Dungeon Defense (WN)

thought.

Honestly, this wasn’t a bad proposal for them.
I was offering to go to war in their stead, so, if anything, they should welcome this idea.
We would be the ones taking on all of the burdens, so there would be no reason for Baronet Bercy to refuse.

“……If I may speak honestly, your proposal sounds too good to be true.
Why would you voluntarily make a proposal that is detrimental to you?”

“Your Excellency, I may be in charge of the vanguard due to circumstances, but my essence still lies within Frankia.
I wish to prevent any harm from falling upon Frankia.”

I smiled bitterly.

“It is hard to expect a good goal from Rudolf von Habsburg’s army.
I cannot deny the possibility of the Crowned Prince of Habsburg taking the Queen of Brittany’s spot after managing to drive her out…….
Do you not think so as well?”

“Mm.”

Baronet Bercy nodded with difficulty.
He probably couldn’t say it to my face, but he must have considered this possibility.

“I said that this was a precautionary measure.
This does not only refer to the possibility of our defeat.
We must also consider the possibility of the Crowned Prince of Habsburg betraying us after being victorious.
Your Excellency, you must preserve Frankia’s army as much as possible in the case of these situations.”

“So we should not take part in the war…….”

“Yes.”

Baronet Bercy was greatly moved.
He stood up and hugged me.
This man, who was usually like a stone statue, was surprisingly speaking in a weepy voice.

“You are a true patriot.”

“……I did whatever I could to gather a group after losing the civil war.”

I also responded back with a teary voice.

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“Rudolf von Habsburg is Demon Lord Barbatos’ puppet and Barbatos is extremely afraid of Demon Lord Agares.
I barely managed to create an army by utilizing their fear…….
Your Excellency, I am sorry for being late.”

“Priest Jean Bole…….”

Baronet Bercy finally began to shed tears.

I soon heard a familiar sound effect.

「Baron Bercy’s affection has risen by 11.」

「Baron Bercy’s affection has reached 50.
The other party now ‘trusts’ you.」

We shared another intense hug.
The camaraderie between men was being expressed through a hug.
The two of us drank wine for the rest of that day.
Once the sun rose, Baronet Bercy snuck out of the camp.

“Hoo.”

I sat down in my chair.

I managed to get a completely unexpected harvest.

Baronet Bercy probably thinks I said all that purely because of my patriotism, but I obviously don’t have even a sliver of patriotism in me toward Frankia.
I simply couldn’t let the Demon Lord army covet Frankia.

“Things are still barely going according to plan.”

Occupying the north-central region of Habsburg already gave the Demon Lord army enough power.
If they conquered Frankia as well, then the balance between humans and demons might collapse.

The Demon Lord army forms whenever there is human resistance.
If the humans get wiped out completely, then the Demon Lord army would enter the age of civil war.
I won’t sit around and let something like that happen.

This current state where the Plains Faction, Neutral Faction, and the Mountain Faction exist side by side is the most ideal situation.
It may be a turbulent period, but it was a turbulent period created in a way that gave me an advantage.
I, Demon Lord Dantalian, have to establish my authority as a mediator whenever the groups compete or harmonize…….

Four days after Baronet Bercy left.

Our vanguard engaged with Frankia’s vanguard again.

It was a scripted battle that we had arranged beforehand.
Queen Henrietta still had her doubts about the nobles of Frankia.
We had to show her that they didn’t lose to us intentionally.
For this purpose, we had to sacrifice General Gaspard de Tabarn.

“For Frankia!”

This old veteran, who was in his sixties, had served Frankia all his life.
Earlier in his life, he was the captain of Frankia’s royal knights and he had also been the emperor’s deputy commander.
He had literally led the most honorable life as a noble.

It was only natural, but Tabarn was the individual whom Henrietta was cautious of the most.
The death of such a great individual should decrease Henrietta’s wariness by a fair amount.
That was our aim.

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As we arranged beforehand, General Tabarn charged at us as soon as the battle started.
It was crazy for the supreme commander to take the lead and charge.
Daisy rushed forward from our side.

Gapard de Tabarn and Daisy.
The oldest veteran and the youngest warrior faced off in the center of the battlefield.
Blades sparked.
Daisy managed to pierce through the general’s chest with only a single strike.

“Retreat!”

“All troops, retreat!”

The Frankian army immediately retreated after they lost their commander pitifully.
It was a hasty retreat.
Honestly, it would probably be fine to say that they barely incurred any losses.
Our plan was carried out without any problems.

“…….”

I looked down at the old general’s dead body.
The old man had a broad smile on his face.
His physique was so healthy that it was hard to believe that he was in his sixties.
It almost felt like he could stand up and swing his sword again at any moment.

Daisy muttered next to me.

“He was smiling since the moment he engaged in combat with me.”

“……Is that so?”

“Yes, Father.
It was the smile of a man who gladly accepted his death.”

It was for this reason that Daisy didn’t behead the old general.
She pierced him through the chest in one strike in order to keep his corpse clean.
She had treated the other party with great respect.

I calmly asked a question.

“Did he have any last words?”

“Thank you, was the last thing he whispered to me.”

The old man had undoubtedly lived a life with no regrets.

For the people and for his nation…….
And even in his last moment, he devoted his death to the people and his nation as well.
He most likely believed that this was the greatest death.
Was that why he thanked us……?

“Daisy, remember this man’s final moment.”

I spoke as I closed the old man’s eyes.

“This is a death that people like us will never be able to experience.
Remember it well.”

“……Yes, Father.”

Daisy and I stared at the old man’s dead body for a while.

A single life was meeting its end here.
A peaceful and honorable smile on his lips.
One day, during our final moments, the two of us will most likely recall this old man’s death and become jealous…….