According to the information we've heard from the elven scouts, as expected, the enemy soldiers are on the edge of exhaustion.

Anemone's words, "The guerrilla tactics of the other day must have been too much for them to handle," were the words of Anemone, and he was right.

　Although we were not able to completely discourage the enemy's will to fight, the guerrilla tactics were still worthwhile.

''However, at this rate of advance, we'll be forced to close in on the elven royal capital in three days' time.......''

　Anemone shades her expression.
　He returns with a generous tone of voice to reassure her.

'I won't let that happen. Sigan will be here by then.'

　-- but what would happen?

　In anticipation of this, I have had Shigan prepared to go to war, but where is Shigan currently located?

　I would like to communicate with him through magic, but this World Tree Forest is extremely difficult for magic to reach.
　I'm sure it's a good idea to have a few of these in your pocket.
　I've got no idea where we are now.

　But if my calculations are correct, when the head-on collision between the elven troops and the Twin Eagle Knights takes place, Shigan's brigade should be able to strike the side of the enemy army.

　He had no choice but to believe that and march on.
　It was the evening of the next day when they approached the Twin Eagle Knights.

''It wasn't exactly a night attack, was it?

　is Lilith's complaint.
　The elves and succubus are a clan with a keen eye for the night. It is more advantageous to fight at night than in the daytime.

'It's not going to be so convenient. If we've met here, we'll have no choice but to fight.

　That was the speech of Günther, King of the Dwarves.
　'I agree with that.

'Drag them as far into the woods as possible to fight, though, and that's the best we can do.

Why?

"The longer the enemy's supply line, the better it will be for us.

　Since ancient times, it has been a basic rule of military science that the longer the supply line, the more disadvantageous it becomes.
　No army, no matter how strong and unyielding, can fight without supply, no matter how heroic the commander who follows it.
　The famous Alexander the Great, Napoleon, and Hitler were defeated before the tyranny of distance.
　However, I don't want to use that strategy this time.

　At first glance, it seems like an ideal strategy to lure the enemy to the elven capital and beat them, but that would inevitably make the elven village a battlefield.

　I can picture the faces of the elves who had treated us so well yesterday.
　I can't bear to expose them to the fires of war.
　I've decided to set up the battlefield as far away from the capital as possible and make it my battleground.
　I turned to Anemone and asked her, "Where do you think the terrain will be better around here?

'Do you know of any good terrain around here?

'Good terrain?　Such as?

Well, I like terrain that is difficult for a large army to deploy and has advantages over here. For example, terrain with a vast lake.

　Anemone pauses to think for a moment and then claps her hands.

I'm not sure if it's just right, but there is one lake on the route that the enemy forces will take. It's a bit small to call it a lake,

It's small. Oh, well, that's okay. I guess we'll just have to live with that. Now, can you get me some elven warriors who are skilled with the ice spirit (Frau)?

I could do that, but what do you intend to do?

　I can only answer that question with a grimace.

　I'm not sure if it's because I spent so much time with the mischievous witch Cephiro, but her sense of mischief, or rather her juvenile spirit, seems to have taken hold of me.

　I'd love to be able to defeat the enemy army and surprise the elven girl named Anemone with my magician's skills.
　With that in mind, I call the elven spirit user.
　Many of the ice spirit users were cool-looking female elves.




　When I gather the elf spirit user, I summon the ice spirits and freeze the lake.
　As white breath was spat out of the mouths of the ice sculptured elves, the lake instantly froze.
　It is a magnificent thing.

　I also used the Ice Storm's magic to help, but I couldn't put ice on this lake by myself. The power of their spirits is invaluable.

　The ice on the lake, Lilith is afraid to put her weight on it, but it won't break even if she gets on it.
　Of course it won't break even if I ride it.
　It would be different if you could ride a giant elephant, but there are no elephants in this other world.
　I don't think the enemy army is using dragons, so there will be no problem.

The only thing left to do now is to successfully lure the enemy army away...

　It seems we need not worry about that.

　The elven scouts report that the enemy forces have captured our position and are heading our way.

"So this is what happens when a duck comes with a leek on its back.

　When I blurt it out, Anemone gives me a strange look.

'A duck comes with an onion on its back?　Is it a human proverb or something?

　There don't seem to be any leeks in this world like we see in Japan.
　Still, the logic is the same with onions.

If a duck carries an onion on its back, it will be easier to make a duck stew as it is. Easier. That's what the saying means.

I see. That's convenient. That's an unexpected proverb.

What do you mean?

