Welcome to Hell!

Chapter 162: Reporting to Marcellus

Since we were well acquainted with the building’s layout, we walked easily to Marcellus’s office without any hesitation. I stood before the door, and I knocked on it with a predetermined number of taps at a distinct rhythm.

In response, a voice from behind the door said, “Come in.” Following the invitation, we opened the door and entered the room in a single line.

“Ah, you’re back! I’m really glad you’re safe.”

It was Marcellus who welcomed us. He had been waiting in front of the door, and, as a form of congratulations, he shook each of our hands and patted our shoulders. I noticed that he seemed to have lost some muscle since the first time we met, but his handshake still conveyed the firm calluses of a practiced swordsman. It seemed he hadn’t been neglecting his daily training.

Perhaps due to the many hardships he had endured, his face appeared slightly aged. However, there was an aura about him that made it seem like a new kind of charm. In fact, I had once heard an Imperial soldier mutter, “The regiment commander is annoyingly popular.”

Behind Marcellus, there was a large desk piled high with documents, indicating that he had been diligently handling paperwork. It seemed like he had been fighting in a different location.

“Any injuries?”

“We’re fine, but this time, we had casualties. It was a fierce battle,” Asumi replied.

“I see…”

Upon hearing Asumi’s response, Marcellus furrowed his brows; a hint of sadness crossed his face briefly before he observed a moment of silence. Then he opened his eyes and assumed a serious expression, and then he instructed us to report what we had witnessed on the central front lines.

Although this information had already been relayed to the Empire through messengers who returned earlier, Marcellus seemed inclined to take into consideration the firsthand reports of those who had actually fought on the battlefield. Knowing this, we provided as detailed a report as possible on the operations conducted and the weaponry used during the events there.

Upon hearing our report, Marcellus lowered his head in thought for a moment. He was likely comparing our account with the reports already sent to the Empire. After reaching some internal conclusion, he raised his head and dove into the matter he had summoned us for.

“Well, while you were fighting on the central front, there were developments here as well. Thanks in part to the newly created demons, we’ve managed to push the enemy fleet on the sea to the brink of destruction.”

“Wow! That’s impressive!”

“On the sea? How on earth…”

“Could it be that they’ve mass-produced flying demons like Farl? If so, there must have been a tremendous number of casualties…”

The Republican fleet had been a persistent annoyance. Floating on the sea, they could launch long-range naval bombardments that posed a significant threat to ground forces. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the battles on the Eastern Front were often about how to deal with this naval artillery.

During the operation to recapture Carnela Port, we dropped bombs from the air and infiltrated the battleships from within. Subsequently, after retaking the port, the Imperial forces came under fire from another fleet, but the fact remained that our side’s aerial attacks had been effective during that time.

However, the Republic Army was not so naive that the same tactics would work against them twice. When units capable of flying were dispatched to the fleet for the purpose of destroying it, every battleship had bolstered its anti-air defenses.

After suffering losses under relentless anti-aircraft fire, the enemy responded with what appeared to be reinforcements in the form of white-armored soldiers who were capable of flight. From that moment on, any attempts to destroy the fleet from above had never met with success.

Though the Imperial forces were thwarted in their aerial assaults, they didn’t remain idle. They established specialized units to counter naval artillery and devised various tactics, such as setting fire to small boats packed with explosives and sending them on suicide runs.

The most effective measure was the defense provided by the defensive units, which had now grown to a scale larger than the Demon Regiment. They not only shielded their allies from naval bombardments but also protected them from self-propelled artillery and enemy defensive weaponry. As a result, they were revered as the guardians of the battlefield.

In that crucial aspect of the battle, the fleet had been decimated by the actions of the demons. While it was a relief that the battlefield had become somewhat safer, the method behind it remained a mystery. If, as Asumi suggested, they had simply overwhelmed the enemy with a massive influx of flying demons, the casualties would have been staggering.

“No, there were only about three demon casualties. Not many injuries either, and they’ve already healed and returned to the front lines,” Marcellus said.

“Oh? These new demons must be quite remarkable.”

“Not exactly. They’re just demons specialized for underwater combat. They’re actually former pirates who were spared execution by becoming demons… to be honest, they’re a rather crude and rough bunch.”

According to Marcellus’s account, the idea of creating demons specialized for naval warfare was proposed by Larman Haddin, the Khan man who synthesized Julius and the other two. This was news to us, as it happened after we were dispatched as reinforcements to the central front.

It was a natural choice to use sea creatures as materials to specialize them for naval combat. However, pirates were chosen because, among the humans available as materials, pirates were pretty much the only ones who could swim.

