The Traitor's Blade
“Probably both. They’re battle-hardened veterans, after all.”
The more the tension built, the calmer his mind became. It was a strange sensation.
Stage fright type. If he had a handsome face, he’d be an idol by now.
What a shame.
“Company commander! The enemy leader took his own life during the takedown.”
“The map?”
“We barely stopped him from destroying it and secured it. Here it is.”
Lieutenant Colonel Garen let out a hollow chuckle as he examined the map handed over by one of his company members.
“They’ve set up a lot of them.”
“How many?”
“There are about twenty-five marked here, and we’ve already taken out ten, so a bit more than half are left.”
“Now that we have the map, smashing the rest should just be a matter of time.”
No matter how advanced their tracking magic tools were, having the map made all the difference—night and day.
If we push hard, we could wrap this up in two days.
Or he could just form another team and send them out.
“Yeah, probably. Things are going better than expected.”
As he savored the unexpected windfall, one of the company members came running up in a panic.
“Company commander! We just spotted suspicious movement nearby—a large group! First Platoon Leader, who found them, and five others have already given chase!”
“Looks like that scout team we talked about was real after all. Leave the minimum here to wrap things up and throw everyone else into the pursuit.”
“Yes, sir!”
At Lieutenant Colonel Garen’s order, most of the Special Forces immediately joined the chase.
Don’t get caught—run for your lives. Tsk tsk, you’re done for.
Escaping the Special Forces, with their overwhelming physical prowess, was as good as impossible.
“Report! Of the estimated ten in the scout team, we’ve killed eight.”
The First Platoon Leader, who had led the initial pursuit, reported in, his face splattered with blood.
“Two got away. Or maybe the scout team was only eight to begin with?”
Lieutenant Colonel Garen glanced at the surrendered Aditz Empire soldiers as he asked.
“Exactly ten. I remember clearly.”
His voice held not a hint of hesitation. Anyone could see he was telling the truth.
No reason for this guy to lie anyway.
From what Palan had heard while the platoon leader was out chasing scouts, the man had been framed after whistleblowing, got caught in a trap, and was treated like a dog in a penal unit.
“They might not have come this way, so nothing we can do about it. Take a breather and get some water.”
“Yes, sir! Understood!”
After the platoon leader withdrew, Lieutenant Colonel Garen approached Lieutenant Colonel Orpia.
“We’ve got the map, and there was combat today. How about we call it here?”
It was a proposal to end the day’s operations. The light was already fading, making it a perfectly reasonable and rational call.
“Sure. Good work out there. I should’ve helped more.”
“No, ma’am! With your recent injury, just coming out with us is a huge help.”
Almost flirtatiously sweet words.
If only he’d say that to me. What a shame.
* * *
“Hah…! Hah…! Damn it! To think we’d get ambushed like this.”
Captain Ricardo, barely escaping with his life, panted heavily as he glared at Robin, who had come with him.
“Keep watch around us while I catch my breath.”
There was no reply, but Ricardo had no spare attention for that.
“Damn, I was too complacent. Should’ve considered they might turn the tables on us.”
But regretting the past wouldn’t change or fix a thing.
“The operations chief’s got too much at stake to spill the lab’s location, so the map’s the problem.”
All he could do was hope Colonel Bocad had handled it somehow.
“Hah, how the hell am I supposed to report this?”
With the scouting command’s atmosphere turning ugly lately, reporting a failure could blow up in his face.
“I have a good idea.”
As Ricardo wallowed in despair, Robin offered sweet words.
“An idea? What is it? If you’re messing with me, I won’t let it slide.”
The words sounded like a deadly threat on paper, but he couldn’t hide the desperation in his voice.
And exploiting emotions like that was child’s play for Robin.
“What’s there to overthink? Pin the blame for this op’s failure on someone else.”
“Pin it? On who? For this?”
Ricardo’s mind drew a blank on potential scapegoats.
“And you still don’t get it after all that? What a pity.”
“Shut up and spill it.”
Amused by his impatience, the corner of Robin’s mouth twitched upward ever so slightly.
“Dump it on that secret lab they’re hiding. Say the enemy figured out how to track the steles. That should work.”
“You think that’ll fly?”
“Why not? You think the enemy just got lucky stumbling on steles scattered across the mountains?”
“No, but if they counter that the map leaked, we’ll get hit even harder.”
“Hah, there’s a limit to stupidity. This is pathetic.”
