Dragonslayer’s Class Regression Chapter 60

Chapter 60

“What do you mean it’s predetermined to fail?”

Feinan showed a troubled expression.

“It’s difficult to explain the details. If you absolutely must go on the mission, make sure to stay in the rear guard.”

Feinan gave this cryptic warning and quickly disappeared.

‘A subjugation mission that’s destined to fail.’

Something suspicious was in the air.

Zeke returned to the barracks and carefully considered Feinan’s warning.

Based on his experience, these situations usually fell into two categories.

‘Either there’s corruption in the subjugation force’s upper ranks, or there are dealings with the subjugation target.’

In the first case, it occurs due to corruption arising from conflicts of interest entangled in the upper layers, such as military supply fraud.

They deliberately fail the subjugation and then calculate the diverted budget as damage costs. They could also be failing in various other ways to embezzle military funds.

The second case involves collusion between the subjugation force and their target.

When the subjugation force maintains power by staying in an area for a long time, they would have to return to the capital if their target disappears, so they deliberately leak information to extend their deployment period.

‘While Delpoa was known for magical abuse of power, I don’t remember it being a place with military corruption.’

If that’s the case, the second possibility seemed more likely.

Zeke decided to observe the situation for now.

* * *

The next day, Zeke’s group moved to the Black Demon location with the Delpoa subjugation force.

The place where the Black Demon group was hiding was a mountain branching off from the Giant Mountain Range, with rough surrounding terrain and monsters appearing throughout, making it sparsely populated.

The Black Demon had built a fortress here and was committing various crimes.

Moreover, they had been staying here for three years, absorbing other mercenary groups and bandits to grow even larger.

Upon arriving at the scene, the Mage Commander gave orders to the knights.

“Teams 1 through 3, climb up along the mountain’s sides. Teams 4 through 6 will go up the front.”

They would leave the dangerous areas to the knights and soldiers while the mages would advance slowly from the rear, providing ranged attacks.

A strategy entirely for the mages’ benefit.

Yet the Delpoa knights couldn’t say a word.

At that moment, Zeke, who had been quietly listening, raised his hand.

The Mage Commander’s eyebrow twitched.

“What is it?”

Zeke addressed the commander.

“What would you like us to do?”

The commander didn’t like Zeke’s tone, which somehow grated on his nerves.

He shouted in an irritated voice.

“Didn’t you hear yesterday’s order to stay in the rear!”

Then Zeke spoke to the captain.

“I am a Blue Knight, and Diego and Aster behind me are Purple Knights. Since we were sent here to cooperate, I was asking if there was any way we could help.”

The Mage Commander flinched momentarily at hearing that the young-looking Zeke was a Blue Knight.

The surrounding mages and knights also stirred.

Seeing the atmosphere disturbed, the mage commander decided to take a step back.

“…Jorge. Assign them scouting duties.”

Then he turned around abruptly and went back into the carriage.

Jorge, the Knight Commander, approached Zeke’s group nervously and said.

“W-would scouting duties be acceptable?”

Zeke nodded.

Jorge showed them a path opposite to the direction they were climbing.

It was a route that could reach the mountain top faster, though the terrain was rough.

Then Andrei approached Zeke and whispered.

“Why did you suddenly do that? I know you wouldn’t have simply provoked the captain.”

Zeke answered Andrei.

“There’s something suspicious about this mission.”

“What do you mean?”

“I suspect there’s collusion between the subjugation force and the Black Demon.”

Andrei was startled by Zeke’s words but quickly regained his composure and nodded.

He spoke to Zeke’s group.

“From now on, we’ll perform scouting duties up to the Black Demon’s camp. We’ll advance in single file formation, with Zeke at the front and me at the rear. Zeke will command the unit.”

As soon as Andrei finished speaking, Zeke, Diego, and Aster immediately formed up and entered the mountain following the route.

The Delpoa knights could only watch with their mouths agape as they disappeared in such perfect coordination.

Zeke, who took the lead, brought up his map to record the route Jorge had shown them as they ran along the mountain path.

After running for a while, something appeared ahead.

Zeke sent a stop signal to the rear.

‘Trolls.’

A group of troll monsters were eating mountain beasts.

As they were about to slip past the trolls, suspicious figures appeared behind them.

Zeke hesitated for a moment, then focused his gaze in that direction.

They appeared to be Black corps.

Zeke immediately threw daggers toward where the figures were.

Swoosh!

Three daggers, charged with wind power, flew quickly and struck the Black corps’s legs with precision.

“Argh!”

The patrol’s screams caught the attention of trolls who were devouring wild animals.

“Uoooh!”

The trolls ran toward the patrol after smelling blood.

“Arghh!”

At that moment, Zeke’s group jumped out from their hiding spot in the bushes.

Slash!

Zeke beheaded the lead troll, while Diego and Aster attacked other trolls.

Simultaneously, Andrei cut down a troll charging at them.

Thud!

After quickly killing all the trolls, Zeke’s group swiftly erased their traces.

They then carried the patrol members who had fallen from dagger wounds to a nearby cave.

Zeke began interrogating the Black Demon’s patrol with a dagger.

“Is the Black Demon currently in the fortress?”

“You bastards! Go to hell!”

Their language was rough, likely because they were mostly mercenaries and bandits.

But Zeke was experienced in dealing with such people.

Zeke deliberately separated the three and began working on their fingers one by one.

They soon started screaming and talking freely.

After interrogating all three, he cross-referenced their information to filter out lies.

