Dark, returning from his scouting, approached Ghislain and whispered softly.
"Master, it's true. The enemies are here. Wow, how did you know?"
"You don't have to whisper so quietly. Even if you shout from here, they won't hear you."
"Oh, come on. Let me set the mood."
Grumbling, Dark began to report what he had seen.
"There are about twenty groups. They're all taking the most challenging terrain. But every route you predicted, they were there."
"The numbers?"
"Uh… about five hundred per group?"
In the past, Dark couldn't estimate numbers accurately. But after following Ghislain and gaining war experience, he had developed the sharp eyes of a proper scout.
Ghislain nodded at Dark's words.
"We'll have to let some slip through."
Breaking into such small groups was a strategy to remain inconspicuous. The deeper the war, the easier it was for large armies to be discovered.
Five hundred wasn't a small number, but by using forests and mountains and moving only at night, they could remain hidden.
Most importantly, the Revolutionary Army was highly skilled in staying under the radar.
"The ones that slip past will need to be hunted down later. But we'll leave those to Claude."
Ghislain grabbed the reins of his horse.
Predicting the routes the Revolutionary Army would take wasn't difficult. There were only so many paths they could use to stay hidden.
When preparing for an ambush, the key wasn't predicting the enemy's movement—it was being certain they were planning an ambush.
And Ghislain's prediction had hit the mark perfectly.
"Knowing someone well really does come in handy," he chuckled.
In his previous life, the Revolutionary Army had often relied on ambush tactics, especially striking from behind while the Allied Forces were engaged elsewhere.
It wasn't hard to foresee their strategy.
Moreover, with Dark around, surveillance was easier than ever. Once the enemy's goals were clear, their movements were easy to track.
Ghislain gave Dark a new order.
"Spread the word. Tell everyone the enemy will show up soon."
"Got it. Man, I hope I don't get eaten along the way."
Dark's body split into several small forms, and tiny crows flew off in all directions to relay the message.
Currently, Ghislain had divided his mobile army into ten units of about two thousand soldiers each. Each unit was led by experienced commanders like Yulian, Parniel, Gillian, Kaor, Gordon, and Lucas.
For safety, splitting further wasn't an option. Any enemies that slipped past could be pursued later.
"Alright, let's get ready. They'll be here soon."
They were positioned in a massive forest. The trees stretched high, allowing little light to penetrate.
The mobile army had tethered their horses far away and left a few sentries behind. The rest applied black camouflage paint over their armor and helmets and dispersed widely through the forest.
The armor of the Fenris Knights was already black, so they didn't need additional camouflage.
"Hoo…"
Hidden throughout the forest, the mobile army even silenced their breathing. If Ghislain had emphasized charge tactics in training, the next priority had been concealment and cover.
For an army specializing in pursuit and ambush, these skills were essential.
The forest fell into a profound silence. Even the birds and insects seemed uneasy, ceasing their calls in the presence of the unwelcome intruders.
The mobile army maintained this state for half a day. While it would have been grueling for others, for them, it was nothing.
'Heh, this is relaxing.'
'I wish everyday were like this. Hehe.'
'Better than construction work.'
'All that running around was exhausting.'
'Man, this is too comfortable. I'm going to fall asleep.'
For the constantly moving and battling mobile army, hiding was hardly different from resting.
'Take your time showing up.'
They all wished for the same thing. While concealment exercises during training had been tedious, following Ghislain had taught them there were far worse hardships.
Unfortunately, their wishes weren't granted. As night deepened, figures as stealthy as they were began to appear.
Step.
Several scouts from the Revolutionary Army cautiously entered the forest, surveying their surroundings for signs of beasts or monsters.
The possibility of humans being nearby didn't even cross their minds. The Allied Forces had no reason to be here.
"All clear."
Of course it was. Ghislain and his mobile army had already scoured and secured the area.
Unaware of this, the scouts took out flints and struck them together.
Clack!
A small spark flickered in the dark forest.
