Strongest Superhuman System - Chapter 573

Chapter 573: Nerves
Mark, Riger, and Hunn had to account for everything. They had to plan out what would happen at night when visibility was low. They had to come up with a way to protect the cavalry from being attacked or ambushed. They had to find a counter to the light magic the angels used. They even had to account for food, supplies, and the possibility of a drawn-out battle that could last days.

What was Freya trying to do by giving him a trial like this?

A small part of Mark’s mind was trying desperately to figure out what Freya could possibly be trying to achieve by putting him in the middle of a war, while the rest of him listened and responded to Riger’s words. Was Freya trying to teach Mark how to become a ruler? Or was she doing this because she knew that Mark didn’t have prior experience ruling anything, and she wanted to watch him fail?

Mark had no idea.

“I believe it will be beneficial to have your queen take an important position in the Air Force. Seeing the King’s partner on the front line will give the troops a much-needed boost in morale. You are going to be with the cavalry on the ground, so she can serve as your aid in the sky.”

Hunn spoke up after they were tidying up the plan for one last time, and Mark gave him an incredulous look before a frown etched itself on his face. Mark had never even entertained the thought of Arit being on the battlefield. Even though Mark knew that Arit was one of the strongest people in this world right now, having already broken into ELITE Rank I, he was not comfortable with her being anywhere dangerous. It was just his natural instinct to protect her.

But Mark also knew that Arit was strong and could take care of herself. Hunn’s idea was sound, and Mark gave a nod as he agreed to it.

“She isn’t experienced in leading, but she can learn quickly, so let her be the support while Mildred takes the front. When will the response from the outposts we messaged arrive?”

Mark turned to Riger with this question, and Riger answered that it would be here in less than twelve hours. Until then, they had to prepare the troops and make sure they were all aware of the plan before heading out.

Mark nodded and decided to go over everything one more time to make sure he wasn’t missing anything.

“So, the outpost protecting the trading town will attack the barricade there, making sure to occupy them with hit-and-run tactics while we march toward the eastern mountains and stay out of sight close to the barricade near the mining town. Then the outpost there will launch an attack, drawing the angels out of their barricade while we come in from behind and corner them in a pincer attack. The angels will quickly discover our plans, and they will surely send for reinforcements, so the air forces and magic users specializing in air-based spells will be in charge of handling the messengers. As long as they do not get any form of reinforcements in time, it won’t be hard to take this part of the continent back. From there, we can begin a new crusade, marching outward toward the western front and taking everything as we move.”

Mark drew out a line on the map, showing the direction they were going to be moving in, and the two generals nodded as they accepted the plan.

The plan was a crude one and very simple, but Mark knew that the simplest types of plans worked. Trying to overcomplicate things would always lead to issues in the midst of battle, so he was going to handle this battle as he handled every other battle he had been in.

And besides, there was something that the angels would never be able to predict in the coming war. A variable they couldn’t account for no matter what. The angels had no idea that Mark was the new Demon Lord, and they wouldn’t be able to account for his presence on the battlefield. Mark knew that as long as he didn’t reveal himself until the right moment, the angels wouldn’t know what hit them.

…

That night, Mark stayed alone with Arit in their large bedroom, and they spoke late into the night about all the different things Arit had seen when she went out to explore the castle. It turned out that the castle was extremely large, with enough space and rooms to hold more than two thousand people.

The castle was the focal point of the military barracks, with a large wall built around it and dividing the military barracks from a town located just outside the castle walls. There were more than five thousand demons living around the castle, and according to the Lamia, this was the biggest settlement on the demon continent.

The largest settlement used to be the trading town, but that all changed when the angels attacked that area, and the demons were forced to move inland to avoid being killed.

As they spoke, one of the demon maids brought them a platter of food, which Arit received at the door. Arit opened the plate and immediately frowned when she saw that it was a simple meal of bread and garnished soup. Arit was about to go and tear the maid who brought the food a new one, but Mark told her not to do that. They were in the middle of a war, so it was most likely that this was the most luxurious meal they could afford to give anyone, given how hard things were.

“I’m actually not that hungry right now, so this is perfect.”

Arit’s expression quickly changed from irritation to worry as she heard Mark say that he was not hungry, and she knelt before him and asked him what was wrong. Mark told her that it was nothing serious. He was just worried about the battle tomorrow.

Mark had never been a king before, and the most he had ever done with regards to leading was telling superhumans what to do on the battlefield, so it was a bit nerve-wracking to suddenly have to account for the lives of so many people. Mark knew that in a war, deaths were inevitable. There was no way they were going to win tomorrow without some of their soldiers dying. But Mark couldn’t help but worry about the plan and wonder if things would go as he hoped they would.

Mark hadn’t shown any of this worry in front of the generals or council members because he knew that showing weakness in front of his subordinates was the stupidest thing a leader could do. But here, when he was alone with Arit, he could show some of his worry. Arit came up to Mark and climbed into his lap. She straddled him and held his face gently while tilting his head up to look at her. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Mark still heard it as if she were speaking directly to his soul.

…

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