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Tap. Taptap.

The path was rugged with many slopes and uneven ground.

This was not a simple mountain trail; thinking of it that way would be a big mistake.

The border guard leading the way looked back at the Caion Unit members and said,

“The ground is very rough and uneven. We’ll go slowly, so please be careful as you follow.”

“Understood. Everyone, be careful,” Vincent instructed, and everyone nodded.

Since they entered the operational area, they had agreed not to respond to orders verbally.

Tap. Rustle!

They grabbed branches of trees along the way to slow their descent.

The dense underbrush could cause scratches if one wasn’t careful.

However…

Tap tap!

The border guard leading the way glanced back at Damian, who was following closely behind.

‘…What’s up with this guy?’

The northern border’s mountainous terrain was notoriously challenging, even within the Baroque Kingdom.

The uneven rocks embedded in the ground, the sudden drop-offs, and steep slopes.

Every new recruit to the border defense struggled significantly, with all ten out of ten having a hard time.

It usually took about 1-2 years of daily navigation to adapt to the terrain.

‘But… he’s adapted this quickly?’

The guard’s eyes flickered with disbelief.

At that moment, Damian, who was trailing behind, asked the guard.

“Are you saying that the enemy managed to escape the border defense’s pursuit in this kind of terrain?”

The border guard nodded with a stiff expression.

“…Embarrassingly, yes.”

Damian’s face hardened with seriousness.

Vincent, beside him, asked.

“Why are you asking that?”

“…Because I need to confirm something. If they can outrun seasoned defenders in this rugged mountain terrain, it means… they’re highly elite soldiers.”

Of course, they could be specialized in reconnaissance.

Usually, scouts were selected based on their speed.

But if that was just a part of their overall skills.

‘If they’re all seasoned elite fighters…’

Damian’s expression stiffened.

An unsettling feeling was growing inside him.

It felt like the worst-case scenario he was anticipating might actually happen.

But at that moment.

“Hold up.”

Damian raised his fist and whispered.

The unit members flinched and stopped as Damian slowly examined a broken branch on the ground.

“…”

He carefully observed the surrounding area, then turned to Vincent and said,

“There are traces of them having passed through here.”

This was the first evidence they had found since descending for reconnaissance.

If they started tracking from here.

“We should be able to find where they are.”

Damian began to slowly move forward, carefully searching other areas.

“…This way.”

Damian calmly followed the trail left by the enemy.

In some areas, the tracks had been deliberately erased, but those efforts only served as more clues for him.

Kyle, trailing behind, whispered to Dianal.

“What is he, some kind of hunter? Where did he learn all this?”

“I don’t know.”

The more they got to know him, the more mysterious Damian seemed.

Damian tracked the enemy’s traces like an experienced hunter.

And then.

“…Well, look at these guys.”

They said the enemy had been here for six months, right?

‘Well, after that much time, complacency is bound to set in.’

This was proof of that.

Closer to the base, the enemy had been meticulous in covering their tracks.

‘But this is just too sloppy.’

The deeper they went, the more obvious the traces became.

They had stopped bothering to hide their presence.

“From this point onward, we need to move carefully without being detected. Finding them is important, but it’s even more crucial that they don’t realize we’re approaching.”

All the other unit members nodded at Damian’s words.

Even the border guard, who had initially served as the guide, now followed Damian’s lead.

Vincent addressed the unit.

“Combat could break out at any time. Stay on high alert.”

Nod.

Everyone nodded.

“Then, let’s move.”

Damian began to slowly make his way down the mountain trail.

Rustle! Thud! Rustle!

As they descended, the sound of sand scraping underfoot echoed, and the trees they grabbed for balance wobbled slightly.

The unit members moved cautiously, paying close attention to even the smallest reactions.

Time passed as they continued their tense and careful descent.

Sweat soaked their clothes, weighed down by fatigue and nerves.

And then.

“…!”

They heard voices in the distance.

Damian quickly crouched and clenched his fist.

The unit members behind him immediately lowered their stances.

But just then.

Slip!

One of the soldiers stumbled.

“Ugh!”

He let out a cry of pain as his ankle twisted. But before his voice could escape.

Thump!

A black object swiftly covered his face.

* * *

“Damn it…”

The man crouching hidden in the brush swallowed the jerky he had been chewing on.

It had been four months since he arrived here.

In that time, over three hundred troops had gathered below the northern border defense of the Baroque Kingdom.

The enemy still didn’t seem to have a clear grasp of their numbers, thanks to the meticulous and staggered movements.

“Is the order to commence the operation still not here?”

“They say the next group coming will have the orders. Let’s just wait a bit longer.”

A senior-looking bearded man let out a heavy sigh.

“Hoo… I just want to get this over with and go back. I miss soaking in warm water.”

It was a dewy morning.

The cold air seeped into their bones.

