First Deployment with Tilia
“Tilia, make sure you return before the banquet starts. And Yoahim, it's your first time out, so don't get too tense. Go carefully.”
At Halbert's words, Tilia replied that she understood, while Yoahim just gave a slight nod instead of answering.
“Then I'll be off.”
As Halbert headed back to the Spire Tower, Tilia turned to Yoahim and said, “No time. We've got the soldiers handed over, so let's get to work. Do you know how to give orders to skeletons? Of course not. It's simple. Focus your mind and project your voice in your thoughts...”
“Move.”
Clack clack clack!
A hundred or so skeletons rattled their bones as they sprang into motion. They weren't fast, but their movements were precise as they formed neat ranks behind Yoahim.
“Like this?”
“...Y-yeah. Not bad.”
Tilia ground her teeth and forced a smile. Yoahim mirrored her with a grin of his own—though his was pure mockery.
As if I'd screw up something this basic.
Yoahim wasn't a necromancer, but he had the Necromancy skill. Low-level undead like these skeletons were easy to control, no matter the number—not that they were advanced undead anyway.
Of course, moving a hundred on my own would be pushing it.
His experiments back in Barakan had shown he could raise about twenty skeletons at once. Naturally, he couldn't summon or sustain five times that many by himself. But these belonged to Halbert, and Yoahim had just been handed command authority, so controlling them was no issue.
“What're you waiting for? No time, right? Aren't you gonna get chewed out by your master for being late?”
Tilia gnashed her teeth again at Yoahim's mocking tone.
“...Don't get cocky. We're heading out of the castle now, so command those skeletons and follow me.”
“Easy enough.”
Yoahim nodded and crooked a finger at the skeletons behind him. Another chorus of rattling bones echoed as they lurched into motion.
Scout leader Tilia, platoon leader Yoahim, and their hundred skeletons trailing behind. They left the encampment and headed for the gates.
They passed through just as a returning unit came in, swapping places seamlessly, and stepped out onto the vast wasteland.
“Where we headed?”
“Where do you think?”
“That's why I'm asking.”
Tilia let out a pathetic scoff.
“Forgot what the lord said already? We're going to reclaim a village taken by Alzahar's forces.”
“How the hell should I know where it is? First time here. You dumb or what?”
“Dumb? You calling me dumb?”
“Who else?”
Shing! A sharp dagger pressed against Yoahim's throat amid a rush of wind. A trickle of blood seeped out, but Yoahim didn't flinch. Tilia's eye twitched instead.
“...What makes you keep mouthing off? I could kill you and no one would know.”
“Sure, that'd be easy. I'm weak, after all. For now.”
Yoahim pushed the dagger away with a finger.
“But I doubt your master wants that. He sent Aljes himself to drag me here. Just kill me off? You sure you can handle Haellagos's wrath?”
“...Tch.”
Tilia clicked her tongue and sheathed the dagger. Yoahim wiped the blood from his neck with the back of his hand and shrugged.
“We've got places to be. Let's move.”
“I can't understand the lord's thinking. Kakari's apostle? You, our savior? As if. You're weak, but our forces are strong. The lord doesn't need some apostle—he'll unify this land again and become the true master of the world.”
Yeah, right. Yoahim snorted inwardly.
Haellagos was a level 150 demon lord, sure—but that meant he was just level 150. Lilith alone was 200, and so were Yoahim's other sub-characters. As long as Liana, Radius, and the saintess and holy knight of Laelro were around, Haellagos's ambitions were dead in the water.
Hell, it didn't even need to go that far. Not all of Kakari's servants were uniting for the god's return. Alzahar the lich opposing Haellagos proved they couldn't even form a proper alliance.
And in that mess, would the Ashen Dragon Bellrallion just sit back while Haellagos expanded?
No way in hell.
Bellrallion was level 200. Haellagos didn't stand a chance.
“Ask your master about that. No time—let's go.”
“Insolent bastard... If not for the lord's favor, I'd kill you right now.”
“Let's skip the hypotheticals.”
“Annoying prick.”
“Takes one to know one.”
Tilia and Yoahim glared and growled at each other.
When Yoahim first met Haellagos's adjutants, their presence had crushed him—but not Tilia. Her overflowing loyalty to Haellagos made her untouchable. That devotion meant she couldn't lay a real hand on him, no matter what.
She could harass him subtly if she wanted. But she lacked the finesse. The skill to torment without it showing.
Good thing they paired me with Tilia. If it'd been Billad or Aljes...
