Dark, who had returned from scouting, approached Ghislain and whispered almost comically low. “Master, it’s true. The enemy’s coming. Wow, how did you know?” “You don’t need to whisper so quietly. Even if you shout, they won’t hear you from here.” “Oh, come on. Let’s set the mood, will you?” Dark muttered and began relaying his findings. “There are twenty groups. They’re all coming through tough terrain. But guess what? Every route you mentioned had them.” “Their numbers?” “Uh... about five hundred per group?” Dark, who in the past couldn’t even estimate troop numbers properly, had gained a keen scout’s eye after following Ghislain through countless battles. Hearing this, Ghislain nodded. “We’ll inevitably miss a few.” Breaking into smaller units like this was a way to move discreetly. The deeper the war progressed, the easier it became for large armies to be detected. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢 Five hundred soldiers might not seem small, but by moving through forests and mountains at night, they could conceal themselves. Most importantly, the Revolutionaries were experts at staying hidden. “We’ll just have to track down the ones that slip through. I’ll leave those to Claude.” Ghislain tightened his grip on the reins. It wasn’t difficult to deduce the routes the Revolutionaries would take. After all, there were only so many ways to move unnoticed. When preparing for an ambush, the key wasn’t predicting where the enemy would move but confirming that they would attempt an ambush. And Ghislain’s prediction had hit the mark. “Knowing someone well is truly convenient,” Ghislain chuckled. In his previous life, the Revolutionaries had always moved covertly, favoring ambushes. Their favorite tactic was striking from the rear while the Allied Forces were preoccupied elsewhere. It wasn’t difficult to predict their strategy. And with Dark at his side, it was even easier to monitor them. Once he grasped the enemy’s intent, their movements became as clear as day. Ghislain issued a new order to Dark. “Inform the others. The enemy will be here soon.” “Got it. Ah, I better not get eaten along the way.” Dark’s form split into multiple smaller crows. The tiny birds each flapped off in their assigned directions. Currently, Ghislain had divided his mobile forces into ten groups of two thousand men each. Each group was led by experienced commanders like Julien, Parniel, Gillian, Kaor, Gordon, and Lukas. It was impossible to split them further without risking safety. Any stragglers would simply be hunted down later. “Alright, let’s get ready. They’ll be here soon.” They were in the middle of an immense forest. The towering trees blocked most of the light, keeping the ground cloaked in darkness. The mobile forces dismounted their horses far away, leaving only a handful of sentries behind. The rest spread out across the forest, camouflaging themselves with black paint over their armor and helmets. The Fenris knights, whose armor was naturally black, didn’t need further disguise. “Hssss...” The soldiers hidden throughout the forest silenced even their breathing. If Ghislain’s forces trained most in charges, the next most practiced skill was concealment and ambush. For Ghislain’s army, which thrived on pursuits and ambushes, this was essential. The forest fell into an eerie silence. Even the birds and insects had ceased their cries, disturbed by the unwelcome intruders lurking within. For half a day, the mobile forces lay motionless. For others, it might have been an agonizing ordeal, but for them, it was nothing. ‘Hah, this is nice.’ ‘Wish it was always like this. Heh.’ ‘Better than digging trenches.’ ‘Running around all the time is exhausting.’ ‘Ugh, I’m so relaxed I might fall asleep.’ For Ghislain’s mobile forces, who had been constantly fighting and moving, lying in ambush was practically a break. ‘Come just a little later, will you?’ They all shared the same thought. Concealment training had once been grueling, but after following Ghislain, they’d learned there were far worse hardships in the world. Unfortunately, their wish wasn’t granted. As night fell, the ones moving just as stealthily as they did finally appeared. Step. A small reconnaissance team from the Revolutionaries cautiously entered the forest, scanning their surroundings for any signs of beasts or monsters. The thought of humans being there never crossed their minds. After all, what reason would the Allied Forces have to be here? “All clear.” Of course it was. Ghislain’s forces had already arrived first and swept the area clean. Unaware of this, the scouts pulled out flint and steel. Clack! A small spark of fire flickered in the dark forest. Seeing the signal, the rest of the Revolutionary forces began entering the forest. They had silenced their horses with padded hooves and smeared camouflage paint on themselves. The soldiers swiftly formed ranks and began advancing. Even though they weren’t regular soldiers, their movements were remarkably disciplined. Clearly, they were well-practiced in such operations. This was the 2nd Battalion of the Revolutionaries. Its commander, Tarim, let out a quiet sigh of relief. “We’re not far now. Once we cross this place, we’ll be in Atrodé Kingdom.” They had made it this far safely. With just a bit more effort, they’d reach their prepared hideout. There, they would wait for their comrades to gather. Their goal wasn’t to engage the Allied Forces directly—that would be impossible with their numbers. ‘But during the chaos of battle, that’s another story.’ The Allied Forces, being a massive army, would need to secure supply routes by capturing key positions in Atrodé Kingdom. Naturally, they would split into several divisions. The Revolutionaries planned to choose one of those divisions and ambush it from the rear during combat. “Come on, keep moving. Just a little further.” Tarim sighed again as he urged his battalion forward. They were exhausted, but they had to reach the next hideout before dawn. Once they got there, they could finally rest. ‘Damn it, I joined the Revolutionaries because I was afraid of war...’ He had joined under the condition that he’d serve as a training instructor. As a former knight, even at the beginner level, he’d been valuable enough to negotiate that role. At first, life had been perfect. He stayed safe in hideouts without needing to fight. But now that the Revolutionaries had aligned themselves with the Salvation Order, he couldn’t simply bow out anymore. ‘Ugh, I’ll find a chance to escape during the battle. This time, I’ll run as far as I can.’ Whatever thoughts Tarim harbored, the 2nd Battalion of the Revolutionaries moved swiftly through the forest. Having lived in forests and mountains in isolated cells, they were masters of covert movement. They had already crossed half the forest when Tarim finally relaxed a little. “Good, everything’s going smoothly. We’ll reach the next location before dawn. But...” Something «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» felt off. Having spent most of his life in forests, Tarim quickly noticed what it was. “It’s too quiet. Is this normal here? Or is it because of us?” Tarim tilted his head, confused. It couldn’t be them. The silence stretched too far, even into the distance. Despite the unease, he shook his head. ‘Nonsense. There’s no way the Allied Forces could know we’re here, let alone ambush us.’ Unless there was a spy, it was impossible. No, even if there was a spy, it wouldn’t have been possible. The moment the plan had been decided, they had moved immediately. Trying to settle his nerves, Tarim continued forward—until he saw his reconnaissance team stopped ahead. “What’s going on? What’s the problem?” As he got closer, he noticed the scouts surrounding someone. Tarim walked up to the group and asked, “Who’s this? What’s going on?” “We don’t know, sir. He just insisted on seeing our leader, so we kept him alive for now.” “What? Me?” Tarim squinted, trying to see the figure clearly, but it was too dark. The man seemed suspicious, but alone, he didn’t appear to be much of a threat. “Light.” At his command, a few men lit torches. The flames illuminated the area, revealing the man’s face. Tarim stared at the figure, who stood with his hands raised, and demanded, “Who are you? What are you doing here alone? Are you lost?” The lone man, Ghislain, grinned wickedly and replied, “I’m here to collect a toll.” “...What?” “To pass through this area, you’ll need to pay 100 gold per person.” Tarim, who had been frozen in confusion, suddenly burst into laughter. “Pfft.” “Haha.” The others followed suit. Though they couldn’t laugh loudly, given the need for stealth, small chuckles escaped their lips. Even the scouts surrounding Ghislain relaxed and started laughing. One of them shook his head and addressed Ghislain. “Do you even know who we are, saying nonsense like that? Toll fee? You want to collect a toll from us? And you’re alone?” Extorting tolls was their specialty. The Revolutionaries