On the way to the treasure hall, Navelun kept exclaiming as if he were extrely excited, with most of his praises directed towards Secretary.
Isnt he truly remarkable? Handling the situation where his beloved son was kidnapped by rebels with such composure!
Yes.
Not once did he ntion his son. To reclaim this land, in other words, to clearly grasp the strategic objective you ntioned, isnt it? Choosing the nation over his son. Truly an exemplary figure like an incarnation of pragmatism!
Yes.
Ivan nodded without much reaction. And at the sa ti, he thought. Well, from the perspective of a human not indoctrinated in pragmatism, the Secretarys words were quite subtle.
The issue the Secretary raised was simple.
Will you return the remaining half of this mountain range to us?
This was a highly political matter. To the dwarves, it might sound like Deal with the remnants of Abiditas and end the war.
The dwarves, being the involved party, equated remnants of Abiditas with dwarf rebels. But the situation was more complicated than that.
While it was true that the dwarf rebels were being inflated like scarecrows in the clutches of the necromancers, it was not as if the dwarf rebels would suddenly disappear if the necromancers were dealt with.
Both sides were deeply entrenched to the point where reconciliation seed impossible. The terms of surrender were essentially no different from a surrender docunt leading to ones own execution.
The Secretary was aware of this fact. Killing Abiditas wouldnt bring back half of the mountain range, nor would it even enable Ivan to tidy up the remaining dwarf rebels.
His role was limited to the strike team and the rescue team. Frontal assault was not his forte.
The Secretary did not abandon his son.
Therefore, Ivans conclusion was as follows:
He acted in a way that could be perceived by his people as issuing strict orders as a great leader who sacrificed his son for the nation.
It must have been a last resort. At the point where half the nation had turned its back on him, his leadership might already have been in doubt. For the sake of strong charisma, one must be willing to make decisions even if it ans sacrificing ones own child.
Furthermore, asking for assistance from humans also entails political risks. It would be difficult to shed the fra of being a dictator who clung to enemies and massacred the people imdiately after the civil war ends.
So, directly requesting to rescue his son is not possible.
Return the remaining half of this mountain range.
The Secretary implied his ownership of the entire mountain range. Beyond the re pretext of pragmatism, this great dictator was confident in his feudal authority, surpassing.
However, at the sa ti,
Return the remaining half.
He was also a father who acknowledged that his son was his other half.
If it seed he would issue orders to assassinate the remnants of Abiditas and abandon his son, he would have conducted a more efficient investigation.
And he even devised a safety net.
Once the pretextual investigation clears so political implications, it will appear as an order to assassinate the remnants of Abiditas. Surely, it will be written so explicitly in formal requests.
Therefore, if Ivan rescues his son and gives up targeting the enemy leadership, he will attempt to leverage this in diplomacy with Krasilov.
His misjudgnt of the support troops has led to a dilemma in the situation.
Prioritizing the assassination of the leadership also poses problems. Originally, when formally requesting support from Krasilov, the demand was for the rescue of the Secretarys son.
If I had wanted to prevent the war in the first place, I would have requested support from the Northern Command.
If Krasilovs support troops solve everything, what remains for the dwarves is nothing more or less than a vassal state. Even if it ant preparing for such a scenario, they had to strive for the independence of the nation.
Its an extrely intricate and astute political ga.
Enrique.
Yeah?
Huh?!
Navelun looked startled as Enrique suddenly dropped from the ceiling. In this solemn secret passage from the Secretarys palace to the treasure hall, Enrique had clandestinely infiltrated and waited.
Before Navelun could react, Ivan looked at her and spoke.
How much did you hear?
Everything.
Do you understand the situation?
Yes.
Im counting on you.
The mature elder, who had lived for over 100 years, astutely grasped all the circumstances in the brief conversation.
As a long-ti partner, Ivan felt reassured to have such a reliable ally.
The Secretarys desires encompass both the assassination of the necromancers and the rescue of his son.
Both of these objectives are impossible to achieve simultaneously.
If both are not accomplished, the Secretary will attempt to gain the upper hand in formal diplomacy with Krasilov.
Ultimately, this man was prepared to profit from every situation if the end of this civil war was not defeat.
Then, they must make a move.
Being exploited like servants by these moles and even having their wages plundered simply didnt add up.
Ivans statent, Both objectives cannot be achieved simultaneously, was correct, excluding the subject I.
