I, the Villain, Want to Save Myself, But the Yandere Heroines Disagree-Chapter 11 - You Still Have One Choice (2/3)

This was true a thousand years ago, and it was true a thousand years later.

Moreover, besides this reason, there was an even more important reason.

As intelligent beings, the most advantageous point humans had compared to other higher beings was their powerful reproductive ability.

Other races like elves, although their average individual strength was considerably higher than humans’, their total number was simply too small. The total number of elves on the continent might not even be as many as in one large human city. Therefore, the Empire controlled most of the land in the western part of the continent based on its numerical advantage.

If not for the desert barrier in the middle, the Empire could have also brought the eastern continent under its control.

And the reproductive ability of beastmen was even stronger than that of humans.

Although beastmen were generally less intelligent than humans, a ten-year-old beastman was equivalent to a human adult.

Even if the number of beastmen was small now, as long as they developed peacefully with humans and were given equally abundant resources, the number of beastmen would become increasingly large, eventually surpassing humans.

Even if humans were to consider the future of their descendants, they would absolutely not allow beastmen to develop peacefully like this, and thus drove the beastmen into the harsh desert.

On this point, Orson shared the same view as the human ancestors.

Just look at the current situation of the beastmen. Even in the harsh desert climate, beastmen could still develop to a considerable scale and pose a threat to humans.

Although in terms of the entire Empire’s size, it was like an ant trying to shake a great tree.

But for the Antica Duchy, if it weren’t for the aid from other parts of the Empire, this war would have been considerably difficult to fight.

Therefore, for humans and beastmen to achieve peace, either the beastmen’s genes would have to change, making them less prolific, or there would have to be a way to always control the beastmen’s population at a safe number. Otherwise, true peace would never arrive.

“It’s not that peace is impossible to achieve, but the conditions to achieve peace are quite difficult,” Orson corrected. “Who wants to fight a war? No one wants to fight a war. Everyone wants to live a peaceful life, but the reasons behind it are too complicated.”

“Yes,” Liliya also nodded.

She was a Saintess, not a Holy Mother. She naturally knew that she couldn’t sympathize with the beastmen at this time.

“However, as long as conflict still exists, will there still be warriors dying on the border because of the conflict?”

“This kind of thing is unavoidable. All we can do is increase the pensions for soldiers, so their families can still live well after they die. Only this way can we slightly alleviate the social impact caused by this reason.”

“Mm,” Liliya heard this and changed the topic.

“Speaking of which, Orson, as a commander, aren’t you going to go to the front lines to see for yourself?”

The Empire was still quite martial, especially the Stranick family, which built itself through military prowess. They always emphasized the tradition of generals personally leading the troops in battle.

However, since the war began, Orson hadn’t even been to the front lines to command battles, let alone fight and kill enemies.

This made everyone a bit confused.

Your own combat level isn’t bad, Orson. Why are you unwilling to go to the battlefield?

Orson shook his head upon hearing this sentence.

“Everyone has their own responsibilities. As a commander, I need to be responsible for coordinating the overall situation. If the battle situation reaches a point where the commander has to personally step in, it can only prove that either the battle situation is unfavorable, or the commander has no one else to use. Neither of these is good, is it?”

“It sounds so profound.” Liliya, as a priest, didn’t quite understand battlefield matters. She shook her head.

“What will you do after this battle is over?”

“Didn’t Her Highness the Saintess just worry about the peace at the border?” Orson smiled. “What we need to do next is to make the beastmen unable to launch another attack on humans for as long as possible.”

Liliya showed a surprised expression upon hearing Orson’s words.

“Young Master Orson, are you saying... you want to eliminate the beastmen race?”

“That’s not necessary,” Orson shook his head. ” I don’t think I’m that capable.”

“However, even though beastmen reproduce quickly, as long as we reduce the basic number of beastmen to a very low figure, even if they are prolific, it will take a considerable amount of time to reach their current scale again.”

What Orson intended to do, although not genocide, was similar to it.

“But... isn’t the desert a harsh environment that outsiders cannot penetrate...”

“Who said we needed to be the ones to do it?”

Orson heard this and revealed a mysterious expression.

At this moment, outside the military tent, a messenger had already returned.

“Reporting, Commander, a great victory on the front lines. Our army encountered forty thousand beastmen and annihilated thirty thousand of the enemy. Do you wish to pursue?”

“No need,” Orson shook his head. “Inform the front lines that from now on, the army’s main task is to repel the beastmen back into the depths of the desert. There is no need to pursue too deeply.”

“Alright.” The messenger heard this and relayed Orson’s instructions.

“Young Master Orson, since you just said you wanted to kill as many beastmen as possible, why did you let them go...”

“Keeping them serves another purpose,” Orson said this, smiling.