Chapter 77

I stood alone on a pitch-black mountain path.

I don’t have a gun. I have a saber hanging from my waist, but if I’m spotted by the enemy mountain rangers, I have no means to fight back.

In other words, if I’m found, I will die.

When I sense that death is imminent, the foresight ability of the "Scythe of the Reaper" activates.

This time, I decided to entrust my life to this ability. This ability only works when one is on the brink of life and death. It’s a power that can only be used by risking one’s life. But there’s no other way.

I decided to stake everything on this ability and launch a counterattack to annihilate the pursuing enemy mercenaries. If we continue marching through the mountainous border region while being pursued by the mountain rangers, there will inevitably be many casualties along the way.

The mountain rangers are the attackers, and we are the defenders. Defenders must counterattack more fiercely than the attackers to survive.

After all, the attackers have the option to give up the attack, but the defenders have no option to give up the defense. If we give up, we will be overrun by the enemy.

So, I will strike. I will crush them thoroughly until they can no longer pursue us. I am fully aware of the danger.

I took one step, then another, retracing my steps along the mountain path.

After moving quite a distance from the campsite, a cold sensation suddenly ran down my neck. It’s the "Scythe of the Reaper." It seems that if I go any further, I will die.

I stopped abruptly and hid in the bushes.

The enemy must be nearby.

However, the mountain rangers are former hunters. They can approach without being detected even by animals. A layman’s senses are no match for them. I have no idea where they are.

As I crouched, heart pounding, I felt a gentle tap on my back.

I almost jumped but quickly calmed myself. The enemy wouldn’t approach so gently. This must be an ally.

I turned around to see Laila, the corporal, looking serious.

"Adviser, it’s over there. There are many of them, and they seem to be resting."

I couldn’t tell, but apparently, Laila, the former hunter, could. I brought her for this reason, but I still wonder how she can tell.

Well, it doesn’t matter. Now that we know their location, we just need to execute the plan.

I memorized the enemy’s position and retreated cautiously with Laila. If the enemy notices us, the plan will fail.

At the campsite, Hanna and the artillery team were waiting, under my command as a colonel.

"Adviser, how was it?"

"That rocky area. Fire everything you have."

"Understood!"

Hanna saluted and immediately gave orders to the artillery.

"Target, the rocky area ahead! Adjust the aim, three to the left, four up! Fire!"

Five field guns fired in succession. The artillery fire scorched the night sky, and shells rained down on the rocky area. The sound echoed through the night mountains.

They probably didn’t expect to be ambushed like this. Don’t take it personally.

"Um... Adviser, should we fire one more round?"

"No, that’s enough. The enemy will move soon. Follow the plan. Abandon the guns."

"Yes, sir! Everyone, run!"

The artillery team abandoned the guns and fled. We will also retreat.

* * *

【Hunting the Rangers】

The darkness was filled with the sounds of explosions and screams.

"Damn it, what’s happening!"

"It’s artillery! We’re being targeted!"

"How did they know we were here!?"

In the pitch-black darkness, the old man remained calm.

"Don’t shout. Dogs bark only when they’re chasing prey."

With those words, the mercenaries quickly regained their composure.

The old man confirmed the presence of wounded and quickly issued orders.

"The artillery is coming from the campsite. They were planning to wait until we settled down, but if they want to start, we won’t hold back. Move the wounded from the Wissen team to the Skussia team. Those who saw the artillery fire should also go."

The mountain rangers had been blending into the darkness since sunset, focusing on adapting their eyes to the dark.

Most of them still had night vision, but those who saw the muzzle flashes might have lost it. Those without night vision would be a hindrance.

"Five, more than I expected. Then, move four from the Skussia team to the Wissen team."

The Wissen team consisted of experts in stealth, but they couldn’t afford to bring anyone who wasn’t at their best. They would be reinforced by the Skussia team, which specialized in snipers.

The one less reinforcement was a consideration for the Skussia team, which now had wounded.

In the darkness, the old man gave orders to his subordinates.

"The Skussia team will spread out and create a diversion on the mountain path. The Baroff team will join you from the rear. The Wissen team will follow me. We’ll attack from the north side of the ravine and capture the artillery."

The mercenaries immediately moved into action.

More than ten mercenaries followed the old man, listening carefully to the sporadic gunshots as they cautiously climbed the ravine.

The ravine, dry and covered in snow, had the worst footing and was the most dangerous route.

But it was also the least likely to be guarded.

On the official mountain path, their allies were making a lot of noise to draw the enemy’s attention. The occasional artillery fire was scattered, indicating poor aim. They probably weren’t causing much damage.

"The Skussia team is doing a good job. Let’s do our part too."

The old man smiled, and the mercenaries laughed.

"Alright, that’s the face of a battlefield man. Let’s go!"

"Roger!"

The old man and the mercenaries climbed the ravine and the nearly vertical slope with ease, aiming to flank the artillery position.

