Ch. 251..260

Chapter 251

With shared glances, Daliea and Keela both sighed.

Keela asked, "Can you at least tell me what I’m being accused of?"

"You... You’re enemies of the state!" shouted the lead woman. "You and your friends have already been called out and there’s no going back for you! Just come peacefully and let us get our husbands back!"

"But why are we enemies of the state?"

"I... I don’t know. But I do know that if you go to trial and you’re innocent, then you’ll be fine and I’ll get my husband back," reasoned the woman, trying her best to keep things from getting out of hand.

"I’m sorry, but if the state is going to such extremes do you really think she would get a fair trial?" stated Daliea, taking the wind of the woman’s sails.

"W-well..."

"I’m sorry for what they’ve done to your husbands, but this really has nothing to do with me. Can you please let us pass?" Keela took a few steps forward but the mob made no moves to clear a path. "Ladies, we need to pass. Will you please let us go?"

The women around started to gather behind Daliea and Keela as well. And in place of sharing any more words, they each took out some makeshift weapons ranging from kitchen knives to cheap swords bought for bargain prices in the market.

Both Daliea and Keela frowned when they realized how determined and desperate the women were.

Dahlia did her best to persuade them. "Ladies, please don’t do this. Please..."

"We’ll do what we must in order to get our men back home," replied the middle-aged woman.

Keela hesitated. She clutched her fists tightly and took a deep breath, preparing to do something she would abhor.

’On the count of three, hop on my back, Keela.’

Those words shook Keela even more, fueling both her anxiety and her curiosity.

The mob of women took the first step toward the girls, marking the point of no return.

’1...’

Gaining speed, the mob marched to close the distance while staying on guard.

’Daliea...’

’2...’

"Now, ladies!" The woman in front gave the command, leading the charge with her dull, chipped sword.

’Daliea!’

’3!’

Following Daliea’s lead, Keela leaped onto Daliea’s back and closed her eyes in suspense.

Unseen by Keela, dark energy gathered around Daliea, thick enough for her and Keela to become hidden in broad daylight.

"World of Shadows!"

Suddenly, the orb of darkness that surrounded them burst and expanded more than times over, encompassing the mob and all their nearby surroundings in complete and utter darkness.

"W-what happened?!"

"M-mommy! Mommy!"

"Where did they go?"

"Don’t let them get away!"

Shouts came from all directions, confused and disoriented in the newfound darkness. Only two people weren’t left abandoned by their senses, and they were already exiting the dark world.

’Keela, you can open your eyes now.’

’Okay.’ As she opened her eyes, Keela noticed the change of scenery and the surprising lack of women around them. ’What happened to the others?’

’Look behind you and see for yourself. Also, you can get off now,’ Daliea chuckled as her companion hopped off her back.

When Keela looked back, she struggled to believe her eyes. ’What in the world? What did you do?’

While being interrogated by Keela, Daliea led the way through the allies to get out of sight. ’It’s a spell called World of Shadows. It’s a peak-tier dark spell that Jack got at an auction a while back. This was the first time I’ve needed to use it outside of practice.’

’Whoa... You know, sometimes I forget how amazing you are, Daliea.’

’Wha! Where did that come from?’

Keela laughed at Daliea’s shyness to compliments. ’Well, we rarely see you use dark magic and I forgot you have three magic affinities. That’s amazing!’

As the two weaved in the back streets, an announcement sounded loudly in their minds.

’Everyone, be careful! They’re already onto us!’

Hearing the seriousness in Jack’s voice, both Daliea and Keela almost laughed at the late warning. But what Rydel added afterward brought kept them from joking around.

’Listen up, I’ve got to warn you all. Apparently General Toms has had no fear in involving the citizens in the matter. Someone had noticed our fire-test while we were here in town and that led them toward the innkeeper who rented the place to us. They used his memories in order to create wanted posters for each of us, connecting the white fire from the test with the fire from the camp.’

Everyone was dumbstruck, feeling terrible about being caught in such a way and shocked that the general was both cruel and fast-acting to such a degree.

Rydel continued, ’Also, they’ve hired someone I assume is an experienced bounty hunter. So we need to hurry and accomplish our goal so we can get out of Limneer.’

’Do you know where we can find the army?’ asked Jack, cutting to the point of the matter.

Rydel chuckled a little, ’Luckily, I was able to meet the same assistant that delivered the bounty before he made his final delivery. Thanks to his final message, I know exactly where to find them.’

’Well, where shall we meet up?’

’Meet me in the northwest part of town, near the largest manor in town,’ directed Rydel.

Putting it all together, Daliea chimed in, ’Oh... So that’s where they’re hiding the troops.’

’Exactly. But we need to hurry,’ added Rydel. ’I’ll be going silent for the next few minutes, but if something comes up, then let me know. See you soon.’

’Daliea, Keela, how close are you?’ asked Eliza.

’We’re quite close. We’ll be there in a couple of minutes,’ Daliea responded confidently.

’Good, then we’ll see each other soon. Be careful,’ Jack warned them one last time before he went silent.

As he and Eliza left the city square, they passed through an empty ally and came back out as two completely different people. With Sterfen’s Cloak, Jack easily became someone else in the blink of an eye.

Eliza, on the other hand, was wearing a new cloak, one of the many things that her father had given her during their last pass through Federal City. It masked her aura and could change her face to that of an old woman. Though it was nothing compared to Jack’s legend-tier cloak, it got the job done.

Both of them followed the flow of foot-traffic, getting closer and closer to the noble’s manor.

’Where are your two? Don’t tell me that you’re off being lovey-dovey.’

Eliza giggled a little bit at Keela’s playful tone, ’Don’t worry, we’re about there. We saved the fun for the bedroom later.’

’Where are you two?’ Jack interrupted them, not wanting to continue the awkward conversation.

Daliea’s reply saved him. ’We’re to the west of the main gate.’

’Oh! I can see you.’ Eliza waved, still maintaining her elderly look and shocking the girls in the distance.

’If you see an old hag waving, just know it’s my wife. Ow!’ Jack’s joke was interrupted by a smack to the back of his head. ’Hey! I thought you’d be happy I called you that.’

Eliza pouted, ’I’m not some old hag!’

’But you are my wife, aren’t you?’

’...’

’Eliza?’ Stunned to see Eliza go silent, Jack to the moment to return the favor. ’If you don’t like me calling you that, then I guess I won’t--’

’As your wife, I’ll always be happy for you to call me yours,’ Eliza proudly stated. ’Just... Please be nice to me while you do so. Otherwise, my massages might not be so nice either.’

’When you two are done with your lovers’ quarrel, can we get back to the task at hand.’

With that being said, all four of them went silent and waited for the invisible yet present Rydel to explain some things. ’Since everyone’s here, let’s make a quick battle plan. The troops should be in the back garden to the rear of the manor. That way they can enter and exit the city directly without alerting the rest of the city.’

’So how should we enter without being seen, and how can we attack while guaranteeing a clean getaway?’ asked Jack.

’I think it would be best to strike all at once from different sides. Jack, let Keela have that bracer so she can remain hidden and only act when needed. Eliza, you should stick close to Jack so you can work together. Daliea and I should be able to work alone since we’re both ranged fighters,’ explained Rydel.

’We target the captains and the officials and then we make a break for it. With the help of Ayden and your tiger, we should be able to break in and break out without too much worry. Any questions?’

Jack was already handing off the bracer to Keela, who quickly went invisible. With her out of sight, each party member was completely unrecognizable compared to their wanted posters.

With preparations complete, Rydel gave the final shout, ’Good, now let’s strike hard one last time!’

 

Chapter 252

’Good, now let’s strike hard one last time!’

’Yeah!’

A unifying shout sharpened their focus for the battle to come. Both Jack and Daliea changed their appearances, one becoming a hooded man and the other becoming Assistant Loire. Rydel’s invisibility already allowed him free reign to go wherever he wished, he ould even attack while invisible now. Keela positioned herself near the gate to the back of the manor, in range to heal anyone yet prepared to escape at a moment’s notice. And Eliza would wait behind the wall near Keela for the attack to begin so she could support Jack from a distance.

Bowzer sadly wouldn’t be joining the fight, as that would give away their identities in a heartbeat. Though the party’s faces were known, they knew little to nothing about them. But if a Hell-flame Fox showed up, then there would only be one conclusion the could reach.

While Bowzer would sit out the fight, unless something dire happened, Daliea and Rydel would release their Flame Tiger and Roc to support themselves since Eliza would be busy helping Jack.

With nothing left but the execution of the plan, the party split up and got into position.

Rydel easily slipped past all guards and walked right in through the front gate without any issues. Daliea and Jack did the same, but with Daliea disguised and walking with one another.

"Welcome back, Assistant Loire!" The guards on both sides stood tall and saluted Daliea as she walked by.

Thanks to her past encounter with the assistant, she knew his basic appearance and the sound of his voice, something simple to imitate for a master of illusion magic. "At ease. I’m just following orders to bring an old friend for some help."

"Sir, yes sir!" Relaxed and unalarmed, the guards let the two pass with bothering them further, afraid to rub their superior officer the wrong way.

