Chapter 141 - Rem's Rush
"We need to move the position forward. We can't leave it like this. We need to take control of the underbrush and strike from the rear."
"What are you saying? If we push forward, how are we going to retreat? Do you know how many rear guard troops Aspen has?"
"So, you're saying we should just let that guerilla force run wild?"
"Leaving them alone is lowering our morale even more."
It was a strategic meeting.
The officers and adjutants were gathered around the table, discussing in a loud uproar.
Leader Graham of the 1st Unit was in favor of pushing forward.
Paltor brought up another topic.
The 3rd Unit Leader, Leon, had died at the hands of a fairy assassin during the previous battle, so the 1st Platoon Leader of the 3rd Unit had immediately taken his place.
He seemed to have no words, staying silent.
The rest of the meeting was filled with Marcus's adjutants.
They were exchanging necessary opinions, verifying and cross-checking.
The fairy commander thought it was all pointless.
The problem was clear.
'The enemy has someone who thinks well.'
But we don't have anyone like that.
Marcus, known as the War Maniac, was not as foolish as his nickname suggested.
You could tell just by looking at how he treated Enkrid.
He knew how to elevate his subordinates, manage morale, and seize the moment.
Compared to the previous battalion commander, he was like an archangel.
But Marcus wasn't a strategist.
When the flow of battle needed a reversal, what trick did Marcus play?
An exceptional strategy?
No.
He used overwhelming force or powerful groups of soldiers.
Just look at the previous battle.
In the end, what weapon did Marcus pull out?
He drew two swords.
One was the heavy-armored 1st Unit.
The other was the special forces in charge of border defense.
Marcus was a commander who prioritized force over tactics.
On the other hand, the enemy was...
'Definitely the type to use their brain.'
The fairy commander was old and experienced.
In such cases, poorly thought-out reactions from allies easily led to traps.
If this was a temptation to push further in?
What if the main force advanced deeper into enemy territory and fell into a trap?
Trying to gather information was hard because we were already on enemy ground.
Should we send out scouts deeper?
If we follow the guerilla forces, we'd end up in a cat-and-mouse chase on the mountain ridges.
Ignore and strike the enemy's rear?
That might not be a bad idea.
If we move west, we'll hit the Cross Guard.
If we move northeast, we'll run into the enemy's main force.
We couldn't figure out which way to move.
If we couldn't decide, holding our ground was the best option.
This unit was a threat just by existing, after all.
If we ignore these enemy tactics, it wouldn't be the worst choice.
Thud.
Marcus slammed his fist on the strategy map.
The horse and a couple of pins on the map fell over.
"Let's put it plainly: if we stay like this, we can't advance or retreat. We need to figure out what we can actually do."
He was frustrated.
Ideally, we should have already hit the enemy's main force and started to retreat, but the battle dragged on.
Then the enemy guerilla forces came and started harassing us.
That annoyed him, and now everyone was talking nonsense instead of planning how to take them out.
In the end, the strategic meeting ended in a stalemate.
There were no useful suggestions.
As the fairy commander left the meeting and was heading to her tent, she was stopped by a platoon leader dressed in strange armor with swords on either side of his waist.
He pressed his sword with his left hand and bowed his head.
After a military salute, Platoon Leader Enkrid spoke.
"I would like to suggest a tactical plan and request temporary command."
The fairy, who had been staring at him, thought Enkrid was a fairly good-looking man, and her expression showed curiosity.
To her, Enkrid didn't seem like the type to strategize either.
He was the type to fight straightforwardly.
"If you're here to propose a marriage, the timing is off, platoon Leader."
The fairy casually made a joke in her own way.
Perhaps used to such jokes by now, Enkrid replied without hesitation.
"It's about military strategy."
Could they ignore the suggestion from a mere platoon leader?
No, they couldn't.
Regardless of her personal feelings for him, Enkrid had proven himself in battle time and time again.
"Tell me."
Enkrid kept it as brief as possible, since it wasn't his idea.
"Please grant me temporary command to stir up the enemy forces."
"And then?"
"I request support from a soldier skilled in finding paths."
"Is that all?"
"Also, how about we clear a path to the west for the main force?"
The fairy tilted her head.
Enkrid explained what he had heard: where the unit was positioned, how the movement of the allied forces would affect the enemy, and what effects those movements would have.
It was all about observation and prediction.
"What if it doesn't go as expected?"
"We'll retreat."
At that point, it would be a retreat.
This strategy had been focused on retreating from the beginning.
The fairy commander wasn't an idiot.
The moment she heard it, her mind started racing.
'This could work.'
No, it wasn't just usable—it might be the best option in the current situation.
In truth, it seemed like a small thing, but what happens if it's combined with other factors?
If luck was on their side, this could work.
Plus, if Enkrid took his squad and moved himself...
"Are you going to take the squad leader's role?"
