“The place is small, so it seems difficult to give everyone their own room. This is the largest mansion we have, so I would appreciate it if you could utilize this space.”
“Understood.”
“And um… could you please drop the honorifics? I don’t mind, but my subordinates might feel confused about the chain of command.”
“……”
Looking back, I noticed Pelaine fidgeting restlessly.
Her fluffy cat ears were twitching.
Even covered in dirt and sweat, her beauty still shone through.
It’s not easy to look pretty in armor without any makeup.
This was a glimpse of the author’s peculiar taste.
“Schlus Hainkel?”
“Ah. I will do that.”
Snapping back to my senses, I replied.
It wasn’t something I could be stubborn about.
The stability of command directly leads to boosted morale, and morale is directly linked to the outcome of battle.
“Wait, do we have to sleep on the floor?”
“Ugh. I don’t want to sleep in the same space as a man.”
“What? You think I want to stay with you?”
Erica and Aintz were already bickering as they unpacked.
This didn’t seem like a good place for a conversation, so I shook my head and left the mansion.
Pelaine promptly put her helmet back on and followed me.
“Have you not announced it to everyone yet?”
“Yes?”
“The inside of the helmet, I mean.”
“No, not at all…”
“Are you hiding the fact that I’m a woman?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
I understood to some extent.
The members of the Holy Knights who knew Pelaine’s skills would trust and follow her, but others would likely disregard a woman and subhuman like her.
If things went south, they might even try to expel her by saying she’s a spy sent by Lorraine.
Still, none of our group seemed to show any strong reactions.
While some nobles might shun subhumans, those with such low character were rare, so everyone was just surprised and moved on.
“What is the composition of the forces stationed here?”
“Twelve members of the Holy Knights. About twenty knights from unclear affiliations scattered around. And around sixty infantry.”
So under a hundred troops, huh?
There were no other forts in sight in this area.
This was a big deal.
It seemed the suppression forces had been broken more thoroughly than in the original story.
This was almost irrecoverable.
“What about the Commander in Chief?”
“Are you referring to the Imperial Knight Commander? Currently missing.”
“So you’re practically in charge here, then.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then I appoint you as the Commander in Chief of the suppression forces.”
“Huh? What? Huh?”
I lightly tapped him on the shoulder and showed him the document I received from the Emperor.
A direct knight appointment.
I had the authority to replace the Commander in Chief in case of emergency, meaning if the suppression forces completely collapsed.
“No, so suddenly…”
“Is that a no? Then I’ll just have to hand it over to that passing archer.”
“Ah, no. I will take it.”
“Then can you briefly explain exactly what happened?”
“Yes. About 44 hours ago… around 12:30 AM two days ago. The entire army deployed to conduct a night raid on the enemy formation that wasn’t fully completed. We succeeded in disrupting their lines, but we allowed their cavalry to escape while pursuing them…”
“You got trapped in a muddy area and were encircled.”
“Yes… how did you know?”
“……”
Of course, it was recognizable.
It was a tactic used by Duke Lorraine when he led the Imperial Army to invade the south long ago.
The subhumans in the south boasted abundant cavalry strength, but they were completely obliterated by Lorraine’s deceptive tactics.
The same thing was happening again decades later, this time with Lorraine and the subhumans against the Imperial Army.
“Meanwhile, at the 4th Castle, for some unknown reason, a mass escape of prisoners allowed them to swiftly take the 4th Castle.”
“……”
It wasn’t even that they were captured in a siege; they were taken from within.
It was a report that was truly hard to believe.
Pelaine, probably feeling embarrassed, lowered her head deeply.
“Do you know where the remaining suppression forces are?”
“Most are likely prisoners detained in the 4th Castle. The Mage Mercenaries are similarly held captive there.”
“You have no idea where the Imperial Knight Commander is?”
“I saw him fleeing towards the Great Forest, but I couldn’t confirm anything afterward.”
“When was that?”
“43 hours ago.”
That was cutting it close.
I thought he might already be dead.
But after all, he was the Imperial Knight Commander, a monster reputed for his strength.
He wouldn’t just die from being isolated in a dark forest for a mere 43 hours.
Of course, if that time stretched on, he too might perish, so we had to hurry.
