The Rural Officer Who Was Once a General

Part 1, Chapter 7

With Tryaev revealing his identity, the escort soldiers lowered their spears, and the supplies proceeded smoothly to the Eastern Front as scheduled.

‘That takes care of the primary issue.’

But he still hadn’t delivered a decisive blow.

To gain merit, there had to be profit.

Well, even this much would likely earn him a reward.

For a new officer’s first achievement, it might have been the greatest across the entire continent.

But Fade wasn’t the kind of man to be satisfied with just that.

Above all, it was urgent to gain more merit and at least rise to the rank of general.

So there was only one thing to think about.

‘We have to launch a counterattack.’

And that meant crossing that vast forest.

With that thought, Fade rose to his feet.

It had been two hours since the battle ended, but his body was still a little stiff.

Most of the others were so exhausted they didn’t even realize whether the ones lying next to them were enemy corpses or not, and some were even snoring.

“…Sir.”

Fade opened his mouth while stretching his body.

Tryaev seemed a bit tired as well, but perhaps because he was someone who had survived many battlefields, he didn’t look much different from before the fight.

“I’ll strike the flank of the Raman Khanate. Please grant me permission.”

“…Tell me your plan.”

Tryaev spoke in a much softer tone than during their first meeting.

It might have been because of trust in Fade’s ability, or because he had released his pent-up desire for battle.

Or perhaps it was simply because he was a little tired.

Whatever it was, Fade believed that comrades who had fought together on the battlefield developed trust regardless of rank, and this time too, it seemed that belief had proven right.

“I will take my unit members and officers. All of us will ride through the forest to strike the Khanate army’s flank.”

“Mm, another outrageous idea.”

Tryaev continued as he patted his lower back.

“So you’re going to strike the enemy with just nine cavalry?”

Even worse, four of them were ordinary infantry whose experience riding horses was doubtful.

“It takes at least three days to cross the forest. I estimate it’ll take around four. Don’t worry about rations.”

Fade took jerky from the corpses of the assassins.

“And as for horseback riding, I can teach them.”

Four days and the rough terrain of the forest would be enough to turn even a rookie into a man on horseback.

Especially if they had him beside them.

Of course, creating cavalry wasn’t such a simple matter.

Being able to ride a horse and being able to fight on horseback were entirely different things.

That’s why he chose only his four unit members to accompany him.

In any case, if they were his soldiers, they should at least be able to ride a horse, and he figured this was a good chance and justification to train them early.

Tryaev blinked a few times and then opened his mouth.

“…What about me?”

“Sorry?”

“I’m asking if I can go with you.”

“Uh…”

‘He certainly could…’

If that happened, it would be a good thing for Fade.

It would reinforce their strength, give him a stronger reason to command the officers, and deepen the trust between him and Tryaev.

“But what about the cleanup?”

“Hm?”

Tryaev tilted his head.

“Reporting, compensation for the dead soldiers, disbanding this unit again…”

“Ah, you mean that kind of paperwork?”

“Yes.”

Paperwork—it wasn’t a wrong term.

But it was perhaps the most important part.

Depending on how the administrative process and the reporting were handled, promotions and evaluations would change.

Even if one achieved great merit, if the report leaked details, it would be hard to gain recognition.

“That’ll be handled by a scribe.”

“A scribe?”

“Yes, a former comrade of mine. After injuring his leg, he’s been helping with those chores. I already sent a message pigeon with the rough details, so he should’ve started by now.”

“Oh?”

That was quite a good idea.

Fade usually didn’t delegate this kind of task because he had a knack for it himself, but it did seem nice not to be burdened by such chores in times like these.

‘Maybe I should get an administrator once the scale gets bigger.’

Fade thought that to himself as he nodded.

If Tryaev was joining, then it was all the better for him.

Thus, a ten-man assault team was formed.

The remaining soldiers were disbanded with just a few claps from Tryaev.

Fade, Tryaev, and the perceptive officer mounted their warhorses, and the rest of the officers and unit members chose from the horses the assassins had ridden, matching their build and preferences.

The officers chose horses that fit their size.

Karun picked the impressive warhorse that seemed to belong to Zarbin, and Niss mounted a decent one.

Ted, being bulky, had to ride a rough and large horse, while Hughes, being small, had to choose a small and agile one.

“Well then, let’s depart.”

Fade tied a leather canteen and a pouch of jerky to his waist, then spurred his horse’s side.

“Uagh!”

At the moment of departure, Karun and Ted toppled over.

“…Take off your heavy armor.”

***

Three and a half days.

By the original estimate, they should’ve been close enough to the Khanate’s camp to start preparing for battle—but Fade and his cavalry were still stuck halfway.

“Ugh!”

Ted tumbled off his horse and rolled on the ground.

“Wow…”

Fade couldn’t help but be amazed.

Falling like that, it wouldn’t be strange to see a bone broken—but not a single drop of blood, no swelling, just a bit of dirt on his cloth armor, and groaning as he climbed back onto the horse. It was honestly impressive.

