Chapter 563
I Always Trust Your Judgment. (3)
The restructured coalition forces scattered in all directions. Now, they would occupy key strongholds and focus on defense.
Holding these strongholds meant they could exert pressure on the enemy's rear, even if they crossed into another kingdom.
Ghislain also sent numerous scouts and Dark in all directions.
“I never thought I’d end up playing hide-and-seek with those bastards.”
From now on, the side that could quickly grasp the other's movements would have the advantage.
The enemy had no real strongholds to speak of. The fact that Ghislain's forces had to actively hunt them down was a disadvantage.
The Ritania Army was divided into two legions, led by Claude and Tennant.
Claude's army would guard the most crucial supply route, while Tennant would hold a key strategic position.
That left Ghislain and Julien’s forces. They would immediately mobilize as soon as the enemy’s location was identified.
As he finished preparing to march, Julien asked,
“...How confident are you in that assumption?”
“Quite a lot. If those bastards have a ‘hidden blade’... now is the perfect time to draw it.”
“...I see.”
“Now that we've split our forces and initiated a mobile campaign, their communication network is bound to weaken significantly.”
No matter how quickly the Atrodean Army sent couriers, it would be difficult for them to coordinate unless the receiving legion was nearby.
They had likely pre-established strategies to deal with various scenarios, but at this point, the links between their units were effectively severed.
However, there was one way to mitigate this issue.
“If there's someone acting as an intermediary, relaying messages and sharing various bits of intelligence, things will be much easier for them.”
“......”
Julien remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.
After a brief pause, he finally spoke, his voice measured.
“If there really is a traitor, we’ll suffer for it.”
“Yeah. That’s why we can only hope it’s just speculation.”
“......”
“Well, at the very least, I’ve put some safeguards in place, so not everyone will fall victim. It’s just that there were too many suspicious individuals to eliminate them all.”
“Wouldn't it have been better to expose them in advance?”
“Hmm.”
At that, Ghislain folded his arms, contemplating for a moment.
It wasn't that he hadn't considered it. But there was no solid proof. This time, even he couldn't be completely certain.
His suspicions were based solely on instinct, his past life's knowledge, and his current observations.
Since he couldn't reveal that he was a regressor, he had no way of earning their trust.
“There’s no evidence. It’s just a hunch. And I couldn’t pinpoint a single suspect.”
“......”
“If I claimed there were traitors without proof, we'd tear ourselves apart before we even faced the enemy. And if it's true... the moment we capture the traitor, the enemy will change their strategy.”
Even Ghislain couldn’t execute an ally without certainty and evidence.
Moreover, there was no way Count Biphenbelt hadn’t prepared for this possibility as well.
Therefore, it was better to anticipate such a scenario, prepare for it, and ensure the enemy was captured definitively.
Julien gave a small nod.
"Yeah, this won’t be an easy issue."
Ghislain wasn’t wrong. If internal chaos arose in a situation like this, the war would only drag on longer.
They had to find evidence. And unfortunately, in an urgent situation like this, that evidence would inevitably come at the cost of their own forces.
Ghislain and Julien could only hope that wouldn’t happen.
If there really was a traitor among the comrades they had fought alongside until now, the impact would be devastating for everyone.
But just three days later, a bloodied soldier brought news that shattered those hopes.
“A-Ambush! We were ambushed! The enemy was lying in wait! Our forces have completely withdrawn from the battlefield!”
An entire legion was annihilated while moving toward their stronghold. Then, just a day later, another messenger arrived.
“An ambush! We were caught in an enemy ambush! Right now, everyone is scattered and fleeing!”
Another legion had been lost. Of the three legions they had suspected, two had fallen.
These were the very legions they had ordered to depart first because of their suspicions.
‘They were lying in wait.’
The enemy had been absolutely certain of their movements. And that meant information had been leaked.
Ghislain slowly nodded.
‘So it was him.’
In the end, there was only one culprit.
The only small relief was that as soon as the troops sensed they were at a disadvantage, they had all fled and scattered.
That was inevitable. He had given prior instructions if things turned south, they were to escape without hesitation.
Ghislain let out a bitter smile. Even with all their suspicions and preparations, they had still fallen into the trap.
