"That old geezer really wants to die."
"I think we need to reach a reasonable compromise. We should use this chance to earn some goodwill with the Neutral Faction."
We discussed what that "reasonable compromise" would look like. I presented the alternative I had prepared in advance as though I were coming up with it on the spot. Barbatos was loath to let go of the idea of a hearing, but without any material to convince the Neutral Faction, there was nothing she could do. In the end, my proposal passed without alteration.
I caught Marbas's eye. The deliberations were done. Marbas never even looked my way, but he had been paying close attention to me the entire time—the moment I signaled, he rose from his seat.
"It seems everyone is enjoying the banquet. As the host, I could not be more pleased. Allow me the honor of raising the first toast here. To the Crescent Alliance Army!"
"To the Crescent Alliance Army!"
The Demon Lords drained their cups in a single gulp.
Naturally, the music gradually grew quieter. The naked boys and girls who had been dancing slowly withdrew into the tent. Marbas must have sent them some sort of signal. Once again, I was struck by the elaborate scheming of a Demon Lord who specialized in politics.
"As far as I am concerned, I would love to continue this feast with all of you for all eternity."
Marbas swept his gaze across each Demon Lord one by one.
"Unfortunately, we are currently at war. The purpose of this banquet is for the leaders who will soon march onto the battlefield side by side to familiarize themselves with one another. In short, the sole purpose is war."
When Marbas gave a slight nod, a three-dimensional projection suddenly materialized in the center of the banquet hall. A map of the Bruno Plains, where the Demon Lord's forces and the human armies currently faced each other, spread out before them. From the Crescent Alliance Army's First through Sixth Legions to the Habsburg Empire's forces and the Kingdom of Bretagne's troops—every legion's deployment was displayed with crystal clarity.
"The human armies total 140,000. Our Crescent Alliance Army numbers 110,000."
Marbas spoke.
"In terms of troop quality, we hold an overwhelming advantage. However, the human armies have committed at least twenty-five knight orders, among which a considerable number of <Sword Masters> are surely present. This will be no easy battle. If our own forces cannot trust one another in a situation like this, defeat is virtually guaranteed. Therefore, as the host of this gathering and the representative of the Neutral Faction, I ask of you: put an end to this infighting. Will you consider my proposal?"
I stood up from my seat.
"Rank Seventy-One, Dantalion, speaking on behalf of the Plains Faction. Regardless of the Mountain Faction's intentions, the fact remains that we were genuinely threatened. In order for us to forgive this, the Mountain Faction must prove that it truly had no intent to betray us."
"Hmm."
Marbas nodded.
"But how are you supposed to prove it? The evidence is insufficient."
"If there's no evidence, you simply manufacture it. Mountain Faction!"
I glared at Paimon and Sitri.
"In the great war about to unfold, you will take the vanguard! The very act of you fighting against the human army will serve as proof of your loyalty to the Demon Lord's forces."
The moment I finished speaking, Sitri wore a face like he'd chewed on a bug.
Standing at the very front in battle invites catastrophic casualties. In a clash between two armies totaling 200,000, the damage would be beyond imagining. In simple terms, we were telling them to prove their innocence with blood.
"You son of a bitch……"
"I would have you remember that our offer is exceedingly generous. We are not demanding compensation from you, nor an official apology from the Mountain Faction. We are merely offering you the honor of leading the vanguard of the Crescent Alliance Army."
"Hah, honor? That's a dog's death!"
Sitri tried to fly into a rage again. What a hot-blooded fellow. But this was an offer he couldn't refuse.
"Let me say this in advance. There is no room for negotiation. You accept it, or you don't. It's a simple binary choice. If you refuse our offer, the Plains Faction will immediately declare war on the Mountain Faction."
This was no empty threat. Valefor was not naive enough to simply let the attack on her slide. Even if this Crescent Alliance Army expedition failed, she wanted revenge. It was a matter of organizational pride.
Sitri's expression turned to ash.
"You're the ones betraying the Crescent Alliance Army!"
