Chapter 417 - Beltoria Underground
We sprint down the last stretch of the slope, trying to keep our footsteps as quiet as possible. We're nearly at the bottom.
Our shadows flicker on the dimly lit walls. This is a tense infiltration of enemy territory, deep underground. A timid person might have a heart attack just from seeing their own shadow.
Of course, I won't mistake a shadow for anything else. And I certainly won’t get nervous.
I’ll effortlessly clear any obstacles and keep moving forward. Bring it on.
Apparently, a large chamber awaits at the bottom, and there’s supposed to be a guard at the end of the slope.
"...Onee-sama, no one’s here," Valeria says cautiously as she peeks at the bottom of the slope, her face twisted in suspicion.
As always, the perception of magic is hindered, and I can’t see through the obstructed areas, which is frustrating.
"What about the hostages?"
"No sign of them. They might be hiding in a building or have been moved."
Noticed us? This is getting tedious. If they want to use the hostages for negotiations, they should just get on with it.
"Well, that’s fine. If they’re hiding, they must have noticed our movements. Be on guard for surprise attacks. There could be traps. Let's take our time."
"Understood. I’ll check the surroundings."
We’ve already given the enemy a head start. We need to hurry, but panicking now won’t help. We entered the large chamber with defensive awareness, ready for any ambush.
As Valeria described, the space is even larger than I expected. It’s big enough to serve as a secret base for a substantial force.
Not only is the space vast, but there are also several buildings and over twenty abandoned vehicles. The size and number of the buildings suggest they can easily house hundreds of people. There are even large piles of supplies, suggesting the base was still in the process of expansion.
The space is wide but cluttered, making it hard to see clearly. The environment also interferes with magic perception, making it easy for someone to hide. I jumped onto the roof of a building to get a quick overview.
The strength of Gulgandi is still unclear. I thought taking out the elite troops who came by ship would be enough, but considering the initial coordinated attack and the number of powerful undead, it’s clear this isn’t just a small group. And it probably won’t end with just this wave.
However, exposing and seizing this hideout is a significant blow to Gulgandi. We won’t be satisfied with just this. We’ll finish them off completely. That’s how our name shines brighter.
Shaking off the urge to explore the underground facility, I focused on the large thoroughfare stretching to the side. It’s a true thoroughfare.
Despite being deep underground, the road is wide enough for four large trucks to drive side by side, with a high ceiling. It’s on a scale that makes me wonder if they were trying to build an underground empire.
If the enemy has moved, they must be at the end of this thoroughfare. Judging from the scattered items along the road, they must have moved in a hurry. Whatever awaits us, we need to go and see.
"Onee-sama, I found several ramps leading up from the large thoroughfare," Valeria reported as she rejoined us, descending from the building.
"Other ramps? So, we can enter this underground space from other warehouses too?"
"We might be able to link up with Roberta and the others."
"True, but we can’t afford to wait. We’ll leave a marker and keep moving forward."
Rolling a few iron balls at the entrance of the thoroughfare should be enough for everyone to recognize. If someone else has already been here, they’ve likely left a sign. We’ll check later.
From here, we’ll use one of the abandoned vehicles. We need to disable any traps, like car bombs, but they should be usable after that.
As Valeria and I were inspecting a vehicle, a noise came from a little distance away.
"—Freeze!"
A commanding voice followed the sound. But being told to freeze out of nowhere won’t stop most people from doing what they were doing.
Valeria and I turned around calmly, raising our guard against the unseen presence.
"I said, freeze!"
The voice was coming from a nearby building. A man appeared at the window, aiming a magic device and firing a shot to intimidate us.
The magic hit a few steps in front of us, causing a small explosion in the sandy ground. The magic was weak, and even a direct hit wouldn’t have harmed our gear. Was he trying to intimidate us with that?
But there’s something off. The weak magic combined with the nervous, agitated voice is unusual for Gulgandi’s elite. It doesn’t even seem like a regular soldier. This guy is more like a street thug. It’s hard to believe we didn’t sense his presence, so it’s probably due to the magic device.
He could have stayed hidden and avoided detection. So why did he show himself? And why is a thug like him here?
It doesn’t matter. We don’t have time to waste on such a nuisance.
"Alright, just stand still."
The thug must have thought he had the upper hand and kept shouting in a commanding tone.
"Who are you? No, drop your weapons first. Face the wall and put your hands behind your head. Now get on your knees... Hurry!"
Ignoring his ridiculous demands, I spoke quietly to Valeria.
"He said there were at least two more enemies, and some people who look like hostages."
"Right, it’s unlikely that only one of them is left. They might have moved, but they’re probably still around somewhere."
"True. Alright, let’s flush them out. If they don’t come out, we’ll assume there’s no one else and move forward."
"Don’t talk in whispers! You two—"
With my right hand still holding the bat, I generated an iron ball in my left hand and threw it at the thug in my peripheral vision without even looking. The thug, who had been shouting desperately, was completely unprepared for the sudden throw and lost his right arm above the shoulder.
His screams are good bait. We focus on any other movements.
"If anyone’s there, come out now. Or I’ll crush everything!"
My threat echoed through the vast underground space, overlapping with the thug’s cries.
To drive the point home, I smashed a nearby building, creating a loud destructive noise. This should make them react.
