Who Is the One Being Hunted?
Who Is the One Being Hunted?
The next day.
At daybreak, the entire force at the forward base, except for a minimal guard detail, climbed the western mountain ridge.
It was because the battalion commander, Daniel Steiner, had issued orders for reconnaissance and fortification construction training.
They had been told to build fighting positions as if in actual combat, so the troops—who were hauling up twelve mortars, four heavy machine guns, and enough sandbags to make their backs ache—soon received new orders from Daniel.
─ Construct the positions, but do so in a manner that envelops the forward base.
In short, it was an exercise in which they were to regard their own forward base as an enemy forward base and then form an encirclement around it.
The soldiers found it utterly incomprehensible, but as it was the battalion commander's first order, they decided to follow it.
After leveling the ground, they set up mortar positions and installed the heavy machine guns.
The unit's marksmen climbed onto the sheer cliff off to the flank and took their positions, while the special warfare company that had originally been on guard duty at the forward base received orders to block the retreat route.
He had figured that since these men knew the terrain around the forward base well, they were perfectly suited for blocking the retreat route.
As the order itself was not defective, Varnrad decided to comply, and after linking up with the company from the headquarters direct unit, he set up a position on the retreat path and concealed it.
Afterward, a standby order was issued, so Varnrad and his troops were resting among the trees.
Varnrad, who had his arms folded and was leaning against a tree, let out a sigh and glanced to the side.
Lieutenant Mekkel was sitting on the ground with a map spread out, practicing his land navigation.
"Hey."
When Varnrad called, Mekkel raised his head.
"Did you call for me?"
"Yeah. There's something I wanted to ask you."
Varnrad scratched his head once and then spoke.
"What exactly is the point of this exercise? The very idea of encircling an enemy forward base—I don't understand it."
"Hmm. Could you elaborate on that, sir?"
"It's a forward base, isn't it? That means it's the base that would be pouring the most heart and soul into its security, right? So does it even make sense to surround a forward base like that from all sides? What are they, morons?"
He wasn't wrong.
But Lieutenant Mekkel merely laughed it off.
"Certainly, if this were an exercise about encircling an enemy forward base, that would be a misnomer."
"You think so too, then? I thought he was some kind of extraordinary figure, being a genius staff officer from headquarters and all, but it seems the rumors were exaggerated."
"Please take back those words. The rumors are not exaggerated."
"...What do you mean? Didn't you just say with your own mouth that it's a misnomer?"
Lieutenant Mekkel folded the map and said,
"I said that it would be a misnomer, *if* this were an exercise."
Varnrad, still not understanding, blinked vacantly, and Lieutenant Mekkel tucked the map into his chest.
"I participated in the Nordia invasion operation with the battalion commander. If you knew how the battalion commander captured Nordia, you wouldn't be able to see this as a simple exercise."
"...Are you trying to say it's not an exercise?"
"Yes. He is most likely preparing for something."
Varnrad, who had been staring at the confident Lieutenant Mekkel, spoke in a displeased tone.
"If he was preparing for something, why didn't he tell us? And what about doing nothing for nearly two weeks after coming here?"
"The battalion commander is someone who despises having his operations leak through the mouths of others. Also, do you truly believe the battalion commander did nothing during those two weeks?"
"Then, don't tell me...."
Lieutenant Mekkel nodded.
"There is a saying: after long deliberation, one makes a move. From what I see, the battalion commander was merely holding his breath, like a predator watching for an opportunity."
Lieutenant Mekkel rose from his seat and turned his gaze toward where Daniel was.
He could see Daniel, set apart from the other troops, his hand on his chin and a frown on his face.
Judging by the deep thought in his eyes, he was surely formulating countless detailed operations in his head.
Watching Daniel like that, Lieutenant Mekkel murmured with reverence.
"Now... it seems he has finished preparing to bare his claws."
Of course, contrary to Lieutenant Mekkel's expectation, at that moment Daniel Steiner did not have any particular thoughts in his mind.
'A bird I've seen somewhere before. What was its name...?'
He was merely trying to figure out the name of a bird perched on a branch, preening its feathers.
*
Meanwhile, Blef, the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Belmore, led a battalion of elite soldiers and headed for the forward base where Daniel Steiner was located.
Ideally, he had wanted to bring more troops, but given the mountainous terrain, he exercised restraint, as a larger number could actually make control more difficult.
Moreover, he needed to move stealthily to capture Daniel Steiner before he could flee, so he insisted on a battalion-sized force.
Thus, Blef, who had set out early in the morning leading a battalion force, was only able to reach the Empire's forward base, located in the basin halfway up the mountain, by nightfall.
