I Became the Commander in a Trash Game Who Copies Skills

Chapter 27. Wolfskrig (1)

I was marching through the low, pasture-covered hills.

At a quick pace.

While maintaining a combat stance.

“Do not let your guard down! We don’t know when the vampires might attack!”

The reason for this urgency was the attack from last night.

The squire of the paladin Tember had entered the forest around the same time as me and was discovered by the Princess of Blood.

He was killed by having his heart literally torn out while alive, and his body was found by other paladins in the morning.

Naturally, I was the only one who knew the full story of the incident.

However, the experienced veterans were convinced this was the work of a high-ranking vampire, and everyone agreed that the appearance of a high-ranking vampire was a prelude to a large-scale attack.

As a result, it was agreed to cut the three-day return journey in half.

A feat that was impossible by simple calculation.

However, we had one of the Empire's three great powers with us.

The paladins of the Church, who stand at the pinnacle of faith.

“O Luark! Grant strength to your followers!”

“May light precede our steps!”

[[Warrior’s Insight] is active.]

[You have acquired a skill.]

[Miracle: Surging Strength (Level 2)]

[Miracle: Steps of Faith (Level 1)]

The paladins’ prayers scattered a brilliant golden radiance.

The breath that had reached the tip of my chin instantly became easy.

My legs, which felt like blocks of wood, were filled with strength as if I had just crossed the starting line, and the weight of my gear pressing on my shoulders and back also felt lighter.

The apprentice mercenaries who were falling behind also picked up their pace again.

“Just a little more strength!”

“You bastards, did none of you eat! Squeeze out every last drop of your strength and run!”

The squad leaders' encouragement followed.

It was a scene that clearly showed why faith was one of the Empire's three great powers.

A paladin was already a superhuman in their own right.

On top of that, they were capable of wide-area buffs through combat prayers.

The Luark Church's combat prayers and blessings had the same effect on non-believers as well.

According to their doctrine, it's because the light does not discriminate between the wicked and the righteous, but in any case, it was certain that paladins were beings who could change the tide of battle.

“Halt on top of that hill! We will rest for 10 minutes!”

“Uuugh!”

As soon as we stopped, I buried my head as nausea washed over me.

It wasn't just me; all the apprentice mercenaries in the unit were bent over in corners.

Only those who have experienced it know how harsh a march in full armor is, especially a quick-paced march in combat formation.

No matter how many buffs were poured on, marching at twice the normal speed was enough to put a strain on the body.

“A-are you alive?”

“Are you alright, Captain?”

“Captain Ash! Hold on just a little longer. O Luark-!”

At Andarin’s healing prayer, the yellow in my vision returned to normal.

I wiped my face with a wet towel Karen handed me and sat leaning against my backpack.

While I was at it, I re-cast the spells whose durations were about to expire.

[[Wide-Area Silence] is active.]

The amount of mana being drained by the 4th-level spell made my fingertips tingle.

The 4th level was still the limit I could cast without overloading.

I chugged a mana potion and surveyed my surroundings.

Even at this moment, the paladins and veteran mercenaries were guarding all sides of the hill.

It was because they didn't know when the vampires might attack.

‘The Princess of Blood said with her own mouth that she didn’t want to stir up trouble, so she probably won’t attack us, but….’

One could never believe those words at face value.

Even if I were to trust her, Count Calvenia’s forces could still attack.

As the Princess said, there was a high probability that the Count's offensive was imminent.

If so, there was only one thing to do from now on.

‘I need information.’

There is a saying, jipijigi baekjeonbultae.

It means if you know the enemy and know yourself, you will not be in peril.

Contrary to what is commonly known, it’s not a concept of unconditional victory, invincibility, or a hundred wins.

Anyway, in this fight, I needed to be familiar with the information not only on the enemy but also on the Imperial army.

Fortunately, I had a grasp on one of the two.

Thanks to what the Princess of Blood told me.

‘Count Calvenia.’

His nickname was the Corpse Cart Count.

A 6th-level necromancer specializing in magitech.

