Almost all routes from the Bernini Mountains to Saint Matilenne are effectively under Jean Beltuaz's control.
Except for the few lords classified as staunch loyalists, every domain that relies on trade routes would gladly submit to Jean Beltuaz.
Even with the loyalists, one cannot be certain they still remain faithful to the royal family in the current situation.
"Yu-jin."
"Brother!! How did you get here so quickly...?"
"I should relearn how to ride a horse."
Ivan looked around as he caught up with the group that had departed earlier. At this pace, they wouldn't be able to shake off any potential pursuit.
Even he, not particularly skilled at horseback riding, had no difficulty catching up with these novices. The group seemed tired after climbing mountains all night and crossing battlefields, but the real "battlefield" was just beginning.
"There are two options."
"What?"
"We could scatter and each head toward Saint Matilenne separately. Then at least one of you would certainly make it. In that case..."
"I would die."
"Probably."
Ivan nodded at Oskar's words. The grand dukes would most likely want to eliminate Oskar first.
"We can't do that!"
"That's right! How could we abandon a friend!"
Isabelle and Asidis immediately shouted. Ivan quietly nodded.
If Oskar died here, there would be no justification to hold military authority in the capital and attempt to defend it. Without the authority of the Etakrih Duke, everyone present would essentially be outsiders.
"Or we could dangle a different bait. Elfihera."
"What?! Am I, I, I the bait?!"
"No. I am."
"Huh...?"
Ivan took out a map and threw it to Elfihera. It was a military map directly obtained by the intelligence headquarters.
Elfihera scanned the map once and quietly asked.
"I hate to say this, but is it wise to give a military map to an elf...?"
"The Privy Council would have already secured Tilles military maps anyway. It's not particularly valuable intelligence."
"...You could at least pretend to believe me... So what should I do?"
"We need to create a spell now."
Ivan guided his horse next to Elfihera and placed his finger on the map in her hand.
"This map isn't precisely scaled. So just use the map as a reference and follow my directions exactly."
"You want me to move while calculating the exact distances traveled, right?"
"Precisely."
"That's not a difficult spell."
Ivan began drawing a crooked line from one corner of the map. Sometimes it bent sharply, sometimes it curved gently.
"From Pierrecourt, 120 degrees northwest for 2km. Then take the 27th street to the right and go 5km toward Rocheval. When you find the railway there, don't stop but cross it and go 9km to Tiribul..."
Ivan's explanation continued smoothly. As if he were retracing a path he had known all along, kindly and clearly.
Even if asked to describe one's hometown that way, it would be impossible. The group stared blankly at Ivan's face.
"...Then from Rozanne, keep the road to Sobar on your left for 9km. Once you reach the southern boulevard of Saint Matilenne, ride at full speed to the royal castle. Understood?"
"From Rozanne to Sobar 9km... Yes, yes. I remember everything."
"In this mission, you alone will be the scout. If you take a wrong turn, everyone dies. Can you do it?"
"If I say no, will you not make me do it?"
"We'll choose another option, and Oskar will die instead."
"Wow, look at this guy threatening me."
Elfihera grumbled, twitching her ears.
"Fine. The Grikenkos have good memory, you know?"
"I know."
Because your father was the same. Ivan smiled slightly and patted Elfihera's head.
"...?!"
"!!!"
Everyone in the group stared at Ivan in shock. Even Elfihera was so surprised that her ears stood straight up.
Meeting their gaze, Ivan turned his head and changed his horse's direction.
"What about you, sir?!"
"Bait."
"Isn't that... too dangerous?"
"My being in danger increases our survival rate."
"Ugh..."
Clop, clop. Ivan's horse moved away in the opposite direction from the group. Isabelle shouted after him.
"Just wait and see! Really! We'll catch up soon so you won't say things like that again!"
"I look forward to it."
"Wait! Lord Yeremov! Do you have any advice for us after we reach Saint Matilenne?"
"Whatever you believe must be done, don't hesitate to do it."
As befits the Hero Party.
His voice scattered in the wind. Ivan's figure gradually disappeared at the mountain fork.
The group watched his retreating figure for a moment before spurring their horses. The journey ahead was long, and Saint Matilenne didn't have much time left.
It was too late to fail now, too late to give up when so many lives were at stake.
It was time to act as befits the Hero Party.
