As the sun bathed the earth, ten thousand men moved through the forest, clad in a mixture of plate armor and chainmail. The glint of metal reflected the sunlight, shining the rays of the sun back at the sky . Among them, mana guns and squads of engineers accompanied the
procession.
Theirs was the power to change the outcome of the raid, as we were not talking about a dungeon filled with some goblins , but the actual camp where one of the demon's king army rested and raised thier numbers.
A particular squad of engineers moved amidst the army, six carts covered with blankets in tow, under which were the mana cannons, that would obliterate anythign they shot at.
Mounted at the vanguard, I rode a horse with my father closely following. Ahead of us, the princess and Victor engaged in conversation, forming a tight-knit group leading the march.
My gaze rested on the pair who seemed to converse amicably, as apparently they were pretty close, who know maybe the princess accompanied the commander in many raids , and this was one of those.
Father approached me, nudging gently with his hand "Is everything all right, Favian?" My frown probably gave away my displeasure and irritation.
''I don't know, father. Did something happen that 'you' did , to cause me such displeasure?'' I asked with feigned confusion.
''Was it because I did not allow you to drink at the mansion?'' He asked with a bit of hesitation.
Fucking hell no... does he think I am an alcoholic?
''No, father. I was simply surprised when I was chosen to lead the vanguard inside the dungeon," I said, already aware that I was not ready to be in the thick of the fighting. I would have been more than happy to pick off the wandering monsters outside the dungeon. Instead, I was to fight in the middle of the fray.
''What are you complaining about, Favian? That is the place where one can attain the biggest glory,'' he said, not understanding my hesitation.
''Yeah, and the most dangerous place to be in. In case you haven't noticed, I prefer to be alive rather than dead.''
I swear, if I meet my demise battling a bunch of damn goblins or orcs after meticulously planning every move to survive the novel's plot, I'll haunt this mansion for eternity.
"What are you worried about, human? Just invoke me, and I'll handle your enemies for you," I still can't get down my throat your desire to mix amongst weaklings'' Baalkaroth spoke in his coarse voice
'Unfortunately, the moment I call upon you, I'll be hunted down by an inquisition force. It's a good way to postpone death for a few weeks.... No, first, I need to ensure that, in case the kingdom turns hostile, I have an escape plan, or I'm too valuable for them to cast me aside for your presence,' I remarked, contemplating my moves in case I had no choice but evoke him
The demon continued our conversation, intrigued about the last part I said "And how do you plan to achieve that, human?"
"I need power," I said, my tone resolute. "So much power that the king will understand they stand to lose more by handing me over to the church to be burnt, rather than by fighting against the demons. If they realize the potential threat I pose to them, they'll be forced to keep me close, and that's when I'll have leverage to use you "
I rode ahead, scanning the surroundings with a determined expression.
All right we reached the place ....
Turning towards the commander I spoke in a low voice "Halt the army, Sir Victor," I signaled, "this is the place.You should Call for the mages; as they are to disrupt the circle " Victor nodded and issued the order for the units to cease marching. Dismounting my horse, I walked toward the trees, focused on pinpointing the exact spot where I had encountered the illusion circle.
''Oi Baalkaroth a little help?''
''Mh?Oh yes....Walk down thirty steps and you should be there'' He spoke absentmidly, I wonder what he is thinking about?
Squatting down after obeying the instructions , I brushed away some leaves and felt the faint traces of magical circles beneath. Turning around, I saw twenty mages in robes rushing toward me. Raising my hand, I gestured for them to approach while pointing to the ground, indicating the area of interest.
The mages rushed forward, and as they reached me, one of the female magicians stepped forward confidently. She stated, "We'll take it from here." I nodded in acknowledgment and stepped aside, allowing them to investigate the magical traces I had discovered in the previous scouting expedition.
Leaving the magical investigation to the professionals, I walked toward Victor, the forest around us alive with the sounds of preparation. The rustle of leaves and the distant hum of an army getting ready filled the air. "Seems like we have some minutes to spare as the magicians work on disrupting the illusion. I think we should set up defenses."
Victor nodded, his expression a mix of determination and vigilance. "I already gave the order; the troops are getting the necessary tools as we speak. I recommend you stay close to me inside the dungeon as we don't know what we can find inside."
As we discussed our strategy, I couldn't help but feel a bit of nervousness as this after all was somewhere where one wrong step, can cause my demise
"Whatever we find will be like walking down to hell. There's the possibility of there being a high-ranking demon inside. I fear that the demon king would not leave, command to a chief goblin or a lower monster; he must have given it to one of his commanders. Any ideas on who we may find?" I asked, curious if Victor had any names for me.
Victor's gaze sharpened as he considered the possibilities. "The demon king has 12 close vassals and servants he could choose from. If what we're going against is an army being prepared to invade our kingdom, then he must have given command to one of those 12 commanders. We may find demons like Pazuzu, Sammael, or Valefor. All of them are as strong as one of our war saints. If what you say is true, then we may really be about to enter hell."
Bloody fucking hell... a war saint? And I'm supposed to walk into the vanguard? The more I dwell on it, the more convinced I become that this might be the end of me, we should instead just bomb the entrance and trap the army in, unfortunately, I knew it was not doable as if they had a second entrance, than everything would be for naught.
The prospect of facing demons of such caliber however was enough to send a chill down my spine. However nothing was certain, maybe the demon king put in charge a troll or goblin's chieftain...hopefully.
Where the hell is the main character when one need him?For the one fucking time I actually desire to have that son of a bitch near me is now....I seriously hope Victor is wrong.
As the hours passed, the army completed its preparations. I looked around in awe, witnessing the transformation of the landscape. Rows of trenches and palisades were constructed on the hill ahead of the dungeon entrance at the top of which one mana cannon was left pointing directly at the entrance, now visible after disrupting the illusion circle.
Apparently, I underestimated this army.
The sheer scale and efficiency of the defensive measures were beyond what I had initially anticipated.I thought that they would have needed at least half a day to set everything up, instead in less than two hours, they finished all their work.
As I observed the military camp , Victor issued orders to the men by his side. One of them nodded, taking a horn from his side before blowing it loud and clear. The echoing sound signaled the commencement of our entrance into the dungeon. The moment had arrived.
Seems I am about to enter hell once again .....hope it goes good . Unfortunately for me, as I would soon discover the only good thing about today would be the weather .