GDoc . Sorry it’s late! The end of a semester is busy!
ScoutingAN: I'm sorry for the many POV shifts. My organizational skills are bad.
"So, how is it?"
The whole area was once the domain of a bandit group. The bandit chief asked his underling, who had climbed on a branch of a tall tree.
"There ain't been anything big since they camped out here. 'Been a few scouts who left, but they're not back yet."
They were about a hundred Rools from the clearing where the Knight Corps advance party camped. (AN: 1 Rool is about equal 1 meter)
Despite the darkness of the forest at night, the knights were clearly visible in the light of the campfires.
The man who was observing the knights once worked as a hunter, and had the best eyesight among all of his goons.
'I… didn't think it would go this well.'
Without the cover of darkness, he wouldn't have been able to observe safely from just a hundred rools away. In the daytime, a sharp-eyed person would have easily spotted him, and, in the worst case, he would be discovered by one of the reconnaissance units who were scouting the area.
'Sheesh, if we didn't know how they would move from the beginning, this wouldn't have been an easy job.'
Relying on the moonlight, the chief looked down at the paper in his hands.
The paper contained orders dated two days ago and sported the Imperial Knight Order's official seal. To be more precise, it was a duplicate. The real one should still be in the hands of one of General Feyl's aides.
Rather, it would be a mistake to call that one the real one, because the orders in the chief's hands were undoubtedly the orders from the main army, which departed two days after the advance party.
"Are there soldiers coming closer?"
"I don't see nothin'. Those scouts went da way you said dey would, Boss."
"I see. It seems that these orders are real."
All of the Knight Order's movements had been leaked.
He had heard that General Feyl had bribed a superior to obtain his position, and didn't have the ability befitting a general. He would not go against the main army, or rather the Knight Order Headquarters, and follow the orders he received to the letter.
They had monitored the advance party ever since it had set off, not once did the party's movements contradict its orders..
At first, the bandits were both terrified upon seeing the Knight Order's armed might, and angry at being treated as sacrificial pawns. However, since their lives were also forfeit if they disobeyed their instructions, they reluctantly started monitoring the Knight Order, but it was an easier job than they had thought, and they had more breathing room.
They had also become used to faking traces of their group.
At any rate, no matter where the Knight Order went, they would always be at a safe distance.
"Hey, Boss, are those guys really soldiers? Even da new guys could beat them to death."
"Even the sentries are asleep, or drinking. Haha, I can see them clearly 'cause of the fire."
"Boss, can we attack them now?"
Hearing the report from the man on the branch, the other goons who were with the chief began to clamor.
"You buffoons! All we have to do is follow their orders! Is there any need to go out of our way to do more than what we are being paid for!? Life is precious!