Chapter 725: Chapter 725

Ismogen didn’t head straight for the battlefield after descending the mountain.

He instead concealed himself once more in a suitable forest. He planned to receive information from the bandits there.

The bandits had infiltrated various parts of Count Bonedor’s territory, disguised as estate citizens, guild staff, and mercenaries. Wherever there were whispers of labor being needed, they made their way there without hesitation.

Fortunately for them, the ongoing war worked in their favor. With most of the soldiers conscripted and sent to the front, inspections had grown a bit lax.

Due to the war, both people and supplies were moving extensively between towns and villages. Thanks to that, the bandits were able to gather information without having their identities exposed.

“Bonedor’s forces have already mobilized.”

“They’re moving with extreme caution, so their pace is slow.”

“I think it’s because they have to safeguard the war machines thoroughly.”

The bandits diligently reported everything they had uncovered to Ismogen. Ismogen simply listened in silence.

In truth, what he truly wanted wasn’t just information about the war. His objective was to confirm whether those weapons were actually being used on the battlefield.

Before long, the news Ismogen had been waiting for finally reached him.

“Bonedor’s forces have captured Count Schwarz’s first fortress!”

“Did they use the Empire’s new weapon?”

“Yes, yes! I saw it from afar! It looked like a statue? Mounted on a wagon! It spewed fire just like that! And the wall collapsed instantly!”

“…What happened to Schwarz’s forces?”

“After the statue fired twice? Maybe more? The walls crumbled in several places, and they panicked and retreated! I heard they had only half believed the rumors themselves!”

“……”

The explanation was crude, but considering the bandit was uneducated, there was no helping it. The important part was that a weapon of terrifying power really did exist.

There was definitely something. If he got close enough, he could confirm it himself from a distance.

But that alone wasn’t enough. He had to find out exactly how the new weapon was structured, how much power it could exert, and whether it could be mass-produced.

The best approach was, of course, to steal the weapon itself.

‘How should I do this…’

If he truly set his mind to it, he could steal at least one of the weapons. The problem was that doing so would expose his identity.

Not just the knights and soldiers of the territory were present, he had heard even the Empire’s covert unit was involved.

If he clashed with them and unleashed the power of a Transcendent, there would certainly be those who would start to suspect who he really was.

Ismogen mulled it over for a long while. He couldn’t afford to have his identity exposed yet.

Right now, his comrades were sowing chaos in other kingdoms. If his cover were blown, their operations might also fail.

So even in this small territory, Ismogen couldn’t recklessly exert his power and had no choice but to lie low.

However, if everything he’d heard about the weapon’s destructive power was true, then the war would end much sooner than expected. He had to seize it before the imperial envoys returned.

“…Keep tracking the weapon’s location.”

After much deliberation, Ismogen ultimately decided to observe a little longer. His intention was to wait until the perfect opportunity arose.

Over the next few days, Ismogen listened to the reports brought by the bandits while he waited.

What irked him slightly was that the bandits were coming and going far more frequently than usual.

‘Should I start thinking about relocating?’

He had never stayed in one place for this long while receiving reports, and it made him inwardly uneasy.

Just as he made up his mind to move again and reassign his informants, one of the bandits arrived with the piece of information he’d been waiting for.

“They’re moving the weapon in secret!”

“…Explain.”

“Count Schwarz, who kept being pushed back, apparently requested support from neighboring territories and the royal family. Count Bonedor found out and decided to secretly move the weapon and launch a surprise attack before reinforcements could arrive!”

“…”

Ismogen furrowed his brow. The strategy made sense. Ending the war before others could intervene was undoubtedly the best move.

But because it was such a plausible piece of intelligence, it made him even more suspicious. No matter how lax the information control might be, it wasn’t easy for an outside agent to uncover a top-secret operation.

“How did you find out something that important? It should be a highly classified operation.”

“A-an informant who infiltrated as a mercenary told us!”

“…What about the number of troops?”

“They say no one can even get close to the weapon unless they’re from the Holy Empire. Two hundred soldiers from a secret imperial unit are taking a roundabout route with the weapon. They really have left the camp.”

“…”

Ismogen deliberated once more.

Controlling information was more difficult than it seemed. No matter how tightly you try to manage it, if it passed through enough hands, it was bound to leak somewhere. If even a whisper spread within the camp, it would quickly spiral out of control.

That’s why, in wartime, such carelessness was sometimes deliberately exploited.

