One Day, In The Forest, And So On…

View of Rinasu, Lumoria Kingdom Scout Unit Captain

War cries could be heard from outside the forest.

It seemed the battle had begun.

That said, for us in the scout unit, the fight had started far earlier than the opening of hostilities.

So even if we heard that, my men would probably think no more than, “Looks like they finally started moving.”

Here in this forest, our scout unit kept searching for hidden enemy troops or enemy scouts lying in wait.

Personally, I thought it would be better to infiltrate the enemy camp and gather whatever information we could… but orders from above were absolute.

And the high command’s caution—that an ambush was most likely to come from this forest position—was reasonable, so I had no complaint.

“Captain, we checked the river far upstream, but we couldn’t find any traces that the enemy crossed to this side. There were no signs of bridges or boats being used, and no signs of the soil or undergrowth being trampled. We don’t think the enemy has sent an ambush force into the forest on this side.”

“If you couldn’t find traces, then it’s unlikely the enemy crossed the river. Ordinary soldiers couldn’t manage that level of concealment.”

But if that was the case… what method did they intend to use to win this battle?

I had assumed they would use this forest as cover and launch a surprise attack… no, perhaps they were hiding on the far side of the river until the battle began.

Right after the opening of battle, any army tended to get a little unsteady… which was exactly why it was the most dangerous period, and when casualties happened.

A misstep here could become a grievous wound, enough to decide the course of the war to come—so both sides watched each other’s movements closely.

If they were going to launch a surprise attack, they should avoid this time window… Right now, vigilance was at its peak; even if they tried, they would be found immediately.

A surprise attack meant nothing if it didn’t catch the opponent off guard.

That was why, rather than stationing troops in this conspicuously sprawling forest, perhaps they intended to move their strike force only after the fighting started.

Placing an ambush near the enemy camp… certainly, if one could do that, it would be ideal, but reality was not as simple as words made it sound.

Hiding enough manpower in a forest near the enemy camp to inflict real damage was completely impossible.

The enemy would absolutely be on guard for that and have the forest searched.

And once searched, traces of people would be found immediately. One or two might be possible, but traces left by hundreds could not be fully concealed.

So what would they do…? They would let the enemy search the forest once to lure them into complacency, while the real force stayed hidden in a forest near their own camp. In other words, as long as no one saw the unit enter the forest, the exact location didn’t matter.

If they moved the hidden unit after the battle began, then “traces” would stop mattering.

“We’ll increase the river watch. The strike force is probably not on this side of the forest yet. They’ll be coming now.”

“So the ambush hasn’t crossed, and they’re on the far side of the river?”

“Probably.”

“Should we investigate the far side?”

“…Send one unit. But it won’t just be their strike force—they’ll have scouts out for counterintelligence, too. Be careful. If you spot the enemy, make bringing back information the top priority. Delaying them isn’t our job.”

“Understood. Then my unit will—”

Before the subordinate could finish, his body swayed. Before I could even question it, I sprang backward and reached for the whistle hanging at my neck… and then I grimaced at a sharp pain shooting through my hand.

A knife was stuck in my right hand… Where did it come from…? It had pierced the hand I extended toward my chest, which meant the direction it flew from had to be straight ahead… yet until it buried itself in my hand, I hadn’t even perceived its shadow.

“…”

All sound vanished from the forest, which should have been noisy with countless small noises.

I needed to run.

I was a scout… My role was to obtain information and bring it back… That was why I always told my men: run first.

We couldn’t avoid danger in our line of work, so we had to prioritize escape above all else.

Better to gain five pieces of information and return than gain ten and die. And the ones who decided the value of the information we brought back were the ones who received it.

So no matter what, we had to survive and report—yet I, who had always issued that order to my men, couldn’t move…!

At a glance, it looked like no one was there, but… the unnatural stillness, my long-honed instincts as a scout, and above all, my subordinate lying collapsed some distance away, all told me this was dangerous… a killing ground.

And yet—why wasn’t I bolting like a startled hare…?

No… I should stop lying to myself. I was afraid—of the presence of death, closer than it had ever been.

I had made it my creed to live shamelessly, to never give up on living until the very end… and that was why I thought I had the resolve to die anytime.

That pride crumbled like a sandcastle…

“…Your first reaction… was good. But… after that was bad… even if… you’re targeted from behind… you should run.”

A voice spoke in a muttering tone. It was strange—despite speaking like that, it came through clearly—but in an instant, I felt my blood freeze cold.

It was as if she spoke to me as though it were nothing… like an ordinary moment in daily life, and for an instant I forgot the fear I had been feeling… That was how naturally her voice slipped inside me.

Realizing that made a bottomless terror surge again, and as I tried to flee, I was shocked to see someone standing beside my fallen subordinate.

A black-haired woman.

She wore revealing clothing that seemed ill-suited for operating in a forest, but the overall feel—light attire prioritizing mobility—looked like someone in my line of work.

Except… she was in a completely different league from me…

“…”

“…He’s not dead.”

At her muttered words again, I remembered what I had to do.

With the smallest possible movement, I pulled the knife from my right hand and hurled it at my collapsed subordinate’s throat. Then, without waiting to see the result, I tried to spin and run… only to be grabbed by the collar and dragged down to the ground.

The impact knocked the breath out of me. I tried to rise immediately, but I couldn’t move even a fingertip—as if I’d been stitched to the earth.

“…This time… good judgment. But… I won’t let you… go. And… killing… is not allowed.”

As she looked down at me, the black-haired woman held a short dagger stained with blood. I didn’t need to check closely; it was the dagger I had just thrown to silence my subordinate.

“…Seventeen… all of them… I neutralized them. Their strength… wasn’t much… all about the same… but… you… had the best reaction…”

“…”

Seventeen… including the deputy captain, it seemed every one of my men had been subdued… This forest… had already been under this woman’s control.

“No need… to worry… everyone… is alive… properly.”

“…You monster.”

She had captured an entire scout unit alive? …No, with this level of ability, it would be easy.

If this woman headed for our main camp… the leadership might all be assassinated. It was easy to imagine—she gave off something utterly beyond us.

And yet, at the words I forced out, the overwhelmingly skilled woman frowned as if hurt.

“…Calling me… a monster… is mean… I’m… just… a cute… diplomat…”

As if there could be a diplomat like you!?

I wanted to shout that… but I couldn’t, and I felt my vision slowly dim.

Were the enemy really just a patchwork of weak troops…? Shouldn’t we… have investigated the enemy’s information in detail first…?

That thought was my last, and my consciousness cut out completely.