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Chapter 22: Unexpected
The decision to divide forces into three routes was quickly made, leaving only the matter of setting off.
Marden personally led the Guard Unit to launch a breakout attack against Madara's undead army at the appointed time. Meanwhile, Breyson took the opportunity to lead the remaining villagers of Buchi northward across Dagger River Bank to safety. At the same time, Brandon and Roma set out together, crossing the Xavier Mountain Pass to deliver a message to Ridenburg.
Three hours later—
As the announcement of the dispersal was made, the young members of the Guard Unit mostly turned and left silently, without any extra words, only the clinking of equipment colliding as they walked away.
The crackling of the campfire filled the air, casting flickering shadows on the messy ground strewn with leaves and gravel. Apart from preparing for the dawn attack, individuals had much to do, and the night was still long. The last few hours seemed more like torment for each person.
Freya needed to gather the other members of the third squad, while Brandon needed to prepare a backpack, packing the remaining bottle of No. 5 holy water. The other bottle had already been used for Jason, saving the young man's life and earning gratitude from the villagers of Buchi and his loved ones.
He felt that being a part of the modern world was constantly influencing him, fueling his aversion to this world of war and chaos. But after pondering for a moment, he found solace in the realization that it was precisely his pursuit of peace that drove him to change the world.
He casually stuffed two days' worth of food into his backpack, mainly dried meat strips and a type of pancake made from flour, salt, and plant tubers. The level of productivity in the world of Amber Sword was relatively high; in the real Middle Ages, one wouldn't find such rich supplies.
In fact, only those who truly understood this world would know that it was not a low-level civilization. However, its development seemed to have taken a different path from Earth.
But when Brandon took out the long-necked bottle containing the No. 5 holy water, he was taken aback. He found a hard paper stuck to the bottom of the bottle. It looked like it was glued on, and he easily peeled it off.
It was slightly larger than a playing card, palm-sized, with a magic circle-like pattern on the back. On the front, there was a knight kneeling on the ground, wearing armor, holding a sword high with both hands, painted in an oil painting style.
At the top left of the card was written a number in an ancient language, 'ii', and in the center of the bottom were six yellow crystals. Brandon recognized these six crystals—they were called 'elemental attributes' in the game, and the six yellow crystals represented 6 points of the earth attribute.
But what was this?
Brandon was a veteran player; there were few things in the game he didn't know. But this thing in his hand posed a challenge to him. He thought for a moment before recalling that this thing might have been accidentally brought out of Jared's tomb, but this didn't provide him with any clues.
In the game, he could still retrieve a bunch of miscellaneous knowledge, but here, Brandon only had Local Knowledge, Basic Knowledge, and the knowledge of Military Organization. What could he search for?
Amidst confusion, he couldn't help but hold up the card and ask the merchant girl, Roma, who was focused on mending her skirt with a needle and thread pulled from her backpack, "Do you recognize this thing, little Roma?"
"Don't, don't call me that!" Roma's tiny eyebrows shot up. "Huh? What's that, tarot cards?"
"I know tarot cards."
"Then I don't know."
Brandon looked at the card once more, and just when he was about to say something, he suddenly squinted slightly. He noticed Breyson and several young members of the Guard Unit leading horses, walking towards the nearby woods' shadows.
What were those guys up to? He suddenly recalled Breyson's unusual behavior during conversation with Marden. Doubts arose in his mind, prompting him to pocket the card and stand up to follow them.
"Roma, wait here for me."
"Sure thing, Brandon."
While the members of the Guard Unit were all exceptional young individuals, with personal abilities far surpassing the average person, unfortunately, their vigilance was lacking. As they walked along together, not a single one of them noticed the lone figure trailing behind them from a distance.
It's worth noting that Brandon was once inclined towards smaller groups as a player. Whenever these groups faced off against larger guilds, stealth techniques were often necessary. While he wouldn't claim mastery in this area, he certainly had ample experience. Thus, following these inexperienced young people without them noticing was rather straightforward for him.
However, Brandon himself didn't realize that he was already using those techniques between his actions.
To others, his movements weren't significant, but to Zeta, who was keeping watch in the tree, it was incredible. He immediately recognized the young man named Brandon. Their commander had told them that Brandon was nothing more than a guy who was somewhat proficient in swordsmanship but otherwise useless.
However, they didn't find the militia's swordsmanship particularly impressive. They could effortlessly defeat ten opponents skilled in militia swordsmanship, such as Freya and Ethan, without breaking a sweat; they just chose not to. Since joining the Guard Unit, they naturally had their own sense of pride.
Just like Breyson, no matter how much he taunted Brandon, he would never propose a duel to teach him a lesson, as it would lower his status among their group.
However, what Zeta witnessed now was entirely different. He recalled a scout from the Mountain Legion who had imparted some combat knowledge during their scout training. Despite having earned the Crimson Medal, that soldier, a page, paled in comparison to the young man before him in terms of skill.
Brandon seemed almost like a shadow in the darkness, his every movement following the changes in the valley's flickering firelight not far away. If it weren't for one moment when he happened to be positioned between the light source and Zeta, Zeta believed he might not have been able to spot him.
Was Vice-Captain Breyson's understanding of that guy named Brandon wrong? Was he actually a scout from a regular legion? Or was he a spy for Madara?
