Chapter 34
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Normalizing Corrupt Forces (3)
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A red signal flare shot up into the clear blue sky.
The Cobra Gang wasn't the only one to spot that light.
Near the village, on a hill...
The rebels, who had rushed over dragging old horses and donkeys, witnessed it too.
Kellogg instinctively knew it was a signal from Ghost.
"Boss, what do we do? There are two enemy forces we have to deal with!"
One was fast and fierce cavalry.
The other was slower-moving wagons, but there were more of them.
Even Kellogg hesitated.
What is Ghost's intention?
Was there a chance Ghost was a spy?
Or was this part of the test too?
It was right then, as Kellogg agonized without making a decision.
"Boss! Over here!"
A soldier who had been out scouting called him urgently.
As Kellogg ran over, the soldier pointed to the husk of a massive cactus nearby.
There was a message carved into it, as if done with the tip of a blade, fresh and recent.
[Block the wagons first. GHOST]
"Yes! This is it!"
He immediately led his men.
The direction was the opposite side from where the flare had burst.
It was a pass through the wilderness between the Twin Rocks.
"Everyone, scatter and take cover! Those wagons we saw earlier will pass through soon!"
At his command, the rebel soldiers armed with mystic magic rifles skillfully hid themselves among the rocks and bushes on both sides of the road.
"Finally, real combat!"
"Whoever comes, we'll turn 'em into Swiss cheese!"
Their eyes burned with tension and anticipation for their first mission.
Kellogg took position in the highest crevice of the rocks and peered through his telescope at the end of the road.
How much time passed?
Soon enough, the wagons appeared, crawling along like snails.
They're coming...
Kellogg's heart pounded fiercely.
But someone gasped at the sight of the cloth draped over the wagons.
"Th-that's..."
"Shh! Quiet!"
What they saw was a terrifying mark that no resident of Eldorado could fail to recognize!
The wagons belonged to a Trade Federation transport convoy driven by regular troops.
"Damn it, boss. That's the Federation bastards..."
Bartu whispered with a panicked expression.
Unease rippled through the rebels.
"If it were the Cobra Gang, maybe..."
"But those are the Federation's regular army...?"
Doubt stirred in the hearts of the rebel members.
Hesitation born from years of fear and intimidation!
Kellogg swallowed hard.
Can we really do this?
A sudden realization amid the fear.
Ghost might still be nearby?
He had sent the signal to attack directly, after all.
If they backed off here?
Ghost might turn his back in disappointment, cutting off support.
Damn it, let's just do it! What's the worst that can happen—death?
Fierce determination reignited in Kellogg's eyes.
He whispered to his hesitant men.
"Listen up. This is Ghost's direct order! The ghost is watching over us. We've got mystic magic rifles. Don't be afraid!"
At Kellogg's declaration, the wavering in every rebel's eyes vanished.
The rebel members quietly adjusted their grips on their rifles from their positions.
They waited for the Trade Federation convoy to fully enter their trap.
Clunk! Rattle!
The heavy thud of wagon wheels crushing the dirt road echoed in their ears.
The Trade Federation transport fully entered the ambush point.
"Now! Attack!"
Kellogg shouted.
Gunfire erupted across the wilderness.
Bang-bang-bang!
Dozens of mystic magic rifles fired in unison.
A brilliant blue flash, worlds apart from the black powder smoke of old muskets!
Beams of light burst from the rocks, flying toward the Federation soldiers.
"Urk!"
"Argh! Ambush! Their firepower...!"
Mana-propelled bullets pierced the Federation regulars' uniforms and breastplates like paper.
"Damn it! What the hell is this!"
"M-mystic magic rifles? We haven't even been issued those yet!"
The Federation regulars panicked before the onslaught of bullets.
Bang! Bang!
Bang-bang-bang!
Overwhelming firepower superiority!
As if they'd never been afraid, the rebels bravely poured on the fire.
"Kill 'em! Wipe 'em all out!"
"Monsters who exploit the people!"
To the Federation soldiers, mostly armed with outdated revolvers and single-shot rifles, it was like a bolt from the blue!
While one soldier struggled to reload a single shot...
One rebel fired off multiple rounds with a flick of the trigger.
As the escorting troops fell helplessly from their horses, the transport wagons ground to a halt.
"We've got 'em! Keep pushing!"
"Yaaah!"
At Kellogg's cry, the rebels clumsily encircled and pressed forward.
But the Federation soldiers were elite, trained professionals.
"Get down! Look for an escape route! Their encirclement is thin and sloppy!"
The commander immediately ordered cover.
His officers tried to flank the rebels by sending some troops around toward the rocks.
The rebels fired their mystic magic rifles at them.
Rat-tat-tat! Tat!
Inaccurate shots hitting the dirt due to inexperience!
"W-wait! Reload!"
Damn it, we have to block their flank attack!
Kellogg felt desperation as he watched his inexperienced rebel soldiers flounder.
At this rate, some of our guys might die!
It was right then.
Whoosh!
Kellogg's eyes widened.
The lead Federation soldier flanking from the side—the most seasoned-looking officer—suddenly collapsed.
Blood spurting from his neck!
The soldiers flinched visibly.
Kellogg didn't miss that split-second opportunity.
"Focus fire on the ones coming from the left! Shoot in controlled bursts! Don't spray and pray!"
