**Kuro**
"You what?"
The Duchess of Henristone didn't hide her surprise when the Human Saint revealed to her my plans to return and 'free' Cherflammen from the Seductress. Well, first, the prior 'severing' of the connection between Chersea and Cherflammen caused a 'collective amnesia' towards all the races of this universe. So, we had to explain to the Paladin captain about Cherflammen, and how it ended up under the Void monster's control. And the Duchess, through her military background, was quick to disapprove of the venture.
"No! That is impossible!" she exclaimed. "In the first place, we're fighting an otherworldly monster. Our means to fighting that creature is limited!"
"Milady, your worries are countered by the fact that the Lord Kuro is now a demi-god," Lily replied. "Last night, he was acclaimed by the gods."
"Oh?" Lady Henristone's eyes fell on me.
"Ah! I'm still human, though, with the power and blessing of the gods," I clarified, since the Head Maid purposefully hid the part where I refused to join the ranks of the gods and goddesses just yet. I believe it was better for them not to keep unrealistic expectations on me, so they could plan the strategies and tactics according to the situation. "Nevertheless, I can fight against the Seductress. I just want to have the support of the people behind me."
"Milord," the Lady Henristone took a deep breath, before continuing. "You yourself already said it; Cherflammen is a dead world, and the saints cut the connection to it to contain the Seductress. If so, then why take it from her? Can't we just live our lives away from that monster?"
"Well, there's that possibility, yes. But listen to this," I showed them my thoughts through a mist that I conjured. "In my world, there is this anecdote about a man named Damocles, a messenger in the court of a king named Dionysius. Now, Dionysius is a cruel ruler, and he did everything—including questionable ones—to perpetuate himself in power. Damocles would often praise his king, saying that he's got everything a man wants: power, fame, women, wealth. Tired of his praises, Dionysius offered the messenger to switch places with him, just for one day, which Damocles accepts. But there's a catch; as Damocles sat on the riches and the throne, the king had a sword tied with a single strand of horse hair hanging above his head."
"Won't that kill the messenger if the hair strand snaps?"
"Precisely, that's the purpose of it. That's why, Damocles, ever mindful of that sword above him, begged to return to his messenger life instead of living eternally wary of that thing that can kill him."
"Okay, so…?"
"Well, it's a common cautionary tale for us in my world. It usually pertains to the dangers of those who are in power, that they can't sit on the throne and lower their guard. However, I see another warning from it."
The Human Saint, the Head Maid and the Paladin captain remained silent as they waited on my next words.
"Look, I believe the Sword of Damocles can also mean the dangers that can kill us in one strike, should we let the joys of peace and harmony overwhelm our vigilance. I mean, right now, the Demons and Humans are working together thanks to the efforts of the Human Saint and Demon Saint to maintain the reciprocal respect to each other. However, everything that we worked so hard today will come crashing down should a saint who has no memory of what happened in these days ascend the holy thrones. Demons and humans will once again go to war against one another, dragging the other races into their conflict. And really, this is not a question of 'if' but of 'when.' The Demons and Humans have fundamentally different sets of cultures, and add to it the historical animosity between the two races, and we're setting up Chersea for a bloody conflict in the future. Not doing something about it is just letting a wound fester until it becomes severe enough to kill you."
"So, milord," it was the Lady Henristone. "Are you saying that we retake Cherflammen so the Demons will have a 'home' of their own?"
"Yes," I confirmed her thoughts. "And this move is two-fold, really. See, if we retake Cherflammen, not only will the Demons will have their home world once again, we will also remove the threat of the Seductress from this universe, altogether. Oh, and yeah, I just realized this now. There's also a third 'unintended' benefit for this undertaking. See, if all the races combined their might against fighting the Seductress and taking back Cherflammen for the demons, the horned people will surely look at everyone else with gratitude. And with their long lives, expect to have a period of unprecedented peace between the races. Isn't this what the Lady Rubinforth has desired before?"
My eyes fell on Maddie, who acknowledged my idea by winking at me.
