When Rei and Seto rejoined the Frizion Army, trailing the captured bandit gang behind them, the march came to a temporary halt. The commanders decided to rest on the spot, reasoning that interrogating the prisoners while on the move would be more trouble than it was worth.
An hour later...
"So, the true motive behind all this remains a mystery?"
Rei let out a heavy sigh at the information Videre provided. According to the bandit leader, an old acquaintance had informed him that the highway was currently poorly guarded due to the civil strife. This contact had also brought his own men to the area. However, that acquaintance had apparently heard the rumor from an "acquaintance of an acquaintance," leaving the original source of the information completely obscured.
As for why they had attacked the Frizion Army, the leader claimed his contact reached out a few days ago, suggesting that if they harassed a certain military force soon to pass along the highway, a certain noble personage would grant them a massive reward.
Normally, the bandit wouldn't have put much stock in such a story. However, he wasn't being asked to actually defeat an army—only to pester them—and the force had appeared exactly when predicted. He took the bait, and the result was his current predicament. He admitted that had he known they would be caught, he never would have attempted such a suicidal stunt.
A wave of weariness washed over Rei. Harassing an army was a crime that usually carried the death penalty, no matter how one looked at it. The only reason the bandits had dared to try was because they focused on "poking" the force from a distance with bows before immediately fleeing. By striking from afar and vanishing into the woods, they assumed a marching army wouldn't bother to pursue them. They certainly hadn't expected to be hunted down within the trees.
Their logic wasn't entirely flawed; the Frizion Army had indeed kept marching. While they drove off attackers, they hadn't chased them deep into the groves.
"Whatever those idiots were thinking, if we can catch the old acquaintance who brought them the story, we might get some clarity," Rei said.
"If even that contact doesn't know where the story originated, our prospects are dim," Videre replied.
"True enough."
As Rei spoke, the same face crossed both his mind and Videre’s. Neither spoke the name aloud, but they both suspected the same man was the mastermind.
It could be that Second Prince, Schuls... but they say he’s a true warrior. This feels too underhanded for him. If it turns out I’m just overestimating Cabajid, that would be for the best, though.
Rei didn't like the thought that they were all dancing in the palm of an enemy's hand.
"At any rate, their intent is clearly to stall us," Videre continued. "Her Highness Frizion wants to rendezvous with His Highness Mercurio as soon as possible. To ensure that happens, we will likely need your help again, Lord Rei."
"I figured."
It was highly probable that more bandits would use the woods—or any advantageous terrain—to launch similar strikes. Even if the harassment caused minimal casualties, constant hit-and-run bow attacks would inevitably slow their march. They couldn't simply ignore the provocations, either. If the Frizion Army did nothing, the bandits would only grow bolder and more aggressive.
"Besides, there's no guarantee it'll only be bandits," Rei added.
"Her Highness, Commander Angela, and Marquis Lognos share that concern. Given the lengths they've gone to stall us, they won't stop at simple outlaws."
"What kind of units are you expecting? Usually, you'd pick elites from the Subjugation Army's side to form small strike teams."
"That is one possibility. However, we must be even more wary of mercenary bands or independent adventurers."
"Mercenaries, huh... I saw a few during the war, but I've never dealt with them much."
Adventurers and mercenaries were cut from similar cloth, but mercenaries were far more specialized for combat. While adventurers took on a wide range of requests—from gathering materials to delivering letters—mercenaries focused almost exclusively on the battlefield. Whether it was a war between nations or a squabble between lords, conflict was their bread and butter. The civil strife within the Bestia Empire was an inexhaustible gold mine for them.
"We have mercenaries in Her Highness Frizion's army as well, don't we?" Rei asked.
"Those who joined us have likely severed ties with their former bands. Regardless, I understand our role. Can we head out now?"
"Guruu?" Seto trilled, asking if it was time to go.
Videre gave a small nod. "Please. I am ashamed of my own incompetence for relying so heavily on you, Lord Rei... but we must get Her Highness to Mercurio."
"Don't worry about it. Like I’ve said before, I was sent here to protect this army. Seto, let's go."
"Gururururuuu!"
Seto broke into a short run and soared into the sky. As the duo vanished into the clouds, Videre offered a silent bow to their retreating forms.
"Flying Slash!"
The flying blade of air struck a group hidden behind a rocky outcrop near the highway. The strike carved a deep, non-fatal but debilitating wound into one of the men.
"Wh-What was that?!"
"Look up!"
"Gah!"
The men looked up, their eyes widening in terror. They recognized the figure immediately—a rider on a Gryphon, wielding a great scythe.
