After leaving the military command room, Kakuzu was waiting.

"I heard quite a bit of yelling."

"Yes. Lieutenant Mospizza seems to be very sensitive, so we need to be careful."

"It didn’t sound like you were being particularly careful."

"Is that so?"

Despite Heisen’s efforts to be considerate and restrained in his speech, it seemed to go unnoticed.

"Well, I think it’s useless to say that to Heisen."

"That’s not true. It’s the duty of a soldier to communicate effectively with their superiors and align with their expectations."

"You don’t really understand, and that’s what’s truly pointless."

Kakuzu lamented, but Heisen didn’t fully grasp the meaning, so he shifted his thoughts elsewhere.

On the way back to the training ground, Sergeant Gavi from the 5th Squad called out to him.

"Lieutenant, there’s an urgent assembly for sergeants. The Cumon tribe has appeared. We need to gather in the grand conference room."

"Understood."

Heisen immediately turned and headed to the Grand Conference Room with Sergeant Gavi.

Upon entering, most of the lieutenants and sergeants were already assembled.

"Late! What were you doing?!"

Lieutenant Mospizza shouted directly at them.

"We’re not late. We arrived as quickly as possible."

"Be silent!"

As Mospizza shouted and attempted to strike Heisen, Kakuzu twisted his wrist.

"Y-you, let go!"

"Kakuzu, don’t crush his wrist."

At Heisen’s instruction, Lieutenant Mospizza’s face grew pale.

"Let go, let go!"

Despite his repeated pleas, Mospizza struggled in vain as Kakuzu continued to hold him firmly. Eventually, when Heisen ordered him to release, Kakuzu let go immediately.

"I apologize. My bodyguard is not part of the military, so he does not follow the lieutenant’s orders. He is instructed to carry out only my commands."

"W-What?"

"Of course, if I commit a wrongful act, I will accept punishment. In such a case, I will instruct Kakuzu not to interfere. However, I will not tolerate unreasonable reprimands based on ambiguous criteria. Furthermore, for pointless and irrational acts of violence, I consider Kakuzu’s intervention appropriate."

"......"

Lieutenant Mospizza’s lips trembled as he remained silent.

"Be careful. Kakuzu can crush a normal person's palm in less than a second."

"......"

Sweat poured down Lieutenant Mospizza’s forehead and back like a waterfall. He was being exceedingly polite, but perhaps it was not clear enough.

"Now, let’s move on with the meeting. We’ve wasted enough time with pointless arguments."

"......I understand. Where is the Cumon tribe located?"

"Approximately three kilometers south of the border," Sergeant Asarak from the 4th Squad replied.

"Within our borders. How many of them are there?"

"About a hundred, I believe."

"......8th Squad. Act as the vanguard and defend the nearby villages. Our squad will assess the situation and provide support as needed."

"Understood."

Heisen responded and quickly left the Grand Conference Room.

"Aren’t you going to ask for more details about the operation?"

Kakuzu followed him.

"Not necessary. Getting to the battlefield as quickly as possible is more important."

They arrived at the stables, mounted their horses, and sped toward the training ground.

"Location. Assemble at south 55 and west 37. Private Edar, confirm the location, and lead the infantry. Sergeant Buzz, take command and wait."

"Yes!"

As Heisen spurred his horse, everyone sprang into action. Naturally, the soldiers lagged behind due to the speed of the horses. However, Heisen paid no mind and continued ahead. Leading from the front is the way a commander should be.

After about five minutes, Heisen spotted the enemy Cumon tribe. He instinctively hid and stopped his horse in the bushes. Four minutes later, the infantry arrived, using Heisen as their marker.

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"Good timing."

"Ha. Ha. Thank you."

Sergeant Buzz panted and thanked him. Heisen, without turning around, observed the Cumon tribe. They were marching. It was uncertain whether nearby villages had been affected.

The Cumon tribe lived in the surrounding mountains. They were known for their strong legs and proficiency with hand axes. Dressed in fur and with war paint on their bodies, they had long been the indigenous people of this land.

"Are there any mages among the Cumon tribe?"

"From what I’ve seen, there’s probably one. The man with the large crown."

Private Edar pointed.

"What's the basis for that?"

"The crown is a symbol of a hero for the Cumon tribe. However, I don’t know what kind of magic staff he might have."

"Understood. I will lure him out. If he knows I am a commander, he will likely come alone. Once we take out the Cumon mage, we’ll perform a pincer attack."

"Yes."

Battles between mages are often one-on-one. Those who cannot use magic need either considerable skill or a significant number of troops. The Cumon force here is about the size of a company, and their commander is likely at the level of a lieutenant.

Heisen moved away from the 8th squad and emerged from another thicket.

A few seconds later, one of the Cumon tribe members noticed him. To execute the encirclement effectively, Heisen intentionally created some distance by drawing the enemy in.

At that moment, an ice ring flew from behind. Heisen maneuvered his horse to dodge, but the second and third rings followed in rapid succession.

"Ah, so that's the power of the magic staff," Heisen thought.

The Cumon mage manifested ice in the shape of a battle axe from the tip of his staff, hurling it with a spinning motion to form rings of ice.

Heisen stopped evading and raised his staff, Kagekage, vertically. A gust of wind erupted from his shadow, causing the ice rings to veer off course and pass harmlessly by him.

Kagekage had the ability to manipulate shadows and wind. Although it wasn’t the most powerful staff due to its low cost during his academy days, Heisen valued its versatility.

Next, Heisen swung Kagekage from side to side, causing countless shadowy paper-like projections to emerge from his own shadow. These shadow papers surged toward the Kumin mage.

