Chapter 141 - Rem's Charge

"We must pull the encampment forward."

"We cannot leave things like this."

"We seize the brushland and strike their rear."

"What are you talking about?"

"If we advance like that, what about turning back?"

"How can we know how many rear guards Aspen has?"

"Then are you saying we should let that guerrilla unit run wild?"

"Morale is dropping again because we are leaving them alone."

It was a strategy meeting.

With a desk in the middle, each Company Commander and a group of adjutants had gathered and were talking.

The 1st Company Commander, Graham, was on the side of striking ahead.

Palto brought up something else.

The 3rd Company Commander, Rayon, had been killed by a Fairy assassin during the previous battle, leaving the position vacant, so the 1st Platoon Commander of 3rd Company had immediately filled that empty seat.

As if he had nothing to say, he kept his mouth shut.

The rest was filled in by Marcus's adjutants.

They brought up necessary opinions, confirmed them, and cross-checked them.

Watching that, the Fairy Company Commander thought it was all useless.

The problem was clear.

'The other side has someone who knows how to use his head.'

And this side did not.

Battalion Commander Marcus's nickname was Warmonger.

Contrary to his nickname, he was not stupid.

One could tell just by looking at how he treated Encrid.

He knew how to raise up his subordinates.

He knew how to control morale.

And he knew how to ride the mood.

Compared to the previous Battalion Commander, this one was an archangel.

However, Marcus was not a commander who used his head either.

When riding the flow and reversing the mood, what sort of skill did Marcus use?

Outstanding strategy?

No.

He either stepped forward himself or used a powerful armed group.

One could tell just by looking at the previous battle.

In the end, what blade had Marcus drawn?

He had drawn two blades.

One was the 1st Company, the heavy armored unit.

The other was the directly commanded unit, the Border Guard.

In other words, Marcus was a commander who placed military force first and used tactics around that.

On the other hand, the enemy was...

'No matter how I look at it, they are the type to use their heads.'

The Fairy Company Commander had lived a long time, and her experience was just as deep.

Usually, in cases like this, a clumsy reaction from allies was more likely to fall into a trap.

What if this was a temptation to advance farther?

What if the main force advanced deeper, only to find an enemy trap waiting?

Even if they tried to gather information, this was the enemy's front yard.

Should they send the Recon Party deep in?

Judging by the movements of the enemy guerrilla unit, it would become a chase along the ridgelines, hunter and hunted.

Ignore them and strike the enemy rear?

That did not seem too bad either.

If they moved west, there was Cross Guard.

If they moved northeast, there was the enemy main force.

The allies could not decide which direction to move.

If they could not get their bearings, holding out was the best option.

In truth, this unit was threatening the entire enemy main force just by existing.

As for these tricks the enemy was playing, they could simply ignore them.

THUD.

Marcus slammed his fist down on the desk where the strategy map was spread out.

A few pieces and pins placed on the map toppled over.

"To put it short and plainly, are you not saying we can neither go in nor get out like this?"

"You should be telling me what we can do."

He, too, could only feel frustrated.

Originally, this should have been a battle where the main force had already struck the enemy main force and turned back.

In the middle of that, the enemy guerrilla unit came and kept poking at them.

Since that was bothering him badly, he had suggested making a plan to catch them, yet everyone had only nonsense to offer.

In the end, the strategy meeting ended without making progress.

There were no useful opinions.

After ending the meeting that way, the Fairy Company Commander was just about to reach her own barracks.

STEP.

A Platoon Commander with a bizarre armament, swords worn at both sides of his waist, blocked her path.

Pressing down on his sword with his left hand, he lowered his head.

After the military salute, Platoon Commander Encrid opened his mouth.

"I request temporary operational authority, along with permission to present a tactical opinion."

The Fairy stared at Encrid and expressed with her face both the thought that this human had quite a handsome face and the question of what opinion he meant.

In her view, Encrid was not particularly the type to use his head and employ strategy either.

This one, too, was the sort to fight stubbornly.

