My family runs an adventurer's guild.

Moreover, for any ambitious lord or noble, a blood-sucking and weakened royal family is usually good news.

However, when facing a powerful enemy, you still resort to such cunning tactics. Aren't you afraid of completely overplaying your hand and causing the entire battle to collapse?

Or is it that the 200,000 troops that have already been basically assembled have given you enough confidence? Do you think that no matter what you do, you can't mess things up?

However, this same army had been defeated countless times by the elite troops of the Bahars Empire on the battlefield of the Kaz Plains in the past.

After you recapture the fortress city of Yelantil, you're not going to go even further in deceiving the eldest prince and suggest a purge and massacre of the city, are you?

"Oh well, whether we win or lose, let's finish this battle first!" Marquis Raven sighed, thinking to himself.

Meanwhile, Ainz Ooal Gown's main force was already not far from the camp of the Kingdom of Reestege's expeditionary army...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

On the vast wilderness, a terrifying army, bearing red and black flags and filled with all sorts of monsters, is slowly moving forward.

This is the army of the Kingdom of Nazarick, led by the "Sorcerer King" Ainz, about to engage in a decisive battle with the 200,000-mile-long army of the Kingdom of Estize.

However, compared to the massive force that had previously appeared outside the walls of the fortress city of E. Rantil, Ainz's forces had now been greatly reduced—because he had been constantly sending out small units to harass and destroy various castles and noble estates in the Kingdom of Ri. Estize.

While this tactic of splitting forces into multiple routes is a common practice in actual combat, the problem is that Ainz Ooal Gown has dispatched far too many troops—all the Red Hat Goblins, the Octopod Assassin Insect Squad, the Lich, the Golems, about half of the Guardians and the vast majority of the Demons, and even all the battle maids of the entire Pleiades Battle Maid Corps have been sent to attack other castles and manors.

As a result, by the time Ainz was about to go to war with the army of the Kingdom of Reyestil, he only had a few hundred soldiers left.

In other words, Ainz Ooal Gown scattered his main forces across various secondary battlefields like pepper, leaving the main battlefield virtually deserted.

This strange tactic caused the "battlefield tour group" of players who had followed Ainz to watch the battle to secretly murmur among themselves. As they watched the "main attack force" ahead shrinking day by day, the players couldn't help but start discussing it amongst themselves.

"...This is unbelievable! In war, you have to concentrate your forces. That should be basic common sense, right? Why is that giant skeleton doing the opposite? Now he only has a few hundred death knights and demons around him! Is he trying to force us to contribute?"

"...Can we win this battle? I heard that the Kingdom of Ri. Estize on the other side has mobilized a full 200,000 people!"

"...Tsk tsk. Two hundred thousand troops! Even if they were all weaklings, they could still win by sheer numbers, right?"

"...That's not entirely true. On the battlefield, more troops are never necessarily better. If they're cowardly good-for-nothings, then recruiting more is just a waste of food and pay. In a real battle, a hundred brave warriors can easily defeat ten thousand cowards!"

"...But can you guarantee that those 200,000 men on the other side are all cowards? I'm afraid not!"

"...Speaking of which, I don't recall ever hearing of His Majesty the Dragon King deploying 200,000 men in any battle..."

"...The Golden Dragon Kingdom has only three million people, while the Kingdom of Ri. Estize has eight to nine million! This country has to exert all its national strength to mobilize 200,000 people. If our country were to raise 200,000 troops, then the war tax would probably have to be collected twenty years in advance!"

"...In short, judging from this situation, we probably won't be able to sit back and watch the show peacefully; we'll have to go into battle ourselves!"

"...What? Are you afraid of dying on the battlefield? This is just a game, you won't really die!"

"...Who's scared? I just couldn't hold it in and complained a little..."

"...Can't you complain less? Are you really going to begrudge the registration fee for starting a new account after you die in battle?"

"...Damn old John, do I look like such a stingy miser?"

……

—It is important to note that the players following Ainz Ooal Gown are not from the overcrowded modern Earth, but from a fantasy feudal medieval world that is similar to Overlord in terms of social system and customs.