“We’ll rescue the Imperial Knight Commander first. Is everyone in the Holy Knights ready to deploy?”
“Ah, yes. It’s possible, but…”
“Will the other knights follow your orders?”
“Probably not.”
That’s why I was going to rescue the Imperial Knight Commander.
No one would want to follow the orders of a novice leading a private knight group, even if I had the highest rank here.
Even with the addition of twenty skilled knights, it would be useless.
To make use of them, I needed to find someone with enough authority whom they would respect.
Of course, whether someone of that authority would come under Pelaine’s command was a different story…
I would absolutely make it happen.
If I couldn’t, there would be no future.
“Taylor. Deploy.”
“Yes.”
The deputy commander in black armor began relaying the orders.
In the meantime, I returned to the mansion where our group was.
“Trie, Iris. We’re going to rescue the isolated allies. I need you to come with me.”
“W-what about us?”
“You stay here.”
Aintz and Erica’s eyes were still flickering.
They looked a bit calmer now, but just moments ago, they were trembling and couldn’t do anything.
Bringing them along now would only weigh me down.
They first needed to get accustomed to the battlefield.
Considering her physical capabilities, Iris would basically be a burden too…
But in a pinch, Iris would be able to handle the tasks of hundreds of potions, so bringing her along seemed right.
“I-I can be of help too…”
“Look at your hands, then we’ll talk.”
“Ah…”
Erica glanced down at her hands and sighed.
They were shaking like she had a case of tremors.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t frustrated, but I could understand well enough.
Anyone would react like that seeing blood splattered everywhere for the first time.
I nearly thought I was going to die from my racing heart after smashing Iskandal’s head.
After that, I had a few opportunities to kill, so I became somewhat desensitized to murder.
Not as completely unfazed as Trie appeared, but still.
“Stay put.”
“……”
I pulled down the tent of the mansion and climbed up to the lookout post.
The scenery in front of the fort was spread out before me.
Indeed, it was just a plain with no mountains.
At least three enemy encampments surrounding the fort.
The total troop strength seemed to be around 500, but since they were sparsely placed, it didn’t look like it would be impossible to escape on horseback.
The problem would be on the return.
By then, reinforcements would likely arrive and block the entrance altogether.
“Is there a side door or something?”
“Yes. There’s a side door at the back, but if you use the darkness, you should be able to escape without being detected.”
“Get the Holy Knights ready to deploy.”
“Understood.”
We needed to quickly slip out with a small elite force and extract the Imperial Knight Commander before the enemy noticed.
The time limit was before dawn.
Even if we managed to rescue him, if we couldn’t return, it would all be for nothing.
“Deploy. I will ride with Pelaine.”
“Yes. But do you perhaps not know how to ride a horse?”
“That’s correct…”
As I got closer to Pelaine, she casually made a biting remark.
It’s because I’m a temporary knight…
I thought I would have to learn to ride soon enough.
Trie seemed to handle horses with ease on her own.
I cleared my throat and took a step forward.
We slipped out one by one through a door just big enough for a person to pass through.
While the loud opening of the large front door would give away our position even in the dark, a side door was perfect for sneaking out in the dead of night.
Observing the enemy camp, it seemed the guards had not caught on yet.
We quietly slipped through at the widest gaps between the enemy formations.
When I crouched low, the tall reeds covered us.
After judging that we had strayed far enough from the enemy’s sight, we all mounted and began to gallop.
[Quest: Find the Imperial Knight Commander, Kane von Sturmgarten.]
[Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆]
[Reward: 2 shop coins]
The quest popped up, but…
Given the low difficulty and meager reward, I figured we could find him without too much issue.
“Alright, we’ve gotten out, but what are the follow-up plans?”
“As long as I know the location where the Imperial Knight Commander went missing, I’ll find him. The goal is to rescue as many allies as possible before dawn.”
Though I said this, I didn’t hold much hope.
Only someone like the Imperial Knight Commander could fight on alone for 44 hours without food or water; the rest would likely have either died or surrendered.
“Over there at the edge of the forest. That was the place.”
Pelaine pointed towards a dense thicket of gigantic trees.
Inside, a deep, ominous darkness seemed to emanate.
