Chapter 1
----- Lutz -----
“Why is a vampire here in our council room!?” A decorated commander stares at the white-haired vampire sitting at the war table.
“Why the glare?” Vampire Lord Ashton puts on what can only be described as an irritating smile. “We’re all allies here.”
“Like hell! Just yesterday, you were one of our biggest enemies! Now you want to listen in on our strategies!?”
“The battlefield can change quicker than most expect. This is simply the result of a shifting tide.”
“How convenient that you claim to switch sides on a whim.” The commander looks toward King Edgar. “I don’t see why we have any reason to trust a man who has proven that his allegiance shifts with the winds!”
“We’ve taken all necessary precautions.” Edgar speaks with confidence.
“Precautions? How are we ever going to stop him from spilling our secrets? Unless you plan to hold him in a cell and keep careful watch?”
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about our enemy finding out our plan. Whether Vampire Lord Ashton defects back to Chaos won’t change anything.”
The commander looks puzzled, not able to understand the point King Edgar is making. But the time for secrets is over, and this is the perfect chance to finally reveal something that would rattle any general to their bones.
“The one who began this Great War,” King Edgar continues, “is another god, come to challenge the Goddess for control of this world. Even now, his gaze is watching us. Our strategies, our words, and perhaps even our very thoughts–he can see them all.”
“That can’t be!” The commander shouts. “How could we ever fight a war against an opponent who could see our every move, well before we make it!?”
“That’s precisely why we cannot rely on a typical strategy to defeat Chaos.” Edgar looks to me. “And it’s also why the Goddess sent him to us.”
All eyes fall on me. It’s become a common occurrence, so having some of the most powerful people in the world all focused on me doesn’t even disrupt my stride.
“King Edgar’s right. If you try to plan some grand strategy to outsmart the Lord of Chaos, he will just turn the tables and beat you at your own game. Assume he knows everything we say at all times.”
“Then how can we win?” The commander is beginning to sound more concerned than angry.
“It’s simple. We meet them on the battlefield, fair and square. No fancy strategies, no underhanded tricks. Just a big, open field for us to crush them on.”
“If it were that easy to defeat them, we would have done so long ago. Even with the other kingdoms and races joining the war, there’s no guarantee we can win a climactic battle on the open field.”
“True. If you were to try that, your chances of winning would be virtually zero.”
“Then how!?”
I point my thumb at myself. “Because you have me. I can defeat the Lord of Chaos, and when I do, his entire army will fall with him.”
“Then why does he still stand?”
“That’s exactly what I plan to fix soon. But I need a little more time to get things ready. Unfortunately, I don’t have as long as I want, but I’ll have to make do with what time I have.”
There’s still a lot of doubt on the faces of the commanders and generals who make up the inner circle of the Orakian army. That’s only natural, considering they just learned that they’re going up against a god who might be able to read their very thoughts.
All their decades of training and experience on the strategies of war, and almost none of it can be used in what will be the most important battle in the history of this world. Though there’s still a need for small-scale tactics after the battle begins, so they’re not useless.
“It’s not all bad news.” I speak up after letting the people here ponder the implications for a brief moment. “Unlike Chaos, we can’t see into our enemy’s war room. But we have someone here who has been inside it many times.”
It’s Ashton’s turn to be stared at again, thanks to the hand I’m pointing his way.
“I’m happy to be of service.” He manages to sound like an overconfident Vampire Lord, despite his words.
“I still don’t trust him.” The same commander voices his opinion again.
“Worry not.” Tylith’s voice carries a similar tone to her brother’s. “I have dominated my brethren and forced them to obey my will. And I will not allow betrayal.”
Thanks to their recent missions, Tylith and the other girls have gained a lot of respect and reputation. It’s only because of their efforts that we managed to get every race and kingdom on the continent to join the war against Chaos.
When one of those reputable heroes speaks, people listen. That includes generals, nobles, and even kings.
So while empty words may not solve the core of the issue, Tylith adds even more weight to our argument, which finally silences all the critics.
“Alright.” I look around. “If we’re ready to start, then we’ll get to the main issue first. As I said, I need more time. But the enemy doesn’t want to give it to me. At this very moment, they are getting ready to march. Soon, they’ll cross into our lands, forcing us into the final battle. We can’t let that happen. At least, not yet.”
I motion to the map laid on the table. “The only way to prevent a tremendous loss of life is to evacuate the areas where Chaos will be invading. It’ll be a huge effort, but we don’t have a choice. The army will be spending the next few days clearing out the section where the fiends will be coming, just to give us that much extra time before we have to face them.”
The people gathered here watch as I use my hand to illustrate the area where the army is already beginning the evacuation. It cuts deep into Orakio’s territory, in a section of land where the population density is relatively high.
The reason so many people live there is the same reason why Chaos will be using it as an invasion route. It’s filled with flatlands, which is perfect for building a stable city, but also perfect for marching a hundred thousand fiends.
“If they can hear us,” another general says, “then wouldn’t they know our plan to evacuate and organize our defense? What would stop them from simply choosing another path, even if they have to contend with hills or swamps?”
“Because they’re not interested in those kinds of tricks any longer. The Lord of Chaos has all the power he needs to end this war, and he intends to use it quickly. He knows that I need time, and he doesn’t want to give it to me. Slowing down the final battle with trickery like that will only lower his chance of victory, not raise it.”
I point at one of the only hills that stretches through the grasslands we’re evacuating. “That’s how I know he’ll be coming here, to the spot where the plains meets these hills. Because right now I’m letting him know that this is where I’ll be. And if he wants to stop me, then he has no choice but to come and get me.”
Considering how absurd this battle plan seems, we knew there would be doubts in the minds of all the decorated soldiers who lead Orakio’s armies. Even the king himself only came around to it after a long discussion before this strategy meeting.
Rather than deal with so many commanders doubting our plan, it’s better to just reveal a few truths to force their hand, like the fact that we’re facing a god. When dealing with something so out of the ordinary, it’s much easier to accept a strategy that’s just as unorthodox.
“And what about you?” the same general asks. “What is it that you desperately need time to accomplish?”
“I have to get stronger. Not just me but also my companions, friends, and a few others who will be a big help in the final battle.”
“That’s it? You just need to get a little stronger? Is that something the Lord of Chaos fears so much that he’d let us choose the battlefield, despite knowing all of our plans?”
“It’s part of the reason I need time, but you’re right to assume there are other reasons. Unfortunately…” I look up and see a decorative ceiling. “There are still things I can keep secret from him, if I never say them out loud.”
“I thought you said he could read minds.”
“He can, to some degree. But he definitely can’t read mine. Of that, I’m sure. And if I want to keep those few secrets from him, you’ll just have to trust me when I say that all of this is necessary to win the war.”
Although I’ve revealed some truths to these people, there are still things that can’t be said. It’s true we could be overheard if he’s listening, but that only matters for a few, very specific secrets.
No, the reason I’m withholding so much information is simply because the people of this world aren’t meant to know them.
The Mana Network, the truth about who the Goddess and Mad God truly are, and the history of the world from before the Devastation 10,000 years ago. There are a lot of topics that the Goddess and Immortal Beings consider taboo.
Although I’ve broken a lot of those rules already, that doesn’t mean I need to go all the way and reveal everything to the whole world. My closest companions know the truth, and the rest have what they need to help save this world.
That’s good enough for me.