12th month.

Winter had arrived.

Starting from Senkelien, the Allied Forces went on to destroy the warp gates of the small cities surrounding Riselen one by one, as if going around its periphery.

The small warp gates in the minor cities were already devastated by the vanguard of the Demon King's forces, and the Imperial High Command had disguised it as the work of the Empire's vanguard.

Only a handful of people knew that the Allied Forces were receiving help from the Demon King.

The moment that information became public, the confusion felt by the Allied Forces could have led to enormous divisions, so it had to be kept top secret.

It was a given that a massive army would have to go through winter. This war would continue beyond the year.

Seven small cities and three medium-sized cities.

So far, these were the achievements of the Allied Forces.

In the Allied Forces' headquarters, Bertus stood before a map, his face stern as he watched the situation unfold before the many military commanders gathered.

It wasn't as if all the battles they had experienced so far were minor.

But now, the Allied Forces were faced with the largest battle they had ever encountered.

Three large warp gates.

One super-large warp gate.

Seven small warp gates.

The largest city in the southern part of Riselen.

Serandia.

It would be their first time destroying a super-large warp gate.

That was the crux of the matter.

The chief of operations began the report.

"Your Majesty, we anticipate that successfully attacking Serandia will significantly reduce the monster hordes in the southern region of Riselen."

"By using the Razi River flowing near Serandia as a water source, we believe we can secure water supplies locally. If we can replace the transportation needed for water supplies with other resources, the Allied Forces will have an easier time enduring the winter."

"However, due to the nature of winter operations, a significant loss of combat power is expected while the main force moves to Serandia. Also, once the operation begins, a retreat will be nearly impossible. If we fail, we expect irreversible and severe losses."

"We could focus on defending our garrison and spend the winter before starting the campaign to conquer Serandia. However, in this case, it remains unclear whether the army can receive necessary supplies smoothly until spring. The monsters gathered in Serandia will likely launch periodic raids on the Allied Forces' garrison during the winter, and since they will continue to be replenished, there will be no loss of their combat power."

Bertus narrowed his brow as he listened to the chief of staff's report.

Winter was a season when everything froze, and soldiers were no exception.

A winter march was even more hellish than a regular one.

There would be soldiers who would lose their frozen toes, not just from exhaustion.

While the priests of the Holy Order could heal with their divine magic, not everyone could receive such benefits.

Since the area around a large city was teeming with waves of monsters, the Allied Forces' garrison was set up far away from Serandia.

Just reaching Serandia, the battlefield, would require a forced march.

In the midst of a harsh winter, the monsters would become increasingly more numerous.

It was by no means an environment where they could rest for a day and fight.

At their most exhausted, the troops would have to face the largest number of enemies.

And that would be during winter.

'If only there were a change in the weather that would improve conditions on our way... But we can't necessarily count on that...'

By marching through the harsh winter, they would proceed with the campaign to conquer Serandia.

In the end, immense casualties were expected in the campaign.

And capturing Serandia wouldn't mean the end of the Gate crisis.

There were still cities to be destroyed.

If they suffered irreversible losses here, the next battle would be even harder.

As it becomes more difficult and burdensome, if the loss of irreplaceable personnel continues.

In the end, they would fail to destroy the last Gate, and humanity would lose all hope.

But what if they held out here through the winter and attacked Serandia in the spring?

Armies consume enormous resources.

People need to eat, and something must be done to withstand the cold.

And while they're stationed here, there's Serandia, where monsters pour out of the giant warp gates, albeit far away.

They would have to continue their defensive battles throughout the winter, resulting in not only resource but also personnel losses.

However, if they managed to successfully conquer Serandia, they could at least secure resources to endure the winter. They would also be able to log the nearby forested area to survive the cold.

Would they endure the winter there after risking heavy casualties in a large-scale assault to bring down Serandia?

They would lie low here until the weather warmed, engaging in continuous attrition warfare and entering battle in a relatively better condition.

"We can't hold out here through the winter. We're heading to Serandia."

Help cannot always be expected.

But there had always been help.

That's why Bertus had no choice but to rely on the Demon King's forces this time as well.

The frozen land where the allied forces were heading would thaw, and an anomalous climate named warm sunlight would appear.

The ruler of humanity depends on the Demon King.

'If I can't get help anymore...'

He couldn't be confident that he wouldn't panic.

Bertus chuckled to himself.

-Meow

-Meow

-Meow

-Meow

"..."

-Meow!

Ellen regained consciousness at the sound of what seemed like a call for her.

A black cat, who knows since when, had been pressing its front paws on her thigh.

