"Haha, excellent!"
"Fine sons of the Tengu!"
"From now on, we'll not only rule the Tengu but become nobles of the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia!"
The hawk faction elder declared, "Under my leadership, the Tengu will rise to greatness~!"
They dreamed of a glorious future.
Unbeknownst to them, their secret meeting was overheard clearly by Shuna, using her magic.
"Those damned old fools!!"
Momiji gritted her teeth in fury, while Kaede remained calmer, instructing Shuna to record the conversation for the upcoming trial.
"The Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia's forces will arrive tomorrow night." Shuna reported.
"Two hundred thousand Harpy air troops, plus Frey, a current Demon Lord…"
Damien didn't think the Tengu from the original story could withstand such an onslaught. 'My arrival has changed the plot significantly.'
"Two hundred thousand…"
The sheer number rattled not just Kaede and Momiji but even Benimaru and Hakurou.
This wasn't 200,000 weaklings but a flying legion of Harpy.
The Harpy, akin to harpies from the legends, were an all-female race.
The weakest harpies were C+ rank majin, comparable to hobgoblins.
In human adventurer terms, a C-rank majin required a well-equipped team to defeat.
A C+ rank demanded multiple coordinated teams.
"Beyond that, there are Sirens skilled in enchanting songs, Winged Folk resembling angels, and Beastkin with various avian bloodlines." Shuna continued.
"These majin are generally B-rank or higher, with some A-rank and even A+ rank among them."
After 600 years, Frey's forces likely surpassed even the Beast Kingdom of Eurazania in quality.
Even if this was only part of her army, the pressure was immense.
Yet, among the nations near the Jura Forest, the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia's population was relatively small.
"According to intelligence, the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia's capital, Gia, ruled by Demon Lord Frey, has over a million Harpy." Shuna said. "The land, mostly mountainous, is rich in rare metals and gems."
This million counted only Harpy, excluding non-flying races.
No one knew how many beings lived in those endless mountains.
Violet's rough estimate tallied over 60 million demi-humans and humans.
All were Frey's subjects.
With a single command, she could muster a million-strong army of demi-humans and humans.
"However, Frey is highly selective, excluding non-Harpy from her military." Shuna added. "Even for the Harpy, 200,000 is a significant force."
Facing the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia first was, in a way, fortunate.
Had it been the Beast Kingdom of Eurazania or the Puppet Nation of Jistav Jistav, the scale would've been overwhelming.
The Beast Kingdom of Eurazania's ruling class was about 3 million beastmen, but its total population, including demi-humans and humans, reached 300 million.
Clayman's Puppet Nation of Jistav was similar, with 100 million demi-humans and majin, plus countless slaves as labor.
"These Demon Lords' nations are massive." Damien remarked.
He longed for a vast populace, not just a fledgling force too small to even declare a nation openly.
"We're not bad either, right?"
"Exactly!"
"They may have numbers, but in high-end combat, they can't match us!"
Benimaru, Shion, and Ice Empress voiced their confidence.
They weren't wrong.
Damien lacked citizens, not combat power.
In the majin world, where strength ruled, a large, prosperous nation without combat might was just a fattened pig for the strong.
"Start with Frey!" Damien declared, setting the strategy. "Capture her alive. Can you do it?"
"Alive?"
"As expected of you, Lord Damien!"
"Got it!"
"Leave it to us!"
Though their tone was odd, Damien trusted his followers.
Artoria, however, sighed inwardly with a hint of resignation.
'Treating his people well is enough; a bit of womanizing is a minor flaw.'
But she quickly steeled herself. 'As Damien's guardian knight, I must ensure no unworthy women get close to my lord!'
"Do we need to act?" Kaede and Momiji asked, eager to join.
"No." Damien replied. "You'll watch with me."
"It's a perfect chance to show the Tengu our strength."
Defeating 200,000 Harpy and capturing Frey alive... what better way to showcase his power?
Time passed swiftly, and the next night arrived.
Through careful planning, Kaede had set a trap for the hawk faction.
They remained oblivious, their treachery exposed under the watchful eyes of Kaede and the elite Tengu.
They even gloated, thinking the clan too foolish to see through them.
"Your Majesty!"
In the night sky outside the Sacred Mountain's dimensional space, a fleet of winged beasts carried an ornate palanquin, surrounded by countless Harpy.
Luchia stood by Queen Frey, reporting the frontline commanders' preparations.
"All units are ready for battle." Luchia said. "We await your command to signal the Tengu to open the dimensional space."
"Dimensional space, huh?"
Frey, observing it closely for the first time, scoffed. "If it's only this level, no need for such trouble."
***
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