[Proofreader - Kawaii ] Chapter 292: Undeniable Kreutzel was very carefully tracking the fugitive. He used magic to conceal his presence, relied on his familiar's eyes instead of his own, and narrowed the distance by traversing only steep and rugged terrain that people couldn't normally pass. This was something only Kreutzel, an acrobat and mage, could do. 'The scent of blood makes it easier to track.' Kreutzel thought he could have tracked them even without his familiar's eyes, but then he shook his head, correcting himself. 'That's precisely why they might be more wary of a pursuer.' Therefore, he proceeded with extreme caution, maintaining a significant distance while quietly tracking. However, quietly crawling up a steep incline that was practically a cliff was difficult. Kreutzel had experience hiding circus members in isolated mountains and traversing them for extended periods. Even if it was rugged, a mountain was still a mountain. He was quite accustomed to this kind of terrain. 'But it's a hellishly rough mountain.' He felt that only someone of his caliber could keep up. On the other hand, the mobility of the fleeing deserter was also remarkable. 'Even if he's wounded, a mountain dweller is still a mountain dweller. He's climbing this mountain like it's his backyard.' However, Kreutzel's patience eventually bore fruit. After a full day of tracking, his familiar witnessed the wounded man arrive at what appeared to be an intermediate base—a cave and report to someone. 'What are they saying?' Kreutzel activated a sound amplification spell and cautiously closed the distance. 'Damn it, I can't hear well.' Just as Kreutzel was about to move a little closer— "You brought a rat with you." An unvoiced hidden weapon, thrown by an officer, flew toward Kreutzel. Kreutzel was startled and arched his back to dodge the hidden weapon, then swapped positions with a decoy he had previously placed to create some distance. The officer who had thrown the hidden weapon tilted his head. "Was I mistaken? I felt a strange presence." "I-I confirmed there was no pursuit, sir." "Don't be so quick to judge. Do you think you can perceive things as sharply as usual while wounded?" "We'll rest for a moment, then move. I will report their tactics and characteristics to headquarters." As the two re-entered the cave, Kreutzel, who had been holding his breath and suppressing his presence, finally exhaled. 'That was a close call. The senses of these mountain dwellers are indeed hard to ignore.' But ultimately, it was his victory. 'Alright, go back to your base then.' It was an opportunity to repay the favor he owed Allenvert. We organized the battlefield, then moved on and began setting up camp as the sun set. "Talis, this meat is a bit bitter." "You should be grateful for what you get. Eat it quietly." The Royal Guards and Special Operations Division members took the lead in preparing the camp. The underworld cutthroats and Visquera soldiers, who had struggled the most, were given priority for rest. 'Good, the atmosphere is fine.' Grunewald's forces, the Royal Guards and Special Operations Division members were seasoned warriors and soldiers, well-versed in combat. \ It was impressive to see them taking care of their comrades without complaint, like veteran soldiers looking after less experienced recruits. 'This kind of thing builds a strong military organization.' Entrusting your back to someone and charging into danger is impossible without trust and camaraderie. They, more than anyone, would know that. 'Even those dispatched from the Red Mist Alliance are blending in without a word.' Godfather of the Red Mist Alliance Bazalo is a seasoned veteran. It was natural that those he meticulously selected would be courageous and excellent warriors, regardless of their background. The caliber of the troops gathered under one banner was, once again, not bad. 'There aren't too many wounded, either.' Just then, Rudgarda approached me. "Sixth Commander, are your men alright?" "No problem. In a way, we fought against members of the same clan, so their tactics and martial arts are clear as day." "Furthermore, while they were trapped in the mountains, we were deployed in all sorts of military operations, gaining real combat experience. Our strength and experience are on a different level." Humans grow stronger the more danger they face. "Reliable. I know the skills of the 6th Battalion of the Special Operations Division better than anyone." Meanwhile, the capabilities displayed by Ulbhild's 2nd Battalion were equally astonishing. "Sister, your skill in combining ice magic to dominate the battlefield was truly impressive." "Four-tenths of my martial arts were also perfected through real combat." "But you haven't even properly warmed up yet, have you, Allen?" If Grimnar was watching, exposing my full martial arts prematurely wouldn't be a good choice. Moreover, there was one more underlying intention here. "Allen, could you come here for a moment?" Balthazar, who was treating the wounded, called out to me. "This man was poisoned. I can counteract it, but I think it's best if you handle it here." Understanding Balthazar's intention, I placed my hand on the wounded soldier's shoulder and, using the Absorption to draw out the poison. There was a slight pain as the Dark Mana engulfed the poison. "The composition is different. It's a poison I haven't encountered before." "Get used to it. Its roots are the same as Grimnar's poisons." The poison Grimnar Angantyr used would likely be strong enough to destroy my blood vessels and core if I wasn't careful. 