The artillery position, fearing sniper attacks, had all the lights extinguished, but the mountain rangers, accustomed to the dark, could see well enough by starlight.

In the darkness, the mountain rangers silently approached the field guns. They didn’t fire yet. The muzzle flashes would ruin their night vision, and if their position was revealed, they might face concentrated fire. They would fire only after identifying their targets.

But they soon reported in confusion.

"Commander, there’s no one here."

"Come on, that can’t be... No one’s here."

The old man touched the gun barrels. They were still warm. There was no doubt that the artillery fire came from here.

"What a letdown."

One of the mercenaries muttered, but the old man reprimanded him.

"Don’t get complacent. Take cover!"

As the old man shouted, gunshots tore through the darkness.

"Whoa!?"

"It’s from above!"

Everyone immediately took cover behind wooden crates. It seemed they had been ambushed.

"Haha, just as I thought. Another Zepher Fortress, huh, Yui?"

The old man laughed and gave orders to his subordinates.

"We’re outnumbered, so we can’t hold out long. Destroy the guns and retreat..."

The old man suddenly fell silent mid-sentence.

"No, wait. Something’s wrong."

The old man, who was stroking a wooden crate, suddenly stared at it. He then shouted in alarm.

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"

"What!?"

"Don’t hesitate!"

The old man ran out from behind the wooden crate.

As if waiting for this, countless bullets rained down, but they didn’t hit the old man as he ran through the darkness.

"Commander!?"

"Come on, hurry! Run!"

"But going down the ravine is..."

The mercenary’s words were cut short.

The wooden crate he was hiding behind exploded.

The blast wave swept through, and something cut through the thick branches of the trees. It wasn’t just a blast wave; it seemed to be rigged with something like bullets. It had a terrifying killing power.

The subordinates hiding behind the crates were likely all killed.

"Damn!"

The old man slid down the steep slope and tumbled into the dark underbrush. The momentum was so strong that it could be called a slide, but the snow cushioned the impact.

He looked back, enduring the pain, but no one was following. The gunfire had stopped.

"There might still be enemies nearby! Stay alert!"

It was Yui’s voice. It seemed the artillery position had been recaptured.

There were probably no surviving subordinates. Returning there would be suicide.

"Damn it!"

The old man, staggering, blended into the darkness and joined the rear team.

In a forest away from the mountain path, about twenty soldiers were waiting for the old man’s return. The Skussia team and the Baroff team.

"Commander, you’re safe!"

"What about the Wissen team?"

"All gone."

The old man took a sip of the water offered and scratched his disheveled hair.

"Everything is just like Zepher Fortress. An empty position and an ambush. The wooden crates we hid behind were rigged with explosives, and even lead balls. If you get hit by that at close range, you’re dead."

"Such..."

"That boy knew the strengths and weaknesses of mountain rangers. Running down a dry, dark ravine in winter is something a layman might do, but not a hunter."

"Indeed, it’s suicidal."

The subordinates nodded, and the old man sighed.

"Right? The explosives in the wooden crates went off while the Wissen team was hesitating. I survived, but... running down a dry ravine is indeed foolish. I’m bruised and battered. I was just lucky to survive."

The squad leader, Skussia, spoke fearfully.

"Such precision... Is it really the 'Reaper Chrombertz'?"

"Probably. A noble lady wouldn’t know the habits of rangers."

The mercenaries were shaken by the old man’s words.

"He’s tougher than I thought, the empire’s reaper..."

"I never imagined the Wissen team would be wiped out in the first battle."

The old man raised a hand to calm everyone.

"Calm down. I don’t intend to let you die like dogs. As soon as it’s light, signal the Vasslo team to return."

"Commander, are you calling off the pursuit?"

"It would be a breach of contract to return now. But we need to change the plan. We don’t have the manpower to spare for scouts. We might even have to withdraw."

The mercenaries were even more shaken by these words.

"Really!? We’ve only fought one battle!"

"We can still fight!"

But the old man shook his head.

"We planned to wear down four times our number with a squad of fifty, but we’ve already lost more than ten without taking a single enemy. If we continue, we’ll be ground down. As someone responsible for your lives, I can’t let you die like that."

The old man leaned against a tree.

"Beyond here is Eobenia territory, but remember, we mercenaries have no one to back us up. If we surrender, we won’t be treated as prisoners. We’ll be hanged as bandits."

"Then, why not settle it quickly within the empire’s territory..."

One of the mercenaries said, and the old man nodded slightly.

"I had that in mind. We don’t need reconnaissance for a short-term battle. But the Vasslo team specializes in field operations and isn’t very skilled with guns. I don’t think it will go well."

The old man crossed his arms.

"Most importantly, there’s a reaper on the other side who hunts human-hunting rangers. He sees everything you can do and everything you absolutely won’t do. If we pursue, be prepared."

After saying this, the old man looked back into the darkness.

"That boy has grown into a terrifying monster..."