War is not always about the sheer number of men, the size of the army or the vastness of troops. If a flaw were to enter their system, their entire core would be disrupted...
On the following day, all three woke up very early. Leo barely slept, spending hours thinking about how best to proceed. Instead of being tired, he felt as if someone had injected him with adrenaline. And the more he reflected, the more exhilarated he became.
("What is this feeling? Have I gotten some of the magic back after all? It all feels so light. I feel that there is no mana in my body, so why do I get this sensation? Wait a minute...am I getting too excited? Do I long for the fight?")
Actually, Leo had changed a lot, the powers he had stimulated his mind as well. In the past, as a commander, he had been thinking just the opposite: he wanted to fight as few battles as possible, he was afraid for the safety of his men and of himself. However, now everything was different, his entire being had shifted. The thoughts of fighting were filling him with curiosity and excitement. He could not wait to tamper with them, to lead them astray. He even let a small smile slip from his lips as he prepared himself. It scared him inside, but the exhilaration he was in quickly made that fear disappear. Hours passed until Leo eventually had everything planned out to his satisfaction.
" Someone is fully ready for this. Did you become sure of your plan, after all, your promise isn't exactly an easy one."
" I could not be more sure, we will use the opportunity today. There is no more time to lose....hehe...."
"Is everything okay with him? There' s something about him that seems different to me."
"I really couldn't feel better. Best to worry about yourself, I'm counting on you to cooperate. Always remember, each of us is fighting for both our success and survival."
"You should stop talking, you almost sound cool."
They moved to the same position as yesterday and glanced around. Just as expected, the elves had already been completely prepared. After they put on their equipment, they closed their eyes and locked their hands.
"Ha, they must be very faithful to their god. Isn't praying dying out these days?"
"What are you talking about? The elves are the only people who keep praying as an absolute tradition. Plus, it's one of the reasons for our demise, a ritual to put a curse on us."
" To hunt someone down and curse them because they don't believe in your deity? Hahaha, such irony. Yeah, he was right, this world really is a wasteland as far as gods go. I suppose they have some mark or symbol to perform these foolish things?
"Of course they have such a thing, it would be invalid and damaging without a symbol. And it's not even their own symbol, they adopted it from our people and changed it, just like Yrasil has done with his brother."
"So Maris had no choice but to bow to his brother? He was robbed of his freedom and his existence was nothing but a prison for him. And now he's still trapped in some place that no one but his brother knows am I right?"
"H-how do you know his name? How would you know what happened to him?"
"Ah, that was just a guess, all made up so calm down. Besides, his name isn't really a mystery, after all, he is a god."
"Still, very few know his name. One of the supreme rules of our kingdom is to keep the name of our protector secret, so his name was only written in an ancient script that none but a few could read."
"Wait, does that mean his name is very rarely recognized in the world? Then why does everyone know Yrasil, they are brothers, it all makes no sense."
"So you don't know the whole story after all. His brother cast him out, had him tormented, and had his name disappear. That's why there are hardly any beings left in the world who know the name Maris. So why do you know him Leo?"
("That's why he was gone during Zaphiel's reign, there was nothing he could do. I wonder what he would have done if he would have been able to witness everything. Would he have taken revenge by killing his brother? Is it really just coincidence that Zaphiel was passing through the elven kingdom at that time or did he know about Mari's fate? Man, everything is always so complicated. What did he say about Yrásil again, something was off about him. Come on Leo, just remember what he said. You need all the help you can get so get it together!")
"Lynia had mentioned him during our travels, her mother knew his name."
Leo had to think of a lie before the situation took a wrong turn.
"Just out of the blue? I don't buy that! He's sacred to most people, she never would give him away like that!"
"Oh really, not even to her savior in the arena who had freed some of her people?"
"You're not...t-that's just a bluff...you just must have heard the news about it."
"Think what you want. I know his name and done, we don't have time to discuss such things. So focus on what I'm saying!"
Connor realized that their conversation was becoming more emotional for Dallan than he would have thought after all.
"So Commander, what's your master plan? Ambush them or assassinate them?"
"Neither. We're going to let them do the work themselves, our goal is to create the parasite."
"What parasite?" "He wants to let them fight among themselves. But even if they quarrel and disagree, they would never lose their loyalty."
"That's exactly their weak point. And with our Dallas here, we're going to exploit it completely."
"W-what are you talking about!"
" It' s simple, their allegiance is going to be their downfall. For that I need your help. I presume you know the original symbol of the dark elves?"
"I don't remember exactly, I've only seen it twice in my life. Maybe it was like this or like this or maybe like this?"
He drew various signs and figures in the ground with a stick.
"Not exactly your desired answer I guess?"
"That's certainly true, nevertheless nothing is lost yet.
Leo drew two symbols on top of each other, they resembled the sign of the elves the most. If they have copied the sign, it must have similarities with one of these symbols.