In terms of faction size, the Count was the second-ranking hero in the Vampire Archduchy.

The tactics he favored, the weapons he cherished, and even the spell he used as a hidden card were all in my head.

Just the information that the Princess of Blood's side would not be participating meant that my assessment of the enemy was more or less complete.

‘The problem is this side.’

The Princess of Blood said the Empire had ‘hidden cards’.

First, the Imperial family’s secret knight order.

Second, the Empire’s necromancer.

“…….”

The second one seemed to be definitely me.

However, the Imperial family’s secret knight order was something even I hadn't expected.

In the first place, based on World Scenario 3.0, the Imperial Knight Order had yet to even begin its full-scale activities.

It was a time when they were growing in the shadows under the Emperor's protection, chasing the masterminds behind Viscount Pewin’s assassination.

‘Viscount Pewin’s survival has changed a lot of things.’

It was something I felt every time.

That Pewin's survival wasn't a matter to be dismissed as merely a part of the 4.0 update, among them an ‘additional hero’.

There must have been a clear reason why the anti-imperial faction did not, or could not, assassinate him.

If I was lucky, it would end with it being a ridiculous mistake on their part.

But in Inferno difficulty, luck usually flows in the wrong direction.

In the end, it meant I had to know both the reason for the assassination plot's failure and the consequences stemming from that failure.

Of course, that was a story for after I returned from this expedition.

What was important right now was the movement of the secret knight order itself.

‘If the secret knight order came here… then maybe that guy came too.’

If he had made a move, this battle could never be lost.

The only problem was whose blood would be the price of that victory.

He was different from ordinary commanders, right down to his thought process.

“End of rest! We’re moving out again!”

“O Luark, grant us vitality like the dawning sun-!”

It was just a hunch, but it would be good to keep it in mind.

From my position as a mere mercenary, survival was more important than victory.

* * *

It took exactly a day and a half to return to Wolfskrig.

It was a result made possible because Andarin and the other paladins had unsparingly poured out their combat prayers.

“Captain, how about we hire a paladin into the mercenary band later?”

“Hmm?”

“There are retired paladins, you know. Their price is quite high, but… if we just have them pray every day, I think we could get our money’s worth.”

It was a fresh shock to the mercenaries who rarely had a chance to interact with paladins.

To the point that even old man Brol, who always worried about my wallet, would make such a suggestion.

“Combat prayers have a really long cooldown. There’s a usage limit too.”

“Cool… what?”

“It means you can’t use them often.”

“Was that some ancient language? Anyway, at times like this, you really are a mage.”

What was that.

Was that an insult, calling me a spell-slinger?

In any case, the usage limit that recovered slowly over days or even weeks was the biggest drawback of combat prayers.

In the battles to come, our paladins would be degraded from tactical weapons that could change the tide of a battlefield zone to knights who, despite their powerful physical abilities, couldn't overcome the limitations of a swordsman.

“I can see the gates.”

It meant that Andarin and the paladins considered this return that important.

Not just in terms of saving their own lives, but in the aspect of delivering news of the impending invasion.

Thanks to that, one of my worries was also lifted.

The worry about how to persuade the commander-in-chief of this fortress, Archduke Gabir.

I had obtained information from the Princess of Blood that the Count was preparing an offensive, but I couldn't just relay that to Archduke Gabir as it was.

The testimony of several paladins would come across more clearly to the command than the word of a single mercenary captain with scarce evidence.

But for some reason.

“Halt! Affiliation and name!”

The atmosphere of Wolfskrig was somehow unusual.

We stopped in front of the firmly shut gates for inspection.

It was a time when the sun was still high in the sky.

Despite it not being the vampires’ main activity time, the level of alert was considerable.

“This is Andarin of the holy Imperial Church’s Hohnberg branch! We have completed our reconnaissance and returned, so open the gates!”

“Pardon me, Sir Paladin, but do you have a means to prove your identity?”

“I trust you will not doubt after seeing this light.”

“My apologies. However, we must also verify the identities of the other personnel.”