’Nice job, Daliea,’ Jack complimented her while hiding his smiling face in his hood.

’That was the easy part,’ replied Daliea confidently. ’Now comes the hard part. I just hope no close friends of this guy are here.’

’I don’t see the other assistant present, nor do I see the general,’ Rydel relayed his latest discoveries from within the walls. ’There are more soldiers here than I expected, nearly one thousand. But since Assistant Loire was placed in charge of them, there should only be three officials among the small army to assist Loire in leading the troops.’

’So each of us needs to find an official before we strike, I presume,’ commented Daliea.

’Correct. Till we’ve located them, don’t do anything to draw attention,’ Rydel assessed. ’Daliea, maybe you and Jack should--’

’Way ahead of you.’

Both of them passed through a small garden along the way. Once the coast was clear, their appearances changed yet again, now becoming two commonplace Limneer soldiers. They stepped back out as Daliea asked, ’Will this do?’

’That’s perfect,’ chuckled Rydel. ’Also, I’ve found the first official. He’s probably the furthest one from the gate, so I’ll come back for him once we find the other two.’

With the encampment now in view of the two new additions to the Limneer army, Jack made note of the official before turning his attention elsewhere. ’What’s with those makeshift stables? The beasts inside aren’t consistent at all ranging from large to small.’

’That’s only a futile effort to strengthen their force by any means necessary,’ reasoned Daliea. ’Focus on the officials, don’t let those untamed beasts worry you.’

Sticking to the plan, the pair split up to cover more ground. Searching through nearly one thousand soldiers wasn’t going to be too easy despite their hopes.

’I’ve found a couple of captains... but no officials.’

’Keep looking, Jack.’

’Nothing yet for me either.’

’Don’t worry, Daliea. We’ll find them soon enough. Keela, Eliza, keep waiting. Don’t move till my signal.’

With Rydel there to keep everyone in check, everyone else was able to remain calm, cool, and collected. Other than his complete invisibility, the hunter’s experience in stealth was their greatest asset. He effortlessly directed his team and kept them both motivated and relaxed, two things that were imperative to such a stealthy operation.

’I found one!’

’Where is he, Daliea?’ asked Rydel.

’He’s inside one of the captain’s tents. He and the captain are playing poker.’

’Good, just stick close to that tent for now,’ ordered Rydel. ’Once Jack and I are in position, you’ll enter as if to pass news to him and we can all strike together.’

’Very well. I’ll do just that.’

’Any luck, Jack?’

’No, not yet, Rydel.’

’Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Just stay calm and keep searching at a casual pace. Don’t let your anxiety make you stand out.’ As if Rydel could still Jack, he called the rookie out on the most basic of mistakes.

Jack readjusted his pace and took a deep breath. He then put a smile on his face and nonchalantly strolled through the next portion of the camp, more easily blending in with the crowd.

*****

The outside of the manner was calm like it always was. A few guards would patrol the perimeter on a schedule like clockwork. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for an elderly woman lying against the back wall of the manor.

"Excuse me, ma’am," the guard on duty called out to her. When she didn’t respond or even move he quickened his pace to approach her. "Ma’am, I’m sorry but I must ask you to leave."

Again, she didn’t move or show any signs of life.

Somewhat paranoid, the guard reached forward to grab her arm hanging to the side. But it suddenly moved away from him.

"Boy... What are you doing?" Finally, the woman spoke up. "Don’t tell me you’re taking advantage of a mature beauty like me in public, are you?"

"N-no, ma’am!" The guard was completely off his guard by the woman’s response.

"Then just leave little old me alone. After some rest, I’ll be on my way again."

"But ma’am, I’m not permitted to allow anyone to loiter these walls for the time being," explained the young guard.

"What? You’re worried about an old biddy like me? Has my age turned me into such a repulsive monster?"

"N-not at all ma’am!" Still uncomfortable, the guard swallowed some of his courage and continued to push the conversation. "Ma’am, I’m sorry but I must ask you to leave."

"Oh... But I’m still weak from travel and haven’t rested," stated the woman, still only showing the sagging bottom half of her face through her hood. "Just another half hour of rest and I’ll be fine and on my way again."

Taking a huge breath, the guard didn’t give up. "Ma’am, if you’re too weak, then maybe I can carry you to a nearby inn. That should be fine, right?"

"Boy, I have no money and no possessions to my name. How can I afford the expensive inns here in Zurden?"

"Don’t worry, ma’am. We’re not too far from a cheap yet accommodating inn on the west side. It’s cheap enough that I can cover the cost," stated the guard persistently. "Just give me a moment to inform the other guards. I’ll be back shortly."

"Wait! Boy..."

No longer listening to the woman’s cries, the young guard ran off to inform the other guards of his temporary leave.

The old woman groaned, not happy with the sudden development. ’Everyone, I have a problem. One of the guards wants me to vacate, even offering to carry me to a nearby inn.’

’Well, we can’t let him take the old hag away...’

’Jack! I already told you--’

’She is my old hag, after all.’

Rydel gave his two cents on the matter. ’Hmmm... this complicates things. How much longer until he takes you away?’

Eliza thought for a moment before answering, ’I’ve got maybe five more minutes.’

’Only five minutes huh... No luck yet, Jack?’

’Not yet.’

Thinking on his feet, Rydel sighed, ’I’ll be there soon, Eliza. I’ll handle the guard. That should buy us another fifteen minutes before the next guard checks the perimeter.’

’So, I’ve got to make this quick,’ Jack made Rydel’s intentions clear, letting everyone know that they were now on a time crunch.

Daliea also asked, ’Should I join him in searching for the last official?’

’No, yo stay there,’ answered Rydel. ’You won’t be able to rush back to your target without drawing too much attention to yourself. With a captain nest the official, it already complicates things more than I would like. However, I’m sure you’ll be able to handle them both without drawing much attention, so long as you play it smart.’

’Ok... Good luck, Jack.’

’Thanks, Daliea. I’ll try my best.’ Still acting casual, Jack’s mind behind the facade was running rampant. He should still be able to find the last official in time. But if the official isn’t found alone, and given no time to plan his attack, Jack’s part of the strike was definitely the most difficult.

Chapter 253

Sooner than expected, the young guard came bolting around the corner, shouting at the top of his lungs. "Ma’am, I’m back to help!"

Eliza took the initiative to start standing herself up, making sure to support herself firmly like any weak old woman would. The last thing she wanted was for the young guard to touch her. Though she looked the part, her illusory robe couldn’t change her actual physical form, and the young man would realize instantly that things weren’t what they seemed.

"Don’t force yourself, ma’am. Let me help you."

"No, I’ll be fine. Just give me a moment." Eliza waved the young man off, not letting him support her arm.

"Ma’am, I insist." Not taking no for an answer, the young man pulled Eliza up by the elbow. "Here, hop on my back. I’ll carry you to the inn."

"Young man, I appreciate your kindness, but please let me keep my pride," Eliza insisted, pulling her arm away. "Just wait a few seconds for me to catch my breath."

"Ma’am, please. I’ve taken my break to help you and I’ll need to hurry back to my post. It would be best for us both if I support you," stated the young guard, stepping forward to pick her up.

’Is that him’

"You’re such a kind young man..." Eliza nodded with a sigh. "I think it would be best for you to take the day off and not worry about me."

"Ma’am, I’ve got responsibilities waiting..."

Just then, the young man lost his breath and fell forward, but he somehow stopped falling in midair.

’I’ll hide him in that ally.’

Rydel was already dragging the unconscious body away. Had anyone else seen it, they would’ve been so confused and curious to know how a sleeping man was sliding across the cobblestone road belly up.

Not long after the body was hidden and Rydel’s voice sounded out for the whole party. ’That’s taken care of, but now we’ve got less than ten minutes before the next guard comes by. We need to hurry, Jack.’

’Maybe I should ask around...’

Jack was narrowing down the remaining tents, but he was getting more stressed with each passing moment. Looking to the side, he found a few buddies sharing brundies outside their tent, a perfect situation to take advantage of.

Both of the buzzed soldiers chatted loudly, not caring what the passing men thought of them during their break time. But as they reached for their mugs their makeshift table shook and quaked.

They blinked and refocused their eyes to see a big glass bottle with a light brown liquid sloshing around inside. Rather than get mad, their grins grew wider.

"Take a seat! Anyone willing to share is more than welcome to join!" shouted one of them.

"I’m a little busy now, but once I deliver a message to the official I’m clear for a few hours," explained Jack while scratching his head. "Problem is, I can’t seem to find the man. Got any idea where he got off to?"

"Oh yeah!" the other inebriated man clapped his hand atop his head as he recalled his memory. "That guy went off that way toward the back. Rumor has it that some big shot was humble enough to share a tent with us infantrymen."

"Really, well I better go find him. Maybe I’ll get lucky and meet someone famous!"

"Hurry up, and leave the liquor behind. We’ll open it up for you," joked the first man.

"Thanks, I’ll be right back!"

Leaving the bottle behind to distract the drunkards, Jack made a course for the back of the infantry tents. After poking his head in every tent he passed Jack managed to narrow the field even faster as he eventually reached the final infantry tent, and he could already hear a conversion going on inside.

