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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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“Perhaps they sent the Ghosts…”
Everyone was too frightened to mention the ‘identity’ that someone muttered.
Yes, that identity was the Ghost Unit of the Free Isiria Kingdom
If the High assassins is the terror of the night, the Ghost Unit is the silent death on the battlefield.
They are mainly responsible for reconnaissance and targeting command centers. Since they always appear before a large-scale battle, there is a rumor circulating that “if you see ghosts on the battlefield, run away.”
“Your Highness, you must retreat immediately. If the Ghost Unit has descended, the Black Mountains and the border will become a sea of blood”
The Imperial Army commander, Cassias, urgently advised.
“Calm yourself, Commander. There is nothing to fear.”
“But, Your Highness…”
“You and the brave hundred imperial army are by my side, so there’s no need to worry.”
“It is the honor of the imperial army to protect the imperial family! I will definitely protect you!”
General Cassias’s response satisfied Prince Raymon, who nodded in approval.
The imperial army is indeed simple and easy to handle. Now, the problem lies with the commanders of the Border Army and the Crayer Territory Army.
“If ghosts appear, it’s not something to be taken lightly. We should request the deployment of special forces from Count Akon of the Northern Central Army.”
Someone spoke. Judging by his middle-aged appearance, the rank insignia on his uniform, and the decorations on his chest, he was clearly a high-ranking officer.
“You know better than anyone that such a request is impossible.”
Prince Raymond said sharply.
Most of the special forces of the Philios Empire are deployed to counter the Ranger Corps of the Haifel Empire at the Monster Forest and the northwest border. Currently, the Philios Empire does not have the luxury to deploy its main force to the Black Mountains.
The high-ranking officer who spoke knew this fact; he just blurted it out in frustration.
“Since the introduction has been lengthy, let’s skip the rest and get to the main point.”
Now it was time to present an alternative. The confident attitude of Prince Raymond drew the attention of the commanders.
“To find out the location of Count Crayer, we need to lure the Ghost Unit. You know that, don’t you?”
Prince Raymond had read the setting, so he knew where Count Crayer lost his life. However, without any visible clues, specifying the location could lead to distrust and suspicion.
“Do you know a way to lure the Ghost Unit?”
A high-ranking officer asked cautiously.
Raymond grinned mischievously, like a playful troublemaker.
“Isn’t there a delicious bait right here?”
General Cassias jumped up.
“That is too dangerous!”
As a soldier sworn to protect the Imperial Family, he could not ignore such reckless words.
While General Cassias was alarmed, Gestain stood calmly behind Prince Raymon. Having observed Prince Raymond for a longer time, Gestain’s trust in him was higher, allowing him to appear more relaxed.
“General Cassias”
“Yes, Your Highness… Please, you must withdraw at once.”
“If I retreat now, it won’t be good for the morale of the Border Army.”
It wouldn’t look good for a member of the royal family, who came to boost morale, to retreat upon the appearance of the enemy.
The thoughtful side of Prince Raymon, contrary to his reputation as a troublemaker, made the commanders of the Border Army think positively about him.
“But, Your Highness…”
“For the glory of the Philios Empire, this one life is not precious, and I have three older brothers who are superior to me, so even if I’m gone, the empire will still function well.”
“Your Highness…”
‘This should be enough to get my point across.’
Prince Raymond tried to speak moderately, but General Cassias’s eyes were red with emotion.
‘Ah! To think I serve such a noble prince, so dedicated to the empire! I must protect him at all costs!’
General Cassias made a vow, and other commanders were either moved or began to doubt the rumors about Prince
Raymond being a troublemaker.
“If a member of the Philios Empire’s royal family enters the Black Mountains with only a few people, how do you
think the Ghost Unit will react?”
When General Cassias calmed down, Prince Raymond made a significant statement with a composed expression.
In the Philios Empire, the position of royalty is as high as the sky. This is a fact known not only by the Ghost
Unit but by all nations on the continent.
“Naturally, they will attempt kidnapping or assassination.”
One of the high-ranking commanders responded coldly.
Prince Raymond nodded in satisfaction and continued.
“The plan is simple. I will be the bait to lure the Ghost Unit. Then, I will repel the Ghost Unit that comes to assassinate me and capture some of them to gather information. What do you think?”
After explaining the plan, no one spoke easily.
The weight of the plan was too heavy for a young prince in his early twenties to undertake, and there was a sense of responsibility for putting him in such a situation.
“The finest knights of the Border Army will participate to protect Your Highness”
“We will protect Your Highness from the silent deaths.”
This was all they could do for Prince Raymond as he headed into danger. Though it might seem like a small gesture, it resonated deeply with him.
“Shall we discuss the details of the plan?”
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Prince Raymond re-entered the Black Mountains with only a small group of bodyguards. Meanwhile, the Border Army leaked the information and dispatched a small, elite knight unit to protect Prince Raymond from the Ghost Unit.
The commanders wanted to mobilize more troops, but they knew they had to limit the number to avoid drawing the attention of the Ghost Unit. Against the Ghost Unit, ambushes are futile; the only strategy is to have support troops nearby and hold out until they arrive.
The bodyguards protecting Prince Raymond felt the weight of their responsibility. However, unlike the tense bodyguards, Prince Raymond remained composed.
“Old man, are you hiding your mana well?”
Prince Raymond asked, addressing the Blue Tower Master with a familiar nickname as he led the way.
The Blue Tower Master, Lysfield, was taken aback by the sudden question but nodded and replied.