Before they could even cry out their surrender, a volley of fire magic rained down. Most were incinerated instantly, while the survivors were left too charred to move.
"With groups like this, clearly lying in wait to ambush, I can just wipe them out on sight," Rei muttered. "But it'll be hard to judge the ones who are just resting."
The remains of bows and arrows lay scattered around the scorched corpses, many reduced to ash.
"Their equipment was purely for hit-and-run. If they'd had spears or something, I could have looted them. At least we can take the horses."
Rei glanced at the horses tied up nearby. Attacking the Frizion Army and fleeing sounded simple on paper, but outrunning elite cavalry was difficult. The first group had the forest for cover, but this was open plain. In the summer, the high grass might have offered concealment, but in autumn, everything was withered. To outrun the army's horses, the attackers had to shed every ounce of unnecessary weight, meaning they carried nothing but their bows.
"If someone actually closed the distance, they'd be slaughtered... wait, no."
Rei noticed a scorched dagger near one of the bodies. They had at least brought a minimum of backup weaponry.
"Well, they're burnt now, so they're useless."
"Guruu," Seto agreed.
Rei took a sheet of paper from his Misty Ring. He wrote a note explaining that he had neutralized a group of bandits and was leaving the horses for the army to collect. He placed the note on the ground, using a stone as a paperweight.
It was possible a random traveler might stumble upon the horses before the army arrived, but Rei didn't care. He only wanted to lighten the army's load where he could. He briefly considered leading the horses back himself, but he refused to leave Seto behind.
"...Wait, could I do that?"
Seto was smart enough to scout and attack on its own. However, if Rei tried to ride one of the horses back, his scent—now thoroughly saturated with that of a Gryphon—would likely cause the beast to panic and throw him.
"I'd have to lead them by the reins on foot... which would take forever."
"Guruu!" Seto asserted itself, clearly anxious at the thought of Rei acting separately from it.
"Yeah, you're right. I don't want to split up either. The note will have to do."
"Gurururuu!" Seto chirped happily and rubbed its beak against Rei.
With the note left behind, Rei climbed back into the saddle, and they took off in search of their next target.
"Hmm. What do you make of that? They could certainly escape into that terrain without horses."
"Gurururuu."
Rei looked down from Seto's back. Below them was a drop of about three meters—not a true cliff, but enough of a ledge for a group of bandits to rain arrows down on the highway. From that height, they could fire with impunity, at least until the army brought its own mages and archers to bear. By then, the bandits likely planned to be long gone.
"Still, you'd think they'd want horses to make a clean getaway," Rei tilted his head.
He decided there was no point in overthinking it. They had no horses and were armed only with bows. They didn't look like they had any valuable information or treasure worth capturing them for. Rei simply unleashed his magic from above, incinerating the entire group.
He repeated these one-sided aerial strikes several times, clearing out numerous bandit nests.
"There are more of them than I thought. Stalling us like this must be costing the enemy quite a bit of coin and coordination."
"Guruu!" Seto cried out, looking toward the ground.
Following Seto’s gaze, Rei spotted about 20 figures in the grove. He had found them easily; unlike the previous ambushers, these men weren't dressed to blend in. Most wore metal armor that reflected the sunlight brilliantly.
"Those aren't... bandits, are they?"
Bandits prioritized leather armor for mobility, and some wore only thick common clothes. Lightness was key to their survival. But the men lurking below were clad in heavy plate.
"Like I told Videre... a unit from the Subjugation Army's side? Or maybe mercenaries or adventurers? My gold is on mercenaries."
"Gururuu?" Seto trilled, asking for orders.
Up until now, the battles had been one-sided because the opponents were mere bandits. Against a more professional force, things might not go as smoothly.
Rei, however, didn't seem concerned. "They might be professionals, but they're just as careless. They aren't even looking up. I guess people don't usually expect an attack from the sky."
Dragon Knights were rare enough that most mercenary bands never considered the threat of aerial bombardment. These men, convinced they were in a perfect position for a hit-and-run strike, felt entirely secure.
Had any of Rei’s previous targets escaped, word might have spread. But Rei had been thorough, leaving no survivors to report the "Sky Reaper." The ambushers believed they were the hunters, never dreaming they had already become the prey.
"Mercenaries might know more than bandits... though probably not by much. All right, Seto. Let's go!"
"Gururuu!"
With a predatory cry, the duo dove. Not just the bandits, but the mercenaries too, were about to be wiped out by Rei and Seto's relentless assault.