"If you came to propose an engagement, your timing is poor, Platoon Commander."

The Fairy calmly offered a joke in her own way.

Perhaps he had grown used to such jokes by now, because Encrid answered calmly.

"This is a matter regarding military strategy."

Could she ignore it as the opinion of a mere Platoon Commander?

No, she could not.

Aside from the goodwill she had for this man, Encrid was proving himself on every battlefield.

"Speak."

Since it was not his own idea, Encrid spoke as concisely as possible.

"Please grant me temporary command authority to stir up the enemy camp."

"And?"

"I request support from one soldier skilled at finding paths."

"Is that all?"

"In addition, how about the main force now opens a path westward?"

The Fairy's head tilted to the side.

Encrid explained it as he had heard it.

Where this unit was currently positioned.

What effect the allies' movements would have on the enemy.

What effect that influence would bring about.

It was observation and prediction.

"What if it differs from the prediction?"

"Then we turn back."

In that case, they would turn back.

No, this was a strategy focused on turning back from the very beginning.

The Fairy Company Commander was no fool either.

The moment she heard it, her mind began to turn rapidly.

'It's usable.'

No, it was not merely usable.

It seemed like it might be the best option in the current situation.

In reality, each of them was nothing on its own, but what would happen if they overlapped?

If luck followed them even a little.

And if Encrid personally moved with his platoon members on top of that.

"This came from the Platoon Commander?"

The Fairy asked.

"No."

Encrid shook his head.

He had no intention of stealing the achievement of an allied platoon member.

"It is the idea of a member named Krais."

Krais, for his part, had offered the opinion because he did not want to invite danger like this.

It was with a loose feeling that it would be good if it worked, and even if it did not, perhaps command would have some idea.

However, somehow, it had become the opinion they needed most right now.

"Good."

Leaving only that word, the Fairy Company Commander turned around with a swish.

Her steps were headed toward the Battalion Commander's barracks, where the strategy meeting had just been held.

After that, the allies' movements changed.

They began emptying the encampment and preparing to march.

In the meantime, Encrid armed all of his platoon members and was opening his mouth.

It was not as if they were the sort who needed a speech just because they were going on an operation.

"Rem."

"Say it."

"Shall we go catch that archer?"

He asked only Rem, plain and simple.

Rem's eyebrow twitched.

That was an eyebrow of satisfaction.

"Sounds good."

The smile Rem made as he spoke seemed to smell of blood.

"We are just going to loosen up a little, so anyone who wants to rest?"

He met eyes once each with Ragna, Audin, Jaxon, Andrew, and Mac.

He did intend to let them stay if anyone wanted to be left out.

But there was not a single person like that.

And here...

"This is Pin, who is joining the platoon starting today."

"Good to meet you."

There was also Pin's addition.

When he had asked for support, they had sent him a Ranger who had operated the light armored archers.

Now that those archers had returned to 2nd Company as they originally belonged, Pin's position had become vague along with it.

And so, somehow, she had entered the platoon with the rank of Squad Leader.

Something about that made it very awkward.

Even if it was called an Independent Platoon, there were fewer than ten people, and yet there were two Squad Leaders here.

It was a chain of command that could make a monster's heart burst, but...

What could they do?

The lunatic platoon was originally this kind of place.

Pin, too, had transferred because of Encrid.

He was a human she wanted to watch from beside him even if it meant lowering her rank to Squad Leader.

She also had the purpose of wanting to spend a night with him if she got the chance.

In other words, she had various purposes.

On top of that, there was also someone she wanted to meet.

"I am Pin."

"I have no intention of throwing my weight around just because I am a Squad Leader, so let us get along loosely."

"Then you must be Audin?"

Pin was blunt.

She said what she had to say and acted as she pleased.

Then she revealed one of her purposes.

Audin, the one who had passed the Balaf Style Combat Technique on to Encrid.

After licking her lips once, Pin stared fixedly at Audin.

Just looking at that body made her want him.

'Enki is Enki, but...'

This one seemed good too.