The fairy asked.
"No."
Enkrid shook his head.
He wasn't trying to steal the credit from his squad.
"It's the idea of a soldier named Krais."
Krais didn't want to take unnecessary risks, so he threw out the suggestion.
It wasn't something he expected to work, but he thought the command staff would come up with something.
But somehow, this had become the most necessary suggestion.
"Alright."
The fairy simply said that and walked away.
She was heading toward the tent where the battalion commander, Marcus, was.
After that, the movements of the allies began to change.
They started to abandon their position and prepare to march.
Meanwhile, Enkrid was arming his entire squad and preparing to speak.
It wasn't really a time for a speech before the operation.
"Rem."
"Speak."
"Shall we go after that archer?"
He asked Rem bluntly.
Rem's eyebrows twitched slightly.
It was a look of satisfaction.
"Sounds good."
Rem's smile, while speaking, seemed to carry a hint of bloodlust.
"Just to stretch out a bit. Anyone want to rest?"
Ragna, Audin, Jaxen, Andrew, and Mac all exchanged looks.
If anyone wanted to sit out, they would have let them.
But there was no one.
Then,
"This is Finn, who joined the squad today."
"Nice to meet you."
Finn's addition to the team was also noted.
He had requested support, and they sent a light infantry archer unit that had previously operated as a 2nd squad.
Now, that archer unit had rejoined the main squad.
However, this left Finn in a somewhat awkward position.
Somehow, she ended up in the platoon as a squad leader.
It was a bit awkward.
Even though it was an independent platoon, the number of people was under ten, and there were two squad leaders.
It was a monster-filled formation.
But what could they do?
The madmen platoon was always like this.
Finn had joined because of Enkrid.
Even though she was demoted to a squad leader, she wanted to stay close to him.
She had other reasons too, including a chance to spend some nights together, if possible.
So, there were various motives at play.
There was someone she wanted to meet there as well.
"I'm Finn. Don't expect me to act all high and mighty because I'm a squad leader; let's just get along. Then, you must be Audin, right?"
Finn was as serious as a board.
She said what she had to say and acted how she wanted.
And then, she revealed one of her purposes.
Audin, the one who taught Enkrid the Valaf-style martial arts.
Finn licked her lips once and stared at Audin intently.
Just looking at his body, she was tempted.
'Enkrid is Enki, but...'
This one might be worth it too.
He's got a decent appearance, but does he have what's underneath?
She had already confirmed Enkrid's inner strength during their first meeting, by the river.
She would never forget it.
Especially what lay beneath his abs.
"Hmm."
Finn snapped herself out of her thoughts.
Now wasn't the time for that.
"Yes, Sister. I was given the name Audin."
The two of them shook hands as a greeting.
Rem, Ragna, and Jaxen acted as though they were not interested.
Andrew approached and introduced himself as another squad leader.
Mac only nodded in greeting.
That was the group that gathered.
"Shall we start with the operation overview?"
Enkrid spoke, looking at Krais.
Wasn't it Krais' turn to speak now?
With that look, Krais cleared his throat and spoke up.
"Well, the enemy's guerilla troops are causing trouble, so we'll be doing something similar."
Krais knew that trying to explain it in detail would be futile, so he kept it simple and clear.
The point was this:
The enemy was using the terrain to shake up the army.
But why shouldn't they do that to their side?
Some of the frontier defense units had done something similar, but in Krais' opinion, it didn't leave a strong impression on the enemy.
So, what should they do?
Make it something they'll never forget.
"Well then, shall we go?"
Krais' voice seemed lacking in energy, so Rem laughed and said,
"That's not how you go out. You sweep everything clean!"
Rem spoke to Krais, raising his voice at the end.
Of course, the only one who responded was Enkrid.
"Sounds good."
Everyone else ignored it.
Jaxen started walking as soon as Rem opened his mouth.
"Not going?"
He even asked Finn.
Finn, seeing the antagonism in the unit, wondered why it was like this, but she did what she needed to.
Hadn't she already received a warning?
"This isn't a normal unit. Is that okay?"
Hadn't the fairy company commander already warned them?
Finn nodded.
As long as her goal was Enkrid and Audin, she could just get along with the others as needed.
Thus, Enkrid's unit moved out.
Finn found the path.
Chasing the enemy's tracks would only lead them in circles.
So, she decided to target the main force, not the guerilla units.
This side was easy to find.
"Phew, if there were knights, would there be a ruckus?"
Andrew asked, and the weakest fighter in the unit, Krais, answered.
They were all walking slowly, ignoring the tracks left behind.
"Probably not."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Well, if there were any knights or other units to be redirected, they wouldn't be operating guerilla units. I think the guerilla unit is just a distraction. Why? Because..."
"That's enough."
Andrew had seen that when Krais started on these kinds of topics, the talk would go on forever.
