Chapter 53
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: The Decision to Strike
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In the thicket below the garrison’s watchtower.
Having decided to descend, Demian moved with Vincent.
*Rustle. Rustle.*
The slope was full of curves, and the path was far from even.
Anyone expecting a simple mountain trail would be in for a rude awakening.
The border guard leading the way looked at the Kaion Unit members and spoke.
“The ground is extremely rough and uneven. I’ll go slowly, so follow me carefully.”
“Understood. Everyone, be careful.”
At Vincent’s words, everyone nodded.
From the moment they entered the operational area, they had agreed not to respond to orders verbally.
*Rustle. Scrape!*
They used the trees scattered along the path to brake their descent.
It seemed a wrong move could easily lead to getting cut by the branches of the overgrown thicket.
But…
*Thud, thud, thud!*
The guard leading the way glanced at Demian, who was following right behind him.
‘…What in the world is this guy?’
The mountain terrain of the northern border was famous throughout the Baroque Kingdom for its harshness.
Stones were embedded irregularly in the ground.
And then there were the sudden dips and steep inclines.
Every single new recruit assigned to the border guard struggled significantly here.
It was the kind of terrain that usually took one or two years of daily patrols to get used to.
‘And yet… he adapted this quickly?’
The guard’s eyes wavered slightly.
Just then, Demian, who was following, asked the guard.
“Are you saying they escaped the border guard’s pursuit in this kind of terrain?”
The border guard nodded with a stiff expression.
“…It’s shameful, but yes.”
Demian’s expression hardened considerably.
Vincent, who was beside him, asked.
“Why do you ask?”
“…I need to be sure. To be able to shake off trained guards and escape in such rugged mountain terrain means… they are considerably elite soldiers.”
Of course, they could just be specialized in reconnaissance.
Scouts were usually selected for their speed.
But what if that was just one of their many abilities?
‘If they are all elite soldiers skilled in combat…’
Demian’s expression became rigid.
A growing sense of unease.
It felt like the worst-case scenario he had imagined might just come to pass.
But in that moment.
“Hold.”
Demian raised his fist and spoke in a low voice.
As the unit members flinched to a halt, Demian slowly looked at a broken branch on the ground.
“…”
He then began to glance around the area before looking at Vincent and saying.
“There are signs they passed through here.”
It was the first trace of the enemy they had found since starting their reconnaissance down the slope.
If they could start here and slowly follow the trail.
“I think we can find where they are.”
Demian slowly moved forward and began to search another area.
“…This way.”
Demian calmly followed the tracks the enemy had left behind.
There were spots where they had artificially erased their tracks, but he used that very fact as a clue to follow them.
Kyle, who was following from behind, quietly asked Dianal.
“Is that guy a hunter or something? Where did he learn all this?”
“I have no idea.”
The more he learned, the more mysterious the man seemed.
Demian tracked the traces left by the enemy like a seasoned hunter.
And then.
“…Ha, look at these guys.”
Did they say the enemy had been here for six months?
‘Well, after that much time, it’s natural to get complacent.’
This was the proof.
Closer to their base, they had shown the diligence of meticulously erasing their tracks.
‘But this is just sloppy, isn't it?’
The deeper they went, the more blatant the tracks became.
They hadn’t even bothered to try and erase them.
“From here on, we need to move carefully so we aren’t detected. Finding them is important, but we also need to make sure they don’t realize we’re approaching.”
At Demian’s words, all the other unit members nodded.
By now, even the border guard who had come along as a guide had stepped back and was following Demian.
Vincent looked at his men and said.
“A battle could break out at any moment. Stay sharp.”
*Nod.*
As everyone nodded.
“Then let’s move.”
Demian once again began to slowly make his way down the mountain path.
*Shhh! Thump! Shhh!*
As they descended, the sound of sliding sand was accompanied by the slight rustle of trees they grabbed for balance.
The unit members paid utmost attention to even such small reactions, moving with extreme caution.
And how much time had passed?
Just as their clothes were becoming soaked with the sweat of tension and fatigue.
“…!”
Someone’s voice could be heard from a short distance away.
Demian quickly dropped into a crouch and clenched his fist.
The unit members following behind him immediately lowered their stances.
But then.
*Trip!*
One of the unit members stumbled.
“Ugh!”
He let out a cry of pain as if he had twisted his ankle. No, just as the sound was about to escape.
*Smack!*
Something black covered his face.
* * *
“Dammit…”
The man, crouched and hidden in the bushes, swallowed the beef jerky he had been chewing.
It had already been four months since he’d arrived.
In that time, over three hundred soldiers had gathered below the Baroque Kingdom's northern border guard post.
Because they had been moved in with great care over a long period, the enemy didn't seem to have an accurate grasp of their numbers.
“Still no order to commence the operation?”
“They say the next group arriving will have the order. Let’s just wait a little longer.”
A bearded man, who appeared to be the group's senior, let out a deep sigh.
“Haa… I wish we could finish this and go back. I want to soak my body in some hot water.”
Dawn, when the dew falls.