Was only his frame fine, while the substance inside was a mess?

As for Encrid's substance, she had confirmed it at their first meeting.

That meeting by the stream.

She would never forget it.

Especially what lay below those abs.

"Hm."

Pin cut off her thoughts.

Now was not the time for this.

"Yes, Sister."

"The Lord gave me the name Audin."

The two clasped hands and exchanged greetings.

Rem, Ragna, and Jaxon pretended not to see it.

Andrew came over and said they were fellow Squad Leaders.

Mac only greeted her with his eyes.

That was the group that had gathered.

"Then, I think we should start with the operation outline."

As Encrid spoke, he looked at Krais.

Isn't it your turn from here on?

Since that was the look in his eyes, Krais stepped forward with a dry cough.

"Ahem, since the enemy guerrilla unit is fucking around, we are going to do something similar."

Krais knew that if he tried to explain it in a difficult way, no one would understand.

So he conveyed what he had to say as simply and clearly as possible.

The point was this.

The enemy was using the terrain to shake the allies.

Then why could the allies not do the same?

Some of the Border Guard had already done something similar.

But in Krais's view, it seemed that had not left a strong impression on the enemy.

Then what should they do?

They should make sure the enemy could never forget it.

"Then shall we go?"

Perhaps Krais's voice sounded too weak, because Rem gave a snort of laughter and spoke.

"That is not how you set out for battle."

"We are wiping them all out!"

Rem said that to Krais, then raised his voice at the end.

Of course, only Encrid gave him a reaction.

"Sounds good."

Everyone else ignored him.

Jaxon had started walking the moment Rem opened his mouth.

"Are we not going?"

He even asked Pin as he did so.

Pin did wonder what was wrong with this unit as she watched them radiating hostility toward one another, but she did what she had to do.

Had she not already heard the warning in advance?

["This is not a normal unit."]

["Are you all right with that?"]

Had the Fairy Company Commander not already warned her?

Pin had nodded.

Since her objectives were Encrid and Audin.

She only had to get along moderately with the other members.

And so Encrid's unit moved out.

Pin found the path.

If they searched for and followed the enemy's traces, they would go in circles.

So they set a target.

Not the guerrilla unit, but the other side, meaning the enemy main force.

For them, finding that was no task at all.

"Whew, will this not turn into a mess if there is even a knight?"

Andrew spoke, and Krais, who had the worst combat ability in this unit, answered him.

Everyone was trudging along, ignoring whether traces were being left around them.

"There probably is not."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"If there is, well, we can just test the waters a little and run."

"And, hmm, if they had the leeway to send knights or other units around the rear, they would not have operated something like a guerrilla unit in the first place."

"In my view, that guerrilla unit is for drawing attention."

"Why, that is..."

"That is enough."

Andrew had seen that when Krais got into topics like this, he became long-winded.

If he was not going to understand even half of what was said...

What was the point of listening?

Krais was a little dissatisfied with that.

Somehow, no one seemed to have any intention of listening.

Still, the Platoon Commander, at least, listened quite carefully.

He lent an ear and showed a sincere attitude.

That was satisfying.

In truth, Krais was also a little uneasy about the words he had spoken.

Krais, who had trotted over to the Platoon Commander's side, spoke.

"Captain, I think that guerrilla unit is for drawing attention."

"Then why would they draw attention?"

"It is simple."

"Do not move from here."

"Stay still."

"Do not go anywhere else."

"If you come into the rear, we have prepared a trap."

"Something like that."

"Then we move in a different way."

"In a direction the enemy cannot predict."

Afterward, Krais's strategy continued further.

Encrid listened carefully and then asked.

"Why are you saying that again?"

He had already heard it.

This was the third time.

"Uh, hmm, because I wanted to say it."

"For no reason, hmm, never mind."

Was he anxious?

"Does talking make the anxiety disappear?"

"Well, Platoon Commander, you would not understand."

Krais considered himself an ordinary person.

So he would not be able to understand a human like Encrid.

In his view, the Platoon Commander was abnormal.