’Guys, I think I found him, but I’m not sure yet.’

’Why aren’t you sure? Just look at his uniform,’ stated Rydel.

Jack explained the situation, not daring to act just yet. ’According to the soldiers, he’s inside the last infantry tent, and I’ve already verified that he’s not in any other one.’

Knowing that a punchline was coming, Rydel tried to hurry Jack. ’So, why haven’t you checked yet?’

’They also said some big shot was humble enough to stay in that tent, but it was only a rumor,’ explained Jack. ’Do you still want me to check, or should you, Rydel?’

’The last infantry tent? Give me a minute.’

To not seem suspicious, Jack walked around the neighboring tents. Though he was stood out a little, he wasn’t the only one. Other than Jack, a few soldiers were constantly coming and going past the tent, probably seeking out the truth to the rumor going around camp.

’I’m guessing it’s the tent surrounded by gossip?’ asked Rydel, stating the obvious.

’Yup.’

’Give me a moment, but be ready to act, cause we’re almost out of time.’

Under the eyes of dozens of soldiers, walked up to the tent and leaned in close to better understand the conversation going on inside.

The conversation wasn’t anything special and it seemed like some old friends were catching up. However, Rydel’s heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach.

Rydel fought the fear freezing him up and managed to get a sentence out, ’Jack, just hurry back to the first official we found.’

Confused, Jack asked, ’What do you mean? It’ll be hard for me to get there in time without drawing attention.’

’Just go, a little bit of attention won’t be a bad thing. I’ll take care of this one. It’ll be tricky sneaking into the tent, perfect for me,’ replied Rydel, not giving in.

’Oookay, then I’ll hurry up.’

Jack knew that something was off, but he also understood that Rydel was their best bet at getting in and out of that tent with the least amount of trouble. With that in mind, he jogged away, rushing back to the front of the camp, passing the drunkards who had already emptied the gift he left them.

’Jack let me know when you’re in position.’

’You’ve got it.’

Now that Jack was in charge of the first official, Rydel felt a bit better, but another unexpected weight collapsed onto his shoulders.

Controlling his breathing, Rydel walked around the tent, searching every fold and crevice for the best way in. The best thing he could find was a flap opened at the top for light and to let smoke for the night fire out.

He pondered a moment about what his next step should be. Two targets to choose from, yet only one moment of opportunity.

Putting his nerves to their limits, Rydel walked away from the tent and climbed atop the nearby wall. With the new vantage point, the hunter was able to look into the tent with neither of its occupants any wiser about his presence.

’Rydel, I’m almost there but I’ll have to act fast since I’m drawing some attention.

Taking Jack’s warning to mind a bow appeared in Rydel’s hand, yet still not visible to the masses below him. ’Tell us when you’re walking into the tent, Jack. Daliea will need to follow your timing. And the moment after you kill him, scream out loud for the entire camp to hear.’

’What? Why should I--’

’Just do it,’ insisted Rydel. ’It will help Daliea take on both of her targets and give me an opening.’

Again taking note that something was off in Rydel’s voice, but agreed nonetheless. ’Okay, I’m entering the tent now.’

’Daliea, you go too,’ directed Rydel.

’Right.’

Rydel let loose a deep breath as he cocked his bow and readied a one-of-a-kind arrow he had treasured for years. Something he had bought himself in the case he ever ran into a beast too tough to handle or escape from while on a hunt.

Bow held tightly, arrow fletchings at his cheek, and eyes locked in on the man sitting in front of Assitant Dirk.

 

Chapter 254

Chapter 254 Under Attack Yet Again

Throwing the tent’s door wide open, a soldier rushed inside, panting and gasping for air.

"What’s the matter, soldier? Is something wrong?" A well-built man sat up from his cot, giving the tired soldier a curious look.

Amidst his heaving, the soldier managed to squeeze out the news. "Sir, Assitant Loire just returned in critical condition. They need you in the back tent immediately!"

Back on his feet, the official’s eyes shook. "What?! What happened?"

"I’m not sure. All I know is that he cam back with a hole in his chest."

"Out of the way!" The official threw his coat back on and nudged Jack to the side to exit with utmost haste.

"But Official..."

Turning back with annoyance in his eyes, the official barked back, "What else is..."

Silenced by a knife through his throat, the official shivered as the soldier who did him in whispered, "I’m sending you to him now..."

As the official tried to reach out to the soldier he gave up the ghost and fell lifeless to the floor.

’I’m screaming in 3... 2... 1...’

"AAAAAHHH!!" Jack burst through the tent door with his vocal cords stressed beyond what he thought possible. "The official... The official’s been killed!"

All surrounding soldiers bolted into action, dropping everything as Jack’s voiced expanded through the camp. And thanks to Jack’s worry, the entire camp came to life in search of the truth.

Everyone ran around slightly manic, yet orderly enough to keep things in order. That was until another shout sounded out from across the camp, followed by a pillar of fire destroying one of the tents.

As the confusion and chaos ensue beyond what the camp had prepared for, Jack slipped away with the crowd, changing his face and appearance yet again.

*****

Daliea patiently waited near her target, visualizing what would take place once she made her move.

The best choice of action would be to assassinate the official with her first move and then deal with the captain afterward since he wasn’t even lv. 30. It may cause some noise but that would be unavoidable in her predicament.

However, when Jack’s target suddenly changed and he was then supposed to make a scene, it was exactly what Daliea needed. With some luck, she thought it might be possible to kill the captain while the rest of the camp is abuzz about the first official’s death.

’Okay, I’m entering the tent now.’

Hearing her cue Daliea waltzed up to the tent door, yet another voice sounded in her head.

’Daliea, don’t be afraid to cause a scene. No matter what, a fight will break out after Jack draws everyone’s attention, so adding to the chaos is fine.’

’Understood, Rydel.’

Surprised to hear that, Daliea kept the thought in mind as she announced herself, "Sir, I have news from Assistant Loire."

"Well get in here and make it quick!"

Following orders, Daliea pushed the tent door aside. "Excuse me."

The official nonchalantly flapped his hand up and down to the messenger, not daring to look away from his poker game. "What is it? Is the assistant back already?"

"Yes, sir. He just arrived and is wanting all officials and captains to meet him in the back tent."

"Oh? Looks like we’re both unlucky this time," joked the official, looking at the frown of the man across from him. "How urgent is it?"

"He requests you come immediately. It seems that we may need to leave sooner than expected," replied Daliea, bowing her head to not disrespect the superior officers in any way.

"Looks like I win again!" The captain snatched the pile of silver and copper coins from the center of the table. "Now we can go."

Sighing in displeasure, the official stood up and stretched his back before grabbing the coat lying across his cot. "The back tent, right? We can get there on our own so you’re dismissed."

"Sir, I was given orders to inform you, as well as escort you as quickly as possible," retorted Daliea. "Please understand sir, I’m just following orders."

"Sounds like Assistant Loire is as uptight as ever," sighed the captain. "Whatever, it doesn’t change anything. Let’s go."

’I’m screaming in 3...’ Jack’s warning caused Daliea to take another moment to breathe and commit to her targets.

Finishing the last of his buttons, the official agreed, "Right, off we go."

’2...’

Daliea bowed one last time, then she held the tent flap open for the other. "After you."

"Well, at least you respect your superiors!" The captain quickened his pace to beat the official out.

’1..."

As the official stepped up, his casual face became tense and serious, like he was putting on a show for the whole camp to see.

"AAAAAHHH!!"

Jack’s jolting scream was heard from across the camp, alerting the official and the captain of danger. Sadly for them, they were looking around the camp and near the manor walls, not behind them.

Without any noise, a dagger was thrust through the officials throat, forever silencing him without letting him know how he was done in.

The captain turned back to speak with the official about the sudden shout but was aghast at what he found.

Blood was draining from the official’s throat, trailing off the dagger and dripping to the ground. And behind the official, he saw that same infantryman that delivered the message but the soldier’s eyes were glowing bright red and flames were gathering around his outstretched hand.

"Cyclonic Flame."

"Aaahh!" Being roasted alive and reduced to cinders caused the captain to spend his last breaths in agony, alerting the rest of the camp of another anomaly.

The tent also went up in flames, threatening to burn down the rest of the camp. However, the neighboring tents had no chance of escaping the fire as Daliea set fire to all nearby tents with no regard to who was inside.

With everyone focused on the fire and stopped the spread, Like Jack, Daliea altered her disguise and blended in with the confused troops.

*****

’I’m screaming in 3...’

Grateful for Jack’s countdown, Rydel relaxed his breathing temporarily and easily followed Jack’s timing.

’2...’

Not having to think quelled Rydel’s nerves momentarily. His hands remained firm and on target.

’1...’

One last breath, long and deep enough to keep Rydel backing out of his portion of the mission.

*****

"Dirk, you know I trust you more than anyone, but you know that Loire is more than capable of such a simple task."

"General, it’s not that he can’t complete the task. What I fear is that he’s too easily goaded and distracted to understand the urgency of his assignments, especially during such a critical situation like now."

