An earthquake?

Yuder and Nathan Zuckerman simultaneously straightened their postures and turned their heads sharply. The tremor subsided shortly afterward, but Yuder didn’t relax. Instead, he focused on tracing the tail end of the sensation he’d just felt.

Was it from Peleta’s side? No... no, it didn’t originate from there. It felt like it came from another direction. If the tremor was that strong even here... then at the epicenter—

“We should go out and assess the situation.”

Nathan Zuckerman, staring in the same direction as Yuder, murmured as his hand settled on his sword hilt.

“I’m sorry, but it seems we’ll have to delay our visit to the Northern branch.”

“That’s fine, but—”

“Sir Zuckerman! Are you here?!”

Before Nathan could leave, someone rushed in with hurried steps. A young knight, whose face was vaguely familiar from earlier glimpses around Peleta, burst in, panting.

“An emergency report just came from Zilbang! A monster outbreak!”

Zilbang...? That name...

Yuder recalled the official documents from the Duke of Peleta’s office he had seen recently. The very first document—oldest and most prominent—had involved a territory named Zilbang. It was the first estate that had taken part in the new monster extermination commission project that Kishiar launched after arriving in Peleta.

It was supposed to be near Peleta...

While Yuder searched his memory, Nathan’s expression hardened.

“It’s a bit early in the season, but the usual monsters around Zilbang shouldn’t be difficult for the dispatched team to handle.”

“Yes, that’s what we thought—but it seems something out of the ordinary has occurred. We’ve just received word that Sir Brug, who was commanding the detachment, has been injured.”

“Brug...?”

Nathan’s expression turned grave. The young knight, drenched in sweat from running over, didn’t look much better.

“The last signal from Sir Brug was a ‘5.’ Commander Weliven is preparing to head out personally.”

“Understood. I’ll go right away.”

“What does a ‘5’ signal mean?”

The young knight flinched and looked up in surprise at Yuder’s voice. In his urgency, he hadn’t noticed someone else on the stairs.

“O-oh... since when were you—”

“It’s a tactical signal used by the Peleta Knights. The Duke created it himself. Signal ‘5’ means a coordinated diversion plan with reinforcements. It’s used when the current force cannot secure their rear while engaging the enemy.”

Nathan responded calmly, regardless of the knight’s flustered reaction. Immediately, tactical formations from strategy games passed through Yuder’s mind.

“So in essence, it means they’re attempting to draw the enemy far from Zilbang while requesting Peleta’s support to launch a joint strike. I assume the diversion point is pre-designated?”

Yuder mentally overlaid his memories of Peleta’s northern terrain onto a mental map. Though he couldn’t recall Zilbang’s exact location, judging by the direction the tremor came from, one area came to mind.

A basin full of rocky terrain visible when facing northeast with your back to the sea, from Peleta Castle.

The tremor had come from the northeast.

That region was barren, with barely any grass or trees, covered mostly in jagged rock. Some areas dipped significantly lower than the surrounding land, forming what resembled a shallow basin—possibly once a lake or pond, now long dry.

If they could lure the enemy in there... it would be the perfect terrain for an ambush. There was no better place to execute a joint encirclement.

“Is it the rocky basin to the northeast?”

“How did you—?”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

Both the young knight and Nathan replied at the same time, though with differing reactions.

Nathan, unfazed, continued in a calm voice.

“We call it the Tomb of the Sleeping Water Spirit. It’s midway between Zilbang and Peleta, and it slopes downward from the Zilbang side, making it easy to draw enemies in. It’s also easy to monitor from the castle.”

“I’ve seen it before.”

They still didn’t know how many monsters had appeared, or what kind. But the decision to initiate a diversion strategy already revealed several key points.

First: the monsters likely possess strong predatory instincts that make them pursue visible prey rather than attacking indiscriminately. That makes them easier to bait, even if they’re hard to defeat.

Second: in my experience, such creatures tend to hunt in packs and enjoy chasing humans.

Third: the tremor only occurred once and hasn’t repeated, which means the enemy isn’t overly massive or capable of burrowing underground.

Taking everything into account, there was one monster type that seemed most likely.

“They’re probably flying creatures.”

“Excuse me?”

“The monsters being lured this way. I believe they’re winged beasts—carnivorous, like raptors. But likely not just one. As I’m sure the Peleta Knights, with your monster catalog, already know... the tricky thing about those kinds is—”

Nathan Zuckerman’s expression stiffened mid-blink as Yuder continued casually.

“...They attack from above, where it’s hardest to defend.”

“Yes. Even if we can lure them, that terrain doesn’t favor a ground fight against them.”

More than unfavorable—it was a bad matchup.

We’re on flat, open ground with nowhere to hide, and they’re in the sky. That makes them at least three times harder to deal with.

In his previous life, Cavalry members had always struggled when fighting flying monsters. They needed someone like Elpokin, who could fly—and without one, even strong teams often suffered heavy losses.

But we have Nathan Zuckerman now.

A Swordmaster who could project aura was capable of ignoring terrain disadvantages. But only to a point. Aura wasn’t limitless. To achieve maximum efficiency, they’d need to calculate carefully.

That’s what tactics are for.

“Wait, but sir... how could a guest like you possibly... If that’s true, shouldn’t you inform the Duke first?”

The young knight had gone pale. Yuder, at those words, pictured the face of the man still asleep upstairs.

What would Kishiar have done?

The advantage of being able to see the battlefield from the top of the castle. The nature of the terrain. The ability to take action without waking or leaving his side. And the presence of a powerful card—Nathan Zuckerman.

A fast, decisive way to protect both Peleta and Zilbang...

...It’s not impossible. If I have help.

Yuder raised his gaze, meeting Nathan’s eyes. The knight had waited quietly without a word while Yuder thought.

“Sir Zuckerman.”

“Yes.”

“I think I’ll need to ask you for one more favor—something similar to earlier. Would that be all right?”

“Please speak.”

“To resolve this quickly, I’d like for us to cooperate—you outside, and me here.”

“....”

The young knight opened his mouth in confusion, clearly not following. But Nathan looked down at the floor for a moment, then raised his hand in a short, silent salute.

The same gesture as before—Peleta Knight’s pledge to follow an order.

“If you’ve judged this the best course of action, I will follow. Tell me what you need.”

He didn’t even ask for an explanation. A chill of something electric ran down Yuder’s spine. It had been a long time since he felt this kind of sharp anticipation.

And with it, a smile crept up at the corner of his lips.