Ashroth nodded at Vigil as he continued, "At first I was just angry at everything and everyone, but then slowly my thought process changed and I started thinking why. Everything that had happened to or around , why did it happen?"
"And this changed my perspective. I was no longer as angry at everyone. Then, I was released, and from that day, I have been hearing about the war our demon race was going to wage on the human continent and reclaim our land."
"I might have been overthinking things, but I started questioning everything. I got so answers, but most of my questions remained unanswered."
"Then I joined the army and ca here to the human continent, and I watched how everything progressed; I found it all… strange." Saying this, he paused for a mont before continuing, "While we all, the lower-ranking tribes, want nothing but to conquer the territory and win the war, those above us don't seem to share the sa thought; otherwise, we would've captured all the kingdoms, including Green Leaf, several days ago."
While Yshoy and others frowned, Vigil's eyes flickered, and he asked, "What makes you think that?" "First, we attacked several months before the humans expected us to, saying we wanted to catch them off guard and not let them set up the war temple and make other preparations, but instead of focusing on rapidly conquering the kingdoms, what we did was we started massacring the people, be they ordinary people or mages, and destroying the cities."
"Of course, so might think it was all part of the process, but I disagree. If we really wanted to conquer the kingdoms, we would've attacked their most powerful cities, their capitals, first, which we did not."
"Second, the war rules. I find them very odd. They seed to be created in a way that makes sure the war extends as much as possible."
"Third, your decisions. I understand you failed to stop the human emperors from establishing the war temple, but there was no need to order a retreat. Our side was way more powerful than the humans' side. If you hadn't ordered retreat, all human mages would've been killed."
As he listed out the reasons, Yshoy's and others' expressions started shifting. If he had found these things odd, they also had, but never paid them much heed because… they were doing everything according to their orders. If they hadn't, it was true they would've been successful on several fronts, but they would have disobeyed their superiors.
Ashroth wasn't done yet.
Taking a small pause, he said, "The fourth and most strange thing that made co to you is the fact that the human alliance hadn't set up war temples in the kingdoms that fell."
Seeing the emperors didn't react much, he changed his words, "Let rephrase that. The human alliance didn't even try to set up the war temples in those kingdoms."
Boom!
Suddenly, it was as if he was hit by sothing and staggered back.
"How do you know this?" Vigil asked, his tone harsh, harsher than Yshoy's usual tone. Yshoy and other emperors also stared at him.
They hadn't gotten any news about exactly what transpired in those kingdoms. They were only told that because most of the stronger human mages left for the Green Leaf and the empires, the human side beca weak, which was the cause of their downfall.
Ashroth hesitated for a mont before saying, "It's my aunt. She has her people spread around and is keeping tabs on everything. She told this. Even though the human alliance had sent their emperors there too, they didn't try to set up the war temples."
The hall was silent for several seconds that followed his words before Vigil said, "You can leave now."
"But my lord, I'm not fini—" Ashroth began to say, but Vigil had already retracted his aura sphere. So, he just bowed toward everyone and walked out, his expression gradually turning solemn.
The reason he told them all this wasn't because he wanted to help them or anything but because he wanted to confirm his guesses, and seeing their reactions to his words, he knew he might not be right about everything, but one thing he beca certain of… This ti war wasn't going to be the sa as the previous ti, just as people were saying from the beginning.
'How troubleso!' He thought. 'It seems I need to ask Aunt Beille to find so way to inform my father to be careful.'
Inside the main hall, Yshoy glanced at Vigil, who seed to be in deep thought, and asked, "What are you thinking?"
Vigil didn't respond for a while. When he did, he didn't answer his question and instead said, "Let's do what you were saying. Tell your people not to self-detonate. Also, tell them when they attack the human armies, do it in large numbers and make sure not to get surrounded. Flee if need be."
Yshoy's and everyone else's expressions changed at his words.
"What the fuck are you saying, Vigil? Flee?! You are telling them to flee like cowards?!" Yshoy shouted. "We are the proud demons, not those pitiful beings that need to resort to such tactics just to survive."
Vigil looked at him and then at other emperors, including the ones from his tribe; and saw that all wore the sa expressions as Yshoy.
Seeing this, he could only sigh helplessly, 'How amazing! They knew even if soone found everything suspicious, it wouldn't change much because of our stupid pride and impulsive behaviors.'
Coughing lightly, he said, "I ant to say retreat, not flee. Retreat if need be."
…
In the war temple, Wyomin was standing in front of Verana, a stern expression on her face. "Lady Verana, did you know this was going to happen?"
Verana sighed and nodded.
"And you allowed it?" Wyomin questioned, her tone carrying a hint of disappointnt.
"What could I have done? Although I hold a slightly elevated status in the alliance than you all, I am not the one who makes decisions." Verana said before adding,
"Moreover, no matter how cruel it seems, I believe it was a necessary sacrifice. After all, just to save a few small kingdoms, we can't risk losing the entire continent."
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{Castle Bonus---> (1/3) Thank you Fluffy231 for the gift!}
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