One week after the reforms...
Aeth summons Fredrin to his chamber. When Fredrin enters the room, he sees a world map laid out before Aeth.
Aeth:
— Come closer, Fred…
Fredrin approaches Aeth and bows.
Aeth:
— What is the current state of the empire, Fred?
Fredrin:
— Your Majesty, the people are very pleased with your decisions. Recruitment into the army has increased. As you ordered, skilled and talented individuals are gathering. A portion of the population has already been registered, and the registration process is progressing rapidly. There are also people arriving from remote regions to join the army. At present, there are thirty thousand volunteers. Though inexperienced, within a few months each of them will be ready to fight as capable soldiers.
Aeth:
— This is an excellent result. Continue in this manner.
Fredrin:
— All of this is thanks to our emperor. Everyone in the empire wishes to fight shoulder to shoulder with a legendary hero. Such a revelation occurs once every hundred years. The birth of a legendary hero during wartime has inspired everyone.
Aeth(smiling faintly beneath his breath):
— A legendary hero, huh.
Fredrin:
— Yes. Everyone sees you as a legendary hero.
Aeth:
— Fred, anyone can become a hero. There is no need to wait a hundred years for that. Now, let us move on to the main subject.
Aeth:
— Let us examine the map together. Once, our lands were vast. Now, we are confined. To the north lies Kravendorn, to the south the Demon Kingdom, to the west the Spirit Plains and beyond them the Dragon Domain, and to the east the Forest of Dreaded Creatures. The northeast and northwest belong to the Kingdom of Kravendorn, which cuts off our connections with other kingdoms — though our relations with them were hardly favorable anyway. The southeast and southwest are entirely under the Demon Kingdom's control. This means the demons can march directly through our lands to attack other kingdoms.
Fredrin:
— What should we do in this situation, Your Majesty? We are forced to fight the demons.
Aeth:
— If we fight the demons in our current condition, even a hundred legendary heroes would not save us from destruction. That is precisely Kravendorn's objective. That is why they have not launched an attack yet.
Fredrin:
— You are right. Then what kind of plan do you have in mind?
Aeth:
— Rather than fighting a demon army of five hundred thousand, I would prefer to fight a human army of one hundred and fifty thousand!
Fredrin:
— Then the target is the Kingdom of Kravendorn!
Aeth:
— Fred, send all the architects and all newly enlisted soldiers — the entire thirty-thousand force — south to Thalkeria. The demons' next target will be there. Since the southwest consists only of mountains and the southeast of plains, the demons will attack Thalkeria directly. Once they arrive, they are to act according to the plans and sketches I have given. Without doubt, the demons believe we are weak, and therefore they will not mobilize all of their forces — just as when they previously seized several of our southern territories. Repelling this attack will buy us a great deal of time. By then, we will launch an unexpected assault on Kravendorn.
Aeth:
— Fredrin, send the architects and troops south first, and create the impression that we are prioritizing defense against the demons. Once this information reaches Kravendorn, I will personally tear those rats in the palace to pieces!
Fredrin:
— I will execute the order immediately, Your Majesty.
Aeth:
— You may leave, Fred.
Aeth(thinking):
The main issue is cleansing ourselves of the traitors within. But at the very least, let them serve my purposes.
Fredrin executes the order immediately. Just as planned, the impression is created that Aeth is preparing for war against the demons. As Aeth anticipated, this news reaches Kravendorn. Upon hearing it, King Gerald is pleased and waits for the demon army to clash with Aeth's forces and wear them down — because after the Chaos Empire, Kravendorn will be next. Therefore, Gerald chooses to exploit every opportunity at hand.
It never even crosses his mind that Aeth's true target is a direct attack on Kravendorn. He also believes that Aeth is simultaneously at war with the dragons, even though the dragons have not launched any attacks yet. Gerald assumes they too are waiting for the demon assault. But Aeth's intentions were entirely different. After all, he had once been a general who commanded a great army in another world.