Chapter – 56
“Rookie, you take the lead.”
“Me?”
Wilson fully trusted Carlisle and requested that he lead the scouts. Hadn’t it been thanks to Carlisle that they all managed to retreat safely last time?
“I’m not sure how much use I’ll be right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re swarming everywhere.”
Carlisle tapped Grirmingund, which was vibrating incessantly.
“Still, you’re better than us who know nothing.”
“Well, I suppose so.”
It was an undeniable fact that Carlisle, with Grirmingund and the Whisper of the Earth, had a higher chance of choosing safer paths.
“Stop dawdling and lead the way.”
“Alright.”
Carlisle took the lead and guided the scout team.
And the effect of [Guide of the Earth] was beyond imagination.
*Ding!*
The green arrows indicated safe movement routes, allowing the scouts to move through the perilous area outside the fortress while ‘almost’ never encountering the enemy.
‘There’s a pattern to this.’
Carlisle realized he needed to pay close attention to the arrows displayed by [Guide of the Earth].
‘A deeper green arrow means a safer path… which means a deeper red arrow signifies greater danger.’
Being able to choose the safest possible path, or at least the less dangerous one, was a tremendous advantage.
Of course, with enemies swarming all around, there was no way to avoid encounters entirely.
“Valhallaaaaa!”
“We’ll kill every last one of them!”
The scouts occasionally ran into groups of four or five barbarian warriors, but they never faced any major crises.
Thanks to [Guide of the Earth], they could secure tactically advantageous positions. Furthermore, since Carlisle and each of the soldiers were highly skilled in combat, they could achieve victory after victory in small skirmishes and continue advancing.
About 30 minutes later, as they were moving along the presumed retreat route of their allies…
“Kill them all!”
“Uaagh!”
“Hold the line! Hold it!”
“Valhallaaa!”
The 3rd Engineering Squad and the Butcher Tribe barbarians were engaged in a fierce battle.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes!”
The scouts led by Carlisle hastily intervened in the battle, supporting the 3rd Engineering Squad, which had been pushed to the defensive.
“You’re here!”
*Cough, cough!*
Kudo grinned and shouted.
“Grrrr!”
“Shyaa, Shyaaaa!”
Russell, in his berserker state, and the Forest Maniac were in an extreme state of excitement, running wild as if the reinforcements were of no concern to them.
‘We need to finish this quickly and go.’
Carlisle felt rushed.
The longer the battle dragged on, the more enemies would swarm in, making it highly likely that retreat would become impossible.
‘I’ll go all out.’
Carlisle’s grip tightened fiercely around Grirmingund’s hilt.
*Swaaaah!*
The Chaos King’s blade drew a black trajectory.
“Va, Valha… Keuk!”
“Uak!”
Starting from Carlisle cutting down every barbarian warrior in sight, the flow of the battle changed.
The Decaron forces, whose breathing room had opened up, began to counterattack aggressively. Pressing their advantage, they pushed back the barbarian warriors and gradually began to seize victory.
About 5 minutes later.
“Keuheuk!”
The last barbarian warrior vomited blood and collapsed.
“The 1st Squad? Is everyone alright?”
“The 1st Squad guys already returned to the fortress. We redeployed.”
“That’s a relief.”
At Wilson’s answer, Kudo made a relieved expression.
“The 2nd Squad, any news of the 2nd Squad?”
“I don’t know.”
“Dammit…!”
Wilson bit his lower lip hard.
The direction the red signal flare had gone off was towards the site where the 2nd Engineering Squad was conducting mining operations.
That meant the fate of the 2nd Engineering Squad, as well as the remaining scout soldiers, was uncertain.
Begman, Marder, and several other scouts.
And…
‘Of all squads, it had to be the 2nd.’
Carlisle thought of Gwen and bit his lower lip firmly.
“What should we do?”
“Shouldn’t we first have the 3rd Squad return to the fortress and have only the scouts redeploy?”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Kudo and Wilson reached an agreement.
As much as they wanted to set out to find the 2nd Squad immediately, the safe retreat of the 3rd Squad personnel had to take priority for now.
***
The 3rd Squad managed to arrive at the fortress after an even more arduous process than the 1st Squad, which had returned earlier.
As time passed, the number of enemies in the vicinity increased, forcing them to fight several more small-scale skirmishes before they could return to the fortress.
“I cannot permit it.”
Helen did not permit the scouts’ second redeployment.
“Captain Helen!”
Wilson raised his voice.
“You know perfectly well what’s happening out there! Our comrades are dying!”
“Stand by. It’s too dangerous right now.”
“Are you telling us to abandon our comrades now? Huh?”
“You, of all people, should know the situation is more dangerous than before. Moreover, you and the other scouts are under significant physical strain. How could I permit a redeployment?”
Helen’s expression was as hard as ice as she spoke.
“I consider myself someone who understands your feelings better than anyone. But if I permit a redeployment in a situation like this, even you all might…”
“Damn it all!”
Wilson burst out in frustration.
“Who wants to live like this, huh?!”
“…Private Wilson.”
“I’d rather die with my comrades! I can’t live alone after abandoning them! Our comrades are out there waiting for us, how can we turn a blind eye?! Huh?!”
It wasn’t just Wilson.
“If it seems too dangerous, we’ll turn back immediately. So, can’t you send us out?”
Kudo also requested redeployment from Helen.
“Looking at how the situation is unfolding, isn’t it the same whether we die here or there? Please send us out!”