Look at the two copies, they look pretty much the same. We'll use this one as a sample."
"And what good is that going to do now? Even with the symbol, we can't fight them."
"That's not entirely correct. He intends to destroy their icon and draw yours again."
"That's it, is that really all? I mean, they are very faithful, but they won't fall for such a stunt!"
"They will as long as we keep it clear enough. Watch closely, it is almost everywhere, on the flags and on a lot of equipment. Just trust me, it's the best step we can take for now. We will strike at night, not one of them will be killed. Our job is to mess them up. Scour the forest for small animals and collect some of their blood, it will serve us as paint. When you are done we will meet at our hideout."
Dallan was about to complain again when Connor dragged him along.
"Why are you following such a madman? Don't you realize that he will lead you to your doom. His way is way too risky, why are you letting yourself get dragged into it."
"Have you ever had a real friend Dallan?"
"I used to have two friends who were like family to me. Eventually we went our separate ways, I don't remember what happened to them."
"And did these friends support you even in hard times, even when they knew the reasons behind it?"
"Of course, the three of us always stuck together no matter what situation we were in."
"That really does sound like good friends. You see, Dallan, I've never had friends like that. In truth, I've never had a friend, a person I could relate to and who could understand me. Loneliness got worse after a few years, eventually I gave up trying. Then, just as I was about to die, Leo suddenly appeared. He assisted me even though he knew what I was going to do and how I was going to handle it. This person helped me even in such a difficult and dangerous situation. I might be exaggerating a little, but he was the first one who truly saved me and set me free in some way. If we are talking about true friends then Leo definitely belongs in this category. Though he may often be crazy, stubborn or strict, there is more to him than that. In fact, we are not so different even if it is hard to believe. Our pasts are not the most delightful. That's why we are going a new path that others would never consider. Although we have not known each other for very long, I see him as something like a brother I wished I had in the past. Maybe his plan is crazy, but if I had had an idea first, it would not be less risky. Besides, it's the truth, he's never lied to me before and he won't this time either."
"When you talk about him like that I almost feel like I'm getting rid of my doubts. He's definitely crazy and dodgy, a person I'd never get along with. Unfortunately, it seems I'll have to work with him. Talking to you is far easier, just for this once I'll trust the words of a stranger."
After finishing their task they came back to a Leo who was fully engrossed in watching everything once again.
"Did you bring the blood?"
" If you say it in that way, it sounds really strange. But yes, this is all we could find. It's not normal blood but it serves its purpose.
Dallan and Connor found no game, but they did manage to find a lot of insects. The blood was not red but black which in a way suited Leo even better.
"Okay, let's do it this way. At night we will sneak into their camp and create a big commotion. Using the blood, we will defile all of their signs and symbols. Afterwards, we'll make some of the elves look like they're the ones responsible."
"And that's supposed to work? It's a few symbols, it's not the end of the world. When it fails then they may still think it was dark elves trying to provoke them."
"Do you really think they will hold the dark elves responsible? Out here surrounded by enemies they just stained their marks and didn't kill them? No way they would see your people as responsible when you're already defending with your last ounce of strength anyway. Furthermore, there are no enemies here who can harm them. Due to their naivety and arrogance, they won't have any protection.
"He's right. The dark elves don't play a role in this, so don't worry about that. However, I cannot deny that it is a very risky plan. Even if they're asleep, one wrong move can ruin everything."
"That's why I picked a spot where there are few enemies. Check out the flags back there and their shining gear. The symbol of Yrasil is nearly glowing in the darkness so it's hard to miss. We are going to start there and work our way forward. Don't worry, we won't kill a single soldier, someone else will take care of that soon if everything goes smoothly. So get ready, take a deep breath and try to stay calm. Tonight will decide a lot, maybe even the fate of your people Dallan."
Both Connor and Dallan were very worried, however, there was no turning back now. For the rest of the day, they watched their enemies and their behavior. In the middle of the night, when all voices stopped and it was completely silent, the three of them sneaked out of the bushes and slowly entered the enemy's camp. With small wooden bowls full of insect blood in their hands, they proceeded to go over one object after another. Every little banner was stained, the shining armors and weapons in the armory were now barely recognizable. Leo ordered them to stay as far away as possible from particular tents. Their leaders as well as the mages were potentially able to sense their aura and be awoken by it. Once they had successfully marked the target areas and targeted soldiers, Leo indicated with a hand signal that they should come back. While Connor managed to return silently, Dallan made an error at the end. He took a wrong step and woke up one of the soldiers. Seeing Dallan, he widened his eyes. But before he could say a word, Leo had snuck up behind him. Immediately he covered his mouth and slit his throat with a dagger. The hand did not leave his mouth until his gasping stopped. His companions were surprised by his actions. Leo did all this without even batting an eye. By instinct, he killed the enemy and made sure that silence returned. There was a victim after all, yet Leo remained calm and immediately had a backup plan in place. He placed his last bowl and the dagger next to the corpse and ordered Connor and Dallan back to their hiding place. The two went ahead while Leo once again made sure everything was quiet. Even though there was a casualty, his risky plan succeeded. Dallan expected a scolding from Leo yet he made no move to yell at him.
