The next morning.
As soon as dawn broke, I took Larkis and some members of the land's peacekeepers to the forest outside the territory for a hunt. We roamed through the woods and hunted quite a few animals.
By the time the sun was high in the sky, we set up camp near the forest and started a feast with meat and some fine wine. In this process, there was some natural interaction with the people of the land. Some came to the forest for firewood, while others were there to fetch herbs or mushrooms.
I invited them all. It wasn’t just that I didn’t want to keep the delicious meat and fine wine all to ourselves. In truth, there was a greater reason, but I didn’t show it to anyone.
‘Let’s see…….’
I used my inner sight to check the state of everyone present. Most were indeed our true soldiers and people of the land, without any doubt. However, there was something unexpected.
[Toff – Lv. 7]
[Strength: 12]
[Stamina: 12]
[Magic: 0]
[Intelligence: 3]
[Agility: 25]
[Charm: 5]
[Physical Defense: 3]
[Magic Defense: 1]
[Special Inclination: Meticulous Exploration C]
[General Disposition: Reconnaissance, Disguise]
Among the people hauling firewood was one person whose nature stood out. Though his appearance could deceive, his inner nature could not hide. The ability to peer into someone’s heart was a sure way to discern such things.
‘As expected, they’ve planted a spy.’
Though I had laid a trap, they weren’t fools. No matter how confident they were about having the upper hand in war, it was certain they'd conduct some pre-invasion research on the land. Their disguise was impeccable. Anyone would think they were ordinary landfolk, and even the wife he'd brought along bore the traits of a spy.
What is the most frightening aspect of strategy and tactics? It is when one is 'certain' they have completely grasped the opponent’s thoughts. The greatest complacency comes when one believes they know everything about their opponent as if looking at the palm of Buddha's hand.
I planned to show the spies exactly what they wanted to see. Though I wasn't a fan of alcohol, I downed several rounds of strong spirits for the sake of a convincing performance. I quickly grew tipsy, but I maintained enough sobriety to keep my wits about me.
I said to Larkis, “Lord Larkis, it seems we've finally reached the point where we can make our land prosperous! With our ties to the lands of Mayorca and Ronella strengthening, our worries about war have greatly lessened, have they not?”
“No doubt about it. It's been a long time since it seems a golden age is coming to our land,” Larkis agreed. I hadn’t tipped him off in advance, but from my uncharacteristic behavior, he seemed to have caught onto my intentions with his keen perception.
“Reduce the troops guarding the perimeter and reassign them to maintaining order within the territory and near the Nightmare Forest.”
“We have indeed been excessively guarding the outside. As you command. I’ll focus more on managing the Nightmare Forest.”
“And to avoid provoking the two lands, refrain from military training outside of the basic routines.”
“Yes, I’ll be careful.”
“There’s no other time of peace like this. This era should have come sooner!”
I sprawled out onto the ground and drank several more rounds. I was getting quite tipsy. Who would look at me and think I had a care in the world, a serene smile brought naturally by the alcohol. When I glanced over, Toff was observing my every move keenly. He had a gentle-looking appearance that didn’t match the image of a spy at all, but his eyes revealed they were indeed not ordinary. When our eyes met, he even smiled brightly and greeted me politely as if he were just another of the landfolk.
The hunt continued afterward. And I realized that among the landfolk I met multiple times, there were quite a few spies. Each time I tricked them without fail with consistent behavior and words. I spoke of peace and the desire for commercial prosperity, allowing a seemingly unguarded self to be seen. The spies gathered their intel and casually exited the land. Since they camouflaged themselves as people gathering firewood, heading into the forest didn’t seem strange at all.
By the time the sun was setting, only Larkis and I remained in the forest, having sent the peacekeepers back to the territory. There were conversations to be had between him and me, and we needed to review some strategies. Pressing down hard the temples that throbbed with a dull ache, I groaned.
“Ugh, after so long, drinking excessively made my head hurt.”
“Are you alright, my lord? I should have tried harder to dissuade you…”
“No, without showing such a natural demeanor, the naturally suspicious spies would have scrutinized me even more closely.”
“Foolish people, they probably think they’ve uncovered everything about you, my lord.”
“Haha, indeed. Come, follow me. There's something to discuss.”
“Yes, my lord. If you lead, then where is there that I cannot follow?”
Larkis hurriedly followed behind me as I led the way. We arrived at a ridge from where the entire forest region lay open beneath us. I pointed to a wide-open road and continued speaking.
“If the two lands were to form an allied force and send it, do you think they would choose that road?”
“I believe there are two possible options.”
“Such as?”
