The Unwanted Vanguard
These bastards planning to screw me over as a group? Pharisect’s face tightened with tension as he watched the demon army advancing over the mountains toward him. At least twenty thousand strong, their numbers alone were enough to make his stomach churn.
“Those bastards… I expected something like this, but it looks like they came with real intent.”
“S-Sir, what should we do?”
“Their numbers are overwhelming. Can we even hold them off?”
His subordinate commanders voiced their fears in anxious tones. Pharisect forced himself to remain calm, mentally reviewing what had to be done. Roughly seven thousand troops remained in the city. Originally ten thousand had been stationed here, but a significant portion had been pulled away to escort and protect supply shipments. As a result, Antioch now suffered a serious shortage of defenders precisely when the largest enemy force they had ever faced chose to strike.
‘On top of that, Antioch isn’t exactly a fortress-friendly location. Aside from its importance as a transport hub, the surrounding plains are wide open. The more enemies there are, the worse our position becomes…’
It was the worst possible situation, met in the worst possible way. Yet Pharisect refused to view it only in negative terms. With the allied human forces cut off from supplies, Antioch was their final source of food. For their very survival, the city had to be held. Once word reached the main army that Antioch was under attack, they would abandon their current positions and rush here at full speed. Two days at most. Not long at all. If reinforcements arrived in time, the tide could turn instantly.
Moreover, the rewards of a successful defense made Pharisect’s blood burn with ambition.
‘This situation is far from easy, but… precisely because of that, overcoming this crisis will greatly elevate my name—Pharisect’s reputation.’
Cassandra’s influence was already wavering. If he distinguished himself here, he might finally claim the long-coveted seat among the Empire’s Three Knights. Clinging to both hope and desire, Pharisect issued orders as the supreme commander on site.
“Ride out immediately and request reinforcements. Tell them a massive demon army has invaded Antioch.”
“Yes, General!”
“We will carry out your orders at once!”
The messengers galloped away. Pharisect ordered the gates sealed and prepared for a siege.
“Come, you filthy demons. This place shall be your grave! I, Pharisect, will sweep every last one of you away!”
*
The fortress city of Antioch came into view. Just as described in the original story, a single city sat alone in the middle of a vast plain. Seeing it with my own eyes, I felt a quiet sense of awe.
‘It really is huge. No wonder they call it the Demon Kingdom’s breadbasket. That explains how they could keep supplying other regions even during wartime.’
Having grown up in a mountainous country, the sight of such an endless plain was almost novel. It felt strangely liberating, as though something inside my chest had been pried open. But this was no sightseeing trip. I knew better than anyone that I had no time to admire the scenery.
“Set up camp and prepare for the assault!”
“We attack at dawn tomorrow. Check your weapons one last time and memorize your positions.”
Soldiers bustled about in preparation for battle. In the midst of the chaos that was war, I finished my brief moment of reflection and slowly turned my gaze toward the rear. There stood roughly a hundred demons in full armor, inspecting their weapons—the troops assigned to fight under my direct command. In grander terms, they were my personal subordinates.
Their individual strength was average at best for demon soldiers. Even alone, I could cut them down without much effort if I fought seriously. Because I was human, carelessly expending them would also earn me plenty of resentment, so I had to use them carefully. Still, there was an undeniable difference between one man and a hundred. I began seriously considering how best to employ the force I had been given.
Just then…
“Hero, General Samson has called a meeting. You should come at once.”
“Got it.”
Samson apparently wanted to hold a final strategy session before the battle. I followed the adjutant toward the command tent, though I held no real expectations.
‘If someone like Ilios were in overall command it might be different… but honestly, any meeting run by that guy is bound to be predictable.’
Ilios had remained behind at the Demon King’s castle under the pretext of defending it. Without the sharpest mind among the legion commanders present, the direction of the upcoming meeting was obvious.
