Chapter 178 – Hardeon (10)

A short while later, the company commander’s fellow officer returned.

“Karen. You were right. After checking the personnel, it seems there were two deserters today.”

“The ones who attacked our transport convoy must have been them.”

“Yes. And there were many testimonies that they were always very strange fellows.”

“Vile mages! How dare they infiltrate in such a way!”

Their hatred for mages was incredibly deep-rooted.

Well, they were two forces that had been in conflict for as long as Hardeon’s long history.

“By the way, where are the bodies of those deserters?”

“They’re probably still at the spot where they died. It’s a 30-minute carriage ride from here.”

“I see. An order has just been given to start a search immediately.”

But they would be gone by now.

They were not corpses in the first place, and Shin Ah-yeon would have taken care of the two of them.

“By the way, who is this one that he’s still with you?”

The company commander’s fellow officer tilted his head as he looked at me.

“Ah! He’s the subordinate I cherish the most. He’s a rookie, but a very talented one.”

As I had suggested, the company commander did not reveal my contribution.

“If you say so, he must be quite a capable friend.”

The two continued their conversation.

In fact, it was more of an interrogation about the mage attack that had occurred today than a conversation.

‘They still don’t know anything about the zombies here.’

There was no mention of it at all.

They only showed a sensitive reaction to the sudden appearance of the mages.

“Then let’s conclude the investigation here. Now, you will follow me to see the Legion Commander.”

“Right now?”

“Why are you so surprised when you’ve achieved such a great merit? If I were you, I would want an audience as soon as possible.”

“What great merit.”

While saying that, the company commander tried his best to act nonchalant, but it seemed he could not help the slight smile spreading on his lips.

***

While the company commander was having an audience with the legion commander, I quickly surveyed the camp here.

The layout of the barracks.

The size of the stationed troops.

The mana level of the combat soldiers.

The patrol routes of the sentries.

And of course, the most important thing was the legion commander and his surroundings.

What level of military power did the legion commander possess, and how many soldiers were stationed within his radius.

‘Not bad.’

Although it was a bit far, the level of his martial prowess that I grasped with my expanded senses was not as high as I had expected.

Of course, the situation around him did not seem entirely easy either.

I could see that quite the elites were distributed around the legion commander’s barracks.

In that respect, a long-range assassination method seemed easier than a close-range one.

Even if I were to enter the legion commander’s tent and assassinate him, an instantaneous burst of killing intent would be unavoidable.

There was a very high probability that those nearby would notice.

This meant that I would have to fight too many battles during the escape process.

Even for me, facing an entire legion of a nation was a considerable burden, and there was no reason to do so.

However, with a long-range assassination, although the ease of the assassination itself would be slightly lower, the escape route could be made smoother.

The assassination method would be throwing a dagger.

There was no need to apply poison or take other measures.

If I accurately pierced the legion commander’s heart with my Sword Control Technique, I could kill him instantly.

In that case, the most important thing was to find a place to throw the dagger from.

If the distance to the barracks was too close, the security would be tight, and there would be a risk of being caught. On the other hand, if it was too far, the risk of being discovered would decrease, but the success rate of the assassination would fall.

In the end, finding a suitable compromise was the key.

‘There it is.’

On a rock near a slope at a moderate distance from the barracks.

It was a secluded place where the moonlight did not shine well in the middle of the night, and there were not many obstacles on the escape route.

‘Except for that one guy over there.’

It could be called a perfect spot if I just quietly put to sleep the one guard who seemed to be stationed there permanently.

Having decided on the assassination spot, I had achieved my original goal for coming here today.

The next time I visited, all I would have to do was set the stage and execute the plan.

At that moment, the military camp began to get noisy.

More than ten soldiers were tied up with ropes and dragged out one after another.

They were all trembling in fear.

What on earth was going on.

“From now on, the judgment of the sinners will begin!”

An officer stood on a platform and recited their charges.

The content was truly shocking.

The charge against all of them was collective responsibility for the deserters.

The entire squad was being held responsible.

The squad leader for not managing them properly, and the common soldiers for not reporting the usual suspicious words and actions of their comrades.

‘This is absurd.’

The idea of collective responsibility was ridiculous, but I also did not like that they had limited the scope to the squad.

It was just the right level to conduct a reign of terror.

“Please save us! We really didn’t know!”

“Shut up! Don’t you know that not knowing is the problem!!”

“Even if the two of them acted a bit strange usually, there was no evidence anywhere that they were mages!”

The soldiers tied with ropes shouted desperately.

But despite their cries, there was not even a hint of change in the expression of the officer in charge of the judgment.

Of course, this officer was only acting as an agent.

All of this would be the will of the legion commander.

“Then from now on, the punishment for the entire squad will be carried out. The punishment is…”

At the officer’s words, everyone held their breath and watched.