Billad was deranged, and Aljes was too stoic to read. Screw up on a mission, and he'd either get diced by Billad's cleaver or smashed by Aljes.
“Haa... I'm holding back 'cause we're short on time. Listen up. We're taking a gate to Elga Village. It was a small demon settlement, but Alzahar's forces took it. Don't worry too much, though—they picked a weak spot just for you. Even if the garrison overwhelms us, I'll save your ass, so no sweat on dying.”
“Gate travel?”
“Yeah, limited numbers, but it can send a small unit straight to the front. What, first time? Shocked?”
Tilia smirked mockingly, but Yoahim wasn't fazed. Even Kalsara Tower didn't keep gates open around the clock for people or supplies. Opening and maintaining them guzzled mana.
Haellagos was a powerhouse black mage, but casually installing permanent gates? That was genuinely impressive.
“Haellagos opened those gates, right? Must take a ton of mana to keep 'em up.”
“Lord opened them, but underground mana springs handle maintenance. Once open, they pull mana automatically from the spring.”
“Mana springs?”
“You don't even know that? Figures, hillbilly. Mana springs are exactly what they sound like—springs of mana. Amenite ore only mines in the Withered Land. It draws in and stores ambient mana. Places buried with amenite veins accumulate massive mana pools like actual springs. The lord tapped that to open the gates.”
If amenite was exclusive to the Withered Land, that explained why other mages or towers didn't run permanent gates. Without that unique environment, the mana drain was unsustainable.
“Dozens of mana springs in the Withered Land mean dozens of gates. This war's basically whoever secures more springs.”
Yoahim got it. Mana springs equaled gates. More gates meant supply and mobility superiority. Undead didn't need food, but demons, dark elves, and fiends did. Logistics were key in war.
Own a spring, and enemies marched on foot while allies gated in fast. Troop speed's impact on strategy made Tilia's claim no exaggeration.
“So where's the gate?”
“That way. Not far—keep up.”
Yoahim's unit followed Tilia across the barren wasteland, harsh winds whipping past.
“Here.”
After a long trek, Tilia pointed to a massive mirror-like structure. Big enough for even the bulkiest demon to pass through.
The gate guards' captain spotted her and saluted. “Greetings, Gate 12 manager Jade reporting. What brings you here?”
“Good work. Scout leader Tilia. This is new platoon leader Yoahim. Heading to Elga Village—open the gate.”
“Right away!”
Jade nodded to his men, and a zombie lumbered forward to press a button on the gate. A low hum rose as lights swirled in the mirror's depths. Dizzying spins settled into rays projecting a scene: barren earth, a standing gate, and guarding soldiers.
“Safe travels.”
Jade stepped aside from the entrance. Tilia nodded and strode in, vanishing slowly. Yoahim followed suit.
“This is Gate 19. Elga Village is about an hour from here.”
Gate to gate, then another hour's march with Tilia. Tedious and grueling, but an all-skeleton unit meant zero complaints.
Finally at Elga Village, Yoahim's force faced the occupying garrison.
“Theirs is skeletons too, like ours. But twice our number. Halbert can resummon skeletons with mana, so troop losses aren't an issue. But with the numbers disadvantage, a straight charge won't cut it...”
“Full charge.”
“Hey! I'm talking! Didn't you hear? They're twice as many—a dumb charge won't work!”
Tilia fumed, but Yoahim ignored her, watching his skeletons obediently charge the enemy.
Numerical inferiority. Two-to-one odds. But skeletons felt no fear—that was undead's absolute edge in war: unbreakable morale.
The bold charge slammed into the foes. Pure infantry skeleton vs. skeleton—numbers favored the larger side, naturally.
“Idiot. That way, you'll get wiped in no time...”
Tilia tsked. She figured Yoahim's unit would crumble fast. Made sense: same unit types, no tactics, just brute charge. Numbers decided it. 100 vs. 200? No contest.
But...
Huh?
The gap widens as your numbers drop—your side thins faster, theirs slower. Tilia expected a decision in under ten minutes.
Wrong.
“Why... why aren't the skeletons decreasing?”
Tilia gaped at the clash. Battles reduce numbers. Obvious—soldiers die, they don't multiply mid-fight.
But they're holding steady. No way...
She shook her head. Technically, numbers could rise—with Necromancy. Resurrect fallen troops, and losses halt. Or grow.
“What? Thought I couldn't pull this off?”
Yoahim grinned. Tilia scowled back.