Go With the Flow (2)

Clank! Clank!

The sound of armored soldiers’ footsteps echoed.

On the faces of countless soldiers and the knights leading them, tension was drawn tight.

“Today, we will put an end to this long war! Warriors of Talua, charge!”

“Waaaaah!”

Just a little further, and they would reach the high ground where the enemy base was.

Tedric pulled his helmet down low and let out a rough breath.

‘As expected, they’re trying to draw us as far toward the center as possible.’

The Kainzel kingdom army was gradually withdrawing its frontline, luring them inward.

Just as Duke Gale had predicted, it seemed the enemies were seizing the rear through a secret passage, trying to concentrate their dispersed troops and encircle the left and right flanks.

Though their military strength was relatively superior, if they were really surrounded as the enemy planned, it could turn into a dangerous situation.

Nevertheless, Duke Gale moved according to the enemy’s wishes. He had something he trusted in.

‘Sir Vanhart.’

Tedric was also among those who shared that trust.

Most people had questioned why such a heavy responsibility had been entrusted to Clay Vanhart, but Tedric supported Duke Gale’s judgement.

‘He’ll definitely do it.’

Tedric had felt something special about Clay while crossing swords with him before.

He couldn’t quite tell what it was.

But just watching him gave rise to an unfounded faith.

That he would accomplish something amazing once again.

* * *

“Captain, reporting. The enemy has currently crossed the ridge and is about to reach the central high ground.”

“Keh keh keh, stupid fools. You’re finally caught.”

In response to his subordinate’s report, Count Powett, commander of Kainzel Kingdom’s separate detachment, couldn’t hold back a sneering laugh.

‘That fool Aldin. To let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by.’

Thanks to Marquis Aldin’s demotion in the last operation, Count Powett had earned the chance to command the separate detachment.

For Count Powett, who’d had few opportunities to distinguish himself, nothing less than success was permissible for this mission.

He had not the slightest intention of repeating the mistakes of Marquis Aldin.

“Now, everyone move quickly! Hurry, deal with their main camp and strike their rear!”

“Ooooh! Glory to the Kainzel Kingdom!”

After passing through a narrow, dark passage, Count Powett, having emerged from the secret tunnel, grinned as he gazed at the sheer cliff.

The only difficult moment in this operation had been climbing the cliff.

Every knight in the detachment was a Sword Expert of the highest order. Count Powett himself was an advanced-rank Sword Expert knight.

Disrupting Talua Kingdom’s main camp, now left unguarded, was as easy as pie.

They began to ascend the cliff swiftly, without hesitation, and it seemed they would reach the top in just minutes.

Rumble!

“Uwaaagh!”

It would have, if not for the sudden shower of rocks falling out of the sky.

A knight hit squarely by a falling boulder plummeted straight down. Even a Sword Expert would not survive a fall from this height.

“You idiot! A knight who can’t even dodge some falling rocks?!”

“C-captain! Look up!”

As Count Powett was shouting, veins bulging in his neck, another knight urged him to look up.

And in that instant, he saw it—rocks pouring down like rain.

“This is insane!”

It was enough to make you think an avalanche had broken loose.

Grabbing hold of the cliff with one hand, Count Powett swung his sword at the rocks plummeting toward him.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

As expected from an advance-rank Sword Expert, he managed to fend off the falling rocks, but not everyone could do the same. Other knights, struck by rocks, screamed and tumbled down.

Because they wore light armor for climbing, even small stones could prove deadly.

‘Damn, what’s going on here?!’

A landslide, at just this moment?

Impossible. The rocks were clearly aimed at them.

Realizing as much, a chill crawled up his spine.

“Damn it! Everyone, watch out for the falling rocks—”

Shhhhiii!

“Gaaagh!”

And it wasn’t only rocks that were falling.

Boiling oil cascaded down the cliff, causing knights to lose their hold and fall.

‘Damn, damn it all!’

He wasn’t about to die in a place like this.

Forget the mission—survival came first.

Count Powett, forgetting even to give orders, scrambled desperately up the cliff.

It was too late to turn back now.

To survive, he had to reach the top, no matter what.

“Huff… huff… huff.”

By the time he broke through the barrage of rocks and scalding oil and reached the cliff’s top, Count Powett was a wreck just from making it up.

“How do you do, Count Powett?”

As he staggered onto flat ground, catching his breath, a strange voice sounded in his ear.

He turned his gaze—and saw a man looking down on him.

A man with black hair, blue eyes, and a piercing gaze.

The crest on his armor belonged to Talua kingdom.

‘He knows who I am. Wait, then—could it be?’

Panting for breath, a realization struck Count Powett.

His opponent looked as if he had been expecting him.

Then, there could be only one answer.

“Has the operation been leaked?! Who dared—!”

Eyes bloodshot, Count Powett mustered his remaining strength and shouted.

He wasn’t so surprised that the secret passage had been discovered—but that they even knew the identity of the operation’s commander was another issue entirely.

Anything less than a complete leak of the plan could not explain this.

‘I have to escape first!’

The operation had failed, but survival was more important. He had no wish to throw his life away for merit.

‘Wait. Why is it so quiet here?’

Suddenly alert, he looked about.

His subordinates were all skilled fighters. If they grouped together and forced their way out, surely there was a chance to escape.

But no matter how long he waited, no one else appeared at the top of the cliff.

That’s when Count Powett realized.

He was the sole survivor.

“Now, Count Powett. I’ll give you a choice.”

The black-haired man, with a cold smile, slowly approached and pointed his sword at the count’s heart.

