Chapter 144
RMSBS - Episode 144 . Tracing the Attack (9)
The carriage rumbled down the jagged street .
There were buildings on the verge of collapse . Looking out through the curtains, Romantica blocked her nose .
“It’s a gloomy place . Smells weird too . ”
It was certainly as she had said . The background of this Shadow World, the 100-year-old Altea, was clearly not a vibrant city . However, Desir felt a darker feeling lingering around . The streets were dirty and a disgusting smell was emanating from somewhere .
Kei shrugged his shoulders .
“There is a dark side to every place . ”
This was the slum of Altea . In the Magic Kingdom, where magic talent determined everything about a person, citizens had to step on each other to climb the social hierarchy .
And this was a place where the group of people trampled by others lived .
“But there’s nowhere better to hide than here . ”
Desir was very sympathetic to the remark . Altea’s slums were one of the most complex places . A perfect place to blend in and disappear .
‘Kei’s judgment is commendable . ’
The width of the narrow streets made it difficult for the army to enter, and a maze-like structure made it possible for them to deal with any pursuers one by one, even if an entire army were to invade .
“We’re here . ”
While talking about this and that, the carriage stopped at its destination . It was in front of a bar with a picture of beer on it . Romantica and Adjest got off first, followed by Desir and Pram then Kei .
When they opened the door of the bar, countless eyes fell on them . A myriad of people were there; wearing shabby casual clothes, they truly looked like residents of the slums .
Among them, a man with a giant body and a beard covering his chin addressed Kei . He looked very fierce .
“What brings the noble lord here? I don’t think there’s any alcohol here that suits the taste of a noble like you . ’
“Well, maybe apple rum will suit my taste . I’m here for just three glasses of apple rum . ”
“What would you like to eat?”
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‘Strawberries pickled in sugar for four days . ”
Then the furry young man’s expression became very warm .
“He is our Major . ”
As soon as he dropped such words, everyone in the bar stood up and saluted Kei, each person taking a step forward and entering a rigid stance . They were soldiers led by Kei .
‘He has set up the bar as an assembly area . ’
Kei nodded, and they sat down again .
“That’s pretty thorough . ”
“I’ve learnt from past experience . ”
Kei’s men sat down again, eating and chatting . The quiet pub quickly became noisy .
A middle-aged man approached Kei .
“You look great, mister . ”
“You’re still the same . ”
He fist-bumped Kei, showing great pleasure in doing so .
“This troublemaker in the back alley has grown so big that he is now leading this many soldiers . ”
“I'll pay my rent, so don’t worry . What about the other soldiers?”
“It’s fine . If you signal for them, they’ll be here in two minutes . ”
“Okay . By the way, is there a better place to talk? I’d like to speak with the new recruits . ”
Kei pointed at Desir’s party .
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“I’ll set up a private room . ”
The owner led them to a separate room inside the bar . This place was designed to keep sound from leaking out of its thick walls .
“We don’t have much time, so I’ll give you a brief explanation . ”
Kei’s story began . Through it, Desir and his party began to match up the missing pieces of the puzzle from the new facts they obtained from Kei .
“After the prophet came, I traveled all over the continent under His Majesty’s orders . We visited Eretion’s Ice Lake, uncharted territory within the southern continent, and even the ruins of a civilization that collapsed a long time ago . And we collected valuable material . ”
The story was simple .
To sum it up simply, Kei had endured such adversity and collected material calmly, although it was such a difficult journey .
“But the king’s condition became strange . At one point, he showed symptoms of obsession . He wanted to collect these ingredients as soon as possible . ”
Desir noticed the strangeness of it .
“And before too long, I couldn’t find any semblance of the man he used to be, the man who was once the greatest sorcerer . We haven’t even spoken in the past year . ”
He naturally held suspicion that the prophet had done something, but there was nothing he could do alone .
“Are you saying he has been controlled?”
