I Planned a Su*cide Mission and Got Kicked Out of the Party

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The territory directly ruled by the Demon King’s Castle was originally the region where the Audrich family had risen, serving as the very foundation of the Empire. The fact that the Demon King had chosen this place for his base was a direct insult to the Empire and a rather effective provocation.

Allowing this area to be destroyed by the Demon King’s hand was an indelible scar for most Audrich people, a deeply rooted pain. And finally, they had reached the enormous stream that separated the Demon King’s Castle from the outside, which they had been unable to reach for years.

The river was not deep, but it was wide. It wasn’t rough enough to be an obstacle, but it had enough symbolism to serve as a border.

Jeongjae halted the army in front of the flowing water and murmured for a moment.

“We’ve come this far. A place I could only see on maps. A place everyone desperately wanted to reach, twisting and screaming all the way. This is it. We’ve finally made it here.”

“Say a word. It’s a symbolic moment.”

Margaret encouraged. Jeongjae shook his head. He thought it more fitting for her to deliver a speech in this situation.

“Margaret, you say something. I might just end up saying something deflating.”

“I believe you could do well, but if you insist, I’ll say a few light words.”

Margaret accepted the invitation and rode her white horse to the front of the formation.

The combined forces gathered at this site numbered around 150,000. Even from a distance, the sheer size was significant, the largest army humanity had mustered since the fall of the Caprice Empire.

This was the might of the alliance. This was the desperate struggle of two allied nations, squeezing out every ounce of their strength for one final blow.

“Comrades! We’ve finally reached this riverbank. I wish I could tell you that the dark night has ended and the sun is rising, but unfortunately, what lies before our eyes is a stormy cloud.”

Margaret began her speech.

“Clouds. Do you see those dark, thick clouds? Some can see them, while others cannot. But as we get closer, the dense fog will gradually reveal itself in a shape that we all can see, one that is familiar to us all. The clouds in the sky are the dark banners of our enemies, and the fog on the ground is their forces. The enemy still outnumbers us, their training is not poor, and their armaments are hardly lacking. Their commanders are skilled, and their monarch is powerful. Despite all this effort to come this far, our task has not become any easier. If anything, it seems to have become even harder.”

Margaret coldly pointed out the reality. The sight of 800,000 enemy soldiers gathering like clouds near the castle was, no matter how optimistically viewed, certainly not a comfortable situation.

“However, behind those thick storm clouds, the sun must exist, and when the clouds disappear in a red rain, the sun will surely reveal itself. The blood—blood from the enemies flowing from our weapons will be the gentle rain that sweeps away those clouds. Twelve years ago, when justice could do nothing and retreated helplessly, much has changed. The north wind has ceased, and the south wind blows. The flames of greed that sought to devour the world have turned into flames of revenge for what was taken, moving with the wind.”

Margaret took out a horn from her chest. Jeongjae recognized the shape of that horn. It was the horn of the Demon King, Violet Moriarty, which Margaret had acquired during the Queen’s War.

“It is difficult to defeat the Demon King. But it is not an impossible task. Our numbers may be only 150,000, but all the free people of the empire, numbering in the millions, wish for our victory, marching together in spirit. The hopes of the 200,000 citizens of Eramenia rest upon our shoulders. Look over there; faintly fluttering beyond the clouds are the enemy’s black flags. That is proof that our opponents lie there, and what I hold in my hand is the proof that we can defeat them.”

Margaret brought the horn to her mouth. It had not only been carved into the shape of the Demon King’s horn, but it had also been reprocessed with Eramenian technology, infused with magical power.

Such an excellent tool to inflict humiliation upon the enemies and to inspire the morale of our allies had never existed before. The Elf Lord took a deep breath, and with a blast—BOOM!—a massive sound resonated through the air, shaking the earth and water.

With the sound of the horn, the water began to bubble and boil. The sound of the horn floated through the air, reaching all the way to the Demon King’s Castle.