“Your Highness, I may seem carefree, but I am a Tower Master. Hiding mana is not a difficult task for me.” Prince Raymond nodded in satisfaction at Lysfield’s response.
Even though they were few in number, having two high-ranking mages on their side would deter the Ghost Unit from
launching a surprise attack or force them to deploy more troops. Either way, it would be disadvantageous for Prince
Raymond.
“We have company.”
The Red Tower Master, Berenus Kyle, whispered in a calm voice.
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“It’s been reported that the Fifth Prince of the Philios Empire has entered the Black Mountains.”
“The Fifth Prince?”
“Yes, it’s that troublemaker, the Fifth Prince.”
Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, the officer of the Ghost Unit stroked his chin thoughtfully. He recalled a recent report from a mountain mercenary group that had seen the Fifth Prince’s flag.
“If it’s the Fifth Prince, wouldn’t he have engaged with the mountain mercenaries and left the Black Mountains soon
after?”
“Yes, but one of our scouts spotted the Fifth Prince’s flag at the entrance of the Black Mountains two days ago.”
In the Philios Empire, only a royal family member can use the imperial flag within their unit.
“The Fifth Prince has entered the Black Mountains again…”
The officer muttered to himself, then suddenly looked up.
“How many troops did he bring with him?”
It was said that capturing Count Crayer would be a great coup, but having more means to provoke was always better.
Moreover, the Fifth Prince was a member of the Philios Empire, which revered its royalty. If they could behead him and send his body to the imperial palace, it would be a more effective provocation than harming Count Crayer.
“The guards appear to be about fifty in total.”
“That’s a surprisingly small escort for a member of the Philios Empire’s royal family. Have you confirmed the intelligence from the Border Army?”
“Of course. According to the spies we planted in the Border Army, the Fifth Prince seems to be searching for
something in the Black Mountain Range.”
This was false information.
This time, because the Fifth Prince was involved, the Border Army’s informants used all their resources with utmost urgency, and the spies from the Free Isiria Kingdom embedded in the Border Army did not detect anything unusual.
However, if the Ghost Unit had infiltrated the Border Army with their own agents, things might have been different.
Unfortunately, since the Ghost Unit had only recently moved south into the Black Mountain Range, they had yet to infiltrate the Border Army with their operatives.
“Fifty guards…”
“Excluding the presence of multiple mages, there was nothing unusual. We observed them fighting monsters, but their skill level wasn’t particularly high.”
The subordinate was unaware that the enemy Tower Masters were hiding their mana.
Even if he was an excellent Ghost agent, he didn’t have the ability to detect the identity of high-ranking mages who deliberately concealed their mana.
“Prepare the agents and request support from nearby units.”
“The Seventh Mountain Infantry Battalion has a White Unit ready for immediate deployment.”
Upon hearing the report, the officer organized his thoughts. His squad consisted of 27 Ghost agents.
With the cooperation of the mountain mercenary White Unit, he judged that they could handle the Fifth Prince’s guards, who didn’t seem to have any notable strength.
If there had been a surviving mage from the recent battle between the mountain mercenaries and Cron’s infantry,
they might have revealed the presence of a high-ranking mage. Unfortunately, no mages survived that battle.
“Very well, let’s move out.”
Finally, the officer of the Ghost Unit made his decision, and his agents armed themselves and headed towards the Fifth Prince’s location.
Their appearance, clad in gray uniforms, rushing through the monster-filled Black Mountains, was like that of ghosts.
The mountain mercenary White Unit followed, but the Ghost Unit arrived first.
By the time they completed the encirclement, the sky had darkened, and the moon had not risen.
“The heavens are with us.”
The Ghost Unit’s squad leader muttered, gazing at the deeply darkened sky.
The Ghost Unit was infamous, but compared to the true terror, the High Assassins, their skills were lacking.
The main reason for this gap was the use of “complete concealment.”
Unlike the High Assassins, most of the Ghost agents could only achieve “limited concealment,” which allowed them to fully hide only in darkness.
Thus, this night, which devoured even the faintest light, was a welcome ally.
“How shall we greet them?”
“You said there was a high-ranking mage, correct?”
He was referring to Desia. However, since this was the guard unit of a royal family member, if they hid too much, it might raise suspicion. Therefore, Desia had revealed her full strength.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The squad leader nodded at the subordinate’s response and drew a dagger from his waist. The camp’s defenses were
not high, with more than half of the guards asleep and about ten on watch.
“I’ll take care of the high-ranking mage.”
Confident that the enemy was unaware of their presence, he felt he could successfully ambush the mage, even if it was a high-ranking one, by swiftly stabbing her in the neck.
The high-ranking mage was sitting by the campfire.
“Kill the guards close to the Fifth Prince. When the mountain mercenary White Unit arrives, use the chaos to
retreat.”
“Understood.”
“Very well, I’ll go first.”
His body blended into the darkness. Since it was “limited concealment,” as long as he didn’t use mana, his presence wouldn’t be revealed.
He was confident that he had erased his footsteps almost perfectly, so there was no need to worry about being
detected.
But clearly, he had underestimated…
“Kh, khrrr…”
When he came to, an icicle was lodged in his neck.
“Sorry, but I don’t like being caught from behind.”
Desia said coldly, looking at the squad leader as blood gushed out.
“Guards, draw your swords!”
The Fifth Prince, who had been thought to be asleep in his quarters, rushed out shouting.
“A… a trap…”
The squad leader tried to warn his men, but his voice couldn’t escape, and even if he had shouted, it was already
too late.
The Ghost agents, still in their restricted invisibility state, were now leaping over the barricades. There was no avoiding the battle now.
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