Over the next three days, we relentlessly attacked the advancing goblin hordes from all directions.
I even brought along the firepower team that had rested for a day, pouring attacks into what appeared to be their weak points.
Indeed, the attacks were somewhat effective. The long road from Black Lake to Crossroad was littered with the corpses of goblins.
However, these were not their core forces.
The Goblin Legion always seemed to predict where I would strike, deploying decoy troops accordingly.
Our guerrilla forces diligently reduced the number of goblins, but it was never a fatal blow.
It was like an aircraft spraying flares while flying.
Despite our efforts to shoot it down with heat-seeking missiles, the aircraft evaded, leaving only superficial damage as it continued to advance through the sky, a giant plane.
Moreover, they always managed to destroy our teleport gates.
They backtracked our arrival points, dispatched cavalry, searched for and destroyed the teleport gates, forcing us to retreat further to another gate and return to Crossroad.
Not only that, but they also preemptively destroyed hidden teleport gates with their cavalry.
With the continuous destruction of gates, our attacks and retreats became slower, and the enemy steadily advanced.
"..."
On the last day of guerrilla warfare.
Standing atop the field of goblin corpses, I had to admit it. I had no choice but to accept.
The Goblin God-King, the enemy commander who once burnt a third of the world, was far superior to me as a commander.
I am just an ordinary human who managed to reach the end of the game after hundreds of tries, confined to the rules of the game, fighting predetermined battles... We are on completely different levels.
In the real battlefield, he destroyed numerous kingdoms, built a great empire for his race, and ultimately earned the title of God-King.
Kali-Alexander and I were worlds apart in terms of tactical ability.
As if my movements were in the palm of his hand... he deceived me and successfully achieved his goal of 'advancing'.
"...But."
I gritted my teeth.
"It's not over yet."
No, it's far from over. It hasn't even started yet.
We are still within the rules of the game.
And in this game, even against a god of war, I have a chance to win.
"Let's go back."
I told the heroes around me.
Everyone's face showed fatigue from the past few days of forced marches, but their eyes were fiercely sharp.
Gritting my teeth, I turned towards the gate.
"We still have a means to strike back at them."
***
The next day.
Atop the walls of Crossroad.
All the heroes and soldiers of the Monster Front had finished preparing for battle and were lined up at the end of the wall.
In front of us, likewise prepared for battle, stood the legion of green monsters.
Thump- Thump- Thump-
25,000 goblins.
Though we managed to reduce their numbers by thousands through guerrilla tactics over three days, the green monster tsunami still made it here.
"..."
Gazing at the endless horizon filled with that monstrous number, I slowly turned to the side.
Atop the reinforced wall were various cannons, ballistae, artifacts, and elite soldiers with strong spirits, not fleeing from the final showdown with the monsters.
2,500 people.
The difference in forces was exactly tenfold.
Until the day of the defense, no support troops came from other cities or nations nearby.
"How merciless..."
But what can we do?
Help would have been nice, but it wasn't essential. We didn't consider reinforcements from the strategy phase.
If we had considered reinforcements, we would not have declared an independent stance from the beginning. We would have borrowed ample forces from the Imperial Family.
From the moment we declared our independent stance, this war became entirely Crossroad's own.
We declared this independence, bearing all its disadvantages.
'In order to save people, not swayed by the will of any particular nation, solely to save people...'
But, then again.
If our independent stance, declared to save people, leads to the collapse of our front because we can't get reinforcements, and we fail to save people...
Does all of this retain any meaning?
If we fail to clear the mission, blinded by a grand cause, by the banner... No matter what fancy words are used to dress it up, isn't it just a failure in the end?
"Your Highness."
"Hm. Thank you."
Junior approached and handed me a cup.
It was a health juice she had prepared herself. I gratefully accepted it.
"Juice made by Jupiter Junior... shortened to JuJuJu. I'll enjoy it."
"Do you still have the luxury to joke...?"
Junior stood beside me, also drinking juice.
It's already the third cup this morning. It's full of various ingredients beneficial for magic power recovery.
Feeling my magic power replenishing, I let out a long sigh.
"Are you okay? You look tired."
"I can still hold on..."
After returning the cup, I lightly slapped my tired face with both hands.
Then, I saw a goblin in familiar armor and helmet, riding a goat, emerging at the forefront of the Goblin Legion.
It was the Goblin God-King, Kali-Alexander.
"I've been waiting..."
Taking a deep breath, I signaled Junior with my eyes. She used her wind magic to amplify my voice so it could reach far.
I shouted with all my might.
"Kali-Alexander!"
Noticing my voice reached him, the Goblin God-King slowly looked up at me. I shouted at him.
"I request a [Commander's Summit]!"
"..."
The Commander's Summit.
Something we had once shared in a dungeon.
A special gimmick exclusive to boss stages. Both commanders' characters become unusable for 10 turns. Success rate of 100 percent.
Once this gimmick is activated, Kali-Alexander and I must meet alone for 30 minutes.
And true to its 100 percent success rate, Kali-Alexander nodded his head.
Flap!
