Final March (4)

In a forest that has become chaos.

As we left the battlefield littered with corpses, the bloody smell began to lessen.

As the sun slowly set, the Demon King’s army withdrew and retreated to the Demon King’s Castle.

They gave up the chase and decided to camp in the outskirts of the forest.

“Are there any injuries? If you don’t feel well, tell me right away.”

“There are no casualties or injuries. Everyone is safe, but everyone is exhausted.”

By the time we had finally finished preparing for camp, the knights were exhausted.

Even my nerves became sensitive because I could be attacked by surprise.

Everyone seemed to think that they couldn’t go back now, so they kept their mouths shut and were busy with maintenance.

“Everyone, there is a high risk of being ambushed, so be careful. “Stand upright on watch.”

“All right. “Captain.”

As everyone was exhausted, they went to bed early.

Some people snored and fell asleep immediately after lying down in the tent.

On the other hand, my colleagues were gathered in front of the bonfire as usual.

I was waiting for the meat soup boiling in the pot.

“My lord. The soup is ready.”

“You did a good job cooking. Let’s all eat.”

My colleagues put soup to their mouths only after seeing me eat a spoonful.

When I ate it with the bread and beef jerky I brought as supplies, my stomach quickly warmed up.

Then Eric, who was watching from the side, laughed.

“Has everyone gone on a picnic? “I can’t believe I cooked and ate in this situation.”

“Well, it’s everyday life for us.”

“This is truly amazing. “All my colleagues say they can’t move.”

Eric’s gaze was directed to a nearby tent.

The Templars lay on the floor like corpses, unable to lift a finger.

“Honestly, when I look at you, I wonder if you are human. No matter how much you receive the Dragon Knight’s protection, you have surpassed the realm of humans.”

“I also have a hard time when I’m having a hard time. Still, this is nothing.”

Then everyone agreed as if they agreed with what I said.

Honestly, compared to the journey we’ve been on so far, today’s march was ordinary.

The fog of the Demon World didn’t really have any effect, and there weren’t many strong monsters.

Rather, it was more difficult when I hiked to the top of the snowy mountain.

I scooped up a ladleful of meat soup and gave Eric a plate.

“You take a bite too. Because you worked hard.”

“Oh. Then thank you. “I’m sick of beef jerky now.”

When Eric tried to sit next to me, Erina glared at him with her eyes wide open.

Of course, when I lightly hit Erina on the head, she became quiet.

Then Eric, who had been watching from afar, naturally came over and sat down.

“Everyone worked hard. Thanks to you, I was able to be safe.”

“Okay. To be honest, we would never have been able to break through with the number of knights.”

The two continued their conversation while eating meat soup.

During his stay in the Demon World, as much as he worked hard to lead the knights, his plate quickly ran out.

At that moment, other knight commanders also spotted us and came closer.

Gilbert, Eileen, and Paul. It seems that the three have also finished reconciling with the knights.

“Kayla. “Can you please prepare some more meat soup?”

“Yes. “Please wait a little while.”

There was still meat soup left, but it wouldn’t be enough to fill the stomachs of all three people.

There was enough food anyway, so it was enough to make a little more.

When I put the remaining meat soup on a plate and offered it to Gilbert, he took the plate with embarrassment.

“I never thought I would eat warm food on the battlefield.”

“Eat a lot. “Because we have to advance to the Demon King’s Castle tomorrow.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Afterwards, I gave meat soup to Paul and Eileen, and they accepted the plates with gratitude.

We all sat together for a meal and discussed the current situation.

Although supplies were sufficient right now, the knight commanders were also worried as morale had dropped.

“Damn. We’ve all stretched out. Even if we advance to the Demon King’s Castle, I don’t know if we can break through the defense.”

“It’s the same for us. “It is difficult to advance to the Demon King’s Castle right away.”

“But if it’s not now, there’s no chance of winning.”

“You are right. “If we continue to stay here, we will be surrounded.”

“It would be better to withdraw for a while…”

“Eileen. This is actually your last chance. If it takes more time than this, it may take more time later.”

“But even if we can break through the defensive forces, the biggest problem remains.”

Adversary. The strongest of all enemies.

I had to deal with the person who was the culprit of the war and who reigned as the strongest among the demons.

There was no way the knight commanders did not know that fact.

In the midst of the sinking mood, I clapped my hands to brighten the mood.

“Then let’s do it this way. “Let me and my colleagues enter the devil’s castle and deal with the devil.”

“Then we…”

“Guard the entrance to the Demon King’s Castle. Don’t let monsters come in.”

This is something I decided to do anyway. I and my colleagues were enough to deal with the Demon King.

It was enough for the knights to just prevent monsters from entering the devil’s castle.

Then Eileen showed disapproval and opposed it.

“Commander. This is a very reckless operation. No matter how strong the commander is, the opponent is the devil.”

