Chapter 25
Chapter 25
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: 10. Hero of the Border (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“To think they’d send the ghosts...”
Someone muttered what everyone was too terrified to even mention—their true identity.
Indeed, it was the Ghost Corps of the Free Ishiria Kingdom.
If the Hashashin were the terror of the night, the Ghost Corps was the silent death on the battlefield.
They specialized in reconnaissance and sniping enemy command structures. They always appeared just before large-scale battles, giving rise to the rumor: “If you see ghosts on the battlefield, run.”
“Your Highness the 5th Prince, you must take cover immediately. If the Ghost Corps has descended, the Black Mountains and the border will become a sea of blood.”
Imperial Army Commander Cassias advised gravely.
“Calm yourself, Imperial Army Commander. There’s no need for concern.”
“But Your Highness the 5th Prince...”
“Aren’t you and your hundred brave Imperial soldiers guarding my side? No need to worry.”
“Protecting the Imperial Family of the Philius Empire is the Imperial Army’s honor! I will safeguard you without fail!”
Raymond nodded in satisfaction at Cassias’s response.
As expected, the Imperial Army was straightforward and easy to handle. Now the issue was the border army and Crayer territory commanders.
“Ghosts are no laughing matter. We must request deployment of special forces from Count Acon of the Northern Central Army.”
Someone spoke up. His middle-aged appearance, along with the rank insignia and medals on his uniform, marked him as a high-ranking commander.
“You know better than anyone that’s not possible...”
Raymond said sharply. Most of the Philius Empire’s special forces were deployed to the Monster Forest and northwest border to block the Highfell Empire’s Ranger Legion.
The Philius Empire currently lacked the spare forces to commit its main army to the Black Mountains.
The high-ranking commander who spoke knew this full well. He had simply blurted it out in frustration.
“The preamble has dragged on longer than expected, so I’ll cut to the chase.”
Now it was time to present the alternative. The commanders’ attention focused on Raymond’s confident demeanor.
“To pinpoint Marquis Crayer’s location, we need to lure the Ghost Corps. You all know that, right?”
Thanks to the author’s setting notes, Raymond knew exactly where Marquis Crayer met his end.
But pinpointing the location without a single visible clue could erode trust and invite suspicion.
“Do you have a way to lure the Ghost Corps, Your Highness?”
A high-ranking commander asked cautiously. The 5th Prince, Raymond, grinned like a mischievous boy and opened his mouth.
“Isn’t there a very tasty-looking bait right here?”
Imperial Army Commander Cassias shot to his feet.
“That’s too dangerous!”
From the perspective of the Imperial Army, sworn to protect the Imperial Family and royals, it was an unacceptable statement.
Unlike the panicked Cassias, Gestain stood silently behind Raymond, unmoving.
Having served Raymond a bit longer than Cassias, his higher trust level allowed for this composure.
“Sir Cassias.”
“Yes, Your Highness... You must withdraw immediately.”
“If I withdraw now, it won’t do much for the border army’s morale.”
A royal who had come to boost the border army’s morale retreating at the enemy’s appearance would look bad.
Contrary to the rumors of him being a wastrel, Raymond’s thoughtful demeanor filled the border army commanders’ minds with various thoughts—mostly positive ones about the 5th Prince.
“But, Your Highness...”
“For the glory of the Philius Empire, this one life is a small price. Besides, with three superior elder brothers above me, the empire will run just fine without one like me.”
“Your Highness...”
‘That should get the point across well enough.’
He had tried to moderate his words, but Imperial Army Commander Cassias’s eyes were reddening.
‘Ah! A prince so devoted to the empire—I must protect him at all costs!’
Cassias steeled his resolve, and the other commanders were deeply moved or began doubting the wastrel rumors about the 5th Prince.
“What do you think the Ghost Corps will do if a Philius imperial prince enters the Black Mountains with only a small escort?”
As Cassias calmed, Raymond spoke calmly, dropping a bombshell.
In the Philius Empire, the status of royals was as high as the heavens. This was a fact known not just to the Ghost Corps, but to every nation on the continent.
“Naturally, they’ll attempt kidnapping or assassination.”
One of the high-ranking commanders answered coolly. Raymond nodded in satisfaction and continued.
“The plan is simple. I’ll act as bait to lure the Ghost Corps. Then we repel those who come to assassinate me and capture some alive to extract information. How’s that?”
The explanation ended, but no one spoke easily.
It was far too grave a plan for a young prince not yet in his twenties to propose, and they felt a sense of responsibility for creating a situation where he had no choice but to step up.
“The border army’s elite knights will accompany Your Highness the 5th Prince.”
“We will protect Your Highness the 5th Prince from the silent reapers of death.”
This was all they could offer the 5th Prince heading into the jaws of death. It might seem like small cheers, but it touched Raymond deeply.
“Then shall we discuss the details?”
The 5th Prince, Raymond, re-entered the Black Mountains with only a small guard detail, while the border army leaked the information and dispatched a small unit of elite knights to protect him from the Ghost Corps.
The commanders wanted to mobilize more troops, but to avoid the Ghost Corps’s notice, there were clear limits on numbers.
Ambushes were meaningless against the Ghost Corps. The only option was placing support troops nearby and calling them in. Thus, once attacked, they had to hold out until reinforcements arrived.
