The Natives of the Demonic Realm.
The exact extent of the damage suffered in this night raid was not made public.
The high command of the Second Expeditionary Force was aware of it, but they were too busy concealing the scale of the losses to disclose it. If it became known that they had taken a severe blow, it could affect the soldiers' morale.
Woojin made a rough estimate.
'At least six hundred are either missing or dead… and the number of wounded will be even higher.'
Now it was time to deal with the aftermath.
The injured from the previous night's ambush had to be treated, and the supplies had to be checked to see what had been lost. The expeditionary force temporarily halted its northward advance to reorganize.
During that time, the soldiers were allowed to rest. After being issued a special meal made of smoked meat, the Choir of Attunement began to sing.
Woojin listened to the song.
"A hymn imbued with divinity."
Previously, Roland had performed a violin solo that stirred the soldiers' fighting spirit…
This time, unlike then, it was a soft and delicate melody. The choir's voices were not particularly loud, yet strangely, the song reached everyone's ears. The art soothed their weary hearts.
It was a measure to raise morale that had fallen to the ground. Duke Edwin seemed eager to smooth over that nightmare of a night as though it had never happened.
The northward march resumed.
… But problems continued to arise afterward.
Having once tasted human flesh, and perhaps having noticed that the expeditionary force lacked strong cohesion, the demonic beasts kept circling nearby. Whenever they spotted an opening, they ambushed a few soldiers and fled.
They charged like bulls and slipped away like loaches. Thanks to that, the morale they had painstakingly restored fizzled out like beer foam.
'As expected… no matter how large the expeditionary force is, there's no real answer to this kind of ambush.'
The expedition had come to wage war, but the demonic beasts only wanted to hunt. There was no reason for them to engage in a frontal clash of strength.
Thus, the expeditionary force had no choice but to keep advancing while being gradually worn down. Even if a few casualties occurred each time an ambush happened, it was minor compared to the overall size of the force.
It would not have been strange if deserters began to appear in droves… yet none fled.
'The moment they leave the army, they'll run straight into the fangs of the beasts lying in wait.'
If they wanted to return home in one piece, their only option was to endure until the expedition ended. In that vague despair, the soldiers continued marching.
… But no matter where you go, there are always exceptions.
"Sir Jin. Is this how I should do it?"
A nun who enjoyed drawing, Ayla, asked. Woojin examined the work she had created.
On the back shoulder blade of a soldier's armor, two large eyes had been painted—big and striking, like those of an owl.
"You've done an excellent job. If you have time, I'd appreciate it if you could do the rest as well."
"I suppose I'll work on it to pass the time."
The followers of the Goddess of Attunement, Ea, were skilled in the arts. The nuns, who had little else to do, accepted Woojin's request and painted eyes on the backs of armor and robes.
Roland, standing nearby, voiced his doubt.
"You're saying these eye paintings will increase the soldiers' survival rate? Is that truly so?"
"Yes. They're surprisingly effective."
Among caterpillars, there are some that have patterns resembling eyes on their hind ends.
It is a form of mimicry meant to confuse predators about the position of the head. Predators prefer to ambush from behind, but when they make eye contact with eyes painted on a back, they become psychologically intimidated and hesitate to attack.
After hearing the explanation, Roland exclaimed in admiration.
"I've never heard of such an idea, but it's convincing… Did you devise it yourself?"
"It's knowledge I learned elsewhere."
It was a countermeasure devised in India after repeated damage caused by man-eating tigers. Woojin had personally confirmed that it was meaningful even against demonic beasts.
When he was first dragged into the world of dreams, he had scoured the internet and learned all sorts of survival knowledge. There were many times he benefited from it. For some reason, this world and Earth shared many similarities.
At some point, he no longer needed to resort to such crude tricks and had forgotten about them… but seeing the soldiers so anxious brought it back to mind.
'If I can save them, I should.'
While escorting the choir, Woojin also took care to watch over the lives of the nearby soldiers. The results were evident.
Although the expeditionary force as a whole was suffering from the demonic beasts, not a single soldier assigned to this section had died. The soldiers seemed deeply moved by this encouraging outcome.
"I would like to join the Order of Attunement."
One day, several soldiers requested a change of affiliation. Roland gladly accepted their choice.
"Ha ha! Thanks to you, Jin, so many good things are happening. When this expedition is over, I'll make sure you're well rewarded."
"Sounds good."
He already had more than enough money, but there was no reason to refuse when someone insisted on giving him more.
'…The real question is… can I send these people back to the frontier city unharmed?'
It did not seem like an easy goal. The expeditionary force kept blundering along.
***
While marching north as usual, the expeditionary force encountered a strange structure.
Between narrow cliffs stood a stone wall made by stacking large boulders. It looked like a primitive gate.
Roland, seeing it, grew curious.
"It looks almost man-made… Jin, do you happen to know what that is?"
"… I know it well."
Woojin let out a deep sigh. He already had a bad feeling that things were about to become troublesome.