A good agent never plans an operation for just one objective. Operations on a specific front consist of the legion's grand strategy, essential achievement tasks, and supporting objectives.
Therefore, Ivan was surveying his surroundings while increasing his horse's speed.
Numerous spies are scattered throughout these mountains. No matter which direction they go, it's difficult to escape the enemy's gaze. Especially with such a conspicuous combination.
Then what needed to be done was simple. Minimize the pressure focused on those kids.
For that purpose, he personally mapped out their route. Since pursuit teams would certainly follow if they took a direct route, he planned for them to skirt the boundaries of domains belonging to staunch royalists or lords who weren't loyal to Count Jean Beltuaz.
To prevent Count Jean Beltuaz from daring to deploy large-scale military forces without justification. That should be enough. They should be able to handle small pursuit teams. They must be able to.
He couldn't personally take care of them in every situation.
"Just hold on a little longer."
Patting the hot neck of his horse, Ivan hunched low and stared straight ahead.
To minimize the pressure on the Hero Party, he needed to divert the counts' attention.
He needed to become more irritating than the Hero Party. More irritating than the legitimate heir of Gil Ber.
And conveniently, he understood their grand strategy. He understood the essential tasks required to achieve it. With these two pieces of information combined with an understanding of military maps, it wasn't difficult to grasp their tactical overview and supporting objectives.
It was almost like reverse engineering. If the goal is clear, and if my available resources are clear, what would I do? Through such thinking, he could infer the enemy's range of actions.
Then he could know what they most desired right now.
And a trained agent should be able to do what the enemy would hate most. Destroying their most desired objective, acting in the most irritating way possible, thus making himself impossible to ignore.
In Krasilov, the bait bites the prey.
'The invasion routes of the demon race's vanguard across the Bernini Mountains are mainly three.'
To pass through the eastern front, they couldn't form more than one echelon of troops. Any larger force would be unsuitable for stealthy infiltration, and the enemy's main force, the Taurus, were beasts with very high caloric needs.
Assuming their supplies come solely from plunder, their total numbers wouldn't exceed two thousand.
If they split such forces, even if a god of strategy appeared, they couldn't conquer more than a few domains. The culmination point would come too quickly.
The demon race worships only strength. This means that without a command post nearby, they cannot adequately control individual soldiers who act on their own.
They will definitely enter as one warband. Such a concentrated echelon cannot hide its traces.
'When they raid and burn surrounding domains, Count Guillaume will save them and gain the support of royalists.'
He would piggyback on that operation. Faster than the enemy, smarter than the enemy. By mimicking the enemy's operation, he must seize what the enemy desires one step ahead.
Save domains from the demon threat. Gain the support of royalists and gather minimal military force.
If there's anything to gain from this, there are mainly three things.
One, destroying Count Guillaume's plan.
Another, being able to strike Count Etouan's legion from behind.
And another, being able to tie up Count Jean Beltuaz's legion and attention by raising troops near his domain.
While chipping away at the three grand counts' plans from the outside.
'The number of destroyed domains will be maintained below 15.'
He could simultaneously achieve Yu-jin's quest. If the demon guerrillas' offensive proceeds as planned, Count Guillaume wouldn't move until at least seven domains are burning.
A good agent never plans an operation for just one objective.
'I've done this before.'
There's no difficulty in doing something twice that you've experienced once.
After all, what needs to be done is simply defeating the demon vanguard and inciting potential allied domains.
It's no different from the routine work of the Annihilation Squad.
Ivan touched the randomly broken trees and dug-up ground, then dusted off his hands.
Having spent two days scouring the demons' expected routes, his horse had already collapsed from exhaustion.
Ivan took out an energy bar from his pocket and chewed it slowly. A familiar smell, and a familiar environment.
The stench of demons was wafting strongly from not far away.
After two days of searching for demon traces in the Bernini Mountains, this was at the last expected infiltration point.
"Two days."
The operation must have started with the dragon's arrival, so by calculation, he was about two days behind them.
When a Taurus-only infiltration team successfully began invading unarmed domains, how many villages would have burned within two days?
This could be calculated quantitatively.
'Five.'
Targeting rural areas with 100-500 households, to feed a warband of this size, they would have burned at least five villages.
Because Taurus are carnivorous beasts.
They eat humans. Quite happily.
Ivan had seen such scenes before. It was a common occurrence in those days.
He closed his mouth and began descending the mountain, holding his pistol.