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The border commander, Pereron, extended his hand to Vincent for a handshake.

“Thank you for coming all the way here.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The two greeted each other warmly, suggesting they were already acquainted.

Pereron looked at the soldiers who had come with Vincent.

“Is this the newly established unit?”

“Yes, it is. This is our first mission, so we are here in a support role.”

Pereron had also heard about the Caion Unit. He knew that even from the initial tests, the standards were quite high, and everyone acknowledged their skills.

Pereron nodded.

“Let’s go inside and talk. The situation… is not looking good.”

“Let’s do that.”

Vincent ordered his troops to stand by and followed Pereron inside.

After Vincent left, Kyle approached Damian.

“Something feels off, doesn’t it?”

“It’s a cold feeling,” Dianal added, as Jerka and Terka approached Damian together.

“It feels like something’s about to go down. The atmosphere among these guys is really tense,” Terka said.

He was right. The expressions of the border guards on the front lines were devoid of any relaxation. It felt as if they were on high alert, expecting an enemy attack at any moment.

Damian silently turned his gaze toward the direction the border guards were watching.

There was definitely an ominous wind blowing.

It felt almost like…

‘The scent of a battlefield.’

Though he couldn’t pinpoint why this place felt that way, it was clear that the situation was far from good.

Damian looked at Jerka and Terka beside him.

“You two, stay right behind me at all times.”

“What?”

Jerka frowned.

However, because of Vincent’s strict adherence to the chain of command, he didn’t argue back.

At moments like these, he seemed almost docile.

Damian casually inspected the area around the border defense station.

At that moment.

“Are you the support unit?”

Damian turned his head at the sound of a voice.

There stood a rather large man.

“Name’s Garent.”

The man, who introduced himself as Garent, extended his hand to Damian.

Damian shook his hand and replied.

“I’m Damian, vice-commander of the Caion Unit.”

“Heh, so you’re from that new independent unit, huh? But to think the vice-commander is such a young kid. It’s a bit different from what I heard.”

“I get that a lot.”

“Heh heh, you don’t seem intimidated, so you must be pretty skilled.”

Garent glanced towards the forest beyond the border.

“The atmosphere has been tense lately. The groups that used to sneak across the border are growing in size.”

“How large are we talking?”

“The most recent battle involved about fifty of them. And they were quite the elite soldiers.”

The mention of a battle shocked those behind Damian.

They had thought they were only here to chase down fleeing scouts.

Damian asked.

“How many were injured?”

“One in the most recent battle. He was hit by a stray spear while the enemy was retreating.”

“So you haven’t captured any of them?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

Garent gritted his teeth in frustration.

‘…If this is more of an attack than a reconnaissance.’

This wasn’t the first time such tactics had been used.

They would pretend to be scouts, gradually increasing their numbers while hiding their main force.

If they moved a large group at once towards the border, they would risk detection, so they disguised their buildup as routine scouting missions.

‘Then they’d strike all at once… That’s how they operate.’

The frightening thing about the Empire was just that.

Even though they possessed overwhelming strength, they never relied solely on brute force to crush their opponents.

They employed meticulous strategies and cautious planning to perfection.

This made the gap between them and their adversaries even wider.

Damian asked.

“Is there any chance the enemy could be lying in ambush nearby?”

“…An ambush?”

Garent’s eyes widened. However…

“Heh heh heh, an ambush? They don’t have enough troops for that. Besides, if enough of them were moving to pose a threat, they’d have already been spotted by our surveillance.”

“…”

Damian didn’t outright disagree with that.

If a significant number of enemies were moving ‘all at once,’ they would certainly have been detected.

But if the scouts had been gradually gathering here over time…

‘I know it’s been over five months.’

If they had steadily amassed their forces during that time, there could potentially be hundreds by now.

“How many troops does the border defense have?”

“There are two hundred in the 3rd Division alone.”

Including all divisions, that’s roughly six hundred. However, even if signals were sent, it would take a considerable amount of time for reinforcements to arrive from other divisions.

Given the distance, it was practically impossible to count on immediate support.

Thus, the 3rd Division was effectively all they had to defend this location—just two hundred men.

‘…This feels off.’

The atmosphere here, coupled with the unfolding situation.

Putting all the pieces together, Damian couldn’t shake the chill running down his spine.

Tap.

“Vice-commander! Where are you going?!”

Damian quickly ran off somewhere.

It was the highest point in the 3rd Division that guarded the northern front.

“…”

The 3rd Division, unlike the 1st and 2nd, was situated in mountainous terrain.

Due to the rough landscape, enemy infiltration was much less common here.

But conversely, it also meant this area was the most ideal for enemies to hide.

Swoosh.

Damian gazed at the dense underbrush below.

If the enemy were hiding and preparing for battle somewhere down there…

Damian’s eyes remained fixed beyond the thick vegetation.

