Chapter 213 - Supply Sabotage
We climbed over the outer wall again and infiltrated the town, heading for the meeting spot in the parking lot. When we arrived, Ophelia and Liliane, who had gone out to support the Rebel Army, were already back and taking a nap. So relaxed.
The two of them were lounging in the Jeep, but they perked up and got out when they noticed us.
"How did it go on your end? It was a bit anticlimactic here. Right?"
"Honestly, it wasn’t much of a challenge. The first strike sent them into disarray, and the Rebel Army took them over pretty quickly."
That must have been because their attacks were too powerful, and it was a surprise assault. It must have been very effective.
The Rebel Army, seizing the opportunity, might be more capable than we thought.
"I don’t think there was much of a surprise factor on our end. And the results of the interrogation of the lord will be shared with Albert when he returns, so that’s fine, right?"
I glanced at Verone and Graylease, but it seemed there were no urgent reports.
Albert, who was supposed to prevent the messengers from escaping, was likely to find few or no escapees since the town gates were firmly shut. It wouldn’t be practical for large numbers of people to sneak in and out, and staying in the town would be safer for most.
By the time the sun had set considerably, we could see Albert returning. It had been about three hours since we started. He must have been monitoring the situation the whole time, but if it had taken this long, we might have been better off sending reinforcements.
"Albert!"
"The gates are about to be breached. We should hurry."
He warned us as soon as he returned.
The Rebel Army had successfully defeated the lord's forces and pushed all the way to the castle. A considerable amount of time had passed since the initial clash, and now they were attacking the town as well. They were riding high on their success.
I didn’t know the specifics, but this was a fairly large town with a considerable number of guards. Just breaking through the gates wouldn’t be the end of it.
Moreover, the townspeople wouldn’t just sit back and let it happen. If looting started, the sheer number of residents would put up a desperate resistance.
In any case, the town would soon descend into chaos. We didn’t want to get entangled in this internal conflict any further.
"It’s earlier than planned, but we have no choice. Let’s go."
The surprise attack on the Imperial Army was scheduled for midnight. We had planned to move out after dark, but we had to leave now.
"Alright, let’s break through!"
I wondered why he sounded so cheerful.
All the town gates were closed. The Rebel Army was trying to breach the south gate, so the other gates would be less guarded.
"Let’s go north."
"Wasn’t the west closer?"
"The castle is on that side, so the Rebel Army should be there too. The east is too far, so I think north is the best option."
That made sense. Following Graylease’s advice, we started the vehicles.
We moved through the empty streets, which were pleasant without any casual pedestrians. When we reached the north gate, we could see that only a few guards were present.
Of course, the south gate was where the Rebel Army was.
Even in a small town, the outer walls and gates were incredibly sturdy. They had to withstand attacks from large numbers of monsters at times, so a few vehicles wouldn’t be able to break through.
In addition to physical defenses, magical defenses were usually in place, making them extremely resilient. Even without the exceptional power of a barrier spell, they were incredibly durable.
While barrier magic artifacts themselves were extremely expensive and unlikely to be found in a small town, it was reasonable to assume they were sturdy within normal limits.
The first step in breaking through a gate was to neutralize its magical defenses.
The gates and walls that protected the town were essentially magical artifacts, powered by magic stones and fortified by magical minerals. If we could drain their magic, the magical defenses would disappear.
A strong enough attack to overload the defenses would eventually achieve this.
Next, we needed to break through the physical armor made of metal and wood.
Even without magical defenses, the layered materials were incredibly strong. Breaking through would require considerable effort.
Breaking through a gate wasn’t easy, but it was definitely possible for us.
The members here could handle it without any issues. The team in the lead vehicle was equipped to break through the gate quickly.
Here we go.
Ophelia, who was driving, stepped on the gas, accelerating the large Jeep. Weighing about three tons with its cargo, the large Jeep charged at the gate.
Liliane then filled the vehicle with a magical wind, acting as an air cushion to cushion the impact. This was a specialty of hers, preparing for what was to come.
Valeria further reduced the air resistance in front of the vehicle, assisting with the acceleration.
The gate was rapidly approaching.
I deployed my shield in a spindle shape, like a giant spear, pointing forward.
The speed and weight of the Jeep, combined with the pressure of the spear, would deliver a concentrated impact on the gate.
We could create a destructive force far exceeding that of traditional siege weapons.
A small town’s magic wouldn’t stand a chance against such an assault.
"Here we go—!"
Ophelia’s battle cry was followed by the impact.
After a brief resistance, the gate was blown away.
Liliane’s wind cushioned the recoil, and we only stumbled slightly. No big deal. Mission accomplished!
We passed through the gate and ventured outside. Soon, the other vehicles followed. From here, we headed to the ambush point.
Phew, that went well. If the initial charge hadn’t worked, we would have had to get out of the vehicle and break it down, so it was good to avoid the extra work.
To increase the success rate of the surprise attack, we couldn’t be seen by anyone on the way.
We avoided the main roads, taking the less-traveled paths. This was nothing compared to breaking through the southern forest.
We had plenty of time and no need to rush. With Mia, we wouldn’t get lost as we headed in the right direction.
We moved smoothly without any trouble and arrived when the sun had set.
"We still have some time before midnight. Let’s eat and talk."
"Sounds good. Let’s get ready."
"Food, food. I’m starving."
We couldn’t start a fire because the smoke would be noticeable, so we ate cold rice in the darkness. A lonely dinner, but we were used to the darkness from the Forest of the Underworld, so it wasn’t an issue on a clear night.
The Crimson Knights were likely monitoring the ambush point, so they would know we had arrived. There was no need to signal our readiness. We just had to wait for the situation to develop.
"Mmm, what did the lord of the town say earlier?"
