The Story of Hero Among Heroes ~The Founding Chronicles of Arestia - Chapter 176

Translator: Raizu

Eastern Expedition 8 – Regulus Barthart

Regulus led the army of the demon beasts and headed toward the Royal Capital of Canan Kingdom, Saint-Veil.

He saw the demon who followed behind him… and sometimes let out a small sigh.

[…Surely, I didn’t expect to lead such lower creatures.]

[Woops. I won’t let that pass, you know.]

The demon behind Regulus responded to his muttering.

[You’re just a puppet after all. Don’t you remember that our King told you to not say something else?]

[…Sorry. Please pretend that you haven’t heard me say anything.]

[…Kishashasha. Well, if you can get me something, I’ll forgive you.]

A man with a bat face who acted as his adjutant always asked for bribes (food) whenever something happened.

Regulus looked back on the circumstances… and he was annoyed by a sense of emptiness.

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It’s been about a week since Regulus led the demon beast and passed through the territory of Dormages.

Little by little, he began to understand how to lead the demons.

There is only one way to make a demon beast obey you…

Take advantage of their instincts.

(The demon beasts obey instinctively, that is, if there is a being that is stronger than itself, they will obey, but if they are weaker, they will not obey at all.)

Regulus succeeded in subduing the group of demon beasts at once by showing strong magical power. After he is able to put together a flock of demon beasts that have fallen apart, he advances the army to the wilderness that stretches northeast of Saint-Veil.

However, it is not easy to lead demon beasts.

It’s not that nothing happened along the way.

They don’t have any moral values because they are demon beasts. When the army stops by a village on the way, they will immediately try to plunder and slaughter everyone.

Regulus tried to stop it several times. But they didn’t stop at all because they couldn’t win against their instincts.

Therefore, Regulus decided not to stop at the villages and forced the march toward Saint-Veil at once.

That is not all.

The bat-faced demon beast next to him was a man who accompanied him as an adjutant, but this man is always the one who gives instructions in detail.

Do it, enter the village and plunder it, and bring in the villagers who were taken prisoners as food…etc…

He always says to Regulus that it is the royal decree of King Dormages.

However, Regulus had advanced the army, while pretending not to listen to his request.

In this way, despite his dissatisfaction, emptiness, and fatigue, his army finally reached the Fortress of Saint-Veil.

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In front of the Fortress of Saint-Veil…

The First Army, led by Ares, and Regulus’s demon beast army faced each other for about two weeks while doing a few skirmishes.

Regulus has stationed the demon beasts in the wasteland in front of the Fortress.

[It’s too lax! Why don’t you make a total attack?]

The bat-face adjutant approached him while spitting saliva around.

[There is little food left and the demon beasts have almost reached their limits of patience. We need to attack that castle because if you don’t feed them, the demons will riot…]

As he told his argument to Regulus, the truth was that this man’s head was full of thoughts about eating humans.

Regulus sighed again.

What’s good for him to be an adjutant, but for Regulus, he is just a nuisance.

With a sigh in his mind, Regulus’s gaze was toward the Fortress of Saint-Veil.

There is a stunning magical barrier. His [Demon Eyes] noticed the meticulously kneaded barrier. From behind that barrier, long-ranged magic will probably be launched.

And moreover the strength of the opponent’s army…

The demons who couldn’t stand the hunger made a few clashes with them… and they were all annihilated.

The cavalry rushed and trampled at an overwhelming speed. Those who survived are also crushed by the lightly dressed infantry that follows behind them.

The strength that has overwhelmed the Dormadia army, which was superior in numbers up to now. Regulus can clearly feel it and he sighed deeply.

[Oi! If you don’t want to, then let me command the army. Let’s get rid of them immediately…]

Regulus thinks while listening to the words of the bat-face man.

If he attacked normally, then annihilation is inevitable. The enemy’s strength is extraordinary.

I don’t care nor regret if the demon beasts die. However, losing the battle is also a loss of life. I want to avoid it even for the hostage.

If I want to make a plan… I would need to spend a few days thinking about it…

[I will take the lead and annihilate them. Lend me some soldiers!]

The bat-face man keeps on talking. This scene has been repeated for the past few days.

Usually, Regulus ignored him, but this day was different.

It is because the sound of horseshoes echoed on the battlefield.

[What happened?]

Regulus went to see the battlefield with his own eyes… and he is amazed.

The Istraea army, which had barricaded itself until now, had come out of the walls.

(Is it a trap?)

It would be easy to prevent the onslaught of this army of demon beasts if you were in such a solid fortress. And if you wait for the enemy to starve, it should be easy to repel the invasion.

However, the enemy General has abandoned that advantage and is deploying an army on the plain in front of the fortress instead.

