Chapter 99
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: The Clock Tower Gambit
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* * *
Bang-!
A gunshot rang out from the roof where Harrison and Jose had positioned themselves.
I was up on the clock tower with Ethan, surveying the area. How did we get up here? Through the police station's underground passage, of course.
The clock tower was right next to the police station, so it wasn't hard to get to.
And by some stroke of luck, the Kintne survivors hadn't managed to take over Brunel yet. It was because of those soldiers who had tried to kidnap Ethan.
Watching the continuous firefight and the monsters running through the middle of it with the spare pair of binoculars I'd brought, I started to feel a bit weary.
“It’s amazing that trained soldiers are even having a fight with a civilian militia.”
“It seems to be an issue of numbers. Plus, there are the monsters.”
That was true. From what I could see, there were at least ten armed Kintne survivors, while the soldiers numbered three at most.
I handed the binoculars to Ethan. Then I looked toward the roof of Happy House, visible on the distant hill. I could vaguely make out the figures of Victor and Knox.
Right now, there were essentially three groups in this small town of Brunel. The Happy House family, the Kintne survivors, and the soldiers impersonating the Royal Army.
From a rooftop near the clock tower, Harrison and Jose signaled us with a flag bearing a drawing of a cherry. It meant they were all set. Next, it was Vanilla and Amy’s turn to give the signal.
Ethan, who had been watching the flag, asked me.
“Why on earth do you have so many of those handkerchiefs?”
At his question, I scratched my cheek, embarrassed.
Before heading out on the mission, we had made and distributed flags to easily exchange signals. Fortunately, I happened to have some fabric of the same design, perfect for making flags.
Which meant that the cherry-emblazoned handkerchiefs Harrison and Jose were waving were something I had in large quantities.
“When I was a cricket player, my parents had them mass-produced to give as gifts to the other players.”
My parents were well-known for being doting, over-the-top stage parents. Their meddling was no joke. I remember being so embarrassed that I wanted to find a hole to crawl into, just to avoid seeing my teammates.
Ethan glanced down at the flag in my hand. Below the drawing of a cherry, the handkerchief was embroidered with the words ‘Cherry Sinclair.’
“You were a beloved daughter.”
I shrugged at his words.
“Sometimes excessively so. Thanks to them, I matured late.”
In fact, if I hadn't remembered my past life, I probably would have faced the apocalypse still immature.
Just then, I saw a flag waving from the direction of the square. It was Vanilla and Amy.
“Sir Ethan. We have the signal.”
At my words, Ethan lowered the binoculars and took out the light machine gun slung over his shoulder. While waiting for the signal, we had already pinpointed the locations of all three soldiers impersonating the Royal Army.
“Well, well. Looks like today’s the day to blow off some steam.”
Ethan grinned, a look of excitement on his face as he loaded the machine gun. He was unbelievable.
He then immediately aimed the machine gun into the air and began to fire mercilessly.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
He kept firing without pause. And very, very loudly.
Sure enough, the soldiers spotted Ethan and could be seen emerging from a building to approach the clock tower.
This confirmed our suspicion that their real goal was to ‘kidnap’ Ethan.
As the soldiers rushed out of the building, the Kintne survivors seized the opportunity to fire as well, which in turn exposed their positions, making them targets for Jose and Harrison’s sniping.
Moreover, an important part of this plan was that the soldiers weren't the only ones who would hear the gunfire. The monsters lingering nearby heard the noise and began to swarm in our direction.
I gripped my axe and looked down. It wasn't enough yet. We needed more monsters.
* * *
Beside Jose and Harrison, who were providing cover around the clock tower, was a hostage. It was Charlie, from the Kintne survivor camp.
They had left him alive because Cherry said to spare one, but he was putting up a fierce struggle.
“Can’t we just kill him?”
Jose grumbled, but Harrison spoke firmly.
“Don’t forget the young lady’s orders. Now, behave yourself.”
“Honestly, all you ever think about is Lady Cherry, Counselor.”
Just then, a loud, continuous burst of gunfire erupted from somewhere. Jose looked toward the clock tower.