The Demon King, who surely heard this sound, could not be unaware that its source was her severed horn. This was one of the most provocative declarations of war in history and one of the most terrifying threats as well.

Before the bubbling of the water could settle, Jeongjae drew his Holy Sword and raised it high.

“Cross the river!”

And the leading troops slowly advanced into the river.

With the sound of splashing, the vanguard’s cavalry crossed the river first. Following them, the infantry also moved in unison over the boundary, pushing into the heart of the Demon King’s Castle. There were no forces to stop them, no obstacles to hinder them.

The river was shallow, thus unfavorable as a natural defense. It was better than nothing, but it seemed the Demon King had deemed it suicidal to face an army revitalized right at the border of the old Audrich principality.

Jeongjae, having crossed the river at the forefront, spoke to Margaret who had also crossed alongside him.

“From here on, we must divide our forces. There isn’t just one route to target the Demon King’s Castle.”

Jeongjae took out Harriet’s Glasses for serious command. Margaret nodded.

“I will act according to our prior agreement. Let’s stay closely in touch. More than anything, we must be cautious that communication between each legion doesn’t break, considering how quickly the situation can change.”

“Understood.”

“Remember this, Hero. From the balcony of the Demon King’s Castle, all movements of the forces within this territory can be monitored in real time, and thus her response will inevitably be quicker than ours. We have no choice but to crush her with overwhelming force that can surpass that rapid response.”

“We’ll try. Whether it ends in success or failure, we will try.”

After confirming that the majority of the soldiers had crossed the stream, Jeongjae surged forward, drew his Holy Sword, and shouted.

“From here on, we divide the forces! You already know your roles, but I’ll reiterate for confirmation. The First Army of the Audrich Empire, numbering 52,000, will be commanded by Alex Harker. The new banner of the Harker family, the Red Cross, is the symbol of our forces!”

The Harker forces moved off to the left carrying the new standard of the Harker family. The red background with a white cross depicted on Alex’s new flag resembled the Swiss flag, but the only difference was that it featured the Latin cross, the former symbol of the Harker family. This was a newly established banner that preserved the Caprice imperial colors, symbolizing respect for the deceased Jenis Harker.

“The Second Army of 33,000 will be commanded by Sally Jeffrey. The seed emblem of the Jeffrey family will serve as the symbol of the army.”

The joint command of Jeffrey and Koesernis, primarily made up of southern alliance forces, mingled and split off to take their positions.

Jeongjae did not have high expectations for this army. However, just because he didn’t expect much didn’t mean their importance was diminished. Their mission was thorough control, pre-occupying likely retaliation spots for the main force, blocking enemy counterattacks, or at the very least buying time to relay information to the main force.

Of course, if necessary, this group could be used for an offensive as well. After all, 33,000 was not a small number.

“The Third Army consists of 40,000 directly under my command. We will rush to the main gate of the Demon King’s Castle as quickly and efficiently as possible. Rough battles and difficult journeys are expected. If you desire even slightly more comfortable engagements, you may propose to transfer to another legion at any time.”

Of course, there wasn’t a single soldier who would do that. Having divided the imperial forces into three, Jeongjae fully entrusted the command of the rest of Eramenia’s army to Margaret.

Margaret divided the small number of Eramenian soldiers into two, completing the formation of five legions. A military operation aimed ruthlessly at striking the Moriarty Empire into eternal ruin from the south, east, and west.

This was undoubtedly the final battle in some form. As there was no place left to retreat, whoever won this contest would certainly emerge as the ultimate victor.

Jeongjae had never shouldered a responsibility with such immense weight in his lifetime. This was indescribably different from merely grading exams for undergraduates or studying all night as a “mere” task.

Even when blocking enemies in countless skirmishes or even burning down the castle of a non-member, the weight of responsibility had never been this great. The fate of both humanity and elves didn’t rely solely upon him.

Struggling to hide his trembling and tension, Jeongjae began leading his legion towards the Demon King’s Castle.

The grand army, divided into five paths, advanced toward the Demon King’s Castle at their own pace. It was now time for Violet’s side to show some sincerity.