‘Count Biphenbelt… He’s no ordinary opponent.’
He had taken the risk of splitting his army despite facing a massive force. He had set the board in such a way that they had no choice but to move.
And then, when the time was right, he had drawn the blade he had prepared long ago and struck.
An ordinary person wouldn’t have even dared to attempt such a scheme.
‘But this is as far as his tricks go.’
Ghislain clenched his teeth, his expression turning cold.
He had identified the traitor, and the remaining legions had already been prepared for any further sabotage.
That meant there would be no more of these schemes. Now, it was time to hunt them down and wipe them out for good.
"……."
Julien didn’t say a word upon hearing the news. He simply armed himself in silence, mounted his horse, and rode off.
Now that the enemy’s location had been revealed, it was time to begin the pursuit.
Before Julien departed, Ghislain summoned Dark. Transformed into a raven, Dark perched on Julien’s shoulder.
"Ahem, I am Dark No. 28. From now on, we shall proceed with an important mission together."
"…Alright."
Ghislain smiled as he sent Julien off.
"Be careful, my friend. The ones left aren’t pushovers."
"Yeah, you too."
As always, Julien exchanged a brief farewell before slowly urging his horse forward. Watching his retreating back, Ghislain muttered to himself.
"Could there have been another way?"
Ghislain always moved with certainty. No one had ever found a better method than him.
Thus, the final decision always fell upon him.
It was something only possible because he had returned in time. That fact remained unchanged even now.
Yet, he couldn’t help but wonder.
If it were Julien, perhaps he might have thought of a better way in this situation.
After all, in his past life, Julien had been an outstanding commander who led the Allied Forces of humanity.
Julien, who had momentarily been lost in thought at Ghislain’s question, soon shook his head.
"No, I always trust your judgment."
At those words, Ghislain let out a small chuckle.
‘Now that I think about it…’
Until now, the only person who had never once opposed his decisions was Julien. Truly, a reliable (?) guy.
Meanwhile, Dark chattered away quietly from Julien’s shoulder.
"Julien, I don’t trust my master’s judgment. You know why? Because he’s got a rotten personality and just does whatever he wants. Does someone like that really need to make judgments? I don’t think so."
"……."
"I’m only telling you this, but it’s way more comfortable being with you than with him. You know why? Because his temper is just that nasty. Just a few days ago—"
"……."
Julien didn’t say a single word in response. He simply urged his horse forward.
His horse gradually picked up speed, and soon, the elite cavalry of the Allied Forces followed behind him.
Before long, they were galloping like a tempest. Even Dark, seemingly excited, spread his wings and soared into the sky.
"Kyaaah-hooo—!"
There was no need to worry about that side at all. Unless the enemy had an overwhelming numerical advantage, they would simply be annihilated upon encountering them.
After Julien’s departure, the senior knight, Lucas, lazily asked,
"Aren’t we leaving?"
"Not just yet. We’re waiting for something."
There were two known enemy locations. However, other legions would soon be under attack as well, meaning their targets would quickly increase.
Ghislain remained on standby for another two days. His trump card was nearly complete.
Clunk, clunk, clunk.
Massive carriage-like cages approached. These were the ‘mobile workshops’ of the captive mages and dwarves who had been forced to work all this time.
With dark circles hanging heavily beneath his eyes, Galbarik stepped out of the carriage and knocked on the doors of the other carriages.
"Alright, we’re here! Get out! Hey, soldiers, unload the 'new weapons'!"
The Mobile Corps soldiers busily retrieved something from the carts that had arrived with the carriages.
It was a magical weapon Galvaniium spear shafts combined with runestones.
"Whoa, so this is the new weapon?"
"You're saying magic can actually be cast from this?"
"We don’t even have mana, but we can use magic?"
The Mobile Corps soldiers examined the weapons with curiosity. They had heard that, while they wouldn’t be able to use them often, the weapons were powerful enough to deliver a surprise strike on the battlefield.
As the soldiers eagerly unloaded the spears, Galbarik continued knocking on the carriages.
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop dozing off and get down! We’re here!"
"Ughhhhhh…"
From one of the carriages, Alfoi groaned like a zombie as he stepped out. The other mages weren’t much better off.
