We arrived at the border we share with Orcathia, and it was time to take action. My first war in another world felt like a game. I've never been in a war before, but this felt kind of cool. Am I scared? Yes, a little bit. My biggest fear is dying and leaving my mother and wife alone in this world.

"Are you ready?" asked Elfan, turning towards Anna.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" she replied.

I shouted, "Attack!" Immediately after, 500 horsemen charged and entered Orcathian territory, followed by another 500 soldiers being pulled by carts. In each cart, there are two soldiers: one focuses on steering the horse in the right direction while the other focuses on attacking with a bow. The horsemen use swords, while the soldiers in carts use bows. We also came with three thousand ground soldiers, making four thousand soldiers in total. Anna and I are part of the ground forces, and as you might expect, I am the commander-in-chief.

The terrain of Orcathia is similar to our country, although rumors say the north and east are desert-like. This means the country is highly populated in the center, extending to the south and west. In the south, it shares a border with us, and on the western side is Aranthor. How did this fertile land turn into a desert? Deforestation? Overgrazing? I don't know. That’s what I learned on Earth, but maybe it's due to some magical experiment gone wrong. It doesn't matter.

After entering Orcathia, we sent soldiers specialized in speed and stealth ahead for reconnaissance. They reported that the town had few guards and everyone was going about their business as if there was no war. We took the opportunity to launch a surprise attack. Orcs are like giants, and we overwhelmed them with our numbers. This strategy worked because they lacked sufficient soldiers, with most being civilians. We would enter the town, kill the soldiers, and threaten the civilians; if they fought us, we would exterminate them. Not everyone was intimidated, so those who acted like heroes were sent to meet the goddess to send a message. We left 100 ground soldiers behind to prevent uprisings while we continued our invasion deeper into Orcathia. Our strategy worked because we ensured the captured towns couldn't warn others. After creating phones through communication crystals, we also developed a jammer-like device that could block the signals of communication crystals. Every town we captured, we installed the jammer and moved on to the next town.

I didn't know war could be this easy. If things continued this way, I might conquer this country in a week or two. I thought it would take six months. To make our advance faster, soldiers would rotate. After capturing a town, we would rest and eat, allowing the horses to rest. Then, the horsemen would become ground soldiers, and the ground soldiers would ride the horses and carts, and we would advance. When we got near a town, they would swap again. It might sound messy and confusing, but we had no choice if we wanted to reach the capital before Orcathian soldiers arrived to defend their country.

I received a message from the Black Blazers informing me that Lyanna said the orcs were retreating from Aranthor. They were trying to slow them down but wouldn’t last long. We were now in a hurry more than ever, sweeping through towns, killing left and right with fewer negotiations. We had no choice. I felt bad for the civilians, but it was necessary. May the goddess of Orcs and dragons forgive me.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

After four days, we were three towns from the capital but exhausted. Morale was still high, but fatigue was creeping in. We rested in a town surrounded by trees.

"Your Majesty, how long are we going to camp here?" asked Anna.

"Three days," Elfan answered.

"Three days? Your Majesty, that is too much. If we continue our march in the morning, we can reach their capital in four to five days," said Commander Zack.

"I understand, but look at the soldiers' faces. They seem tired. They might be driven by momentum and adrenaline, but if we meet a challenging enemy, our formation might collapse easily," said Elfan, looking at the soldiers.

"Adrenaline?" asked Zack, tilting his head in confusion.

Elfan sighed, then explained, "It's a term, meaning the rush of energy and excitement. Trust me, they're exhausted."

Anna nodded. "He's right. The soldiers need rest, and if we push them too hard, we'll lose them when we need them the most."

Commander Zack looked thoughtful, then reluctantly agreed. "Okay, we will rest, Your Majesty."

Anna was always with Elfan, so she was now used to the weird words he often used. Commander Zack turned to the soldiers and shouted, informing them they would rest for three days.

Our army was professional. We had mercy on those who surrendered and were ruthless to wannabe heroes. In towns where people surrendered, we still left 100 soldiers behind just in case. You never know what might happen. Winter nights are cold and reminded me of my wife. I could be sleeping comfortably in her embrace and enjoying her warmth. Damn it!

After three days, we continued our march,

Slaying our enemies like incarnations of death.

Where we passed, the scent of demise lingered,

And where we were going, life fled in terror.

Death had descended upon this world

In the form of the Elzarian army.

Orcs believed the gods had turned against them,

Questioning their fate and divine wrath.

What did they do to deserve this punishment?

Why was the goddess so angry,

To let foreigners lay waste to their land?

Fear gripped the townspeople as peace fled.

Justice turned its back on them,

Leaving them to face their doom alone.

They blamed their king for the folly of invasion,

For abandoning their home, unprotected and exposed.

We arrived on the outskirts of the capital, but there was a problem. An orc army of around 2,000 was waiting for us, along with dragons. We could somehow win against the orcs, but the problem was the dragons. How did they get here? I jammed the signals around the towns we conquered, so how did they know we were coming? Eleven dragons were flying in the sky. I thought I could fight them on equal footing because of my title, Tyrant Killer, which I received after killing a dragon in the dungeon. However, there was a big dragon among them. This dragon was bigger than the one in the dungeon. Let me check its level.

It was at this moment I knew we were fucked. This guy is level 50,000? Okay, this is not fair. I am only level 15,000. How did this dragon become so strong? I think there is supposed to be a tutorial or something before fighting this guy. No wonder this expedition was so easy. Should we retreat? Will they let us, though? I guess we are about to meet the goddess soon.

Elfan turned to his advisors, his face a mask of determination despite the dread in his eyes. "Anna, Zack, what are our options?"

"We could try to negotiate," Anna suggested, though she sounded unsure.

"With dragons? They'll roast us before we even open our mouths," Zack retorted, his voice edged with panic.

"We need to think strategically," Elfan said, forcing calm into his voice. "If we retreat now, we'll lose the momentum we've built. But if we stay, we're sitting ducks."

Anna looked at him, her eyes wide with fear but also resolve. "Your Majesty, whatever happens, we're with you. We’ll fight to the last breath."

Zack nodded, gripping his sword tightly. "For Elzaran and for victory."

Elfan took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his responsibility. "Then we prepare for battle. We may be outnumbered and outmatched, but we will fight with everything we have. If this is our end, let it be a glorious one."