You’d think pain would help him focus, but the guy’s riding skills were still painfully slow to improve.

And Ted wasn’t the only problem.

Though yeah, he was definitely the biggest one.

Karun had gotten good at picking up speed, but turning was still a challenge. Niss, on the other hand, usually rode well, but every time he tried to slow down, he almost toppled over.

Surprisingly, the one most suited for horseback riding was Hughes.

His horse was a small one that matched his build, but watching him ride at a full gallop, there was no better fit.

It wasn’t that the horse was exceptional.

It was Hughes’ riding skills that were outstanding.

With a bit of exaggeration, he barely needed any more training.

Whenever the group had to stop because of the other three, Fade would take the time to teach Hughes how to fight from horseback.

And Hughes handled weapons on horseback far better than on the ground.

‘At this rate, by the time we arrive, they’ll at least be able to ride properly.’

With that thought, Fade turned to the next issue.

“So now the question is—how do we strike?”

***

“Why the hell aren’t they back yet?”

Yabatu, captain of the White Banner of the Raman Khanate, clicked his tongue.

He could overlook the units directly under Zarbin or the light infantry, but Terry and Jett were two of the few rangers under his own command.

‘Weren’t they supposed to be back two days ago?!’

This was bound to interfere with the operation.

His unit preferred to assess the enemy and then overwhelm them with medium cavalry.

But without those two veteran rangers, intelligence gathering was sluggish.

To crush the enemy light cavalry, they’d need to strike with a surprise charge.

Otherwise, the differences in speed and endurance would show.

And if it came to that, they might end up failing to hit the main force properly—or worse, be surrounded after a failed charge.

“Damn that Zarbin!”

He’d barely convinced him to lend two assassins, and now that he’d sent Terry and Jett with them, they were this late?

Anyone who understood the importance of two days on the front lines wouldn’t dare pull something like this.

“…Don’t tell me they’re dead?”

Terry and Jett were orphans he had picked up and raised on the battlefield.

If he lost them in such a senseless way, it’d be a massive blow.

“Ugh, this is maddening!”

He thought of Zarbin, who’d begged him for something that would earn him merits.

He wanted nothing more than to punch that guy right in the face.

“Captain!”

One of Yabatu’s soldiers scratched his head as he approached.

“The sun’s about to set. Should we start stripping off the armor?”

“…Yeah. Have everyone switch to light gear and begin maintenance, except for the sentries. Let the horses rest too.”

Yabatu ground his teeth.

“Damn it, we’re wasting precious time.”

He looked toward the expansive forest nearby.

The terrain was rough, making it difficult for large forces to move through—but just a few days in that direction lay the Empire’s rookies.

He had to hold back the urge to cross that forest and bring Terry and Jett back himself, turning his head away.

“Tomorrow, we will fight—”

“Gah!”

Before he could finish muttering, screams erupted from the soldiers.

“What the hell?!”

The shouting came from the direction of the forest.

“S-Sir! The sentries have been hit! We’re under attack!”

As a few soldiers shouted in panic, Yabatu gritted his teeth and mounted his horse.

‘Good thing I hadn’t removed my armor yet.’

Gripping his crude glaive tightly, Yabatu urged his horse toward the sounds of battle.

Kaang!

With a sharp, ringing clang, one of his soldiers collapsed at Yabatu’s feet.

It was one of the sentries—looked like he’d been knocked out with a spear shaft.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Yabatu, now face-to-face with the enemy, swung his glaive through the air in irritation.

“…Centurion—or should I say the Captain of the White Banner?”

Fade slowly turned his horse to meet Yabatu’s gaze.

"Yeah, this is the kind of opponent I should take down on my first deployment."

Fade let his bastard sword hang low.

“Young punks sure talk big!”

Yabatu’s eyes gleamed as he drew his glaive back behind his waist.

“Seems you're not old enough to know that age alone isn’t a virtue.”

With a faint smile, Fade kicked his horse into motion.

Yabatu gladly accepted the challenge and charged to meet him.

“Hyahaa!”

Yabatu shouted as he swung his glaive with full force.

Despite the weight and power behind it, his speed did not fall short of Fade's.

Chaaang!

Sword and glaive clashed with a resonating clang.

Sst.

But Fade’s practiced hand recovered his weapon first.

Shhk!

His sword drove into Yabatu’s side.

Even through heavy armor, the bastard sword managed to draw blood.

“Damn it!”

Yabatu, slightly flustered, retrieved his glaive.

‘This guy’s the real deal.’

The confidence to strike here with what looked like only a handful of cavalry wasn’t baseless bravado.

With a fierce glare, Yabatu parried the next incoming strike with the shaft of his glaive.

He followed with a thrust, but Fade pressed low to his horse, narrowly avoiding the blade.

Whoosh!

Pushing off the stirrup, Fade shifted his body to the horse’s side and slashed upward with his sword.

The attack came from an angle impossible to block—his blade pierced through the armor and struck Yabatu’s horse.

“Urgh!”

By the time Yabatu registered what had happened, he was already pinned beneath his fallen mount.