Chapter 52
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Scent of Battle
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The operations unit, including Demian, arrived at the northern border guard post.
Pereron, the commander of the border guard, saw Vincent and offered a handshake.
“It must have been a long journey.”
“We appreciate your hard work.”
The two greeted each other warmly, as if they were already acquainted.
Pereron looked at the unit members who had come with Vincent.
“Is this the newly formed unit?”
“That’s right. This is our first operation, a support mission.”
Pereron had also heard stories about the Kaion Unit.
That their testing had been quite intense, and everyone acknowledged their skill.
Pereron nodded.
“Let’s go inside and talk. The situation is… not good.”
“Of course.”
Vincent ordered his unit to stand by and followed Pereron inside.
Once Vincent had left, Kyle approached Demian.
“Something feels off, doesn’t it?”
“It's unnerving.”
Dianal added. At that, Jerka and Terka approached Demian together.
“Feels like something's about to happen, right? The atmosphere around these guys here is grim.”
Terka was right.
The faces of the border guards on duty were completely devoid of ease.
It was as if they were braced for an enemy attack at any moment.
In response, Demian silently turned his gaze in the direction the border guards were watching.
An unsettling wind was certainly blowing.
It was like…
‘This has the scent of a battlefield.’
He didn't know why he felt that way here, but he could tell the situation was dire.
Demian looked at Jerka and Terka beside him.
“You two, stick close behind me at all times.”
“What?”
Jerka furrowed his brow.
However, he couldn't argue, thanks to Vincent's strict enforcement of the chain of command.
At times like this, he almost seemed docile.
Demian lightly surveyed the area around the border guard's post.
Just then.
“Are you the support unit that just arrived?”
At someone’s voice, Demian turned his head.
A rather large man stood there.
“The name’s Garent.”
The man who introduced himself as Garent extended a hand to Demian.
Demian shook it and spoke.
“Demian, Vice Commander of the Kaion Unit.”
“Heh, you mean that new independent unit, right? But to think the vice commander is such a young lad. Not quite what I heard.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“Hahaha, you don't seem intimidated. I suppose you've got some skill.”
He gazed toward the thicket beyond the border.
“The mood has been tense lately. The scale of the bastards who keep prodding and crossing the border is growing.”
“To what extent?”
“The most recent battle involved about fifty men. And they were quite the elite soldiers.”
At the word “battle,” those behind Demian looked surprised.
Weren't they just supposed to be chasing down fugitives?
Demian asked.
“How many were injured?”
“One man in the last battle. Got hit by a stray spear from a fleeing enemy.”
“But you didn't manage to capture any of them?”
“Unfortunately not.”
Garent gritted his teeth.
His frustration was palpable.
‘…If this is an attack on the border, not just reconnaissance.’
Situations like this had occurred from time to time in the past.
A method where they feigned reconnaissance while continuously and covertly increasing their forces.
Since moving a large number of troops toward the border at once would risk detection, they would disguise them as scouts and gradually build up their numbers.
‘Then they launch an all-out attack... that was their method.’
That was the terrifying thing about the Empire.
Even though they possessed superior strength, they never simply overpowered their opponents.
Meticulous planning and a caution that aimed for perfection.
That was why the gap between them and their enemies could only grow wider.
Demian asked.
“Is there any possibility of an enemy ambush nearby?”
“...An ambush?”
Garent’s eyes widened. But…
“Hahahahaha, an ambush? They don't have enough troops for that. Besides, if a force large enough to threaten us were on the move, our surveillance would have already picked them up.”
“…”
He couldn't deny that.
If a threatening number of troops had moved “at once,” they would have been detected, of course.
But if they'd taken their time, disguised as scouts, and gathered here little by little…
‘I believe it's been over five months.’
If they had been steadily amassing troops here during that time, it was possible their numbers had reached at least the hundreds.
“What is the strength of the border guard here?”
“Two hundred men at the 3rd Branch alone.”
‘Then all branches combined would be about six hundred men. But even with a signal, it would take a long time for reinforcements to arrive from the other branches.’
Given the distance, they might as well be separate forces.
That meant the total number of men available to defend this post was two hundred.
‘…I have a bad feeling about this.’
The atmosphere here, and the situation so far.
He tried to piece all the puzzles together.
But a chilling tension that ran down his spine wouldn't go away.
*Thud.*
“Vice Commander! Where are you going?!”
Demian quickly ran off somewhere.
He headed to the highest point in the 3rd Branch, which guarded the north.
“…”
Unlike the 1st and 2nd Branches, the 3rd Branch was in mountainous terrain.
Naturally, the rough terrain made it the least likely place for enemy infiltration.
But conversely, that also meant it was the most suitable place for an enemy to hide.
*Sweep.*
Demian looked down at the dense thicket below.
If the enemy was lying in ambush somewhere in there, preparing for battle…
Demian’s gaze remained fixed beyond the undergrowth below.
