Secretly, Greatly

I returned to the Ernest Fief army's camp and delivered my investigation report to Baron Melun on the matter of Baron Horton's betrayal. I reported that Baron Horton had leaked a considerable number of military secrets, a great many of them highly sensitive.

Baron Melun convened an officers' meeting at once. The subject was the revision of the Ernest Fief army's various military secrets, and the most critical item on that agenda was, of course, the movement route of the War Mage Division.

"Security Captain. Did Baron Horton leak our War Mage Division's movement route as well?"

Baron Melun asked with a grave expression. If that information had reached the enemy, the Ernest Fief army would find itself in an extremely awkward position. The War Mage Division was their trump card, after all. The mere fact of its existence becoming known would be a devastating blow in itself.

Having to remain constantly wary of a surprise attack was already a significant loss. The Coulon Territory army would surely throw everything they had into intercepting the War Mage Division. It was Ernest Fief's secret weapon. Should an enemy ambush inflict losses on that unit, Count Ernest would be beside himself with rage.

"No, sir. Upon verification, Baron Horton did not leak that particular secret. Even colluding with the enemy, a defeat would have rendered everything pointless — so it seems he kept that line uncrossed."

"Kept the line uncrossed, you say… I believe that's the wrong way to put it. The moment he handed over our army's secrets, he had already crossed a river from which there is no return. His family will likely be held accountable for this crime as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠well."

Betrayal in the military is a crime punished with the utmost severity. Even in the real world it is a capital offense, so of course Solari World metes out a heavy penalty. Baron Horton's house would be utterly ruined — of that there was little doubt. I felt no particular sympathy.

"In any case, it is a tremendous relief that that information did not get out. There has been some unpleasantness, but our time is nearly upon us. In two days, the War Mage Division will arrive at Mount Aden. We shall then immediately assemble our forces and strike the enemy. The Coulon Territory army, drunk on a fleeting victory, will never be able to stop us."

"Your words are most just, sir!"

"Our victory is at hand."

Neither Baron Melun nor the other officers showed any worry on their faces. Despite the enormous incident of Baron Horton's betrayal, they wore expressions of unshakable faith in the Ernest Fief army's victory. And if the War Mage Division joined them as they believed, the tide of battle would indeed tilt in Ernest's Fief's favor.

"Security Captain. You handled this matter exceedingly well. Without you, even a victory would have come at a terrible cost."

Baron Melun commended me.

Most of the officers had originally been in Baron Horton's camp. Now that he was dead, they found themselves clinging to a rotten rope.

Because I had been working under Baron Melun before Horton's downfall, the Baron looked after me more attentively than any of the other officers. Winning Baron Melun's trust had been one of my reasons for framing Horton in the first place.

"I merely did what any officer of the Ernest Fief army ought to do."

"But doing what one ought to do is never an easy thing. This incident is proof of that. As I see it, you are the only ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠man in this room who did what needed to be done."

It was a remark that subtly rebuked the other officers. They had no choice but to carefully watch Baron Melun's mood. Now, aside from Count Ernest himself, Baron Melun was their only superior.

"I shall promote you for this great great service. This has been authorized by the Count himself. From this moment, the Security Captain is the First Assault Commander."

The First Assault Unit.

The 0th Battalion of the Ernest Fief army consisted of three assault units. All three were similar in numbers and composition, but the First Assault Unit was an elite force composed of veteran soldiers.

Its standing was second only to the vanguard, and the commander's rank was likewise second only to the 0th Battalion Commander and the Vanguard Commander. It was practically a two-rank special promotion.

"Wow… that Pirean bastard lucked out."

"Damn it. I should've picked that side. We've probably got a massive target painted on our backs with the Baron now."

"Still, Baron Melun is a fair man… surely he wouldn't cast us aside?"

The mood among the officers was mixed. Some envied me, some resented me, some worried about their own futures — a variety of reactions on display.

But they were laboring under a misconception. I hadn't picked the right faction. The right faction had picked me.