“If our land immediately dispatches troops, they won’t choose the main road. Since the low terrain is easy for ambushes, they risk losing a significant number of soldiers during their approach.”
“True. Anyone can see it's a terrain advantageous to us. They’ll think the same.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“And the other option?”
“The detour. It’s a little-known path, but if they thoroughly scouted the territory, they could easily discover the hidden trail, couldn’t they?”
I nodded. If the main road was a straightforward method to enter our land, the hidden trail was a kind of sneaky tactic. As Larkis said, it’s a path not widely known to outsiders. Only longtime residents of our land are aware of it. However, like the main road, it’s a pathway leading into the heart of our land.
“A skilled spy would certainly have uncovered the hidden path, especially since they were masquerading as woodsmen. They would have explored detour routes thoroughly.”
“Yes, my lord. If I were the enemy commander and found the main attack route blocked, I would promptly opt for the detour. The hidden path is so rugged it’s even challenging to stage an ambush, which might work to their advantage.”
Larkis’s judgement was sharp, aligning perfectly with my thoughts.
“So, I’ll set up these along the hidden path.”
I took out a device wrapped around magic stone from my bosom. It was a magical trap I’d stayed up all night crafting from last night till this morning. Think of it as a mine, modern-style.
Designed to explode immediately upon stepping, its force is as strong as deploying a tier-4 Fire Wall spell for 10 seconds. Moreover, the trap is filled with numerous steel balls, designed to kill targets in the surrounding area upon explosion. To create this, I spent all night tirelessly making traps, raising my crafting level.
I leveraged a mastery increment bug using Hazel’s help, who tirelessly helped me through the night, and she fell asleep in the morning. She must be waking up just now, completely reversing her day and night cycle.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. Would it be possible to see how it works?” Larkis examined the magical trap, named the Jared Mine straightforwardly by me.
“Stand behind me.”
No sooner had I spoken than Larkis stood behind me. I dug a pit at a suitable distance, planted the Jared Mine within, and covered it with soil. Then.
Buzz!
Using a shield spell, I formed a thick protective space. Having ensured ample safe distance, neither Larkis nor I were at risk of being harmed by the mine.
“Now, let’s see what happens when this magical trap, which I have named the Jared Mine, is triggered.”
I cast a magic missile spell. Though not directly, the missile could provide enough impetus to detonate the mine by hitting it indirectly. As the missile formed a curve, it flew towards the upper layer of soil covering the mine and struck it precisely.
At that moment.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed. At once, a blazing inferno rose vertically, and numerous metal balls propelled by the explosion expanded outwards. Thud! Thud! Thud! Fired metal balls relentlessly struck the nearby trees. Half of them lodged, and half pierced through. Not a single tree in the vicinity remained unscathed. The metal balls shattered everything close by as though fired from a scattershot gun.
“This is incredible… truly a formidable weapon!” Larkis’s face turned white. Although he was a seasoned veteran and commander, this was his first encounter with such a magical weapon.
“With these, we’ll annihilate the allied forces. There shall be no battlefield in our land. We’ll bury all of them, body and soul, in the forest.”
“I can’t help but be in awe, my lord.”
Larkis gazed at me with a respectful look. I added more to my initial statement, not satisfied just yet.
“From now, lead the landfolk to plant trees intensively in this area, and clear some of the plains. Also, instruct the peacekeepers to restrict all access through the hidden path.”
“You mean to prevent the spies from discovering the trap’s location?”
“Exactly. From today on, it'll be the road to hell.”
I gave a cold, determined look. The expected time was one month. That was more than sufficient. Sufficient to hide my claws and prepare for a decisive attack was more than ample.
‘The history of the Nas continent will finally have its starting point.’
Finally, the time had come to debut on the pages of history, and with a landslide victory in territorial warfare no less.
From that day onward, everything readied steadily and systematically according to plan. Consistently, having raised my mastery in trap crafting significantly, I succeeded in developing a linkage system explosive mine two weeks in from the start. The prowess of my mastery level, indeed! Meanwhile, I kept the existence of the mine under strict secrecy and set up safeguards to prevent any accidental activation. But when infused with magic, they quickly transform into deadly explosive devices that take countless lives.
A month passed like that. On April 29, 1414, at dawn.
“Advance the forces!”
“Attack the Krivia territory!”
With a relentless roar of hoofbeats and a strong sense of determination, soldiers from the two lands set out under the cover of darkness, launching a massive advance.
Their target was the Krivia territory. It was the dawn of a war aimed at complete annihilation, leaving no room for negotiations or peace agreements.
End of Chapter 38.