Chapter 174: For Victory

Demons might not, but humans instinctively hold onto certain principles, even in war.

Take, for example, their reluctance to pierce an enemy’s eye so deeply it reaches the brain. Or how they hesitate to set fire to mountains, even to secure victory.

Stabbing an eye is clearly an easier path to victory. Even if you don’t reach the brain, blinding an opponent is a significant advantage, yet they still aim for the neck or heart.

‘And then there’s wildfire.’

In war, conscience can tip the scales. Between those who adhere to basic principles and those who cast them aside, single-mindedly focused on victory, the latter clearly has an easier path.

Deon Hart hadn’t been defeated. Nor had he given up.

He’d simply…

“If we’re in the mountains when they set them ablaze, it’s suicide, isn’t it?”

He merely considered the obvious.

The enemy effectively used the ‘forest’ terrain. Demons, unfamiliar with such environments, were helpless against it.

It was then that it struck him.

‘Right…’

──Demons originally lived in a world with hardly any proper plants.

‘So, let’s just burn it all down.’

He knew demons coveted the Human Realm not for its ‘plants’ but for its ‘sun’.

Though Hien might be after the plants…

‘Demons live long lives anyway; they can restore it before they die.’

If they won the war and conquered the Human Realm, they wouldn’t even need to wait for restoration; they could just find plants elsewhere.

Whether the humans hiding in the forest burned or suffocated was none of his concern. He needed to focus on their suspicious stalling tactics and, whatever they were planning, minimize the damage and reach the city walls before they could act.

“Lovely day, isn’t it?”

“……Yes?”

“Dry autumn air, perfect for starting a fire.”

And so, he calmly commanded.

“Burn down anything that obstructs our advance.”

This order was relayed to demons fighting in other regions.

Humiliated by being held back by humans and stressed from battle, their frustrations boiled over. They readily embraced fire as a solution, and soon reports flooded in of flames erupting across the continent.

Deon received reports of the Revolutionary Army outside the forest being incinerated along with their cover, and villages abandoned and torched to prevent human re-use. Then came news that the village where he’d met the sorcerer Ran was already ablaze before his orders were even issued, causing him to tilt his head in confusion.

His gaze involuntarily shifted to Dan, standing to one side.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing.”

It was an empty village anyway, now that everyone had left.

Was it truly revenge, or just senseless venting? He couldn’t tell.

In any case, it wasn’t his concern, so Deon dismissed it and left the military camp. The forest engulfed in crimson flames filled his vision.

‘Considering the forest’s size… it’ll take quite a while to burn completely.’

And they’d be fueling the flames to keep it going…

Until the forest was completely burned, he’d have to spend some time here.

……Or so he had thought, just yesterday.

Deon’s eyes widened slightly as he stared at the communication stone, as if doubting his ears. A bewildered tone escaped his lips.

“Wait, the Fairy King what now?”

– He demands… that you stop… burning the Human Realm’s forests… immediately…

Ed’s unusually hesitant voice filled the military camp. Deon chuckled in disbelief.

‘Who does he think he is?’

What right did the leader of a race uninvolved in the war have to intervene and dictate terms to demons?

The words ‘shut your yap’ nearly burst from his lips. Restraining his base instincts for the sake of decorum, he was about to soften his retort when a thought flashed through his mind.

– …Sir Deon?

“……”

– Sir Deon, are you alright?

“If we stop burning, what did he offer in return?”

– Huh?

The Fairy King wielded power.

At the very least, he likely controlled the distribution of some fairy herbs.

A report from Dan surfaced in his memory.

‘Dan’s trading company is steadily growing its influence by distributing charms.’

But he’d heard it wasn’t enough to completely dominate the market.

Distributing mana stones had been considered but was blocked by the Demon King. Moreover, other pressing matters took precedence, pushing it down the priority list.

Deon’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“Tell the Fairy King we’ll consider his statement as a ‘trade proposal.'”

He didn’t care about the Fairy King’s motives. Well, he was a little curious, but he had no intention of investigating.

If he could leverage this for profit, that was all that mattered.

– ……Understood.

The hesitant tone suggested the messenger wasn’t confident delivering such a message to a race leader, but a resolute voice returned moments later.

Deon casually added,

“Oh, and don’t forget to mention that we’ll continue burning the forest until the ‘trade’ is finalized.”

– Yes.

***

Contact came swiftly.

Contrary to Deon’s expectations of tiresome negotiations, the arrogant Fairy King cut straight to the chase as soon as contact was established.

[What do you want?]

[Fairy herbs.]

Deon was grateful for the lack of tediousness.

He reciprocated with a direct answer. Knowing silence would only invite unwanted responses, he pressed on, preempting any objections.

[It’s not a large demand. I have a human under my command who runs a trading company. We’d like you to regularly supply a small quantity of herbs to them.]