"Roland. I think we need to meet the high command of the expeditionary force. Could you accompany me?"
"Suddenly?"
"If we handle this poorly, a major disaster could occur."
He had intended to avoid getting deeply involved, but if they crossed this line, trouble was certain. At that, Roland nodded without hesitation.
"If it's your word, I'll listen. Let's go."
The two men headed toward the center of the expeditionary force. The holy knights tried to block their path, but upon recognizing Roland's face, they quickly stepped aside.
Had Woojin come alone, they would not have opened the way. But Roland was a knight widely known within the Alliance of Orders. Even if their affiliations differed, the Order of Wisdom could not treat him lightly.
Before long, Woojin found himself standing before Conrad, Edwin, and Cornelius.
"Roland. What brings you here so suddenly?"
Conrad spoke as if surprised. Roland gestured toward Woojin standing beside him.
"I hear that Lord Conrad is acquainted with this man as well. He is a demonic-beast hunter called Jin, and he says he wishes to offer you some candid advice."
The gazes of those nearby converged on them. Woojin did not hesitate to speak.
"It may be discourteous to appear so abruptly, but I felt it necessary to speak about that stone wall. Your Grace. Do you happen to know what it is?"
"We were just discussing it, as it appears to be an unfamiliar structure… Do you know something about it?"
From the expeditionary force's perspective, they could not possibly know. This was their first time setting foot in the Demonic Realm.
Which was why a detailed explanation was needed.
"It is the Gate of the Gnolls."
Hyena-like creatures that walked on two legs—one of the demonic species found in the central regions of the Demonic Realm.
Like the kobolds the expeditionary force had previously faced, there were beings in the Demonic Realm that formed large communities similar to humans. Among them, the gnolls were particularly powerful and commanded a considerable faction.
"To pass through that gate, we must present something the gnolls would favor as a toll."
"In other words… are you suggesting that we negotiate with demonic beasts and ask them to open the path for us?"
Cornelius, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. Woojin nodded.
"They bear grudges."
Trade—and revenge.
Gnolls are creatures that weigh those two things on the same scale. They strictly honor the terms of a deal, but they never forget vengeance either. If we become their enemies, this expedition will become even more difficult than it already is.
"We either make a deal or detour around the gorge."
At that, Cornelius let out a short, incredulous laugh.
"That is the most absurd thing I have heard in my life. Negotiate with demonic beasts? Have you forgotten that we are conducting a war of conquest?"
"I've heard we still have a long distance to our destination. If possible, we should avoid unnecessary enemies."
He was well aware that what he was saying sounded bizarre. But too many lives were at stake not to speak up.
When he finished explaining, Duke Edwin and Conrad exchanged peculiar expressions.
'…They're actually considering it.'
Their faces suggested they did not know whether to ridicule what they had just heard or to take it seriously.
Both men had staked their fortunes on this expedition. And with the force already in dire straits, Woojin's firm tone made it difficult to dismiss his words as mere nonsense.
"Are you truly entertaining this ridiculous proposal?"
Cornelius, who had been observing the situation, spoke again. Edwin cleared his throat in response.
"I was merely thinking it over. It's difficult to believe. There's no proof that this young man's words are correct."
…Proof.
"Then I will demonstrate it myself."
Negotiating with gnolls.
The expeditionary force expressed clear reluctance, but for Woojin, it was not particularly difficult.
After finishing a simple lunch,
Woojin, the Order of Attunement, and a group of soldiers prepared to head toward the Gate of the Gnolls. They would act as the vanguard.
'We'll conclude the deal with the gnolls and pass through the gate.'
Woojin's task was to prove that what he had said was actually possible. After that, the expedition's high command could decide whether or not to pursue negotiations.
Of course, he did not expect things to proceed smoothly.
'Even if I succeed… it's unlikely the expeditionary force will attempt negotiations.'
He doubted the high command would choose the ideal course of action. Even so, Woojin volunteered for the vanguard.
If things went wrong and fighting broke out, they would be the first to die—the most likely to serve as shields. The reason he chose this dangerous role was simple.
'This is the safest option.'
If he handled this danger well, then no matter how events unfolded later, it would no longer be his concern. Whether the expedition blundered onward or not… this was a move to secure long-term safety.
The vanguard advanced toward the gate.
As if sensing their presence, a thick rope dropped down from atop the stone wall. A monster standing on two legs peered down at them.
A being with the head of a hyena.
It stood well over two meters tall. Though its entire body was covered in shaggy brown fur, its musculature was so monstrous that its contours seemed to bulge through the hair.
Shaaak—!
Gripping the rope with one hand, the creature slid down the stone wall. The leopard skin wrapped around its lower body fluttered wildly, resembling the skirt of a gladiator.
Thud!
The gnoll landed heavily on the ground. Roland let out an involuntary whistle.
"Whew… Jin, did you see that?"
Roland raised his left arm as a reference.
"That thing of his was about this big."
"…Thank you for the vivid reminder."
It was time to negotiate with the natives of the Demonic Realm.
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