* * *
“We currently estimate the enemy numbers to be around a hundred.”
“A hundred? That’s more than I thought.”
They were thought to be just scouts, yet there were that many?
Vincent frowned.
A hundred men was about half the strength of the 3rd Branch's border guard.
Depending on the circumstances, they might even opt for a full-scale confrontation.
Pereron nodded with a serious expression.
“And while I have a suspicion that they seem to be changing slightly…”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Ah, it’s just that sometimes they seem to have different builds.”
“…What does that…”
Vincent’s expression hardened.
But Pereron just waved his hand and burst out laughing.
“Haha, don't worry. Even if they have some tricks up their sleeves, they won't be able to attack first. There's the difference in numbers, but we've also positioned archers on high ground.”
The moment those bastards showed their faces, a shower of arrows from the archers would rain down on them.
“Hmm…”
Unlike the confident Pereron, Vincent watched him with a somewhat worried expression.
After that, the conversation ended with some brief small talk.
Vincent returned to where the Kaion Unit members were waiting.
“Commander, did the discussion go well?”
“Well, it seems there’s nothing out of the ordinary.”
“What did they say?”
At Demian’s question, Vincent looked at him.
“It seems the enemy's numbers are larger than we thought.”
Vincent recounted his entire conversation with Pereron to Demian.
And…
“Demian, what are your thoughts?”
“Hmm…”
Vincent decided to share his thoughts with Demian.
He hadn't spoken with him much, but he had noticed Demian's sharp insight during meetings and other decision-making moments.
Demian spoke to Vincent.
“There is something that bothers me.”
“What is it?”
“Didn't he say he suspected the enemy's… appearance had changed?”
“Hmm… I believe he did mention something like that.”
Frankly, he hadn't considered that part very important.
The key point was that the enemy force numbered around a hundred, and whether that could lead to a full-scale battle.
But Demian asked Vincent.
“What if their numbers aren't just a hundred?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“When did the scouts first start infiltrating this area?”
“About six months ago, I was told.”
“Scouts have been entering the border since then, but none have left, correct?”
“Well, once they hide beyond the thicket, they're outside our surveillance range, so that’s to be expected.”
“In that case, if the ones who entered have been setting up ambushes here, and more troops have continued to arrive… we must assume their numbers are not one hundred, but at least three to four hundred.”
“…Isn't that just speculation?”
At Vincent’s question, Demian nodded.
“It might be. But if it's not true, then no harm done. If it is true… it will be irreversible.”
In his past life, the Empire had used this very method to completely breach the border.
‘I don't know if this is that time, but…’
It was possible there were incidents Demian had overlooked.
Demian's words made Vincent's expression turn gravely serious.
It was just a ‘hypothesis,’ but it was a terrifying one that sent shivers down his spine.
If, by some chance, such a situation was truly unfolding.
‘This place will be annihilated.’
Support or not, they could all die a dog’s death right here.
“I’ll go see Captain Pereron right now and talk to him. I must request that a scouting party be sent out.”
“I’ll go.”
“What?”
Vincent, who had started to turn, frowned.
“We are here as support. There's no reason for us to take the lead.”
“I learned how to track prey from my father, who was a hunter. I'll be much better at finding enemy tracks than the soldiers here, who have only stood guard duty.”
“Permission denied.”
“Commander!”
“I said, permission denied!”
Vincent shouted.
This was the unit's first mission since its formation.
He had no intention of sending a subordinate into the jaws of death on such a crucial first step.
“If the situation is not what we fear, this will serve as a basis for carrying out our mission here more perfectly. And by actively participating in the operation, we can not only improve our relationship with the border guard but also write favorable remarks in our performance report.”
But, if by some chance he found evidence of the situation they feared…
*Stare.*
Demian looked at Vincent.
His mind must be in turmoil right now.
He would be torn between his duty as a commander to protect his men and the opportunity to secure achievements for his unit.
‘I've seen countless commanders like Vincent.’
The man wasn't a bad person.
In this era of peace, it wasn't something to be condemned for looking after one's own achievements.
Demian continued.
“We, along with the border guard, could receive rewards greater than a medal for being the ones who initiated the defense of the border. I will make sure of it.”
“…Are you confident?”
The resolute Vincent wavered.
Demian's words were certainly risky, but…
‘High risk, high return, is that it?’
He gritted his teeth.
It was indeed a necessary task for them, having just launched their unit.
And…
A small grin formed on his face.
At those words, Demian's lips curved into a smile.
“Please request a few fast-footed soldiers who know this terrain inside and out. And I'll pick out the fastest men from our side as well.”
“Damn it, fine. Get ready!”
With that, Vincent turned and headed for Pereron.
*Swoosh.*
Demian began to quickly assemble the unit members, his thoughts on the enemies that lay beyond the thicket.
And so, the Kaion Unit's first mission began.