Ch.137137. Fireworks, It Begins.

“What are we supposed to do here?”

In response to Deputy Squad Leader Brandon’s question, I placed my hands on my hips and spoke.

“Nothing special. Just report to me immediately if you notice any unusual movements of monsters on the opposite side below.”

“…All of us, sir?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Gather all the mercenary members now.”

“Understood.”

After settling on a relatively flat area halfway up the mountain, I pointed to the opposite side while looking at the assembled mercenary members.

“From now on, you are to report to me immediately if you discover any unusual movements or signs from monsters on the opposite side.”

“Will the Cardrian family really come up this way? Even from here, the number of monsters looks substantial…”

I nodded immediately at the mercenary member’s question.

“That’s right. In particular, we’ve received information that the Cardrian family has hired mages. They might use invisibility magic to approach, so keep that in mind.”

This time, Brandon, who was among the mercenary members, tilted his head in confusion.

“If they use invisibility magic, monsters won’t be able to see them either. How can we confirm their presence?”

“Monsters may not see them, but they’ll know humans are nearby by scent. So, report if the monsters’ movements seem unusually busy. I’ll make the judgment, of course.”

“But isn’t Cardrian a knight family?”

“Variables always come into play in war. This information was difficult to obtain, so I hope you’ll follow instructions well.”

“…Understood.”

Brandon and the other mercenary members began to stir.

Understandable.

I hadn’t given them any prior notice and only explained the operation after we reached the middle of the mountain.

I adjusted my posture and raised my voice.

“I know there are mercenary members who want to participate in direct combat. However, this operation is also crucial for helping the Parseche family, so I hope there will be no complaints.”

Everyone readily answered “Understood,” but the atmosphere remained unsettled.

I drew the sword from the scabbard at my waist and continued.

“Since there might be a spy among us, from now on, all mercenary members who have heard this operation cannot leave this area. Anyone who leaves will be considered a spy and dealt with immediately, so be aware!”

In case there was a spy, I organized everyone into groups of three and assigned positions.

Including myself, there were a total of nine members in three groups.

It was a pathetically small number, but since the operation didn’t require many people, things were going relatively smoothly.

Dennis, who was assigned to my group, cautiously approached and whispered.

“Do you think there’s a spy among us?”

“If there is, it’s likely to be a mercenary member.”

“Looking at precedents in family wars, isn’t it common for knights to be bribed rather than mercenary members?”

“They wouldn’t have had time for that. If the war had been delayed a bit longer, the Parseche family might have grown uncontrollably large.”

“Still, the possibility of knights being bribed…”

I nodded as if Dennis’s persistent opinion had merit.

“Of course, we can’t rule it out. However, in the current operation, if one of our mercenary members is a spy, the impact would be greater. Our position on the mountainside is a secret operation.”

“…A secret operation?”

“Only the Knight Commander knows that we’ve taken position halfway up the mountain.”

“Ah! Then if there’s no spy on our side, the operation will certainly go smoothly.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter even if there is. They’d be destined to die by my hand anyway.”

I casually tossed that out, and Dennis made a slightly frightened face.

“After experiencing you firsthand, Lord Levan, I can tell that’s not a joke.”

I responded nonchalantly, but the truth is I’m anxious.

Although we’ve historically blocked a monster wave for the first time, this is my first war between families.

Moreover.

During the monster wave, we knew in advance it would happen and moved according to plan, but the Parseche family’s war wasn’t even mentioned in the original work, so even I don’t know what will happen.

It was only natural to feel anxious.

“Dennis, will you return to the Spear family after the war ends?”

“Well, I’ll probably just pay my respects and then go back to my wandering mercenary life.”

“Why bother? Couldn’t you just stay with the Spear family?”

“Being there reminds me of my deceased mother, making it difficult to stay long-term.”

“Then would you like to come to Lake territory after the war?”

“Lake territory? Isn’t that where we stopped the monster wave?”

I answered Dennis’s question with a faint smile.

“Yes, having someone of your skill by my side would make me feel more secure.”

“…Haha, if I survive this place, I’ll seriously consider it.”

