72: Attack on the Convoy
They say it never rains, but it pours.
A phrase that perfectly described my life as the Lord of Disease.
Or perhaps the Listrea Demon Kingdom itself.
“Supplies… by sea?”
The regular report presented a new challenge we had to deal with. I listened to Liz’s report along with Rebecca, Samarkand, and Harken.
“Yes. It seems supplies are being transported by sea from the smaller nations to the Empire and the Holy Kingdom.”
My basic strategy—the Lord of Disease’s basic strategy—was to squeeze the three great nations by disrupting their production infrastructure.
Whether the smaller nations were ‘tributing,’ ‘trading,’ or ‘aiding,’ the flow of supplies was, to put it mildly, undesirable.
To put it strongly, it was absolutely unacceptable.
“Land routes are dangerous now… because of us.”
The smaller nations were just that—thirteen small nations. While technically independent, their power paled in comparison to the three great nations, and they were essentially treated as vassal states.
I couldn’t ignore them, but my precious subordinates were limited in number, and geographically, they were at the opposite end of the continent from the Listrea Demon Kingdom.
I hadn’t targeted them, partly to create a sense of disparity. But I had been doing my best to disrupt the export of supplies.
—On land.
“So, by sea… I heard the sea was dangerous.”
“It’s probably better than the land routes, where we can wipe them out at any time.”
The sea was dangerous. Partly because of underdeveloped naval technology, but mostly because sea-based magical beasts were far more dangerous than land-based ones.
Apparently, there were monstrously large sea serpents. I’d heard that a large ship, the only one of its kind, had once been swallowed whole.
As a result, interactions with the sea had been limited to coastal fishing, and there had been no exploration of the open seas. With the constant conflict on land, they probably hadn’t had the resources to invest in such romantic notions.
“I knew they were the enemy, but I was giving them a pass. They should have just stayed quiet.” I glanced through the report Liz handed me.
It contained a lot of detailed figures. Due to the distance, frequent communication was difficult, so they must have prioritized accuracy. While I would have preferred speed, I was grateful for the detailed information.
“What are your orders?”
I tossed the report onto the table.
“Sink them all.”
“…What?” Rebecca asked.
“Yes,” Liz replied. Their reactions were a study in contrasts.
“Can the assassination squad sink the ships on their own?”
“If we target them while they’re docked, it’s possible.”
“Concentrate the assassination squads on the coastal areas of the smaller nations. Kill the sailors, one by one. The fishermen, too.”
“All of them?”
“As many as possible. No exceptions for those who can handle a ship. Once they’re in position, give them a three-day window to kill as many as they can before the enemy raises their guard. …And don’t leave any families behind.”
“…Families, too?” Liz, who had been so responsive, hesitated.
“Yes. Let them know what we are capable of.”
“Understood.” Liz nodded.
“Then, work out the details.”
“…That’s your job, Master.”
“Huh?”
“Organizing the assassination squads. Assigning them to different regions. You’ve read the reports; you should have a good idea of what to do.”
“I do, but…”
“Then please. You can do it in a day, right?”
“I think so… but you’ll help, right, Liz?”
Liz neatly stacked the reports and handed them to me.
“Of course. I’ll assist you.”
I appreciated Liz’s assistance. But I’d wanted to delegate the whole thing.
“Done…”
I’d spent the entire day, from breakfast until just before dinner, creating the deployment plan. I handed it to Liz and slumped onto the desk.
It wasn’t a difficult task. My assassination squad was skilled and had high morale; they could handle a bit of a challenge.
It was just a matter of concentrating our forces in the coastal areas. Including the Barghests, we had nearly five hundred, and I had to consider their vacation rotations.
Liz took the plan, glanced through it, and smiled.
“As expected of Master. I’m proud of you.”
Liz’s praise was nice. But I knew it was the ‘carrot’ part of her carrot-and-stick approach.
But I was still happy, knowing that.
I straightened my posture and gave my orders.
“From here on, full authority is delegated to the field operative units. Their safety is the top priority. With that in mind, I expect results.”
“Yes.” Liz nodded.
I slumped onto the desk again.
“I need… healing…” I looked up at Liz from under my lashes.
“Liz, want to sleep with me…?”
“…I’m sorry. I have to debrief the field operative units…”
“Oh, right…” I continued, my voice muffled by the desk, “What about Rebecca…? Is she free tonight…?”
“Wait, wait! Don’t push so hard!”
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry! Just pretend a Barghest is biting you!”
Lively voices echoed from beyond the open door.
“Don’t apologize; explain!”
Rebecca entered the room, pushed from behind by Liz.
“Hey, Rebecca.” I waved from my seat on the bed.
“Okay, I get it. Can I go now?”
“You can rest here.”
“…Do I have a choice?” Liz shook her head solemnly.
“It’s fine, I won’t do anything strange. We’ll just sleep together.”
“That is strange. Besides, I can ask Liz.”
“I have to debrief the field operative units. I’m sorry, but…”
Rebecca looked at Liz again. Liz shook her head again, her expression apologetic.
“Ah, Rebecca is so cute!”
“I see… I’m not particularly pleased to hear that in this situation…”
I feigned ignorance of Rebecca’s languid state and hugged her from behind, pulling her onto my lap. Ah, I feel so energized.
It was the same position as when I’d supplied her with mana, but this time, my mana wasn’t being drained, which probably contributed to my good mood.
“How long do I have to stay like this?”
“Until I’m satisfied.”
“And how long will that be?”
“I don’t know.”
“…I see.”
I gently guided Rebecca onto the bed, and we lay down together. The sun was setting, but the sheets, warmed by the afternoon sun, were still cozy, inviting a blissful slumber.
“Can I leave once you’re asleep?”
“…Just for a little while…”
“…I’m going to sleep too.”
“That’s fine…”
“Hey, are you just going to fall asleep like that? You’ll get cold.”
“Mmm…” My eyes, tired from poring over the detailed figures in the reports, refused to open. My equally exhausted brain had given up on thinking.
“Honestly, you’re such a handful…”
Just before I lost consciousness, I felt a blanket being pulled up to my shoulders.
Rebecca is so kind…
I woke up the next morning, having missed one of Liz’s meals.