“That expression would be more accurate . I’ve never heard of magic that governs the mind . ”
“He… has been controlled… ”
Desir intoned the words over and over again . Kei quenched his throat . Romantica, Pram, and Adjest waited quietly for Kei to continue with his story .
“Your Majesty lost control, and a man called the Prophet took that control . From then on, the Magic Kingdom went the wrong way . The vast national budget was squandered on personal matters and the people were taxed to cover the shortfall . As a result, the Magic Kingdom faced a recession . How was the atmosphere like on the street?"
“It was depressing . It became very quiet and people became afraid of the soldiers . ”
“Citizens are anxious, suffering . And the cause is simple . It’s all because of that prophet . ”
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So Kei created his group and waited for an opportunity . And this led to the current situation .
“I don’t know why, but the Prophet is moving with great urgency . If we miss this chance now, we may never have another . ”
The suppression of wizards in the Magic Kingdom, which valued wizards above all else, proved that they were currently on the precipice of disaster .
The current situation was not favourable, but it was hard to say if it had gone too far yet . When a door closed, a window typically opened . This newly opened window had enabled Kei the opportunity to make a decision and act, which in turn allowed Desir’s party a chance to gain Kei’s cooperation in their quest .
After finishing his story, Kei pulled out a contract for Desir . And when Desir finished signing the contract, an alarm sounded .
[You’ve signed a mercenary contract with Kei Hazmaryun . Kei Hazmaryun has become your helper . This contractual relationship will be maintained while your objectives are aligned and remain in effect while you still prove yourself reliable to his cause . ]
Kei then handed a map to Desir . It was a map detailing the geography of Altea . The map showed that the royal castle was divided into outer and inner parts . It even showed where the troops were placed .
“This plan begins with us entering the castle . After entering the palace, we must secure and protect His Majesty . I can’t let him be manipulated by them anymore . ”
Desir nodded . It was not important to Desir whether the king was alive or not, since he was a virtual figure in a Shadow World anyway, but Kei’s opinion could not be ignored .
“Our forces are currently overwhelmingly inferior, and we can’t win head-on against the wizards that are protecting the entire capital . Before they come, we have to break into the castle and kill the Prophet . ”
Kei marked the airfield on the map .
“The units deployed at the airfield are skilled, but lack experience . It’s not going to be a problem to break through there . ”
Kei continued to elaborate on the finer details of the mission . He had access to information about the units deployed to the royal castle . Desir could see that he had been preparing thoroughly for this day .
“The only problem is on the King’s aide . There are many troops guarding the castle, but the most difficult amongst them is the Rose Brigade . ”
The Rose Brigade . Desir didn’t hear an explanation about them from Kei, but everyone present knew its name . The Rose Brigade, under the direct control of the king, was the elite group of the Magic Kingdom . Each unit was so talented and possessed such a high level of skill that they would each be recorded in history for their prowess .
“The Rose Brigade is divided into the Red Rose and the Blue Rose battalions . We’re going to break through the south gate, the less populated entrance . ”
Desir confirmed, after inspecting the map .
“It’s the territory that the Red Rose are in charge of . What does their troop formation look like?”
“Their troop arrangement consists of about 2,680 Third-Circle wizards, 200 Fourth-Circle wizards, and several Fifth-Circle wizards that direct them all . ”
“… What about the knights?”
“None . ”
“Are there no archers?”
“They think they can do everything with their magic . That’s what all wizards here think . ”
It was as it had been recorded in the history books . Surely, they had the skills to justify such confidence .
But that was it . There was no problem if that was all they had .
“Why are you smiling?”
Kei questioned Desir who had been smiling to himself .
“Oh, I’m sorry . Things seem to be going easier than I thought . ”
“This is easy?”
“Yes . No matter how confident they are in their skills, it is just too absurd . ”
Desir snorted quietly .
“I’d rather show you than tell you . ”
Chapter brought to you by the Patrons .
???: …
ED2: Purplemen101
TLC: N/A (this could be you!)
QC: Dr Lock