General Toms leaned back in his chair, taking Assistant Dirk’s words into consideration. "Maybe you’re right, but he’s already left. All we can do now is wait for the man, though I think you’re right about him getting distracted again, given how late he is."

"General, I think we should back off and allow these troops to regroup with our units posted on the border," reasoned Dirk. "It would show that we haven’t broken the war pact yet it would still provide the extra push we need to break their front lines."

"Dirk, you misunderstand our objective."

Toms scratched his neck and stood up, meeting Dirk’s gaze at eye level. "We’re not trying to break their frontline. What we’re after is a complete and total invasion. We’ve already proven that we can break the front lines, but with the aid of this secret army we can storm Trodar and burn it all as we pass over it."

Slightly stunned at the general’s frankness, Dirk blinked. "You mean..."

"Correct. We’re not trying to break their frontline. We’re trying to cripple Trodar to the point that their people give up. So what if we break the war pact? That only matters if we fail, which is impossible so long as we strike now."

"But General, what’s the point of winning if we gain nothing from it?" asked Dirk.

With a chuckle, General Toms answered, "Victory. That’s all that matters. The winner is made king, and the loser is vilified. No matter what it takes, success is all that matters in the end. Don’t let your own personal morals get in the way of results. That’s something that Loire has mastered, unlike you."

"I..." Unsure how to respond, Dirk took a moment to think.

"AAAAAHHH!!"

"What was--"

"Aaahh!!"

As Jack’s initial shout reached their tent, both men turned toward the front of camp instinctively. Dirk’s reflex to question the situation was fast, but not as quick as General Tom’s shout in pain.

"General!" Mortified, Assistant Dirk caught the falling General Toms. He found the arrow that had pierced Toms back and attempted to remove it.

"N-no! Don’t touch it!" General Toms gritted and went stiff from the pain as Dirk grabbed the arrow.

"But General--"

"This isn’t an ordinary arrow... I can feel something... seeping out of it..." Toms broke into a heavy sweat. "I’m not sure... What happens if you remove it."

"But--"

"Warn... The camp... But don’t leave me... It’s happening again..."

Reaffirming his resolve through the general’s pain, Assistant Dirk shouted at the top of his lungs and with all the might of a lv. 36, "WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!"

Chapter 255

"WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!"

While Assistant Dirk shouted with all his might, General Toms pulled out his contact crystal. He could only mumble a few words before putting it away and continuing to writhe in pain.

"Close the camp! No one leaves, or they’ll be killed on the spot!" Dirk’s orders continued to ring out through camp, restoring a margin of order.

All soldiers froze, including two of the many who had already started running toward the manor walls.

"Captains, gather your men and make a headcount. After that, everyone must line up in front of the gate for further orders."

With Dirk’s orders made clear, everyone started to calm down and do as they were told.

Both Daliea and Jack started walking back, but another unexpected warning was screamed into their minds by Rydel, ’Run! Use your beasts if needed, just get out of there!’

Jack was too curious not to ask, ’But why--’

’General Toms and Assistant Dirk are here!’ rebutted Rydel. ’For now, Toms can’t act but we need to get away no matter what!’

’But we need to delay--’

’We’ve done the best we can. Now let’s go!’

Since Jack wavered, Daliea acted in a way that would force Jack to follow along. While Jack argued with Rydel, she released her Flame Tiger, immediately giving away her status as a spy.

’Daliea, what--’

’It’s too late to change course now, so let’s leave!’ stated Daliea as she watched countless soldiers rush toward her.

"I’ve no time for you! World of Shadows!"

None of the charging soldiers were ready for the sudden darkness that consumed them. The orb filled with dark mist expanded, even including a portion of the wall.

Many attacks were launched toward the portion of the wall within the orb, but Daliea had the Flame Tiger counter attack from within the orb. While the flames dashed out toward the low-level soldiers, Daliea made her escape.

Jack, on the other hand, sighed in regret. He had hoped to guarantee the success of their mission with this last push. But now there was still a chance at failure. And since they had already attacked twice, the third would be far more difficult with only a slight chance of success.

However, Jack knew that now was the only chance for him to get away and reunite with the party.

"Feather Walk," under his breath, Jack mumbled to himself in order to quicken his pace.

The hero sudden gained sped off toward the wall near the gate, but he still caught the attention of some of the soldiers.

He looked back and saw something he didn’t expect. From the back tent emerged two men, one hunched over while being supported by the other. Only the one who was fully aware looked back to Jack with a vein building from his forehead.

Many arrows and long-range attacks had already tried to hit Jack, all of which failed. But that furious man retrieved a sword for his one free hand and launched an attack of his own. With one swing of his blade, the man generated a razor-sharp wave of energy heading straight for the running Jack.

Jack sidestepped to the best of his ability, narrowly avoiding the attack. But he quickly noticed that a second wave had followed the first, hiding in the trail the first wave had left behind, and the second attack was perfectly on target.

Unable to evade the cutting wave, Jack activated his Sudden Death skill, suddenly reappearing a couple of meters away and still running.

Dirk was surprised to see Jack manage to avoid the attack, but that didn’t stop him from launching another set of attacks. Yet just as he lifted his sword a second time, Dirk hesitated and jumped back with the general.

As he withdrew his attack, Dirk managed to dodge a few arrows that had seemingly come out of nowhere.

Now on guard, Dirk looked around the walls. He knew that his enemy was well concealed and wouldn’t dare stay in the same spot after attacking and was most likely attacking while on the move. And considering the vulnerable general beside him, Dirk understood that though catching a spy was of the utmost importance, keeping the general alive was even more so.

Since Dirk didn’t attempt another attack on Jack, no more arrows were targeting him or the general. Dirk quickly understand that the other side had no more intentions to fight at the moment.

So far three spies had been exposed and all three of them proved to be very capable, and Dirk assumed that any of the three could at least keep up with him based on their performance in escaping. Since it was likely that there were more of them yet to be revealed, if they were hell-bent on killing the general, they would all attack them now and force Dirk away from the weakened Toms.

But instead, they ran. It was something that Dirk would have no choice but to accept given the current circumstances.

Once Jack had slipped away over the wall, Dirk returned to giving orders, "Captains, make a headcount of your men and line them up in front of the gate. Guards, follow the culprits but make no attempts to subdue. Just keep tabs on their location."

"Dirk... Thank you," mumbled Toms, still trying his best to control himself from spasming.

"General, what should I do about the arrow?"

General Toms tried his best to chuckle, "Don’t worry... Very soon, someone should arrive to help me."

"Oh, am I too early?"

The echo of the sudden voice startled Dirk, causing him to lift up his sword in defense.

In a flash of light and a crackle of static electricity, a lanky, bald man rushed over the wall and dashed toward the defending Dirk. "Boy, I suggest you put the blade down before I assume you want to play with me."

"Took you long enough... Now get this out of me," stated Toms, completely unafraid of the man’s devilish smile.

Seeing the general’s reaction, Dirk lowered his guard and laid the general down with his back up.

"Hmmm..." The man brushed some dust from his vest while he looked more closely at the shaking general. "Someone must have really wanted you dead to waste such a precious weapon."

"Just... Take it out already."

"Okay, but know that taking it out is far more painful than keeping it in," laughed the man. "It’s lucky you have me, otherwise the pain would be too bearable and might even kill you."

Dirk quivered when he overheard the man. He looked at his own hand, remembering how he had almost removed the arrow out of impulse, trembling at the thought of causing the general’s death.

"That’s why I called you, Trank... Now get the job done!"

"Does this mean I my payment will increase?"

Toms quaked as he groaned, "Fine! Just hurry!"

"Very well."

Trank twiddled his fingers, generating a small electric current around them. It gradually grew stronger until the electricity covered the entirety of his hands.

"Remember, you asked for this," laughed Trank.

"Just hurry and... AAAAAHHHH!"

The electric current passed from Trank’s hands to the arrow as he grasped it, sending the current into Toms’s body.

While the general screamed, Dirk felt even more helpless.

Enjoying himself, Trank slid his right hand down the shaft of the arrow till his fingers came into contact with Toms’s back. Without any hesitation, Trank sank his fingers into Toms’s flesh, startling the nearby assistant to death. But then his fingers quickly reemerged, this time holding tightly to the arrowhead and yanking the arrow completely from Toms’s body.

Enraged at how his superior was being treated, Dirk shouted at the shady man, "What was that for?! That’s not how you--"

"Of course that’s how you remove an arrow, at least that’s how you remove this type of arrow," stated Trank, still smiling. "Hurry and call a medic to heal his back. After that, he should be as good as new."

"Thank you, Trank," sighed Toms. "I feel better already."

’’But sir, how could you let him injure you like that? How is that the correct procedure to retrieve the arrow? Even if the arrowhead was barbed, you caused far more harm then the barbs would have," argued Dirk.

"Boy, do you know what sort of arrow this is?" asked Trank. "If not, let me explain. This isn’t military-grade, it’s beyond that. These are far too expensive to be used casually in war."

"Then what in Halmut’s beard are they for?" questioned Dirk.