The shoulders of the 5th Prince’s guard detail grew heavy. But unlike the somewhat tense guards, the 5th Prince, Raymond, remained relaxed.
“Old man, you’re keeping your mana well-hidden, right?”
As usual, he called the Azure Tower Lord by a friendly nickname and led the way.
Catching Risefield Dior off-guard with the sudden question amid the tension, he quickly nodded and replied.
“Your Highness the 5th Prince, I may look unassuming, but I am still a tower lord. Hiding my mana is hardly a challenge.”
Raymond nodded in satisfaction at Risefield’s answer.
Though small in number, revealing two high mages here would either deter the Ghost Corps from ambushing or force them to send more men—both unfavorable to Raymond.
“Looks like flies are buzzing around.”
Crimson Tower Lord Berenus Kyle whispered calmly.
“The Philius Empire’s 5th Prince has entered the Black Mountains.”
“The 5th Prince?”
“Yes. It’s that wastrel 5th Prince.”
The Ghost Corps officer scratched his chin at his aide’s report, recalling the recent mountain mercenary report of spotting the 5th Prince’s banner.
“Didn’t the 5th Prince fight the mountain mercenaries and then quickly withdraw from the Black Mountains?”
“Yes, but two days ago, our scout spotted the 5th Prince’s banner at the Black Mountains’ entrance.”
In the Philius Empire, only royals could bear royal banners—only units with them could carry such flags.
“The 5th Prince has returned to the Black Mountains...”
The officer muttered, eyes downcast, then suddenly looked up.
“How large is his force?”
They had captured Marquis Crayer, but more was always better—many provocations were possible.
Moreover, as a Philius royal whom they revered as sacred, dismembering the 5th Prince and sending his corpse to the Imperial Capital would provoke more surely than harming Marquis Crayer.
“About fifty, all appearing to be his personal guard.”
“For a Philius royal on the move, that’s a very small escort. Checked border army intel?”
“Of course. Spies embedded in the border army report he’s ‘secretly’ searching for something in the Black Mountains.”
False information.
This time, with the 5th Prince involved, the border army’s informants had mobilized every resource with blood and soul, fooling the Free Ishiria Kingdom’s infiltrators who detected nothing amiss.
Direct Ghost Corps agents might have noticed, but regrettably, the Ghost Corps had only recently advanced south into the Black Mountains and hadn’t yet infiltrated the border army.
“Fifty personal guards...”
“Excluding several mages mixed in, nothing unusual. We observed them fighting monsters—nothing impressive.”
The aide couldn’t detect the mana-hidden Crimson and Azure Tower Lords.
Even as a skilled Ghost agent, he lacked the ability to pierce high mages deliberately concealing their presence.
“Prepare the agents and request nearby unit support.”
“One century from the 7th Mountain Infantry is ready and can deploy immediately.”
The officer organized his thoughts at the report. His platoon had 27 Ghost agents.
With mountain mercenary century cooperation, he judged they could handle the 5th Prince’s guard, who hadn’t revealed significant strength.
Had the ‘mage’ surviving the recent mountain mercenaries vs. Kron infantry clash testified, high mages might have been revealed—but regrettably, no mages survived that battle.
“Good. We move out.”
The Ghost Corps officer finally decided, and his agents armed up, heading for the 5th Prince.
In gray uniforms, charging through the monster-filled Black Mountains, they looked like ghosts indeed.
The mountain mercenary century followed, but the Ghosts arrived first.
By the time they completed encirclement, the sky had darkened. A moonless night.
“The heavens are with us.”
The Ghost platoon leader muttered, gazing at the light-devouring darkness.
The Ghost Corps had a fierce reputation, but paled against the true terror, the Hashashin.
The greatest gap was ‘perfect concealment’ usage.
Unlike Hashashin, most Ghosts used ‘limited concealment,’ vanishing only in darkness.
Thus, this profound gloom was a welcome ally.
“How shall we make our entrance?”
“There’s definitely one high-grade mage, right?”
Referring to Desia Heli. As a royal guard, fully concealing her would arouse suspicion, so she displayed her full power.
“Yes, definitely.”
The platoon leader nodded at the aide’s confirmation, drawing his dagger from his waist. The camp’s perimeter watch was lax.
Over half seemed asleep, with about ten on night watch.
“I’ll handle the high-grade mage.”
Since the enemy hadn’t noticed them, he was confident a surprise thrust could silence even a high-grade mage forever.
Conveniently, the high-grade mage was by the campfire.
“You lot kill the guards close to the 5th Prince. When the mountain mercenaries arrive, slip away in the chaos.”
“Understood.”
“Good. I’ll go first.”
His body melted into the darkness. Though ‘limited concealment,’ without mana use, he wouldn’t be revealed.
Confident his presence was near-perfectly erased, he expected no detection.
Or so he thought...
“Guh... guh...”
Regaining senses, an ice shard pierced his throat.
“Sorry, but I don’t like being tailed.”
Desia said coldly, watching the platoon leader spew red blood.
“Guards, draw swords!”
The 5th Prince, thought to be sleeping in his tent, rushed out shouting.
‘A... trap...’
The platoon leader tried to warn his men, but no voice came. Even if he could, it was too late.
The Ghost agents, already in limited concealment, were crossing the perimeter—combat was inevitable.