Let us return to the day of the strategic council. Jonady, surrounded by generals and Princess Raelia, presented his plan with calm confidence.
— "Phillipe, though a traitor, has inadvertently been useful to us. The coalition believes they know our strategies. It's time to turn the tables."
He paused briefly before continuing:
— "We will make them believe that we've abandoned the battlefield. Thinking our forces are focused solely on the hills, they will lower their guard. Meanwhile, our mages will secretly prepare the ground. Once they engage, our water mages will transform the soil beneath their feet into quicksand, paralyzing their forces."
The generals, silent until then, exchanged glances. None could suggest a better alternative.
Raelia raised her hand, her eyes a mixture of curiosity and concern.
— "Your plan seems flawless, Jonady, but what if some members of the coalition don't fall into the trap and choose another route?"
Jonady responded with a confident smile:
— "They'll assume all our forces are concentrated on the hills. Their logic will lead them to the forest, aiming to besiege a capital they believe is undefended."
A young general, Gilbert—a tall man with blonde hair and brown eyes—spoke up:
— "At that point, the reinforcements of 30,000 troops will be waiting for them in the forest, ready to greet them. And with our 120,000 soldiers pursuing the coalition from behind, we'll trap them in a pincer movement."
Jonady nodded.
— "Precisely."
An awed silence settled over the room. The generals, impressed by the ingenuity of the plan, rallied to the strategy. Once the meeting ended, strict orders were issued to assemble a hundred mages. In utmost secrecy, these mages departed the night before to prepare the battlefield for the coming conflict.
On the Battlefield
The next day, the enemy army marched straight into the trap. The demons and orcs, brimming with confidence, advanced unsuspectingly. The plan's first phase was a success: the orcs were immobilized and decimated. But Giyard, the demons' commander, managed to calm his troops after the orcs' catastrophic defeat.
— "All is not lost," he declared firmly. "True, the orcs have fallen, but so what? The capital is defenseless. Their entire army is concentrated here."
Galvanized by his speech, the demons quickly turned toward the forest, eager to deal the final blow to the Kingdom of Ednia.
From his observation post, Lord Robert watched the demons abandon the hills. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
— "That young man, Jonady, has planned this perfectly."
In the forest, Giyard and his troops advanced, convinced of their imminent victory. But they had barely entered the woods when a deafening roar resounded.
— "W-WHAT?" Giyard exclaimed, his fiery eyes wide with shock.
Before him stood the human reinforcement unit, a force of 30,000 soldiers, waiting in readiness. Trapped, he ordered a retreat, but it was too late: the 120,000 human soldiers, having pursued the demons from the hills, encircled them.
The demons, surrounded on all sides, found themselves in a desperate situation. Jonady's trap was flawless, and victory now seemed within Ednia's grasp.