Robin stared at him like he was trash, and Ricardo’s face flushed red.
“Spit it out straight if you want to live too.”
“Fine, we want to live. If they push back like that, just say the enemy found even the main base not on the map. What does that imply?”
“Ah…”
Ricardo finally pieced it together, his jaw dropping in admiration at the cunning.
“That way, we shift the failure’s blame onto the lab.”
“Yeah. They’re the ones who let the enemy track the steles.”
Someone might demand proof, sure.
But that wasn’t the priority now.
If we spin it like this, even if the map leak means all the steles get smashed, we’ll have a defense.
A spark of hope bloomed in Ricardo’s chest.
“Haha! You’ve got a good head on you after all.”
Ricardo suddenly grinned and clapped Robin on the shoulder.
The transparency of his shift was so obvious that Robin was dumbfounded, but he hid it perfectly.
“You like it, huh?”
“Not bad at all. We need to report ASAP—draft something up. If I live, you live too.”
“Sure, but better to head to the lab first and meet the director in person than report right away.”
“The lab? We’re framing them?”
Ricardo tilted his head at the baffling suggestion.
“They’ve got bargaining value. It’s info we risked our lives for.”
“If they use it to counter and the op succeeds…”
Ricardo mentally crunched the numbers and clenched his fist.
And marveled.
This guy… what the hell is he?
Those who’d worked with Robin called him a monster for a reason.
Slippery bastard. Can’t let him out of the penal unit, ever.
Ricardo knew better than anyone: if Robin returned, he’d surpass him in no time.
Blame the operations chief’s death on his negligence alone, and he’ll rot in the penal unit forever.
Robin, being penal unit scum, had no reporting authority—Ricardo could frame him however he wanted.
But for now, he needed to use the guy’s skills.
“Get us through this, and I’ll pull you out of the penal unit.”
“Oh, thanks a ton.”
“Be grateful. You were destined to rot there forever.”
“I’ll buy you a drink once I’m out.”
Robin seemed genuinely thrilled, and Ricardo struggled not to laugh.
Idiot. Doesn’t even see the betrayal coming. As if he could resist my acting.
In Ricardo’s eyes, Robin had fallen completely for his ploy.
Never mind that he was the one being played.
“We’re heading to the lab, so keep watch and follow. If they tail us and find the location, it’s all over.”
The lab’s site was top-secret among top-secrets, so Ricardo scanned around busily as he walked.
Just as they were about to exit the mountains, Robin suddenly tackled him from behind.
“What the—!”
“Quiet. I just heard movement ahead.”
Pinned to the ground, Robin blocked Ricardo’s view with his body.
“They’re this close? Damn it.”
In a situation where one wrong move meant death, Ricardo’s mind raced.
“How many enemies?”
“Hold on… I see five. Fighting’s not an option.”
“Damn, just wait it out. They’ll pass eventually.”
“They’re on alert this way. Tsk, any move and we’re busted.”
Robin’s anxious words made Ricardo panic.
“Use that brilliant brain and figure something out, quick.”
“Hm.”
After a moment’s thought, Robin spoke gravely.
“There is one way.”
“What?”
“I’ll draw their attention and lead them off. You wait till it quiets down and move.”
“What…? You’re sacrificing yourself?”
Ricardo couldn’t believe the unexpected offer.
“What else in this mess? You’re slow on your feet anyway, from what I saw.”
“Why the sudden heroism…?”
“Quit yapping. You said you’d get me out of the penal unit. Was that a lie?”
Stung by the question, Ricardo forced calm.
Did I misjudge him?
He’d pegged him as selfish, ruthless in grabbing every edge.
But this was different.
“A lie? Fine, do it. I’ll wait at the lab—don’t be late.”
“Cut the crap and give me the lab’s location. They’re getting suspicious.”
“Right. It’s underground at the Crumble Theater on the outskirts of Boat Village. I’ll get there first and vouch for you—just tell the caretaker who you are…”
Stab!
“Uh…?”
A heavy pain stabbed into his back, silencing Ricardo.
“Hah, finally got that mouth open.”
Robin released the pin and stood.
Ricardo’s darkened vision cleared, revealing an empty forest.
“You bastard, you…!”
“Pull me from the penal unit? I’d sooner trust a random Lycan grunt.”
“Y-You… guk!!!”
With a sword in his lung, there was nothing Ricardo could do.