Chapter 72: Thorough Preparation for War
“Are the war preparations finalized?”
At his question, Jim smiled and adjusted his posture slightly.
With a gesture of pressing the center of his glasses with his index finger, he replied, “All preparations for war are in place, Your Majesty.”
“We will deploy 600,000 holy troops, comprising 200,000 infantry, 150,000 cavalry, 50,000 mages ranging from the highest to the lowest level, 50,000 archers, and 50,000 healer-type mages. The remaining 100,000 troops will be responsible for carrying supplies and serving as backup, Your Majesty.” Jim meticulously outlined all the completed plans to Velix.
Listening to this, Velix smiled slightly and nodded in satisfaction at Jim’s well-thought-out and perfect plan.
As his most trusted minister, Velix had no doubts about all his arrangements.
Continuing his inquiry, he asked, “Have the spies placed in the Demon race’s territory gathered any significant information?”
“We have indeed, Your Majesty. Our spies reported that the Demon Imperial Palace is aware of our invasion plan and has mobilized a substantial army to be ready against ours,” Jim responded calmly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.
With the nickname “Four-Eyed Devil” bestowed upon him, he never took the Demons too seriously, often tending to underestimate them.
As a great strategist, he always devises war plans against the Demon Race, and all of them culminate in victory.
Though he was aware that most victories were credited to Leon, who consistently led the wars, deep down, he remained steadfast in his belief that every triumph was the result of his behind-the-scenes efforts.
Velix raised one eyebrow at this slightly unexpected news and asked, “Do you have an estimate of the number of demon troops they will mobilize?”
Jim nodded, smoothly sliding his arms into the sleeves of his kimono-like robe.
“The estimate of the demon troops we’ll face ranges from 500,000 to 700,000, Your Majesty,” Jim reported.
“However, our spies couldn’t gather information on the troop composition; it appears the demons are keeping that closely guarded.” Jim chuckled as he elaborated.
“It appears the Demon Emperor of this era is quite capable and exceedingly cautious. We must exercise greater vigilance in this regard, Jim,” Velix remarked casually, though a subtle emphasis lingered in his tone.
Since the emergence of the enigmatic Demon Emperor in the chaos desert, Velix has become exceedingly vigilant, bolstering all guards at the Empire’s borders.
Despite the absence of further actions from the Demon Emperor in the end, it didn’t justify relaxation or complacency.
After all, someone capable of attaining the title of Demon Emperor and defeating Leon, even while he was under the influence of poison, was not to be underestimated.
“As you command, Your Majesty,” Jim smiled, folding his hands respectfully.
Velix nodded, then turned his gaze to Rain beside Jim.
“Rain, have you strengthened the magic arrays in the various border towns throughout the Empire as I ordered?” Velix inquired.
“Everything is set, Your Majesty. I’ve also integrated teleportation formation arrays at the center of each border town to counter any unforeseen Demon attacks,” Rain explained, her expression flat and emotionless, treating Velix’s orders as if they were mere trifles to her.
Naturally, with her power and prowess as the strongest mage in the Empire, it was effortless for her.
Let alone merely placing a few magic arrays in border towns, Rain was confident that with her abilities, she could create a magic array stretching across the entire Empire.
This was a testament to her confidence and her deepest pride.
“Good! You are indeed the mage I can rely on the most. It’s not in vain that I left this whole job to you, Rain,” Velix expressed with satisfaction, praising her without hesitation.
Despite Velix’s cruel and indifferent nature, he was not hesitant to offer praise to those he trusted, often rewarding them when they pleased him.
Of course, this generosity had also been extended to Leon earlier.
However, as Leon’s overwhelming strength grew rapidly and his talent became increasingly formidable, coupled with his burgeoning reputation that began to overshadow him, Velix didn’t hesitate to suppress him, resorting to devious schemes to eliminate him.
In his dictionary, no one should stand above him, not even heroes!
“Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty,” Rain replied indifferently.
Velix, unperturbed by her attitude, simply nodded in response.
Then, his gaze shifted to the beautiful blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman clad in light armor, none other than Natasya.
“Natasya, in the upcoming war, I want you to be the main commander, alongside the two heroes leading the charge. Considering the likelihood of multiple Demon generals commanding their army, you will need to support the other two heroes,” Velix ordered, adding a few additional directions.
Natasya was the strongest individual in the entire Empire, second only to the heroes.
Due to her remarkable abilities and talents, Velix held Natasya in high regard, appointing her as the main head of the legion and the primary general of the Holy Empire of Elysium.
His level of trust in her was equal to that which he placed in Jim and Rain.
“Yes, Your Majesty. As you command,” Natasya replied respectfully and calmly.
Velix nodded towards Natasya, then his gaze shifted to Guren beside her, regarding him with a subtly different expression than when he looked at Jim, Rain, and Natasya.
After all, when compared to them, Guren is undoubtedly an incredibly valuable asset.
Of course, it’s not to diminish the value of Jim, Rain, and Natasya, but as the sole person wielded with the hero’s destiny apart from the three heroes, it’s only natural that Velix would exhibit a slight bias towards Guren.
In the future, Guren will be his main weapon in achieving his ambitions and goals.
“Guren,” Velix called out indifferently, but with a hint of softness.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Guren stepped forward slightly and replied respectfully.
“In this war, I have high expectations for you to elevate your prestige in front of the entire populace. I trust you won’t disappoint me,” Velix said calmly yet firmly.
Upon hearing this, Guren, with a smile on his handsome face, replied confidently, “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I will prove myself worthy of the Holy Sword’s approval.”
Natasya and Rain exchanged glances upon hearing his words, as if silently communicating their thoughts with each other.
Velix nodded in satisfaction at his confidence; it was exactly what he wanted.
“Good… I appreciate your confidence and—” Before Velix could finish his sentence, the loud voice of the throne room door guard interrupted him abruptly.
[“The Spear Hero, Valen Thrugh, requests permission to enter the throne room!”]
Velix was slightly startled, but his expression quickly returned to calmness.
However, before he could grant permission to enter, a loud voice echoed from the direction of the throne room entrance.
“Hahahaha! Your Majesty Emperor, I heard that damn man met his end at the hand of the Demon Emperor… Is it true?”
pronovels.com
