Chapter 10

A few days later, Noel's squad was on their first mission. However, this mission was not about reconnaissance or espionage. It was simply a messenger role, something anyone could do.

The town of Rockbell had fallen into enemy hands. The road from Rockbell to the state capital, Madras, was called the Canaan Road, and small villages were scattered nearby. Noel's squad's role was to inform these villages that the rebels were approaching and to urge them to be cautious. Their task was only to warn of the danger, not to stay and protect. There was no spare capacity to station troops in multiple villages.

Groll and the Cumbra leadership believed that the rebels would use Rockbell as a base to expand their sphere of influence. Since the rebellion began, they had not stayed in any base, but had moved south, gathering dissidents. The fact that they had stopped suggested that their aim was to prolong the rebellion. Moreover, with the possibility that Bahar was behind it, their intentions were clear. They aimed to drag the situation into a quagmire, undermine Cumbra's authority, and hold Groll, the governor, accountable. By doing so, Amil could secure his position as the next emperor and eliminate future political rivals. It was a two-for-one deal.

Groll, who knew this all too well, gritted his teeth but decided to hold off on sporadic attacks until the troops were fully assembled. If he could challenge the rebels to a decisive battle and defeat them in a short period, he could somewhat restore his tarnished reputation. If he acted rashly and suffered a defeat, it could be fatal.

"Where to next?"

"Leave the next destination to me."

A soldier with a map called out to Noel.

"Hehe, it seems like I'm getting the hang of it."

"Yes, I'm getting used to it. Milt doesn't seem to be, though."

"Shut up."

Milt spat out, clearly in a bad mood. He couldn't bring himself to laugh like the others.

Noel's squad's mission, in name, was to prevent the expansion of the enemy's sphere of influence, but in practice, it was a simple task. They were to tell the villagers, "If you think the enemy is coming and it's dangerous, run away," and "The state of Cumbra cannot send troops, but if you join the rebels, you will be executed."

The villagers' reactions were far from positive, and Noel's squad was subjected to curses and angry shouts. Sometimes, they were even pelted with mud. It was only natural for the villagers to be enraged when told to run away and fend for themselves.

"Still, everyone was really angry. That old man even foamed at the mouth and collapsed."

"Of course. They pay high taxes to the state, but the state doesn't protect them. The state troops are supposed to be there for such times."

Milt sighed. If the state troops had acted, he wouldn't be here. He wondered if the people of Zoim Village were safe. All he could do now was pray.

Noel, unaware of Milt's thoughts, said,

"But the mud fight was fun, right?"

"It was only fun for the captain. The armor was brand new, and now it's all muddy. Really the worst."

Milt spat as he looked at himself. The new armor, which only covered the chest, was now in a miserable state. The mud had seeped into the undergarments, making him feel very uncomfortable.

There was no way to stop them without hurting them, so all he could do was desperately try to stop them. As a result, Noel's squad was covered in mud, except for Noel herself.

Noel, as always, was in her usual state, almost completely clean. She skillfully dodged the mud balls thrown by the villagers and, when the opportunity arose, delivered powerful blows. Of course, she used mud balls, not spears or maces.

After about an hour, the villagers were exhausted and dispersed, and Noel was playing happily with the remaining children. If Cynthia heard about this, she would be furious. What was the commander doing?

"By the way, how can you avoid them so well? It seemed like you weren't hit at all."

"Because I watched carefully. If you do that, it's easy."

"But watching and dodging, it's usually too late, isn't it?"

"Maybe. I can do it. Maybe everyone can if they practice."

Noel looked puzzled. It wasn't difficult for her.

Dodging mud balls was nothing. She could tell exactly who was targeting her from where. Most of the time, she could avoid them without even looking. However, occasionally, a sharp mud ball would come, and then she had to watch carefully.

"…If you think that way, you could avoid arrows or anything, right?"

"Maybe. Hey, maybe I'm amazing?"

"Hehe, amazing. You're the captain of the ten-man squad, after all."

Milt waved his hand, indicating he couldn't deal with it anymore, and walked away, shaking the mud off his body. Noel followed.

Noel, during battles, sometimes had her senses heightened. When that happened, something was coming. So, she watched carefully. She would watch and then avoid or deal with it. That's how she had survived so far. Since it was something she could do naturally, it was very difficult to explain in words.

So, all she could say was to watch carefully.

Three days later, Noel's squad continued the same mission. They visited each village, one by one, while ignoring the now familiar curses. They carried out their mission in a lackadaisical manner. Finally, they headed to the last village in the area they were ordered to cover.

