61 Five thousand demons

Vlad smiled as he heard those words and nodded softly, but immediately, General Omar refuted.

"General Anglius, how can you ask for the presence of a civilian in these meetings? Do the codes and regulations of Constantine County's military mean nothing to you?"

General Omar's words were harsh, and he did not hide his voice, making sure everybody heard them, seemingly trying to pressure Anglius. Yet, the only thing that appeared in the middle-aged man was coldness.

"Be very careful with your words, Omar. Silent Wind is my base, and I rule it as I see fit! Not to mention that while Sir Vlad might indeed be a civilian, he is a member of Constantine County. Can you say the same for your companion?"

General Anglius did not lose his composure easily, but if there was something he truly loathed, it was hypocrisy. Omar blaming him for bringing a civilian to a military meeting while he brought an Alien was laughable.

General Omar was shocked by General Anglius' response and was at a loss for words. Initially, he was prepared to use all sorts of excuses, such as Orion being a warrior sent by God or that they acted based on the Greater Good, yet Vlad exposing them as Aliens meant that would not work anymore.

"If General Anglius believes such a young man would be useful, it is fine."

Before the confrontation between General Anglius and General Omar could escalate, Orion's soft voice emerged, her face immutable. It seemed that all the rage and anger from before had vanished.

Vlad's eyes narrowed as he had to commend the woman for her calmness. Although Orion had taken a heavy blow, she had managed to overcome it very fast, something that required a great will and mind.

"I have no problem with her presence. While I would never submit myself to an Alien as I don't want to be branded a Heretic, that doesn't mean we cannot share information, and I am sure the Plane Will would not care."

Orion could not help but silently clench her fists as every word that came out of Vlad's mouth made the relationship between the human and angels more and more complicated.

General Anglius only nodded and did not express anything as he guided Vlad, Orion, and General Omar back to his office. Jormungandr was going to join them, but Vlad only glanced at the tiny cat, and this one understood he would need to keep an eye on the rest of the angels.

...

The group of four did not take long to reach General Anglius' desk. Vlad immediately noticed a map of the zone displayed on the table, with several red marks on it. They were placed just inside the city.

General Anglius and Vlad stood on one side of the table, with General Omar and Orion on the other. While this arrangement might not mean much to anyone else, the four understood it clearly represented the division between both camps.

General Omar glanced at General Anglius and Vlad for a moment and remained silent until Orion gave him the signal.

"Lady Orion and her angels managed to locate a massive demonic force outside the city. There are not less than five thousand demonic beasts, with many powerful entities among them. They are currently marching through the highway and coming in this direction."

Vlad's face immediately grew solemn as he heard those words. It was by no means a catastrophic piece of information. While he had handled a horde of roughly a few hundred demons in Good Side Town, one five thousand strong was completely different.

It was not just their number, but for a sense of order to be present in a demonic beast horde of that size, there must be many Champions in it, and who knew what else. There was no chance for Silent Wind Military Base if they were to attack right now. Luckily, it seemed that there was still time.

After seeing the solemn expression on Vlad's face, General Omar showed a small smile. One thing was to fight a person, but another much different was to lead a resistance against a powerful army, and he was hoping to crush the spirit of the young man who dared to interfere with his plans.

"It would not be long before they reach this base. We came in goodwill to offer this information and help, yet the way you received us left much to be desired."

General Anglius could not help but show a complicated expression as he heard those words. While Vlad killed Ion in a duel, it was clear how the young man taunted the angel into that path. And even if Orion and the rest of the angels were Aliens, they were helping them, so there was no way he would feel good about the way they treated them.

"Demons, while powerful, resilient, and tenacious, lack proper military and tactical skills, even those at the Champion Tier. They would always march to the closest populated area and go on a rampage of death and destruction. According to this map, the closest populated center to the horde's path was Goldstream Town, which is on a route leading to the Strong Hammer Military Base, which is the one you are in charge of. I find it odd that the demon horde would choose to take the path toward Silent Wind Military Base, as it goes against their nature."

Just as General Omar's words were starting to affect General Anglius' mind, Vlad's words brought the middle-aged man's attention back to the map. His eyes widened as he saw how it was indeed closer to Strong Hammer Military Base, yet for some reason, the demonic horde ignored it and was marching toward them.

General Omar's eyes widened as a flash of trepidation appeared, but he immediately hid it as he turned toward Vlad and sneered.

"Hmph, the enemy's movement is unpredictable and could change for various reasons, but how could a child know that? If you accuse me of something, you should have proof to back your words!"

Vlad's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the old General, not showing any fear or hesitation. 

"I have made no accusation and just stated a fact about demonic nature, something anyone with proper training could see. As for the demon nature being unpredictable, that is again a mistake. If anything, they are the most predictable force."