Sanatoria
“Lady Sanatoria, battle formations are complete.”
“Mm.”
I scarcely even respond to the report from my aide.
There’s no need to tell me what I already know.
My command, the Second Army, is positioned on a hill where we can see one of the key positions of the humans: Fort Okun.
Fort Okun is built quite close to the Mystic Mountains, so it is protected by terrain nearly as treacherous as the mountain range itself.
From our vantage point, we can clearly see the sheer cliffs that block our way like walls and the imposing fortress that seems half-fused with its rocky surroundings.
As the stronghold that has repelled demon invasions for countless years, it’s obvious at a glance just how difficult it would be to take it down.
Hardly an encouraging thought for yours truly, since it is my mission to do just that.
But this isn’t even a particularly tough assignment.
The humans have often had to endure invasions by us demons throughout history, and so they’ve built up nigh-impregnable defenses.
In other words, regardless of the invasion route, we’re in for a bad time.
Or to put it another way, we’re screwed no matter where we go.
Honestly, what a headache.
As I heave a sigh, my aide surreptitiously looks away, his face somewhat red.
He’s been my aide ever since I became a commander, yet he still doesn’t seem used to being around me.
You see, I come from a line of what they call succubi.
We possess a rare skill called Salacious that we hone and use as a weapon, helping our family to maintain its noble rank for generations.
As the name implies, Salacious is highly effective on anyone attracted to the opposite sex, and any behaviors that might entice the target only enhance the skill’s effects further.
The members of my family played to our strengths, thoroughly cultivating every aspect of our mannerisms to make us look as bewitching and seductive as possible.
As a result, I tend to give off a certain allure without even trying, to the point where some of my all-male battalion complain that it’s too much of a good thing.
The main effect of the Salacious skill is brainwashing. It’s a skill that allows the user to control others as they please.
Though, sad to say, the effect has its limits.
The brainwashing automatically wears off after a certain amount of time, and I can’t exactly force my will on others, either.
If I give an order that the target has a strong aversion to, it can even break the brainwashing effect entirely.
Yet, in spite of all these restrictions, the success rate of the brainwashing is also quite low.
It’s a terribly unwieldy ability, and to top it all off, the skill is incredibly difficult to level up.
People often question whether it’s even possible to trust someone with the power to brainwash others, and…well, it’s a fair concern.
Many men are always worrying that I’m going to brainwash them, too.
Which is exactly why most people don’t attempt to acquire or train the Salacious skill.
But my family has gone against the current.
You could say we found a very specific niche to fill.
Still, having a brainwashing-related ability often means being the subject of undue suspicion.
That’s why, I’m told, my ancestors have been bending the knee to the Demon Lord, and to other nobles as well, for generations.
They spread the word themselves that ours is not a particularly strong ability and made it common knowledge that we would never brainwash someone for nefarious purposes.
My ancestors went around fawning and bootlicking like you wouldn’t believe, projecting the idea that they were to be used, not the other way around.
So, after generations of that, we scraped together enough influence and authority to call ourselves a noble family.
In the present day, the succubus line is actually known better for their subservience than their Salacious skill.
You must admit, it’s quite amusing that the representative of such a family is someone who doesn’t hold an ounce of loyalty toward the Demon Lord.
But maybe that was inevitable.
The previous generation’s Demon Lord was killed, and the next one disappeared not long after.
How could anyone maintain a sense of loyalty without a demon lord to revere?
Especially when the one currently sitting on the throne is some no-name little girl who appeared out of nowhere. Who would accept her wholeheartedly simply because she claims to be the Demon Lord?
And right as we were enjoying a time of peace, she suddenly declares that she’s restarting the war.
I let out another sigh, this time laden with sorrow.
Not far away, I hear someone gulp.
My aide shoos them away silently.
At first, this aide used to get adorably flustered by everything I did, but lately he’s been spreading rumors to the soldiers that just looking at me could poison them. Can you believe that?
Talk about rude.
And he’s even started asking me things like, “Could you please try to uphold military regulations and discipline?”
Why should I? I never wanted to join the military in the first place.
The army’s job, of course, is to fight the humans.
But that was in the era of demon lords of past generations. Since the throne was more or less vacated, our focus has been on rebuilding our territory.
And that was for the best.
It’s far easier to deal with monsters and criminals than to wage war.
If nothing else, it meant a commander like me was much less likely to die.
But that’s certainly not the case in an open conflict with the humans.
If I make one wrong move, it could easily cost me my life.
And obviously, that’s the last thing I want.
Which is why I attempted to put an end to the cause of the war.
Namely, the current Demon Lord…
But that was a big mistake.
Crunch. Crunch.
The noise still echoes in the back of my mind.
Nereo, the Ninth Army Commander who tried to oppose the Demon Lord with us…he was eaten by the Demon Lord before my eyes.
A political purge.
The gruesome chewing sounds from that encounter are still stuck in my ears, even now.
That was the moment I realized what a deadly enemy I’d made.
A monster.
I had moved against the one person I never should have crossed.
By the time I realized that, it was already too late. I had no choice left but to try to ingratiate myself with this Demon Lord.
Who would’ve thought that I’d end up on the same path as my ancestors after all?
Honestly, you’ve got to laugh.
But there’s no other option—it’s either that or be killed.
I have to cast everything aside, especially my pride, and lick her boots—literally, if she tells me to.
But I doubt a little bowing and scraping will be enough for that monster to let me off the hook.
In truth, I was doomed the moment she became the Demon Lord.
Because her goal isn’t to win the war—it’s for as many demons to be killed in the war as possible.
No, not just demons. Humans, too.
Essentially, she only cares about the number of lives lost, with winning or losing being secondary.
