Gonna Be a Demon King!
Chapter 106: Interlude 2 – 1: Mourning and Duty

Chapter 106: Interlude 2 – 1: Mourning and Duty

Battlefront World.

A High Level, war-torn world that had become a constant battleground in a larger, ongoing conflict.

Originally a world dominated by humans and elves, it was invaded by Demons who sought to conquer more worlds. And, as with all worlds where demons appeared, the Angels were not far behind.

Thus, the world became yet another stage in the eternal war between these two races.

But the ones who suffered the most were the natives. After all, if it came down to it, the angels and demons could easily abandon the planet, leaving behind only devastation for its original inhabitants.

Many of this world’s natives naturally realised this, leading to serious frictions within the alliances formed between humans, elves, and angels to fend off the demons.

Some native factions simply treated both demons and angels as invaders, slaughtering both sides without distinction.

◇　◇　◇

Deep within one of the most heavily fortified Angel Military Camps, a certain Lieutenant made her way through the halls of an administrative complex, offering polite greetings to everyone she passed.

This Lieutenant, like the majority of those stationed in the building, was what they called an Angelic Human.

Humans with the Angel Race Factors in their bodies.

These factors, whether acquired naturally or through artificial means, granted them the abilities of both races, along with some of their inherent weaknesses.

She made her way to the top floor and entered one of the many offices, saluting the secretary officers within before stating her purpose.

"I’m here to deliver a missive from High Command to Brigadier General Remliel."

When she stated this, one of the three secretaries glanced up and responded.

"Hand it over. I’ll relay it to the General."

"Relay?"

The Lieutenant blinked in confusion, then frowned slightly.

"I was given direct orders from Lieutenant General Remliel to deliver it in person to the Brigadier General.

She is present, isn’t she?"

At her words, the other two secretaries looked up from their desks, exchanging a glance before sighing.

"Are you new here?" one of them asked.

"Negative. I’ve been stationed here for ten months," the Lieutenant replied.

To this, he secretary who’d first spoken shook her head.

"If you haven’t been here for a full year, you’re still ’new.’"

Then, pointing to the wall behind the Lieutenant, she asked,

"What does the date and time say?"

The Lieutenant turned towards the wall clock and responded.

"January 1st. Time is 10:23 a.m."

The secretary nodded, then explained,

"Since you’re still new, you wouldn’t know this. But on January 1st, between 6 a.m. and 12 noon, no one, and I mean NO ONE, disturbs the Brigadier General.

Not even Lieutenant General Remliel, or any of the other Peak-Ranked Angels who oversee this planet, disturbs her."

The mention of Peak Ranked Angels made the Lieutenant flinch, her eyes widening in shock. Her gaze drifted to the door across from her, the one leading directly to the Brigadier General’s office, before she asked in a hushed voice,

"...what’s so special about January 1st?"

"No one really knows," the secretary said. "But those who’ve been here longer than us agree on one thing: the Brigadier General is in mourning."

"Mourning?" the Lieutenant echoed.

"Yes. Don’t even think of bringing it up in front of her, but we believe someone very close to her died on this day, sometime during these hours.

So, when that time comes around, her attitude goes from bearable to horrible.

Even if we were on the brink of losing a battle to the demons, she wouldn’t lift a finger. I know, because I’ve seen it happen."

The Lieutenant was baffled. How could someone who’d ignore a losing battle against demons be allowed to hold the rank of General?

But then it hit her. If, despite that, the Brigadier General still held her title, it meant she must be exceptional on every other day of the year... except January 1st.

"Now then..."

The secretary’s voice pulled the Lieutenant out of her thoughts and back into the moment.

"Since your orders are to deliver it in person, you’ve got two options. Either leave and return later, or sit here and wait for the next hour and thirty minutes."

As she spoke, one of the other secretaries pulled out a chair, placing a drink and some snacks on the stool beside it. The ease with which she did this made it obvious this wasn’t the first time she’d handled a situation like this.

As for the Lieutenant, she remembered her directive: Return ONLY AFTER delivering the missive.

With a glance at the chair, she quietly took a seat, murmuring a word of thanks to the secretary, who simply waved it off and went back to her work.

And so, the Lieutenant waited out the next hour and a half, and at exactly 12:01 p.m., the door at the far end of the office opened.

Out stepped the Brigadier General she’d been waiting for.

She was tall, with black hair streaked with golden highlights, tied into a single braid that reached the middle of her back. Her eyes were obsidian-black, but there was a faint redness to them. Everyone in the room noticed it, and no one was foolish enough to comment on it.

Her uniform was pristine white, the fabric crisp and unblemished. On her shoulder pads gleamed the silver stars denoting her Brigadier General rank.

The moment she appeared, the three secretaries immediately stood and greeted her with salutes.

The Lieutenant, briefly stunned by the General’s striking beauty and presence, snapped out of it just in time to join the salutes.

After a short intro from one of the secretaries, she was finally able to present the missive she’d been tasked with delivering.

The Brigadier General took it, skimmed its contents quickly, then turned to one of the secretaries.

"Ready the Fifth Battalion for clean-up."

At this, the secretaries’ expressions scrunched up, and one of them spoke up.

"General, please don’t tell me you intend to go alone...again?"

At that question, the Lieutenant who had delivered the missive froze in shock.

’Alone?! That missive was an order to eliminate a full demon division! Over ten thousand demons! Even if most are Low-Ranks, there’d be thousands of Mid-Ranks and likely several High-Ranks leading them.

Going in alone is suicide!’

She turned toward the Brigadier General, eyes wide with disbelief, but the woman simply repeated her earlier order.

"Ready the Fifth Battalion for clean-up."