“That’s right!”
The scouts all stepped forward without hesitation, demanding redeployment.
“Even if it’s a bit dangerous, one more time should be fine, please permit it.”
“You too?”
“Just standing by feels wrong…”
Carlisle replied awkwardly.
“Redeployment… is permitted.”
Finally, Helen gave her permission.
“However, if the situation seems insurmountable, you are to return immediately. Also, no one dies. That is my order.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
The scouts moved busily, rushing to re-equip themselves.
“Private Carlisle.”
“Go ahead.”
“Your comrades… I entrust them to you. In a situation like this, I have no choice but to rely on you.”
Helen slightly averted her gaze.
It seemed incredibly pride-wounding and embarrassing for her to be asking a favor from someone she had once looked down upon. Had it not been a matter of her comrades’ lives, it would have been unimaginable.
“Yes, well. I’ll do my best.”
Carlisle let out a slight smile.
***
After a brief re-equipment, the scout team immediately left the fortress and entered the forest swarming with enemies.
“……”
No one spoke during the move.
Under normal circumstances, they would have chatted and joked, but given the situation, unnecessary talk was forbidden.
This was a wartime situation.
They needed to maintain strict radio silence during the operation.
‘It’s a true deathtrap within a deathtrap.’
Carlisle was tense.
*Vrrrr!*
Grirmingund vibrated incessantly, and red arrows appeared everywhere, glowing dangerously.
In other words, it meant enemies were lurking on all sides.
“Here, here.”
“…?”
“Over here.”
Marder revealed himself.
“Just how long have you been there?”
Kudo frowned as if he’d been taken by surprise.
Even the sharp-eyed Kudo had failed to notice Marder’s hiding place…
That’s how excellent the camouflage effect of the [Mimicry Camouflage Suit] was.
“That’s not important right now.”
If it were any other time, he would have responded cheerfully, but given the situation, Marder’s reply was stiff and blunt.
“What happened?”
“An undead army attacked.”
“…!”
“As soon as they appeared, we fired a signal flare, but then the Butcher Tribe bastards showed up too. We fired another flare right away.”
“The 2nd Squad…”
“Wiped out.”
“…!”
“A proper battle wasn’t even possible from the start. The difference in strength was like heaven and earth.”
“Then… are they all dead?”
“We scattered in every man for himself, so a few might have survived. I hope so.”
At Marder’s testimony, the scouts’ expressions darkened rapidly.
They had expected the situation to be serious, but for it to be an undead army, not the Butcher Tribe…
“What kind of man is the Captain? A man who’s survived rolling around here for ten years, do you think he’d die? That’s a laughable story.”
“The other guys must have survived somehow too. They’re not weaklings.”
At Wilson’s words, Kudo nodded in agreement.
“Let’s hurry.”
The impatient Wilson was the first to step forward.
“They’re all out there somewhere, waiting for our help. We can’t just go back. Even if we only save a few, we have to bring them back.”
“Agreed.”
With the senior soldiers Wilson and Kudo at the lead, the scouts set out on their search and reconnaissance mission again.
“Let’s go this way. That way is dangerous.”
As Carlisle guided the scouts, he thought to himself.
‘Hold on just a little longer.’
It wasn’t just Carlisle’s thought.
At this very moment.
The only thought in the minds of the scouts, who had redeployed again and again, was the single-minded determination to return with their comrades.
***
*Sluuurp…*
Begman leaned against a large tree and slowly slid down.
His condition was utterly miserable.
His left arm was half-severed and dangling, three arrows were embedded in his chest, and his intestines were protruding from his abdomen.
And barbarian warriors were swarming towards Begman in that state.
“Grrrr!”
A wolf-headed lycanthrope growled at the barbarian warriors.
The lycanthrope was also considerably wounded, but not as much as Begman, so it seemed he still had enough fight left in him.
“I’ll fight with y… Keuk!”
*Thud!*
Begman tried to force himself up but collapsed, vomiting blood.
Even so, Begman did not hesitate to try and get up again.
“Ha, I’ll take at least one more with m… Krgh!”
The barbarian warriors clicked their tongues in admiration at Begman’s fighting spirit.
“For a mere soldier, not even a knight, you are truly warrior-like.”
“Magnificent.”
“So there are real men on the continent as well.”
The barbarians had a culture that revered outstanding warriors, and Begman’s appearance, burning with fighting spirit until his last moment, was enough to earn their high praise.
However, that didn’t mean they would let him live.
Gifting an honorable death to a worthy enemy was also part of their culture.
“Very well, we shall let you close your eyes honorably.”
“You were a splendid warrior.”
Just as the barbarian warriors rushed towards Begman and the silver wolf in his lycanthrope form…
*Swish, swish, swish!*
A rapid volley of arrows from Marder poured down upon the backs of the barbarians’ heads.
*Thump, thud!*
Marder’s arrows pierced through the barbarians’ skulls.
“You sons of bitches!”
“Where do you think you’re looking?!”
Wilson and Kudo unleashed a fierce assault on the barbarian warriors.
*Swaraak!*
The Rusted Sword.
The Grirmingund, wielded by Carlisle, slaughtered the barbarian warriors in the blink of an eye.
The battle, which began with the scouts’ ambush, ended in an instant.
—
[Notice: The progress of <Proof of Nobility> has reached 80%! (8/10)]
—
“Captain! Captaaaaain!”
Meanwhile, Wilson held onto Begman and let out a desperate cry.
