The NTR Knight Commander has Decided to Desert

Chapter 7

"Hoo..."

The Britannian Imperial Army's encampment, shrouded in deep darkness.

Muraka, a soldier tasked with patrolling the outskirts, let out a heavy sigh filled with boredom and irritation.

"Seriously... Of all days, why do I have to stand guard today? Giving a task like this to us, proud warriors of the Mok tribe, is truly insulting."

"Exactly. Wasting the strength we need for tomorrow's battle on this nonsense... it's truly lamentable."

Muraka and his comrades were not from the Britannian mainland, but native inhabitants of this colonial region.

With brown skin and muscular builds, they had joined the war effort alongside other tribesmen under the Imperial command to participate in a 'glorious battle'.

This was in accordance with the instructions of the High Chieftain, who had agreed to the Empire's demands.

However, the situation they now faced was far from the battle they had envisioned.

The Imperial Army's attack was scheduled for dawn the next morning.

Yet at this moment, the duty of these glorious warriors was not to swing their weapons at the enemy from the front lines, but merely to stand guard all night like watchdogs, and then rest during the morning when the battle would unfold.

Of course, if they wished, they could still head into battle in that condition—but it was obvious that doing so would only result in a pointless death.

Just as Muraka and the other Mok warriors were voicing their complaints—

Ron, a mainland Imperial officer assigned to the same guard duty, spoke to them with a light smile.

"Calm yourselves. Preventing an enemy ambush is just as important a task. And besides, there's no guarantee the battle will end in a single day. If anything, being deployed later could mean you achieve greater merit against a tired enemy."

"Hmm... well... I suppose that makes sense?"

"Now that you say it... Chieftain Ron has a point. It's always easier to hunt a weary beast."

With that, Muraka and his comrades softened their tone in response to Ron's words.

Watching them, Ron let out a small sigh of relief, though he also began to feel a growing sense of frustration.

'Honestly... They may be elite in combat, but you can't change the fact that they're savages. Their minds are filled with nothing but fighting.'

The native Mok warrior unit currently made up about 2,000 of the 5,000 Imperial troops stationed here.

As indigenous people of this colony, with brown skin and black hair, they had joined the war as allies under the Empire's command.

Having been carefully selected from their tribe, their combat prowess was in no way inferior to that of the Empire's elite soldiers.

Moreover, being natives, they were well-versed in the terrain and adept at handling changes in climate, making them an essential force from the Empire's perspective.

However, despite these advantages, Ron and the other Imperial officers in charge of managing them were having a difficult time maintaining control.

While their combat ability was undeniable, their excessive aggressiveness often pushed situations into chaos.

And as befit their reputation as savages, they sometimes handled matters in extreme ways, causing both major and minor incidents.

In this way, while they were indispensable, the Mok warriors' flaws were also glaringly apparent.

Working with such individuals required constant attention and careful handling, as Ron had just demonstrated.

Feeling a deep weariness, Ron could only hope that this night's guard duty would end as quickly as possible.

He wished that after the shift ended, he could return to the post, sleep like the dead, and wake to find the battle already over.

Just then...

"Hm?"

"!...Hmm..."

The next moment, Muraka and his comrades suddenly fell silent, sensing something strange.

Seeing their demeanor shift from lax to deadly serious, Ron felt a tinge of unease and cautiously asked,

"? What... what's wrong?"

"...Chieftain Ron. There's something over there."

"It's not a beast. This... is a human presence."

"What?"

At Muraka's words, Ron's face began to harden.

Even though he couldn't sense anything himself, Muraka's words were trustworthy.

The Mok warriors' innate, beast-like instincts far surpassed those of a low-ranking mage like him.

There was a good reason why he had brought them along for guard duty despite their complaints.

"Roughly how many are there?"

"That I can't say for sure. But from the way the earth's flow is trembling, it's not a small number."

"It's hard to tell exactly in the forest, but at least dozens... no, maybe even hundreds."

"...I see..."

At Muraka's words, Ron quickly began to grasp the situation.

Hundreds of soldiers moving covertly at this hour.

According to reports, no friendly reinforcements were scheduled to arrive today.

Which meant there was only one possible explanation for what they were sensing.

"A night raid... Whether they're from the fortress or a new enemy, I don't know..."

