The Elf Journey In The Western Fantasy World-Chapter 189: Two Sides of a War

"Just you wait. The first one I’ll take down will be Areuseon Kingdom. Let’s see how smug you’ll be then..." the Pope muttered to himself in a low voice, looking very much like a venomous snake lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike.

Setting aside the matters on the main continent for now, over on the demon side, preparations had long since been completed.

The demons had been itching for action, they were just waiting for the moment to unleash their full strength. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

As for this time’s war, there was no way they would engage in it as passively as they had in the past, they wouldn’t half-heartedly fighting while still handing over gifts to the other side like a bunch of fools like before.

After all, His Majesty the Demon King had repeatedly emphasized the importance of resources and they could clearly feel His Majesty’s deep dissatisfaction with their previous behavior, he was displeased, and perhaps even somewhat resentful.

That last point alone made them feel miserable from the bottom of their hearts.

It forced them to reflect deeply, had they been too foolish all along, to act so carelessly in the past? But then again, this kind of behavior was quite typical of demons.

For them, anything that failed to impress them or catch their interest was usually brushed aside with minimal effort.

Just like this war, for the demons, ever since that era of dazzling stars had passed, there were no longer any true powerhouses (with the exception of the reclusive Elves).

Yes, even the Angel race and the Dragon race were considered no longer worthy of being called strong.

Such was the demons’ arrogance, clearly on full display.

Before the former Demon King had disappeared, at least there had been someone keeping them in check. But after that Demon King vanished, the demons had become entirely self-indulgent.

Faced with opponents they didn’t deem worthy of lifting a finger against, they’d simply turn a blind eye and brush them off.

Yes, those people from the main continent were just opponents to be brushed off.

However, not one demon had expected that their current Demon King would be so furious about everything they had done over the past five hundred years.

Especially after understanding their mindset, he had become speechless, he had even shut himself off for several days.

Thinking of how His Majesty always seemed to be on the verge of saying something to them but then held back, they all felt like dying from guilt.

What on earth had caused them to develop such a mindset over the past five hundred years? It was all a mistake!

And now was the time to correct that mistake!

Everything they had taken from the demons, one day, they would have to return it all!

Because of all these reasons, the demons’ morale was higher than ever before.

Every demon was determined to redeem themselves, to erase the bad impression they had left behind, and to ensure that they wouldn’t tarnish the image they held in His Majesty’s heart.

This time, they had to succeed. Failure was not an option.

The people on the main continent side remained completely unaware of the demons’ inner thoughts.

In any case, for the nations that had already switched sides, what the demons were thinking had nothing to do with them, except for the people of Yaguk Theocracy.

For some reason, the Pope had a persistent sense of unease, like something terrible was about to happen.

He had never doubted his instincts before—his intuition had saved him from countless dangers in the past and had even brought him many rewards.

So this time, he would not ignore the sudden uneasiness growing within him.

Staring at the empty land ahead, the Pope’s expression suddenly darkened.

At the same time, he grew visibly nervous and paranoid.

The air around him turned oppressive, and even his originally handsome features became more and more unsightly.

For a moment, no one dared to approach him, not even his own people.

As for those from other countries, they didn’t want to be near someone from the opposing faction to begin with, let alone someone who was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

And given how the last war meeting had ended in complete hostility, going over to him now would surely result in a cold reception.

The people of Yaguk Theocracy felt nothing but fear toward their leader.

They had once been loyal and devoted to him, but they didn’t know when it had started, when their king became so unpredictable, his actions ruthless and his temper impossible to gauge.

One thing he repeated constantly was, "We must make Yaguk Theocracy the number one country on the continent."

For that goal, the Pope had become completely obsessed, mad, even.

And in order to achieve his goal, he had even stooped to colluding with them...

As subordinates, they truly felt a deep chill in their hearts.

Yet the loyalty that had been ingrained in their bones since childhood prevented them from betraying him.

What else could they do? They could only follow the Peope down this path until the bitter end.

Still, deep down, they had a feeling. The king’s plan likely wouldn’t succeed. It was very likely to fail. After all, they had already allied with...

Looking ahead at the vast, empty land where not a single demon stood, they couldn’t help but tighten their grips around the swords hanging at their waists.

Right now, they were merely knights loyal to the Pope. They were not individuals with thoughts of their own.

Unlike the somber and faintly tragic atmosphere on Yaguk Theocracy’s side, the people from the other countries were far more relaxed.

After so many years, they understood clearly that the so-called war was nothing but a performance.

If not for the overall balance of power across the continent, there wouldn’t even be a need for such a "ridiculous" war to exist.