Toms spoke up in reply, "Poaching."

"What?"

"Toms is correct, this type of arrow is used for hunting game that is too powerful for a single man to handle," explained Trank. "Only veteran hunters dare purchase them, and they’re only used in emergencies or for certain requests, such as high-level griffons or dragons."

"On such beasts, an arrow such as this would cause some paralysis and slow it down enough for an unlucky hunter time to escape. For hunters, this is a life-saving arrow.’’ Breaking into loud, unperturbed laughter, Trank looked to Toms on the ground. "Though, this is the first time I’ve seen such an arrow used on a human. How was it? I’m sure the pain was excruciating."

"Beyond that," replied Toms. "I’m just glad you hurried here before I gave up fighting the pain."

Getting back to the topic, Dirk again questioned, "But how come you must remove the arrow in such a damaging way? Though the general can be healed, such a would will leave him scarred and won’t be fully healed without some rest."

"That’s the cruelty of the arrow’s design," Trank retorted as he held the arrow up for all to see. "If you look below the arrowhead, you’ll notice that the material there is different from the rest. It’s reinforced glass designed to shatter if not handled properly. And if that breaks, then the arrowhead will release all of its remaining energy over the span of five seconds. They’re a one-time use weapon perfect for wild beasts that might struggle and break the arrow."

"Or for torturing me to death," Toms laughed coldly as he remembered the pain he felt. "Anyways, thanks for coming. And good luck with your hunt."

"Don’t worry yourself." Trank’s smile grew wider and more sinister as he squatted down to pat Toms on the back. "Thanks to them showing themselves, my job just got easier."

Chapter 256

Once Jack was over the wall, he dashed toward Eliza and Daliea, who had already started running toward a nearby alleyway.

’Hurry up, and head for the private estate we stayed at. I’ll take care of those on your tail," Rydel ordered, getting a nod from the others.

With Keela remaining invisible while she ran alongside Eliza, everyone managed to enter the alley and start their way toward the meeting place.

Only a moment behind, two guards came into view, following the party and entering the same alley. But before Rydel acted against them, he paid close attention to the rooftops, noticing three more guards keeping a close watch from above.

The hunter changed his target and hopped off the manor wall toward the nearest building. Within seconds, Rydel was pulling himself up onto the roof.

Rydel understood that Jack and the others were at least 10 minutes away from the private estate on the outskirts of town at their given pace. With that in mind, he wanted to make sure all eyes were off them within the first three minutes, otherwise hiding would be tricky.

First on his new hitlist was an archer atop the building opposite Rydel’s. He moved swiftly and silently, but he was too busy hiding from Jack’s line of sight to realize that he was already spotted from behind.

While he hopped over to the next building, Rydel had begun making his move.

The hunter hopped across the small alley and crossed over to the next building, putting him a few meters away. In a few steps, Rydel was almost breathing on the archer’s back.

Trying to keep up with the party’s pace, the archer prepared to cross to the next building, but the moment he stood up to jump, he a hand cover his mouth and a cold blade slit his throat. In seconds, his muffled cries vanished forever.

Moving on to his next target, Rydel spotted the first of two thieves two buildings ahead of him.

Not wasting any time Rydel made full use of Sterfen’s blessing to quietly dash across the rooftops. He reached his target easily, but he took a second to verify that he wasn’t noticed by either of the thieves.

Showing no sign of awareness to his presence, the thieves continued to pursue the party on the ground. They each had a contact crystal in hand, possibly speaking to each other.

"Are you sure we can’t attack?" asked the thief near Rydel. "If we catch them off guard, we should be able to take out at least one."

"Orders are orders. Just follow closely and relay their position," stated the thief in front, paying attention only to the intricate movements of Jack and the team.

Rydel noticed the crystals and knew that he had to act faster this time.

Armed with a long hunting knife in one hand and a bow in the other, Rydel hurried behind the second thief. Unlike when he killed the archer, Rydel waited for the thief to comfortably land on the next building. But the moment the thief ducked and slowed himself down, Rydel took action.

"Why do I have to be in the second position? How about we..."

"What’s wrong?" Suspicious of the second thief’s sudden silence, the first thief looked back toward his companion, but what he saw horrified him.

Lying on the ground was his friend with a dagger jutting out of his throat. However, there were no signs of anyone getting close enough to stab the second thief.

"I should..."

Before the first thief had a chance to say anything, an arrow had pierced his skull, killing him instantly.

’All eyes from above have been neutralized,’ Rydel filled in the others. ’Now I’ll take out the remaining two pairs of eyes.’

’Thanks, Rydel.’

The hunter used his superior vantage point to easily locate the two men chasing his companions. They had taken two routes, one in the alley to Rydel’s left and the other was in the alley to Rydel’s right. However, if he didn’t hurry, the two remaining pursuers would meet back up and make things more difficult.

Since Jack had taken a right at the next turn, Rydel chose to remove the man in the left alley. He didn’t want to remove the man to the right only to have the one of the left see his fellow guard dead along the way.

His new target was an assassin, so Rydel rethought his strategy a little.

As the assassin neared the next turn, he spoke into his contact crystal, "I’m heading right. I’ll meet up with you shortly."

"Okay," replied the other pursuer.

Suddenly, the assassin heard a whistle in the air, the familiar sound of arrows pursuing him. He saw two arrows from the corner of his eye. One was aimed for just barely in front of him and the other was aimed for another meter further ahead.

The assassin was already in motion forward, so jumping back so suddenly wasn’t fast enough to dodge the incoming arrows. Instead, he carefully jumped forward, placing him between the two projectiles and keeping him from harm’s way.

Safe at the moment, the assassin was about to warn the other guard but found himself unable. Before he could send his message, a thin, practically invisible wire between the two arrows sliced through the assassin’s throat, letting his head topple to the floor. Too busy trying to warn the other guard, that assassin wasn’t able to even realize that he had died.

With one remaining target, Rydel honed in on the final pursuer, a hunter, like him.

Rydel ran through a few strategies in his mind, picking one that he felt was most unpredictable to a fellow hunter

"Where are you?" the final guard asked his now deceased comrade. "I’ve passed the turn, where are you?"

Getting no reply, the hunter raised his guard, preparing himself for the worst. He quickened his pace and double-check each corner and possible hiding place for an attacker.

Suddenly, the whistle of an arrow’s fletchings sounded from above, catching the hunter’s attention. But when he noticed it, he was confused. The arrow he saw came straight down as if it wasn’t even aimed properly at him.

More worried about his safety than the mission, the hunter jumped toward a well-guarded corner among heavy boxes and crates.

Like the others, he readied his contact crystal to relay a message, but this time to his captain back at camp. However, the moment he lifted the crystal, that same hand was severed from his forearm.

"What?! How’s this--"

"Sorry, I can’t have you interfering." That voice didn’t startle the on-guard hunter, but it terrified him. "Now, you can join your comrades."

"Wait! I can be of use..."

As the man pled for his life, his plea fell on deaf ears. Rydel was already slicing through his throat before that last guard could finish his sentence.

’The final man has been neutralized. Head to the estate. I’ll see you soon," reported Rydel as he climbed back on top of a building to regain his view and the high ground.

Rydel double-checked the surrounding area to make sure he got rid of all the following eyes and was happy to note that he was successful. Using the high ground again to his advantage, Rydel managed to catch up with Jack and the others but he didn’t join them on the ground. The proud hunter stayed up top, ready to act at a moment’s notice.

Though he was prepared, Rydel’s awareness didn’t seem to be necessary. In minutes, the party reached their destination, this time with new disguises and walking casually now that they were out in the open.

By the time the party had reached the front gate of the private estate, Rydel had already picked the locks and allowed them entry. Finally, they could take a breather.

Chapter 257

The moment the party entered the estate and closed the doors, Daliea cast silence. With the fear of being caught temporarily gone, the party relaxed a little.

Rydel finally made himself visible as he addressed the team. "Everyone, I think it’s best we leave town as soon as possible. We can’t stay here for long."

"Aaaahhh..." sighed Eliza. "And we finally got to relax."

Keela added, "Don’t we deserve at least a few minutes of rest? Though me and Eliza did nothing back there, we were on edge and ready to do anything needed."

"It went too smoothly, looking back at it all," stated Daliea. "It should have been far more difficult."

"That’s because we weren’t as successful as we had planned," Rydel began to elaborate. "We were unlucky enough to run into not only both of General Toms’s assistants but the general himself. I managed to wound the general pretty badly, but I’m sure he’s more or less fine by now."

"Then why did you pull us out of there?" asked Jack. "Weren’t we supposed to commit to getting the job done then and there?"

"We did commit, but there was no telling if we would succeed even if we did stay," replied Rydel.

"But we could’ve tried at least. Now we’ll never know. Now we’ll have to think of a new plan of attack to delay them, and we’ll have to commit to it."

"Look, Jack, it sounds like you’re starting to accept the fact that we’re putting our lives on the line, and I’m glad for that. But I’m not willing to waste our lives in a situation that is likely to fail even if we all died."