"The Crescent Alliance Army, the Crescent Alliance Army……If you hold the Crescent Alliance Army in such high regard, prove it with your actions. The behavior the Mountain Faction has displayed thus far has been clearly detrimental to the interests of the Crescent Alliance Army. No one is convinced by pretty words alone."
I smiled.
"You don't actually want to fight at the front, but you love to mouth off about defending the Demon Lord's forces……And when you think there's profit to be had, you pull stunts like ceasefire agreements? You really do have it easy. I'm jealous."
Scheming is a double-edged sword. A failed scheme is a lamentable affair — an arrow that boomerangs back to the one who fired it. Or at the very least, an arrow that strips the skin as it leaves the bowstring. A bullet that ricochets and kills the schemer.
That is why a schemer must always dig two graves. If you intend to kill your enemy, you must be prepared to die yourself. Paimon. Have you steeled yourself for that?
"You gutter trash, the more I look at you the more insufferable you become――."
"Please wait."
Just as Sitri was about to shout something, Paimon stopped her from behind. Sitri's expression was full of displeasure, but when Paimon blocked her, she stepped back obediently.
Only then did Paimon speak for the first time that day.
"Dantalion. I accept your proposal."
"S-Sister?!"
Sitri was stunned.
"Quiet down. ...Joining the vanguard of the Crescent Alliance Army. That would mean you trust the Mountain Faction's innocence completely, correct?"
"Yes, that is correct. As for this matter going forward, the Plains Faction will not be seeking any further compensation. You have my word."
"Very well. However, I have a condition."
"A condition?"
Paimon nodded.
"Before a war of this scale begins, there is a customary procedure. One or two representatives step forward and deliver speeches — to break the enemy's morale and bolster one's own. It's unnecessary for ambush tactics, but in a direct confrontation like this one, it's a useful formality."
Ah.
I see what she means. This is only possible because magic exists in the world of Dungeon Attack. Representatives are projected as enormously massive holograms, their voices amplified, and speeches are directed at the opposing side. It's mostly a lot of chest-thumping about how weak you are, how strong we are, and why the justification for this war belongs to us, not you.
The Dungeon Attack protagonist had a talent for this. "Mankind, rise up! Let us fight together!" — when the protagonist roared those words, the entire human army rallied. In the game, before a battle begins, you roll dice, and the higher the roll, the more your army's morale rises; the lower, the more it drops. In simple terms, it's a buff effect.
So the game's system was being implemented here as a "formality." But what did that have to do with me? I looked at Paimon with a puzzled expression.
"That representative speaker — Dantalion, I'd like you to take on the role."
"Excuse me?"
"That is the Mountain Faction's condition. We, too, have no room to compromise on this matter."
Paimon pressed her lips shut, as if she had said all she intended to say.
"....."
It was hard to wrap my head around. How did volunteering to serve as a representative speaker become a condition? I asked for a moment and huddled with Barbatos in private. This was too weighty a call for me to make alone.
From beyond the tent, the music swelled once more. It was only now that I realized the music also served to drown out the private conversations among those attending the gala. Truly, every little detail was accounted for with Marbas.
"Most likely, that Paimon woman exchanged a magical oath with the Habsburg princess. I can't be certain, but it's probable."
"Ah. So that means she's unable to fire the first shot herself."
At Barbatos's observation, that did make sense.
Whether it was the princess or Paimon, they were forging a secret pact with a species they had fought against for two thousand years. They would have built in some kind of safeguard, no matter what. For instance, if the other side broke their word and launched an attack, they'd be cursed. Hmm. Magic was still unfamiliar to me, so I hadn't considered that angle. Well, I had no way of knowing exactly what kind of contract they'd signed, so it didn't really matter anyway...
"But why me, of all people?"
"To get back at you, you idiot."
Barbatos let out a little snicker, as if he found it all terribly amusing.
"Until now, you've always schemed behind the scenes. But in a battle of this scale, you'd waltz right out and deliver a declaration of war. Human or Demonkin, everyone's going to remember Dantalion's face."