Though the troops were somewhat fatigued from climbing the mountain, they were in a condition unproblematic for combat, so Blef ordered the assault without hesitation.
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's order, the soldiers began infiltrating the Empire's forward base after a covert maneuver.
There were Imperial soldiers on guard, but their numbers were so few that they were easily subdued.
After watching the soldiers enter first, Blef lingered for a moment before entering the forward base himself.
Thanks to this, Blef thought he had seized an easy victory.
He had swiftly dealt with the sentries and infiltrated the forward base; now all he had to do was slaughter every last Imperial soldier while they slept, and then capture Daniel Steiner.
Blef, who even felt a sense of euphoria at the thought of the immense military feats he was about to achieve, gave the order to kill all enemy soldiers except for Daniel Steiner.
The soldiers who heard Blef's order moved around the forward base to carry out the mission, but oddly enough, no gunfire could be heard.
After about ten minutes of silence, Blef, sensing something strange, assembled his officers.
It was because he needed to confirm exactly how things were unfolding.
"I clearly gave the order to kill all enemy soldiers except for Daniel Steiner. Why is there no gunfire?"
The officers did not answer.
The officers, too, did not know how things were proceeding.
As everyone was maintaining their silence, Colonel Galevalt, Blef's direct staff officer, reluctantly opened his mouth.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince. I apologize for having to report this...."
Galevalt's voice trembled faintly.
"At this moment, there are no Imperial troops to be found here."
"What did you say?"
As if he had heard something utterly nonsensical, one of Blef's eyebrows furrowed.
It was understandable, as he could not fathom an enemy forward base having no enemies.
"There are no Imperial soldiers at an Imperial base? Did you even search properly?"
When Blef rebuked him, the battalion commander, who had been listening from the side, added his voice.
"What Colonel Galevalt says is the truth. I ordered the troops to conduct a search, however...."
As if ashamed, the battalion commander bowed his head deeply.
"No Imperial soldiers have been sighted anywhere, including the command post, barracks, mess hall, infirmary, warehouse, communications post, latrine, maintenance depot, watchtower, training ground, and underground facilities."
"What in the...."
Sensing that the situation was taking a strange turn, Blef swallowed dryly.
"Are you telling me the Imperial Army evaporated overnight?"
"I apologize, but I am only relaying the facts."
Of course, the battalion commander would not lie to him, the Crown Prince.
Even knowing that, it was a fact he simply could not accept.
"Then where in the world did the Imperial Army go...?"
Anxiety began to creep up his spine.
The euphoria that had been circulating in his body vanished, and fear raised its head.
Just as he felt the night air become strangely cold, a non-commissioned officer came running up.
The NCO, who wore the rank insignia of a sergeant, stopped in front of Blef and threw himself flat on the ground.
"Your Highness! We have discovered Imperial Army tracks leading toward the western ridge. So we sent out scouts, and...."
Beads of sweat that had formed on the sergeant's forehead dropped down.
"...The scouting report states that they have constructed positions armed with mortars and machine guns."
His uneasy premonition turned into certainty.
As a flustered Blef's hands trembled, the sergeant shut his eyes tightly and said,
"Your Highness! It appears we have been surrounded...!"
Murmurs of dismay leaked out from here and there.
It was because everyone had already assumed the worst the moment they saw no enemy troops at the forward base.
But only Blef, unable to admit his own blunder, turned to look at his staff officer.
"Colonel Galevalt! Is what he says true!?"
Galevalt could only lower his head, biting his lip tightly.
"Circumstantially, that is how it looks. They are probably blocking the retreat route by now. Because that is what I would have done...."
A voice thick with the color of defeat settled heavily.
Having received confirmation from his staff officer, Blef shook his head as if he could not believe it.
"That's impossible. There's no way. Are you saying the information was leaked? The person who gave me this information was someone bought off by the Allied Nations. So how...?"
Blef's face turned deathly pale.
"How does Daniel Steiner know all of our plans!?"
Galevalt bit his lip hard, then let out a low breath.
"It seems there is an informant following Daniel Steiner within the Kingdom of Belmore. Perhaps Daniel Steiner... came here targeting His Highness the Crown Prince from the very beginning."
Daniel Steiner had exploited the information known to Crown Prince Blef in reverse, laying a trap.
For now, there was no choice but to think that.
"Ahh...."
Blef, now understanding the entire situation, staggered as a feeling of helplessness washed over him.
An officer nearby hurriedly approached and supported him, but Blef's eyes were lifeless.
Believing he had been played by Daniel Steiner's stratagem, Blef let out a hollow sigh.
"The one being hunted... was not...."
A hollow voice flowed from Blef's bowed head.
"Daniel Steiner... but me."
Only then was Blef able to realize it.
That a mere human could never hunt a demon.