With less than half of it being understandable, what was the point in listening?
Krais was a little dissatisfied with this.
Why did it seem like no one was willing to listen?
But at least the captain listened carefully.
He leaned in and showed a serious attitude.
That was satisfying for Krais.
In reality, Krais himself felt a little uncertain about the words he had spoken.
So, as he walked to Enkrid's side, Krais said,
"Captain, I think the guerilla unit is just a distraction. Why would they do that? It's simple. They want to keep us from moving, to make us stay here. If we go to the rear, they'll set up a trap. That's the idea. So, we should move in a way the enemy doesn't expect."
Krais' strategy continued, and Enkrid listened carefully, then asked,
"Why are you saying that again?"
Hadn't they already heard this?
This was the third time.
"Uh, well, I just wanted to say it. Never mind."
Was he feeling uneasy?
"Does babbling make the unease go away?"
"You wouldn't understand, squad leader."
Krais thought of himself as an ordinary person.
Therefore, someone like Enkrid couldn't possibly understand.
In Krais' view, the squad leader was abnormal.
If you weren't talented, you were supposed to quit.
Dreams?
How could chasing that be normal?
It wasn't even a realistic goal; it was literally a dream.
Yet, he pursued it, repeating the same thing every day.
The endless training, the painful discipline that showed what it really meant.
How could that be considered normal?
Krais stopped talking.
When he looked at the captain, he felt like, no matter what happened, they could get through it.
The unease lessened slightly.
"This way."
Finn was a skilled ranger and pathfinder.
Even though she wasn't familiar with the terrain, she found the tracks easily.
The enemy's guerilla unit had tried to hide their tracks to avoid being followed.
She spotted a few traps.
She had heard that some frontier defense units had clashed with them after a few close encounters.
The madmen squad didn't even bother looking for the guerilla tracks.
They just kept moving forward.
Directly toward the enemy's rear.
As they crossed hills and ridges, they began to see the enemy's rear guard.
"I'll go first. No, if you go before me, I'll hit you in the back, so I'll warn you to stay behind."
Rem growled.
That was fine with them.
No one seemed interested in the front.
Krais observed the enemy's formation.
From the tall grass to this point, the enemy was spread out across the wide terrain.
So, this was the enemy's rear, and the right rear corner.
It should be around there.
They had been walking for more than half a day over the hills.
"Knight-class enemies?"
Enkrid asked, and Jaxen, with his sharp eyes, scanned the surroundings before answering.
"I don't see anyone particularly dangerous."
Then it was time to begin.
Rem swiftly descended the ridgeline, and Enkrid followed right behind him.
As they kicked off downhill, dust rose into the air.
Mac, Andrew, Finn, Audin, and Jaxen remained behind.
Their job was to protect Krais and prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
The ones descending were Rem, Enkrid, and Ragna.
"I'll be watching."
Ragna said, moving in close to Enkrid.
After all, what had he learned from wielding two swords?
It seemed Ragna wanted to see if Enkrid had properly grasped what he had taught.
'A test, huh?'
For Enkrid, it was also an experiment.
Two swords—dual wielding—fighting with a blade in each hand.
How effective would it be?
"What the...?"
A sentry from the enemy camp spotted the three approaching.
They were kicking up dust as they ran down the gentle slope, and there was no real cover nearby.
The land they stood on was fertile plains—the kind that would soon belong to the victor of this war.
Rem casually raised a hand as he walked forward.
It was the kind of gesture one might make toward an old friend they hadn't seen in a while.
"Hey!"
The sheer nonchalance of it made the enemy soldier tilt his head in confusion.
Were they enemies?
Or not?
The distance between them closed.
Just as the sentry opened his mouth to demand they stop—
A hand axe flew from Rem's waist.
His movement was lightning-fast.
The thrown axe carved a clean arc through the air, slicing forward with precision.
Thud.
A new "ornament" appeared on the sentry's skull.
Of course, it was the kind of decoration that marked the end of his life.
His feet left the ground.
His arms flailed helplessly before his body crashed backward.
The other sentry beside him, watching in shock, quickly raised a whistle to his lips.
But Rem was already upon him.
With an explosive surge of strength from his powerful thighs, he lunged.
Enkrid knew Rem's skills.
Even so, he was impressed.
The charge reminded him of a squire he had once seen.
It was the same kind of sprint displayed by someone just shy of earning knighthood.
'Rem...'
So he had been hiding even more of his abilities.
Rem closed the distance, grabbing the sentry's wrist and twisting it.
Crack.
"Guh!"
Then, the axe in Rem's left hand cut horizontally through the air.
Thud.
The sentry's neck was half-severed, and his body collapsed sideways.
Blood gurgled from the wound, soaking the ground beneath him.
"Tch, weak as hell,"
Rem muttered as he stood between the two lifeless bodies.