Volume 23 Chapter 3 The Enemy’S True Identity： Part I
"This is bad. It looks like there are Mages from the Marquis Prentis family over there, and more than two of them."
Al told Desmond, Reginald, and Leda, who were nearby.
Orson hadn't directly seen the Marquis Prentis family's carriage, but it was a carriage with a distinctive design, no crest.
The chance of a mistake was low.
He really wanted to check the numbers written discreetly on the roof, but he didn't have time.
It was better to proceed assuming there were Mages.
"Huh? How did you know?"
"I just talked to Orson with 'Telepathy'. He said he was staying near the villa to keep an eye on things, right?"
Al relayed the information he had just received.
The 3 of them exchanged glances.
"The ones who rode out ahead on horses, are they knights?"
Al asked the question, realizing he hadn't asked Orson that yet.
The reply was that they weren't knights, but more like mercenaries on horseback.
Apparently, those 2 were completely different in terms of fighting strength.
"I see..."
Desmond and the others started thinking, arms crossed.
Seeing this, Al switched the 'Sensory Boost' spell from 'Night Sight' and weak telephoto to tactile sense and weak 'Night Sight', then crawled along the ground, putting both hands and cheek to the earth.
It wasn't that far to Viscount Eugene's villa.
The vibrations transmitted through the ground, though faint, conveyed their presence.
"There are horsemen to the southwest and northwest... around 10 each. Both are heading east, but not at a very fast speed. They might be going around us. A lot of footsteps and carriages to the west... have they already left?"
'The armed guys have left. Two carriages are with them.'
Almost at the same time Al confirmed this, 'Telepathy' came from Orson.
He relayed that information to the 3 of them.
"Normally, they'd all head straight towards us together. Could they be planning to surround us and make sure we can't escape?"
Reginald said, sounding unsure.
"Yes, it's certainly possible. Should we act with that in mind? But, it might be hard to escape then."
Leda says this, looking worried.
Thinking about the worst-case scenario is probably important.
Staying put in this situation would be dangerous.
Desmond, who had been deep in thought, opens his mouth.
"Al, can you use the 'Night Sight' magic you used on Barbara before, on all the members? Also, I want you to check the terrain of this forest from above and find any good places for an ambush."
He understands the terrain, but he doesn't know what he mean by "ambush."
Al tilts his head for a moment, but decides there's no time to waste. He moves the 'Floating Eye' to the sky, then tells Desmond to accept the spell. After that, he uses the 'Sensory Boost' spell to grant 'Night Sight'.
'"Record & Play - Regeneration" one meter square.'
He uses the 'Record & Play' spell to record the forest scene currently displayed in the 'Floating Eye'. Then, he immediately creates a one-meter square frame in front of them and projects the scene there.
"Right now, we're here. The positions of the two cavalry units, based on the vibrations, are here and here. And the position of the main unit, including the carriage, is here. I don't know what's suitable for an ambush, so can you look at this and decide?"
He places stones on the projected forest scene to indicate the positions.
Desmond, Reginald, and Leda exchange glances.
"They're only moving slowly. I think it's because they haven't lit any lights. Also, the 'Night Sight' spell takes time, you know? This spell can only be cast by touching the target and having them accept it, so it has to be one person at a time. And I can't just use the same spell, boom, boom, boom, in a row, so I need to wait about 10 seconds between each one. There are about 20 more people, so it will take about 4 or 5 minutes, right?"
Saying that, Al then touched Reginald and cast the 'Sensory Boost' spell to grant 'Night Sight'.
He muttered, "Nineteen more to go."
Desmond, who had been watching the forest scene carefully, nodded deeply.
"Barbara said Al's spells are amazing, and now I get it. Seriously impressive. Okay, the terrain's clear in my head. We'll leave the horses and gear here, then strike the horsemen to the north first. The front line will be me and Reginald, both with 'Night Sight'. I'll run holding the rope, so those without 'Night Sight' must grab the rope and keep up desperately. Al, can you cast it in order from the back of the line while we move? Prioritize those holding Reginald's rope, then those with mine."
They were planning to run through the dark forest like that.
It made sense since waiting for everyone to get the spell would risk being spotted by enemy scouts. Plus, Desmond was huge compared to the others, so his plan held logic.
Al, with no experience leading people, looked confused, but Desmond was brimming with confidence.
He clearly believed they could pull it off.
The enemy was split into 2 groups, so they were only facing about ten people at once.
Striking first in this darkness could let them take down the enemy smoothly.
That way, the chance of being trapped would vanish, and if things went south, retreating would be easier.