And sure enough—
“No need for complicated explanations. The enemy is few in number and already cut off from supplies. We’ll crush them in one decisive charge.”
“Well said. Let us show these foolish humans the might of the demon race.”
“We don’t know when their reinforcements will arrive, so there’s no point dragging this out. Let’s end it quickly.”
The muscle-brains were exactly as I had predicted. No sophisticated tactics—just the simple belief that overwhelming force would solve everything. Watching them, I couldn’t help but smile wryly inside.
‘Well… I knew it would turn out like this, but seeing it actually happen is pretty funny in its own way.’
No matter how many of them gathered, the conclusion was already decided. Yet I felt neither dissatisfaction nor concern. After all, I had chosen this battlefield precisely because I understood their nature. Antioch sat on open plains where ambushes and clever maneuvers were difficult, and the city’s role as a supply hub meant its main garrison had been significantly reduced.
‘Of course, if we don’t take it quickly there could be complications… but even that much will serve our purpose.’
The overall shape of the war had already been set in advance. All that remained was for me to extract the maximum benefit from the process.
‘In times like this, the best move is to watch the flow and intervene at the right moment. I’ll wait until the other demons have worn the enemy down, then slip in through the gaps…’
There were plenty of ways to make use of allies who charged without thinking. I began considering how to turn that into an efficient battle.
Then—
“Now we must decide the vanguard. Who will step forward?”
Samson asked with great enthusiasm. I showed no particular interest.
‘Vanguard, huh… They dress it up as an honor, but it’s really just a role for drawing arrows.’
Among commanders it was often called a glorious position, but to someone like me who valued practical gains, that “glory” was worth less than the bread I had eaten that morning. Still, everyone here was the type to chase after such honors, so plenty of volunteers would appear.
While I remained silent as usual, someone suddenly spoke up.
“This subordinate believes we should send the Hero as vanguard!”
‘!? Huh?’
“I agree. I’ve heard the Hero’s prowess is extraordinary. I would like to witness that power with my own eyes.”
‘Hey, wait a second…’
“I think the same. Since everyone is of one mind, let us grant the Hero this opportunity. As a warrior of the great Demon Kingdom, show us what you can do.”
‘These damn…’
With Samson’s final word, the decision to make me vanguard was sealed as naturally as breathing. I wanted to curse them out, but in this situation I couldn’t even voice refusal. My influence wasn’t strong enough, and more importantly, I needed to maintain a favorable image as the Hero. Rejecting the role would only tarnish that name.
Forced into a corner, I felt my insides twist. At the same time, the suspicion that these bastards might be deliberately screwing me over resurfaced. Forcing a smile onto my lips, I spoke.
“I am grateful for such an honor. In the name of Her Majesty the Demon King, I will make their blood run cold.”
*
Samson and his subordinates had assigned the Hero to the vanguard. In truth, every demon present genuinely regretted giving up the position.
‘I wish I could have taken the vanguard myself…’
‘Breaking the enemy’s spearhead and being the first to cross blades is the greatest thrill, but this time we had no choice but to yield.’
As honorable commanders of the Demon Kingdom, leading the charge and placing one’s name at the forefront was something anyone would covet. Yet Samson and the others had decided it was only right to give that glory to the Hero—not for any complicated political reason. None of them were the type to think in such terms. Their decision came from pure goodwill.
‘He stood on our side when we clashed with Ilios. That was appreciated.’
‘Clearly the Hero is one of us. As a fellow warrior, he must have wanted the vanguard deep down.’
‘He possesses tremendous strength. As his seniors, we should give the newcomer a chance. We’ll get a good show out of it.’
Though born human, the Hero’s martial prowess and sense of honor instinctively drew their affinity. Combined with the fact that he had taken their side in the previous meeting, they felt a certain fondness toward him. Unlike those who suspected everyone from the start, Samson and his straightforward companions were relatively pure in this regard. They gladly decided to give the new Hero his opportunity, firmly believing he had been hoping for it all along.