Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Demonic Realm Standoff (4)
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The sword wedged into the seam of the armor, slicing through flesh. Blood and entrails spilled out, soiling the plate.
Regrettably, the encounter between the Empire and the Alliance didn't devolve into a chaotic battlefield of flying blood and gore.
But that didn't mean either side backed down. Instead, they dug in like coiled serpents, holding their ground...
Demonic Realm Standoff.
The beginning of the incident later known by that name was far more mundane than one might expect. They had simply run into each other while marching their armies.
No wicked mage's schemes, no traitorous spies at work... just a pure, chance meeting as they passed through.
Even so, tension in the Demonic Realm skyrocketed in an instant. They were mortal enemies who could never tolerate each other.
The Alliance went without saying, but the Empire had nearly been destroyed by their invasion before...
It was inevitable that they'd regard each other with excessive wariness. At that moment, Arnold made his choice.
'I can't leave this dangerous monster to another unit. No choice—I'll block that man myself.'
Cain Blackguard. A man who had defected from the Kingdom to the Empire. An undefeated genius general who had never lost a single battle.
Of course, rumors always carried some exaggeration, but even the intelligence Arnold had personally verified was shocking.
The man who had shot down the Wyvern King from the sky and single-handedly captured Kanma, the Water King and leader of the Seven Kings.
It wasn't for nothing that Arnold was wary. And so, he chose to pin Cain down right there.
"What's the enemy's status?"
"They've dug in completely. Just one shallow river separates us from the Alliance's main camp."
"I see. Then we'll dig in as well."
"Understood."
But this was precisely the situation Cain had hoped for. It would force them to halt the search, after all.
And so, Cain ordered his forces to do the same—entrench and form a camp to block the Alliance.
This was the full story of the Demonic Realm Standoff, later evaluated as a crisis that pushed the Empire and Alliance beyond mere tension.
"General, should we request reinforcements from the other units?"
"No need. Our goal is simply to keep the Alliance from moving freely."
"Understood."
Arnold, the king on this chessboard, was here, but this meager force couldn't be their all.
According to the beastkin reports, there were unidentified small units stealthily prowling the Demonic Realm.
In other words, the Alliance was dispersing their forces for the search, just like the Empire. No need to call for a muster, then.
"What?! The general is facing off against the Empire's vile demon?!"
"Halt operations and converge at once! Protect our general!"
"For the sake of all!"
But the Alliance reacted differently. The moment they heard Arnold was confronting Cain, they began to cluster together.
The Alliance had long fostered a mindset of "unite or perish," passing it down through generations.
Given their foundational principles, it was only natural. And so, they faithfully upheld their values and teachings.
"The Alliance is massing in one direction. Are they... planning to attack?"
"The beastkin are keeping tabs on their secret units, so we should join the general."
"Converge immediately. We might end up fighting, after all!"
Naturally, Siegfried, Morgana, and Anna from the Empire—who had been closely monitoring the Alliance—adjusted accordingly.
Of course, common sense dictated the Alliance was unlikely to strike first. But what if...?
Wars often erupted from the smallest, unforeseen sparks. And so, the Empire's forces began to assemble as well...
"...???"
At first, Cain and Arnold had only intended a light probe of each other, but things had spiraled far beyond that.
As a result, Cain found himself watching his 5,000-man force swell to 20,000 in a mere fortnight.
With just a shallow river between them, 20,000 glared at 20,000, the air thick with savage menace.
"They look ready to charge any second. Those beastly Empire dogs..."
"You think you weak-ass porcupines could even scratch this armor if you swung your swords with all your might?"
"What did you say? Got more where that came from?!"
"... ."
Cain let out a deep sigh. Well, at least he'd stopped the Alliance from openly searching...
Lucky... right?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A battle of wills.
The perfect term for the Empire and Alliance's nerve war. And not just any battle of wills, but one waged with full force...
For instance, suppose the Empire erected a watchtower. The Alliance would then build one even taller.
And, predictably, the Empire—stung by the provocation—would try to top it with an even higher one.
Watching this back-and-forth gave Cain a headache, but there was some logic to it.
At minimum, they needed to match the enemy's level. If war broke out, at least the fight would be viable.
"Enthusiasm is good, but excess becomes poison. Ensure things don't overheat further."
"Understood."
Aside from the overheated atmosphere and tension between the Empire and Alliance, nothing much else was happening.
They were technically in a truce—not quite peace, but not war. The Empire struggled to recover its strength,
while the Alliance grappled with internal strife and crumbling unity. Thus, they avoided all-out war.
'If the Alliance had wanted to intervene, they would've jumped in during the Empire-Kingdom war.'
No matter how weak the Kingdom, war was war. It consumed the Empire's resources considerably.
Especially since Cain himself had taken the field, inflicting even greater damage than anticipated.
Yet the Alliance never intervened. It meant they sought to avoid friction with the Empire at all costs.
Still, one couldn't be 100% at ease. They might snap and swing their swords out of nowhere.
Each side eyed the other with suspicion, endless vigilance. They slept clutching weapons, anxiety their constant companion.
A month had already passed, yet this long, tedious standoff showed no signs of ending.
"Hoo... Just maintaining this standoff with no gains whatsoever. It's a headache in every way."
"Whoever pulls back first gets mocked. Once pride's on the line, backing down isn't easy."
"So it's all about face in the end..."
Late at night, in his tent checking supplies with Anna, Cain muttered with a deep sigh.
It had only been a month, yet consumption was extreme. Well, with 20,000 troops...
The Alliance had a similar-sized force, but the damn Alliance showed no intention of withdrawing.
"If this drags on longer, we might have to reveal the truth and force a negotiation somehow."
"True, but... why the formal speech all of a sudden?"
"Force of habit. It's far more comfortable treating Her Highness the Princess with respect, all things considered."
Besides, Cain still remembered Princess Anna's courage in rushing to his aid during that crisis.
To repay that, treating her with genuine respect was only right.
Anna felt her heart stir at Cain's sincerity. Had anyone ever thought of her like this?
Even her family had only wanted her to act according to their wishes...
'...I really do like Lord Blackguard...'
"Still, with this, we could easily win a prolonged standoff."
"Pardon? Ah...!!"
"Hm?"
"Y-yes, exactly. Thankfully, we've secured the supply lines cleanly."
Was it because the tent's only light was the faint candle? For a moment, her face looked beet red.
Cain shook his head to clear stray thoughts and refocus. In a standoff, supplies were key.
The side that ran out first had no choice but to withdraw. Armies were little more than money pits, after all.
Moreover, intelligence showed the Alliance's logistics were in poor shape. Just hold out a bit longer.
"Th-this is bad! General!!"
"What's the commotion?!"
That's what he'd thought.
If not for the frantic cries of the sentries... Cain bolted out of the tent.
Thanks to that, he was the first noble to witness it. The moonlit sky beginning to take on an ominous blood-red hue.