Avoiding Rydel’s confident gaze, Jack looked to the rest of the party before looking down at the ground. "Was it really that bad of odds? I thought we were ready... You already killed one assistant and crippled the general, so all we had to do was fight off the captains and the last assistant. How hard could that be?"

"It would still be difficult Jack. You’re forgetting the army," Daliea interjected. "Though they are weak in terms of level, their sheer numbers can become overwhelming, especially if we still have high-level opponents to face."

"It’s not just that..."

Everyone turned to Rydel as he shook his head and continued his explanation, "I saw the general contacting someone the moment I rendered him unable to fight. And since I’ve already seen an executive order from the general be handed off to a bounty hunter, it’s likely that if we had stayed and fought, that we would’ve been overwhelmed."

"Are you sure?" asked Jack.

"I’m almost certain of it. It’s one thing to face a mostly low-level army with a few captains in an unsuspecting environment. But that’s completely different than facing a team of experts trained to hunt and kill," reasoned Rydel. "The man I saw receive our execution order was strange and twisted, and I was unable to see through his level."

Jack spoke but paused his words, "Well... That doesn’t mean--"

Rydel cut off Jack’s unconfident statement. "And if that man has a team behind him, it’s likely that they would’ve arrived at the camp sooner than later. It’s also likely that they’re searching the city for us right now. We should exit the city and revisit the plan once we’re in the clear."

"But if we exit the city, then there’s no way they’ll let us back in," argued Jack. "Then what will we do?"

"I’m... not sure yet." Rydel shrugged, unhappy with his own lack of knowledge. "We don’t know enough about these bounty hunters to plan effectively. So long as we get out and keep near the city, then I can do more reconnaissance and better take them into consideration."

Torn at the thought of either failing due to lack of action and the party perishing entirely, Jack took a deep breath as he vigorously scratched his head.

If he pushed for them to stay in the city and continue to fight, there was now a chance that the party would be overwhelmed and slaughtered. It was even possible that the party would be wiped without accomplishing anything significant.

If he agreed with Rydel’s plan, there was a chance that they would fail to delay the army entirely. That would lead to the loss of countless lives of both Trodan soldiers and Trodan citizens. Though Tralon would have his new army ready in a few days, Jack understood that after two attacks, the astute General Toms would likely decide to attack as soon as possible in order to avoid a third raid. The secret army wouldn’t be able to reach the capital, but they would make it further into Trodar than ever before.

Jack didn’t like either option, which only made the decision all the more difficult.

"Jack, I think Rydel is in the right," stated Daliea. "You’ve learned that you can’t guarantee all of our lives on every mission. Now, you must learn that not every mission will end in success, at least not a complete success."

Eliza took this chance to give her opinion as well. "Daliea’s right. Jack, we all know that you’ve been under a lot of stress and want to do your best. But Jack, you have to see that what we’ve done already is amazing."

She walked up to her husband and grabbed his hand, softly brushing her thumb along his palm. "Jack, it’s gonna be okay. We’re all still here."

"But we still haven’t finished the mission. If we can’t delay them, then--"

"Then people will die, we know." Seeing a kink in Jack’s defenses, Eliza pulled his arm into her chest as she leaned into him. "But that’s how life is sometimes. People will die every day no matter what we do. But at least we can leave here knowing that we’ve already saved a lot of people."

"...But..."

"Jack, imagine how bad things would’ve been if we hadn’t come at all. It would be way worse. With everything we’ve done, we’ve already saved countless lives, even if others will still die."

Struggling to find an argument for his wife’s statement, Jack sighed, "But... If we can delay them just a bit more, then we can save even more lives."

"And what if we die?" questioned Eliza, striking Jack dumb. "We’re not questioning your intent, Jack, or you’re willingness to help out in such a dire situation. But if we all die, even if we succeed and prevent the army from breaching Trodar, then what will happen to Trodar the next time something unexpected comes up? Wouldn’t it be defenseless?"

"... Ummm..."

"And what about Maura and Lina? What will happen to them if you died along with all of us?" Eliza continued to destroy Jack’s mental defenses. "And Sterfen and Linara? They each chose you as their descendant, making you a demigod. If you die, who will avenge all of the suffering Halmut caused them, even taking away their only child?"

"Eliza, please--"

"Jack, it’s normal to feel guilty in situations like this," Eliza’s tone of voice again became calmer and more caring. "But you can’t let that guilt affect your view of the big picture. We can try again, but even if we fail, we’ve managed to do a great good Jack. And that outways the bad that could’ve been. Okay?"

"... Okay." Unable to defy her logic, Jack patted Eliza on the head. "Thank you, Eliza."

"Don’t thank just me. Thank them too. Everyone else feels the same way, you’re just too dense to figure that out," stated Eliza, who was smiling happily.

"Well, now that she finally got you to open up, at least we have a way for him to really listen to us now," laughed Keela. "From now on, we’ll let the wife handle Jack, that way she can threaten Jack if he doesn’t listen."

"Hey, there’s no need for--"

"True, if it’s really needed, then I guess I can just ignore him for a while, not giving him massages or spending the night with--"

"Okay, okay, I get it! I’m too dense for my own good, now let’s move on," stated Jack, not hiding the blush on his face.

"Good, now we can focus on the next task, escaping the city," Rydel continued the original discussion. "Do you have any ideas, Jack?"

Jack coughed to regain his composure before he answered, "Taking everything into account, getting out may not be too difficult so long as we leave as soon as possible."

"I’m not sure about that. Since General Toms was decisive enough to come personally to recruit reinforcements, then that means he’s somewhat predicted our movements already. Taking that into account means he’s most likely already closed off the exits to the city," reasoned Rydel.

"True... But we have two people able to escape without a trace thanks to the bracer. What if you and one other person left first, then you could bring back the bracer for the next person?"

"That may work, but it would take more time than we’d want." Rydel shook his head. "We’d have to go far enough from the city so that whoever comes with me can wait alone without being caught. By the time we’ve all exited the city, General Toms may have already left for the border or may have even crossed it."

"Hmmm..." Jack, along with everyone else pondered the situation, trying their best to find a fast and safe escape route.

"I may have an idea," stated Daliea, "but it’s a bit different than what you all may be wanting."

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Chapter 258

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Take a seat, all of you. We’ve got some important matters to discuss, so pay attention." In front of the last official and the remaining captains, General Toms showed no sign of weakness. He comfortably sat behind his desk and continued, "First off, some bad news. Assistant Loire has been killed."

"What?"

"How could this happen?"

"Really?!"

"Quiet!" Assistant Dirk stood at the general’s side, focusing on maintaining order so the general wouldn’t need to force overwork himself while he was still recovering.

Once the lower-ranked officers shut their mouths, General Toms moved along as if nothing had happened. "Due to the vacancy of his position, I’ve already asked for two more assistants to be assigned to me, one veteran of the position and one who has been newly promoted. They should arrive hear my early morning tomorrow. So, do you all understand what that means?"

The unconfident men all lowered their heads, waiting for the general.

"When the new assistants arrive, we’ll move out immediately. Also, be aware that we will be meeting up with a second army before making a move at the border."

Somewhat shocked, the men looked up to the general’s stoic face, startled at how casual the man treated international warfare.

"From now on I want our security tripled. We’ve been found and assaulted far too easily, and that can’t be allowed again." Finally, General Toms showed some kind of emotion, disappointment. A single glance from Toms chilled the men before him to the marrow of their bones. "We can’t afford to make another mistake like this again. How are the efforts to find the pestros who caused this?"

One man stepped forward as he gulped down some of his nervousness. "Sir, all entries and exits to the city have been closed off. Not even members of the local noble family have been allowed to leave."

"Good, let’s keep it that way until we leave," Toms nodded, letting his smug expression fade back into an unemotional gaze and relieving some of the pressure from the men. "Now, are there any questions?"

"No, sir," replied the men in unison.

"Then you’re all dismissed."

As the men gladly left the general’s tent, Dirk started to pace and share his thoughts, "General, are you sure they won’t attack again tonight?"

With a soft smile on his face, Toms replied, "I’m certain. After their attack on the camp in the mountains, rather then launch a second attack they set traps and moved on elsewhere. That being the case, I think we’re up against a small team of professionals and not any regular military spies."

"However, that also means that there’s most likely not enough members of this team to take our forces head-on. Considering their ability to flee the camp and quickly locate our reinforcements, I must give them some degree of credit for keeping me on my toes. Also, I’d personally like to thank the man who gave me such a trophy of a war scar. But that might not happen, sadly."

"What do you mean?" asked Dirk.

"Time, Dirk. Time is what these people are after," General Toms reasoned. "I assume that the moment our secret army was found, they reported us to their higher-ups and made the first strike against the camp. And them stealing our resources was not only a way to show us but to speed up their own efforts to raise an army to rival ours. But do you want to know what the worst of all this is?"

Dirk remained quiet so Toms shook his head and sighed, "This team has discovered our partnership with Sandros."

Now wide-eyed at the realization, Dirk spoke up, "General, doesn’t that mean--"

"That Limneer will be held accountable for breaking the war pact? Yes, that’s what will happen, so long as we fail to strike. And since I now understand that this team’s goal is to buy time and not cripple our forces, I won’t give them another second." A cold grin spread across Toms’s face as he snickered, "Are they in place?"

