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Chapter 281 Part 2

Although only four warships had been detected so far, Vecto was envisioning the worst possible situation. The vision of land warships filling the horizon caused cold sweat to run down his cheeks and neck under the scorching sun. 

Dran’s efforts had utterly thwarted the recent infiltration and reconnaissance attempts by Mundus Carnus, but there was information they had already gathered before Dran’s reincarnation. Just as the goblins of the Guuma clan had once reached Bern village without any obstacles, Mundus Carnus was well aware of the village’s location. The knowledge of this newly-constructed fort was due to the blood, sweat, and tears of the faux dragons and their airborne reconnaissance. 

Let us now turn to the scene inside the cabin of Megyn-Gil, a Megyn-class land warship, as it trudged through the dusty wilderness deprived of greenery. 

The cabin had been lavishly decorated surprising for a diplomatic warship. Perri, the chief envoy of the delegation of the demons, was present. He was a skilled soldier with broad shoulders and a huge frame that made it hard not to look up at him. A number of medals on his chest adorned the dark blue uniform of the demon lord’s army. 

His chiseled face, bronze skin, and copperish head of curls was coupled with three small horns on his forehead. Perri’s official title was also the commander of the fleet and chief of the delegation, but the highest-ranking members were in fact Vengitta and Quince, members of the six demon generals. 

Vengitta struggled to communicate with her poetic sensibilities. Thus, Perri often consulted Quince, and Quince certainly played his part in managing the mission as well.

In the cabin, Perri was speaking with a blue spider under Quince’s command and one of Vengitta’s dolls dressed as a soldier of the delegation. Vengitta’s doll was modeled after a young woman with light purple hair pulled back in a bun. Her third and fourth eyes where human eyebrows would usually be and the color of her skin that resembled her hair made her resemble a demon. She was dressed in a military uniform with rank insignias, epaulet, and aiguillette subordinate to Perri.

「Seems like the Bernese soldiers have an unexpectedly broad area of surveillance. They were able to locate us faster than we had anticipated.」　

Perri and his men had already caught sight of Vecto and his companions pursuing the four land warships. As Perri had mentioned, the Bernese soldiers had a far wider range of coverage. Moreover the quality of their weapons were miles superior to what Perri and his unit had predicted based on their latest reconnaissance report before the interference. 

Without a doubt, Perri took pride in the demon lord’s army as the strongest in the world and holding supremacy over the Dark Wilderness. However, it was also clear to him that he had to be on his guard against an opponent like the Bernese soldiers if low-ranking Bernese soldiers were already so well equipped, while they were lacking in information themselves. 

Quince was the one to reply to Perri. He had kept the whereabouts of his main dispatchment of spiders even from the delegation so that the Bernese soldiers would not pick up on their location in the outbreak of war. 

「Those are soldiers from the fort, are they not? Arkrest Kingdom might not have experienced war for many years in their history, but do not forget that this is not a place of peace.」　

「Perhaps the lords of Bern are simply putting on a farce of peace while maintaining a much different attitude. We are visiting on the basis of friendly negotiations, but they are unlikely to accept our demands as they are.」　

「Is this His Majesty, no, Prime Minister Zarhamera’s suggestion?」　

「I heard about it when tasked with the delegation, but it is a relatively mild proposal. At the very least, we aren’t going to demand that they become our slaves at once or be killed if they refuse to obey. It can be interpreted as brown-nosing the Mundus Carnus.」　

「But they won’t accept it because war is not ongoing. So, naturally, Emperor Zarhamera would be keen to spark a war. The content have been made so amicable so that Arkrest Kingdom will not be forced to surrender. If we can guarantee the wellbeing of the people and the safety of the royal family, there is little possibility that there will be a dispute of whether to surrender or not.」　

「Hahaha, we are descendants of the god of war, a race with a disposition to fight even when reason is at work. If the solution involves war, we will gladly choose it. This is just the way we are, but it’ll no doubt be a nuisance to our opponents!」　

「If the Romal Empire falls, we will advance westward to crush the Rohan Empire from the south. If Arkrest Kingdom falls, the plan is to advance eastward. Though, we will first have to establish our rule and strength, is that not right?」　

「Oh, is that your train of thought, great spider lord of the gods? What is your reason for avoiding the southeastern region of the continent?」　

