Derent Miller sat up straight; he couldn’t understand why the prince was treating him so harshly.

"I’ve been careful with every single one of my actions," Lord Miller thought.

Still, a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. Thinking of the prince, he imagined a man driven mad by demonic power, capable of killing without hesitation.

"I... I apologize for speaking so rashly. It’s... it’s true—it could be a trap." Lord Miller, somewhat nervous as he spoke, chose to agree with the prince’s words.

The prince looked respectfully at his father, King Sition.

"Your Majesty," Absab said in a solemn tone.

The king and his son had been discussing possible traitors and their identities.

The conversation took place just before the meeting.

King Sition looked at the commanders and tapped the tabletop in front of them with his fingers.

"The prince is right, but that doesn’t mean Lord Miller’s words are without merit. If there is a chance to take advantage of an opportunity against the Empire and we don’t seize it, we will regret it," said King Sition, looking at Lord Miller with a firm yet respectful expression.

For a moment, Lord Miller felt relieved and supported. Before the war and the threat, he had been the king of the Milcoz Kingdom; now he was merely the lord of his territory, and that annoyed him a little.

"Lord Miller, and Lord Danev, your troops will lead the surprise assault on the Imperial camp. Attack at dusk; it would be best for each of you to attack one of the flanks of the Imperial army’s camp. I leave it to your discretion."

Lord Miller felt his relief turn to despair, which he tried to hide.

Orbic Danev, however, did not hide his feelings very well; he showed an expression of disgust, which he replaced with one of submission and fear when he felt the gaze of Prince Absab’s single eye.

"Damn Derent," Lord Danev cursed Derent in his mind, because it was Derent who had convinced him to support any chance of striking first. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Commander Marzon and Commander Jebab, you will wait in the rear to cover the possible retreat of the lords’ forces," King Sition instructed.

Both commanders nodded respectfully.

Lord Miller gritted his teeth in indignation; his plan to encourage an attack against the Imperial Army had worked, but not as he had hoped.

Earlier, he had held talks with Imperial Army commanders who had offered him a possible reward and a pardon if he encouraged the Presial Kingdom’s army to strike first.

He imagined that the mission would be difficult, but the imperial commanders who had entrusted it to him cared little whether a mere Lord succeeded or not.

However, he believed that the Imperial Army had created an opportunity; it never crossed his mind that a situation had actually arisen that had unsettled the Imperial Army, because despite that powerful demonic presence that intimidated many only to vanish shortly afterward, he found the Imperial Army—which had defeated demons and other kingdoms time and again—far more intimidating; although, at first he allied himself with the Presial Kingdom out of fear of Prince Absab, very soon after he sought other alternatives through treacherous methods.

With the map spread out on the table, Lord Miller and Lord Danev were given the floor to present their military tactics for attacking the left and right flanks of the imperial camp.

Lord Danev, a bald man with a black, braided beard and a robust build, dressed in dark brown clothing—formerly the king of the Kingdom of Denfer—quickly chose the left flank because that side had more uneven terrain than the right flank, giving him a better chance to hide and use the terrain to his advantage during a retreat, during which the enemy would hesitate to pursue him recklessly.

Lord Miller, who had been lost in thought, cursed Lord Danev for seizing the opportunity that left him in an even more unfavorable situation.

After both lords had presented their tactics and received some advice from other commanders, it was Commander Morzan’s and Commander Jebab’s turn.

The experienced Commander Morzan chose the left flank to take advantage of the uneven terrain and set up some formations and magical traps against potential pursuers.

Meanwhile, Commander Jebab was put in charge of Lord Miller’s army’s retreat.

Both commanders presented their tactics and tweaked them slightly until both lords felt a little more comfortable.

Once everything had been carefully planned, the commanders and lords left the king’s military tent to organize their troops.

As they stepped out of the military tent, Lord Miller and Lord Danev felt a cold sweat run down their backs; they glanced furtively at Prince Absab, but he was only looking at the map on the table.

"Are you sure you want to use those lords?" Prince Absab asked his father once they were alone in the tent.

"Don’t worry. After today, they will no longer be accepted by the empire, and they won’t have an important place in our kingdom either—as long as we manage to survive this war," said King Sition, who wore a pensive expression as he looked at the markers on the map representing the massive imperial army.

...

The Marquisate of Sevec.

In a spacious and comfortable study.

Marquis Mart Sevec, Balac Sevec, Teraz Sevec, the treasurer, and Moraf Arcariz had gathered there.

"Are you sure about this? Once you make this decision, there will be no turning back, and there will be even more friction with the Republican Council," Teraz warned his son.

"The Republican Council will never accept us unless we become councilors; proof of this lies in the belated support received by the demonic army led by the Great Generals that fought against the empire. Where was the Republican Council’s main force? They arrived only after one of the Great Generals had fallen, and then they seized the territories of the Duchy of Ertrael. I am certain of this decision; moreover, above all else, I believe it is best for the future of the demons," Mart Sevec stated in a calm but firm tone.

The treasurer remained silent; Mart had brought a sum of capital in gold, artifacts, and cores that amounted to just over a third of what they had currently invested in the war being waged on human territory.

"Those who submit must pay a tribute for the marquisate’s protection and support against potential threats," said the treasurer as he wrote in a notebook.

The treasurer was doing his job as an administrator and was directly responsible for the sound management of the marquisate’s finances; although it was a wealthy territory, it was not immune to the misfortune that poor administration could bring.

"I’ll leave that in your hands, especially in the future," Mart told the treasurer.

The treasurer was Selenia’s father’s brother, and he had proven to be quite talented in administrative and financial matters; he also had a team consisting of two highly trusted demons.

At that moment, the conversation was just beginning, and Balac Sevec did not hesitate to state his point of view as an experienced demon with a long life in which he had seen many things:

"If you choose that path, you may provoke a war in the demonic territory.