In feudal times, population was almost equivalent to productivity, and the more people a country had, the more powerful it was, even in fantasy worlds.

The Golden Dragon Kingdom, established by immigrants who crossed the ocean to the New World, has a total population of only three million, far fewer than the major human kingdoms in the Overlord world, such as the Slane Theocracy, the Bahars Empire, and the Kingdom of Riyestege.

Since the country's population is so small, the number of potential game customers is naturally limited as well.

Therefore, the number of players who have come to play the game "Overlord" and descended into this world is currently less than 20,000.

After deducting those players who stayed in the red-light district brothels or other villages of the fortress city of Yelantil, refusing to leave the gentle embrace of the girls, the "battlefield observation group" following Ainz to watch the battle now only numbered a mere thousand or so players.

When they learned that the enemy force opposite them numbered as many as 200,000, their surprise and shock were naturally immense.

Meanwhile, players couldn't help but feel apprehensive about whether the "Magic King" Ainz, this giant skeleton, could take down 200,000 enemy troops in one fell swoop—just like a novice player playing StarCraft for the first time, feeling a bit flustered and confused when faced with an endless stream of Zerg troops.

(Regarding the population of various countries in the world of *Overlord*, the original author, Maruyama, has created a rather confusing picture. For example, the population of the Kingdom of Re-Estize, the main setting of the *Overlord* novels, is 1500 million in the web novels, then 800 million in the first volume of the published novels, and then 900 million in the third volume. The population of the Bahars Empire also has two different figures: 700 million and 500 million. The population of the Slane Theocracy, however, is consistently listed as 1500 million. The population figures for the Dragon Kingdom and the Holy Kingdom are unclear, but the latter should be over 300 million, and the former no less than 100 million.)

It's estimated that, in the author Maruyama's view, total war in a high-magic world is meaningless; a slight increase or decrease in population makes no difference.

In fact, although the original Overlord manga depicts the decline and decay of the Kingdom of Reyestie, the fact that this country was able to assemble an army of 200,000 in just two months already puts it at least ten times ahead of medieval European countries in terms of mobilization capacity!

—In the entire history of warfare in medieval Europe, let alone two hundred thousand troops, even large-scale battles involving one hundred thousand troops were extremely rare!

For example, during the Hundred Years' War between England and France, the English army that needed to cross the sea for expeditions usually consisted of only a few thousand men in each battle. The French army, even when fighting on its home soil and desperately mobilizing, could never muster more than 40,000 men. After losing all 40,000 men, they had to surrender.

The largest battle in the entire history of ancient England involved the Battle of Taunton during the Wars of the Roses, with a total of only 80,000 troops on both sides, and about 20,000 of them died in the end—which caused the entire British people to weep as if the end of the world had come.

Even during the Napoleonic Wars, when the population and national strength had greatly increased, the Battle of Austerlitz, in which Emperor Napoleon decisively defeated Russia and Austria, caused the British Prime Minister to die of a stroke, and enabled France to win European hegemony, saw the French army commit only 73,000 men, while the opposing Austrian and Russian armies numbered 86,000. Combined, this was less than the forces that the Kingdom of Rijksmuseum had assembled for a single battle.

It wasn't until the Franco-Prussian War that Western Europe finally witnessed the massive deployment of 200,000 troops to a single battlefield—in the Battle of Sedan, which determined the fall of the Second French Empire, Prussia deployed 200,000 troops, successfully defeated 120,000 French soldiers, and captured French Emperor Napoleon III.

During the Franco-Prussian War, European powers not only had railways, steamships, and telegraphs to manage troops and supplies, but the populations of European countries had also increased significantly. For example, France at that time had a population of 30 million, while Germany's total population was even greater.

In contrast, the Kingdom of Riyestege, which practiced the medieval feudal system, managed to mobilize 900 troops with a population of only 20 million, and even manage to assemble them for a battlefield and successfully form ranks to confront the enemy, instead of suffering from command failure. This was nothing short of a miracle!