Seeing the signal, the rest of the Revolutionary Army entered the forest. Their horses wore padded hoof covers to silence their steps, and their soldiers were painted with camouflage.
Moving in perfect coordination, they quickly formed ranks and began advancing.
Despite not being a formal military force, their movements were precise and disciplined—a testament to their expertise in such operations.
The group entering the forest was the 2nd Battalion of the Revolutionary Army. Their commander, Tarim, let out a sigh of relief.
"Not far now. Once we're through here, we'll reach Artrode Kingdom."
So far, so good. A little more effort, and they would reach the planned hideout.
There, they would wait until their comrades gathered.
Their goal wasn't to strike the Allied Forces directly. Their numbers made that impossible.
'But if it's during a battle, that's a different story.'
The Allied Forces, being a large army, would need to secure supply lines by capturing key positions in the Artrode Kingdom.
This meant they would have to divide into several corps. The Revolutionary Army's plan was to target one such corps and strike from behind during combat.
"Let's keep going. Just a little more effort."
Tarim sighed repeatedly, urging his battalion forward.
They were tired, but they had to reach the next location before dawn. Once there, they could rest.
'Damn it, I joined the Revolutionary Army to avoid war….'
Tarim had joined under the condition that he'd serve as a training instructor. As a former knight, albeit a junior one, he had been a valuable recruit and could negotiate terms.
At first, life had been good—staying in hideouts without fighting.
But now that the Revolutionary Army had allied with the Salvation Church, there was no escaping the battlefield.
'I'll need to find a chance to run away.'
He figured there would be an opportunity during combat. This time, he planned to flee far away.
Whatever Tarim was thinking, the 2nd Battalion of the Revolutionary Army moved swiftly through the forest.
Living like a decentralized network in mountain hideouts, they were masters of stealth.
Even after crossing half the forest, nothing had happened. Tarim finally began to relax.
"Good, everything's going smoothly. We'll make it to the next spot before dawn. But…."
But something felt strange. Having lived in forests and mountains all his life, he quickly sensed that something was off.
"It's too quiet. Is this place always like this? Or is it because of us?"
As they moved, Tarim tilted his head in confusion. It didn't feel like the usual quiet caused by their presence.
Not just nearby—there was no sound from the distance either.
Uneasy, but dismissing it, Tarim shook his head.
'No way. The Allied Forces can't possibly know we're coming and ambush us here, right?'
Unless there was a spy leaking information, it was impossible.
Even with a spy, it would be improbable. They had moved immediately after deciding on the plan.
Calming himself, he kept advancing, until he saw the scouts who had gone ahead standing still.
"What is it? What's going on?"
As he approached, he saw the scouts surrounding someone.
Tarim walked up to them and asked.
"Who's this?"
"We don't know. He insisted on seeing our leader, so we spared him for now."
"What? Me?"
Enhancing his vision, he examined the figure, but it was too dark to see clearly. The individual seemed suspicious, but being alone, didn't appear to pose a threat.
"Light."
At Tarim's command, a few soldiers lit torches. The dim forest brightened slightly, revealing the stranger's face.
Tarim stared at the man standing calmly with his hands raised.
"Who are you? Why are you here alone? Did you get lost?"
The lone man, Ghislain, smirked as he replied.
"I've come to collect a toll."
"…What?"
"If you want to pass through here, it'll be 100 gold per person."
Tarim stood stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Pfft."
"Hehe."
The others followed suit. Though they couldn't laugh loudly while in hiding, quiet chuckles escaped.
Even the scouts encircling Ghislain relaxed, breaking into smiles.
One of the scouts shook his head and spoke to Ghislain.
"Do you even know who we are? A toll? You're asking us for a toll? All by yourself?"
Collecting tolls on roads was their specialty. The Revolutionary Army wasn't called a gang of bandits for nothing.
And here was someone, alone, trying to demand a toll from the experts.
"You're insane. Let's just kill him."
At the scout's suggestion, Tarim, being a former knight, hesitated briefly.