We elves are vegetarians.

...I see.

But there is a saying among us elves that goes like this. They say that mushrooms grow in their own gardens.

It's a typical Elvish proverb," I said, and then I quickly turned around and flapped my immortality robe.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what to expect.
　It's a good idea to make sure that you're not going to be the only one who can get the job done.
　After watching it, they retreated to the rear.

　This time, I didn't want to fight on the front line, but was going to leave the battle completely to the elven warriors.
　There were two reasons for this.

　One, because a clash between armies requires a proper commander.
　Not to be smug, but if I don't lead them, the elven troops will be destroyed.
　The equipment and skills of the elven warriors are no match for a human army.
　I must give them precise orders and make up for their weaknesses.

　I'm going to be the first to tell you that I'm going to be the first to cast a "certain" magic.
　I'm going to have to be able to watch the battle from the rear and find the right moment to do it.
　We can't find the right time to do that if we are fighting up front.

　I must have Anemone, Lilith, and Günther struggle here, by all means.
　With that in mind, I gave them instructions.


'Make sure you come back alive.
　And--.

　The three nodded to each of them and headed towards the enemy forces with the elven warriors in tow.
　A few minutes later, the battle began.
　The sounds of battle unique to the battlefield resounded.
　It was the scraping of armor and chainmail, the angry voices of enemy soldiers, and the familiar noise.

　On the other hand, the elven warriors are all lightly armed and their weapons are mainly slender swords. They don't raise their voices in anger. It was clear that they were not used to fighting, after all.

　The Elf Warrior Chief Anemone, the Succubus Lilith, and the Dwarf Günther, each one of them strong enough to fight alone, but our side was being pushed to the extent that they could barely hold the front line on an even footing, or even barely.

　You can't help but put strength into the 'circular snake staff' you are clutching.


''Should I still head to the front line as well?''


　I can't help but say that, but I don't think now is the time.
　You have to believe in them.
　It's easy for me to jump in front of the line here and now, but I don't want just a victory. I want an overwhelming victory.
　And to do that, I'm going to have to see them do it.


　The enemy soldiers are falling one by one, and an equal number of their allies are falling as well.
　The battlefield is evenly matched.
　This is not the case.
　If the same number of soldiers fall, it means that our side, which has fewer soldiers, is outnumbered.
　If the same number of soldiers fall at the same time, we will be annihilated first.
　Even an infant could understand this calculation.
　In less than an hour, the entire elven warrior corps would be wiped out or crushed.
　--I'm not going to let them do that.


It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get a good deal more than you think.


　I didn't want to become a disappointing man who couldn't fulfill that promise.
　I shouted loudly.


''Now!　Shigan!


　At the same time as he shouted that, the reinforcing dragon man, Shigan, rushed behind the enemy soldiers.
　At last Michigan's brigade has arrived on the battlefield.

　After confirming that Shigan's brigade had arrived within the range of the telepathic communication, I instructed him to poke the hinterland of the Twin Eagle Legion.

　Shigan simply replied with a single word, "Yes, sir," and then attacked the enemy troops with a timing that could not have been better.
　They hadn't expected to be attacked from the rear, and they were in turmoil.　　
　I didn't miss the moment.

''Now!''

　He ordered the elven warriors, led by Anemone. They had been outnumbered, but they still seemed to have the courage and strength left to make a last stand.

　Bravely and courageously, they jumped into the enemy lines.
　Lilith and Anemone swung their swords and Günther swung his axe down.
　This causes the Twin Eagle Knights to become even more confused.
　Naturally, the commander of the enemy army would try to withdraw his troops once and regain his posture.

　The Elves' troops and the Demon Brigade, both sides of the battle, were caught in the crossfire, causing a great deal of confusion, but the superiority of the enemy army was still not overturned.

　Warfare is not so sweet that a large army of 2,000 soldiers can be destroyed by this level of surprise.
　Besides, the enemy commander would not be incompetent.
　The enemy general is calmly giving the order to 'retreat'.

　I don't know if they will lower their troops once and regroup, or if they will continue to flee back to the royal capital, Reezus, but I wanted to inflict decisive damage here.

　Whether they would regain their posture or flee back, I don't know which one, but if we dealt a heavy blow here, they wouldn't want to come to this forest again.

　For that reason, we would like to see an 'orderly' retreat for the enemy forces.
　They could run away toward the lake we just froze, or they could run away in the direction of the forest.
　That is up to the choice of the enemy general, but it seems that the enemy seems to be fleeing in the direction of the forest.

