Tactically… Strategically…
1021 Words
“The Headless Knights operate in squads of twelve on the battlefield, correct?”
Ira spoke while standing beside the eerie, blue-flamed torches in the barracks of the Headless Knights. Without waiting for the answer, he continued, “It seems like a very reasonable formation. Let’s keep it that way. How many such squads do the Headless Knights currently have?”
These torches formed the Soul Forge, the place where soul-based monsters were reborn. Both Headless Knights and Wailing Banshees could be created from it.
Of course, different races had different types of Soul Forges, and the specific requirements for a Headless Knight’s soul differed from those of other spectral creatures. But the fundamental principle remained the same.
The Headless Knight commander—whose head was wreathed in black flames rather than the usual blue—sat beside Ira and replied, “After the recent giant bee extermination, we’ve replenished our numbers to two hundred squads.”
That many?
Ira was a bit puzzled. Based on his understanding of the Empire’s military structure, an average of five hundred acres of land was needed to support three hundred soldiers—including ten cavalrymen and two professionals. Most professionals were either nobles or contract-based employees, similar to a corporate workforce from his previous world.
Given the size of the Demon Lord’s domain, even with enough tributes, sustaining 2,400 knights should have been difficult…
Then, a realization hit him—he had overlooked something.
Most of the warriors in the Demon Lord’s domain did not require food.
Neither the Headless Knights nor their spectral steeds needed sustenance.
Other units like the Black Knights, Constructs, and Undead (Liches) also had no need for food.
Vampires only required blood. Slimes ate whatever they wanted. Succubi and Crimson Dragons like Satanleaf might eat normal food, but they weren’t strictly combat units.
The only race with major dietary restrictions was the Insectoids, which primarily consumed plants.
However, the Blue Gentian Mushrooms were incredibly easy to cultivate.
Perhaps this was why, even before Ira created the Arbiters, the Demon Lord’s forces had always outmatched the Empire. In fact…
It was almost miraculous that the Empire had even survived long enough to face Ira’s strategic innovations.
“No matter how you look at it, the Lizardmen are bound to be crushed,” Ira mused. “They only have three to four thousand warriors and no aerial superiority.”
He turned to the Black-Flamed Headless Knight and asked, “For this campaign, how many Headless Knights should we bring? Would ten squads be enough for a zero-casualty victory—without any additional support?”
His words made it hard to tell whether he was joking or serious.
If the Headless Knight had a face, she would have definitely worn an expression of ‘Are you messing with me?’ Instead, she simply shook her head.
“Impossible. Forget zero casualties—without support from other units, we wouldn’t even win.”
After all, the Lizardmen were an entire race. Though cavalry had an advantage, the Lizardmen weren’t just infantry; they had magic users, elders, and shamans.
In a world where precise-targeting spells and enchanted arrows existed, no single high-tier unit could steamroll over ten times their number.
Yet, after making this argument, the Headless Knight suddenly hesitated—she recalled Ira’s flawless victory against the giant bees.
After a moment of contemplation, she revised her statement.
“If you are leading the battle, then perhaps we could win… But it would be a pyrrhic victory.”
To clarify, this was under the assumption that 120 Headless Knights were fighting the entire Lizardman race alone.
A completely absurd scenario—yet she still doubted whether Ira could somehow turn it into reality. That alone spoke volumes about the psychological impact he had left on the monsters.
Or rather… it showed just how terrifyingly unpredictable he was.
“In that case, we’ll take twenty squads.”
Ira spoke casually as he finalized the deployment plan.
“Two hundred and forty Headless Knights, two hundred Black Knights, ten Golems… Five hundred Insectoid Hunters should be enough to secure aerial superiority.”
“…”
The Headless Knight commander fell silent.
She didn’t understand why Ira was deploying so few soldiers.
“But, Ira… We don’t need to hold back forces for defense.”
After all, the Demon Lord’s fortress was deep inside the territory, shielded by surrounding monster territories. If an enemy wanted to invade, they would have to fight their way through several layers of defenses first.
“But I also don’t need to bring a massive army,” Ira replied indifferently. “Too many troops would just slow down our march.”
He then added, “Besides, Shirina wants to bring the Imps for training. Also… I need to visit the Harpies after this.”
If he could fully establish air superiority, then achieving zero casualties would be possible.
Although the Demon Lord’s forces were recovering, they were still far from their peak.
“In fact, we’re probably bringing too many soldiers already. But I’d like to at least respect the Black Knight commander’s wishes—she hopes for as little bloodshed as possible.”
The Headless Knight opened her mouth (?), but no words came out.
She simply stared at Ira—who had casually planned a battle that should have been a brutal war.
After a long pause, she finally sighed and muttered,
“Ira… I still think you should be careful.”
“I know.”
Ira smiled slightly, his crimson eyes gleaming as he locked eyes with her.
“If things get out of control…”
His voice was soft but resolute.
“…I’ll step in and restore order myself.”
“…”
The Headless Knight commander had nothing more to say.
She simply hoped that the Lizardmen didn’t have some hidden trump card.
Because if Ira had to play his trump card…
The battlefield, the enemy, and even the entire war itself… would be utterly destroyed.
- Writer