Somehow, the cat looked up with a pitiful gaze, as if worried.

Why was it doing this?

Ellen was inside a tent, sitting in a chair. Only then did she realize that she had lost consciousness for a moment.

She had heard there was a meeting about the Serandia attack.

But Ellen didn't necessarily attend the meeting. Though she did have a say, and it wasn't taken lightly. However, Ellen never felt comfortable discussing life-and-death issues in such a setting.

So, she was contemplating whether to go or not.

But when she came to her senses, the cat that had been absent for a few days was crying in front of her.

Ellen didn't bother to lock her quarters in the garrison these days.

Royal-class garrison security was strict, and no one in the garrison would rudely enter Ellen's quarters uninvited.

So she left her quarters unlocked so the cat could come in whenever it wanted.

Thus, it wandered in freely.

-Meow

With her left hand, Ellen held the necklace, and with her right hand, she stroked the head of the pitifully crying cat.

"I'm fine..."

Ellen now knew that pouring her heart into something could help.

She felt as if this little being was watching over her.

However, even so, the moments of losing consciousness increased.

"It'll be okay..."

The cat just looked up at Ellen quietly.

Losing consciousness, her existence disappearing.

It was a terrifying thing, but Ellen had something more important ahead.

The Serandia attack.

The Colossal Warp Gate

The battle would only grow more arduous and challenging.

"Reinhardt..."

Ellen knew what the high command knew.

Reinhardt would, in some way, support the conquest of Serandia.

He had always been helping, and now, he would once again support this battle in his own way.

From somewhere.

-Meow

Undoubtedly, he was watching over her.

Ellen's condition was steadily worsening.

He had been aware of her occasional losses of consciousness, and though he appeared as a cat, he had witnessed it before.

But losing consciousness was not the right term.

It was closer to someone else taking control of her consciousness.

Her dark eyes, like an abyss, stared at him quietly. With eyes that he couldn't tell whether they were looking at him or not.

They stared at him only with blurry, unfocused pupils.

Nothing could be read from those eyes other than emptiness.

It was an eerie feeling that went beyond being unsettling.

Not only Ellen but also the Royal Class people had felt a strong sense of unease when Ellen occasionally fell into such a state.

Though they did not know how a cat could be of any help, it seemed apparent that Ellen was affected by it.

The necklace that Ellen wore was unclear as well, but by now, they had somewhat sensed that it was playing a similar role.

If her condition went past the point of no return...

Would he only see Ellen with those empty eyes?

Although he occasionally visited the Royal Class garrison to check on Ellen's condition and the situation of the Royal Class people, he could not always stay there.

He had to not only break through the march route but also receive sleep training from Airi, and while Charlotte took care of Edina's work, he still received reports on crucial matters.

He is a pet-type demon king.

And just like Ellen was steeling herself for a great battle, so was he.

For now, the imminent issue was the conquest of the huge city, Serandia.

"I assume we'll advance. They'll be expecting our help."

A council meeting with all of Edina's core members.

"Since enduring the winter would inevitably become a war of attrition, they would have no choice but to make such a decision."

I nodded at Eleris's response.

A full-scale battle after a march through the harsh cold.

A defensive battle in the bitter cold, followed by a full-scale battle after welcoming spring.

Both would entail immense burdens.

In the original story, this time was not winter. They faced winter in another metropolis conquest.

In that situation, the allied forces chose to endure.

But now, we were assisting them, and Liana had awakened her ability to manipulate the weather, which she couldn't use in the original story.

Thus, they would expect our help and choose to advance.

We would protect the path of the allied forces not from monsters, but from the weather.

We would be able to shield them from the bitter cold on their journey.

However, the next problem.

"We need to decide what to do when the attack on Serandia begins."

It was Luvien's words.

Yes, we had to decide that.

In previous gate conquests, we destroyed the warp gates within our capabilities before the allied forces could strike.

But for the medium-sized warp gates, we swept away the monsters with a preemptive strike and handed them over to the allied forces afterward.

Though we took on the role of a vanguard unit unknown to the allied forces, we had no intention of drawing their attention when the primary operation began.

But the scale of this operation was different.

At one massive warp gate, there were three large warp gates.

Even with the weather changes caused by Liana, there were limits to the monsters that could be dealt with, and even if the monsters were annihilated, they would be replenished at an incredibly fast rate.

A preemptive strike could yield significant results.

However, if the operation were left solely to the allied forces, we could succeed in the invasion of Serandia, but casualties would inevitably occur as we didn't fight directly.