''Naturally........''

　If I were the enemy general, I'd make the same choice.
　It's hard to march on a frozen lake, and it's no match for me.
　It was the only choice available to us. In fact, the enemy army has begun to head for the forest.
　But unfortunately, that option is wrong.
　At what I thought was the forest, the giant tree tribe (Trent) was waiting for me.
　This was the first secret plan I had prepared.
　The giant tree tribe, as its name suggests, is a tree-shaped demon tribe.
　They are demons with tree limbs, eyes and noses.

　They have eyes and noses. Of course, they have mouths, so they can talk, but they do not talk to humans, but they raise their large hands and swing them down.

　Their movements are slow, but a blow with the full weight of a giant tree can crush rocks.
　They use their massive bodies to lay waste to human soldiers.
　They hit, kick, and throw rocks.
　The powerful attacks that only Trent can deliver are more than enough to frighten the humans.
　The enemy general, realizing the danger of evacuating to the forest, hurriedly turned on his heel and evacuated toward the frozen lake.


　-- all in accordance with my secret plan.


　At the same time as the enemy troops got on the lake, I carried out that secret plan.
　I had been suppressing my desire to go to the front line for this moment.　
　I chant a spell without thinking.

　The name of the spell is, of course, Earth Quake.

　As soon as I chant the magic, a large shake envelops the entire forest.
　Naturally, the shaking is transmitted to the lake.
　The ice on the lake will be split in half.
　The human soldiers on top of the broken ice are naturally falling into the lake.
　It was a frigid lake. It must be cold, and the armor they wore deprived them of their buoyancy.
　In other words, many human soldiers were sinking to the bottom of the lake.

　Anemone, who was watching the scene, muttered.

''S, amazing........''

　Lilith.
Of course you do, Master Ike.
　I have a look on my face.

　Anemone turned around to us and asked with a respectful look.

''........Ike-san anticipated this from the beginning and froze the lake, didn't he?

'You're right. There's no way they would do that for any reason.

Yes, of course, I thought it would mean something, but I didn't expect them to use such a strange trick.

　Anemone takes a bow as if to say that he is impressed.

　If you want to thank him, do it to a man named Napoleon Bonaparte, who was born in a place called Corsica in a previous life.

　This tactic was used by him at the Battle of Austerlitz, when he defeated numerous allied forces of the Austrian and Russian empires.

　Napoleon lobbed cannons into a frozen lake and buried a large number of the Austrian-Russian allied troops.

　-- Of course, there's a lot of exaggeration in these stories, and some stories are actually legends, but at least it seems to have been a valid strategy in this world of sword and sorcery.

　I thanked the great heroes of the eighteenth century and asked Anemone and the others to attend to the enemy soldiers who had reached the shore.

　Naturally, Anemone objected, but it was Lilith.

Ike-sama, what are you going to do with the humans you defeated? We have to put a stop to them.

　It was a natural opinion for a demon race. No, as a human general, it was also a natural idea.
　However, I still don't want to see more people die than necessary.

　Besides, having fought to this point and survived, it seems like they have the right to survive.
　I looked at the soldiers who were shivering as if they were freezing to death at any moment, and then I looked at Anemone, the elven warrior chief.
　She seemed lost for a moment, but in the end she agreed with me.

　The elves offered warmth to the human soldiers who had returned from the frigid lake in exchange for disarmament.
　They gathered firewood to build a fire.
　They summoned the fire spirits (salamanders).
　The freezing and dying humans are gathered around the warmth.　　
　The humans, without exception, seem to have a look of gratitude on their faces.
　They all bow to the elves and vow not to attack the forest again.

　Seeing this scene, Lilith asked, "Are you sure? And I'm only skeptical.
　I reply.

The ordinary soldier was drafted into the army and came to this place, even if it's only for the nobility. We didn't come here with the intention of fighting.

But how could they refuse to do that if they were ordered to?

Maybe he'll make a few alterations then.

If I may say so, isn't that a little too optimistic for you?

Yeah, I think so.

　But," he continues.

'It's the time. If they try to come after the elven forest again, then I'll do my best to smash them down.

''Yes, I'm sure Ike-sama would kick any large army that comes along as often as he could.

　I hope so. As I left off saying that, I gave the order to handle the post-war process and gave the order to return to the Elf's royal capital.

　With this, I would have fulfilled my promise to the Elf Queen Ferret.

　Our alliance with the elven race should have been complete, but I wanted to return to the city of Ivalice after greeting Ferret for the last time.