In the thickest part, even the moonlight, and certainly the daylight, can’t reach.
It was an optimal place to evade the enemy but the worst for survival.
If they had gone deep inside, the chances of them getting lost and not being able to come out would be quite high.
“Ham.”
With Pelaine’s quiet command, the knights all jumped down.
Indeed, it was a forest that seemed daunting to enter.
No wonder the Great Forest was called the Demon Forest.
The Empire had attempted to conquer it multiple times, but the subhumans consistently defended their territory.
To think of charging into such a dreadful place…
The Empire must truly have surplus strength.
“Ah. No need for torches. Iris, please cast the light spell.”
“Yes, Colonel Light.”
“……”
Iris replied curtly while conjuring a light in mid-air.
We tied up our horses and stepped inside the forest in a line.
Inside, it was as quiet as a grave.
It was definitely not an easy path to walk.
Everything was either fallen trees, roots, or rocks, making us tired quickly.
“I’m not doubting you, but… do you know where the Imperial Knight Commander is?”
“……”
Clearly, they suspected me.
“I’m tracking his traces.”
“Traces?”
“The residue of his magic lingers faintly in the surrounding mana. I’m following that.”
“Ah…”
Having high mana sensitivity was useful in this regard, as I could effortlessly find traces of magic enacted long ago.
About 30 minutes passed before we found something.
“……”
“……”
Gathered together, we froze at the sight.
Five corpses of subhumans with their faces crushed.
And one corpse of a knight clad in armor.
Judging by the helmet, it seemed to belong to the Imperial Knights, but…
For now, it likely wasn’t the Commander.
“Only gather the swords. Leave the corpses.”
“Yes…”
I wanted to collect their bodies, but we didn’t have the luxury of time.
We took a moment of silence before pressing onward.
In honor of the noble sacrifice of the five enemies, we paid due respect.
“Schlus, this feels creepy.”
“……”
Not long after, Trie approached me to whisper.
Looking at Pelaine, her ears were perked up, and her expression was fierce, indicating she had the same thought.
The instincts of seasoned warriors mustn’t be ignored.
Especially when two of them say it simultaneously.
If it came to a fight, it would be better to do so in the darkness.
I don’t see with light, anyway.
“Iris, dim the…”
Just as I was about to give the order, a sound like a crack shot up from underneath.
Iris had stepped on something.
And in that moment, I sensed something coming at us from behind with great speed.
‘Selection and Concentration. Use 1 second in Agility.’
Damn. I was just a bit late to shove Iris aside.
Quickly, I wrapped my arms around Iris and extended my arm behind her head.
A sharp branch pierced through my arm.
“Ha…”
The sharpened end of the branch pierced through my arm and stopped just in front of Iris’s nape.
Lucky it was just a little wedge; if it had been an actual arrow, it would have pierced through my arm and gone right through Iris’s neck.
Thinking that made the pain in my arm feel like nothing compared to the chill running down my spine.
“GUAAAH!”
“……?!”
At that moment, a thunderous shout came, and something charged out of the darkness.
I quickly drew my sword, but Trie and Pelaine were faster.
They blocked the assailant’s weapon, but…
“HYAAAH!”
“Kurgh!”
The brute strength pushed them back, causing both to tumble down.
The assailant aimed directly at Iris and me, seemingly hell-bent on destroying our light source.
There was no time to hesitate.
I quickly pulled Vafe from my right hand and clashed it against theirs.
KAAANG…!
A clear sound reverberated as he was pushed back.
Thanks to Vafe absorbing all the impact, that brute strength bounced back entirely on him.
Finally, I saw more clearly.
Under the light from Vafe and Iris’s spell, I could finally distinguish him.
He wasn’t a subhuman.
He was an armored human.
“Wait, you’re not the enemy…?!”
He seemed to realize the same, as he blinked rapidly, surveying us with trembling eyes.
The dark circles stretching long to his cheeks showed he hadn’t slept well for a long time.
It wasn’t hard to guess his identity from the gold-trimmed armor.
“Put down your weapon. Imperial Knight Commander.”
[Quest Completed]
[You have been awarded 2 shop coins as a reward.]
I found him.
The Commander in Chief of the suppression forces.
No, the man who used to be the Commander in Chief.
