Beatrice had accurately grasped the entire army’s current status. It was clear that Beatrice possessed abilities beyond ordinary comprehension, and it was impossible to gauge just how extraordinary the magical engineer who had created her must have been.
However, while the accuracy of the information was astonishing, Nella still did not understand the meaning behind Beatrice’s words. Sensing Nella’s lukewarm reaction, Beatrice felt the need to provide a clearer answer.
“The number of light infantry is remarkably low.”
“Light infantry… you say…?”
Now that she thought about it, the number of light infantry was indeed small compared to the army’s overall scale. Soldiers capable of long-range attacks were vulnerable in close combat, so they required melee fighters to protect them—and that role primarily fell to the infantry. Even when securing victory and occupying territory, it was the infantry’s duty to suppress remaining forces and establish a foothold for entry. In a situation where each position consisted of hundreds of soldiers, having only fifty light infantry was a severe deviation from common sense. Especially since light infantry—unlike heavy infantry—were essential for rapid response to changing situations.
“There is a task that requires your attention, Lady Nella.”