To the extent that they inspected everyone’s identity even after seeing the paladin’s holy aura.

In the end, we were only able to pass through the gates after showing our holy auras, church affiliation ID tags, and mercenary tags one by one.

During that not-so-short time, I observed the soldiers, and all of them showed clear signs of tension.

Their posture and deployment were both ready for battle at a moment's notice.

The crossbows were also loaded with bolts, ready to be fired at any time.

“An incident has occurred.”

It seemed Olif had sensed the same atmosphere as me.

“Captain Ash, let's just drop off our luggage at the barracks and go to the command post together.”

Andarin was the same.

“Brother! O Luark! Brother! You were safe! You’re safe!”

I was able to hear the full story of that incident when I arrived at the barracks.

It was from the Poodle mercenary captain who came running just as I threw my luggage into the bedroom and was about to leave.

“I was worried. I thought you might not be able to come back either, brother.”

“Not able to come back?”

“Ah, you just got back, so you haven't heard the news yet? The scouting parties have gone missing. The Blade Shield Mercenary Band, the Fenrir Mercenary Band, and half of the Black Helm Mercenary Band have disappeared!”

It seemed a lot had happened in the few days we were out on reconnaissance.

Old man Poodle tenaciously followed me on the way to the command post after leaving the barracks.

“Less than half of the personnel have returned in three days.”

“Is that so?”

“And yet the command is still silent! How…!”

He, who had been following, stopped in his tracks.

“Brother… you know something, don’t you?”

The lost mercenary strength was important information, but there were more urgent matters at hand.

“I will tell you when I get back.”

The atmosphere near the command post was as tumultuous as the gate.

Imperial soldiers were running around in groups here and there.

A few mercenaries were grabbing them and protesting in loud voices.

And even provision merchants pretending to tidy up their stalls were eavesdropping on their conversations, trying to gauge whether they should leave the city.

“Captain Ash, let’s go in.”

Leaving the commotion behind, I entered the command post with Andarin.

At the paladin’s bluff that he must see the Archduke at once, an administrative official with a monocle hurriedly guided us upstairs.

“The Archduke has permitted you to enter.”

Archduke Gabir’s temporary office was impeccably clean, without a speck of dust.

His gaze, which had been glaring at documents with his blue eyes, turned to us.

The gaze that passed over Sir Andarin and reached me was, though only slightly, weighed down by fatigue.

He put down his pen and leaned back in his chair.

“Two hundred mercenaries have disappeared. Mostly on the southern and western reconnaissance routes.”

Two hundred was nearly a tenth of the force.

“Usually, they’re late on their return schedule by a day at most. There are mercenaries who haven’t returned for three days.”

A gray-haired aide next to him added.

“For now, we are closely monitoring the situation. We have raised the alert level to its highest and dispatched additional troops, so we will soon know what is happening….”

“Archduke, we do not have time to wait for them.”

“Why is that?”

“A high-ranking vampire has approached within a three-day distance.”

Andarin, representing the scouting party, recounted what he had seen.

Not many words were needed.

A description of the squire’s corpse pierced through his plate armor, and the appearance of the wound, was sufficient.

Archduke Gabir had also experienced battles with the Vampire Archduchy several times.

“If what you have said so far is true, their attack is not far off.”

“That is correct.”

“For now, return and get some rest, even if it’s brief. I will summon you again soon.”

After his blue eyes flashed, confirming the truth of Andarin’s testimony, Archduke Gabir dismissed us.

I was about to leave the office following Andarin when the Archduke called me.

“It’s been a while, Ash.”

“It has been a while, Your Grace the Archduke.”

I bowed my head, thinking it was a formality.

But his next words were meaningful.

“Do not die.”

The Archduke, who had picked up his pen again, had his eyes on the documents.

“He is looking forward to your performance.”

* * *

A couple of hours after returning to the barracks.

A summons order was issued to all commanders, including the mercenary captains.

The order delivered in the brief summons was to prepare for battle.

Amidst the blaring of war trumpets, the entire punitive force ran to their assigned positions.

Our unit was on the southwestern wall.