“Will you surrender quietly? Or would you prefer to join your fallen comrades?”

The tone was gentle, but for Count Powett, it was more terrifying than any demon’s whisper.

* * *

“According to the words of our ever-obliging Count Powett, this secret tunnel connects all the way to the enemy’s main base.”

By capturing Count Powett alive, I’d been able to extract some valuable information.

Maybe he was frightened for his life, because he spilled everything without any special interrogation.

Details about the tunnel’s interior, what lay on the other side, and all sorts of useful intelligence—all obtained far more easily than I had expected, putting me in a good mood.

“It goes all the way there?”

Zelbin said, astonished.

Of course he was surprised.

The enemy’s main base was located, you could say, on the waist of Rachmes Ridge.

That place was very close to the Kainzel kingdom’s border, and the distance from here was by no means short.

The power of the demonkin, who had artificially created such a passage, truly inspired awe.

‘If a mere intermediate-rank demonkin can do this, then what could an advanced one achieve?’

According to Count Powett, the only demonkin remaining in the enemy camp now was of intermediate rank.

Fortunately, it seemed there were no others, but that alone was plenty of a threat.

“There’s still a demonkin left…”

The knights, who had been so excited after repelling the enemy, now looked as if someone had doused their spirits with cold water.

No one was unaware of the battle in the Artuha Mountains, where the advance-rank Sword Expert, Tedric Eaton, though taken by surprise, was taken out by a low-rank demonkin in a single blow.

And now, hearing the words “intermediate-rank demonkin” from Count Powett, it was natural that everyone would nervously react.

“I’ve heard that to defeat an intermediate-rank demonkin, you need someone at the Swordmaster level. This is a dangerous situation.”

Even Zelbin, it seemed, was anxious at the thought of facing an intermediate-rank demonkin.

But nothing ever went right if you let fear take over.

In a firm tone, I encouraged the knights.

“Don’t worry about the demonkin, focus on the mission. There’s no need to be afraid ahead of time!”

According to Grancesia, dealing even with an intermediate-rank demonkin should be doable, so there shouldn’t be any major trouble.

‘… Hey, are you sure this time?’

I quietly asked Grancesia.

After what happened during the calamity of the dragon last time, I couldn’t help being a bit skeptical.

[That time, I said ‘probably’, remember! This time I’m sure. For demonkin, you’re pretty much a natural enemy—you’ll be able to manage up to intermediate, one way or another.]

“One way or another” made me a little uneasy, but I decided to trust her one more time.

As I struggled to suppress a strange feeling of unease, Zelbin, evidently impressed by my words, cried out with shining eyes.

“Amazing! Captain, you once completely overwhelmed a demonkin in the Artuha Mountains, didn’t you?”

“Y-yeah, I did.”

Is that how it looked?

Well, it’s not entirely wrong—I did drive off the demonkin who tried to attack Duke Gale.

But still, there was no room for carelessness.

Even a low-rank demonkin had taken out Tedric in a single blow, sneak attack or not.

‘But why didn’t they use those things right from the beginning?’

It really was a mystery.

If the Kainzel kingdom had used demonkin’s power from the start, the war might have ended instantly.

Grancesia giggled and answered my question.

[Demonkin aren’t the sort to help humans so easily. I don’t know why they’re aiding Kainzel kingdom this time, but they only act when it’s to their advantage. If what they wanted was ‘victory in war’, they’d have moved more proactively already. For now, this feels more like they’re helping out as a formality.]

‘So, demonkin don’t really care about who wins the war?’

[That’s most likely it. In any case, there’s definitely some sort of secret arrangement between Kainzel kingdom and the demonkin.]

A secret arrangement, huh…

Well, whatever the reason, so long as the demonkin didn’t move aggressively, it was fortunate for us.

‘We’re almost there now.’

If I succeeded in this operation and ended the war, I would have accomplished my goal.

Duke Gale would surely remember my achievements and become a great help in the future.

[By the way, why did you send that maid to the duke? Is that some kind of secret plan too?]

Grancesia suddenly seemed to remember and asked.

Duke Gale, for the sake of caution, had remained in the rear.

I had gotten his permission to send Monet to stay with him.

“Nope. No special plan.”

[Then why’d you send her?]

“Lucky charm.”

It just felt like things would go better if Monet, the hope of the kingdom, was by Duke Gale’s side.

[… Just make sure you don’t get hooked on weird voodoo stuff later.]

Grancesia mumbled something, but I brushed it off lightly.

* * *

Clink clink.

“Your Grace, would you like a cup of tea?”

“Mmm. Thank you.”

Duke Gale accepted the warm teacup Monet offered and inhaled the aroma in admiration.

“It smells delightful.”

“It’s the pride of my homeland, Your Grace. I’m glad you like it.”

With a satisfied smile at Monet’s gentle expression, Duke Gale nodded and drifted into thought.

‘But why would he send his maid to me…’

Monet was currently attending Duke Gale on Clay’s suggestion.

At first, the proposal had seemed absurd, but Duke Gale soon accepted it, assuming there must be some hidden intention.

In his experience, Clay wasn’t the sort to act without reason.

Perhaps this maid was secretly a bodyguard, ready to protect him in case of emergency?

‘Hmm, that’s the most likely answer.’

If she was disguised as a maid, the enemy would let down their guard.

Duke Gale thought his reasoning was quite plausible.

“Can you use a sword, by any chance?”

“If it’s a kitchen knife…”

“I see.”

Apparently not.

“…….”

“…….”

Amid awkward silence, Duke Gale resolved to ask Clay for an explanation later.

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