Perhaps this was one of those situations. Since Count Schwarz kept avoiding direct confrontation, Count Bonedor might have deliberately leaked the rumor to lure him out.

But it was also an incredibly tempting piece of information. If it was true, he could seize the weapon with ease.

‘It’s worth a try.’

As long as he didn’t reveal his identity, it would be fine. He would observe from a distance, and if he was certain, it wasn’t a trap, he would make his move.

“I’ll go seize the weapon.”

With that, Ismogen began to move stealthily, taking all the bandits along with him.

As they were making their way out of the forest, one of the bandits muttered while looking at a bird perched on a tree.

“Wow, a bluebird of luck.”

The bird was a bit plump and stubby, but it did have a bluish hue.

Another bandit nearby chimed in.

“Huh? I saw one flying around in the city too. There must be a lot of bluebirds in this area.”

“Right? Seeing a bluebird feels like a good omen. I think this job will go well too.”

That’s what the bandits believed. The fact that they were still alive even after getting caught by a mysterious middle-aged man was proof enough for them.

Truly hoping this would be their last mission, they trailed after the Empire’s secret unit.

* * *

Clunk, clunk, clunk.

The Julien Mercenary Corps was moving, pulling a cart loaded with a Dragon Cannon.

Thanks to the weapon’s sheer power, it wasn’t difficult to pass themselves off as the Holy Empire’s secret unit. But the one they truly wanted to deceive was someone else.

Kyle asked Julien,

“Do you think he’ll really show up?”

“Who knows… Ghislain said the bastard wouldn’t let this chance slip away.”

“What if he doesn’t show? What if he misses it?”

“Then we’ll keep trading until he does.”

“……”

“Either way, Ghislain is convinced that this is the work of the Salvation Church’s priest. We don’t have any other options.”

Ghislain was certain that the priest from the Salvation Church had made a move on both territories.

He’d come to that conclusion after observing the reactions of Count Bonedor and Count Schwarz.

It was possible that one of them was feigning ignorance or lying, but circumstantial evidence clearly pointed to an unknown third party’s involvement.

That’s why they were actively spreading false information and moving with intent.

Clunk! Clunk! Clunk!

Pretending to move covertly (?) meant taking paths that weren’t roads. Every time the cart jolted violently, the Dragon Cannon shook with it.

Osval shouted at Kyle after spotting the state of the load.

“Brother! The iron plates and wooden panels we patched on are falling off again!”

“Ugh, that damn junk…”

The Dragon Cannon looked more grotesque by the day. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a complete piece of trash now.

In the end, the mercenaries repaired the Dragon Cannon every time they took a break. Whatever was inside, it was too important to let it break just yet.

While the mercenaries were busy with the repairs, Dark, in the form of a sparrow, flew in and perched on Kyle’s shoulder.

“Found him. He’s on the move right now.”

“What? For real? You really found him?”

“Damn right. No one escapes these eyes. I tailed every guy leaving the city. Nearly died from the effort. Did you know I had to make a Dark No. 57?”

“So, can we go and strike first?”

“No, no. His subordinates are moving first, and the boss is trailing far behind. Real cautious bastard. And his energy isn’t normal either. I stayed back because I was worried I’d get spotted if I got too close.”

At Dark’s words, Kyle looked to Julien. Julien gave a nod.

“Let’s start moving slowly. Just stick to the plan. He’ll show himself.”

The mercenaries began moving again with the Dragon Cannon in tow. They stuck to secluded paths, the kind no one else would use.

When night fell, the mercenaries settled in a suitable spot. They lit torches, left a few on watch, and the rest lay down as if to sleep.

But no one was truly asleep. Every mercenary was poised, ready to grab their weapon at a moment’s notice.

They knew an ambush was coming soon.

Of course, not everyone was aware. In any group, there was always at least one person who didn’t have a clue.

“Snore… hooorr… kuuurrrgh! Cough! Cough! Guhhh…”

“……”

Everyone was only pretending to sleep except for Osval, who had actually fallen asleep.

As more time passed, bandits began to gather around the encampment.

Camouflaged with branches and making use of the terrain, the bandits crept closer in silence. Flattened against the ground, they slithered forward so stealthily that anyone not paying close attention wouldn’t have noticed a thing.

These were bandits used to nighttime raids. The moment they were within striking distance, they sprang to their feet.

And without a word, they charged at the mercenaries’ camp.

The bandits believed their ambush was a success. Only a few sentries were posted, and even those few were nodding off.

To top it off, one of them was even snoring loudly.

But the moment they swung their weapons, the bandits realized something was off.