"I…I understand," the Paladin captain bowed, yet she had another concern. "But then, milord, while I think the Paladin Corps will fight for you, along with the Beastmen Royal Army, the Federal Armed Forces, and the Elf armies of the Lady Hinwe, I don't think you can convince the human kingdoms to go to war against an otherworldly creature."
"Yes, Kuro," Maddie entered the conversation. "The kings and queens of Chersea often look to their own interests, not to the benefit of others. You've seen it before; even when they know I have the divine mandate, they can still prove to be stubborn."
Well, I guess it was normal for mortals to be stubborn. In the bible, there were a lot of instances that God had already talked towards His people about His decrees, and they still willingly break those the moment they forgot about His works. This was also the reason I wanted to retake Cherflammen, for everything that I did here would end up forgotten sometime in the future. And wars between humans and demons would resume.
"We can try to persuade them," Lily pointed out. "After all, this is a fight to ensure everyone's future, including their own."
"Well, even though you have the noblest intention," the Human Saint countered. "The fact remains that the Chersean kings and queens will only move if it will directly affect their interests, unless, we're going to force them with threats of punishment."
"I don't think it will work, too," I rebuked Maddie. "While the kings and queens might follow us through threats of punishment, the morale will be low. And in fighting against the Seductress, it's better to confront her alone than to fight that creature with people who aren't willing."
"If so, then we have to find ways to convince the royals of the benefits of coming to fight the Seductress," Lady Henristone surmised.
"Don't worry, milady," I reassured the Paladin captain. "I have a plan in mind, though I just need some information about the kings and queens of this land."
----------
Realpolitik.
In a modern Earth political sense, realpolitik is a political approach to policies that considers the given circumstances or factors, instead of basing one's decisions on an ideological, moral and/or ethical principle. Simply put, it is just a philosophical approach that is 'realistic' and 'pragmatic/practical.' And yes, it can result in questionable agreements, because not everyone's interest is 'moral' and 'ethical.' Famous people who practiced such concept were the former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former French leader Charles de Gaulle, and the former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
And really, while it was not perfect, realpolitik saved my world in the height of the Cold War in the 60s and 70s from turning hot. After all, if one did consider his/her rival to be someone of equal stature and power, then they would really have to consider the situation rather than stick to their ideologies…too much of which could be poisonous to a society.
"…"
This was also why I asked for the information on the kings and queens of Chersea. Their personalities, their behaviors, and their attitudes. From there, I could ascertain how to approach these rulers in convincing them to fight. However, as it was the period of the 'Saint's Peace,' the intelligence wing of the Paladin Corps kept a minimal list of information on the Chersean rulers, deeming it unnecessary to keep a file of espionage reports that detailed even the most minute habit of the monarchs.
Ugh, I'll have to get my information elsewhere.
Fortunately, I didn't need to look far. The Royal Armed Forces of Cherwind had long been maintaining a library of espionage reports on every Chersean ruler, including the lowest-ranked nobility. Their former chief, Sir Loin of Steak, ensured a tradition of subterfuge and covert operations, that eventually rubbed off into the military intelligence services of the Demon Federal Army. As such, reading the reports made me know each of Chersean rulers intimately.
"…"
For most of the Chersean rulers, it was an easy request to do. The Amaranthine queen, Jessica, was my fiancée, and so she was quick to lend her support to our cause. Similarly, King Simon of Nerfes immediately said yes when we informed him of our endeavor. The emperor of Chersea, Jean, committed his fiefs' legionnaires to the fight as well, and the League of the Valley Cities under Prince Giuseppe Uhrian heeded our call as well. They all cited their friendly relations to me as something more important than their own interests, which played into my plan.
Nevertheless, I still had to convince the other rulers to fight.
"…"
Well, there should be no problem anymore if we were to consider the military power these kingdoms would bring to battle. Imperial legionnaires were famed for their discipline and aggressive fighting tactics, which was only matched by the soldiers from Nerfes. The Amaranthines could be counted on for their financial prowess, and their armies—while not on par with those of Nerfes and the Empire—could still be relied on at the battlefield. The League's armies could serve as our reserves, for it was mainly a levy force.