"For the next two days, we will focus entirely on defense. The moment the War Mage Division joins the main force, I will send the signal. When the signal comes, all troops will gather at the assembly point and strike the enemy!"

And with that, the meeting was over.

The territorial war was entering its final stretch. The war's progression was absurdly faster than in the original story, but the fighting itself was even more intense.

The Coulon Territory army's momentum remained fierce. It was the Ernest Fief army that was conducting guerrilla operations, yet they were the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ones taking the beating. The Ernest forces had been pushed back along the front.

As First Assault Commander, I found it hard to spare any free time. As Security Captain, I had been able to slip out of camp with various excuses, but the First Assault Commander occupied far too important a position to leave the barracks easily.

That said, I now had access to every military secret of the Ernest Fief army. Through Arme, I informed the Coulon Territory army of Ernest's ambush positions, and they pressed their advantage with renewed vigor. And at last, the day arrived on which the War Mage Division was scheduled to arrive.

I sought out Baron Melun.

He was communicating with the War Mage Division via a communication item. It was a device that only a highly skilled mage could use, so within the Ernest Fief army, the only people who employed it were Count Ernest, who kept a dedicated communications mage; Baron Melun; and the War Mage Division commander himself, who was an accomplished mage in his own right.

The War Mage Division appeared to have reached their target location without incident. In a few hours, they would arrive at the agreed rendezvous point.

"Understood. Keep your forces in good order on the way. Do not let your guard down until the very end. That is all."

Only after ending the communication did Baron Melun notice I had entered. My trust level with him had already maxed out, so I could walk into his tent even while he was taking a call of this importance. A person's wariness is a difficult thing to breach the first time — but once it's down, it opens as easily as an automatic door.

"Assault Commander. What is it?"

"Baron Melun. I have an urgent report."

I gasped for breath, my hands trembling, putting on a show of desperation. Thanks to the Deception skill, my acting was superb. Even I would have fallen for a performance like this.

"What? Has something gone wrong!?"

"I've received a report that a portion of the Coulon Territory army is moving toward the War Mage Division."

A lie, of course. I reported it to him without a shred of fear.

If there was one thing I had learned as Assault Commander, it was that deceiving a commander is easier than you'd think. They move and make judgments based on reports.

The reason messengers and scouts are so valued on the battlefield is that they are the commander's eyes and ears. And so, when the most trusted subordinate delivers a false report, that report becomes the truth.

The other officers who had clung to Baron Horton's rotten rope had been washed out along with his purge. Baron Melun trusted me more than any other officer, and with him at my back, I didn't hesitate to overstep my authority. I reported the battlefield situation to Baron Melun in place of the reconnaissance commander.

"What? Them? For what purpose… If they're moving troops in this situation… Have they discovered our intentions? Don't tell me Baron Horton leaked even that secret to them?"

"I don't believe that's the case. According to the report, the moving force consists of two or so knights and about ten regular soldiers. If they knew of the War Mage Division's existence, they wouldn't have dispatched such a small number — even considering how thin the War Mage Division's escort is."

"I see. Then a simple reconnaissance?"

"It's possible they picked up on something from our passive movements."

"Hrm… In that case, we should send additional escort troops from our side. Assault Commander. You will personally lead a force and escort the War Mage Division. You are the only man in this army I can fully trust."

"Understood! I will protect the War Mage Division even if it costs me my life!"

Hendrik Coulon was leading two knights and ten regular soldiers along a rugged mountain path. He had come in person because of a request for reinforcements from his younger brother, Dedric Coulomb.

Dedric had been assigned the critical mission of ambushing the enemy's War Mage Division. It was not the sort of task Hendrik usually took on, but since their father, Count Coulomb, had personally selected Dedric as the right man for the job, Hendrik had accepted it.

Then, that morning, new information had come in from Walker, who had infiltrated the Ernest Fief army. The force escorting the War Mage Division was larger than expected.