(The Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. At that time, France had a population of about 10 million, similar to that of the Kingdom of Rijksmuseum. King Philip VI of France was a seasoned and valiant general, and he was fighting on his home soil. However, with only a little over 30,000 French troops, he was completely at a loss for how to command them. As a result, the entire army went out of control on the eve of battle, turning into a farcical suicide charge into the English lines...)

In ancient China, only during the Warring States period did China possess such an exaggerated mobilization capacity, capable of mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops from a population of only a few million, as seen in the Battle of Changping between Qin and Zhao. In later dynasties, the mobilization capacity generally declined with each passing year.

For example, during the Ming-Qing Wars, the Ming Dynasty had a population of at least 50 to 60 million, and at most 100 to 200 million, but the total number of Ming Dynasty's official troops was only 800,000. After deducting the fictitious number of those who received salaries without working and the old and weak who could not fight, the actual number of the imperial troops who could fight was probably less than 200,000.

Once this army is wiped out, even if there are still tens of millions of excellent soldiers in the country, the imperial court will not be able to mobilize them and can only sit and wait for death.

In short, the fact that the Kingdom of Riyestege could mobilize and gather an army of 200,000, even if they were just a group of ragged amateur peasant soldiers armed with pitchforks, and maintain the food supply for this army of 200,000, is enough to prove the extraordinary potential and foundation of this country.

Therefore, the players of the Golden Dragon Kingdom are worried about Ainz's overconfident behavior and are prepared to take action themselves.

However, in Ainz Ooal Gown's eyes, the 200,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Reyestil was nothing more than a backdrop that could be easily knocked down.

—Because, according to the demons' reconnaissance, Ainz Ooal Gown has confirmed that there are no decent strongmen in the opposing camp.

In that case, even if he went into battle alone, he could wipe out this army of 200,000 with just a wave of his hand...

—With his max-level divine gear and countless cheat codes, Ainz Ooal Gown's overwhelming advantage over native mortals was simply cheating...

Chapter 178, Something Beyond the Power of Mortals

The warm spring breeze swept across the lush green fields, but it also brought with it a chilling atmosphere of iron and blood.

The 200,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Ri. Estize was stretched out across this plain, arrayed for a decisive battle.

—60,000 on the left wing, 60,000 on the right wing, and 80,000 in the central government.

Using three gentle hills and a small village atop them, the kingdom's punitive expeditionary force gained a strategic advantage in terms of elevation.

The entire army's formation was so long that the entire position stretched for more than eight kilometers, even exceeding the range of human vision.

Even standing on the pre-built wooden platform, it is difficult to see the entire army's formation.

The front rank of each square formation consisted of expendable spearmen, made up of hastily conscripted peasants. Clad in a motley collection of tattered clothes, they wielded six-meter-long spears, each requiring two hands to grip, supported by wooden frames to conserve energy. These spearmen's mission was to use their spears and their lives to halt the charge of enemy cavalry and monsters, creating an opportunity for the elite knights, mages, and swordsmen behind them to launch a counterattack.

Because of their dense formation and the heavy, six-meter-long spears, they would inevitably become easy targets for enemy arrows or magic once battle began. These peasant soldiers, lacking not only armor but also shields and helmets, would suffer heavy casualties against enemy ranged attacks.

However, the nobles and generals of the Kingdom of Riyestege never intended to purchase armor or other protective gear for their peasant soldiers.

Because these peasant soldiers were the cheapest consumables. You could just grab some people from the fields, throw them a spear, and you'd have enough to make up the numbers—if you really wanted to save money, you could even have the peasant soldiers cut down trees and make their own spears. Compared to archers, knights, or mages, who required a lot of time and money to train, these peasant soldiers, who cost almost nothing, meant that losing thousands of them wouldn't be a big deal.

In fact, if there were enough time and supplies, the Kingdom of Riyestege could have mobilized another 50,000 to 100,000 men to fight. However, the king and nobles were unwilling to bear more military expenses—even the farmers who were forcibly conscripted without paying had to be fed and armed, otherwise they would really have to hide in the back and cheer—more importantly, the enemy was already approaching, so they could only meet them with this number of troops.