Clang!

One of the “dozing” soldiers suddenly raised a sword and blocked the attack.

“Damn it! We’ve been found out! Hit them, now!”

As the lead bandit shouted, the others roared and charged in violently.

“Waaahhh!”

“Kill them all!”

All the bandits were disguised as soldiers from Schwarz’s forces. Their plan was to pin the blame on them if things went south.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The battle between the bandits and the mercenaries began. But the longer the fight went on, the more one-sided it became.

There were about a hundred bandits, while the mercenaries numbered two hundred. They were already outnumbered, and the mercenaries were far superior in skill.

Even Osval, who had abruptly woken up and started mumbling nonsense, effortlessly sent bandits flying.

Especially Julien and Kyle, their prowess stood out above the rest.

Thanks to years of training and experience, they had already reached the threshold of the highest tier.

With every swing of their swords, bandits lost their heads.

Before long, the surviving bandits were backing away, their faces pale with fear.

“Damn it! What the hell? Why are they so strong?”

“W-We didn’t even manage to kill one of them.”

“Half of us are already dead…”

Julien raised his sword and pointed it at the bandits, asking,

“Are you with Schwarz’s forces? You’ve got guts, attacking us, from the Holy Empire. Did you really think a sneak attack like this would work?”

The bandits couldn’t even answer; they just gritted their teeth. They were only following orders, they didn’t really understand what was going on.

But they couldn’t run away either. Someone far scarier was behind them.

Frozen in indecision, a laugh echoed from the darkness.

“To think there’d be two top-tier knights… You really must be from the Holy Empire…”

The voice belonged to Ismogen.

He already knew the full military strength of Count Bonedor and Count Schwarz. Neither territory had knights who had reached the top tier.

Yet here were two such warriors guarding a unit transporting a weapon.

After seeing them, Ismogen was convinced. These really were elite figures from the Holy Empire, bringing a secret weapon with them.

Now was the time to act boldly.

“All of you will die here. Crusaders blessed by the grace of God, show these heretics the will of the divine.”

Ismogen’s voice carried a mysterious power. The moment the bandits heard it, they began to tremble.

Fwooosh…

An eerie energy started to gather from all directions. At the same time, the bandits contorted grotesquely in pain.

“Guuurgh…”

Their clothes tore as their upper bodies swelled unnaturally. Their eyes darkened, and bulging veins emerged across their skin.

Thick black smoke erupted from their mouths, noses, and ears. Wreathed in the smoke, they let out monstrous howls.

KRAAAAHHH!

Transformed into monsters, they charged at the mercenaries once again.

BOOOOM!

“Guh!”

The mercenaries who blocked the attack staggered backward. These so-called Crusaders unleashed explosive strength, their life force igniting in combat.

“Fall back! Form a defensive line!”

Julien shouted, quickly pushing between the Crusaders and his men.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Julien and Kyle stood at the very front, holding back the Crusaders. The other mercenaries quickly formed squads and joined the battle.

Only then did a balanced formation begin to take shape. Julien and Kyle poured all their strength into protecting their comrades.

But the Crusaders hurled themselves forward with no concern for their lives. The mercenaries slowly began to lose ground.

Even in the heat of battle, Ismogen did not reveal himself.

He remained in the shadows, watching the fight unfold. After all, everyone here was meant to die. He intended to wear them down as much as possible.

There was no one around for miles, no one who could stumble upon them. It was a perfect setup.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

KRAAAAH!

The mercenaries kept getting pushed back. Their strategy centered on defense, so it was only natural.

Before long, no one remained near the Dragon Cannon.

Ismogen, who had been trailing the fight, came to a halt. Silencing the Empire’s men was important but the true priority was the Holy Empire’s secret weapon.

He glanced at the Dragon Cannon and muttered,

“…A chicken?”

Ismogen wasn’t exactly a connoisseur of art.

Examining the Dragon Cannon from various angles, he frowned.

For something supposedly crafted by the Holy Empire, it looked far too shabby. Even if one tried, it would be difficult to build something this hideous.

He wasn’t an art critic by any means, but even he could tell this wasn’t right.

Power was the most important trait in a weapon, sure but this was supposed to be an Imperial weapon. It shouldn’t look this pathetic.

Ismogen gathered his energy. A suspicion flickered in his mind. What if this was really a trap?

And not one meant for Schwarz’s forces…

“You mean… me?”

At that moment, a massive surge of magical power burst from the Dragon Cannon’s barrel.

KABOOOOM!