Buttoning up my coat, I descended the wall. My gaze met with each of the waiting heroes and soldiers in turn.
"While I'm gone, just follow the instructions given in advance."
Detailed operational instructions had been shared with everyone over the past few days.
Even without my direct control, everyone will fight well on their own.
"I wish you all good luck."
Believing in them, I simply said and stood in front of the city gate.
Ku-kung-
As the gate opened slightly, I rode out on my horse. Kali-Alexander, too, was approaching on his goat from the other side.
A meeting place was already set up at the midpoint between the Goblin camp and Crossroad.
A grey table, grey chairs, and a white flag fluttering beside them.
We both dismounted and silently bowed to each other before sitting down.
"Thank you for requesting the summit, Ash."
Kali-Alexander was the first to speak. I frowned.
"Thank you?"
"You're the first enemy commander who's sat down to talk with me."
Kali-Alexander awkwardly responded.
"When fighting with orcs, there was no option for dialogue, and during wars with humans... they didn't want to talk with goblins like us."
"..."
"Among my enemies, you're the first to acknowledge me as a person capable of dialogue. How can I not be grateful?"
The Goblin King placed his right hand on the table.
"So, is there a reason you requested this summit? Or is it merely a ploy to buy time?"
"Buying time... That's not entirely wrong."
10 turns.
30 minutes.
Once this time passes, the war begins. You could say it's the last peaceful moment Crossroad can enjoy.
So, let's make the most of these 30 minutes.
"First, I want to acknowledge something."
"What's that?"
"As a commander, Kali-Alexander, you are superior to me."
I admitted it frankly.
"In the past three days attacking your army, I felt it. You seemed to know exactly how I would move."
"For all that, your attacks inflicted considerable damage on our forces."
"But only manageable damage. In the end, you brought all your forces intact for the siege here,"
Kali-Alexander didn't deny it. I smiled bitterly.
"In this battle too, you've already thought of all the tactics to bring down my walls..."
"Ha ha. Surely you're not asking me to reveal those tactics, Ash?"
"Would you tell me if I asked?"
"Of course, I can't discuss specific tactics. However..."
Kali-Alexander hesitated briefly before looking me squarely in the eye.
"As a commander, I can share my basic philosophy. Reluctant as I am to say this, I've been fighting for centuries longer than you, as a senior commander."
"I'm all ears."
As I nodded, Kali-Alexander nodded back.
"Firstly, my tactics are solely because I am a goblin. Sacrificing our lives without hesitation, even if the exchange rate is horrific, it's fine as long as we achieve our goal."
"That's very goblin-like."
"On the other hand, Ash, you are the complete opposite."
The Goblin God-King's eyes sparkled heavily from behind his mask.
"You cherish each of your soldiers' lives. Except for the inevitable sacrifices, you try not to waste a single life."
"..."
"Even in the forward bases, you retreated early to avoid damage, and you even dispatched rescue teams for stranded allies."
"Is that wrong?"
"I'm not talking about moral judgments, Ash. It's about efficiency."
Value or efficiency.
People or strategy...
"Of course, the resources and time to create a single human soldier are vastly different from those of a goblin. To say it plainly, a human life is 'more expensive' than a goblin's."
"..."
"But even considering that, you seem too reluctant to sacrifice your soldiers... For a commander, you're too kind-hearted, Ash."
Regarding the lives of his own kind as mere bullets was the goblin way.
"A true ruler should be able to sit calmly atop the blood, tears, and corpses of his subordinates."
It was also the mindset of rulers.
"Do you plan to win at chess without losing a single piece?"
"If it's not a necessary exchange, why lose them needlessly?"
"That's true. But sometimes, you need to boldly throw a piece into the enemy's mouth. And from what I see, you lack that courage."
"..."
"A commander should be able to calculate the loss and damage of his forces coldly, even if it brings tears at the graves. But you seem to be pained even amidst the battlefield."
Kali-Alexander shook his head.
"That way, you won't last long in battle, Ash."
"..."
"You must become a heart of steel, down to the very core. If you truly desire victory, you must engage in real warfare."
"Real warfare? How is that done?"
"Cross the line."
The Goblin God-King, leaning close to the table, whispered softly.
"Become a monster who can willingly sacrifice the lives of subordinates, who can sit untroubled on a throne built on death."
"..."
"Real warfare begins there. The path to becoming a true ruler opens from that point."
The ancient and legendary Goblin King, a veteran commander from the annals of history, said this.
To become a king, first become a monster.
Become an entity that can willingly sacrifice human lives.
"If you insist on remaining human to the very end... you will ultimately not achieve victory."
"..."
"Aren't you trying to protect more people? Isn't your goal to save every life in this world, above this frontline?"
Is this the orthodox view?
"For that noble goal, someone must die. Then who will decide who dies? Who will command death? Who will bear that burden?"
Is this the ultimate answer I'm confronted with at the end of the path I've chosen, banner in hand?
"In order to save the world."
The Goblin God-King slowly raised his hand, pointing at me.
"Mustn't someone don the skin of a monster?"