A cold chill seeped into their bodies.
Moreover, the sleeping bags and camping gear they had brought were beginning to smell musty.
Another soldier nodded vigorously at the bearded man's words.
“Me too, me too. And after that, I’d love to have a hot stew full of meat.”
“We’ve been eating nothing but jerky and fruit for months now… Dammit, I feel like even my crap is getting healthier.”
They were barely getting by thanks to their food supply and what they could forage in the forest.
The bearded man said.
“It won’t be long now, so just hang in there. If this operation is a success, the rewards will be handsome.”
“If they give us a pittance, I’m going to raise hell.”
The advance party had spent nearly six months in this forest.
If the reward was small, they were ready to flip everything upside down.
But at that moment.
“…?”
One of the men in the group turned his gaze somewhere.
Soon, he furrowed his brow slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“…Didn’t you just hear something?”
“A sound?”
“I thought I heard something from over there.”
The man got up and walked toward the thicket.
He casually pushed aside the bushes and peered beyond them.
“…Am I imagining things?”
“Probably a wild animal, don’t you think?”
At his companion’s words.
“Damn wild animals. Can’t even make a fire, so they’re useless even if we catch one.”
It wasn’t like they could tear into the raw flesh of a wild animal.
After a moment of looking around, the man said.
“…Guess I was imagining it.”
He tilted his head and returned to where his comrades were.
* * *
“…”
One of the men was trembling, his mouth covered.
It was Jeykol, one of the squad leaders.
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he blinked his startled eyes.
“…Seems like a minor sprain.”
Fortunately, the injury didn't seem serious.
Demian, who was touching the man’s ankle, looked at Jeykol and asked.
“Get up and try putting some weight on it.”
*Nod.*
He stood up and stamped his foot on the ground a few times.
There was a slight pain, but.
“Can you walk?”
“Yes, no problem. I was just startled for a moment.”
He had been surprised by the sensation of his ankle turning slightly after tripping on a stone.
That’s why he had almost screamed without thinking.
“…You saved me.”
“Heh, don’t mention it.”
Jeykol said to Kyle, who was next to him.
The moment he was about to scream, Kyle’s massive hand had clamped over his mouth.
He had almost caused a huge problem for his comrades.
After checking on Jeykol’s condition, Demian once again looked toward the distant enemies.
They were now close enough to be seen with the naked eye.
The fortunate thing was that they hadn't been spotted.
Demian turned his head to look at the unit members.
*Nod.*
*Nod.*
A single nod was enough to convey his meaning.
As Demian began to slowly move forward and down, Vincent and the others followed behind him.
And when the distance between them and the enemy had closed to about twenty meters.
*Shhh.*
The group all lowered their stances and held their breath.
From this point on, the rustling of the bushes.
And the sound of sand sliding on the ground could reach the enemy.
They couldn't even breathe too loudly.
*Tap.*
Vincent came up next to Demian.
“They have… quite a few more men than I thought.”
“But this seems to be only a part of them.”
There were about a dozen enemies visible ahead.
There was likely another group somewhere else.
‘If only we could find out how skilled they are…’
Demian asked Vincent.
“What should we do?”
“…”
Vincent remained silent.
It wasn't a situation where he could make a rash decision.
They had already achieved something just by confirming that the enemy was lying in ambush here. But…
‘…Just how many of them are there?’
If they couldn't grasp the scale of the enemy forces, it would be a half-baked reconnaissance mission.
Demian spoke.
“If we can attack them and capture a prisoner… we can extract information.”
If they could do that, it would be the best possible outcome.
They would be able to get the information they wanted.
“…Wait a moment.”
At Vincent’s words, Demian bit his lip.
The decision now required taking a considerable risk.
Because of that, Demian thought Vincent would choose to retreat.
‘Peace-time soldiers like them couldn't possibly do something like this… right?’
It was unfortunate, but it wasn't Vincent's fault.
Even in a small-scale skirmish like this, with one’s life on the line, hesitation was only natural.
However.
“…You. And Demian.”
Vincent called out to the border guard who had guided them and to Demian.
As the two came closer.
“Split up and scout the surrounding area to see if there are any other enemy soldiers. Then report back.”
The guard looked puzzled, but.
*Nod.*
Soon, he and Demian moved in different directions to locate any other enemy soldiers that might be nearby.
And…
“There was nothing on this side.”
“On this side, too… no other groups were seen.”
At the reports from the returning guard and Demian, Vincent bit his lip.
The enemy's numbers were greater than theirs, but.
‘They’re not in a state of combat readiness.’
Moreover, the enemy was off guard.
If they could just capture them as prisoners, they could create an incredibly advantageous situation.
*Grip.*
Vincent clenched his fist.
A corner of Demian’s mouth lifted.
Vincent was a much stronger and more aggressive person than he had thought.
Vincent then spoke to the unit members.
“We will ambush the enemy and secure a prisoner.”
At his words, the unit members’ eyes wavered.
Combat.
It was an unexpected situation, but.
“Understood.”
Only Demian’s eyes flashed as he answered in a low voice.