「The east of Arkrest Kingdom is bordered by Mores Mountains and Ente forest. Unlike the Romal Empire, there are very few routes by land available. As for the skies, the presence of numerous dragon species in the Mores Mountains makes it an easy option for us since we have faux dragons with us.」　

「I see, and I agree with you. We have no grasp of the actual situation of Arkrest Kingdom, and even the Barony of Berne lying right ahead. The Romal Empire have devoted great efforts into reconnaissance, but they are caught up in a three-way civil war that leaves them distracted and an easier target.」　

「There is no mistaking their rejection to becoming our vassals as well.」

「Heh heh, that’s not a development that we can pray for. The only concern is that His Majesty has not relaxed his vigilance in the north. However, we must leave that to Chief Tarulu and his squad. Now, I hear that the ruler of Bern is a young lady, and I’m looking forward to see how capable she is.」　

These words of anticipation uttered by Perri were certainly a sentiment shared by the demons in the lineage of the war god, Sacurabus. 

Vengitta, who until then had been as silent as a painting on the wall or a vase on a desk, whispered in a captivating feminine voice akin to a tune.

「The sweet impulse that surges with the blood of the war god. The euphoria of the battle’s frenzy. The freedom to snap your teeth and kill lives in you. Yet, freedom comes at a price, the price of a burden too heavy to bear. It shall creep on your shoulders in the guise of a friend.」　

Perri caught Vengitta’s glance that indicated the end of the speech. Only then did he proceed to interpret the words just uttered. This time, it was a situation and statements relatively easy to understand. 

Vengitta never flared up at misinterpretations, but dismay was always evident. So, guilt would eat at Perri if he were to understand Vengitta wrongly. 

「Hm… Are you warning me that if I get carried away with my fun and let my guard down, I’ll suffer the price of my complacence?」　

Vengitta nodded in statisfaction at Perri’s serious reply. Seems like he had gotten it right this time. 

While Perri was relieved to be free of any sense of guilt, Quince could only sigh in exasperation at Vengitta’s roundabout way of speech. This manner of speaking only served to add an endless worry to Quince’s mind.

＊　

At long last, the leaders of the Barony of Bern were informed that contact had been made with Mundus Carnus. Once the news reached them, they took action. Even those who had received the news in advance could not suppress their trembling hearts. Only Dran and his beautiful lovers, leaders of leaders, were not the slightest bit shaken. Selina was the exception, being a bit of a timid one. 

「I’m glad we covered our bases with the governor-general and the neighboring lords. I can imagine how riled up Father is.」　

A grimace was on Christina’s face as she spoke. She had just returned from the Governor-General’s Office in Galois to her residence in Bern, a place that had come to feel like home. Her first course of action was to verify the information from the fort. 

Her office was filled were furnishings so rare that even the possessions of royalty and aristocrats would be no match for them. In this very place, Dran, Dramina, Selina, and Diadora—the core leaders—were present with Christina. The gathering either sat at the couch in the reception area or stood by Christina’s side as they focused their attention on dealing with Mundus Carnus, a situation that had finally become a reality.

「The Marquis was very eager.」　

When Dran and Christina had met with Dram, he had wholeheartedly agreed with Christina. 

Many of the lords had been bewildered and reluctant to accept the proposal made at the negotiation disguised as a ball. Dram was the first to respond to the suggestion that they were to concentrate their forces in the Barony of Bern for mobilization when the demon lord’s army attacked. 

「But as long as they refrain from attacking and dispelling our soldiers, while leaving our soldiers to track them, they remain as a non-hostile partly that will not engage in sudden attacks or invasions. It is still too early for Father to get this pumped up.」　

Christina finished speaking and rose from her chair to glance at Dramina. 

The former vampire queen had been working as Christina’s secretary for a long time. Moreover, they shared similarly ravishing features. Perhaps she would be more likely to understand Christina than Dran could. 

Dran, Selina, and Diadora noticed how Christina was touching her left wrist as she brimmed with anticipation for the most critical moment she would ever face as a lord. Instantly, they understood the extent of her determination. She was going to play a powerful hand against the envoys of Mundus Carnus, a move that she had been forbidden to put to use against her fellow peers in the kingdom. 

This was one of the Barony of Bern’s strongest cards in diplomatic negotiations—the true face of Christina.