weren’t called bandits for nothing. For someone to show up alone and demand money from experts like them was beyond absurd. “This lunatic... I’ll just kill him.” At the scout’s words, Tarim, still carrying some pride as a former knight, hesitated. “To avoid exposing ourselves, it’s probably necessary... but letting a lunatic live might not be so bad... Hmm?” As he spoke, Tarim noticed something odd. Despite acting insane, the man was dressed in fine clothes and had an air of composure about him. Suspicious. Tarim extended his hand, signaling restraint. “Wait, don’t kill him just yet—” But it was too late. The scout had already grabbed Ghislain by the collar and was growling at him. “You must’ve known who we are before pulling this crazy stunt, right? That means you’re ready to die, you bastard!” The scout raised his sword to strike, but before he could swing— Crack! Ghislain swiftly pulled a hand axe from his belt and buried it in the scout’s neck. Thud. The scout dropped to the ground, lifeless, without even a scream. Looking down at the dead man, Ghislain spoke calmly. “And who are you? Just another Revolutionary grunt pretending to be important?” Shing! Clang! Clang! Weapons were drawn all around him. Tarim’s expression hardened instantly. This man knew who they were. He spoke cautiously, “Who... are you?” “Fenris Duke.” “...What?” “Don’t know me?” “...” Who didn’t know the Fenris Duke? Anyone involved in the war would recognize that name. But a lunatic claiming to be him, alone in the dead of night? It was hard to believe. “You’re seriously the Fenris Duke?” “That’s right. Want me to show you my identification tag or something?” Ghislain’s confident demeanor made Tarim gulp nervously. It was hard to believe, but he had no choice. There were only a handful of people on the continent who could act with such boldness. “Did you... come alone?” “I brought enough people to make sure none of you can run.” Rustle... Tarim and the Revolutionaries looked around. With the sound of rustling leaves, a group of soldiers emerged from the shadows. They had been completely surrounded. Impossible. How had they been lying in wait so perfectly? In a trembling voice, Tarim asked, “H-how did you know? Why are you, of all people, here?” “You don’t need to know that. The toll is 100 gold per person. Are you paying or not?” Tarim hesitated, completely at a loss. If the man in front of him was truly the Fenris Duke, then the soldiers surrounding them were his infamous mobile forces. They were already surrounded, and their numbers were far greater. Resistance would be futile. Even if it were only the Fenris Duke standing there alone, they wouldn’t stand a chance. No matter how skilled they were, the man before them was a monster among monsters. Tarim dismounted his horse. Since Ghislain was asking for money, there might still be room for negotiation. “I-I don’t have that kind of money with me...” Who carried 100 gold on them during a war? Even outside of wartime, it wasn’t normal. Ghislain rotated his shoulders nonchalantly. “Then you all have to die.” “C-can’t we pay on credit?” “The Duke never accepts credit.” “I-I’m a knight! I always repay my debts!” “The world really has gone to hell. A knight, resorting to banditry. Still, credit is out of the question.” Tarim had always taken pride in being a knight. Even though he was now part of the Revolutionaries, he believed he was different from the others. Wounded by Ghislain’s words, Tarim shouted angrily, “Everyone, run! Break through somehow! The mission’s failed!” Pride was one thing; survival was another. There was no way they could defeat the Fenris Duke. Somehow, the enemy had discovered their plan. Tarim had to escape and relay this information. Barking his orders, Tarim turned and bolted, pouring every ounce of his strength into fleeing. The other Revolutionaries scattered in all directions. But there was no escaping Ghislain. Crack! “Aaargh!” Tarim, mid-flight, suddenly collapsed as a hand axe buried itself in his back. “P-please... spare me...” Ghislain said nothing, planting his foot on Tarim’s leg. Crunch! “Gaaah!” Tarim’s leg shattered instantly under the pressure. Trembling in agony, he looked up as Ghislain loomed over him, speaking coldly. “I’ll let you live... for now. Once I’m done killing the rest, we’ll talk.” With a savage grin, Ghislain spun his hand axe casually. For dealing with the Revolutionaries, there was no need for anything fancy. His trusty hand axe, Empathy, was more than enough.