Then another sudden development.
In the center of the rebel ambush line.
A young soldier, caught up in the excitement, made the mistake of popping his head up and firing wildly.
"Uwaaaah! Die, all of you!"
"What are you doing, Billy! Get your head down!"
Three Federation soldiers instantly turned their guns toward him.
No!
Kellogg despaired.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Mysterious bullets followed!
"Guh..."
The bullets precisely pierced the heads of all three Federation soldiers.
Kellogg felt the hairs on his body stand on end.
That's not just sniping. It covered our mistake...
A sense of familiarity washed over him.
A sniper who saw through every situation, eliminating only the most necessary threats at the most dangerous moments.
Kellogg subtly turned his head to gaze at the distant rocky ridge.
Of course, nothing was visible.
But he was certain.
Could it be... Ghost? Helping us just like before?
A thrilling shiver coursed through him, as if his heart might burst.
The unknown ally Ghost, who had empowered them.
He was commanding and protecting them right now from some unseen place!
This fact gave Kellogg absolute conviction and courage.
"Don't stop! The ghost is with us! Sweep them away in one go!"
"Woooaaah!"
With Kellogg's roar, the rebels attacked with even greater ferocity.
"Damn it! Their firepower is overwhelming! Uwaaaak!"
The Federation convoy ultimately crumbled.
Kellogg surveyed the battlefield, thick with the stench of blood and gunpowder.
"Report the situation!"
"Five wounded! All minor injuries! No fatalities!"
There were a few injured with bandages around arms or grazing their ears, but no deaths.
A perfect victory that could almost be called a one-sided massacre.
"We won! We won!"
"We beat the Federation bastards!"
The rebel soldiers dropped their guard and cheered as they rushed to the wagons.
Pulling back the cloth on the wagons revealed mountains of spoils before their eyes.
"My god! What's all this?"
"Figures it's the Federation... They've got money to burn..."
Well-packaged food, clean medical supplies.
But what drew the most awe was something else.
"Crystals! So many!"
"Just one box alone..."
The heavy crates brimmed with crystals and gold bars that gleamed in the sunlight.
It was the tribute that Sheriff Barrett and his crew offered to the Federation.
"Boss! We did it!"
"With this, we won't go hungry for a while and can keep fighting!"
His men fondled the spoils with greedy eyes.
Kellogg fell into thought for a moment.
This victory was made by Ghost.
Kellogg pondered the intentions of that being watching them from afar.
Did he give us these magic rifles just for us to rob?
No.
That couldn't be.
Ghost had surely armed and supported them with a deeper purpose.
Right. We can't forget why we're fighting the Federation!
Clunk!
Kellogg climbed atop the largest gold bar crate loaded on a wagon.
The cheers quieted.
"Rebel comrades! You all fought well!"
Kellogg began his speech.
The weight in his voice drew every eye.
"However, there's one thing I need to make clear."
Kellogg spoke without hesitation.
"These spoils are not ours."
Murmurs rippled through the soldiers at his words.
"What? What did you say?"
"Why not?"
One soldier cautiously asked.
"Aren't these our spoils?"
"Yes. These are our spoils. But!"
Kellogg pointed toward Twin Rocks Village.
"These are also the blood and sweat exploited from Twin Rocks' residents by that vile sheriff and the Trade Federation over the years."
The murmuring soldiers fell silent, as if realizing something.
"If we keep them for ourselves and use them privately, we'll be no better than thieving Federation scum!"
Kellogg lifted the Trade Federation banner that had covered the wagon.
"We are not thieves!"
Riiip!
He drew a dagger from his belt and shredded the cloth covering the gold crate.
"We are the liberation army, reclaiming what's been stolen and righting this rotten world! These spoils belong to their rightful owners!"
The soldiers' eyes, once clouded with greed, began to change at Kellogg's speech.
"Let's return this victory to Twin Rocks' residents and prove exactly who we are and what we're fighting for!"
They rediscovered their forgotten cause, their reason to fight.
Moments later, with someone's lead cry, thunderous cheers erupted.
"For liberation!"
"For the rebels!"
The rebels' morale soared to the heavens.
They had reclaimed their sense of justice and conviction.
Kellogg watched them and felt certain.
Yes, this must be the answer Ghost wanted!
On a distant rocky ridge.
Jinwoo quietly lifted his eye from Hawk Eye's scope.
Through his lens, he clearly saw the rebels cheering and gathering the spoils.
Kellogg won't embezzle it.
He hadn't heard Kellogg's ideology-laden speech.
But Jinwoo could roughly guess what he'd said.
Returning it to the villagers is shortsighted in the short term. But looking further ahead...
The rebels would gain the precious asset of public support.
Of course, Jinwoo felt a bit regretful.
Damn, even for a first battle... They fought that poorly even with mystic magic rifles?
They hadn't performed as well as he'd hoped despite the good weapons.
Should I take solace in their overwhelming first victory?
Jinwoo figured the experience points from this would mean fewer blunders next time.
Now that they've got real combat experience, they'll fight better from here on. If they die, oh well.
The investment was yielding steady growth.
Jinwoo turned his gaze from the rebels to the opposite direction.
The Cobra Gang's main force was approaching.
"Looks like I'll have to handle those myself."
He took hold of Falcon's reins.
A massive dust cloud was drawing ever closer.