They moved east along the Canaan Road, and the destination village was on the other side of a small hill. From the top of the hill, they could see the road clearly. In the past, this road was always busy, but now, only the occasional local cart passed by. With the rebellion ongoing, it was rare to see merchants.

Looking in the opposite direction, they could see a forest. Beyond the forest were wheat fields, and further still, a small settlement could be seen.

Realizing they were almost at their destination, Milt was about to put away the map and urge the others to hurry.

"---Danger!"

Noel pushed Milt, who was wiping sweat off his face, away with all her strength. Caught off guard, Milt couldn't take a defensive stance and fell face-first to the ground. Fortunately, the ground was soft, and he only hit his nose.

"Ouch!! What the hell was that for!"

"Just get your weapon ready. The enemy is coming."

"Enemy!? Where from!?"

Noel took out her spear, and someone landed from the trees, whistling.

A man with a red cloth tied around his arm, a young man from the same village as Milt—Fresser.

"Heh, reacting to my arrow, that's impressive. I guess I should praise you, Noel."

"F-Fresser!?"

"Hey, Milt. And the others too. I thought you were just some dumb state troops and almost shot you. What are you doing in Cumbra armor? Did you betray us, the Red Ring Army?"

"N-no, there's a reason—"

"Hey, Fresser, did you intend to kill Milt?"

Interrupting Milt's attempt to explain, Noel asked.

Milt also noticed the arrow stuck in the ground. The sharp arrow would have definitely passed through the spot where Milt was standing. If Noel hadn't protected him, he would have surely died. It was clear that Fresser had intended to kill.

"Of course, you kill the enemy. Especially traitors."

Fresser said calmly, holding a bow from his hunting days, with a new arrow ready. About thirty armed men appeared behind him, all with red cloths tied around their arms. Among them was the familiar Craft.

"Indeed, you have to kill the enemy."

Noel placed her hand on her hip, and the soldiers silently drew their swords.

"---Hey, hold it, all of you! Fresser, hold it too! We didn't betray anyone. Listen, the rebellion is the work of Bahar's people!"

"Heh, is that so?"

"That's why the leaders of the Red Ring Army don't care about the people. They started the rebellion for their own benefit!"

"Sure, sure. It's good that you speak up, but what does it matter?"

Fresser smiled unpleasantly and twisted his neck. Craft had the same expression. It was hard to believe they were the same people who used to be timid. Craft carried a large sword on his shoulder, casting a menacing gaze.

"What does it matter? This rebellion has no meaning! If you don't leave soon, you'll be executed if you're caught!"

"Hehe, you don't get it, Milt. You really don't get it. You should have joined us. Then you would have understood the fun."

Fresser's words were echoed by Craft, who nodded repeatedly.

"Fun?"

"Yeah, the fun of taking. Taking what's important to someone. Trampling the weak and showing off your power. It's really fun. You can truly feel alive from the bottom of your heart."

"...What are you talking about?"

"Hey, Milt. How many people do you think I killed in Rockbell? ---Thirty. I shot them with arrows and stabbed them with swords. They were smarter and richer than me, but I killed them."

"...F-Fresser?"

"Did you know? When you cut someone's head off with a sword, blood spurts out with incredible force. Then you take their women and property. Hehe, once you start, you can't stop."

Fresser glared at Noel like a hungry wolf, drool dripping from his mouth, his desire surging.

"Stop talking nonsense and leave the rebellion! Right now, troops from all over Cumbra are gathering in Madras. There's no chance of winning!"

"Then we'll enjoy ourselves until the end. I can't go back to that miserable life. I worked hard to hunt, and the dumbasses took my prey. Living on scraps and worrying about every little thing is no life. It's better to be dead."

"That's why, I'm sorry, Milt and everyone. But I feel the same way. That place is truly boring. I'd rather not go back to that garbage life."

Craft continued with a grin, his former humble demeanor completely gone.

Our words don't get through at all. Milt could only be speechless at the transformed appearance of the two.

"By the way, did you guys kill Captain Ned, who was leading the separate squad? Geb was lamenting."

"Yeah, that's right. I killed him."

Noel nodded honestly.

"Being killed by a woman, Captain Ned must have been pretty pathetic. Did you ambush him?"

"No, we fought fairly. Face to face."

"---Well, it doesn't really matter. Geb was just really concerned."

"..."

"By the way, Noel. I'll ask you one more time, are you going to join me? If you do, I can make you have all sorts of fun."

"It's the same answer as before. I'll pass. I don't think it would be fun with Fresser. Besides, I have a lot of friends now."

Noel said with a blank expression but a complete rejection. Fresser