"To keep our presence hidden, we probably should… but if he's just crazy, maybe we can leave him be…. Hm?"
As he spoke, Tarim's eyes narrowed slightly. The man's clothes looked far too refined for a madman. His appearance was far too clean.
"Suspicious indeed," Tarim muttered as he raised his hand.
"Wait, don't kill him just yet…"
But one of the scouts had already grabbed Ghislain by the collar, growling.
"If you pulled a crazy stunt like this without knowing who we are, you must have the guts for the consequences. Die, you bastard."
As the scout raised his sword to stab Ghislain—
Crunch!
Ghislain was faster. He pulled a hand axe from his belt and buried it into the scout's neck.
Thud.
The scout collapsed to the ground without a sound.
Looking at the dead scout, Ghislain spoke.
"And who are you? Just another lackey from the Revolutionary Army trying to act tough?"
Clang! Clang!
The rest of the Revolutionary Army members drew their weapons.
Tarim's expression hardened instantly. The stranger clearly knew who they were.
Slowly, Tarim spoke.
"Who… are you?"
"Duke Fenris."
"…What?"
"Don't you know me?"
"…"
Who didn't know the name of the Duke Fenris? Anyone involved in the war would have heard of him.
But a lunatic claiming to be him, alone in the middle of the night—it was hard to believe.
"You… you're really the Duke Fenris?"
"Yeah. Want me to show you my ID?"
Ghislain's casual demeanor made Tarim swallow hard.
It was hard to believe, but he had no choice. There were few people on this continent who could act so boldly.
"Did… did you come alone?"
"I brought enough people to ensure you don't escape."
Rustle…
Tarim and the Revolutionary Army members looked around. With the faint sound of rustling leaves, a group of soldiers emerged.
They had surrounded the Revolutionary Army completely.
Impossible. How could they have known their exact location and been lying in wait?
In a trembling voice, Tarim asked.
"H-how did you know? And why are you here, Duke?"
"You don't need to know that. Now, 100 gold per person. Will you pay or not?"
Tarim was at a loss. If this really was the Duke Fenris, then the troops surrounding them must be the infamous mobile army.
The enemy had already surrounded them and far outnumbered them. There was no chance of victory with their current forces.
No, even if it were just the Duke Fenris alone, they wouldn't stand a chance. No matter how skilled they were, the man before them was a monster among monsters.
Tarim dismounted. If the Duke was asking for money, perhaps there was room for negotiation.
"I… we don't have that much money on us…"
Who carried 100 gold in wartime? In fact, who carried that much money even in peacetime?
Ghislain shrugged and rolled his shoulders.
"Then you all have to die."
"Can… can we pay later?"
"I've never allowed anyone to pay later."
"I-I'm a knight by origin! I always repay my debts. I won't cheat you."
"The world really has gone to hell. A former knight reduced to banditry. But no, no credit."
Being a knight had been Tarim's pride. Though now part of the Revolutionary Army, he still believed himself different from the others.
His wounded pride made Tarim snap.
"Everyone, run! Break through somehow! The mission is a failure!"
Pride was one thing, but survival was another. There was no way they could defeat the Duke Fenris.
Somehow, the enemy had anticipated their plan. They needed to escape the encirclement and report what had happened.
Shouting, Tarim turned and ran, pushing his mana to its limits in a desperate burst of speed.
The other Revolutionary Army members scattered in all directions.
But none of them could escape Ghislain's grasp.
Crunch!
"Aaaagh!"
Tarim, mid-flight, suddenly felt an axe bury into his back, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"P-please… spare me," he begged.
Without a word, Ghislain stepped on Tarim's leg.
Crunch!
"Aaaaagh!"
Tarim's leg was crushed in an instant. Trembling from the pain, he looked up at Ghislain, who stared down at him.
"I'll let you live for now. Let's talk after I've killed the rest."
With a feral grin, Ghislain spun his axe once in his hand.
Against these foes, there was no need for any other weapon.
His small hand axe, Empathy, was more than enough.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]