Strike One Punch to Avoid a Hundred More

“Lady Demon Lord… are we really going to confront the Hero and the Rhine Holy Church head-on?”

After everyone had received their tasks and left Vivian’s tent, the command post, which had been crammed full of demon captains and where the air had grown thick and stuffy, suddenly became empty—but the little succubus Luna had stayed behind, looking at Vivian nervously and asking in a small voice.

Her pointed ears drooped slightly, and her silky black tail coiled and uncoiled restlessly.

“What, are you afraid?”

Vivian turned her head to look at her, asking with a faint smile.

“No… not really.”

Luna had a hesitant look on her face, as if she had struggled with her thoughts for a while, before finally gritting her teeth and continuing, “Lady Demon Lord, you’re pregnant right now.

Logically, you should be doing everything you can to avoid conflict with the human Heroes… What if something goes wrong…”

The little succubus looked like she was on the verge of tears, clearly genuinely worried about Vivian’s condition.

“A-and, don’t the humans have a saying!

As-as long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood… The Demon Lord’s Castle is already like this anyway, so we can just flee!

The Territory of Evernight is so large, even the Hero Garen couldn’t possibly search every inch of it, right!”

Luna said, and looking at the little white-haired succubus before her, Vivian could feel that she was truly worried that her current state was not suitable for facing a Hero.

And in fact, that was true.

Vivian, being pregnant, could never fully recover her mana to its peak level.

A considerable amount of her mana was being used to nourish the fetus.

But… who said that she, Vivian, was going to face the Hero Garen head-on?

“Luna, I know your intentions are good, but I can’t do that.”

Vivian smiled, looking at the teary-eyed little succubus, and reached out to pinch her cute cheek.

“Luna, you know?

The current Territory of Evernight, including myself, is indeed very weak.

But it is precisely at times like this that we cannot simply run away—outside our territory, among the humans, the elves, and even within our own Demon Clan, there are surely many eyes watching our every move.”

“If we face the Rhine Holy Church’s expeditionary army and don’t make them pay any price at all, then sooner or later, others will see our Territory of Evernight as a low-risk backyard, a weak and easily bullied hunting ground with low risk and high reward.

All sorts of adventurers, mercenaries, and even regular armies will come endlessly to seek their fortune.”

“The Territory of Evernight cannot withstand such turmoil.

Moreover, if we simply flee, then the Rhine Holy Church will surely target the other villages and settlements as their objectives—an expeditionary army cannot return empty-handed.

They will either return in a great victory, or flee in disarray.”

“So, Luna, do you understand what I mean?”

“Strike one punch to avoid a hundred more!

Only by hitting this most arrogant fist hard, by crippling it, and by showing all potential enemies the price of challenging Evernight, can we win ourselves some breathing room.”

“…”

Listening to Vivian’s words, Luna was stunned, a look of partial understanding on her face.

After a long moment, she finally nodded.

“I… I understand, Lady Demon Lord.

Although I might not be able to fully comprehend your meaning right away, I will think about it carefully when I get back!”

Luna looked like she was trying very hard, and seeing her appearance, Vivian also smiled and ruffled her hair.

“Alright, I still have many things and plans to work on.

You can go and attend to your own matters for now.”

“Okay, Lady Demon Lord.”

With that, Luna vanished from Vivian’s sight in a flash.

And at this moment, Vivian still had many tasks and plans to complete.

The tent once again fell into complete silence, with only the faint crackling of the burning lamp.

The empty space amplified Vivian’s current fatigue.

She slowly sat back down on the stone stool, her elbows propped on the cold tabletop, her long fingers pressing against her throbbing temples.

The real test had only just begun.

The deployment of personnel, the arrangements for dispersal, and the strategic deployment and battle plans for the coming conflict… and then, the estimated loss of military strength, the arrangement of troops, the arrangement of combat power… and so on.

One task after another needed to be completed by Vivian.

Understanding the great wisdom of her predecessors was one thing, but actually putting it into practice was another.

Vivian understood this point profoundly.

Facing the Rhine Holy Church’s expeditionary army led by Garen would undoubtedly be an exceptionally difficult battle.

“Sigh, this is so hard.”

Late at night, after having mostly finished her plans, Vivian couldn’t help but let out a turbid breath, temporarily setting aside her work to relax and rest.

Unconsciously, her thoughts turned to the “culprit” who had caused all of this—Lucia.

“…”

Vivian was silent for a short while, before finally taking out a small trinket and gazing down at it.

It was a trinket engraved with white wings, a gift from Lucia.

It was said to symbolize Lucia herself.

“…Lucia, what if someone bullies me in the future?”

During her “imprisonment” by Lucia, one night, Vivian, bored, had looked at the equally naked Lucia beside her and asked.

At that time, Lucia had just bathed, and her body still carried the fresh scent of floral dew.

Upon hearing her words, she turned her head, and her face, praised as a “divine visage,” bloomed with a smile so brilliant it was almost dazzling.

Her azure eyes were filled with a natural flamboyance and confidence.

“Someone bullies you?

If someone bullies you, I’ll go and twist their head off.”

To this, the Daughter of Light had said with a grin.

Then, she thought for a moment, and finally got out of bed and ran to the desk on the side to rummage through it.

Vivian, watching her back, was at a loss.

“What are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for… oh, found it.”

With that, the girl returned to Vivian’s side like the wind and placed the trinket engraved with white feathered wings into her hand.

“Here.

Words are cheap.

This is my token.

Take it.

As long as I’m alive, no one will dare to touch you.”

Lucia said with a smile, and then she yawned, “Sleepy.

Time for bed.”

She was as “free” as ever, doing as she pleased—acting on whatever came to mind, making promises that were easy and passionate, yet never delving into the weight of those promises.

And Vivian also lowered her head, quietly gazing at the trinket that represented the Hero Lucia.

Just like herself now.

“Lucia…”

“You damn liar.”

Vivian’s eyebrows were lowered, her crimson eyes calmly staring at the white-feathered-wing trinket.

After a long silence, she just said this faintly.

“Hah.”

She let out another breath and put the trinket away again.

Facts proved that relying on others was not as good as relying on oneself.