And besides, the more people we have, the better are our chances of an easy victory.
"…"
However, far from the short-term effects of our endeavor, should we destroy the Seductress, I was also aiming for a 'propaganda victory.' I'd like to show the demons that every race—including every human kingdom out there—contributed to the retaking of their old homeland, thus making them eternally grateful to everyone, and minimizing the risks of renewed conflicts. This was why I had to send envoys to the King of Calabria when he refused to involve the Confederacy of the Eastern Kingdoms to the upcoming war.
A few weeks later, the envoy I sent returned with the chancellor of Calabria, Sir Dane Bellingstein, carrying the message from the Calabrian king himself.
"Greetings, Your Holy Majesty!" Sir Dane greeted, though from his expression, I doubt it was something positive. "I bring words from my sovereign to you!"
Maddie, who sat on the throne beside mine, cast a bewildered look towards me. As I couldn't read minds just yet, I briefly wondered the reason behind her reaction. But then, as the chancellor read the Calabrian King's message…
'To the Mighty and Holy Lord, Kuro. Greetings! I received your most holy request from my kingdom and the rest of the confederacy to cooperate to an upcoming invasion of some distant land, in order to help our demon brothers and sisters regain their home. Indeed, this is a noble undertaking, and I would've sent a contingent of our bravest warriors to help in your cause. However, I would've to decline, for the reason that my kingdom is currently short on workers to farm the lands. The abolishment of slavery caused the number of our workers to drop, and we have to rely on our soldiers to fill in the gap. I do wish for the success of your fight, Holy One! Thank you for your understanding! With respects, the King of Calabria.'
"Kuro," the Human Saint gestured for me to come to the back of the throne room after the chancellor finished his message, to which I followed. "That fool of a king!" she hissed the moment we were out of Sir Dane's sight. "I should've removed him when I had the chance! He's basically asking us to reinstate slavery in Chersea by using the call to cooperate as leverage!"
"Well, it's not like we really need his forces," Lily pointed out. "We got the major kingdoms of Chersea on our side, minus the Confederacy. He might also be using the opportunity to keep himself and his vassals from the costs of preparing an army."
"Indeed, that is also plausible," I backed her up. "It's like threatening a powerful kingdom with an invasion to get what they want. It's ridiculous."
"Well, what's your plan then, Kuro?"
"We'll give him what he wants," was my reply. "I'd like to oblige, just to spite the fellow, since he sent his envoy to annoy us."
There was a nasty smirk on Lily's face, as if she knew what I was about to do. But it was a different matter for the Human Saint.
"Wait," Maddie blurted out. "You mean, we're reinstating slavery?"
"Don't misunderstand my intentions," I quickly defended myself. "You know I'm also opposed to that. However, I have something in mind to fulfill the request of the King of Calabria, and put an end to slavery in this realm for good."
----------
And so, using the power of the Dwarf Saint, I agreed to the request of the Calabrian King. I wished I had a phone camera to record the moment when he was surprised of my answer.
The King of Calabria got his slaves, but not the ones he expected.
"Milord, what is this?" were his first words the moment he saw columns of golems marching towards his palace. They were led by his chancellor, Sir Dane.
"The Human Saint wishes to keep her oath about the abolition of slavery, and as the future god of this realm, I share her sentiments," I reiterated. "However, as we wanted to have you and the armies of the Confederacy to take part in this glorious endeavor, I consulted with the other Saints on what we should do. So, here we are; the Dwarf Saint herself offered to 'breathe life' into these dolls to serve you and your kingdom."
"But these are golems, milord!" the King of Calabria protested.
"What's wrong with golems? These 'dolls' are more useful than living slaves. For one, they won't get tired. Second, they won't need food. And third, you can task them with jobs a living slave can't do. I don't think you're at the losing end, Your Majesty."