"Yes, they’ve already been placed and are ready at a moment’s notice."

"Good. Then we’ll see just how committed these people are to keeping us away from Trodar."

"But General, if they can’t even get out of the city, then they’ll--"

"They’ll escape the city, Dirk. There’s no doubt about that," stated Toms. "If I wanted to keep them here, it would be nigh impossible. I’m not sure how, but they had the means to keep someone invisible even while attacking. I’ve only ever seen something like that from items and abilities over lv. 50."

"You don’t think that Trodar would send a high-leveled expert since we’ve already broken the war pact, do you?" Dirk tried his best to put two and two together.

"No, impossible. If they tried that, then Prachten and Iscantor wouldn’t let them slide. Also, if they had a true expert among that small band that attacked us, why would they run away without at least killing me?" General Toms’s cold smile faded as he reached back and felt the sore wound on his back. "My guess is that these people are some of Trodar’s best below lv. 40, possibly people we’ve never seen before or even people that they’ve hired from afar. So, if they attack again, I’d rather lose a quarter of the army then let them runaway a third time."

"General! General!" Urgent shouts from outside the tent brought their conversation to a halt.

"Enter."

A captain rushed inside, one of the few who had recently left the general’s tent just minutes ago. "General, I’ve come to report about the city’s security. Sir, we’re under attack!"

"What?" General Toms forced himself up with a groan. "Who is it and which part of the city?"

"Sir... We don’t know who it is but it’s happening everywhere," stated the captain, trying his best to remain calm in front of the general.

"Everywhere?"

"Just come outside sir and you’ll see what I mean." The captain didn’t even wait for a reply as he held up the tent flap for the general and the assistant.

Curious General Toms walked outside, followed by Assitant Dirk. Once out there, they both quickly grasped the situation.

"Those pestros... They’d go this far?" Toms mumbled to himself as he realized what he was now up against.

Just beyond the walls of the manor stood the city walls, now completely engulfed in white flames that Toms and Dirk had recently become familiar with. And all the soldiers within the camp were scrambling to gather some means to put out the fire.

"Take down the tents immediately!" shouted Toms at the top of his voice so all the camp could hear him. "After that, all soldiers are to gather in the city square and wait for further orders!"

Hearing the echoing orders, the recently recruited soldiers of the make-shift army calmed down quite a bit. With such simple orders, how could they not understand them and be eager to get far away from those intimidating white flames?

"Dirk."

"Yes, General?"

"Go and inspect the flame. I want a report on it immediately!"

"Yes, General." Without looking back, Assistant Dirk took off with great speed hopping over the manor wall and rushing toward the nearby flames.

"And you, Captain, tell the city security to back away from the flames and refocus their efforts on a different portion of the wall."

"But, sir, that won’t work," replied the captain.

Toms frowned and glared at the captain for talking back to him. "What do you mean?"

"S-sir, the entire city is surrounded. We can’t just..."

No longer caring about the captain or his words, General Toms immediately ran up to the nearest wall and climbed to the top to gain a better view.

It was terrifying. The entirety of Zurden’s city walls was coated in those deadly white flames, making Toms question whether he had misjudged the true aim of the team working for Trodar.

 

Chapter 259

General Toms shook as he took in the sudden change to his surroundings. Never had he imagined such a sight would happen in Zurden, a sight that he would only wish on his greatest enemies.

The general took out his contact crystal and whispered, "Trank, make sure your men hold their positions. Don’t let this affect the plan unless it’s absolutely necessary."

"Sure thing, Toms."

Focusing fully on the new challenge before them, Toms continued to speak using the crystal, "Dirk, what have you learned?"

"General, it’s the same flame..." Assistant Dirk was at a loss for words, struggling to say much else.

"Any ideas on how to stop it?"

"I... I’ve no clue," replied Dirk. "Back at camp, none of us were able to stop the flames. The only solution we had was to break down the unaffected tents and keep them away from the flames so it wouldn’t spread. After that, the white flame eventually dwindled and died without any more fuel."

"Great..." General Toms gave a self-mocking chuckle. "So what do you recommend we do?"

"To stop the flame we’ll need to keep it away from anything that can catch fire, and that would mean the immediate destruction of all buildings near the city walls."

"Impossible... That would take far too long for the guards."

"Well, General, if our forces joined the effort, then it may be possible to--"

"I said it was impossible. Think of something else," stated General Toms, unfazed emotionally.

"Yes, of course..." dejected, Assistant Dirk sighed. "There may be some parts of the city wall that aren’t affected so badly. It would be near impossible for something like this to happen so quickly, so I’d imagine that they attacked portions of the wall that would let the flames eventually connect."

"So we need to look for where the flame is the weakest and breakthrough before we’re trapped in a flaming hellhole? Now that’s a plan."

"Also, General, that person who set the camp on fire was a master of illusions. So there might be--"

"You don’t think all of this flame is real?" Toms asked. "Not a bad thought. Then we need to hurry and send the scouts to join you in testing that theory. Once we’ve found a weak spot in the flame, we’ll destroy that portion of the city wall and hurry toward the border."

"General, don’t you think we have enough men to help escort the citizens out of the city? It will go faster than destroying the--"

"Also impossible. It seems that I’ve underestimated how desperate this band of assassins are to stop us from attacking. That gives us all the more reason to push forward without any delay," reasoned General Toms.

"But... Can’t we at least--"

"Enough, Dirk. You know your position and you know how important our mission is," stated Toms. "If you’re worried about the morality of the troops, then we’ll use this to fuel their anger against Trodar."

"But these aren’t veteran soldiers like back at camp. These are all fresh recruits, most of which have families here in Zurden. They’ll want to go and help their families--"

"The fresher the better, all the easier to convince them. Now that’s enough!" General Toms clenched the crystal fiercely as he shouted back to the uncharacteristically paranoid Dirk. "I’ve already given my orders, so make sure they’re followed perfectly like you always do."

"... Of course, Sir."

Defeated, Assistant Dirk rushed back while relaying the general’s order through contact crystals. Immediately, dozens of scout took to the rooftops and scattered, each heading toward a different portion of the city walls.

However, there was one slight tweak to the general’s orders. The scouts all hurried to their assigned areas to inspect the wall, but Assistant Dirk was going elsewhere, the contact crystal still in his hand.

"Where are you? Are you safe?"

Almost immediately, a response filled Dirk’s head, "Yes, we’re at home. I hear a lot of shouting outside. Is something wrong?"

Relieved, Dirk sighed, "Something has come up, but everything should be fine. I’m on my way to pick you up now."

"What?! You’re coming home?"

"No, I’m coming to get you," replied Dirk. "Help Stella and Stephan to pack everything as fast as possible. I’ll be there in a few minutes."

"Uh, okay... I’ll do that."

A burden off his shoulders, Dirk continued his near frantic pace as he got closer and closer to home. Though reports we’re coming in, Assistant Dirk had already established a chain of communication, one where he wasn’t necessary, so he ignored them.

Just like he had told his wife, Dirk soon arrived at a decently sized home on the east side of Zurden. Without any thought, he pushed the door open and entered the house.

"Honey, are you okay?" Instantly hearing her husband’s heavy footsteps, Wenda ran into the main living area, the room directly in front of the entrance.

"Wenda, I’ve got to--"

"Wow, I have to give Rydel and Daliea more credit after this."

An unfamiliar voice caught Dirk off guard. He immediately scoured the room but found nothing.

"Oh right, you still can’t see me," stated the voice. "How’s this?"

Finally, Dirk found his home’s perpetrator but it only made him all the more furious. He found the perpetrator holding his wife, covering her mouth with one arm and holding a knife not too far from her neck with the other.

"You... You’re one of those assassins, aren’t you?"

"Wow, even under all this you won’t raise your voice. Trying not to scare the children?" Seeing some hesitation in the assistant, the man continued, "Don’t worry, I’m not here to threaten anybody. I just wanted to make sure I had your attention."

As soon as he said that, the perpetrator released Wenda and threw the knife to the ground. He sauntered over to the couch while Dirk hurried to his wife’s side.

With a wave of his hand, Silence was cast and the man sat himself while motioning to the couch beside him. "Come, have a seat. I came all this way to talk with the man that even my scout had high praise for."

Dirk’s impression of the invader improved slightly, but he still remained cautious. "Wenda, make sure the kids stay in their room."

"She’s more than welcome to join the discussion, Dirk. In fact, I’d prefer it. I think you’ll want her input on what I have to say," insisted the man. "And like I said before, I’m not here to threaten anyone. If I was, why would I wait till you were home?"

"Wenda, let the kids play in their room but come back." Dirk couldn’t help but find this man all the more intriguing. The man had a point.

"So, Dirk, how’s General Toms treating his favorite assistant?" asked the man with a smile.

"Before we continue this conversation, can I know your name or at least a name that I can call you?"

"Sure. The name’s Jack." The man stretched his arms and back casually, not offended in the slightest.

Wenda quickly reentered the room and sat next to her husband.

