In The Name Of Ingrad! (18)

When we reached a position where the East Continent could be seen in the distance, the Demonic Tribe slowly began to react.

In reality, we had advanced for the purpose of keeping them in check, and to achieve that purpose, we were directly warning the Demonic Tribe through amplification magic.

“As a measure for the act of attacking the people of Ingrad, we issue a stern warning. As of the current time, we advise all members of the Demonic Tribe located on the coast to withdraw, and we declare that if the Demonic Tribe’s hostile actions toward Ingrad continue in the future, they will be regarded as enemies and fired upon.”

This kind of content was being continuously delivered to the Demonic Tribe, and we were warning them based on the fact that the coastline was extremely important to the Demonic Tribe, who we had heard supplemented most of their food with seafood and the like.

Most of the Demonic Tribe snorted at it, but I simply thought they were acting that way because they still did not know how terrifying the weapons deployed on the fleet were.

“Do you think they will listen just because we do this?”

At Hare’s question, I shrugged and said,

“There are quite a few troublesome parts if this leads to an all-out war with the Demonic Tribe. So it is better to warn them within an appropriate line. Besides, since we have learned that the Demonic Tribe’s staple food is seafood, I think quite an interesting thing may happen if we threaten them with that.”

It was information I had learned by chance.

In truth, when I came to this coast of the East Continent, I had been in a state where I had worried a lot.

That was because although I had the pretext that I had to wage war against the Demonic Tribe, I could not get a sense of how I should proceed with the battle.

I had also been in a situation where I had thought about simply holding a defensive position along one large river that felt like a sea connecting the East Continent to the Central Continent and Southern Continent.

By doing so, I had thought that perhaps I could help the Relief Group, Ulde, and others active on the Central Continent.

But in reality, after coming all the way to the East Continent, there were not a few aspects that felt futile.

So after much thought, I decided I had to know about the enemy, and as a result of going around the coast and scraping together information about the area, I was able to learn that the Demonic Tribe’s staple food at present was seafood.

There was also talk that “they eat people,” but in reality, there were not many Demonic Tribe members who ate humans, and I was able to learn that even those Demonic Tribe members avoided touching humans as much as possible due to some kind of control.

And when I was told that they used captured humans from the East Continent to procure food through fishing activities, a strategy occurred to me.

“If we occupy the coast, the Demonic Tribe will also think differently.”

“If they were a race that would obediently listen, there would not have been a war in the first place, though…?”

“When we looked at the information on our allies who are active in the Relief Group, including Ulde, we were able to learn that our firepower works on the Demonic Tribe as well.”

Thanks to that, I had made up my mind to step to the front.

At that, Hare made a slightly displeased face and asked me,

“If the fleet continues fighting the Demonic Tribe like this, enormous damage will occur. Many humans of the East Continent will die too, so what do you intend to do?”

“That is why we are warning them. And I do not think we necessarily need to attack living beings. The Demonic Tribe are also living beings, so they should at least have fear.”

She had a face asking just what I was trying to do, but for this, there was something I had discussed in advance with Wijel.

When I looked up at the sky, it was soon noon. Realizing that the scheduled time was approaching, I asked Hare,

“What do you think is the best way to induce fear?”

“…Showing a power so overwhelming that the opponent can do nothing about it, I suppose.”

“Right. So what I thought of was showing overwhelming firepower that would not even let them think of resisting.”

“…It sounds to me like you are saying you will pour in an enormous amount of money. Did I hear wrong?”

“That’s right. A single show of force will cost a huge amount of funds. But I think it is far more profitable than a battle breaking out. And the enemy will also realize something.”

That they must not touch us. I had come all the way here to show that. This method could be called something I had learned from the actions of several great powers back when I was on Earth rather than from this world.

It was exercising war deterrence.

So I was thinking of planting the perception that we were not to be touched easily, so that when friction arose with us, they would hesitate or withdraw after considering various variables.

Many Demonic Tribe members standing in the distance as if wary of our fleet were visible to the naked eye. While I was looking at them, Volv came to me and asked,

“The preparations are finished. What shall we do?”

At the sight of Volv waiting for orders, I thought only briefly, then made up my mind to try it and asked,

“Have all the ships finished preparing to fire?”

“That is so. All preparations have been completed, and they are waiting for the moment the signal flare is fired.”

“Mm, the time is appropriate, and there are many spectators, so let us do it. As much as possible, one powerful shot without mistakes… you know, right?”

Volv said he would do so and withdrew, and watching him, Hare asked me,

“Will the Demonic Tribe be frightened?”

“The possibility will change depending on what kind of firepower we possess. But this time, there are over three hundred incendiary shells alone being fired. If they are not afraid after seeing that… either the Demonic Tribe themselves have strong hearts, or if not that, then they do not think.”

The Demonic Tribe were powerful. Even if not as a group, they were extremely powerful, and beings called Demon Kings or nobles were famous for having absurdly powerful strength.

But if even such beings were subjected to concentrated fire, could they endure it? I was thinking that, before power that surpassed their limits, even they would have no choice but to be helplessly overwhelmed, and it was then.

Piiiiii!! Boom!!