"Damn it. That's going to come back to haunt me."
I understood the logic, but I couldn't accept it. Revenge against me personally as a condition? Even giving it the most charitable reading, it came across as petty and childish. Paimon had failed not because I was cunning but because she had messed up. I had simply played along with her own scheme — nothing more.
I let out a sigh.
"Well... I suppose I have no choice."
"Oh? You're accepting it?"
"I mean, what's the worst that can happen from giving a declaration-of-war speech?"
Frankly, there were few humans who even knew that I was Dantalion, the 71st-ranked Demon Lord. No — almost none, probably. After serving as the representative speaker, my name recognition would climb a bit, but only by a small margin.
People remember the generals of an invading army, not its heralds. At most, my infamy would increase slightly. No — within the Demon Lord's army, my standing might actually rise. In that respect, it could even be called an honorable position.
A fleeting but good idea crossed my mind.
I finished my consultation with Barbatos and gave my answer.
"I'm willing. If the legion commanders here agree, I'll gladly step forward as the Crescent Alliance Army's representative speaker."
The commanders agreed without much resistance. Marbas had actively pushed for it and rallied support. Gamigin, the blonde, kept bristling like something didn't sit right with him, but in the end he reluctantly agreed. It seemed he was displeased that he'd missed the chance to crush the Mountain Faction this time around.
The negotiations were concluded.
Our Plains Faction had, as a result, forced the Mountain Faction into a harmful position without lifting a finger. The Neutral Faction had once again demonstrated its authority by mediating between the Plains Faction and the Mountain Faction. The remaining independent Demon Lords had prevented the Mountain Faction from monopolizing all the glory in this Crescent Alliance Army. And finally, the Mountain Faction had pushed through its claim of innocence. Each faction had obtained a result it was more or less satisfied with.
We agreed that we needed to enter combat as soon as possible. An excessively large force had been assembled. Battles were essential if we were going to maintain a steady supply of provisions — that is, human flesh.
The Demon Lord's army reorganized its somewhat disorderly formations. The Mountain Faction's First Legion would take the vanguard. The Neutral Faction's Second Legion, Vassago and Valefor's Fourth Legion, and our Plains Faction Sixth Legion would form the main body. The rest would cover the rear. It took a full two days to organize these formations.
Meanwhile, the human army had also arranged its ranks in orderly fashion. Far across the plains, the banners of the Frank Empire were fluttering in the wind. It appeared the Frank Empire had taken the vanguard for the human side. War was steadily approaching.
I was holed up in my tent for two days, frantically drafting my speech. After all, I'd been entrusted with the momentous task of heralding the dawn of a great war. If I bit my tongue while speaking, I'd immediately earn the ridicule of the combined two-hundred-thousand-strong human and Demon Lord armies. I wasn't about to suffer that kind of humiliation!
"I believe that's a sufficient amount of preparation."
Lapis said. For reference, she showed up around this time — an employee of the Kunkuska Trading Company and my personal merchant. Seeing her pink hair felt strangely like it had been a long time, even though only about two months had actually passed.
"Preparation can never be excessive, no matter how many times you go over it."
"Haa. If you say so."
Up until now, she had carried out my instructions to spread all manner of rumors throughout both the Human Realm and the Demon Realm, and had occasionally used bribes to make contact with the human army's leadership. In short, she had served as my hands and feet throughout this campaign.
"It's about Lord Paimon. He's also under contract with our Kunkuska Trading Company, so we detected his movements, but he's been focused on gathering information about Lord Dantalion."
"Huh? About me?"
"Yes. It's already been about a month."
A month — that was quite a while. He'd been collecting information on me since then?
"...Could he have caught wind that I'm pulling strings behind the scenes?"
"That much, we couldn't determine."
However, Lapis said.
"Please be cautious. Lord Paimon is the highest-ranked Demon Lord. He may have some hidden card up his sleeve that we know nothing about."