“The army coming from the west is under the command of the red-haired brat, Jean Helmut. I’ll send 200,000, so break his spirit completely. It shouldn’t be hard since I’ve already cooked him once.”

The Emperor commanded. Helmut bowed his head in reply.

“Yes, Your Majesty. This time, I will take the head of the royal who escaped previously.”

“The local troops are of no concern. That army closely resembles a reserve unit at first glance, not a force meant for a full-blown attack. I don’t have the luxury to waste forces stopping them. Just send about 10,000 to hold them back.”

The Demon King’s Castle had its own magical reconnaissance system. Though its performance wasn’t as stellar as Reina’s red eyes, it was still a powerful reconnaissance system that could clearly grasp the movements of an army approaching the castle.

The Demon Army could definitely see the movements of the Northern Expeditionary Force, and half-hearted tricks would not work here. This made Jeongjae, who was not particularly fond of deceptions and was straightforward, a fitting choice for this mission.

The Demon King expressed dissatisfaction with the straightforward movements of the imperial army, which showed no inclination to deceive.

“But this way, it lacks the thrill of response. The Eramenia army is too strong; sending a few troops will not break through. It’s not wise to worry too much about the other side. Fortunately, they are advancing east, so let’s call our troops stationed in the east and have them continue to probe. We may not be able to repel the enemy, but we can at least delay them.”

The last remaining force was Jeongjae’s main unit. The Demon King glared at Jeongjae with a hateful expression, baring sharp fangs.

“And is that the Holy Sword that killed her? The enemy’s main force must be that legion. Gather 500,000 under my command immediately. If we concentrate our power for one strike, defeating that group will shatter this offensive. I will gather the strongest power available and turn them into mincemeat!”

The Demon King’s judgment was a blend of reason and emotion. Thus, the defense strategy of the Demon King was decided, and it wasn’t long before each army would encounter the legion they were meant to face.

The first clash occurred between the First Army commanded by Alex and the Terkeon army commanded by Helmut.

Helmut had expected Alex to go wild with excitement at the sight of him, but Alex surprisingly remained calm.

“That guy is human.”

Alex said.

“And he knows how to handle human hearts all too well. Don’t be fooled. Calculate how the enemy moves arithmetically.”

“Your Highness, you’ve arrived splendidly! If my previous farewell was insufficient, seeing you show up uninvited makes me smile involuntarily!”

In the end, Helmut stepped forward directly to provoke Alex. Alex, mounted on his iron steed, boldly listened to Helmut’s words.

“Jean Helmut. You either deny your ancestors’ name or inherit it. You can’t do both. What a disgraceful thing to do. Lyon Helmut has long symbolized a righteous general among us humans. Each time I see you, I’m not laughing; rather, I feel gloomy at the thought that Helmut’s name will become synonymous with betrayal.”

“Once this battle is over, no one will remember Helmut as a traitor, so don’t worry unnecessarily.”

“Even your own subordinates will realize you’re a betrayer and a killer. Infamy spreads faster among allies than it does among enemies.”

Helmut, who had stepped forward intending to excite Alex, turned red in the face due to Alex’s calm response. Although he was indifferent to how he was treated within the Audrich Empire, he was highly sensitive to being perceived as a cruel slaughterer in the eyes of his men during the execution of Violet’s commands.

“So what, brat? Have you come here to collapse the palace of the Terkeon Empire and wage war against the Demon King’s Castle?”

“A siege of the Demon King’s Castle, huh? That’s a perfect name for this war, Jean Helmut.”

Alex Caprice raised his spear.

“But this land is where our people first emerged. Until we advance south and conquer Caprice, this is the very land our ancestors established and fought day in and day out against the demonic tribes. I intend to leave this battle in the annals of history as the Audrich Restoration War for future generations.”

“Attack!”

Helmut, giving up on mentally breaking Alex, immediately issued the command to attack. The first large-scale battle of the Audrich Restoration War erupted here.