Black Ambush

There was no time to argue or debate. Just as Ligret had said, once the attack began there was only one option left.

"Commence the assault!"

"One of them already took off, though?"

"Hey! You're going alone?"

"Damn it, these guys never listen to a word anyone says."

Whether Chrome complained or not, Ligret was already charging far ahead, with Crow and Akasha following right behind her. The two siblings simply stared blankly at Chrome—whether out of noble pride or simple delayed reaction, he couldn't tell.

"Let's just clean them up first. We'll figure out the rest later."

"That's quite the reckless plan."

Eagle clicked his tongue but clearly had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no intention of letting the fight end before he arrived, so he quickly rushed forward. Hau Pendevig let out a single sigh at her brother's behavior and silently followed after him.

Fortunately, no one seemed particularly bothered by Ligret's impulsive move. Everyone here had volunteered despite knowing the risks, so they might have even sympathized with her actions deep down.

Not about to be left behind, Chrome muttered to himself and picked up his pace.

The ambush struck like a bolt from the blue. Without any warning, a spear suddenly fell from the sky and pierced straight through one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the two horses pulling the lead carriage. The horse, impaled from shoulder to heart, foamed blood and collapsed. The remaining horse panicked and began thrashing wildly.

"H-Hiiing!"

"Wh-What!?"

The coachman of the second carriage panicked at the sight of the lead carriage swaying dangerously, but moments later his own horses were also struck dead by spears raining from above. The same scene repeated down the line.

"Ambush! Prepare for combat!"

Those who had been leaning halfway out of the carriages to scatter magic stones and special seeds reacted first, followed by the other soldiers scrambling to arm themselves and leap outside. From the moment of the first attack, barely six seconds had passed. Their swift, precise movements proved they were elite troops tasked with special missions along the border. Unfortunately, the threat they now faced rendered the word "elite" meaningless.

A flash of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠light streaked past, and two soldiers' torsos and heads separated cleanly. Weapons they had only just drawn clattered uselessly to the ground, drenched in the high-spraying fountains of blood. The first soldier to emerge from the cargo hold followed his comrades in death, and even those quick-thinking enough to slash through the canvas side instead of using the entrance lost two more men in the process.

Five dead before the battle had even truly begun.

Their helmets covered every inch of their faces, hiding their expressions, but emotion showed in more than just faces. Gait, breathing, weapon posture, positioning relative to allies and enemies—all revealed their mental state. Ligret's rule when facing multiple opponents was simple: leave those showing fear, wariness, or confusion for last. Strike first at those maintaining composure or burning with fighting spirit.

After cutting down two noticeable fighters, the remaining soldiers visibly shrank back, their movements growing sluggish.

"Hey! You planning to hog all the kills yourself!?"

"Not my fault you're moving so slow."

Once Crow and the others joined in, the fight ended almost embarrassingly easily. However—

"Hmm, this won't work. He's already dead."

Akasha shook her head as she examined the man they presumed to be the commander. Realizing the battle was lost, he had tried to open the cargo hold containing the sealed new magic beasts, but after Ligret's thrown spear foiled that plan, he had simply taken drugs and committed suicide.

"If you know you have no chance, you should run or surrender. Why go straight to suicide?"

"Even leading a small unit, a commander bears responsibility for his subordinates. Fleeing into death alone makes him unworthy of the title."

Crow and Eagle clicked their tongues in displeasure, each offering their own commentary. Despite their differences, the two got along surprisingly well.

"We really don't know anything! We were just following orders!"

"Please, spare us!"

The sight of their comrades being slaughtered before their eyes had clearly shaken the surviving soldiers, who now knelt and begged. A few test questions revealed they knew nothing about the mysterious technique that withered plants, the rock called Incense Stone, or the origin of the seeds. Chrome considered whether they might be lying, but given that these people were willing to commit suicide to prevent information leaks, the fact that they hadn't been silenced suggested they truly were just disposable pawns.

Chrome examined a bead and bundle of seeds found on the enemy commander's person through Dantalian's monocle.

Chrome pictured how the Ivestan soldiers had used these tools: first carving a path through the forest wide enough for carriages to pass freely, then planting the special seeds to conceal the road with grown plants. When using the path, they would remove the plants with the mana-absorbing orbs, then cover it again afterward. Smiling in satisfaction, he looked over the bundle that still contained a considerable number of seeds. These could prove quite useful depending on how they were used.

Akasha asked, "What now?"

"What do you mean, what now? We slaughter everyone inside these carriages, then march straight into their main base. The road's wide open, after all."

"What about these people?"

"Well, we can't exactly leave them be, can we?"

At Crow's matter-of-fact tone as he raised his weapon, the soldiers trembled in terror. Chrome stepped forward.

"Wait a moment. If we're going in anyway, let's make it easier on ourselves."

"Easier? What are you planning?"

"Fortunately, one carriage is still intact, and we can move horses from the others to make a full pair. We'll ride that in."

"And trust these guys?"

"We'll make them trustworthy. Hey, you two—open your mouths and take this. Oh, not taking it? Guess you prefer the sword after all."

"N-No, sir! We'll take it!"

The two surviving soldiers quickly swallowed the mysterious drug Chrome offered. He spoke to them again.

"The effects will appear in three hours. Take the antidote before then and you'll be fine. I've got the antidote, so you understand what comes next, right? Now put your masks back on."

Watching the two nod vigorously, Chrome grinned.

"Easy, right?"

"…Let's not talk about it."

Ignoring Crow's lament, the group quickly discussed the plan.

"But even if we do that, it's still just one carriage. No commander either. Won't they find it suspicious?"

"We'll say we were attacked. Actually using some flashy spells from behind will add to the urgency. Please do your best, Eagle."

"I don't know why Midas's polite speech makes me increasingly uncomfortable the more I hear it. That aside, assuming they'll protect their fleeing comrades first seems too soft, doesn't it? Especially for a group whose commander was ready to commit suicide."

"They might not value these soldiers' lives much, but wouldn't they care more about what's inside the carriage?"

"…Hold on. Don't tell me you—"

"If we're going to do this, we might as well do it properly. Even if we hadn't started at all."

At the secret Ivestan base, the soldiers on guard duty exchanged words.

"They're late."

"An unexpected situation may have occurred. We should report to the higher-ups and strengthen security—"

BOOOOOOM!

At the loud explosion from the front, the soldiers' heads turned instinctively. A carriage came barreling forward, wheels smoking and kicking up dust, pursued by a mysterious group firing attack spells. The guard's expression hardened as he urgently yanked the rope beside him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

With the ringing of the alarm bell, the entire base erupted into emergency activity.