Chapter 326 - Examining Enemy Tactics

'Just trust me. Like old times!'

'... Okay…'

"TO YOUTH!" Rathe shouted aloud, raising his tankard to the sky. "While the young make up the future, us old farts have to cling to all the youth we have left! Let's enjoy ourselves while we're allowed!"

"To youth!" Following along, Nixt raised his tankard and looked to Hurman.

Sighing, Hurman offered a soft, genuine laugh as he did the same. "To youth!"

"To youth! …" 

While the other three chugged their drinks, Vloz let his goblet linger in the air for a moment. His mind was busy running every possible scenario and seeking every possible outcome. He only downed his drink after coming up short time and time again compared to Rathe's reckless plan. 

"Cheers! This a time to enjoy and recuperate. Soon, we'll be bloodied on the battlefield, so we should make memories while we can!" Rathe shouted again, elbowing Vloz as he did so.

The drinking party didn't last much longer. While Rathe would've loved to drink to his heart's content, he knew that being sober was necessary for what was to come. And the others were especially aware. They kept their smiles lingering while understanding what was likely about to happen.

*****

"Any news from the scouts?"

"No, sir."

Overlooking his men, the hired general sighed, "I wonder what they've got in store for us this time…"

Suddenly, a man in a black cloak appeared out of thin air beside the general and his assistant. They slowed their horses as the man gave a succinct report, "We've found the enemy camp. We can't enter or get too close due to their perimeter. But we confirmed they're building a makeshift fort and are nearly finished."

"How large are we talking?" asked the general.

"Large enough to house our entire army. It blocks the entire main road and surrounding area."

"I see… Did you get a look inside?"

"We were unable to infiltrate them successfully," answered the scout.

"Do you think their army is inside the fort or elsewhere?"

"We haven't yet determined that. However, we haven't found any trace of them in the surrounding area, apart from the scouts they've paired in duos for efficiency and security."

Raising one eyebrow in thought, the general asked, "So they're cautious and good at hiding their hand… Have you checked underground?"

"We have, but only to a certain point. We've gotten to nearly one hundred krin in front of the fort and we've found no trace of underground movements or hallow space." Nodding, the scout in black added, "We can confirm that a large number of beasts and a couple of humans are stationed atop the fort walls as sentries or preeminent attackers."

"Interesting… Are you bait or are you the real deal? … Is there anything else concerning about the fort?"

"Yes. It's been raised and an unnatural hill has been created. It's not too steep, but it does offer them the high ground."

"The high ground, eh?" Chuckling, the general added, "They think it's over just for claiming the high ground?"

"Sir, what are you thinking?" the assistant asked, watching his superior's face wrinkle with deep thought.

"Whoever is in charge… they know how to make my options difficult," the general jested. "Either they want to settle everything here and now in a great battle or they're delaying for even more time… Has any scout been captured or caught?"

"One was caught trying to enter the fort, forcing us to back off without much information. Also, the scouts sent to track your daughter's team never made it back."

"Seriously?" Blinking and showing his first sign of concern, the man took in a sharp, deep breath. "So there's a chance that my daughter's been taken out, along with her squad?"

"Yes… there's a chance of that."

"How…" The general didn't shout but the crease between his eyebrows tightened all the same. "From what you know, which would you assume? That they've been wiped out or that we've only lost communication?"

Nodding and taking a split second to reply, the scout stated, "From what I know, the scouts searching for your daughter weren't intercepted near the fort. They should've been discovered near the squad's path toward the city…"

"So you think my daughter is dead?"

"... That's likely the case."

Clenching his fist and almost biting off his lip, the man took in another sharp breath but dragged out far longer than necessary. After taking a moment, the man turned to his assistant. "Given that knowledge… What do you think of the situation?"

Nodding and complying without reservation, the assistant replied, "It seems that your daughter's squad was probably eliminated, though I'm not sure as to how. And if that's the case, they probably are confident enough to challenge us head-on. That could be the reason they erected a fort, in order to fight on their terms and not on an even battlefield. But there's still a chance the fort is a trap, despite the time and energy they would need to waste to build such a thing overnight."

"So you think they actually want to fight? It would fit the pride of the gorilla clan… They aren't the type to abandon others for their own sake. The last raid was proof of that..." reasoned the general, still clenching his fist and rolling his knuckles in anger despite his calmer tone. 

"If this was a diversion, they would either flee or set up fortifications elsewhere. Building a second fort on the road would be too labor-intensive for the tired soldiers… particularly if they plan to battle any time soon. Otherwise, they would retreat and fortify the town… But the gorillas aren't the type to get the innocent involved, and staying in town would likely work to their detriment…"

"Sir? Which option should we choose?" the assistant asked.

"Hmm… I don't think the gorillas are humble enough to not take us head-on, not after they showed us their fun trap yesterday. And if they managed to defeat my daughter… they should definitely be arrogant enough to challenge us, despite the odds. I'll give their general credit for pissing me off…"