If you had no talent, it was normal to give up.

Dreams?

How was chasing that kind of thing normal?

It was not even an achievable goal, but literally a dream.

And yet he chased that, repeating the same thing every day.

He trained again and again.

Every day, he showed them before their eyes what grueling training that carved the bone meant.

How was this normal?

Krais stopped speaking.

When he looked at the Platoon Commander, it truly felt as if no matter what happened, they would somehow be able to get through it.

His anxiety eased a little.

"This way."

Pin was a skilled Ranger and a Pathfinder.

Even though she was not familiar with this terrain, she found traces well.

The enemy guerrilla unit had laid all sorts of tricks to avoid allied pursuit.

A few traps were visible too.

He had heard that some of the Border Guard had chased them with eyes blazing and clashed with them several times.

The lunatic platoon did not deliberately search for traces of the guerrilla unit at all.

They went straight ahead.

Straight toward the enemy rear.

After passing through brush and ridgelines that way, the enemy rear guard unit began to come into view.

"I will go first."

"No, if anyone goes before me, I will split the back of their head, so consider this a warning to fuck off on your own."

Rem growled.

They told him to do that.

No one seemed interested in the vanguard anyway.

Krais examined the enemy formation.

From the Tall Grass Fields to here, the enemy forces were positioned across widely spread terrain.

Then this side would be the enemy rear, and the rear right side at that, right?

It was probably around there.

After all, they had crossed over ridgelines for more than half a day.

"Any knight-class?"

Encrid asked.

Jaxon, whose eyes were sharp, looked around and answered.

"I do not see anyone particularly dangerous."

Then it was time to begin.

Rem started down the ridge with light steps, and Encrid followed behind him.

As they kicked off down the slope, dust and the like rose.

Mac, Andrew, Pin, Audin, and Jaxon remained behind.

It was to protect Krais, and to prepare in case anything happened.

Only Rem, Encrid, and Ragna descended.

"I will watch."

Ragna said as he stuck close to Encrid's side.

What had he felt while keeping two swords against his body all this time?

In other words, Ragna was saying he would check what he had taught him.

'Is this a test?'

For Encrid, it was also an experiment.

Two swords.

Dual Wielding.

The method of fighting with one in each hand.

How effective would it truly be?

"What is that?"

An enemy sentry said after discovering the three approaching.

They were coming down a moderately gentle slope, kicking off with their feet, so dust rose, and there was no particular terrain around where they could hide.

They had set foot on fertile plains, land that would soon belong to the victor of the battlefield.

Rem approached while waving his hand.

It looked like the gesture and steps one would make toward an old friend met after a long time.

"Hey!"

At that nonchalance, the enemy soldier tilted his head.

Was that an enemy?

Or not?

The distance narrowed.

And around the time the enemy sentry said that was far enough and told them to stop...

The hand axe at Rem's waist flew.

His hand flashed like a ray of light.

The throwing axe drew a circle in the air and flew straight, making a long trajectory.

THWACK.

After that, a new decoration appeared on the enemy sentry's head.

Of course, it was a decoration that ended his life.

The feet of the enemy soldier with the hand axe lodged in his head rose into the air.

He flailed both arms, then fell backward with a thud.

Another sentry watching that from beside him hurriedly put a whistle in his mouth.

However, Rem, who had already closed the distance, was faster.

A charge that explosively used his elastic thigh muscles.

Encrid knew Rem's skill.

Even knowing it, he was surprised.

Because it was like the charge that knight had shown back then.

Because it was a charge similar to what that man, just short of becoming a proto knight, had shown.

'Rem.'

It meant he still had skill he had been hiding.

Rem, having closed the distance, grabbed the sentry's wrist and twisted it.

CRACK.

URK.

After that, the axe in Rem's left hand sliced horizontally through the air.

THWACK.

The enemy soldier, whose neck was half cut through, collapsed to the side.

Blood gurgled from the fallen man's neck and soaked the ground.

"Man, they are weak as shit."

Rem muttered between the two dead soldiers.