Zeta's nerves kicked in abruptly. What should he do? Above all, he couldn't afford to alert anyone, or else the Vice-Captain's plan would go up in smoke. With the camp a mere thirty meters away, any sound could easily attract unwanted attention.
He couldn't help but take a deep breath and gestured to Layens on another tree nearby, signaling him to pay attention to Brandon's direction. Layens was initially a little puzzled as to why Zeta kept pointing to empty places; he even thought to himself that he had perhaps drunk too much. However, he soon saw Brandon in the direction indicated, prompting his expression to change instantly.
What the hell, is this guy a chameleon?
"What do we do?" Layens immediately gestured to Zeta.
"I'll go first, you cover me from the right," Zeta responded with gestures.
"Are you sure?"
"Mhm, he's got serious sword skills, Second Tier Unranked."
Second Tier Unranked was a specialized term among swordsmen, roughly equivalent to the highest level of proficiency for Guard Unit trainees. Beyond that were White Rank swordsmen, roughly comparable to level 5-20 players in the game. Zeta was afraid that Brandon still had hidden strength, so he deliberately inflated Brayson's estimate a bit.
Layens nodded in understanding.
...
Brandon was equally surprised: over twenty people, more than ten horses. Was Breyson planning a rebellion? However, he knew such a notion was both implausible and unnecessary. After trailing for a while and listening to the hushed conversations ahead, he was considering moving closer when an instinctive sense of danger halted him in his tracks.
It was too quiet; he hadn't heard the sound of insects since the beginning.
Brandon had extensive experience in detecting abnormalities. Although missions such as reconnaissance and search operations were typically handled by the nightingales in his team, he still remembered his longest-serving partner, a girl named 'Shadow'. Unfortunately, she eventually stopped playing.
However, after so many battles, he had developed an instinctive sensitivity. Even the slightest movement or disturbance would alert him.
Just like when he predicted Roscoe's detection at the old house in Buchi.
Brandon immediately sensed a hand attempting to encircle his neck from behind—a classic scout maneuver. Reacting swiftly, he leaned back, supporting his assailant's elbow with one hand while pressing down on their wrist with the other. Sliding down, he raised his hands before forcefully pushing forward. The dark figure was launched backward, colliding with a tree ahead with a subdued groan.
Their strengths were roughly equal, but he held a slight advantage. However, when he observed the figure fall to the ground and swiftly transition into an offensive stance instead of defending, he realized there was another person present.
In a glint of silver, Brandon's Lustrous Stinger was swiftly unsheathed. Stepping to the side, he pressed the blade against the neck of the assailant charging at him from the side.
The faint glow of the sword illuminated the faces of the two.
Zeta and Layens wore expressions of astonishment. While they had considered Brandon's swordsmanship might surpass what their Vice-Captain had mentioned, they assumed it would only be marginally better. They had seen Breyson's swordsmanship, which was among the best in the Guard Unit, but even considering just swordsmanship, it was impossible to take on two opponents at once.
They couldn't help but feel as if they were in a dream, looking at the sword in their opponent's hand. What was going on?
...
"Captain Marden is a veteran of the November War, and everyone knows this. He has already given his life once for the kingdom and proved his loyalty. Listen to me, everyone, don't we have an old saying? If Lady Marsha lets someone live, then you should cherish that luck."
"We cannot let an old veteran who has survived near-death experiences on the honorable battlefield gamble with his life again. Therefore, I have come up with this plan. Please let me lead you in fighting to protect Buchi. This is not about depriving anyone of their glory but about the duty that I cannot abandon."
"Well said, commander."
"We support you."
"Captain Marden will understand you."
Breyson smiled. When Marden ordered him to lead the villagers to break out through Dagger River Bank, he had already decided to refuse. However, he knew the old man's temperament; he definitely wouldn't allow him to oppose him, so he decided to take a gamble.
He also understood that Marden was trying to save him. The old commander had said more than once that he might one day rise to prominence and become the backbone of the kingdom’s future. But Breyson also understood that Eruin didn't need cowards.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of Brandon. That useless guy actually volunteered to pass through the Xavier Mountain Pass. He couldn't help but speculate maliciously whether the other party just wanted an excuse to escape, because it seemed possible.
However, at that moment, a slight sound in the quiet woods made everyone turn their heads.
Then they saw Brandon emerging from the bushes, pointing his sword at Zeta and Layens. At first, there was silence, then each person's face showed an expression of disbelief.
"Zeta?"
"Layens, what's going on?"
"Haha, a little slip-up," Zeta chuckled, embarrassed.
Brandon, on the other hand, wore a look of surprise as he gazed at the usually overbearing Vice-Captain of the guard unit, who was currently sporting his typical grim expression. How could he not be grim? Just one shout here, his plan would crumble.
However, Brandon didn't expect this guy to be so bold as to want to lead the young people who were willing to follow him to launch a feint attack against Madara instead of Marden.
What kind of spirit was this?
Brandon found it somewhat amusing, but there was also a hint of surprise and admiration. Should he call it the naivety and passion of youth, or the pursuit of ideals? Yet, he could sense a tinge of responsibility in Brayson's somber expression.
The responsibility of this Guard Unit's Vice-Captain.
"What do you want?" Breyson asked in a low voice. He wanted to use a stronger tone, but he didn't want the other party to ruin his plan, although it seemed almost inevitable.
However, Brandon lowered his sword.
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