The great Buddha said.
«Abandon extremes and realize the Middle Way.»
It was not about indulging in pleasure as desire dictated, nor rushing into ascetic practices that tormented the body excessively; rather, a moderate and ambiguous choice was the correct path.
He was not necessarily following the saint’s teachings, but the path Rest chose was also a middle ground that sat between the two opinions.
«How about a surprise attack on enemy territory with a small elite force?»
It was neither actively attacking nor entirely on the defensive.
A small elite force that could survive even if attacked by the foreign tribes would launch a strike on the foreign tribes’ stronghold.
Even if the attack failed, only the lives of the small raiding party would be lost. That way, large-scale damage could be avoided.
(Of course, the assault members were putting their lives on the line. It was a desperate mission, but with such a small group, escape would not be difficult.)
At the very least, a skilled magician could fly away to escape.
Although dangerous, it was not a suicide squad with no hope of survival.
«Interesting! This gets my blood pumping! Let’s do this!»
«Hmph... I don’t care. I’ll just cut down the enemies.»
«Hehehe, infiltrating enemy territory brings back memories of my youth.»
There were about ten assault members.
Baleya Cattleya, the son of the knight commander; Wilhelm Lubeth, the Sword Saint Who Hates Women; and Diebl, the butler of House Rosemary. Along with several other knights and magicians.
They were surprisingly enthusiastic.
In this fantasy world, life was indeed cheap. There were many instances where honor and victory were more highly valued than the fear of taking risks.
And... Rest, the one who proposed the plan, was also included among the members.
(It's not like I can say I'm scared and don't want to go since I'm the one who proposed the plan... Besides, I want to end this fight quickly and go home.)
Hearing that the Gaiselle Empire was suspicious made me worried about my fiancées and friends back in the royal capital and in the domains.
Viola, Primula, Yuri, and Celestine.
The same went for Urla. As the young lady of House Lavender, she would be the first to be put in the line of fire if war broke out with the Gaiselle Empire.
Thinking of them, I couldn't afford to keep dawdling in this northern frontier forever. I wanted to settle things as quickly as possible.
(Of course, charging into a forest where I couldn't tell my left from my right was extremely dangerous. But we had a guide.)
"...Are you serious? Asking me to guide you is insane."
The one who was singled out for the task was an oni tribe boy being held captive in the dungeon as a prisoner of war.
I learned later that his name was Rou.
At Rest's suggestion, he was released from his cell and brought along as a guide through the forest.
"I told you back in the cell, didn't I? That we might be able to cooperate if there was mutual benefit. I think this operation is beneficial for you too, don't you?"
Rest spoke to him as if explaining things to a child.
This was a small, elite surprise attack operation. The target wasn't so much the foreign tribes' settlement as it was the "curse caster" who was manipulating them from behind the scenes.
The foreign tribes had their people taken hostage, which was why they couldn't back down and had been forced into war with the Kingdom of Aiwood.
In that case, the plan was to defeat the foreign tribes and free the hostages.
"Muu..."
Rou looked reluctant, but he offered no further objections.
His little sister was also being held captive by that "curse caster."
If Rest and the others could defeat the curse caster, that would be a blessing.
Even if not, getting out of the cell gave him a chance to escape.
I know it's a naive thought... but it's more realistic than continuing the fight until the last one is taken down. Probably?
The safety of the hostages wasn't that important.
But at the very least, those "curse casters" had to be taken down.
If possible, he wanted to capture them alive and get them to talk about who was behind them. That was the best outcome.
"Alright, let's go."
A risk that had to be undertaken for victory. The decisive moment had arrived.
Rest and his companions steeled their resolve and infiltrated the forest.