If demons and humans wiped each other out entirely, she wouldn’t be able to ask for a more favorable outcome.
In other words, our only job is to kill as much as possible and be killed in return.
When you put it that way, I’m really only deciding whether I want to be killed by the Demon Lord or fall in battle against the humans. It might just be a matter of whether I die sooner or later.
The worst part is that this war against the humans still seems to offer a higher likelihood of survival than defying that horrifying Demon Lord.
And even then, the chances are slim…
But I’ll attack Fort Okun as best as I can.
I don’t have any clever way of putting this, but it looks like the definition of an impregnable fortress.
Attacking it head-on would make for a tough battle—that’s for certain.
Impossible? I wouldn’t go quite that far.
But whether we win or lose, it’s inevitable that we would suffer some serious losses.
If we attack head-on, that is.
“Here they come.”
As I watch, a change begins to occur.
But it’s not the fortress. It’s on the surface of a mountain nearby.
The mountain is moving.
Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that’s not a mountain at all.
It’s a swarm of countless monsters.
The mountain is covered in them so completely that you can’t even see the surface.
And the swarm is heading straight for Fort Okun.
These monsters are called anogratches.
But they’re also known by another, more sinister name: revenge monkeys.
A single anogratch is hardly a major threat, but the real danger lies in their group behavior.
Swarms of anogratches form strong bonds. If a single one of them is killed, the rest will go after the offender with all their might.
Even if it means every last one of them is wiped out.
Once someone has provoked a swarm of anogratches, it can only end in one of two ways: wipe out the entire swarm or sacrifice the person who set them off.
But if anogratches attack a place where a large group of people is gathered, anyone who kills anogratches to defend themselves will only make themselves new targets of the swarm’s thirst for vengeance.
And as this spreads, eventually everyone involved will become a target.
In which case, the fighting will simply continue until one side is completely wiped out.
So now the people in Fort Okun must either defeat the entire swarm of anogratches or be wiped out themselves.
On top of that, this happens to be the monkeys’ breeding season.
At their height, the swarms of anogratches that overflow from the Mystic Mountains become the greatest threat that demons face this time of the year.
And it just so happens that I captured one without killing it and had a brainwashed soldier carry it inside the fortress.
The results are playing out right this very moment.
The horde thunders down the mountain and across the plain, charging straight toward the fortress.
Attack Magic shoots out from the fort, whittling away at the monkeys’ numbers.
As if that will do them any good.
There are still plenty more where those came from. The anogratches already cover the entire mountain face, and they still keep coming.
The monkeys are quickly clambering over the walls of the fort, pressing onward even as their comrades are shot down.
Overwhelming numbers.
When I imagine what would happen if their vengeance was directed toward us instead, I can’t help but shiver.
A rather cruel fate, if I do say so myself.
“Looks like it went off without a hitch.”
“Yes, ma’am. Perfectly executed.”
My aide and I nod at each other.
I never intended to bring Fort Okun down with the Second Army in the first place. It’s simply far too risky.
Instead, we merely watch as the first wave of anogratches crests the fort’s walls.
At this point, our victory is already assured.
Once those monsters get inside the fort, it’s only a matter of time before the entire thing comes down.
“And without a single loss for our side.”
“As you say. Although now we will not be able to approach the fort for some time.”
I suppose that’s true.
That the fort simply belongs to the anogratches instead of the humans now—we still can’t carelessly attempt to attack it.
But that doesn’t matter one bit.
“A trivial concern. Besides, our goal here was never to take the fort for ourselves. This is perfectly acceptable.”
“That is very true. I must say, that was an ingenious move, ma’am.”
“Oh, you flatter me.”
I did use the Salacious skill to brainwash an enemy soldier into bringing the anogratch into the fort, but even without that, we still could have found another way to sneak it inside.
This strategy didn’t require me to succeed.
I do think of myself as a rather competent commander, even among my fellow demons.
But in the end, it’s only the smallest of edges.
I don’t defy definition like the Demon Lord.
There’s a limit to what an ordinary individual like me can do.
And yet, even so…
“I’m sorry, Demon Lord. I’m afraid I have no intention of meekly going along with your wishes.”
If I defy her, I’ll die.
If I obey her, I’ll die all the same.
The only reasonable decision is to obey her as best I can while looking for a way out.
If I simply do as she says, eventually she’ll have no further use for me, I’m sure.
“You may think it inappropriate behavior for a demon, but I have achieved my mission nonetheless. Perhaps you’ll let this one slide?”
I know it’s a selfish wish, but the best I can hope for is that she’ll overlook my insolence.
As I hang on to that slim hope, I continue to watch as the anogratches overrun Fort Okun.
THE FORT DAZARRO BATTLE THE KEY POINTS!
Welcome back to White Explains It All!
As you can see, the fort our little Shota is supposed to attack is surrounded by rivers!
That’s right: rivers!
The dangers of massive amounts of moving water cannot be overstated!
Did you know that it’s super hard to cross a river?
If you’re finding it difficult to imagine, maybe pay a visit to a countercurrent pool or something.
Try to cut across that without getting swept away and see how well you do.
And since we’re talking about an army here, that means everyone’s gonna be carrying weapons and armor and all kinds of other stuff.
Depending on the depth of the water, sinking and drowning are real threats.
Horses and supplies will get swept away by the current, too.
Even with stats, you can’t afford to underestimate the power of Mother Nature.
Plus, they’ll be defenseless while they’re trying to cross, meaning the enemy can snipe at them as much as they please.
That’s how you end up with two armies just glaring at each other from opposite sides of a river.
Neither of ’em wants to make the crossing!
Looks like our pal Shota is going to try to attack the enemy with long-distance magic instead of attempting to ford the river.
Go, go, Shota! Don’t lose, Shota!
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