* * *

“We estimate the enemy’s numbers to be around a hundred.”

“A hundred? That’s more than I expected.”

They had assumed these were scouts, but that many?

Vincent frowned.

A hundred was nearly half the number of troops stationed at the 3rd Division of the border defense.

Depending on the circumstances, the enemy might decide to engage in full-scale combat.

Pereron nodded grimly.

“There’s also some suspicion that the enemy seems to change subtly over time…”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, sometimes they appear to have slightly different builds.”

“…What?”

Vincent’s expression hardened.

But Pereron just waved his hand dismissively and chuckled.

“Haha, don’t worry. Even if they have some trick up their sleeve, they won’t attack first. Our troop numbers aside, we’ve positioned archers on high ground. The moment they show their heads, arrows will rain down on them.”

If they dared to show themselves, they would be immediately targeted by the archers.

“Hmm…”

Unlike the confident Pereron, Vincent wore a worried expression.

After a brief exchange, the conversation ended.

Vincent returned to the area where the Caion Unit members were waiting.

“Captain, how did the conversation go?”

“There’s nothing particularly new.”

“What did he say?”

Damian asked, and Vincent looked at him.

“The enemy’s numbers seem higher than expected.”

Vincent then shared everything he had discussed with Pereron.

And then…

“Damian, what are your thoughts?”

“Hmm…”

Vincent decided to consult Damian’s opinion.

Though he hadn’t talked much with Damian before, he had noticed his sharp insights during meetings and other discussions.

Damian spoke to Vincent.

“There’s something that bothers me.”

“What is it?”

“You mentioned that there’s suspicion about the enemy’s appearance changing.”

“Hm… yes, he did mention something like that.”

Vincent hadn’t paid much attention to that detail.

The important point was the enemy’s estimated strength of a hundred and the possibility of a direct confrontation.

But Damian asked Vincent.

“What if it’s not just a hundred?”

“…What do you mean?”

“When did they say the first scouts entered this area?”

“They said it started about six months ago.”

“There have been scouts entering since then, but none have been seen leaving, correct?”

“Well, that’s because once they hide in the brush, they’re out of our surveillance range.”

“In that case, if those who entered have stayed and more forces have gradually infiltrated, then the number could be not just a hundred, but closer to three or four hundred.”

“…That’s a stretch, isn’t it?”

Vincent questioned, and Damian nodded.

“It could be. But if it’s not true, that’s fine. However, if it is true… it’s something we can’t undo.”

In Damian’s past life, there had been instances where the Empire had breached the border using such tactics.

‘I don’t know if it’s the same time period, but…’

There could have been incidents Damian was unaware of.

Vincent’s expression grew increasingly serious at Damian’s words.

It was a ‘what if,’ but the possibility was terrifying enough to give him chills.

If such a scenario were indeed unfolding.

‘This place would be annihilated.’

They would all die here, support or not, in a senseless massacre.

“I’ll speak with Captain Pereron right away. We need to request a scouting party.”

“I’ll go.”

“What?”

Vincent, who had been about to turn, frowned.

“We are here in a support role. There’s no reason for us to take the lead.”

“I learned tracking skills from my father, who was a hunter. I can track the enemy’s traces far better than the soldiers here, who have only been on guard duty.”

“Permission denied.”

“Captain!”

“I said no!”

Vincent shouted in frustration.

This was the first mission of their newly formed unit.

He had no intention of risking his men’s lives from the very first step.

“If it turns out we’re not facing that situation, it will solidify our role here and improve our report to the higher-ups. Plus, actively participating in the mission would enhance our standing with the border defense.”

But if they found evidence that confirmed their worst fears…

Swoosh.

Damian looked at Vincent.

His mind must have been racing right now.

He was torn between the duty to protect his men and the potential achievements that could benefit the unit.

‘I’ve seen commanders like Vincent plenty of times.’

It wasn’t that he was a bad person.

In a peaceful era like this, looking out for one’s achievements wasn’t something to be condemned.

Damian continued.

“If we secure the border, we could be recognized with awards beyond medals. Let me do this.”

“…Are you confident?”

Vincent’s firm resolve wavered.

Certainly, as Damian said, it could be a dangerous task.

‘High risk, high reward, huh?’

Gritting his teeth, Vincent realized it was something their fledgling unit desperately needed.

And…

“I’ll go with you. I’m not sending you out alone.”

Smirk.

Damian’s lips curled into a smile.

“Please request a few fast, knowledgeable soldiers from this area. I’ll also pick some of our fastest troops.”

“Damn it, fine. Get ready!”

With that, Vincent turned and headed toward Pereron.

Swoosh.

Damian quickly began organizing the troops, thinking of the enemies that might be lurking beyond the brush.

And thus, the first mission of the Caion Unit began.