If we were to join the battle, the number of those sacrificed would decrease, and the allied forces would be able to conserve their strength.

From a practical standpoint, it is right for us to participate in the battle as well.

"However, our participation may help the invasion of Serandia in the short term, but in the long term, it may be a significant mistake."

"That's true."

I had no choice but to agree with Gallarush's words.

Antirianus spoke up.

"Our army may be small, but it is impossible not to be noticed on the battlefield. Just look at the large-scale magic that the Lords and Heavenly Kings here can use. The lightning used by the Thunder King, the divine power and artifact used by the Demon Lord and by the Holy Order's leader, Tiamata, and the Alsbringer used by the Great Being are no exception."

Our power was too strong and would inevitably attract attention.

Sarkegaar, who had returned to Lazak for the meeting, spoke up.

"The current coalition command is aware of our assistance. A small number of people in charge of frontline reconnaissance are keeping quiet. And the personnel of each military command believe that the events at the front are due to the Empire's power. Of course, many are suspicious, but neither the Empire nor the allied forces seem to be mentioning it."

"But if we reveal ourselves in this battle, most of the allied forces, especially the ordinary soldiers, will learn of our involvement, which could lead to unforeseen problems."

"Your Majesty, I believe it is a wise decision not to reveal ourselves in the invasion of Serandia."

Large-scale magic, Meteor Summoning.

There is no such destructive magic among humans. The moment it is used, they will sense the appearance of the Demon Lord's forces.

The moment when meteors rained down from the sky that had turned into a broken mirror and hit the temple is remembered as an unforgettable nightmare for those who saw it in the Imperial Capital. Moreover, there would be no one who had not heard rumors about that magic.

Since the meteor shower began simultaneously with the gate incident, the meteor shower crossing the sky became a symbol of the Demon King's return.

If Olivia summons the Death Knights and sweeps the battlefield, the allied forces might panic and try to attack them.

Alsbringer goes without saying.

If we participate in the battle, we will undoubtedly help the allied forces.

There is no reason to help if it is not with power but only with minor assistance.

If we want to help properly, numerous allied forces will realize that the Demon Lord's forces have appeared. Our help may lead to the failure of the operation.

To be blunt, if someone were to discover me killing monsters on the battlefield and shout, "The Demon Lord has appeared!" the entire alliance would accept it as "the Demon Lord attacked the alliance during a large-scale battle."

Bertus faced a dilemma: whether to march after enduring a war of attrition in the winter, or to march immediately at the risk of significant damage.

The same is true for me.

If we help in the attack on Serandia, the allied forces' casualties might be reduced, but our presence might create additional problems.

If we don't help and merely stand by, we'll be witnessing the deaths of countless people who might have lived had we been there.

Among them are the lives of many people I know.

They'll probably find a way to survive on their own.

Is that a petty thought I should hold onto while I stand aside and watch the assault on Serandia?

There is no such thing as an absolutely right choice.

Every choice requires gaining something while accepting something else in return.

Throughout my time in this world, every choice I've made has been like that.

Choices where I gain something and lose something else.

I must make that choice again now.

I have not exchanged words with Bertus, but our relationship is practically that of allies.

However, only a small number of people accept that fact.

To the majority, I am still a name synonymous with terror, and no one believes that the Demon King would fight alongside them.

If anything, it would only be more confusing.

The Demon King, who caused the gate crisis to exterminate humanity, is helping humanity?

Only those who have lost their sanity in despair would believe such a thing.

What if the other commanders of the allied forces or everyone in the alliance found out that the empire had been receiving the Demon King's assistance until now?

The alliance might collapse after the battle for Serandia.

"Someday, we too must fight alongside the allied forces. It's bound to happen."

Everyone in the meeting remains silent, looking at me.

The moment when we must join the battle will come. That won't change.

And, the gate crisis is becoming increasingly dangerous.

During the early stages of the gate crisis, a guerilla force led by Saviolin Turner could easily destroy cities with such gigantic warp gates. Now that the situation has grown more dangerous, it has become impossible, forcing us to travel with this large army.

Serandia is dangerous, but the cities we will face later will be even more so.

"We will only carry out a preemptive strike on Serandia, without joining the battle and watching from afar."

Whether someone dies or not, now is the time to watch those deaths.

Is turning away from those dying right now in order to prevent more deaths in the future the right choice?

I don't know.

All I can do, like Louise von Schwarz, is make a choice.

"Also, if possible, it would be nice to destroy at least a few warp gates, even if not the gigantic ones."

A preemptive strike.

If that's all we can do, then we must do everything we can within that scope.