'If this poison were to hit our allies, it would be extremely dangerous.' That's precisely why Ulbhild's Ice Art was such a good martial art for dealing with the enemy's poison techniques. 'Even if they spew poison, if I freeze it and shatter it, I can block it sufficiently.' My calculation was that a combination of Dark Mana and Ice Art would be more than enough to counter their poison techniques. And there was one more way to minimize casualties from poison attacks among our allies. 'Hit them hard with a small, elite force and crush them.' I was envisioning the exact same kind of fight that Kreutzel had waged. Sending Kreutzel as a tracker was also for that very ambush. 'Now is the time to be patient and wait.' I quietly approached Severian, who was cleaning his sword and inspecting his equipment. "You fought quite well." Severian, slightly flustered, bowed his head. "I've been curious about something for a while." I spoke in a low voice, just loud enough so that others around couldn't hear. "Even though you infiltrated as a spy, you dedicated yourself to the personal guard's mission to the point of risking your life. Was that Zamuel's teaching?" "Furthermore, the captain only had me infiltrate to uncover the identity of someone named Karzan, and he explicitly told me not to cause any trouble." He taught him well. I chuckled and asked something else. "Do you think Zamuel will move?" "He will definitely come." Severian answered immediately. "He's been missing Captain Karzan all this time. He will come no matter what." Zamuel, how have you been? What thoughts have you lived with since my death? Adeline, how have you been living? Have you remembered me and honored my memory? '…For me, it's been less than a year of waiting, but the seventeen years you've endured must have been truly tumultuous.' 'I want to defeat Grimnar and meet Zamuel as soon as possible.' A reunion I longed for but dared not expect was waiting for me. "What kind of man is Grimnar Angantyr?" Reinholdt answered Siena's question. "Considering how he killed the previous Lordstir and seized the throne, he is a deeply cunning and resourceful individual." He was the Grand Commander of the Royal Guard and, at the same time, part of the Shadow Division of the Valkenhain Duchy. Naturally, he knew a great deal about past secret affairs. "Moreover, the mountain people's strength is unknown. Long ago, Eldarkion Eisenach was able to survive even after making the Emperor of the Empire his enemy largely due to the ruggedness of the Virgenhrid Mountains." Siena's expression darkened. "There's no need to worry. Isn't he the man who has succeeded in several seemingly impossible missions already?" Reinholdt, who had observed Allenvert closely, highly valued his talent and resourcefulness more than anyone. "We just need to wait for them at the Webern Estate according to schedule." "If they're late, I'll have to tease them." She couldn't possibly imagine that… Allenvert, at this very moment, would be eagerly anticipating a reunion with the woman he loved in his previous life, completely forgetting about her. The Angantyr side launched several surprise attacks and night raids, but as time went on, their numbers and quality diminished. "They couldn't exhaust us or lower our morale." "Instead, our soldiers have only become more skilled in their responses." "That's right. Their attempts to cut off our supply lines have also frequently failed." This was largely due to the rear guard provided by Shadow Division agents, led by Regeron, and the tactical responses of Rudgarda and the 6th Battalion of the Special Operations Division. "But these bastards won't give up easily. Are they up to something?" We continued toward the former stronghold of Eisenach, not letting down our guard. There was a reason for this. Not only had we failed to locate Grimnar's main base, but this was also a deliberate move to mislead him about our destination before a sudden strike. "Young Master, we have a signal!" Jeffrey reported urgently. "It seems we've found Grimnar Angantyr's main force!" Finally, the long-awaited news arrived. "Excellent! We were fast!" I cheered, gathering the officers. "This operation will be a decapitation strike with only the most elite forces. We'll slip out at dawn and, guided by Kreutzel, strike Grimnar Angantyr." Jeffrey was the first to raise his hand. "Young Master, how many will participate?" "First, Rudgarda. And then..." I couldn't leave out the person directly involved in this revenge. "I plan to select Brother Knut." Ulbhild quickly raised her hand, afraid I might forget her. "I have no intention of sitting this out either." "Don't worry. Your Ice Art is essential for dealing with Grimnar's Poison Art.” I then instructed Harold and Turnak, the Special Operations Division's lieutenants, as well as Nagan and Zizek. "You must cover our absence as much as possible. If Grimnar notices something amiss too quickly, the surprise attack will fail." "You don't need to worry." Jeffrey raised his hand again. "But won't your absence be quite noticeable, Young Master?" I pulled the Mask of Aminicrus from my pocket. "Let the decoy wear my armor and my precious sword. As long as they don't fight directly, it won't be difficult to hide from the enemy's eyes." My reason for not leading from the front was also to use the Mask of Aminicrus for my decoy. "Who would be best as the decoy?" In response to that question, I pointed at Zizek. Zizek asked stupidly. "Because your absence won't make much of a difference anyway." "Can't argue with that." [Proofreader - Kawaii ]