The irregular movements of the shadow papers, propelled by the wind, confused and entangled the Kumin mage.

Heisen then raised Kagekage towards the sky.

At this signal, the 8th squad began their charge. Heisen, positioned as the front line, and the 8th squad in the rear, with their numbers significantly greater, executed the planned encirclement.

The Cumon forces charged towards Heisen, likely intending to overwhelm them with their numbers and free their mage. Heisen swiftly turned his horse and maintained his distance, twirling Kagekage to create numerous swirling shadow vortexes. These vortexes attacked the Cumon forces one after another.

"Ugh!"

As the shadow vortexes passed, Cumon warriors were thrown away. Although it wasn’t a direct attack, the wind pressure created by the shadows effectively disrupted their formation.

With the Cumon formation shattered, the 8th squad warriors pounced. Their movements were flawless, a result of well-planned tactics based on their training, and they swiftly defeated the Cumon warriors.

Victory was assured. The Cumon forces began to retreat. Heisen raised his hand high, and the 8th squad erupted in cheers.

"Sergeants, assess the damage."

"Yes, sir!"

The sergeants responded vigorously to the plain instructions.

"Five minor injuries, no serious injuries, and no casualties."

"Understood."

Half of the Cumon tribe was dead, and the other half had fled. It was effectively a decisive victory. Heisen approached the Cumon mage, captured by the shadow papers.

"Can you speak our language?"

"Ur! Nariaga! Kora!"

The words were in the Cumon language. Heisen picked up the fallen staff and turned to Sergeant Buzz.

"Secure him."

"Wait, you’re not going to kill him?"

"Treat prisoners with respect. They might be useful for negotiations."

"Understood."

"If any acts of violence occur, they will be punished according to military regulations. Do not lack consideration for a proud warrior."

"Yes, sir!"

Thirty minutes later, Lieutenant Mospizza’s unit arrived.

"You’re late. The enemy forces are already annihilated."

"… Are you saying you acted on your own?"

"Yes."

"Why didn’t you seek instructions!?"

Lieutenant Mospizza shouted with a red face.

"If we had waited, the Cumon forces would have attacked the nearest village. Therefore, I decided to engage them independently."

"That’s hindsight! What was the purpose of the advance party? Your job was to relay information."

"I judged that waiting for instructions would be too late."

"Judgment is not yours to make!"

"Since we were appointed and dispatched as the advance party, I believe we have the discretion to make such judgments. Is this not the case?"

"Ugh, you didn’t say that!"

"Then what exactly are you trying to say?"

Heisen asked with a puzzled expression, but Lieutenant Mospizza fell silent. The outcome was a resounding victory, with no casualties. Heisen had assumed that his role as the advance party was to "use the characteristics of the infantry to lie in wait and launch a surprise attack."

Of course, they had waited as long as possible for the main force, but their march was so slow that they arrived 30 minutes later.

"Why did it take so long?"

"You didn’t provide the information, so we couldn’t move."

"What information?"

"Various things, like the size of the Cumon force."

"Isn’t that why we dispatched the advance party?"

"I said there are various factors! Like how many mages they have."

"Even if there were more mages, wouldn’t the response be the same—preventing the attack on the villages? If that’s the case, what’s the problem with knowing the details after joining forces? Does it justify delaying the march?"

"…"

"…"

"… You wanted a one-on-one duel with the Cumon Mage, didn’t you?"

Lieutenant Mospizza abruptly changed the subject. Had the previous issue been resolved?

"Yes, I did."

"Did you want to claim all the credit for yourself? That’s why you went ahead with the advance party’s surprise attack."

"I acted on what I deemed the best course of action."

"That’s just hindsight!"

"Then, could you please tell me what alternative strategy you had in mind?"

"…"

Once again, Lieutenant Mospizza fell silent. A heavy silence descended over the scene.

Heisen wondered what was going on.

"What if you had lost the one-on-one duel?"

"I wouldn’t have lost. If you doubt my abilities, I’d be happy to demonstrate them against you."

"What did you say?"

Lieutenant Mospizza took a few steps back.

"I assume you are quite strong, so if you would demonstrate a move?"

"… Why do you think I’m strong?"

Lieutenant Mospizza’s expression showed a hint of satisfaction.

"Based on your previous statements and actions, I deduced that you were incompetent. Therefore, I assumed your strength as a mage must have elevated you to your position."

"How dare you!"

Lieutenant Mospizza’s face turned purple with rage.

"Ah, my apologies. Perhaps 'incompetent' was too harsh. I meant to say that your intelligence seems markedly low, your nature vindictive, your ethics lacking, and your tolerance nonexistent. Therefore, I assumed you must be very strong as a mage."

"…"

When Heisen answered firmly, Lieutenant Mospizza fell silent for the third time. For some reason, the surrounding squad leaders were also watching with bated breath. At this moment, Sergeant Gabby from the 5th squad spoke hesitantly.

"Uh, isn’t that a bit rude?"

"Pointing out the facts is not rude. I am merely reporting the facts based on objective analysis."

"Oh, I see."

"Lieutenant, if there are no further questions, I’ll take my leave. I need to inspect the damage in the villages."

Heisen turned and returned to the 8th squad, where everyone was staring at him with astonishment.

"What’s wrong? Is there some unforeseen issue?"

"No, it’s just... well, it seems that Ensign Heisen is always Ensign Heisen, no matter the position."

Sergeant Buzz replied with a trembling voice.

"What are you talking about? Isn’t that obvious?"

"Usually, it’s not so straightforward."

"Is that so? Well, everyone has their differences, so I suppose that’s the case. In any case, let’s proceed with inspecting the damage in the neighboring villages."

Heisen shouted and spurred his horse into action.