Even the sleeping bags and camping gear they had brought were beginning to stink.

Another soldier nodded vehemently in agreement with the bearded man’s words.

“Me too, me too. And when we get out, I hope we can have a hot stew full of meat.”

“We’ve been eating jerky and fruit for months now… Damn, I feel like even my poop is getting healthier.”

They were barely managing thanks to the food they had brought and what they could scavenge from the forest.

The bearded man spoke.

“It won’t be long now, so hang in there a little longer. If this operation is successful, we’ll be generously rewarded.”

“If they give us a pittance, I’ll make a proper protest.”

The vanguard had spent nearly six months in this forest.

If the rewards were insufficient, they were ready to raise hell.

But then.

“…?”

One of the men in the group turned his attention somewhere else.

His brow furrowed slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Did you hear something just now?”

“A sound?”

“I think I heard something from over there.”

The man stood up and walked towards the brush.

He pushed aside some foliage and glanced around.

“…Was it just my imagination?”

“Maybe it’s just a wild animal?”

At his comrade’s suggestion, he grumbled.

“Damn wild animals. We can’t even make a fire, so catching them is useless.”

They couldn’t eat raw meat from the wild animals, after all.

The man, who had been looking around the area, finally muttered,

“…Guess it was just my imagination.”

He shrugged and returned to where his comrades were.

* * *

“…”

One of the soldiers, trembling and with his mouth covered, was Jaycol, one of the squad leaders.

Sweat dripped from his forehead as he blinked in shock.

“I think it’s just a slight sprain.”

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be a severe injury.

Damian, who was examining Jaycol’s ankle, asked him.

“Try standing up and pressing your foot down firmly.”

Nod.

Jaycol stood and stomped his foot a few times.

There was some slight pain, but.

“Can you walk?”

“Yes, it’s no problem. I was just momentarily surprised.”

He had tripped over a rock and slightly twisted his ankle.

He had almost let out a scream.

“…You saved me.”

“Haha, don’t mention it.”

Jaycol spoke to Kyle, who was beside him.

Kyle had quickly clamped his massive hand over Jaycol’s mouth the moment he nearly screamed.

Jaycol had almost caused serious trouble for his comrades.

After confirming Jaycol’s condition, Damian looked back at the distant enemies.

They were now visible to the naked eye.

Luckily, the enemies hadn’t noticed them yet.

Damian turned to look at his unit.

Nod.

Nod.

A simple nod conveyed all they needed.

As Damian began to slowly move forward, Vincent and the rest of the unit followed him.

As they closed the distance to about twenty meters.

Swoosh.

They all crouched down and held their breaths.

From this point on, the rustling of the brush and the sound of sand scraping against the ground could alert the enemy.

Even breathing loudly was not allowed.

Tap.

Vincent moved closer to Damian.

“There are more of them than expected…”

“But this looks like only a part of them.”

About ten of the enemies were visible ahead.

There were likely other groups elsewhere.

‘If only we could assess their skill level…’

Damian asked Vincent.

“What should we do?”

“…”

Vincent remained silent.

It was not a situation where they could make a hasty decision.

The mere fact that they had confirmed the enemy’s ambush was already an accomplishment. However…

‘…How many are there?’

If they couldn’t determine the size of the enemy forces, the reconnaissance would only be half complete.

Damian spoke.

“If we could strike and capture one of them… we might be able to extract information.”

That would be the best-case scenario.

They could obtain the vital information they needed.

“…Wait a moment.”

Damian bit his lip at Vincent’s words.

The decision Vincent faced carried significant risks.

Damian had expected Vincent to retreat.

‘Soldiers accustomed to peace wouldn’t engage in something like this…’

It was unfortunate, but it wasn’t Vincent’s fault.

Even in small skirmishes like this, hesitating when your life was on the line was only natural.

But then.

“…You. And Damian.”

Vincent called Damian and the border guard who had served as their guide.

As the two approached.

“Circle around and scout the area to see if there are any other enemies nearby.”

The guard looked puzzled but nodded.

Damian and the guard moved in different directions, checking for any other enemy groups nearby.

And then…

“There were none on my side.”

“No other groups were spotted on this side either.”

After hearing the reports from the border guard and Damian, Vincent bit his lip.

The enemy numbers were slightly higher here.

‘But they’re not armed.’

Moreover, the enemy appeared complacent.

If they could capture these enemies as prisoners, it would be an incredibly advantageous situation.

Clench.

Vincent clenched his fist.

Damian’s lips curled into a smile.

Vincent was much stronger and more daring than Damian had initially thought.

Vincent then addressed the unit members.

“We will ambush them and secure prisoners.”

The soldiers’ eyes wavered at his words.

Combat.

It was an unexpected situation.

“Yes, sir.”

Only Damian responded confidently, his eyes gleaming.