And he wasnt alone in this. Here, there was a veteran who had directly overseen all his tactics, a ntor who had guided him and patrolled alongside him, and a partner who had handled reconnaissance and tactical support from the rear in the hero party.
Ivan alone could serve as a substitute for the annihilation units role as a re strike team.
And the current force with Enrique was no less formidable than the strike team formation that assassinated the Seven Dragon Generals back in the day.
Once the dwarves realized this fact, they should have learned more than just diplomacy on the diplomatic front.
They should rember that the Tarantula and Shadow Blade always lurked at the end of the railway line leading from Frechenkaya to Andgrind.
Which way should we go then, apprentice? Rescue?
No.
Alright, figured as much. Lets do this: Ill handle the rescue, you take care of the assassination.
See you in the Ops room.
Yeah, have a good shopping trip.
Enrique chuckled and lted back into the darkness.
Ignoring the astonished Navelun, Ivan moved on, deep in thought.
Enrique would take on the mission of rescuing the Secretarys son, while he himself would handle the task of cleaning up the remnants of Abiditas.
This division of roles was no different from the ti they had shared in the past.
Soon, very soon. They would depart shortly. Just wait a little longer.
Ivan whispered softly to the necromancers lurking sowhere at the end of the passage as he walked.
***
Andgrind, aning World in ancient Dwarven runes. This word not only signified the dwarves arrogance but also hinted at the richness of this underground realm.
There was no need to venture outside. All minerals, all resources, all territories lay beneath this underground realm.
A vast barrier spanning the northern reaches of the continent, another World extending deep underground, beyond the sky mountains, in itself.
Here, the dwarves had waged wars as long as their history. Sotis with the northern tribes, sotis with the subterranean creatures, and occasionally with external invaders, and finally, conflicts among their own dwarven kin.
This ant one thing. Just as humanitys territory was smaller compared to the world, the dwarf population was clearly inadequate compared to the breadth of the World.
In other words, in this vast expanse and the dark world beneath the ground, there would inevitably be gaps in military strength on the outskirts of dwarven civilization.
Screech Screech!
Not again, damn it.
At relay station 6 of Sector 17, the duty soldier in charge of the communication network with the surrounding three sectors muttered as he put down the receiver.
Due to the solid ground and abundant magic-infused ore veins, all types of communication had to rely on mail couriers or magic-powered communication lines. (Unfortunately, the dwarves stature rendered mail couriers impractical due to their slow walking speed.)
Even the most delicate product of engineering, such as communication lines, could easily break. Just stepping on them with military boots along the road could cause a strand of the communication network to snap.
Therefore, the noise coming from the receiver was just one of those everyday issues.
Hello, can you hear ? This is the relay station, the relay station. Respond, Sector 5.
Static Static.
Sector 5 is down too?
The dwarf, who had been yawning, scratched his beard roughly and grumbled.
There was no tension in the recently solidified front lines, and those corpse lovers in the rear were holed up in their chambers preparing for sothing, so there was hardly any sense of war in this outpost far from the front lines.
It was just another mundane duty as usual, and like all duties, they half-dozed, filled out duty reports every hour, secretly snacked on jerky, and answered duty calls.
But at this point, when reports from each outpost should co in every 10 minutes, there had been no response for the past 30 minutes.
Hello, Sector 4? Can you hear ?
Static
Sector 9. Can you hear ? Respond. This is the relay station.
Static. Buzz
At this point, anxiety suddenly surged. A situation of wireless silence where even one communication line was cut off was unheard of.
Only then did the word war begin to whisper quietly in the dwarfs mind. Although it was an outpost far from the front lines, he was still part of the rebels.
All rebels in this world tend to have paranoid delusions. They knew they would be led to the gallows the mont they were captured as prisoners of war. The mont the threat of war ca to mind, the duty soldier began to press the relay machine anxiously.
Sector 1, Sector 2 Sector 11!! Relay station 16, respond. Sector 15! Sector 19!!
Static, buzz, buzz.
Northwest Command, this is Sector 15, Sector 15 relay station. Respond!
Buzz, buzz.
At this point, it was no longer just a problem with one or two communication lines. It was impossible for all the lines connecting nurous sectors to be severed simultaneously by chance.
It was deliberate sabotage. But would dwarves conduct such sabotage from such a distant rear? That would be impossible even in the days when there were still Earth Movers during warti.
The duty soldier anxiously scratched his beard and surveyed his surroundings with small eyes.
Gulp.