However, facing such a small enemy, King Rambusha III and the nobles all believed they were in a strong position to win.

—Across from the 200,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Re. Estize was the army of "Sorcerer King" Ainz.

Because the army of the Kingdom of Ri.Estize entered the battlefield ahead of time and occupied the hills in advance, the army of "Magic King" Ainz could only deploy in a depression below the hills, which put them at a disadvantage in terms of terrain.

What made King Lambusa III and the nobles feel even more confident of victory was that the army of the "Magic King" Ainz had a pitiful total strength of less than two thousand men, which was only one percent of the strength of the Kingdom of Reyestie!

Moreover, seemingly because they entered the battlefield late, "Magic King" Ainz's army didn't even form a proper formation.

Behind them were more than a thousand scattered soldiers, mostly humans, but also quite a few alien warriors. They were all loosely huddled together, squatting or sitting in the grass and fields. They looked more like onlookers than soldiers who had come to fight.

Ahead lay the demon soldiers personally led by the Sorcerer King, including terrifying warriors (death knights) wielding massive shields, wearing thorny armor, and sporting rotting faces. There were also alien cavalrymen clad in leather armor, wielding axes, spears, and crossbows.

These non-human cavalrymen's mounts were not ordinary horses, but monsters made of bones. A pervasive black mist replaced flesh and blood, wrapping around the monsters' bodies, interspersed with yellow-green spots. At first glance, they looked like rotten pus, which was truly disgusting.

However, although they looked ferocious and terrifying, there were only a few hundred of them in total, which made the nobles of the Kingdom of Riyestege look down on them.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"...These monsters...they look so ugly! They've given me goosebumps!"

"...Does anyone know what kind of creatures these are? They don't seem to be cannibals."

"...It must be some kind of immortal being! Didn't that Sorcerer King Ainz claim to have emerged from a grave?"

"...Indeed, even from this distance, one can still feel a chilling, ghostly aura."

"...Alas, facing such a genuine monster, won't those lowly peasants wielding spears be unable to withstand it and collapse?"

"...It's alright. I didn't have high expectations for them anyway, since they're just farmers. It's enough if they can withstand the enemy's first attack."

……

Standing atop the hill behind the position, overlooking the tiny enemy force ahead, the noble generals present all appeared relaxed.

Even though the ferocious and terrifying monster soldiers surrounding Sorcerer King Ainz made these pampered nobles feel a little uneasy, no one took it too seriously. They just felt a bit disgusted because they saw something ugly and repulsive.

After all, they have a huge numerical advantage, and it seems like a sure win. Isn't that right?

As for how many ignorant people would die for this victory, that was never a consideration for them...

Only the Kingdom's Warrior Captain, Gerdev Storonov, with his keen intuition as a top-tier warrior, sensed something amiss.

"...No, that's not right! The monsters surrounding the Sorcerer King are probably far more terrifying than everyone imagines..."

With a look of anxiety, Captain Gerdov advised Marquis Raven that among the arrogant and powerful nobles of the kingdom, only Marquis Raven could calmly listen to him, instead of looking down on him with disdain and disgust, thinking that "it is beneath one's dignity to talk to a commoner."

Since there was no time to meet with King Rambusha III, Ghazef could only seek advice from Marquis Raven.

"...This feeling that makes your skin crawl involuntarily isn't surprise or disgust, but the fear of death!" he said urgently to Marquis Raven. "...It's the human survival instinct being stimulated! That's a monster that no ordinary person can control or command!"

"...So, what exactly are these monsters? I know those infantrymen in front are Death Knights; they are indeed terrifying, requiring adventurers of Orichalcum or even Adamantite level to defeat them. However, with our forces, we should be able to wear them down slowly."

Marquis Raven frowned and asked, "...Could the problem lie with those cavalry? Hmm, just by looking at them, you know these monsters must be incredibly difficult to deal with. That's undeniable. But, with such a small number, is it possible for them to shake our army?"

"...That's right, we have 200,000 people now! Even if we use 100 people to deal with one monster, it's more than enough!"

