The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

"Lord Albert is wise!" Arthur Wellesley said respectfully, "It achieves both the goal of reducing troop strength and maintaining soldier morale!"

Albert waved his hand: "It's nothing. I'll write a letter now, and you can send a messenger to Ravend Black's camp."

Arthur Wellesley bowed and said, "Your subordinate obeys!"

……

The setting sun, like blood, dyed this war-torn land a reddish-brown. Ravend Black's makeshift camp gradually awoke in the twilight, its numerous tents, like lurking beasts, breathing silently in the cold wind. The mottled arrow marks and repair marks on the tent surfaces told tales of continuous warfare, scattered across the scorched earth in a tight formation.

As soon as Ravend Black led his army into Silver Marrow Territory, the Central Legal King Albert Lane could no longer sit still and sent an envoy to him.

Upon receiving a message from a messenger, first check that the letter has not been tampered with, then hand it to Ravend Black to read, and then send the messenger away, making sure that the other side's messenger does not overhear one's own secret conversation.

“I see.” Ravend Black read the letter delivered by the messenger without changing his expression, then explained its contents to his subordinates:

"To put it simply, Albert doesn't want to fight this battle. He's challenged me to a one-on-one duel, and whether or not I withdraw my men from Silver Marrow Territory will depend on the outcome of this battle."

Upon hearing this, his subordinates began to discuss it amongst themselves.

Ravend Black spoke up: "Gentlemen, what do you think?"

Ravend Black's lieutenant spoke first: "General, in a one-on-one duel, Albert is certainly no match for you, but..."

Ravend Black said, "Speak freely."

"Yes!" The lieutenant bowed slightly. "I'm afraid that old fox Albert won't behave himself..."

Ravend Black raised an eyebrow: "You know, at our level, little tricks won't work. Even if Nalbott is prepared, he's no match for me."

“Your subordinate understands,” the lieutenant replied. “Your subordinate is not questioning the General’s strength, but rather feels that… that old fox Albert’s demand for a fair one-on-one duel is merely a way to attract attention…”

"Oh?" Ravend Black became interested. "What are you thinking? Tell me about it."

The lieutenant added, "This humble general believes that old fox Albert will use a duel as a pretext to draw our attention, and then send one of his generals with a troop to launch a surprise attack on our unit, catching us completely off guard..."

“Very thoughtful.” Ravend Black nodded in approval of his lieutenant: “In that case, let’s do it this way.”

We can agree to a one-on-one duel, but we also have a condition to set.

The duel won't be just the two of us. Both sides are required to bring their generals to meet each other, and then their subordinates must retreat to a position where both sides can see and monitor each other before Albert and I settle the score.

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant fell into deep thought, considering the feasibility of the plan, and said slowly, "The general's arrangement is perfect, but what if... that old fox Albert has a backup plan, and only the generals we know are brought to the front line, while he has a high-level professional hidden in his hands who can lead troops in a surprise attack?"

Upon hearing this, Ravend Black chuckled and said, "That possibility cannot be ruled out, but why don't we use the same tactic?"

The lieutenant was startled, then exclaimed with delight, "General... you still have men under your command?"

Ravend Black chuckled: "Of course, in war, you always have to hold back a little something."

That's good. Now it just depends on whether the other party agrees to this request.

If they disagree, there's nothing we can do; if negotiations break down, then we'll just have to go to war.

The lieutenant bowed and said, "General, you are wise and mighty, and you are certainly not afraid of that old fox Albert! Even in a direct confrontation, you will surely lead us to victory!"

Ravend Black seemed to enjoy it; who wouldn't complain about receiving too much praise?

"It's settled then. We'll call the messenger over later to take the letter back."

Ravend Black began tidying up the book, and the noisy temporary meeting room gradually quieted down.

After the generals had all dispersed, Ravend Black sneered, "Come and fight me one-on-one, Albert Lane. If you want to die, I'll grant your wish."

……

Upon receiving the reply from the messenger, Albert did not expect it to be entirely to his liking; Ravend Black would certainly make some demands.

“Afraid of this?” Albert chuckled. “It seems that the great general known throughout the kingdom isn’t so fearless after all.”

Arthur Wellesley also learned of Ravend Black's request: "Lord Albert, what...what do you think?"

Albert immediately said, "Why not? We just need to be wary of them playing any tricks."

Besides, their request allows you to observe a battle between eighth-tier professionals, which would be quite beneficial for you, wouldn't it?

Arthur Wellesley said respectfully, "This humble general would like to witness the heroic figure of Lord Albert!"

Albert nodded slightly: "The time is set for the day after tomorrow at dawn. You will be able to see more clearly when it is light. Of course, the other side also has the right to decide the specific time and location of the battle. It looks like it will be a long and drawn-out affair."

Although it's called a one-on-one duel, setting the rules for a one-on-one duel is actually a very troublesome thing.

The reason is to ensure fairness that satisfies both parties, and a solution that satisfies both parties is not easy to find.

Unlike staged, rule-based tournaments that prioritize entertainment, this is a real, hard-fought battle.

In the end, neither side could gain the upper hand.

Moreover, the rules for the one-on-one match between Revander Black and Albert Lane were the most difficult to formulate.

Because the two are not the same type of professionals.

If both parties are magic-based professionals or neither party is a non-magic-based professional, the rules for a one-on-one duel can be more flexible, and there will be no situation that clearly favors either side.

Albert Lane and Ravende Black are both magic-based professionals, but Ravende Black also has considerable skill in physical abilities.

This creates an initial distance between legal professionals and non-legal professionals.

At what distance should they begin a one-on-one duel?

In battles between magic-based and non-magic-based professionals, the initial distance greatly influences the relative strengths and weaknesses of both sides.

Too short a distance is disadvantageous to magic-based professions, while too long a distance is disadvantageous to non-magic-based professions. Finding an initial distance that satisfies both sides is not an easy balance to strike.

Well, that depends on the correspondence between the two armies.

The two sides pushed and shoved each other, and finally set the time for the battle for the following day, but still at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).