Chapter 76

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【Chapter 76】

The old man, who was once my partner, speaks calmly. He’s not trying to intimidate me.

And I know,

Whenever he speaks calmly, blood is always shed. This old man becomes the most gentle when he is fully prepared to win and kill.

"Will you surrender...?"

To buy time, I pretend to think it over.

First, I need to determine if what this old man is saying is true.

Mountain rangers are essentially hunters trained in human hunting, so they are naturally tough. If they launch guerrilla attacks during our march, we won’t be able to rest.

But do they really exist?

...No, there were indeed some strange people.

I ask the old man to confirm.

"By the way, among the travelers who followed us from the road, there were a few who walked like veterans. They kept up with our brisk pace and reacted to the marching band's music. They are here in this camp, about six of them, right?"

"Ah, no good, no good. I talked too much. I forgot how sharp you are."

I wonder. He’s just pretending to be caught off guard; he might be hiding more soldiers. The more we talk, the more confusing it gets to distinguish what’s true and what’s a lie.

"But if you’ve figured it out, it’s easier to talk. With just my order... no, even if I’m killed here, my subordinates will carry out their mission."

The old man patted the right side of his coat, where a gun is bulging.

"If you used the 'twisted barrel' you designed, you can accurately snipe from a distance. By hiding and creating wounded soldiers one by one, you can immobilize us in the mountains."

Unfortunately, this old man knows about the rifled musket. We used to poach with it together. If the enemy is equipped with it, we no longer have the range advantage.

Moreover, he knows my character well, so he knows I will never abandon wounded soldiers.

The situation is worse than I thought.

If one soldier is wounded, it takes three or four to rescue and transport them. One bullet can render four to five soldiers combat ineffective. For an army, wounded soldiers are more significant than dead ones.

Our unit has about two hundred men. If forty are wounded, we will be almost combat ineffective.

If we abandon the wounded, we can fight, but no soldier would want to share the fate of such a cruel commander. My respected Major Altsar is not that kind of person.

The old man speaks calmly, as if advising me.

"Of course, I don’t have enough troops to fight you head-on, but defeating you is no problem. You understand, right?"

Without waiting for my answer, the old man continues.

"But a battle with a predetermined outcome is pointless. Persuade Major Altsar to surrender. You don’t have to surrender. Let those who want to escape go. Of course, I will treat Major Altsar with the courtesy due to a noble. He’s an important hostage."

This is a problem. If we fight, it will probably end as the old man says. It’s a bit frustrating, but I should consider persuading the Major to surrender.

But at that moment, a familiar sensation crept up my neck.

The cold touch of the 'Scythe of Death.'

For some reason, if I accept the surrender, I will definitely die.

I don’t think the old man is lying, so something irregular must happen, leading to my death.

So I can’t surrender.

There is an option to surrender and die for everyone, but I’d rather live a bit longer.

So I smiled.

"That’s not a bad offer, but I refuse."

The old man looks surprised and stares at me.

"Are you serious, Yui? I can order my men to shoot you right now, you know?"

That’s what makes this old man scary. He never hesitates to kill.

But I can’t show weakness, so I say confidently.

"That’s a harsh joke. It would be a disgrace to be seen as a traitor in a winning battle."

"It’s not a winning battle. You’re fleeing in enemy territory. No matter how you look at it..."

I interrupt the old man. Sorry, old man.

"No, it’s a winning battle. The Duke of Bruges has given up on using regular troops and is letting the Schwedel-led mercenaries pursue us. They’re afraid of crossing the Eobenia border. They don’t want to strain relations with Eobenia. One major isn’t worth it."

The old man shakes his head with a sigh.

"That might be true, but that’s the client’s concern. It’s not related to my job. I will fulfill my contract. That’s all."

"Do as you please. Your contract is not my concern."

As if to end the conversation, I say to my former partner.

"Unfortunately, we are enemies this time. Please leave now."

"Hey, you’re not going to shoot me?"

I answer the old man, who smiled.

"You’re not a regular soldier, but you came to talk, not to fight. It’s the duty of an imperial soldier to ensure the safety of a messenger."

"You’re principled."

"I just don’t want to upset the Duke of Bruges. We might become prisoners at any time. Now, leave. It’s going to be cold tonight."

The old man stared at me for a while, then shrugged.

"Can’t be helped. It’s better to leave today. See you, Yui."

"Yeah, see you."

The moment he smiled, the old man lunged at me. He seems to want to capture me as a prisoner.

I anticipated this and, while sitting, kicked the fire with my toes.

Burning twigs and leaves flew through the air, heading for the old man’s face. It’s a trick commonly used by commoners in the lower city during fights. In the past, I used to throw sand or dog feces at opponents.