Marquis Raven's baron adjutant also retorted, "...exaggerating the enemy's combat strength without any evidence will damage morale!"

"...This...please forgive my lack of knowledge and experience; I cannot identify the type of enemy monster for the time being."

Captain Gazef replied with a troubled expression, "...However, I remember that in order to deal with the monsters under the Sorcerer King's command, you recruited quite a few experienced veteran adventurers and retired former adventurers to accompany the army, right? Why don't we call them over and ask them what we can do?"

A moment later, a platinum-level adventurer with gray hair and a deathly pale face was brought over by the soldiers—it was said that when he was found, he was packing his luggage in a tent, seemingly planning to slip away... The above discovery made Marquis Raven's heart sink.

It's important to understand that Platinum-level adventurers are not commonplace. Of the nine million people in the entire Kingdom of Riyestege, there are only about three thousand adventurers, and those at the Platinum level or above account for only twenty percent, or about six hundred people—essentially the upper-middle class among adventurers.

Generally speaking, any adventurer who can obtain a platinum badge, even if not exceptionally strong, at least has years of rich experience in fighting monsters. Yet now they are behaving so poorly by leaving without saying goodbye and fleeing without a fight... Does this mean that in the eyes of these adventurers, even if the Kingdom of Ri. Estize has a full 200,000 troops, they are completely unable to fight against the mere few hundred monsters in front of them?

(In the original Overlord manga, the reason why so many adventurers gathered in the fortress city was because it was located on the border and had a large number of monsters, so it was not a common phenomenon. In the rest of the kingdom, apart from the capital, adventurers were not so common.)

"...My lord, run! Those monsters are beyond the capabilities of mortals like us! Not to mention there are so many of them..."

Sure enough, as soon as he saw Marquis Raven, the gray-haired platinum-level adventurer collapsed at the marquis's feet, howling in despair.

"...Behave yourself! You rude scoundrel! And keep your distance from the Marquis when you speak!"

Marquis Raven's baron adjutant snapped in disgust, raising his longsword and using its scabbard to shove the disheveled adventurer aside—according to noble etiquette, when a commoner speaks to a nobleman, he should bow his head or cover his mouth with a fan or sleeve to prevent his bad breath and saliva from offending the esteemed lord… This adventurer didn't even know this basic common sense; it was truly a headache…

However, during this brief respite, the gray-haired platinum-level adventurer calmed down somewhat and finally stopped rambling incoherently.

"...My lord, although I cannot recognize the race of those demon cavalrymen, the bone mounts they ride are probably legendary monsters, the terrifying Soul Eaters! They are a kind of horrible undead that devour the souls of the living."

"...Soul Eater? What's that?"

Marquis Raven exchanged a puzzled look with Captain Gazef, realizing that neither of them seemed to have heard of this monster.

"...According to the Adventurers' Guild's records, Soul Eaters are a very rare and powerful undead monster. The most recent appearance of one was in the Orc Kingdom in the center of the continent. At that time, it completely destroyed a city and killed more than 100,000 people—and these were Orcs, who were far stronger than humans!"

The gray-haired platinum-ranked adventurer replied, "...After that, the city was completely abandoned and became the legendary Silent City..."

Marquis Raven, Warrior Captain Gazef, and their men all fell silent upon hearing this.

They desperately hoped that everything the platinum-level adventurer had just said was a complete fabrication, but the fear in his eyes was undeniable. Moreover, the fact that other adventurers were willing to risk punishment and hostility from the nobles afterward to escape beforehand... this fully proved the veracity of the aforementioned information.

After a moment, Warrior Captain Gazef spoke first, "...So, how many Soul Eaters destroyed that orc city?"

“…Three!” The gray-haired platinum-level adventurer raised his right hand and held up three fingers. “…The appearance of just three Soul Eaters wiped out 95% of the population of that orc city!”

"...Then, how many Soul Eaters does the enemy on the other side have? Two hundred? Or three hundred?" Marquis Raven asked in a stiff tone.

A heavy silence descended once more; no one had the strength to answer this terrible question.