The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 164

“Charge forward!”

“Crush those filthy Magic Kingdom bastards!”

The troops of the Falcon Empire, leading the Elves and Beastmen, began their march.

However, at this moment, the momentum they displayed was completely different from what they had shown until now.

Since the end of the Racial War, following the leader’s orders, they had been engaged in excessive warfare, which had significantly lowered the morale of the continental soldiers.

To those high-ranking officials, this war could serve as a political justification, but for the rank-and-file soldiers wielding their swords on the battlefield, war was merely an act of reluctantly attacking the enemy to avoid punishment.

But right now, at this very moment, the mindset of the soldiers present was entirely different from their usual state.

“If we can’t defeat the Magic Kingdom, the entire world will be destroyed?”

“If we fail here, my wife and children back home will die too. We must stop them!”

The letter conveyed from the Demon Kingdom to the Elf Church Country and the Falcon Empire, and from those two nations to the Beastman Kingdom included an explanation of the Forbidden Magic, the Forbidden Dreamland, which the Magic Kingdom intended to unleash upon the entire continent.

If activated, the entire continent would become puppets of the Magic King…

In the worst-case scenario, it could lead to a massacre just like the past.

The leaders of each nation deliberately made this information public to their soldiers.

There was no reason to hide it now, but more importantly, their current situation was dire enough to warrant such desperate actions.

The national powers of the three countries had already been severely depleted due to consecutive wars.

They were in a state of shortage, not only in equipment and supplies but also in vital human resources.

Under such circumstances, to lead an army this significant and fight a battle so far away, they needed a compelling reason that could genuinely compel the soldiers to squeeze out every last bit of strength they had— a clear justification that all their precious loved ones could be in grave danger.

Thus, unlike before, the soldiers had gained an unmistakable reason to fight with all their might.

As a result, they marched forward, undeterred by the arrows and spells flying towards them.

“Die! You filthy Magic Kingdom bastards!”

“How dare you touch our families? I’ll kill you first with my own hands!”

The Alliance Army, unleashing pure hatred and engaging in fierce combat.

As a result, despite the Magic Kingdom’s advantageous defensive position, their forces faced continuous defeats, and the Alliance Army surged toward the capital of the Magic Kingdom, Lewie, without pause.

*

“Ugh… we’ve lost again?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

York spoke with concern to the girl sitting on the throne, who was the Magic King.

However, despite her worried report, the Magic King maintained a relaxed demeanor without a single blink.

“These pathetic fools, they have spilled their blood to complete the magic circle, and now they act like this. Truly foolish creatures.”

“Nevertheless, Your Majesty, their momentum is considerable. If we leave it like this, we might be interrupted in our rituals.”

“That may be so. Indeed… is it not the case that things in this world don’t simply go as planned? In that case, we have no choice but to play our cards more carefully.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Send Haas. With her and her troops, they should be able to hold back the enemy. And I’ll send Shude in her place.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Haas, the general of the Magic Kingdom, though his power might pale in comparison to the Four Demon Maidens, his reputation as a capable commander was not to be underestimated.

Moreover, unlike Shude, who had disbanded her army by participating in the Hero Party, Haas commanded a magic division made up of elite witches, capable of executing large-scale operations like this war.

Haas’s troops were not likely to be defeated by ordinary armies.

Up until now, they had been assigned significant responsibilities beyond simple regional defense, but upon the Magic King’s orders to mobilize them, York immediately issued commands related to the reassignment of duties.

The order was for Shude and a few soldiers to take over the duties originally assigned to Haas.

That was…

*

“Haah…”

Shude sighed heavily, her expressions filled with discontent as she moved with about twenty subordinates.

Noticing this, her aide, Rigras, expressed his concern.

“Are you alright, Shude?”

“Does this look alright to you? Seriously… how did I end up in this situation? Taking over for that braggart Haas…”

“To be honest, I think it’s a result of your numerous failures until now…”

“Guh…”

Shude could no longer respond to Rigras, who had struck a nerve.

She felt slightly offended, but the truth remained that her track record had indeed been on a downward spiral.

From participating in the Hero Party and getting imprisoned, to failing the mission of causing a ruckus in the Falcon Empire and blaming it on the Magic Kingdom.

Though her proven combat strength allowed her to maintain her position among the Four Demon Maidens, this sudden reassignment felt more like a demotion.

“No matter how few troops I have left after disbanding, to be assigned this job during a war? It’s practically the same as being a guard dog at home.”

Of course, this didn’t mean the mission was insignificant, but in the ongoing war where the fate of the Magic Kingdom lay in the balance, it was hard not to feel discontent.

Thus, feeling frustrated about her life, which had taken a downturn since the Hero Party, Shude couldn’t help but wish to play joyfully with her beloved pet, Torare, whom she had to leave behind because of her duty…

Simultaneously, she began to feel worried that he might be getting into mischief in her absence.

“At least I’ll be able to see him again in about a week… but hopefully he won’t be doing anything nasty with another girl while I’m gone! If he does, I’ll brand his cute little butt with my seal this time around.”

With such thoughts in mind, Shude finally arrived at the site in question.

Before her stood the massive temple, with the strong presence of the Red Stone firmly embedded at its center.

“Haah… well, it can’t be helped. After all, in about three weeks, this will all be over.”

If the Forbidden Dreamland is activated and the principles of the world start moving according to the Magic King’s will, there would no longer be a reason to mobilize troops to guard it.

In that sense, Shude’s duty was clearly set for that duration, and while she had her complaints, she decided to approach it like a temporary retreat in the countryside and focus on fulfilling her responsibilities.

“Besides, there are no enemies that would come here in the first place. No… but if some suitable foes show up, it might actually be a good opportunity. I could regain the trust I lost and have a chance to serve the King again…”

With that thought, Shude chose to calm herself, gazing at what she and her subordinates were to watch over for the next three weeks, and she spoke in a slightly steadied voice.

“That aside… I must say, every time I see it, it’s truly something else. That huge chunk of rock.”

“It is indeed a divine relic bestowed by God Neltarion. Depending on the situation, the magic contained within can be extracted, so let’s guard it well until the magic is activated.”

“True, that makes sense. Now Rigras, I’ll go in and sort things out, so don’t let your guard down and keep watch. Contact me if anything happens.”

“Yes, understood, Shude.”

With that, Shude moved to report to the temple officials.

As she did, she quietly pondered once more about the massive Red Stone before her.

“A sealing stone… I have no idea what is sealed within, but surely it must hold some significance beyond merely being a magic storage container. It might not concern me directly, but…”