Whether it was mana stones or fairy herbs, he never intended to flood the market. Controlled distribution in limited quantities would strengthen the trading company’s influence, whereas a massive influx would significantly empower the Human Realm’s military might before his company could solidify its grip.

Since strengthening influence was to facilitate the Human Realm’s conquest, the cart couldn’t be put before the horse.

[A small quantity?]

[Yes, an amount practically negligible to the Fairy race.]

[…….]

[I haven’t asked why you object to burning the Human Realm’s forests, and I won’t start now.]

It was subtle pressure disguised as consideration.

Deon wanted to end this protracted situation quickly. If the trade went through and he stopped the fires, he’d need to swiftly find an alternative strategy.

Sensing the Fairy King’s hesitation, he played a risky card. If the Fairy King’s intervention was merely due to a passing fancy for Human Realm plants, this wouldn’t work. But Deon remembered their brief past encounter.

‘He’s not someone who’d casually interfere in another race’s affairs for trivial reasons.’

There must be a significant motive.

[The forest is still burning. What will you do?]

[……Let’s discuss the exact quantity of herbs and the definition of ‘regularly’ for the supply.]

Just as he expected.

A positive response.

Half the forest was ablaze. The surroundings, once as bright as dusk even at midnight, were now shrouded in black smoke even at midday, intermittently raining ash. Amidst the falling ash, the Demon King’s army set up a makeshift military camp on the blackened plains, demarcated by the burned and unburned sections of the forest.

At Deon’s command, the military camp was even more spartan than before.

[We won’t be resting here long this time.]

No need to put in the effort of setting up properly.

And now, Deon greeted a man with a faint smile. Unlike his subtly upturned lips, his red eyes held a peculiar light, as if filled with renewed emotion.

“Welcome, Hien.”

“It’s been a while, Sir Deon. I’m honored you called for me!”

To reiterate, the enemy was using the forest terrain to their advantage. Meaning, they were using all sorts of plants as cover.

If Hien, a gardener who commanded carnivorous plants, could replace their cover with man-eating flora, they could eliminate the pests without much trouble. What human would expect their cover to devour them?

Who would have thought Hien would actually be useful? Even dog poop has its uses. Deon chuckled faintly.

‘More importantly…’

Squueeeak.

The grotesque plant in Hien’s arms cried out in greeting.

Its vaguely familiar form, combined with a cry eerily similar to a grotesque plant he’d encountered in the past, made Deon’s expression sour.

“……What’s that?”

“I found a Human Realm flower on the way and infused it with magic! It created something similar to the child of the seed you gave me before. It seems the seed you gave me back then was from a Human Realm plant!”

“Squueeak-squueeak!”

The answering shriek made Deon pinch his brow.

Right, that one went ‘Gqueeek,’ and this one goes ‘Squueeak’…

Looking closer, its appearance was a bit different too. The previous one was based on a ‘rose’ shape and was dark red, while this one, both in shape and color—a dark purple—didn’t seem rose-based at all.

Despite this, the familiar form made Deon tilt his head.

‘Where have I seen this before?’

……Ah.

‘My room’s windowsill.’

Though distorted by magic, he was certain. This form was based on the flower in the vase on his windowsill.

He’d heard Hien found it on the way, but…

A thought struck him, and his voice lowered involuntarily.

“It looks like the same kind of flower that was in my room’s windowsill…”

“Yes, you’re right! I found it blooming in a field on the way! I immediately remembered it was the flower you liked. And I thought you might need a guardian plant…!”

“……That’s enough.”

He didn’t care if it wasn’t from his room. And he certainly didn’t need a guardian plant.

Deon was about to get to the point when Hien, muttering in disappointment, suddenly exclaimed as if struck by an idea.

“Human Realm flowers have flower meanings, you know! So, I diligently researched them! Of course, starting with the flower you liked!”

He didn’t care.

He didn’t care, but… still, Deon remained silent, waiting for the next words.

“Though I’m not certain… I heard it means ‘Youth without Regret,’ ‘I will wait for you,’ things like that.”

“……Is that so.”

He felt nothing in particular.

Merely absorbing new information, Deon pictured the flower from his windowsill, wondering if the flower meanings suited its appearance. Finding no particular resonance, he blankly shifted to the matter at hand.

“I have a task for you.”

The flower meanings were already forgotten.

***

For a single day, demons frantically dashed through the forest.

Humans lying in wait were baffled. They sprinted through the forest, never pausing for a moment, then vanished as quickly as they’d appeared.

Their speed meant there were no significant battles, and thus no casualties. But despite their initial mockery, the humans soon began experiencing a nightmare.

Hidden comrades were disappearing, one by one.

The cause was utterly unknown.

Suddenly, contact would be lost, and upon investigation, the person would be gone without a trace. This recurring horror decimated morale, plummeting it to rock bottom.

Margrave of Amiable, commanding troops at Miller territory, ultimately failed to resolve this bizarre situation and reported to the Emperor.

“……Plant-type monster army.”

The Emperor immediately deduced the answer.