I punch at his face, but he dodges gracefully.

"Hey, old man, that’s not what we agreed on. You said you didn’t want to fight?"

"The situation has changed. If the apple falls, climbing the tree won’t help."

That’s true. He’s still the same. We cautiously maintain our distance.

The old man is unharmed. He avoided the fire skillfully. It wouldn’t have worked.

But when the fire moves intensely in front of you at dusk, it can distract your eyes. His vision should adapt to the light and dark slowly. Now is the chance to attack.

But this old man is a master of close combat. I don’t have the confidence to escape if I’m caught. Moreover, since he doesn’t intend to kill me, the 'Scythe of Death' is not reliable.

I don’t want to continue this dangerous wrestling match with this old man, so I draw my saber without hesitation.

But I don’t slash. I raise my saber and stand firm, shouting.

"Everyone, get ready!"

"What!?"

The old man instantly jumps back. He knows the terror of muskets better than anyone. If several are fired, the bullets form a curtain, and no matter how you dodge, you will be hit.

The next moment, the old man disappeared into the evening darkness. The sound of a whistle came from deep in the forest, getting farther and farther away.

He’s still as fast as ever. A lively old man.

I couldn’t help but smile in relief.

"Heh heh."

He probably realized immediately that my order to shoot was a bluff. In fact, no soldier responded to my command and aimed their guns.

But the old man realized, even for a moment, that he had been deceived. When he realized he had fallen into the enemy’s trap, he judged it to be too dangerous and retreated.

It’s harder to deal with cautious opponents like him than reckless ones.

"What’s all the noise?"

"Is it an enemy attack? Oh, it’s the staff officer."

By then, female soldiers had emerged from the tents, holding their guns with worried faces.

I command them, still holding my saber.

"Arrest all civilians in the camp. If there are any left, that is."

Of course, there was no one left. They were all enemy soldiers.

If that old man hadn’t come, it would have been dangerous.

The ambush earlier seemed to be somewhat restrained, and I felt like I was being teased. It seems I wasn’t the only one happy to see him again.

Staring at the deepening darkness of the forest, I mutter.

"I’ve fulfilled my duty... I guess."

"What happened, staff officer?"

Hanna, who rushed over, looks worried, so I smile.

"Nothing. More importantly, maintain a state of emergency until further orders. I’ll report to the Major."

"Understood!"

That old man, I think, had some reason for this peculiar greeting.

But I need to consult with Major Altsar.

It’s going to get tough from here.

＊ ＊ ＊

【The Gray Hunting Dogs】

In the bushes far off the mountain path, about fifty men were quietly standing.

All of them were wearing nondescript mantles. Despite their numbers, they gave no sense of human presence.

At that moment, a faint rustling sound came from the bushes.

Instantly, everyone raised their guns.

"Wait, wait, it’s me."

The old man appeared with a relaxed voice.

"Captain!"

"Good to see you’re safe!"

The old man smiled wryly at the soldiers’ welcome and rubbed his sunburned cheek.

"Phew, I made that boy too strong. He’s not easy to handle. I’m in a bind."

"You seem happy?"

"Haha, do I look happy?"

Laughing, the old man patted a subordinate’s shoulder.

"I tried to persuade the other side’s staff officer to surrender before the fighting started, but as expected, he refused."

"Is there any reason not to surrender in this situation?"

"There is. That boy always chooses the right path. He’s protected by Death."

The mercenaries were slightly shaken by the old man’s words.

"By the way, isn’t that staff officer the 'Scythe of Death Crombertz'...?"

"The one who stopped the Ritreyu Duke’s rebellion and crushed the rebel army with just one squadron, the 'Scythe of Death Crombertz'!?"

The old man raised his hand slightly to calm his subordinates.

"Calm down. Even if that boy is a great general, he can’t escape in this situation. Our advantage remains. But... his attitude is concerning. It’s not a bluff."

The old man looked thoughtful.

"There are various possibilities, but the most dangerous one is if they’ve talked to the King of Eobenia. If Eobenia’s army is deployed near the border, we won’t be able to pursue them."

"That’s bad, Captain."

"True, but it’s just one possibility. If we capture them within the empire’s territory, there’s no need to worry. And you can do it. Right?"

"Yes, Captain!"

Everyone stood up straight.

The old man narrowed his eyes and nodded, then said,

"Vaslo’s team will scout ahead. Report immediately if there are any signs of trouble near the border. Wissen and Skuxia’s teams will follow me. Barof’s team will handle the rear and supplies. Don’t lose the provisions."

"Understood!"

The old man smiled at the saluting mercenaries.

"I don’t like shooting women, but if they’re on the battlefield with guns, we must treat them equally. Be polite. In other words, show no mercy."

"Understood!"