"Got it. Lady Leda and 2 others, I'll make a 'Carrier' chair behind me──sit there."
The order was set quickly, and the gear was hidden easily under the underbrush.
Al used the 'Carrier' spell to lift 3 people, including Leda, into the chairs.
"Alright, let's go."
"Understood. Moving out."
'We'll start moving now. Looks like the horsemen are trying to surround us, so we take them out first to open an escape route. Our "Telepathy" might cut out, so Orson has to judge wisely and flee if needed.'
'Okay.'
Explain to Orson about 'Telepathy.'
Make sure he doesn't get caught.
If he deems it dangerous, he's allowed to leave the area.
Al floated lightly and started following Desmond and Reginald, who were running ahead.
* * *
'Paralysis.'
'Magic Missile.'
Riding along while holding the reins, Al and Leda used Telepathy to coordinate their timing, casting their spells together.
Taking that as their signal, the Levy Merchant Guild mercenaries attacked from both front and rear at the same time.
Reginald's squad, including Al, charged from the front, while Desmond led the squad with Leda at the back.
As arrows from each squad hit the horses, the animals they were holding reared up wildly in panic.
Chaos erupted instantly within the group.
"Aaaagh!"
"What's going on? What's happening?"
"Eeeeeek!"
In the darkness, some got kicked by panicked horses, and the group quickly fell apart, unable to fight as an organized force.
Some even ended up slashing the nearest ally, and the fight ended swiftly with the mercenaries of the Levy Merchant Guild victorious.
On the Levy Merchant Guild side, one person was bitten by a horse, another twisted an ankle when they fell, but no one suffered serious injuries.
It was a huge victory.
Reginald and Desmond looked at the faces of each fallen enemy, binding those still breathing and checking if anyone had identification.
"We don't know who the two leaders were, but the others include one from the Shining Shield, 3 from the Black Knife Gang, and 4 from the Seven Snake crew."
Al had heard of both the Shining Shield and the Seven Snake.
The Shining Shield was a famous mercenary group, usually hired for caravan escorts, but they made a name for themselves fighting in the war against the Tempest Kingdom 26 years ago.
Meanwhile, the Seven Snake was a notorious gang running drugs in the slums of the capital, known for selling violence as their trademark.
They tattooed a number 7 and a snake on their upper arms as a symbol of their bond.
The guard forces had cracked down on them many times, but the gang leaders were famous for never getting caught.
At least on the surface, there seemed to be no connection between the Shining Shield and the Seven Snakes.
They were more like natural enemies than anything else.
Why those 2 were here, no one could figure out.
"I get the two of them, but what's this about the Black Knife Gang?"
"Just like the Shining Shield, they're mercenaries. They haven't had the best reputation, but I heard they've been picking up steam recently because they take on guard duty for cheap. But for a mercenary group to sell themselves to 2 other countries... that's a bit much."
It was, of course, illegal for a mercenary group to engage in activities that benefited other nations.
They must have known what they were doing.
"Could it be that Viscount Eugene is the one hiring them without our knowledge?"
"Once the Seven Snakes are involved, it's got to be suspicious. I'd say that's a given,"
Reginald tossed out the comment.
"How did you know the Shining Shield and the Black Knife Gang were involved?"
"This guy here,"
Desmond replied, and showed them a small, white metal pendant shaped like a shield and a large, black knife.
It was probably some kind of membership badge.
If he were an ex-member, he wouldn't be wearing it.
That meant he was likely a current member.
"Can I have that accessory and knife? They might come in handy for sneaking in."
"Sure, except for the clothes. Just the upper garment. I'm in a hurry. I want to take out the other mounted unit before the main force catches up."
Huh?
Al's face showed surprise.
He had secured an escape route, thinking they would flee from here.
Desmond just snickered and shook his head.
"What are you talking about? We can see them, but they can't see us. And we know their positions. This is a golden opportunity. After we take out the remaining mounted unit, we need to cause as much damage as possible to the main force. We have to rescue the leader. Escaping comes after that."
Al felt a growing unease, despite understanding what Desmond was saying.
What if the enemy had a Mage?
Characters note:
- Desmond – Veteran adventurer hired by Levy. Based in Border City, Lester.
- Leda – She was an apprentice to Eric. A magician in training.
- Orson – An adventurer, he was 172 cm tall with a slight limp, which Al had healed, an act for which he was deeply grateful. A seasoned warrior, he often worked alongside Al and made the (Red-Faced Sheep) tavern his regular lodging.
- Reginald – He once protected Naresh when they were attacked by the Blood-Soaked Bandits. Mercenary for the Levy merchant guild
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)