Wolf Hunt
“Well, well—so that’s how it went down.” The adjutant nodded, finally satisfied after I explained the sequence of events. “I suppose it makes sense. There’s no way an associate of yours would be a member of the Vigilantes. The Captain trusts you far too much for that.”
“You’ll keep this a secret, right?”
“Of course. We couldn’t care less what happens to those Vigilante bastards. Honestly, it’s a relief that you gave them a taste of their own medicine on our behalf.”
In principle, adventurers killing each other and looting equipment should be punishable. However, given the circumstances, our counterattack was effectively self-defense. Furthermore, the deep-seated grudge between the Guard and the Vigilantes meant that we faced no reprimand.
“Still, you’d be better off removing the Vigilante insignia from that armor. It could lead to misunderstandings, just like today,” the adjutant advised. “Especially with the current atmosphere… Ah, please just pretend you didn’t hear that last part.”
“You mean I shouldn’t get caught in the crossfire while the Guard and the Vigilantes are at each other’s throats?”
“How did you know?” The adjutant’s jaw dropped.
“I have my own sources of information, you know. I imagine a large-scale clash is coming soon.”
“You really don’t miss a thing, do you? It’s hard to even make excuses when you know everything. You’re right, Estelle.”
The expressions of the adjutant and the guards were grim. They were the faces of men prepared for a decisive battle. The main quest of Garden—the Vigilante rebellion—was imminent. Before long, a bloodbath would sweep through the town.
“I have something to say regarding that matter. I want to meet the Guard Captain.”
“The Captain?”
“I think there’s something we can help you with.”
The adjutant hesitated for a moment before nodding readily. The Vigilantes were no pushovers. From the Guard’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse our help. Whether the Guard or the Vigilantes would emerge as the final victor—the key to that outcome rested entirely in my hands.
Inside the Guard barracks, my request was granted, and a secret emergency meeting was held.
“You discovered their secret hideout?” The Guard Captain’s eyes gleamed. The fact that they had constructed an underground hideout beneath Garden, hidden from the Empire’s eyes, was in itself proof of an attempted rebellion. The Vigilantes had finally crossed a line from which there was no return. Now, only execution remained.
“We can’t just stand by and watch. Tell us the location. I’ll mobilize all our forces to suppress them right now.”
“Captain, wait a moment. It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“Estelle, is there a problem?”
“Think about it. If your soldiers swarm in, you’ll be spotted immediately. Besides, their hideout is an underground cave system with winding, labyrinthine paths. If they hole up and focus entirely on defense, the Guard will inevitably suffer heavy casualties.”
“You’re right, of course. This is tricky…” The Guard Captain groaned. The adjutant looked equally troubled. If this were an open field, the battle would be decided by a straightforward clash, but the situation was different now. The terrain allowed a single Vigilante to easily handle two or three guards. The Guard’s strength wasn’t sufficient to breach a hideout optimized for defense.
The Guard Captain’s dilemma deepened. It seemed there was no clear solution for the Guard to overcome the situation. This was the moment for me to offer a brilliant strategy.
“There’s only one answer. A small, elite force must infiltrate secretly. If we sneak inside and stir up chaos, they won’t know what hit them.”
“Is that even possible?”
“It’s our only choice.” I walked over to the large map hanging on the wall—a tactical map depicting Garden’s fortress, barracks, and streets.
“They are currently hiding beneath the soil of Garden.” I drew an arrow under the Garden frontier. Then, I drew a large circle and wrote ‘Vigilantes’ inside it.
“They’re building up their strength in the underground caves. Their trump card is this: a Dwarven secret cannon.”
“A cannon? They’ve prepared a weapon like that?”
“We haven’t heard anything about that.” The meeting room erupted in murmurs. The Guard Captain, the adjutant, and the squad leaders were clearly flustered. And they had every right to be. This information was top-secret data set so that the Guard could never obtain it in advance. It was only natural they didn’t know. If the player didn’t intervene, Garden would be reduced to a sea of fire under Dawson’s cannon. In that fierce bombardment, neither the Guard nor the adventurers would survive.
“There shouldn’t be any way to bring a weapon like a cannon into Garden… Are you saying the guard posts let that massive hunk of metal pass by unnoticed?”
“No. The cannon wasn’t brought in from outside. They’re collecting materials and assembling it underground. Dawson has kidnapped several Dwarven craftsmen and is forcing them to work for him.”