I-i'm sorry, I've never done anything like this before. That's why I slipped up like that."
"I was expecting it, that's why I always have a emergency plan ready."
"And your backup plan was to kill him and make him look like a traitor?"
"If that's how it works out then it's okay. There' s another reason, though: like I said, that black blood plays a bigger role than you think. Now, get some rest, a couple of hours from now it will be time to see the result of our effort."
A huge commotion arose in the enemy's camp very early in the morning, according to plan. But the issue was not so much the corpse but the staining of their glory. The fact that it was also black blood left them even more upset. Thus, the apparent traitors were killed instantly without being able to say a word. The leader with the shining gold armor was beside himself and almost couldn't calm down. It resulted in complete chaos throughout the camp.
"What are they doing? They just kill their allies with nothing to say? Only one of them died but it looks like they lost a battle. What is going on with these madmen? It was only a symbol, not their life. This can' t be all of it. Leo, you did something else didn't you?"
"No, I didn't. Yesterday we created a constant parasite that is infecting their minds.
"What kind of parasite?"
"If I had to give it a name it would be something like religion."
"Religion? I've never heard that word before, what does it mean?"
Zaphiel explained his story to him many times. Still, he had no real term to explain it all more simply. After hearing the story, Leo could only think of one word: religion. It just fit his past history, it matched perfectly with the part of this world that Zaphiel always despised.
"They are incredibly faithful to their God. They entrust their lives to him, they pay homage to him and see him as the greatest authority on their side. They worship his essence with the aim of receiving his protection and strength. Of course, they need a way to show their gratitude and tribute. Therefore, symbols or objects are very often given in his name. However, what if someone defiles, despises and ridicules these symbols or objects? What happens when someone foreign or even worse one of their people is responsible for the act of disrespect? In that case there is a complete disorder that leaves them thinking only of their god. You are right Dallan, it is just symbols. If they would think for themselves then it would be just a bit of defilement or a hoax. But because of the meaning of these flags and armor, it is Yrasil that they see through with their eyes. It' s one of the best means, one of the best methods to confuse the enemy, provoke them or even to let them destroy themselves. It doesn't always end up to that extent, certainly there are other religions in this world that are far more harmless and don't act in such an obsessive way nevertheless so far I haven't seen any."
"So it is a tool that when used in wars can be disastrous."
"Correct, keep a close watch, it's not over yet. The word has spread even further forward on the front lines. See how they all go mad and crazy just because of some icons hahahaha. Behold how their leaders are desperately seeking traitors and those to blame. How they accuse, shout or beat themselves up. These idiots consider it as if their life has just been ended by this harmless action. If we killed them all it would probably still be better for them than to endure this sight. Say, Dallan, how about Maris, were you as upset as those morons were when they destroyed the sign of him?"
"Well, not that angry at all. There was much turmoil and commotion, but not to that extreme. There have been minor fights, yet almost everything has ended peacefully. We realized that it is a symbol of him, but it doesn't mean his death or our downfall."
"Wise thinking. Then you can see with your own eyes unlike these fools hahaha. How pathetic and deluded they are to see death come second. It all worked out perfectly, the manipulation is in full swing. Ordinary blood would have made them angry, however, this black blood will make them completely insane.
In his world, Leo only heard the word religion twice. The first time by his mother, the second time at his first school. And both times he got the same answer: religion is either poison or hope. But when you mix these two factors, you get a liquid made of illusions and blindness. He perfectly understood Zaphiel, his aversion, the wretchedness he felt towards it, the disdain for this path and its results.
Suddenly the fighting stopped and order was restored. Eventually they realized what this black blood could also mean.
"At last these idiots figured it out."
There was only one kind of being whose blood had such a color. This caused fear and dread, the anxiety of a possible ambush or a sudden new battle. Just before they could sort themselves out, there was a loud rushing sound coming from the sky. As they looked up, the sky darkened for a moment. Following that, hundreds of arrows shot directly into their bodies. This was a planned hail of arrows and the start of this war. Leo knew who must be responsible for this. Lynia had no interest in completely relying on defense, it simply didn't fit her nature as far as Leo was concerned. Therefore, she unexpectedly launched an attack against the huge army of her opponents. Connor and Dallan simply couldn't believe what war was suddenly happening in front of them. Leo took a deep breath and chuckled in the direction of the fortress.
"Attack is the best defense huh? You haven't changed, you maniac woman."