Ch.134134. This Bastard, What the Hell Is He Up To?

“I am Levan, who will be in charge of you all.”

The mercenary members murmured among themselves.

Including me, there were nine people in total.

Two D-rank and the rest C-rank.

As expected, they were nothing but a ragtag bunch.

I scanned through the mercenary list given by the Knight Commander Elix, matching faces with names.

Then, at some point, my body flinched.

“You, what’s your name…?”

“…Dernis, sir.”

“Dernis?”

I directed my gaze to the mercenary list.

‘C-rank Dernis.’

What the hell is this guy up to?

I sensed something powerful and checked with my ‘Spirit Eye,’ and he was definitely not C-rank.

At least A-rank or higher.

He might have forged his mercenary badge like I did.

Dernis speaks with an innocent expression.

“Why did you call me, sir?”

“No, you just look a lot like someone I know.”

“Haha, is that so?”

What could his identity be?

Perhaps a spy?

Noble families usually don’t stoop to such petty tactics in their wars, but the Cardrian family is different.

I should be cautious since he’s definitely hiding his abilities.

“I need a deputy squad leader. Any volunteers among the C-rank mercenaries?”

One of the mercenaries raises his hand enthusiastically.

“I’ll do it, sir.”

“Your name?”

“Brandon, sir.”

“Good, from now on you’re the deputy squad leader. I’m counting on you. Do any other mercenaries have questions for me?”

The mercenary members just looked at each other cautiously, keeping their mouths shut.

Then Dernis suddenly raised his hand.

“Excuse me, but has Levan sir always been a mercenary for the Parseche family?”

“No, I believe everyone here is a new recruit, including myself.”

“Then do you have a specific reason for applying as a mercenary here?”

“I came to repay a debt I owe to the Parseche family. What about you? Why did you apply here?”

Dernis flinches momentarily before continuing.

“I’m similar. I have something to repay to someone I’m indebted to.”

“Gratitude? Or revenge?”

“…Gratitude, of course.”

I tried to probe a little, but he’s not taking the bait, is he?

I looked at the mercenary members with a relaxed expression.

“Is there anyone who applied as a mercenary here for money?”

As expected, no one responded.

Left with no choice, I asked each person about their reasons for applying.

Hearing their stories, there were more varied reasons than I thought.

Some mercenaries came to repay debts like me and Dernis, but others had parents connected to the Parseche family, or even one who came because it was his deceased wife’s hometown…

After briefly greeting the mercenary members, I took only the deputy squad leader Brandon and moved to the barracks.

“Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please.”

The barracks that Knight Commander Elix had specially arranged.

It seemed he had made every effort to accommodate both basic duties and comfortable sleeping arrangements.

I placed the teacup on the table and sat down in the chair opposite.

“When did you apply?”

“Three days ago. I was the last one to arrive here.”

“Hmm, have you gotten friendly with the other mercenary members?”

“On the first day, the Knight Commander arranged a drinking gathering. I think I’ve had at least some conversation with everyone.”

I looked at the mercenary list again and then raised my head.

“Did you talk with the mercenary named Dernis as well?”

“Yes, I heard he was the first applicant to arrive among the mercenaries.”

“Anything else?”

Brandon tilts his head curiously as I keep pressing for details.

“If I may ask, why are you asking about this?”

I almost blurted out “Just answer the question,” but held it back.

Here, I’m not “Selden Alphonse,” but just Levan with a single badge.

“He asked me questions earlier, so I was curious about him too.”

“Ah… I heard that Dernis came from the Valsen territory.”

Valsen territory—a place I’ve never heard of.

If Dernis is using a fake name, he might be one of the characters from the original novel.

In that case, he might have made up the Valsen territory as well.

‘So I’ve learned nothing in the end.’

I sighed briefly before speaking.

“How is the training going?”

“Everyone, including myself, is doing individual training.”

“Good, keep training hard.”

“Yes, sir.”