The Allied Forces had a great number of mages. However, the mages of Ritania were captured and forced to work in shifts like this.
They had to endure a brutal schedule fighting in battles while also handling labor-intensive tasks.
Clunk.
And from one of the carriages stepped out a man who, in the future, would be known as one of the Seven Strongest on the Continent, the One-Man Army, the Eternal Archmage, the Great Magic Scholar, and many other titles.
As soon as he got off, he clutched his forehead and staggered.
"Ah, damn. I’m dizzy. I just wanna go home."
Jerome was half out of his mind. He had come to understand just how excruciating it was to be confined and forced to do the same task every single day.
Not even during his long periods of deep mental training had he ever experienced such suffering.
"Ugh, I hate sunlight."
Having been stuck inside the carriage for so long, even the sunlight felt unbearable.
Still, Jerome had diligently done his work. There wasn’t much else to do inside the carriage, after all.
Thanks to his valuable labor, Ghislain had been able to prepare new weapons for the Mobile Corps.
Ghislain greeted Jerome with enthusiasm.
"Hey! Jerome! You really worked hard!"
"……."
Jerome turned his head away, looking slightly sulky.
Unbothered, Ghislain slung an arm around his shoulder and said,
"Everyone suffers during wartime. But hey, wasn’t it easier since you didn’t have to fight?"
"…I think I would’ve preferred fighting."
Jerome genuinely meant it. Seeing how Fenris’s mages had endured such labor until now, he found them truly remarkable.
Now he understood why Alfoi’s mana control was so exceptional. If anyone went through this kind of repetitive training, their body would instinctively respond on its own.
At Jerome’s remark about preferring battle, Ghislain spoke in a subtle tone.
"I feel bad saying this as soon as you’re out, but it looks like you’ll need to head out on a mission."
"Where to?"
Ghislain leaned in and whispered a few words into Jerome’s ear. Upon hearing them, Jerome’s eyes widened in shock.
"What? Seriously?"
"Yeah. It’s a crucial battle, and we need your power. If we want to save people quickly, we need to act fast."
"Ugh… got it. Guess I better leave right away."
Jerome, always eager to help others when he had the strength, felt exhausted but knew the urgency of the situation. He had to move quickly.
He immediately approached Alfoi. The two had grown quite close in the meantime.
"Alfoi."
"What. No, actually, don’t talk to me. I’m tired."
"Look, I’m in a bit of a hurry. I need your ‘pure’ power."
"What the hell are you saying? Do you have any idea how corrupt my mind is? You want me to show you just how filthy I can be?"
If there was anyone in Fenris who was the farthest from purity, Alfoi would undoubtedly be at the top of the list.
But Jerome wasn’t interested in Alfoi’s depraved thoughts he needed his raw, untainted mana.
Grab.
Jerome seized Alfoi’s wrist.
"Sorry. I’ll pay you back later."
"Huh? Wait, what? Let go—kyyaaaah!"
Alfoi let out a scream as Jerome drained his mana, causing him to faint. His weak mental resilience made it easier than anyone else to extract his energy.
Jerome wasn’t actually low on mana. However, he needed to travel a long distance in an instant, so he decided to make use of Alfoi’s power.
Flashing a grin at Ghislain, Jerome said,
"Alright, I’m off."
"Yeah, see you later. Be careful. And don’t go off doing things on your own again."
"Don’t worry about it."
Flash!
A burst of light flared as the space around him warped. In the next instant, Jerome vanished from sight.
Ghislain mounted the Black King and spoke.
"Now it’s our turn to move. Let’s test the new weapons on the way."
Vanessa and a few other mages also got on their horses, ready to follow the Mobile Corps.
The remaining forces planned to move toward Ritania’s main army with Galbarik. Alfoi, still unconscious, was slung over another mage’s back.
Hiiiiiing!
The Black King let out a long cry before galloping forward. The Mobile Corps followed right behind.
Dududududu!
Ghislain and the Mobile Corps charged ahead with relentless speed.
His expression hardened into an icy glare.
‘Just wait a little longer.’
The enemy’s strategy and bold execution had been impressive flawless, even.
But choosing to engage in mobile warfare against him was a reckless mistake.
Now, he would show them, without a doubt, who was the fastest on this continent.