It was a signal flare. A signal flare that spread red mist in the air along with a sharp noise capable of capturing the enemy’s gaze.

That alone was enough. Every warship fired something at once.

I could see with my eyes the trajectories flying far toward a single point. There was a target. A small rocky island.

It was far too small to call an island, and because it was located in the middle of the sea, it was too much to call it simply a rock, so we had judged it appropriate as a target and aimed there.

The things that fell along hundreds of streaks of light soon flashed with bright light and began spouting flames in every direction.

The water instantly evaporated, and water vapor surged up, but even that was only for a moment. Soon, the seawater pushed away by flames and explosions became a tsunami and spread outward in a circle in every direction, and immediately afterward, an enormous roar rang thunderously through the world.

“Wow…”

A short exclamation. But even that was enough to explain the situation. I was speechless.

Hare seemed similarly flustered, and after staring blankly with a dazed face, she came to her senses because of the violently rocking seawater and asked me,

“…It’s incredible. It seems to be dozens of times stronger than Hell Fire magic… Just what… just what…”

At that moment, while Hare was seriously struggling with what words she should use to express it, Volv returned with a satisfied expression, and he asked me,

“Do you think the enemies understood?”

It was an expression as though he wanted to fire one more shot. But without a target, how could we fire?

It was quite impressive that the intense flames were maintained to the point that it would not be an exaggeration to say they were boiling the sea. Moreover, after seeing the Demonic Tribe visibly stirred up at a glance, I said to Volv,

“Let us deliver a warning message. If they still do not listen, then we will apply a threat one step higher.”

I said that while pointing at the shell called the “scatter shell” that Richard had developed this time.

“If we use that to carry out large-area bombardment, the enemies will not be able to think of it simply.”

However, Hare, who had been listening beside me, said,

“I think this is already enough…”

It remained to be seen how it would go.

Meanwhile, Helhaumer, one of the Demon Realm Archdukes located in the Demonic Tribe camp who had seen this, was in chaos at the sight that was impossible to believe.

“Is that truly… the power of humans?”

The region Helhaumer was in charge of was the coast.

He mainly held the important role of procuring food for the Demonic Tribe, and the power he possessed could be said to be even more immense than that of any other archduke.

Moreover, in Helhaumer’s case, the authority he had received from the Demon God was also great, making him a Demonic Tribe member with powerful strength comparable to a Demon King.

However, if such an attack poured down on him, he could not possibly dare face it, and he was left speechless by that thought.

Just then, the warning message came through.

“You saw it, so you should know. This is a warning! If you do not want this to be aimed at you, then I hope you do not ignore our warning. I repeat. As a measure for the act of attacking the people of Ingrad, we issue a stern warning. As of the current time, we advise all members of the Demonic Tribe located on the coast to withdraw, and we declare that if the Demonic Tribe’s hostile actions toward Ingrad continue in the future, they will be regarded as enemies and fired upon.”

The same phrase still flowed in repeatedly. There were a few more words this time, but in the end, it was only a warning.

His head began to ache. That was because there seemed to be absolutely no way to deal with them.

That was because when they had reached the vicinity of the coastline, several nobles had flown through the air while saying they would dispose of them.

But they had been attacked by something, fell, and became impossible to find even traces of afterward, so he had learned that approaching them itself was difficult.

“Just… what are we supposed to do about that!!”

Rage welled up in him. He wanted to jump into the sea immediately and tear them apart, but the fact that he could not do so remained a bitter anguish.

“Um… something is flying here!”

At the words of a count-class Demonic Tribe member, he turned his head and looked at a being flying toward them through the air. But something that seemed like the Demonic Tribe, rather than a human or beastkin, was flying toward them.

At that moment, Hichet, a duke-class Demonic Tribe member standing right beside him, said,

“It is Hesna! It is her, the one who went missing!”

Hesna was a well-known being. A Demonic Tribe member of the same bloodline as the Demon King, she was a Demonic Tribe member about whom people openly said that she might someday rise to become an archduke.

He could not understand why she, who had suddenly disappeared and was known to be missing, was flying in from the human fleet’s side, but after seeing her haggard appearance as she soon fell down in front of Helhaumer, he first ordered his subordinate to tend to Hesna.

The Demonic Tribe members who received that order brought her before Helhaumer, and looking at her, he asked,

“Hesna, what happened?”

“…There is something I must swiftly report.”

“…Should checking your body not come first?”

“They are… not a human army.”

“What do you mean?”

He looked down at Hesna as though puzzled by the words that they were not a human army, but suddenly, Hesna turned deathly pale and opened her mouth.

“This attack… was not even twenty percent of their spare strength. They are… an army of demons. They are… not an army that any living thing can face.”

It was unbelievable news, and words that even made him feel fear.

“What they want… is only one thing: do not touch Ingrad. They ordered me to convey the stern warning that if we ignore that warning, their swords… no, their guns will be aimed at us, and then released me…”

There was one other important piece of news, but this was news that had to go to the Demon God. It was news that no one could know, and if they knew, it would become a serious problem, so Hesna closed her mouth.

And while recalling the King of Ingrad, who had released her as though it were nothing and smiled, Hesna thought,

‘If there is a “king of demons,” would it not be him…?’