Then Eric, who was next to him, laughed and responded.

“So no one knows how strong the Demon King is?”

“But the devil is not a scarecrow.”

“Of course that is also true. But is there another way? “There will be no one stronger than these people.”

Then all the knight commanders fell silent.

The only people who can deal with the Demon King are my colleagues, including myself. There was no way I didn’t know that fact.

Even so, the knight commanders were not convinced.

Everyone looked uncomfortable as if they disagreed with my opinion.

Max didn’t seem very approving either.

However, I was wondering if there was another way, but I couldn’t open my mouth easily.

“Is it possible to deal with all of the remaining Demon King forces? Well, I’m not sure.”

“First, let’s advance to the Demon King’s Castle tomorrow and decide. “The priority is to accurately understand the size of the Demon King’s army.”

The meeting ended without any conclusion. When the meat soup ran out and all the knight commanders had filled their stomachs, one or two of them stood up.

“We must arrive at the Demon King’s Castle tomorrow. Let’s all take a break.”

“Okay. Make sure to stand up straight when you are on watch.”

With a word of advice, Eric and Max left, and Paul also stood up.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. In any case, shouldn’t we kill all the monsters?”

“Pole. “Are you planning on confronting the devil with such simple, ignorant thoughts?”

“I didn’t say anything wrong. Anyway, all you have to do is defeat the demon lord.”

Gilbert and Paul continued their discussion and walked away.

Eileen, the last one left, pondered over and over again before sighing.

“…I will follow the commander’s orders.”

“Okay. Go back and rest.”

“Yes. I was grateful for the meat soup.”

When we returned to Eileen, our colleagues cleaned up the dishes and cleaned up the place.

Meanwhile, Kayla approached me with meaningful eyes and asked.

“My lord. Do you think the Knights Templar will be able to hold out until they face the Demon King?”

Were you worried about that? Kayla’s concerns were not meaningless.

However, they were not weak enough to be helplessly defeated by monsters.

I believed that at least it would give us enough time to defeat the Demon King.

Rather, we should think about defeating the Demon King quickly.

Above all, I had to be most wary of how Erina would turn out.

“For now, I have to trust the knight commanders. “Don’t worry.”

“Yes. I understand.”

But Kayla’s anxious expression did not disappear.

I glanced at Erina next to me and asked again in a low voice.

“What do you plan to do after confronting the devil?”

I knew what Kayla was worried about.

Although I already knew all of the episodes so far.

After killing the Demon King, something happens that even I don’t know about.

But is there any need to be afraid?

Unlike before, I am no longer weak.

And there were colleagues who would risk their lives to fight for me.

That’s why I smiled and answered while looking at Kayla.

“I must return safely alive.”

***

“If we go a little further, we will arrive at the Demon King’s Castle. But there are too many demon lords.”

Tyria came down from the tree and reported in a calm voice.

“Can you feel the presence of the Demon King’s army around you?”

“No. The main force of the Demon King’s army is no longer there. But the assassins may remain, so you have to be careful.”

The forest, which was more dense than expected, hindered the march and lost direction several times.

Moreover, the closer you got to the Demon King’s Castle, the thicker the fog became, making it difficult to find your way.

Fortunately, thanks to Tyria’s keen sense and reconnaissance, we did not get lost, but the march was not easy.

However, the Demon King’s army’s surprise attacks continued, and monsters came out from all directions and grabbed the ankles.

After breaking through the center of the forest, I was finally able to rest.

“Whoa… It’s too humid. “I feel dirty because of the fog.”

“The further we advance, the more foggy it seems. If you’re not careful, you could lose your vision.”

I remember there was a description that the closer you get to the Demon King’s Castle, the thicker the fog becomes.

When I played the game, it didn’t feel that real, so I ignored it, but maybe I overlooked it too much.

If Tyria had not been there, it would have been quite difficult to break through the forest.

“Everyone, cheer up a little more! “Not much time left!”

At Paul’s words, the knights came to their senses and increased their speed.

If you stop here and become stranded in the forest, you will face the worst situation.

Knowing that fact, the members kept their mouths shut and continued marching desperately.

Even the knight commanders were showing signs of exertion.

“I really don’t know how you defeated Makiella. “How could you possibly think of fighting the enemy in a forest like this?”

“You too have fought in the forest of the Demon World.”

“It was easy back then because you took care of most of the monsters, but it wasn’t like this.”

Even so, Max was responding easily in his own way.

Even the three knights kept their mouths shut while maintaining their composition along with Eric.

After about an hour, a red light slowly appeared in the forest and the trees began to shrink.

A huge castle could be seen through the gradually clearing fog.

“Look over there! It’s the Devil’s Castle!”

At Eileen’s words, the knights all raised their heads and looked ahead.

A huge castle with a huge gate, numerous monsters, and a huge mountain range at its back.

I was finally able to see the Demon King Castle with my own eyes.