Lin was walking along the grassy plains with Lucy and Tigria.

This area, dense with reeds, could easily lead to someone getting lost, so Lin was using a map and compass to navigate as they headed toward the frontline outpost of the demon army.

“When we get to the outpost, I’m planning to push the frontline forward as much as possible.”

Lucy had noticed that recently, Lin had become more assertive and aggressive in his statements. She wasn’t sure if it was because his range of actions as a combatant had expanded or if he simply wanted to prove himself, but every time he talked about taking charge, it made the Hero uneasy.

“The frontlines have been stagnant for a long time. Is there really a need to push them forward?”

“I want to create a situation where, if the demon army advances, we’ll have enough time to respond.”

Even as he answered Tigria’s question, Lin didn’t take his eyes off the map. In the tall reeds, which were as high as an average child, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

“We have enemies both inside and out.”

Their external enemies were the demons.

Their internal enemies were the Crown Princess and the Shield Knight.

Neither would be easy to deal with.

“If things go south, we’ll have to return to the capital to deal with the internal threat. If the demon army advances during that time, we could end up in a dire situation.”

“So, it’s about buying time to handle the internal threat. Even if we get pushed back a bit, the demon front needs to hold.”@@novelbin@@

“That’s right.”

“I see your point, Lin.”

The reason the last leg of the Demon King subjugation had been rushed was also because the frontline had been in a precarious state.

Lowellina had been surrounded, and the demon army was advancing toward the capital, leaving the romantic city isolated.

Originally, the Hero’s party had planned to break through the siege of Lowellina and form a new frontline far from the capital, pushing back up slowly. But feeling the pressure, the Emperor and the nobles had unanimously forced them to strike deep into demon territory and target the Demon King instead.

Common sense would have dictated that they prioritize defending the capital, but at the time, the demons, without the Demon King, were simply strong individually, lacking the military coordination that Airan and Garin excelled at.

In the end, Garin defended Lowellina, Airan saved the capital, and the Hero’s party took on the task of subjugating the Demon King, each engaging in intense battles of their own.

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