Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 125

Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~

Chapter 125   The Margrave’s Move

“The invasion from the Demon Realm has finally begun…”

“Indeed! According to reports from the southern continent, the battles have intensified, resulting in a staggering number of casualties. Fortunately, for some reason, the number of injured who can return to the front lines far exceeds the number of dead.”

“That must be the demons’ strategy. It seems they aim to increase the number of burdens on the battlefield.”

At the lord’s castle of Zalug Drashade, a key figure in the Calamiera Church, this conversation took place. He was now desperately compiling a report for a certain individual, his trembling hands betraying his anxiety.

However, the envelope bore no recipient address, only his own name as the sender and the words “To my God” on the front. Normally, such a letter would never reach its intended recipient, but this form of communication had been in use for nearly ten years.

The shadow operative who brought the information understood this, observing calmly without concern. Somehow, these letters always reached their destination, and the correspondence had successfully resolved numerous issues over the years.

“The enemy force is approximately 100,000 demons. Including monsters, it’s five times that… no, even ten times that. The hero won’t make it in time if he departs now.”

The first target of the invasion was the magical nation of Rulans, the homeland of Hero Ars’s mother, Elsa.

Of course, if the southern continent pooled all its resources, they could muster a force to counter the enemy numbers. But that wouldn’t suffice. While lower-level demons might be manageable, the enemy ranks included mid-level and even high-level demons.

Moreover, it was said that one of the Four Heavenly Kings was openly leading the invasion in the human realm.

With such monsters in the fray, sheer numbers wouldn’t guarantee victory. Even though the number of high-level demons among the invading force was less than one-thousandth of the total 100,000-strong demon army, their threat level was immeasurable.

The number of monsters was ten times that of the demons. Even if the entire continent’s forces were united, it was evident that the battle would be unfavorable.

The Calamiera Church, located on the western continent, announced it would send reinforcements to Rulans, the largest nation on the southern continent. However, it seemed a futile effort.

Of course, the intentions of the Calamiera Church were understandable. The greatest visible threat was the Four Heavenly Kings and their direct subordinates, about a hundred high-level demons.

If they could somehow manage to eliminate these formidable foes, who were beyond the capabilities of ordinary knights and adventurers, there would be a chance for victory. This made sense. Without their leaders, the demon hordes would be nothing more than a disorganized rabble.

Moreover, the presence of the legendary hero, the saintess, and the Sword Saint, the strongest knight of the Chruch, made it hard to imagine their mission failing. Their prowess was beyond measure, as evidenced by their performances in past events.

For instance, the champion of the martial arts tournament once held in the Church, and the captain of the Holy Knights, appeared almost insignificant compared to these exceptional individuals.

However, the issue troubling the Margrave lay elsewhere.

“It’s too late. It’s impossible no matter how we look at it. Unless they can ride a dragon and head for the southern continent from the skies immediately, the time it takes to travel from the capital to the port town and then by ship is insufficient.”

The problem was time.

It took several weeks for the specialized shadow operatives to bring back information from the intensifying war zone. They used every possible means to expedite this crucial information.

By the time the heroes arrived in Rulans, the southern continent would be in ruins. Even if the hero reached there, how could they handle the numerous mid-level and lower demons and monsters, a task impossible for a single person?

No matter how powerful they were, they would eventually be exhausted by such numbers. This was a task meant for knights and adventurers to handle.

“However, we humans still have an ace up our sleeve, one even the demons do not know about. It’s not the hero, the saintess, or the Sword Saint, but that individual.”

“The hero’s father, you mean…”

“Watch your tongue. Do not speak of the divine so lightly. Your words lack the reverence due to him.”

At the Margrave’s glare, the shadow operative stiffened, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. Though he appeared pitiful, he was a first-rate warrior and assassin. However, even he struggled to cope with the killing intent of a man entrusted with the border not just for his political acumen but also for his martial prowess.

“M-my apologies…”

“Well, it’s understandable that an ordinary person like you cannot fully grasp the existence of such a being. It’s no wonder you can’t place your complete faith in him.”

With that, the Margrave handed the completed report to his subordinate, the shadow operative, and simply instructed, “To the usual place.”

◇

“Hey, hey. The old Margrave investigated all this on his own? For a human, that’s quite impressive.”

“My lord, Zalug Drashade is not only a leading politician in the Church but also its guardian. While he may not match the Holy Knight Captain in pure martial prowess, his overall abilities in tactics and strategy likely make him unrivaled within the Church.”

This conversation took place at the base of one of the four magical castles in the unexplored eastern continent. Having concluded the meeting between his son and his former subordinate, Gaius, the lower-class demon found himself with some free time and decided to take a vacation with his wife, Elsa.

Recently, with matters concerning the heavenly realm and various trials, they hadn’t had much time alone together, which had made Elsa a bit unhappy. This was his way of making up for it with some family time.

“However, this time, the old Margrave has a tough opponent. After all, I’m the one behind this.”

The letter that had been sent detailed the number and composition of the enemy demons, the predicted deployment of enemy forces, the humans who should be prioritized for rescue from a strategic standpoint, and many other details. This was all compiled within half a day from the information brought by the Margrave’s shadow operatives.

Even though the letter was handed to Mini-Kakyou and instantly delivered through teleportation, the speed at which this work was processed was extraordinary.

He truly deserved to be called the greatest guardian of the Calamiera Church. While his individual skills with sword and magic might fall short of the Sword Saint or the Holy Knight Captain, his overall influence surpassed them.

“Well, that’s why he has so many exceptionally skilled shadow operatives following him.”

The lower-class demon pondered for a moment. The shadow operatives serving the Margrave varied widely in skill, but the particular family involved in this operation comprised his most elite fighters, ones he could consider his trump card. They were possibly among the finest shadow operatives in the world.

This was because Zalug Drashade, who supported the Church from the shadows, commanded numerous families. The only ones he couldn’t mobilize were the royal family’s shadow organization, but in terms of quality, the shadow families operating in the southern continent were skilled enough to be remembered in history.

This was why they could gather information while eluding the Four Heavenly Kings. Knowing this, it was remarkable that they managed to avoid the eyes of the Demon King’s direct subordinates. The evaluation was, “For humans, they’re doing exceptionally well.”

“That said, they still can’t compare to our Elsa Mama! Hahaha!”

“Oh, I’ve already left my days as an assassin behind, so I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, I’m simply the happiest wife in the world, married to a somewhat peculiar husband.”

“Oh, right.”

But that was then, and this is now. The lower-class demon, formerly known as Kakyu, was currently on vacation.

Regarding the problematic transportation issue, if they used the fire dragon Ballus, they could reach the southern continent by tomorrow. This was the reason why Gaius had arrived on the fire dragon Ballus, so there was no need to worry.

Though he felt sorry for those who had fallen in the war with the demons who held negative views of humans, they just needed to endure a little longer.

After all, the one heading towards them was truly the hope of humanity—the strongest hero in history, Ars, trained by the most terrifying lower-class demon.