"...I see a figure in the left building. Just a glimpse, but I’m sure it’s there."
"Alright, let’s go."
There should have been no discernible presence or sounds, but Valeria, with her keen eyesight, spotted movement through the window. She’s a reliable partner.
As we approached, the window inched open. They’re not giving up.
"Any closer and we hurt the hostage."
The voice came from someone still hiding, not showing their face. Pointless, as soon as they spoke, their hiding spot was exposed. I aim at a random spot and send an iron spike.
The moment the magic is cast, we both sprint forward. When we hear a muffled scream, I smash the wall with the bat. As the wall breaks, Valeria rushes in and strikes whoever was standing there.
I follow inside to check the situation.
The enemy is lying in an awkward position, pinned down by the broken wall and an iron spike through the leg, unconscious.
In the back of the large room, five young men are sprawled on the floor, their mouths gagged and hands bound. They are undoubtedly the hostages. There’s still a possibility of traps, and there might be more enemies.
"Onee-sama, should we check the other buildings as well?"
"No, I don’t want to waste time here."
Considering why the remaining enemy and hostages were left behind, it’s clear they’re just trying to buy time. Our priority is to catch up with the fleeing enemy. Once we catch them, we’ll get the information we need. Interrogating this minor thug would be a waste of time, and searching would be even worse.
It’s a hassle, but we’ll release the hostages since we’re here. If there are more, we’ll have to leave them for now.
Keeping a cautious eye out, I start by freeing the nearest young man. Using a Magic-Sealing Bracelet, I destroy the restraints and free him in a few seconds. He doesn’t seem injured.
"Thank you... Who are you?"
"Sorry, but we don’t have time for introductions. We’re here on behalf of the authorities in Berliza. Who are you?"
Blocking any potential gratitude or questions, I give him the essential information. He can just remember me as the woman with the eye patch.
"I’m Crane Cleados. These are—"
"Cleados? The house of the count? No, never mind that. You have decent magical power and a good build. Are you a knight?"
I cut him off. His identity doesn’t matter in this situation.
"Yeah, I’m still a trainee, though."
"Even a trainee can fight. From here, you take charge. Follow the ramp along the wall to escape. We’ll chase the fleeing enemy. Do you know how many there are? Any information would be helpful."
"Um... I don’t have any useful information... I’m sorry."
He’s just a hostage. I didn’t expect much, and it’s not his fault he doesn’t know anything.
"Okay, once you’re outside, contact Count Cleados for instructions. Don’t act on your own, and don’t let anyone else talk unnecessarily. Got it?"
This is the best course of action. With the Count’s connections in the Intelligence Department, he might send a unit to secure the underground space. In emergencies, early communication and action are crucial. This guy will serve as a messenger.
"W-What do you mean?"
"No time for questions. Understand? Just contact the Count and explain the situation. That’s all."
"...Understood. I’ll reach out to the Count."
"Good, let’s get moving!"
I hand the freed youth a knife and entrust him with the task. He’ll gather any other supplies he needs on his own.
Without waiting to see him free the other hostages, Valeria and I head back outside. We inspect a random vehicle, confirming it’s usable, and drive it out.
We leave the large chamber and enter the underground tunnel.
The dimly lit thoroughfare is unchanged from the slope. Tunnels are all the same, I suppose.
I leave the driving to Valeria and keep a sharp eye on the surroundings. If they want to waste our time, they’ll set traps along this one-way path. There’s bound to be something.
"...I can sense magic now. They couldn’t interfere with magic perception in such a large tunnel."
"Right, the magic devices are easier to detect now. Oh, Onee-sama, this path seems to be slightly descending."
"We’re still going deeper... And we have no idea where we are."
We have no clue where we are underground, considering the vertical and horizontal movement. The path we’ve taken for a few minutes only adds to the uncertainty.
It’s unlikely we’re still near the warehouse area, but the thought of being under the sea is unsettling.
As I ponder, the web of my magic perception catches a definite anomaly.
"Valeria, slow down."
"Enemies?"
"Looks like a welcoming party of undead. Quite a few of them."
"Again..."
We were supposed to deal with a few elite Gulgandi troops, but this is getting exhausting.
We slow the vehicle and stop at a suitable spot, preparing for the fight. We need to avoid losing our means of transportation.
As we walk down the gently curving path, we finally see the enemy.
"They’re Black Skeletons, Onee-sama. All of them have swords, but few have armor."
"That armor isn’t cheap, so it makes sense they don’t all have it. It’s easier for us, though there are a lot of them."
There must be close to a hundred skeletons, filling the dimly lit tunnel in a disturbing way. How on earth did they prepare so many? This is really getting on my nerves.
Should we just ignore them and push through?
Their movement speed isn’t great. We could leave the vehicle and slip past, but the risk of being attacked from behind is too high. If the tunnel is long enough, we’d prefer to keep the vehicle. Fighting the skeletons will be tiring, but we can’t avoid it.
No, that’s not the right attitude.
We’ll crush every obstacle in our path. That’s how we’ve always been, and that’s how we will continue.
I can do without the creepy insect-type monstrosities... But I guess adding undead to the list isn’t a bad idea. If we have to fight them, we might as well make a name for ourselves.
Sure, send as many as you want.
No matter how bad my condition, I will win. I’ll take them all down, all at once!