Seeing that she was still scared and avoided Jack’s gaze, Jack sighed, "Like I told your husband, my name is Jack. Also, that’s my real name, not some code or disguise. Depending on how this conversation goes, I might even show you my real face."

"Y-you’re real--"

Before Wenda finished stammering, Jack’s appearance changed in the blink of an eye to middle-aged woman, baffling Wenda and stunning Dirk. Jack did this two more times before reverting to his true self. "This is the form that you sketched for my wanted posters, so it’s probably the easiest to speak in."

Dirk nodded out of reflex while Jack laughed to himself.

"So, Dirk, you didn’t answer my question."

"I’m doing fine under General Toms," replied the assistant. "Get to the point, I have things I need to do and I’m already breaking regulation in being here, let alone talk with you."

"Okay, then I’ll get right to it." Jack sat up and leaned both arms on his knees, looking confidently back at the husband and wife. "Dirk, I want you to join Trodar."

Chapter 260

"Dirk, I want you to join Trodar."

Again thrown for a loop, Dirk looked to his wife and then back to Jack with a laugh. "If that’s all, then you’re just wasting your time and my time. You have no reason to believe that--"

"Actually, I have all the reason to believe that you would be willing to join Trodar," interjected Jack. "I know more about you than your own general, is that hard to believe considering me and my team managed to creep into your camp without any issues?"

Dirk stayed silent, letting Jack continue the irrelevant attempts to sway him.

"Wenda, how happy are you with your husband’s position in the army?" Jack calmly asked her.

"I-I’m very happy with it. He’s such a great man, so of course, he deserves his position and rank."

"Are you happy with him being forced to leave the city and the citizens behind while the city burns to ashes?"

Shocked to hear such a statement, Wenda confidently replied, "Dirk would never--"

Jack shook his head and cut her off, "But it’s not about what your husband wants, it’s about what General Toms wants. Did you know he’s breaking orders coming here? The general wants to leave the city immediately without offering any aid to the city, its citizens, or the families of all those soldiers he just forcefully recruited."

"What do you mean? What’s going on exactly?" Wenda was confused and looked to her husband for support, but she only saw how hollow and empty his eyes were. "Dirk, what does he mean by all of this?"

"Do you want to tell her, or should I?" Jack asked.

"I-I..." The assistant who was always calm, cool, and collected finally showed the kink in his armor, but only in front of his wife. "Wenda, it’s not like that. With what’s happening now, the general wants--"

"Wait, is the city really in danger?! Why are we sitting here calmly?!" Wenda shouted and jumped to her feet. "We need to get the kids out of here! We need to--"

"Please, calm down Wenda," Jack serenely stood up and motioned back toward Dirk. "Trust me, you and you’re family are more than fine. With me here, the flames surrounding the city are of no threat to you."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Dirk, ignoring his wife’s confusion.

"Exactly that. That flame is of no threat to me, nor to you while I’m here. So, let’s continue our little discussion. But first, help your wife to sit and calm down."

Still trying to piece together an impression of Jack, Dirk stood up and embraced his wife. "Wenda, please calm down. I’ll always make sure you and the kids are safe, no matter what."

"And that’s my reason," shouted Jack, pointing eagerly at Dirk.

Not understanding Jack’s meaning, Dirk asked, "You’re what?"

"That’s why I’m here talking with you and not already outside of the city walls. You care for other people dearly, and especially your family. That’s why you’re not cut out for the Limneer military and should join Trodar."

"So, because I care about my family, I should betray my country and join my enemy? Tugging on my heartstrings doesn’t mean I won’t keep a clear view on the bigger picture," stated Dirk as he sat back down with his wife.

Jack laughed, "Who said I was your enemy?"

"You’re with Trodar and you’ve been sent to kill me and other high ranking officers, why wouldn’t you be our enemy?"

"My mission was originally to investigate rumors of a secret army, which the general has hidden in the nearby mountains, along with Sandros troops, which shows that you’ve broken the war pact as a nation."

Wenda was dumbfounded as Jack continued, "My current objective is to delay the army, but not at all cost. Why else would we only steal your resources at the camp and assassinate a few captains here in Zurden? And if you argue about the fire, in all honesty, most of it is fake and used as a scare tactic to get my team out of the city. I’m sure your scouts will report that if they haven’t already."

"Then... Why are we talking right now?" Dirk questioned, not understanding why Jack would go out on a limb to meet with him.

"Because I’m not your enemy, and neither is Trodar. I don’t want this war to end through bloodshed, I want to end it through diplomacy."

Dirk suddenly burst into laughter, "Diplomacy? Have you met any of the higher-ups in Limneer? There’s no way you could ever--"

"The nobles of Limneer may be a lost cause, but do you want the entire nation to suffer because of that?" reasoned Jack. "Since Limneer broke the war pact, so long as we can work together with Prachten and Iscantor, then diplomacy isn’t impossible, is it?"

"Well... maybe not..." Gears spun in Dirk’s head as he pieced together the puzzle. "But that’s just a theory, nothing guaranteed. Why should I join you?"

"Because your wife and children will be happier in Trodar, and your aid will quicken our efforts to end this war, freeing the common citizens of Limneer from forced warfare." Again, Jack turned to Wenda. "Do you know why Trodar hasn’t invaded Limneer?"

"Because they can’t, right? Their forces are split into three fronts," replied Wenda.

"Wrong. Because the higher-ups refuse to force war on their people. We’ve only been fighting defensively, taking abuse mostly from the merciless armies of Limeer who torch and destroy all villages and towns they pass in Trodar," Jack stated, bringing a grim expression to Wenda’s face.

"Dirk, he’s lying, right? You would never..." Wenda stopped talking as her husband looked away in shame, not daring to reply with words. "That... That can’t be..."

"Your husband knows plenty about the cruelty that the Limneer military thrives on, just ask him about his perverse coworker, Assistant Loire."

"Loire, what’s wrong with him?" asked Wenda. "He was such a nice man. He even visited us earlier today when--"

"What!" A switch flipped in Dirk as he grabbed his wife by the shoulders and looked caringly into her eyes. "That presto came here while I was gone? Don’t tell me he played with the children?"

"Y-yes... that’s exactly--"

"Dirk, Wenda, don’t worry about that pig any longer. My scout found him alone in a back room of the Lavish Lute and he made sure that pig would never come out again."

"The Lavish Lute?!" This time Wenda exploded. "That man would go there? Impossible! He’s a respectable assistant like my--"

"Wenda, that’s enough." Dirk pulled her in close for a moment before looking back to Jack. "So, hypothetically, if I were to side with you, what would that entail?"

"The safe passage and transport of your family to Trodar, a home fully paid for in Gilga, and a job in the Leisure Guild."

"The Leisure Guild?" Dirk mumbled to himself before asking, "Why the Leisure Guild?"

"Cause that’s who I’m with. I’m good friends with the guild leader and we can make sure that your protected and not abused for information against Limneer," explained Jack. "If you want, I can even have your family in Gilga within the hour."

"WHAT?!" Both Dirk and Wenda shouted in shock.

"No, really. I can have it arranged for your family to be in Gilga within the hour. If you weren’t so busy with work orders, then I can even let you join them and bring you back shortly after."

"That... That’s impossible," chuckled Dirk.

Jack also laughed, "To me, that word may as well not exist."

Within his mind, Jack sent a mental message, ’Tralon, now.’

While Dirk and Wenda tried to grasp how serious Jack’s offer was, a flash of light blinded them. But as soon as Dirk covered his wife to protect her, the light vanished leaving behind a wrinkly, old man that was somehow filled with vitality.

Wenda was even more confused. Dirk, on the other hand, was frozen in place. He felt a mix of awe and fear as he instantly recognized the man before them.

Jack stood up and introduced the man properly, "Dirk, Wenda, this is my good friend, Tralon, the leader of the Leisure Guild."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you." Tralon smiled and bowed his head to the couple, terrifying Dirk all the more.

"T-there’s no need to bow your head. I wouldn’t want you to feel--"

"Young man, there’s no need for such formalities right now. I’m not here as a guild leader, I’m here as a friend and former companion to this man," stated Tralon, pointing to Jack. "What he said is true. I can guarantee the safety of your family and we will gladly accept you into our ranks if you so wish."

"I-I... I can’t just--"

"We get it. You worked hard for years to provide for your family. You may have joined the military thinking they were righteous, but your prior commitment shouldn’t mean you compromise your values as a human being," interjected Jack. "Also, now that you can no longer hide your secret misery from your wife, what do you think she would prefer?"

Dirk opened his mouth but said nothing. He turned to his wife, who was shocked at the sudden development. "Wenda, I..."

"Dirk, you should’ve told me sooner." Wenda buried her face in Dirk’s chest. "If I knew it was that bad, I never would’ve pushed you to get a promotion. The money helps, but other things are more important."

Hearing her words, Dirk turned to Jack and Tralon. "I... This is so sudden, I can’t just--"

"You’re father-in-law and mother-in-law are welcome to come too. We’ll even pay for the medicine she needs," Jack added with a chuckle.

"You..." Dirk broke into laughter. "You really do know more about me than the general."