At first, it seemed like they had synthesized individuals selected somewhat randomly with sea creatures, but these individuals couldn’t swim properly. Even if they had bodies suited for the sea, they seemed incapable of moving their limbs through the act of swimming.

It was believed that these individuals would need time to become useful, but what the Imperial Army needed were immediate combat-ready demons. As a result, pirates who could swim from the start were chosen as the new primary materials.

These pirates, who became demons, approached the fleet from underwater, drilling holes into the ship’s hulls. Since they were former pirates, they were well aware of the consequences if the ships were incapacitated. The Republic Army, caught off guard and without time to devise underwater countermeasures, could only watch as their fleet sank.

By the way, the casualties in this incident were primarily the demons who couldn’t swim properly. They weren’t given the chance to be trained in swimming and ended up losing their lives. It was a very pitiful end.

“With support from the sea mostly neutralized, the advantage has shifted decisively in our favor on land. Reports of victory are pouring in from various fronts.”

“I see.”

Marcellus paused for a moment, then glanced briefly at Asumi. Even though she had been abandoned, the Republic was still her homeland. He must have considered her feelings upon hearing the news of their defeat.

However, Asumi herself merely nodded with what seemed like little interest. She had been fighting for years as a member of the Special Operation Unit against the Republic. It was too late for her to defect to the Republic Army, which attacked her. Perhaps Marcellus was being overly cautious.

“Following that, the Imperial Army decided to launch one final major offensive. The goal is to eliminate every last member of the Republic Army and drive them out of Imperial territory.”

“I see. So, what role will be assigned to us?”

“The Demon Regiment will naturally be at the forefront of the battle. I will likely take command on the front lines as well. However, the Special Operations unit has just returned from an expedition. You’ll be designated as reserve forces for the battlefield, where reinforcements are needed…It’s a short time, but I want you to take some time to rest.”

“That would be much appreciated. Especially for Tigar, right?” Zald said.

Upon hearing that we didn’t need to head to the battlefield immediately, we let out sighs of relief. However, Zald wore an unusual grin and said something meaningful. Not understanding the meaning, Marcellus gave Tigar a puzzled look. The latter hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

“Uh… well, you see, I just had my second child.”

“Oh! Congratulations! What’s the baby’s name?”

“It’s Reese.”

“That’s a nice name! Hmm, what would be a good gift for the birth…?”

As Marcellus earnestly pondered the gift, Tigar’s expression stiffened upon hearing “gift for the birth”. When Lawqum was born, Marcellus celebrated it as if it were his own child. We were all pleased about that, but… it was what he brought as a gift afterward that became the issue.

A few days after Lawqum was born, in an unusually cheerful mood, Marcellus brought with him… a massive amount of baby toys as a gift. The gift itself was appreciated, but there were just way too many of them.

Although we had barracks thanks to Marcellus’ efforts, it was a ramshackle one, which was ill-suited for storing anything too much stuff. Nevertheless, Marcellus presented these toys with a radiant smile, so it was nearly impossible to decline him.

As a result, we reluctantly stowed them away deep in the back of the wagons. They did come in handy during our marches, especially when Lawqum started to fidget…. but they occupied a significant portion of the wagon’s limited capacity.

To be honest, we were running out of storage space. I wonder what would happen if, once again, we were given bulky gifts in celebration of a new birth. It might mean sacrificing some of our dwindling food space.

On a side note, the pragmatist Zald wanted to honestly point out to Marcellus that it would be wise to dispose of everything except the toys that Lawqum particularly liked. In contrast, Tigar couldn’t bring himself to say that; especially not after seeing the genuine joy on Marcellus’s face when he gave those gifts.

Seeing Tigar’s distress, Zald probably wanted to say, “I told you so.” As for me, I also sided with Tigar’s view and didn’t push for throwing the items away. Should I still come clean about the situation now?

“Didn’t you give us an excess of toys last time? Well, this time, I think baby blankets or something like that would be a good choice. The demons aren’t provided with much fabric, after all.” Asumi said.

“Oh, that’s a good idea! Let’s also prepare clothing for everyone while we’re at it!”

Asumi skillfully guided the conversation here. Moreover, it seemed that new clothing was going to be provided for us. Well, it might not be new, eye-catching fabric, but rather slightly worn material. However, in exchange, it seemed we’d have a decent quantity.

Marcellus muttered to himself, pondering where to source the fabric and how much of it could be secured. Watching him like that, we couldn’t help but share a wry smile.