After taking a bite of a ham and cheese sandwich and swallowing, I turned to Verone and Graylease.
Kidnapping people for profit wasn’t something a normal lord would do.
I had heard that the men were being turned into soldiers for the drug cartel, but the fate of the women and children was still unknown.
While there were various buyers, it seemed too large-scale for a local lord.
There were dozens to a hundred people in the castle’s basement. Handling that many would require a well-established sales network.
Moreover, it didn’t seem to be a drug cartel with major clients. So, where were they being sent?
"The lord didn’t know what happened to the women and children after they were sold or where they were sent."
"I think they operate on a need-to-know basis. The kidnappings weren’t spontaneous but were carried out on orders from the center."
"Right. The captured women and children were sent to the center, presumably the capital of the Empire, regularly. I think a major player in the Empire is involved. We know why they were kidnapped now."
Verone and Graylease paused for a moment. We continued eating without interrupting with questions.
After a drink, Verone continued.
"Yes, the answer was in the appraisal magic tool."
"The primary target was children, to discover their talents. They were gathering children with excellent magical aptitude."
"They were ranked and sold accordingly."
"The mastermind could be a major noble, a military faction, or even the Empire itself..."
Hmm, it’s not confirmed, but it’s a strong possibility. The strength and secrets of the Empire might lie in this.
The military power that dominated the western continent was largely due to the talents they gathered in this way.
Even in a world where the concept of human rights doesn’t exist, evil deeds are recognized as such. That’s why the state collects taxes in exchange for protection. What a terrible story.
But for now, it’s just speculation.
"Remember the attack on Sara’s school a while back?"
"The kidnappers! Weren’t they delinquent adventurers?"
"I think the Gandrault Gang was behind it..."
"Yes, the Legisamo Cartel, which is connected to the Empire."
So, they’re gathering talents not just from their own territory but from other countries as well?
If that’s true, it’s a big deal. A warning to the world would be necessary.
The Empire would certainly deny it if exposed, and if they couldn’t avoid it, they’d blame a minor noble.
Still, it’s a formidable organization.
The soldiers of the Legisamo Cartel were strengthened by drugs, giving them power similar to physical enhancement magic and making them fearless to pain.
What kind of combat strength does the regular Imperial Army have, which we are about to ambush?
Considering their individual strength, collective strength, and training, everything is unknown. We don’t need to be overly cautious, but we should be prepared to face elite soldiers like the Crimson Knights.
"We’ll leave the larger picture of human trafficking and its ultimate destination aside. At this scale, we have no place in it, and there’s nothing we can do."
We have no intention of getting involved. If a family member were kidnapped, we’d do everything to rescue them, but for now, we’re uninvolved.
"Yeah, it doesn’t matter for now, does it?"
"That’s right. Let’s rest until the operation starts."
Liliane lay down.
"I’ll go on watch. Anything could happen."
"I’ll go with her. I’ll leave the main operation to you all."
Graylease and Mia won’t participate in the ambush itself. They’ll focus on securing the escape route.
We’ll leave the two young men to guard the vehicles, but if a large number of enemy soldiers come this way, they might not be able to handle it. They’ll also monitor the overall situation and report any unexpected events.
Four will guard, and the remaining six will attack.
The Crimson Knights will attack at a suitable time late at night.
We’ll use them as a distraction to destroy supplies. We’ll avoid combat as much as possible and prioritize supply destruction. If we succeed, we might prevent the enemy’s expedition. Without supplies, they can’t wage war, let alone an expedition. It’s a crucial but unglamorous task.
Moreover, the Anastasia Union is attacking from the north. The Imperial leadership isn’t so foolish as to consider these movements coincidental.
If we can achieve a significant victory here, we can show that the Empire’s ambitions in the eastern continent won’t be easy. We might even force them to give up. That’s our goal.
We have a plan, but the actual battlefield is fluid. We must be prepared for the unexpected.
It’s probably four or five hours until the operation starts. I might take a nap.
Just as I lay down like Liliane,
"There’s movement in the Imperial Army!"
We were at the base of a low hill. Mia called from above, and we all climbed up to see what was happening.
When Graylease first checked, the Imperial Army seemed to be resting, but now they were in a hurry.
"Did they find out about the ambush?"
"I don’t think they noticed us. Did the Crimson Knights make a mistake?"
"We might need to provide support depending on the situation."
"Let’s observe for a bit more."
If the Crimson Knights’ ambush was discovered, we need to act immediately. Using the knights as a distraction to destroy supplies, the timing would just be earlier, but the plan remains the same.
If the ambush fails, Flannel and the others will have a tough time. What’s the actual situation?
The Imperial Army’s base was a temporary camp, not a fortified base. There were no walls or moats, and the barracks and warehouses were visibly unguarded.
They probably only had basic anti-monster defenses. They didn’t expect an attack, being the dominant force in the region. This carelessness should work to our advantage, but what’s going on now?
After observing for a while, something seemed off.
The Imperial Army, prepared for action, loaded about two thousand troops, roughly half their force, into vehicles and started moving southeast.
Southeast was the direction of the town we had stayed in, where the Rebel Army was attacking.
It seems they received news of the rebellion and sent troops to suppress it. If so, this is an opportunity. The Rebel Army is providing a good distraction for us.
The Crimson Knights would likely think the same.
A considerable amount of time passed after the enemy columns started moving.
We were getting restless when the initial magical attack was launched. The Crimson Knights had moved into action.
You might not remember, but the incident in Chapter 123, "School x Terrorists?", where children were kidnapped, connects to this story. (It’s not a critical point in the plot, but it’s a side note.)
The main story was interrupted, but the operation will begin in earnest in the next chapter.
The next chapter, "Supply Destruction," will be a bit longer and more intense. Stay tuned!