"B-But, milord…"
"Hmm…? Is there anything else you want to gain your cooperation not stated in the message your envoy read to us, great king? Or are you just unwilling to cooperate?" Heh, now that I had him cornered, the Calabrian King was silent. "Your Majesty, are you saying that you can't oblige the request of your future god for some other reason? Either way, it's something I don't like to force to anyone. Nevertheless, I hope you're also prepared to face the consequences of fooling with the heavens, which I and the holy saints represent."
Cold sweat formed at the forehead of the monarch, as everyone's eyes were focused on him, including that of his chancellor, Sir Dane Bellingstein. Not wishing to lose face, the king took a deep breath, and pledge before me,
"Y-Your will be done, milord," the king bowed, humbled by the subtle threat I issued to him. "The armies of the Confederacy shall march with you to battle."
----------
Now, for the hard part.
As the plans to 'invade' Cherflammen slowly took shape, the letters we sent to the leaders of each race soon began to bear fruit. The first to respond was the Beastfolk of Cherwind, who were eager to prove their loyalty to me as their Eternal God-King. Since I—together with Ursura—was the commander of their armies, they had no qualms passing the command of the Royal Army and Royal Air Forces of Cherwind. The highly-trained warriors of the beastfolk kingdom were further bolstered by several corps of volunteers from both sides of the Outer Wall, that soon, we had problems in their logistical needs.
Good thing the demon republic quickly came to our rescue. The formidable factories of the Goblins were soon working around the clock to produce arms, clothing and ammunition for the beastfolk volunteer regiments. And that's not all. Once I explained to the demon lord-president the purpose of the invasion we were planning, she quickly convinced the demon federal congress to authorize her in leading an expeditionary force to bolster our ranks. The next thing was the regiments of the demon federal army marching towards the Holy Palatial Gardens to rendezvous with the other military formations that were already encamped there.
And of course, the dwarves would never lose to anyone with their religious fervor. Using the tank designs of the elvish expeditionary forces before, they repurposed their guilds—under the guidance of the Dwarf Saint—to war production. Tanks made of iron-mithril alloys were soon produced, with the guns and shell outsourced to the goblin factories. And they also sent their pilots and flying war-machines, to augment the Royal Air Forces of Cherwind. The Lady Helgath gave me permission to command her life-guards unit, the Army of Stone, which were dwarves sworn to serve and protect their holy lady.
"These are the guys whom we awakened in your chamber, right? The one hidden deep beneath the caverns of Hemelin," I asked the giantess when she teleported them to the Holy Palatial Gardens. I mean, I saw with my eyes how they 'came to life,' though really, watching them walk and talk like ordinary mortals still felt strange to me…who saw them first as stone statues.
"Yes, these are the same dwarves," Her Huge Holiness confirmed. And then, she picked one of them and put her before me. "By the way, you'll be working with her, Kuro."
I was surprised at the sudden introduction. It was a female dwarf, no taller than Lady Martelle, and was armed with a steam-powered battle axe. Her bronze armor made her body larger than the usual dwarf lady's body, yet I could tell that she had her fair share of battles. "And she is…?"
"Lahg Ahri, Your Heavenly Majesty," the dwarf bowed.
"Lahg Ahri?" I blurted out. The name was awfully familiar to me.
"Her name is pretty famous among the dwarves," the Lady Helgath explained. "You may have heard it before because one of the celebrities in Hemelin took that name for herself."
"Oh…"
"Lady Ahri was a veteran of dwarf conflicts," Her Huge Holiness added. "You know, before Louis came, there were intermittent conflicts between dwarf guilds, who were vying for resources. Lady Ahri made a name for herself for leading the Army of Stone in protecting Hemelin and the Temple Guild from getting embroiled in these petty wars."
"With that, I take it that she is the overall commander of the Army of Stone?"
The Lady Helgath nodded.