This Dernis fellow isn’t stronger than me, but if he’s a spy and I show my abilities, he’ll report to the Cardrian family.

That could make me a target.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

As I was racking my brain to solve this dilemma, I was startled by a presence and looked up to see Knight Commander Elix who had entered the barracks.

I stood up and bowed respectfully.

“You’re here, sir.”

“Yes, have you met the mercenary members?”

“Yes, I met them just now, exchanged brief greetings, and appointed a deputy squad leader. They’re currently doing individual training.”

“They’re all good people.”

“After talking with them, I agree with you, Knight Commander.”

Elix smiled faintly before his expression hardened.

“The Cardrian family will likely attack within three days.”

“I’m ready for war anytime, sir.”

“All our knight divisions except the 5th Division guarding the mansion will be deployed to the front lines.”

“What about us?”

“Wait in the second line, and if we get pushed back, support the 3rd and 4th Divisions.”

Mercenaries are usually used as cannon fodder in wars, but it seems they’re not doing such dishonorable things as mentioned before.

I nodded slowly and spread a situation map on the desk.

“Here’s a situation map I made. I didn’t have much time, so it’s not perfect.”

“Oh, you can make these too?”

“I just looked around and drew what I saw.”

“The more I see, the more impressed I am with your abilities.”

With my shoulders slightly raised from the praise, I pointed at the map with my finger.

“This is where we are now, and I assume the front line you mentioned is here, correct?”

“How did you know that was the front line?”

“First, the passage is narrow. And if we don’t defend there and retreat, they can split their forces and attack from two directions, so it’s obvious.”

“…That’s right. It’s the only place where we only need to block one side.”

“Well, if that’s the strategic point, I’d like our mercenary unit to wait on the middle of this mountain slope.”

Elix tilts his head at my words.

“You probably haven’t been up that mountain slope, but there’s no chance enemies will climb up the foothills. Didn’t I just say it’s a place where we only need to block one side?”

“You seem to have excluded the mountain foothills because the terrain is rough and monsters frequently appear there, but I think differently.”

“On what grounds?”

“If the Cardrian family brings mages, they’ll definitely climb the foothills using invisibility magic. No matter how many troops they have, it won’t be easy to break through our front line if we’re determined to defend it.”

Elix gapes in disbelief.

“Don’t you know that Cardrian is a knight family?”

A knight family that honorably only brings knights?

The Cardrian family?

Well, even when Tras tried to kill me before, he brought an elite mage with him.

Moreover.

If elite mages participate, they won’t miss this location.

The middle of the mountain slope is perfect for indiscriminate magical bombardment since it’s not easily visible.

“They’ll try to end the war before imperial approval comes through, even if it means bringing mages.”

“Even abandoning the honor of a knight family…?”

“Is honor necessary in war? People only remember victory.”

Elix strokes his chin, thinking seriously, then nods.

“Alright, since the mercenary unit is small in number anyway, I’ll allow individual movement during the war.”

“Thank you. I’m sure there will be good results. The Knight Commander just needs to make sure the front line is securely blocked.”

Elix stares at me intently, then blinks.

“By the way, are you perhaps a former knight?”

“…Pardon?”

“Making situation maps and reading the flow of battle—it’s not ordinary skill, so I’m asking.”

Did I explain too enthusiastically out of frustration?

Well, pointing out the probability of the Cardrian family bringing mages is something one wouldn’t know without experiencing it firsthand.

I scratched my head with a somewhat artificial smile.

“Haha, no sir. I just wanted to be helpful to the Parseche family, so I thought hard about it.”

“Well, if it’s difficult to answer, you don’t have to. Everyone has their own story, don’t they?”

“…Thank you.”

As I was about to conclude the conversation with one final detailed explanation, I heard commotion outside the barracks.

Then, a knight rushed into the barracks and exclaimed loudly.

“K-Knight Commander! Lady Elina has arrived!”