The words that finally flowed from his mouth were.

“All of you are sentenced to death.”

And a moment of silence.

Pleading immediately erupted.

“Please save us!”

“We really didn’t know!”

But the verdict had been passed, and there was no way mercy would be shown.

THWIP!

An arrow was shot and pierced the head of one of the soldiers tied with ropes.

Blood splattered everywhere, and the comrades tied together could only tremble.

THWIP!

THWIP!

Arrows flew one after another.

With each shot, a head burst, and their heads drooped.

The many soldiers watching this could only hold their breath in fear.

THWIP!

THWIP!

Although their deaths had nothing to do with me, I could not help but frown.

Because all of them were likely innocent.

The legion commander knew this, and everyone knew this, but no one raised any objections.

The execution was quickly concluded.

The twelve squad members who had died like that. I offered them a slight condolence.

Although I was not doing this for them, revenge would soon be served.

***

The two mages Shin Ah-yeon had smuggled out.

The fiends were completely subdued, buried in a pit with only their heads sticking out slightly.

She had certainly done her job properly.

“Wake up.”

I tapped their heads to wake them up.

They recognized me and immediately flinched.

“To have used magic in that situation, you must have been prepared to fight to the death. It’s a pity for you guys.”

“Just kill me instead!”

“Yeah. As a matter of fact, it has been reported to the higher-ups that both of you are dead.”

“R-reported as dead?”

The two reacted with puzzlement at my words.

“For mages, your situational awareness is this poor. How is a secret organization supposed to run properly like this?”

One of them asked with confused eyes.

“Are you saying you intentionally let us live?”

I nodded.

“But your lives depend on what you do from now on. So just answer my questions properly.”

“Not a chance! If it’s about the organization, you won’t get any answer from me!”

I had already expected this level of reaction.

“I didn’t have high hopes anyway. Since it’s a cell organization, what you know is probably limited. Seeing as your magic level is crude, your position within the organization is likely White Code. Right?”

For a moment, the fiends’ eyes wavered.

“Looks like I’m right.”

I hesitated for a moment.

Whether it would be better to tell them that I was currently receiving a request from a mage organization, or to hide it.

Seeing their reactions, I thought the latter would be better.

“Know this one thing. Even if you get out of here alive, you will be expelled from the organization.”

“Wh-what do you mean!”

“If you were going to use magic, you should have won the fight. You so blatantly revealed your identity and were caught alive by the enemy, do you think it makes sense to go back to the organization again? If I were your superior, I wouldn’t trust you either. Who knows what you might have revealed.”

“It’s no use saying that! We won’t reveal anything!”

I had not thought it would be easy from the beginning.

“What great loyalty.”

“Just kill me!”

“Was it your doing? Making the zombie horse in the supply unit.”

At the word ‘zombie,’ their eyes wavered again.

Even though it was not known to the world yet, since I even knew the exact terminology, they could not help but be confused.

“Looks like I’m right.”

“That’s not true!”

“Too late. Your expressions have already said it all. I can roughly picture it. Your plan was probably to release zombies in the supply unit to mess up the supply chain. Then they would have no choice but to lose the war against the Barbarians.”

“…”

“And that’s what you guys will have revealed to me.”

“What? What did you say?”

“Your organization will probably misunderstand it that way. And if you die here, you won’t have a chance to explain. How about it? Do you still want me to just kill you?”

Naturally, the fiends could not answer.

Because they realized that just keeping their mouths shut would not solve the problem.

“The mage organization has maintained its lineage until now because of the strictness of its rules and thorough tail-cutting. It’s obvious that you will be cut off, and you will have to live in hiding for the rest of your lives.”

“What on earth is your identity! How do you know about our organization?”

“I can’t tell you that. However, I am neither a Hardeon gladiator nor a soldier.”

“What kind of bullshit is that!”

“For your information, I also have a plan to assassinate the 3rd Legion’s commander. I think that part will align with the interests of your mage organization.”

“…Don’t tell me, K?”

I had not expected to hear that name here.

It seemed the reputation that the warrior from the Gwangun Sword Family had left behind here in Hardeon was not small.

“I won’t say.”

“If you are K, then all of this is explained! Your incredible swordsmanship, and the fact that you know about our organization!”

They suddenly looked excited.

Since they seemed to have a positive perception of K, it was not a bad misunderstanding.

“No comment on that part.”

“Your appearance, which is somehow different from ours, and you are definitely K.”

“It is I who asks the questions, not you.”

When I shot them a look filled with mana, the fiends immediately flinched.

I continued to speak right away.

“Then I’ll ask. How do you make zombies?”

Even if not everything, they would surely know some parts.

The zombie horse that was created in the supply unit today. It must have been their doing.

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