"What would you have us do, Chieftain Ron? If you give the order, I, Muraka, will take their heads and present them to you."

Muraka spoke with a deep excitement, as if his warrior's blood was boiling.

But Ron slowly shook his head and replied,

"No, first we need to report this to command. And... you all should return to camp immediately and gather the troops. If the enemy numbers in the hundreds, we need to respond accordingly."

"Tch... Understood, Chieftain."

Though they showed some dissatisfaction, Muraka and his comrades followed the order to prepare for combat.

Watching them, Ron let out a small sigh of relief and quickly headed toward his direct superior's location.

'Judging by their mood... if I'm even a little late, they'll charge into the forest on their own. I need to finish the report and get back as soon as possible...'

*

"What? An attack?"

"Yes! Enemy movement was just detected in the northern forest."

General Neto, who had just risen from bed with Clara, responded to the report—

But rather than shock or alarm, annoyance and mockery began to appear on his face.

"Those rebel bastards—are they trying to die? Hiding inside the fortress isn't enough for them, and now they're playing stupid tricks..."

"Exactly. Attacking this area, where the Mok tribe is on guard? No matter how stealthy they try to be, they clearly don't understand it's pointless."

The Mok tribe could easily detect movement within a 1-kilometer radius even in the dark.

This ability—unique to the Mok warriors and not a form of magic—had allowed the Imperial Army to handle night raids with little difficulty, and this time was expected to be no different.

"So, how are we responding to this?"

"Yes, originally the reconnaissance unit was going to handle it, but General Lea Richard intervened and immediately set out with 700 of her troops. She left a message apologizing for proceeding with a post-action report due to the urgency of the situation."

"That Richard girl? Ha! Of all things... dragging her entire unit out and leaving only a post-report? She must really be on edge."

"On edge...? What do you mean by that?"

Clara asked with a puzzled look.

In response, General Neto, no longer needing to hide his relationship with her, gently stroked her hair and spoke in a light tone.

"Actually, that woman made a huge fuss a while ago. Kept yelling that we needed to prepare because Cromwell had defected to the enemy or something. Looks like she's convinced this is Cromwell's doing and is overreacting."

"Cromwell... is behind this?"

At General Neto's words, Clara's expression darkened with unease.

While she wasn't as close to Cromwell as Lea Richard had been, she too knew well enough the kind of power that man possessed.

If this really was his plan, it was not something to be taken lightly.

But General Neto, sitting beside her, pulled Clara close and reassured her.

"Haha, but that's impossible. A single man like Cromwell can't overturn a force disparity this great. Besides, those rebels wouldn't trust his word so easily."

"R-Right? Ha... Yes, of course. You're absolutely right, General."

"There's no need to worry. All we have to do is wait for that Richard woman to clean up the mess. And if she really does drag Cromwell back here, we'll just cut off his head."

"Yes. Of course... that's what we'll do."

"Now then, we may have been interrupted, but let's continue our fun. I need to strengthen my hips before tomorrow's battle... What are you doing? If you're done reporting, get out."

"Ah... Yes. Understood, General."

Embarrassed by General Neto's words, the subordinate quickly left.

But unlike General Neto, who resumed indulging in his carnal desires after resolving the matter—

Clara, held in his arms, felt a growing unease she couldn't shake.

'Why is this... Even though the General's words make sense... Why... why do I feel so unsettled?'

*

They say fear grows with knowledge.

And at this very moment—

In her heart—

In the heart of Lea Richard, recently appointed as a general of the Imperial Army—

A monstrous fear, born of knowledge she knew all too well, was writhing uncontrollably.

She had suspected from the start that something ominous was afoot.

That's why she had overruled Lieutenant Ron of William's unit and personally led every soldier she could muster to this place.

However,

Even though she had anticipated danger like this,

the scene unfolding before her eyes at this moment began to stir a deep fear within Richard.

"What are you doing? Hurry up and attack."

"Kgh..."

A group of troops arrayed before her.

The thick darkness and dense forest made it impossible to gauge their exact numbers, but seeing them entrenched on the high ridge, waiting for them—

No... to be precise,

seeing the man at the center, radiating a vivid green divine energy that sliced through the darkness—

she was seized by a primal terror so intense that she couldn't bring herself to give the order to attack.

'C... Cromwell... Don't tell me that man was behind this from the very start...'