“Kidnapping, good heavens! I never imagined he would resort to such tactics. That bastard Dawson…” The Guard Captain wiped cold sweat from his brow. Even at this very moment, Dawson’s secret weapon was being steadily crafted underground. It seemed the reality that those muzzles could be pointed at him at any moment was finally sinking in.
I drew a few small cannons on the Vigilante hideout on the map, then marked them with an X.
“Our party will sabotage Dawson’s plan. He doesn’t know yet that we’ve seen through his scheme. If we play our cards right, we might even be able to use the cannon against them.”
“Indeed, if what you say is true, Estelle, we have a fighting chance.” The adjutant nodded repeatedly. But the Guard Captain furrowed his brows.
“Hmm… This will undoubtedly be a dangerous mission. There’s no need for you to take such risks. If this operation must be carried out, I will select men from our Guard.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m fine. Leave it to us. You have your own job to do.”
“What job is that?”
“Draw their attention from the outside. Make it easier for us to infiltrate. And when chaos breaks out inside, that’s when the Guard makes their move.”
I drew a thick cloud of dust over the Vigilante hideout. Cannons and people would all be mixed up in a massive, chaotic mess. Then, I moved an arrow labeled ‘Guard’ into the underground cave.
I called it: Operation ‘Wolf Hunt’.
If the operation proceeded smoothly, the Vigilantes would be caught in a pincer attack from inside and out, leaving them helpless and allowing us to wipe them out in one fell swoop.
‘It’s the strategy with the highest success rate.’
There was another reason I proposed this plan.
‘It’s also the strategy with the most lucrative rewards.’
In this operation, the small infiltration team was the core role that would determine the success or failure of the mission. We would be taking a great risk, but the military merit would be equally high.
“Are you truly sure?” The Guard Captain’s eyes were still filled with hesitation.
“I said I’m sure. I’m not doing this for free, either. Make sure to give us a generous reward when it’s over.”
“Don’t worry about that. If the suppression is successful, I will report your contributions to my superiors without leaving a single detail out. If all goes well, you might even be awarded medals.”
“You can keep the medals, Captain. I need something more practical than a piece of scrap metal.”
The meeting concluded on that note. The Guard adjutant and the squad leaders began the work of concretizing the plan I had devised—the deployment of troops, the formation, the order of the hideout breach, and the signals… Everyone hurried, as this was an urgent matter with the fire already at their heels.
“Tell me when you’re ready.” The Guard Captain donned his armor and gathered his weapons himself. Watching his face, a blurry image from my past memories began to surface.
‘The Guard Captain… I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.’
I narrowed my eyes and observed him. Why was that face so familiar?
‘Ah.’
It hit me suddenly. At the same time, a shock went through me as if lightning had struck the top of my head.
‘He looks exactly like Yuria.’
Around the time I left the Lich’s Mansion and headed toward Garden, I had discovered a young woman’s corpse in a bandit’s hut. The unfortunate maiden’s name was Yuria. In her arms was a letter written with great care. A tragic letter that had never reached her brother. I still kept that letter safely inside my cloak.
‘I searched through all of Garden’s soldiers, but I never found Yuria’s brother. I was looking right under my nose.’
I realized my mistake too late. Yuria’s brother wasn’t a soldier. He was the Guard Captain. No wonder I hadn’t been able to find him despite searching for so long.
‘I’m glad I can at least deliver it now.’
I reached into my cloak pocket. I wanted to deliver this letter, if nothing else. Setting aside talk of quests and rewards, I felt like I would only be at peace once I did.
“Estelle, do you have something to say to me?” The Guard Captain looked at me, seemingly sensing my gaze.
My hand, which had reached into my cloak, stopped. I held the letter and hesitated for a moment.
‘The timing is bad.’
The letter had to be delivered. But now was not the right time. Delivering such tragic news to the Guard Captain right before a critical operation would not be a wise decision.
“I do have something to tell you, Captain.”
“Speak your mind. I am always ready to listen to what you have to say.”
“But it’s not something I can say right now. I’ll tell you after the Vigilante suppression is over. Would that be alright?”
“It must be important, whatever it is.” The Guard Captain shrugged. Though he wore a thick mustache and beard, that kind expression was exactly like his younger sister’s.
“Let’s do that, Estelle. Let’s talk when it’s over.”
“Yeah.”
The Guard Captain patted my shoulder and walked past me. I stood in place, watching his back for a long moment.