Seeing Zeke’s interrogation techniques, Andrei’s jaw dropped.

“The Black corps would want to scout you right away if they saw this.”

“I’d rather not get involved with them, so please don’t spread rumors.”

Having struggled with the Draker Black corps in his past life, Zeke wanted to avoid them.

After learning everything needed, they cleanly disposed of the patrol and headed back toward the fortress.

Near the fortress, there were many patrol members.

The fortress also seemed impenetrable, built with solid natural stone in rough terrain.

‘This won’t be solved with knight charges and ranged attacks.’

They would need either siege units or infiltration teams to see results.

While Zeke could infiltrate and take Black Demon head without leaving traces, he had to be careful since this was an official mission.

Zeke’s group didn’t advance further and descended to their meeting point with the Delpoa Knights.

However, there was no sign of the Delfpoa Knights even after waiting.

They finally arrived at the meeting point much later.

“Huff huff, you’ve already arrived?”

Jorge showed clear signs of exhaustion before battle even began.

If the commander was in this state, the other knights were worse off.

Zeke asked Jorge:

“Where is the Mage Corps?”

Jorge wiped his sweat and replied:

“They’ll provide supporting fire from the rear after we clear the fortress surroundings.”

Shocked, Zeke asked:

“What do you mean? Clearing the fortress with these numbers? Are you trying to get everyone killed?”

“Well, that…”

Without command authority, Jorge was in a difficult position.

Andrei said to Zeke:

“The situation is unfavorable. The fortress is stronger than expected.”

Zeke nodded in agreement.

“We’ll have to wait for the Mage Corps. We need new tactics.”

Then Diego pointed behind them.

“Something’s flying this way!”

Zeke reacted first to Diego’s warning.

He enhanced his vision with dragon eyes to identify what was flying from the sky.

Zeke shouted in surprise:

“Everyone scatter!”

He grabbed Jorge and rolled to the side.

A massive iron ball fell where Zeke’s group had been with a heavy thud.

It exploded immediately.

BOOM!

The surrounding area was completely devastated by the massive explosion.

Jorge, who barely survived by rolling aside, turned pale.

“Good heavens.”

Zeke immediately stood up and shouted at him:

“Commander Jorge! Get it together! Check for survivors and retreat! More will come!”

Jorge still looked dazed at Zeke’s orders.

Zeke slapped his cheek.

“Ugh!”

“Wake up! Do you want your subordinates to die?”

“No, sir!”

Jorge quickly got up and led the dazed knights to retreat.

Soon, more iron balls came flying as Zeke predicted.

BOOM!

The area was engulfed in flames with another massive explosion.

Zeke blocked the shrapnel with Golin’s shield.

“Diego! Aster! Over here!”

They moved to Zeke’s back and relocated to the side together.

Then, Black Demon’s group descended from above and charged with weapons drawn.

“Kill them!”

Zeke’s group faced the charging Black Demon forces.

Slash!

Two or three fell simultaneously each time Zeke swung Bahamut.

“There’s too many! Diego! Aster! Conserve your aura!”

His past life experience leading troops showed clearly.

In the chaotic battle, Diego and Aster followed Zeke’s charismatic commands.

“Die!”

The Black Demon Chariot gang members, their eyes blazing red, rushed madly toward Zeke’s group.

Zeke calmly handled the situation around him.

‘These guys seem really off no matter how I look at them.’

He grabbed one of the rushing attackers and knocked him to the ground.

“Argghhh!”

The one screaming like a madman was clearly not in his right mind.

Looking closer, he could understand the situation more accurately.

Zeke had seen many like them in his previous life.

‘These bastards are all Soma addicts.’

Soma, distributed from the Southern Cartel to the Central Continent, had spread throughout the continent.

The biggest consumers of Soma were none other than mercenaries.

While mages used it with some restraint for temporary magic power boosts, mercenaries had no such control.

Living only for today, some would drink more than the allowed amount of Soma, or even consume concentrated Soma extract.

Zeke gritted his teeth looking at the crazed mercenary.

‘In this state, the knights alone will have difficulty subduing them.’

Normal mercenaries would typically fear when faced with organized knights.

But these drug-addled ones charged in like madmen without thinking.

Even with severed arms and legs, they killed indiscriminately like zombies, not distinguishing friend from foe.

It was a cruel tactic that treated subordinates as disposable.

Zeke clenched his jaw and glared at the fortress.

‘Should I just sweep them all away, mission be damned?’

That’s when it happened.

BOOM!

From behind, huge fireballs flew toward the Black Demon gang.

“Arghhhh!”

Fireballs, ice chunks, and light missiles swept across the battlefield.

Zeke shouted to Diego and Aster.

“The mage corps has arrived! Fall back!”

To avoid getting caught in the magic, Zeke retreated to the rear with his group.

The Delpoa Battle Mage Corps’ power was incredible.

Mages lined up in rows would unleash their memorized battle magic, then others behind would step forward to cast spells, creating an endless stream of magic. They were scorching the battlefield with continuous spells.

Even the drug-addicted mercenaries were helpless against the mage corps’ magic.

“Stop!”

At the commander’s order, the mage corps halted their advance and pulled back.

Zeke wore a puzzled expression at their sudden stop.

‘What’s going on?’

When mercenaries pour out of the fortress, it’s a good chance to empty the inside with an all-out attack.

He couldn’t understand why they stopped attacking when they could avoid a siege.

That’s when the mage corps commander approached Zeke.

Then he shouted at Zeke.

“You’ve ruined this mission! Do you even know what you’ve done!”

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