Count Coulomb had decided to send reinforcements, and Hendrik had volunteered in person to help his brother. To Hendrik, this war was a kind of trial — a task by which he had to earn his father's recognition.

Dedric was always more suited to being a scholar than a knight of war. That kid's pushing himself too hard. He could've left the tough work to his big brother.

In truth, Dedric wasn't the only one pushing himself. Hendrik, too, had been going to considerable lengths in this war. To earn his father's proud recognition, he had volunteered as Vanguard Commander and stood at the very front of his unit.

And their father was surely pushing himself as well. Though he had not approved of Hendrik's marriage, he was a father who loved his sons. Sending a beloved son to the battlefield and assigning him a dangerous mission was a pain little different from wounding himself.

Yet he had done so willingly, for the greater cause. Perhaps the one suffering most in this war was their father.

Hendrik arrived at the location Walker had given him. It was a narrow, treacherous mountain path. Dense forest spread like umbrellas on both sides of the trail, so that even in daylight ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the place felt dark and gloomy.

The ground was uneven with rocks and tree roots. It was a path he would never have chosen as a route if he were the one leading an army. Precisely the sort of place well-suited to catching an opponent off guard.

"Where is Dedric? He should be around here."

Hendrik searched for his brother. The knights and soldiers who had come with him looked around as well. The surroundings were so silent that not even the cry of a bird or the buzz of an insect could be heard. That silence produced an unpleasant, ominous atmosphere. The soldiers, too, seemed unsettled by the gloom of the place.

"Young master. This is a truly eerie spot."

"It is. Thanks to that, I can see any number of good places for an ambush. First, we need to find my brother."

Hendrik raised his voice and called out.

"Dedric! Can you hear me? It's your brother. I've come to the place where you're lying in ambush. I couldn't pull a large force, but this should be enough to help. Where are you now?"

No answer came. Hendrik felt a sense of foreboding. His intuition was fairly reliable.

"Something's off… This is almost like…"

Before he could finish, a sharp voice rang out.

"There they are! Coulon Territory army scum!"

Hendrik whirled toward the sound in shock. A large number of soldiers, swords and spears drawn, had surrounded his party. It was the Ernest Fief army. Knights of the Deus Knights, clad in silver armor, were among them.

"Th-this is—!?"

"Kill them!"

A hail of arrows fell in an instant. Hendrik and his knights hastily raised their weapons to defend themselves. But the sheer volume of fire was overwhelming, and they collapsed without even a proper chance to fight back.

"Why… where is… my brother…?"

Leaving only that question behind, Hendrik Coulon fell to a Deus Knights knight's blade. No matter how overflowing his martial prowess, no matter how skilled a swordsman he was — enough to serve as Vanguard Commander — receiving the combined assault of five knights was more than he could handle.

For a gifted young warrior who had rampaged across the battlefield, it was a hollow end. After Hendrik fell, an officer from the Ernest Fief army's side stepped forward. It was Assault Commander Gion Pirean.

"So Hendrik came after all. If it had been someone else, I would have had to force a somewhat messy assassination. This worked out nicely. Both sons, taken care of with ease."

When Hendrik died, a notification window appeared before Pirean's eyes.

After confirming the reward, Pirean smiled with a look of satisfaction.

The Ernest Fief army collected the corpses. Pirean separately took Hendrik's head and stored it in his inventory. Just then, the War Mage Division Division Division and their escorting support unit came into view in the distance. As Assault Commander, Pirean went out to receive them.

"You've come a long way. I am Gion Pirean, commander of the First Assault Unit."

"Hmph! I nearly died trudging that filthy, wretched path. The Count is really too much, assigning mages a marching route this harsh. At least we arrived in one piece."

The man leading the War Mage Division was a tall, middle-aged fellow.

"I am Baron Eton, commander of the War Mage Division."

Baron Eton's rank was equal to that of Baron Melun, commander of the main force.

"I look forward to working with you, Baron Eton."