The Kingdom of Roeden was once a great nation in the north of the Axis continent.
This kingdom, which controlled a vast northern peninsula, was protected by towering reefs. The deep mountains provided mineral resources, and the seas on three sides were rich fishing grounds, sustaining the kingdom.
The harsh northern lands forged a strong military, and Roeden’s heavy cavalry trampled nations across the continent. Its navy, tested by northern storms, was considered invincible.
The kingdom thrived and flourished until thirteen years ago, when the Demon King’s army appeared.
Initially, Roeden didn’t take the Demon King’s army seriously, It was because they thought that the Demon Lords, whom they had never seen before, were as primitive barbarians or mere monsters.
But these “barbarians” were armed with powerful swords and armor and employed advanced tactics, defeating Roeden’s heavy cavalry. The ships built by these “monsters” moved against the wind, sinking Roeden’s invincible fleet.
The once-prosperous Roeden was crushed under the demons’ feet, engulfed in flames, and reduced to ashes. Now known as Lowburn, it flies the banner of the Demon King’s army.
Lowburn, the Demon King’s army’s largest stronghold on the continent,
it was governed by the demon Ganis, who held an unparalleled position.
Lowburn, the first land conquered and transformed into a fortress by the Demon King’s army, had evolved into a major base supporting their continental invasion.
In the thirteen years since, its high walls became a great fortress. Warehouses were stocked with provisions, and weapons were continuously produced in workshops.
By enslaving a large number of human beings, the work force is also sufficient, and the production capacity is improving day by day. Furthermore, by training the immigrants of the demon tribe as soldiers, they have the ability to recover their soldiers.
Even though the Demon King had been defeated three years ago, and there was no contact from the demon continent, Ganis’ superiors had all died in battles against humans,
leaving Ganis as the highest-ranking demon remaining.
Yet, despite his near-peak status, Ganis felt a deep sense of pity for himself.
“Is everyone here?”
In Lowburn’s meeting room, a small demon in white robes spoke in a raspy, bird-like voice.
This tiny demon was the reason for Ganis’ self-pity.
Present at this meeting, attended by the heads of various departments, were generals and bureaucrats of high rank.
Normally, Ganis would lead such a gathering. However, this meeting had been called not by him but by the small demon who had just spoken, drawing everyone’s attention.
“What’s the meaning of this, Special Advisor Gyami?”
Ganis asked, scowling at the small demon.
Despite his child-like, too small to be a demon, held a staff and hadwrinkle-free face and small stature, Gyami exuded an overwhelming presence.
“Of course, this meeting is to discuss our strategy against humanity. One of our members is absent, but let’s proceed.”
Gyami began the meeting, glancing at the large empty chair.
“Currently, six of our armies that invaded the human kingdoms have been annihilated. The humans are gathering strength. It’s only a matter of time before their forces march on Lowburn.”
Gyami reviewed the current situation of the Demon King’s army, speaking as though he were narrating Lowburn’s, or even the Demon King’s army’s fate. Although Gyami held the rank of Thousand Dragon General, commanding a thousand demons, making him technically a subordinate of Ganis, he had summoned the key figures of Lowburn, an authority far beyond his official rank.
Despite this, none dared to oppose Gyami.
All present knew that Lowburn, and indeed the entire Demon King’s army on the continent, was in grave danger.
Since the Demon King Zelgius was slain and the supply lines from their homeland were cut, they had to defend Lowburn with the forces they had.
However, in this crisis, Lowburn had few dependable leaders left.
The continental invasion army had gathered the strongest forces and best generals for its campaign. But in their pursuit of glory, these experienced generals and elite troops had left, taking their forces with them.
Lowburn, supported by skilled administrators like Ganis, lacked generals capable of organizing and resisting human armies.
“I understand that. We’ve been fortifying the walls and training soldiers to prepare for the human retaliation.”
Ganis glared at Gyami, who responded with a fawning smile.
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“Of course, I’m aware of your efforts, Ganis. But our defenses are still insufficient. To counter the human armies, we need to mobilize all of Lowburn’s resources. Every demon here must be trained and armed. The walls under construction must be made higher. We need more training, weapons, armor, provisions, and warhorses. All of these are lacking.”
“I know that! But no matter how much we hurry, it’s impossible to accomplish everything.”
Ganis slammed his fist on the table in response to Gyami’s demands.
Despite the daily efforts of Ganis and the other leaders to strengthen Lowburn’s defenses, there simply wasn’t enough time to meet all of Gyami’s demands.
“Understood. I mean we need to buy time to prepare our forces.”
“Then how do you propose we buy this time?”
Ganis asked cautiously.
This man, Gyami, could not be underestimated. Despite his small stature, which indicated he was the weakest among the demons, his intellect was feared even by Demon King Zelgius. Ganis would have preferred to banish or even kill him, but in this critical situation, he had no choice but to rely on Gyami’s brain.
“Regarding that, I have devised a plan. If we leave things as they are, the humans will only grow stronger. We cannot lead a large army to invade again. Therefore, I propose we use a small force to strike at the enemy’s rear—food supply lines and production facilities—to weaken them.”
“Sounds reasonable, but how do you plan to do that? A small force can’t even cross the border,”
Ganis questioned.
The humans had already fortified the border. While a few scouts might sneak through, it would be impossible for a unit to do the same.
“You need not worry about crossing the border. Preparations are already in place.”
“…Ah, I see. [That] plan. But can it really work?”
Ganis recalled something upon hearing Gyami’s confident words.
Gyami had been working on creating a special unit, requiring an enormous amount of resources and time. It seemed impractical for actual deployment.
However, it was a plan endorsed by Demon King Zelgius himself. Gyami had wielded the king’s orders to seize funds, materials, and soldiers.
“Rest assured, with the unit I’ve created, we can send about a thousand troops across the border.”
“A thousand? What can such a small force accomplish?”
Ganis could only laugh at Gyami’s confident reply.
Humans were not fools. Naturally, the rear areas with food supplies and production facilities would be guarded. A force of a thousand couldn’t even take a single fort.
“Indeed, a thousand troops cannot capture a fort. Therefore, we shall not attempt to capture one.”
Gyami solved the problem of insufficient troops succinctly.
“The unit attacking the rear will avoid engaging the enemy. They will not assault forts or strongholds. If pursued by a punitive force, they will disperse and flee before being caught. They will keep moving to avoid detection, continually raiding, looting, and sabotaging roads and bridges.”
“Wait, I’ve never heard of such a strategy!”
Ganis raised his voice in protest at Gyami’s proposed plan.
Until now, Ganis had thought of war like a game of sugoroku, advancing towards the enemy’s main base and capturing each stronghold along the way. This had always been the approach. But Gyami’s tactics turned that concept on its head.
“This attack unit will flow like water, avoiding the enemy’s strength and targeting only the weak points. Let’s call it infiltration tactics.”
Gyami answered with a smile.
Infiltration tactics. Everyone in the conference room was unsettled by this novel strategy. But Ganis understood how effective it could be.
For Ganis, the commander of the Lowburn Defense Forces, war was about production and transport.
He believed victory depended on how efficiently resources could be produced in the rear and delivered to the front lines.
And efficiency was born from security.
Only when free from the threat of attacks could production flourish. Roads and bridges had to remain intact, and transport units had to be safe from ambushes for swift delivery of supplies.
If fields were burned and workshops destroyed, they would need to be rebuilt from scratch, requiring vast resources and effort, halting production in the meantime.
If roads and bridges were destroyed, transport would be delayed by days. If transport units were attacked, escort units would need to be assembled, causing additional expenses.
For those managing military administration in the rear, this was a nightmare tactic.
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