"Your Heavenly Majesty," the dwarf commander offered her battle axe to me. "I offer my fealty to you, as one who is served by my mistress, and the future god of this realm. However, if I may request…"
As she trailed off, my eyes fell on the Dwarf Saint, and she encouraged Lady Ahri to continue.
"…uh, if it is possible, milord, may we fight in the thickest of battles?"
I was impressed and unnerved at the same time by the courage the dwarf displayed. I immediately looked at the Lady Helgath; I wanted to ask her if Lady Ahri knew or even had the slightest idea of who our enemy was. But I ultimately decided against it. I bet that even if I explained to the dwarf captain the horrors of fighting the Seductress, my words weren't enough to describe it. Besides, dwarves had a reputation of fool-hardy courage in battles, so I guess it would work for us that we got a dedicated 'spearhead' for our invasion.
I'll just come with them in the frontlines…
----------
For the two other races, I was not that successful.
The elves of Cherwood under the Lady Hinwe were naturally suspicious of any cooperation with other races, even when they knew I solved their problems in desertification. As I never intended to 'force' them to come, we turned our 'recruitment' towards the former veterans of the Elvish Expeditionary Forces. They were an important part of the plan, for these elves knew how to fight the Seductress' minions, especially the wights. Their experiences could bolster our chances in defeating her forces, should we invade.
However, I still got to be careful with the recruitment. The elvish population of Cherwoods was decimated in the conflict before, and taking all the veterans from the Chersean elves could potentially put the population growth to a bottleneck, so I created standards to be followed in allowing elves to join.
"…"
Good thing some of the Elvish lords, like the Lord Ingwer, still remembered my efforts to fight for them. Gathering a band of elvish warriors from various settlements, including the city of Berondin, they soon joined us at the Holy Palatial Gardens.
"Our bows shall be yours, milord," the elf lord declared. "We will smite your enemies from afar, and defend your heavenly glory with our lives."
"Ah, thank you for the words, Lord Ingwer," was all I could say. Honestly, I could feel the intense desire of the elves to prove themselves, yet, I had to use them according to their expertise. Putting them on the front lines would be a potential waste of talent, as they were born with the uncanny skill to land shots from impossible distances. So, I intended to put the elvish units behind the main lines as 'covers;' they would shoot at our enemies from afar while the dwarves, and demons advanced.
And finally, the humans…ugh.
True to their reputation, my race was hard to deal with. From those who were overzealous, down to the most reluctant, humans had it. Needless to say, the legionnaires of the Empire (I was a member of the imperial nobility) and the soldiers of Nerfes and Amaranth (King Simon was a good friend, while Queen Jessica was my fiancée) all wanted to be at the forefront of the battle…which was impossible, really. The lessons of the Battle of Cannae, where the Roman superiority in numbers played into Hannibal's advantage, was still in my mind. I was particularly worried of the Seductress' 'shadow children;' those evils from the Void didn't have any sliver of 'sense of preservation' and would just mindlessly throw themselves into our lines in an effort to overwhelm and tear us apart, just like the events before the evacuation of Cherflammen.
And I won't risk these warriors' deaths just to accommodate foolish requests not to be seen as cowards before their (future) god.
"…"
So, my solution—and in coordination with their respective monarchs—is to put them into the second echelon of the lines. They will be used to exploit any breakthrough against the Seductress' forces.
On the other side of things, there were those who were reluctant to fight, particularly the soldiers from the Confederacy. I think the only bright spot among their forces was the Gryphon Knights led by Sir Dane Bellingstein, Chancellor of Calabria. As we already had enough people to comprise a full and effective air force, I delegated their contingent as reserves to watch and defend our supply lines to Chersea.
Yep, unlike the former battles we fought against the Seductress, this time, we would never isolate ourselves. Fighting a monster of such power required the united effort of everyone, from the deity of the world down to the mortals lived in it.
"…"
As the united army of humans, demons, beastfolk, elves and dwarves gathered at the rolling plains within the territory of the Holy Palatial Gardens, so was the time of the invasion neared. I looked at my calendar…
It is two days from now. This will be Chersea's finest hour.