Chapter 185
Erich faced the approaching army from afar.
At the forefront rode the cavalry led by Milon, and behind them followed the groups marching under Ungrim and Hrung-ga.
The soldiers cheered at the sight of them. This was, in effect, because it meant they had returned ringing their first victory against the dead.
Erich welcomed them and called a meeting to hear the details. All the coalition's officers were present at the meeting.
There, Ungrim stood up and spoke.
"As expected, the dragon targeted by the Lord of the Dead was there. It is still alive—it seems the king hasn't absorbed its power yet."
Everyone began murmuring.
Winning against those creatures was certainly cause for joy, but the fact that the legendary dragon really existed meant that the stories they'd heard about the Lord of the Dead were also true.
After all, the very concept of the Lord of the Dead was so transcendent it was hard to grasp.
This event made the threat feel much more real for the Watch and the coalition.
But then Milon spoke up.
"However, by the lord's command, we have achieved our first victory against the foe. We managed to eliminate nearly ten thousand dead."
It was clear Milon thought achieving the first victory was meaningful in itself.
But then, Sven from the north spoke.
"How many enemies were there in total?"
"... Well."
"You must have seen them yourself, haven't you?"
Ungrim glanced at Erich. Erich gave a reluctant nod. Ungrim then spoke.
"... It looked to be millions."
"Millions... heh...."
In the Empire, men from the north were famous for their bravery and fearlessness.
Living so close to the barbarians, their temperament was known to be equally rough.
But even those men turned pale at the numbers Ungrim reported.
Millions.
Had the Empire ever faced millions of enemies before?
Even recalling legendary wars of ages past, the numbers had never exceeded several hundred thousand.
Even worse, their opponents weren't mere conscripted peasants, but the dead—each one required decapitation to truly fall.
Fear deepened on every face in the room.
Erich understood the fear they felt.
'... Millions.'
Before the regression, Erich had faced the millions-strong forces of the dead in person.
'And, we lost.'
In the end, Erich had already suffered defeat at the hands of the Lord of the Dead.
Even if, unlike last time, the king's power had now been weakened thanks to Erich's actions across many fronts, their forces were still severely outnumbered.
However, Erich slowly began to speak. It was to comfort the fearful crowd.
"If we can prevent the Lord of the Dead from absorbing the dragon, we might not have to face all those dead at once."
"... What do you mean?"
"All these dead are creations of the Lord of the Dead. They are under his command. If the Lord of the Dead is eliminated..."
"The dead will collapse as well. I understand that. But do you actually have a way to defeat the Lord of the Dead?"
Sven questioned him.
Of course, Sven wasn't asking because he didn't believe in Erich's strength—it was a much deeper question.
He meant: could Erich defeat an enemy who commanded millions with magical power?
At the somewhat pointed query, Milon burst out quickly.
"Then what do you expect us to do! If there's another way...."
"I'm no fool. I know perfectly well there's no alternative. But I must ask: Are you truly confident you can defeat him?"
Milon gazed quietly at Erich. The other attendees reacted similarly.
'... They aren't simply asking me about victory or defeat.'
Erich realized that Sven's question, and the anxious looks from everyone present, were not simple.
This wasn't just a question of whether he could defeat the king; it was their vague, collective fear made audible.
"......"
Those gathered here agreed with the standard Erich had set.
They all knew that if they didn't stop the enemy here, the Empire would fall.
But even these men, upon hearing the enemy's numbers, began to doubt not only whether their commander Erich could win, but whether they themselves stood a chance.
What hope could Erich offer them?
Then, from a quiet corner of the room, Mikhail slowly spoke.
"In the past, there was one called Barbalonga. Is there anyone here who doesn't know that name?"
Mikhail's sharp gaze swept over the lords.
'Barbalonga the Undying.'
There was no one of any learning in the Empire who had not heard his name.
No matter how many times he was killed, he would not die, defeating the Watch single-handedly.
Stories and rumors of him had shaken the entire Empire.
It was thanks to Barbalonga that Mikhail and August became known throughout the Empire—for they were the swordsmen who felled him.
That's how significant the name Barbalonga was. Mikhail continued.
"Then, as now, someone asked me: could I really defeat Barbalonga? What do you think I replied?"
"...'Of course'?"
At someone's reply, Mikhail gave a wry laugh.
"Those who think I said that only know me after I killed Barbalonga. Back then, I said, 'I'm not sure.'"
Not only the audience but also Erich looked surprised.
Given Mikhail's usual manner, hearing such a hesitant answer was unexpected.
"But I added one thing: 'However, there is no other option.' All of you here must feel the same. Aside from standing against the Lord of the Dead, is there any other path open to us?"
Mikhail looked at the lords with a piercing gaze. They too understood, and silently nodded.
At that point, Leonor's Abe spoke up.
"Everyone is shaken, sir Mikhail. Who could hear the number 'millions' and not be afraid?"
"People fear even bandits on the road; what enemy in this world is truly free of fear?"
Mikhail laughed quietly with a 'heh heh'.
Erich allowed a faint smile. With Mikhail setting the tone, it was now Erich's job to draw out hope from within the men.
"But we do not have to die for sure. We have just found the lair of the creature that is the king's greatest source of power."
"... You mean Albrecht?"
"That's right. My agents recently discovered his lair. Thus, we must split our forces in two."
"... Why two? Isn't it difficult enough just to throw everything at stopping the dragon's absorption?"
Erich nodded toward Ceres. Then Ceres spoke.
"There are other ways to use the method of sealing the Lord of the Dead with the dragon's power given by Commander Erich. If we can use that power, then conversely, there are ways to stop him as well."
"... So, how can we prevent the Lord of the Dead from absorbing the dragon's power?"
"We need many mages and shamans, and a certain proximity to the dragon."
"So, we are to confront him."
The lords exchanged wary glances. Ceres' words were simple: if they drew close enough, they could interfere with the king's ritual, buying time and delaying the absorption.
"But mere interference might not be enough. Even if we slow him down, doesn't that just mean he'll eventually succeed anyway?"
Someone asked. But Erich replied.
"Yes. That would only buy us time. However, if in that process we can eliminate those among the enemy who pose the greatest threat, isn't that an effective measure in another sense?"
A smile curled Erich's lips. This plan was for them to fight after severing the enemy's limbs—that is, fight after weakening the Lord of the Dead's army as much as possible.
The lords in attendance understood what Erich meant. They were, after all, skilled soldiers and strategists in their own right.
Erich pressed on with his plan, which was simple:
The main force would take a position as close to the enemy as possible to hinder the dragon's absorption, while a separate detachment would eliminate Albrecht, the Lord of the Dead's subordinate.
If that succeeded, the Lord of the Dead would truly stand alone. Most of the lords seemed to accept this.
But Erich, without saying so openly, had thoughts different from what he spoke aloud.
'It's not enough just to remove Albrecht—I must not simply eliminate him.'
He needed to extract the secret of the power Albrecht held and make it his own.
That was why Erich himself had to join the squad to eliminate Albrecht.
Only after making Albrecht pay his dues and obtaining the strength to challenge the Lord of the Dead, could Erich prevail.
Thus, Erich's second plan was beginning.