Just then, Brandon, who was in another group, started jumping in place and stammering.

“Th-the monsters’ movements seem unusual.”

I immediately ordered Dennis to watch the movements of the other mercenaries in my place, then headed to where Brandon was.

Grrrr-!

Indeed, the monsters’ movements were concerning.

After scanning the area with my “Eye Opening,” I found a total of three humans using invisibility magic.

In terms of skill, they all seemed one level below Dennis.

Of course, I maintained my vigilance since they were mages and could introduce unpredictable variables.

‘I should handle this alone.’

Since there was no need to hide my abilities or protect others while fighting, I turned my gaze to Brandon.

“Wait here.”

“A-are you going down alone?”

Dennis grabbed Brandon’s shoulder and bowed instead.

“Yes, we’ll continue to monitor the movements of the other mercenaries.”

“Good, understood.”

Having Dennis here made me feel quite secure.

Without any burden, I applied strength to my lower body and slowly descended.

And then.

‘Invisibility.’

I also cast an invisibility spell and positioned myself where many fallen leaves had accumulated.

Then, like a lion stalking its prey, I quietly waited for the mages.

Rustle-! Rustle-!

Footsteps began to sound from a close distance.

The moment I heard leaves crushing right in front of me, I drew my sword and slashed through the air.

Swish-!

“Gahk!”

The tip of my sword pierced through the mage’s chest, and I immediately swung my sword in another direction where I heard more leaves rustling.

“Kuhurk-!”

After dealing with one of the two remaining mages, I listened carefully, but for some reason, I couldn’t hear any more leaf sounds.

Since my “Invisibility” had already worn off, I took another deep breath.

‘Invisibility.’

Now only one mage remained.

Since they already knew of my existence, I couldn’t predict how they would react.

I strained my hearing to the utmost, suppressing even my breathing.

Pabak-! Pabak-!

The sound of the mage rapidly descending back down the opposite side of the mountain reached my ears.

I followed him, focusing on the sound of leaves.

Not long after, perhaps due to lack of stamina, his breathing suddenly became rough.

Swish-! Whoosh-!

“Kuk!!”

I threw my Raiden Sword in the direction of the sound, and the last remaining mage’s invisibility spell broke as he collapsed to the ground.

‘Have I become much stronger?’

Even during the monster wave, I didn’t feel a life-or-death urgency.

If anything, facing the assassin who tried to kill the Etherian princess was the most threatening.

‘Yes, nothing beats one-sided victories.’

I considered it the result of my efforts.

With a resolve to continue training diligently rather than being satisfied with the current situation, I shouldered the mages’ corpses and climbed back up the mountainside.

Thud-! Thud-! Trudge-!

Carrying all three at once made my breathing a bit labored.

The mercenary members greeted me with wide eyes.

“Wh-what are these corpses? Were they really mages?”

I sighed briefly at Brandon’s question.

“Yes, they’re obviously mages.”

“You dealt with three mages alone…?”

The other mercenary members were equally curious, all stopping what they were doing to prick up their ears.

I straightened my bent back calmly and spoke.

“I got lucky.”

Despite my casual remark, a sudden silence fell.

Then the mercenaries began to murmur.

-How can a B-rank mercenary take down three mages?

-Yeah, if the Cardrian family sent them, they would have sent skilled mages.

-Maybe they weren’t mages?

-Th-that’s impossible! I clearly saw with my own eyes the monsters reacting when no one was there!

-But why didn’t we see Lord Levan attacking the mages?

At that moment, Dennis clapped his hands to focus everyone’s attention.

“Alright, quiet! Let’s hear what Lord Levan has to say.”

It seemed Dennis had built up trust in me after I had revealed my identity and abilities.

I smiled gently.

“I have matters to finish here, so take the corpses on the ground, descend, hand them over to headquarters, and then join the second line.”

The mercenary members still looked curious, but they followed orders, shouldering the corpses and slowly descending.

And I stood alone halfway up the mountain, turning my gaze toward the front line.

‘Now they’ll start clashing soon.’

It was a tense situation right before the families collided.

Yet I alone clenched and unclenched my fingers, grinning.

“Let the fireworks begin.”