(Or is it a match?)

Sure, as long as you stay in the fortress, you may be able to repel the attack, but you can’t annihilate your opponent. Therefore, even if the enemy retreats, they will just recover and make another attack again.

However, from the current overwhelming difference in force, it should be effective to repel the attack for now.

The recklessness of abandoning profit and proceeding to develop formations on this plain…

Regulus was very confused because he couldn’t read the other person’s thoughts. However…

(No, if they abandoned the fortress, this might also be an opportunity…)

When he decided to do so, he turned to the adjutant, the bat man, who was next to him.

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Ares was listening to the report of [Dragon’s Eye] at the Fortress of Saint-Veil.

[It seems that the demon beasts have begun to move.]

Shu, who was next to Ares, answered the report.

[Did they catch the bait?]

[Well, if you think about it normally, that’s a natural tactic because there is such a difference in strength.]

The number of demon beasts on the hill overlooking the fortress is innumerable. Certainly, with ordinary troops… this difference in numbers cannot be overturned. Everything would be over after being defeated.

Yes.

『If it is a normal force.』

However. Ares continued his words.

[The weakness of the demon beast army… is the [General]. In other words, the army will collapse once the [General] is defeated.]

A fearless smile is shown while he says that and he stands up.

And he looks out from the window.

[Zekka managed to reach us in time. It’s about time to depart. Let’s get out too.]

With that said, Ares grinned with a fearless smile in front of Shu.

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The army of demon beasts attacked the whole enemy army deployed on the plain. On the other hand, Ares’s army corps changed its formation like a living thing.

The heavy cavalry of the Black Army and the light cavalry of the Red Army split into the left and right flanks and began to cut down the sides of the Dormadia army.

And in the front and center are the infantry as well as the mighty warriors of the White Army placed to support them. They pushed back the onslaught of the demon beast army.

[Oh! There are only enemies in the front, back, right, and left. Even if we close our eyes, we can still crush the enemy.]

[Listen! Ares-sama told us to endure for a moment. That person never lied to me so far, right!? Endure. Don’t die in a place like this! Luck on our side!]

The strongest army of the Margrave Army, the [Middle Army]. Among them, the strongest is called [White Army].

How encouraging it is that there are still those who can laugh even in this situation. And by looking at them up close, the ordinary soldiers have the illusion that they are also fighting as if they have become heroes. The morale was high enough to climb to heaven.

The blue army behind them is supporting them by releasing auxiliary support magic and long-distance magic.

The demon beast army completely stalled and its numbers were steadily reduced.

[Muu….]

From the top of the hill, Regulus looked at it… and involuntarily let out a voice of admiration.

From his eyes, he can see the demon beasts being slaughtered one-sidedly.

[Strong… too strong… but…]

They are certainly strong. The bat-face man, who was actually his adjutant, was swallowed by the black cavalry in no time and lost his life.

[Our momentum collapsed instantly. The difference in troop strength is overwhelming. If you bring it into a battle of attrition, we will win.]

[Yes, it’s already too late.]

Regulus surprised and turned back at the reply voice to his monologue.

When he looked at it, there were two… familiar human soldiers standing there.

One of them continued to speak to the surprised Regulus.

[The weakness of the demon army lies in the General. If we can defeat you at that moment, the demon army will lose command and collapse.]

When the person in front of him said so… Regulus understood what the man in front of him meant.

That’s true. The man in front of him must have steadily understood the weaknesses of the demon beast army and aimed at them.

And… they were able to reach this location by sneaking through this group of demon beasts. It can be said that both of them are considerable warriors.

In other words… These two are probably the ones who came for his own life.

However…

[Fufufufufu.]

Regulus laughs self-deprecatingly.

[I see, it’s funny that I got caught in your plan.]

With that said, Regulus turned his eyes to the two of them, pulled out his big sword, and took a stance.

Regulus’s gaze wandered through the two warriors.

One is a warrior dressed in exotic armor and the other is a young warrior in white armor.

From the perspective of Regulus, both are small humans. However, his evil eye reflects their true form.

The martial arts that overflow from that small body made him sweat profusely even if it is said that Regulus is the strongest of the true beasts.

If he was asked if he can beat these two people, he would have no choice but to answer [No]. But Regulus understood that he was also more excited than ever.

[My Lord. Please let me.]

That said, the man with a foreign outfit… Shu quietly stepped forward and pulled out his sword from the scabbard on his waist.

[Hoo… not by two people…?]

[I am a warrior. I do not want such a mean thing.]

When he said that, Shu’s body glowed silvery white.

[I’m Shu, the warrior of Yashima. Let’s fight!]

Yes, after he said that, Shu attacked Regulus at an unusual speed.