The Three Greats of this World
And like that, it was decided that we would advance to Eligos"s lands.
The commanders of my army gathered for a war council.
That being said, as my army was still weak, we did not have many commanders.
There was Hijikata Tos.h.i.+zou, the vice-commander of the s.h.i.+nsengumi.
Then there was Saint Jeanne d"Arc, the hero of the hundred years war.
And Gottlieb, the chief of the dwarves.
Just these three.
However, they were all people of quality.
Tos.h.i.+zou was a fierce fighter.
And Saint Jeanne was a hero.
As Gottlieb was a ghost, he would not be able to fight anymore, but his wisdom would be useful to us.
I thought about this as Eve served tea, ale and sake for everyone. Everyone had a different expression on their face as they drank, but it was Tos.h.i.+zou who opened his mouth first.
"I will not go against any decision that you have made, but how do we know that Deprosia won"t betray us?"
"We do not know. However, we will never have another chance to destroy Eligos."
"That is true."
"He attacked the dwarf settlement and went away with a great supply of materials. He has likely strengthened his army since then. We cannot be sure that he will not mark us as his next target."
"I would think that targeting us would be obvious the thing to do?"
Jeanne declared flatly.
"Demon King, you did kill his underlings at the dwarf settlement. He should very much desire a war of vengeance."
"Of course."
"Then you should attack before he attacks you. This castle"s defenses are too weak."
"Exactly. And I intended on destroying Eligos eventually. I see no reason why it shouldn"t be now. We will have help, after all."
"You are our leader and it is your decision. I will follow. So, what is your plan?"
"I will take the center, Jeanne the left and you the right as we go up north."
"And I?"
Gottleib asked.
"You will stay here. I will not take a ghost to the battlefield."
"You"d be done for with just one spell for driving away bad spirits."
Tos.h.i.+zou said with a laugh.
I rebuked him and then turned to Gottlieb.
"Besides, I will need someone to govern the city. Someone close who I can trust."
"I am almost uncomfortable to receive such praise."
"But if the enemy does attack here, you will have to deal with it. Take the dwarves out and fight."
"I understand."
"Also, I will tell you a strategy to follow, should that happen."
"Just me?"
"Yes, it must be secret."
And so I whispered into the dwarf chief"s ear.
Jeanne tried to listen in, and so I created a magic barrier to block the sound.
Jeanne clicked her tongue and frowned.
I could have told them, since they were my commanders, but there was a possibility that they could be captured and that the information would leak. I had to be careful about these kinds of things.
But then again, I didn"t think there were many soldiers capable of capturing such people either.
In any case, Gottlieb squinted and then looked surprised as he listened. Then he muttered to me.
"…You are quite the strategist, my King. It is as if you know everything about this world."
He said with wonder.
Though Jeanne heard none of it, she replied innocently,
"Yes, the Demon King is very great."
Of course, it was not the case. I had just thought of all the possibilities and prepared accordingly. But I guess that was somehow impressive in the eyes of others.
And with that taken care of, I announced the departure of our army.
"When will it be?"
"According to our agreement, it will be after Deprosia invades Eligos"s lands."
"And when is that?"
Tos.h.i.+zou asked.
"I had a report from the spy slimes I sent. Preparations seem to be complete. They should have advanced by the day after tomorrow at the least."
"Then the soldiers can rest until then."
"Yes, you drive them hard, demon general. They are probably very tired."
"I won"t deny it. Will you lift the ban on drinking until departure?"
"Very well. And those with families may return to their houses."
"That"s very kind of you."
"They won"t be able to return for a while once the fighting starts."
"Yes, they won"t…"
Tos.h.i.+zou said ominously as he stroked his stubble.
He was clearly thinking of those that would not be returning at all. But he did not voice it.
Then he said he would go to the brothel, and so headed to the red-light district.
Eve was busy with doc.u.ments related to administration while also taking care of me, which meant she was constantly on the move. I would have to allow her to rest some time.
As the one who would stay, Gottlieb was now talking with the other dwarves.
It looked like he was giving out orders so the construction necessary for my plan could begin.
It was a great thing that I was able to get him to work for me.
There is a region called China in that other world.
And in it a country known as Han, created the largest empire in the world"s history.
Its founder was a sullen old man named Liu Bang.
He did not have any of the abilities of his rival, Xiang Yu, and was useless as a general.
It was said that his army would surely lose with him at the head.
And yet he had ultimately defeated such a strong general as Xiang Yu, and built his empire.
This was because Liu Bang understood his lack of gifts and gave his subordinates free reign.
In terms of battle, there was the unbeatable Han Xin.
For strategy, there was Zhang Liang, who even caught the attention of Cao Cao.
For governing and supplies, he gave much power to a man called Xiao He.
After he became Emperor Gaozu of Han, he was asked which of his servants was the most worthy. After mentioning those three names, he was asked which of them was the most important, and he said Xiao He.
It was not Han Xin who had fought and subjugated the countries, or Zhang Liang whose strategies helped him to unite the kingdoms. It was Xiao He, who stayed in the castle and sent food to the troops.
This showed how important supplies and governing were. He was a king worthy of conquering all because he knew the worth of men like Xiao He.
I had no idea if I would ever become the Great Demon King, but I would like to have my own Xiao He.
No, perhaps I already did.
To me, Eve and Gottlieb were my Xiao He.
They would stay behind and protect the castle while sending supplies to the front lines. That allowed me and the commanders to fight without worrying.
And I had two unbeatable generals of my own.
I just needed a Zhang Liang now, but I could fill that role myself.
As a realist, I did like to think about crafty little plans.
In any case, I did not think I could compare to someone like Zhang Liang, but my subordinates more than made up for it. Even if I didn"t reach the same heights, I did think that I would be able to make a name for myself in this world, in my own way.