Chapter 190: The Search

Two months later.

Norn Kingdom, border region.

Tyron was the border commander, overseeing 50,000 troops.

Tyron was diligent, personally handling many matters.

A month ago, a mountain patrol team failed to return on schedule.

The team had been missing for a month.

Normally, such a matter wouldn’t reach Tyron’s level.

But Tyron, attentive to such issues, learned of the missing patrol.

“Strange, the Railey Kingdom hasn’t made any moves. Why would a team vanish?” Tyron pondered.

The border mountains rarely saw powerful magical creatures.

Even if there were, the patrol had several knight-level warriors.

Even if outmatched, a few should have escaped.

If a neighboring country acted, it would take dozens to hundreds of troops to eliminate the patrol.

In the mountains, escaping into the forest made pursuit difficult.

Yet, the patrol had been missing for a month.

Tyron summoned his adjutant, “Send a hundred men, split into ten squads, to search the mountains for the patrol.”

The adjutant asked, “Commander, is it necessary to send so many? They might just be lost.”

“No, it’s not that simple. Ensure the squads stay close enough to support each other,” Tyron insisted.

Tyron ordered a hundred troops to search the patrol’s area.

After Tyron’s order, the elite hundred-man team quickly assembled.

The team included many knight-level warriors and three grand knights.

The hundred men marched into the mountains, determined to find the missing patrol.

They would find them, dead or alive.

***

Since encountering the patrol two months ago, Helag’s group had a new task besides mapping.

They now patrolled and scouted for any approaching humans.

For two months, all was calm, with no humans approaching.

Helag’s group diligently mapped and patrolled.

Life at Base 27 was dull, with no entertainment.

But wizards endured solitude, needing little distraction.

Wizards in the pioneering war sought advancement, not minor comforts.

Helag stood on a hill, observing.

The mapping was nearly done, having traversed most of the mountains.

Patrolling was boring.

The mountain scenery was nice, but even beauty grew tiresome daily.

Helag crouched suddenly.

“Someone’s coming.”

David and Reese joined him, crouching behind trees.

From the hilltop, they saw a group ascending the mountain far below.

The group numbered around a hundred.

Helag used binoculars to observe; they wore light armor like the previous patrol.

“Looks like Norn Kingdom troops, likely searching for the patrol. Let’s report to Mr. Cain and Lord Parker.”

Helag retreated, David and Reese following.

They quickly returned to Base 27, informing Parker and Cain.

“A hundred troops?” Parker pondered, then said, “Cain, keep everyone inside for now.”

“Understood, Lord Parker,” Cain issued orders to the base.

Parker continued, “If it’s just border troops, no worries. They can’t find Base 27. Just watch for spellcasters.”

“Spellcasters? Wizards?” Helag asked.

Parker nodded, “Similar, just different names.”

The hundred-man search began, with Base 27 on lockdown.

Everyone stayed inside.

Base 27 had concealment arrays.

The troops, even grand knights, knew nothing of arrays.

They could search a century and not find Base 27.

The hundred troops began searching, but the vast mountains were too much.

They couldn’t cover every spot.

Several times, they passed Base 27’s entrance.

But they saw only a cliff with a spring.

Thirsty soldiers drank and rested by the cliff.

They couldn’t know a base lay beyond.

A month later.

The hundred troops withdrew.

“Commander, we searched the mountains but found no trace of the patrol. We saw signs of human activity, but can’t identify them,” the team leader reported.

A month yielded no patrol clues.

Tyron frowned, “It’s complicated. If you couldn’t find them, continuing is pointless.”

He told the adjutant, “Post a mission at the Adventurer’s Guild to search the mountains for clues. Maybe only spellcasters can find something.”

Spellcasters were rare, holding special military status. Tyron couldn’t order them to search.

Only adventurers could be hired for such tasks.

The Adventurer’s Guild had many skilled individuals, whom Tyron respected.

The military often worked with adventurers, and this wasn’t the first mission.

Some tasks were unsuitable for the military.

Adventurers were free, capable, and unrestrained.

Often, they worked faster and more efficiently.

The adjutant nodded, “I’ll handle it.”