Ethan was sitting leisurely on the clock tower's railing, firing the machine gun into the air. He looked so thrilled that you could see the smile on his face even from a distance.
Just then, Jose and Harrison caught sight of movement from the monsters. The creatures were swarming around the clock tower, causing the approaching soldiers to hesitate.
“Huh? There are way more monsters than I thought. At this rate, won't the clock tower collapse?”
“The young lady will handle it. You focus on sniping the Kintne survivors. It looks like there are eight left.”
“Damn, still a lot left.”
But they would be no match for Jose. His opponents were civilians at best; even if they were lucky enough to know how to use a gun, they were nowhere near as skilled as Jose. You could tell just by how many of their shots aimed at the soldiers went wide.
Jose, on the other hand, was an absolute expert. A weapons specialist and a sniper whose primary weapon was a Sharps rifle.
Following Harrison's instructions, Jose tracked the source of the gunfire aimed at the clock tower and pulled the trigger of his sniper rifle.
Crack-
A direct hit.
Click. Jose reloaded his rifle and mentally recounted the number of enemies he and Harrison had identified earlier.
Seven left.
* * *
They had lost contact with Charlie, their sniper on the roof.
Frank, the leader of the Kintne survivor camp's search party, was firing at the soldiers in front of the clock tower from a second-story window when he sensed the chaotic atmosphere enveloping Brunel.
On top of that, someone on the clock tower had been firing in continuous bursts for a while now. The sound of gunfire filled the air. It sounded like they had a light machine gun.
“Damn it, who is that psycho?”
There was some lunatic on the clock tower, firing like a madman into the air. A man in a police uniform.
“A cop, of all people. Fuck.”
Frank swore coarsely and checked the situation outside the window.
He couldn't hear the gunfire from his allies, which should have been coming from below the building. It seemed they had been taken out, but all three soldiers were still in his line of sight.
‘Then who got them? The monsters?’
But it couldn't be the monsters; they were all distracted by the loud gunfire and heading toward the clock tower.
His numbers had already dwindled significantly. At this rate, the tables could turn, and they could be wiped out. Frank had no choice but to reveal himself.
As he stepped out into the street, the other search party members took it as a signal and emerged from the buildings where they had been hiding.
“It’s an all-out fight now.”
Frank declared, reloading his rifle and addressing his men.
Until that moment, these amateur search party members hadn't even realized there was a third party sniping them.
The reason for their oversight was simple. Brunel was an even smaller town than Kintne. Furthermore, as far as Frank knew, none of the people in Brunel would be illegally possessing weapons like El. And there was no one here capable of taking down his search party by force.
Frank spoke to his men.
“Our enemies are just three armed soldiers and one crazy cop on the clock tower. We can take them. We just have to avoid those damned monsters.”
“Boss. But the damned monsters seem to be the problem right now, don't they?”
The man who had dared to question Frank received a chillingly fierce glare. When the man finally flinched, shrinking back and shutting his mouth, Frank turned to the others with a satisfied look.
“The Brunel slaves.”
“We’ve locked them up in the village elder’s house.”
Nodding in satisfaction at another man’s report, Frank looked at the monsters that had begun to surround the clock tower.
“Jacob, Marc, you’re with me in the rear. The rest of you, advance, take out the monsters, and approach the clock tower.”
“What? B-But, boss. There are so many monsters, shouldn't we take them on together? Otherwise, we could die…”
“I suppose I’ll have to report to El that you disobeyed my orders.”
At Frank’s words, the dissenting man’s face went pale, and he fell silent.
Jacob and Marc stood quietly by Frank's side. If they got on his bad side, they might not receive their reward from El, even if they completed the mission safely.
With no other choice, four of the men advanced as the vanguard. Frank followed from the rear with Jacob and Marc.
“Once they go in, only the monsters will be left in this town. We can just wipe out the monsters later with reinforcements. That's no problem.”
Frank said confidently to Jacob and Marc. And Jacob and Marc, thinking much the same, scanned their surroundings.