There were a total of five tunnels extending from the relay station as the center. Since one of them led to the rear command post, he scanned the four front tunnels randomly, swallowing nervously.
How long until the next shift arrives? Damn it, if I get through this ti, Ill insist on having two soldiers on duty together next ti. No matter how far back it is, no matter how short-handed the front lines are, this is just too much.
Thud.
At that mont, a distant rumble was heard from one of the tunnels. The duty soldier quickly raised his pistol with a gasp.
Thud!
Who goes there!!
The white magical lamp, which was gradually illuminating the tunnel, suddenly went out with a thud. It was in the direction of Sector 14 The duty soldier licked his dry lips and aid his trembling gun.
Again.
Thud!!
Lights went out in the tunnel opposite.
Thud!!
In another tunnel, and yet another.
Finally, darkness descended over all four tunnels leading to the front sectors.
In a panic, the duty soldier hastily raised the receiver of the relay machine and began pressing the buttons frantically.
Anyone respond! Urgent! Urgent situation!! Requesting backup!!! I repeat, requesting backup!!
The terrified dwarfs scream echoed through the relay station, filling it with a sense of dread. The only response was the silence, mixed with static, reverberating in the aftermath.
As one feeble magical lamp barely pushed back the darkness in front of his nose, a thud was heard from beyond the relay machine.
Can you hear ? Can you hear !! Oh, ancestors. Damn it. Comrades!! This is the relay station. Sector 17 relay station! Requesting backup!!
Where are you located?
Damn it, the location! Is there more than one relay station in Sector 17? Its in Sector 17, Tunnel 6!! Hurry! Urgent situation!!
Understood.
With a thud, the signal was cut off.
The duty soldiers mind seed to co back to life as if by magic. His brain, which had been paralyzed by fear, began to actively capture oxygen with a sense of relief.
He gasped for breath, and suddenly, his brain, finally starting to function rationally, managed to entertain a thought.
Wait a minute. Who is this?
Because he had been randomly pressing the relay machine, he couldnt confirm which sectors response he had received. And even if it was a response from a particular sector, there couldnt be a case where they ignored the communication procedure and jumped straight to the point.
Even if such a case existed, there was no reason to inquire about the location of the relay station.
If, by any chance, he really didnt know the location of the relay station there was no way the conversation would end like this.
Who is it? Who could it be?
Could it be the moderates? Or, perhaps, the demons who breached the outer gate from this direction? Or or.
Dont stay alone at the end of the dark tunnel.
An old adage brushed his mind.
The tarantula is coming.
The whisper, now a superstition after several years, swept through his mind.
The festival the dwarves held upon everyones death largely diluted the fear of the long-standing superstition, now just a nursery rhy to scare children.
For those who rember that ti, those who have experienced battle, it occasionally stirs up that adage.
Clomp, clomp, clomp.
Footsteps were heard from the end of the tunnel.
The dwarf jerkily raised his gun and fired in the direction of the sound.
Bang, bang! Ting The sound of casings rolling, the noise of bullets ricocheting sowhere in the tunnel. In between,
Clomp, clomp, clomp.
The footsteps didnt stop.
Reveal yourself! I demand to know your identity!!
Bang!! Bang! Clack, tick. Tick. Tick.
Even with trembling hands, unable to properly load a bullet, he just aid down the end of the tunnel.
Regular sounds echoed in the ears of the trembling dwarf, like a beating heart, slow and quiet, squeezing the breath out of his lungs.
Clomp, clomp, clomp.
*
Deliver the ssage to Enrique. Successful penetration of Northern Gate 5.
Yes, sir! Successful penetration of Northern Gate 5!!
Quietly.
Yes, sir!!
Silence.
Yes, sir!!!
Glancing at the playful Lucia, Ivan quietly sighed.
Lucia chuckled and soon closed her eyes tightly.
With a flash of magic, crimson veins popped out on her pale white skin.
Vampire link, transmitting vital signals to the ancestors bloodline.
Although complex conversations werent possible, short signals could be transmitted within a certain distance regardless of terrain. Tap, tap, tap. Signals akin to the beating of a heart.
Just as Morse code proved in the early 19th century, transient signal stimulation was an excellent communication tool. Enrique didnt operate an intelligence organization for nothing.
And Lucia, Enriques imdiate successor, half-vampire and half-human, successfully absorbed almost all of Enriques malice. Naturally, her level of skill far surpassed that of other vampires.
If there was a problem, it was her personality. According to Ivans thoughts, she seed like a 200-year-younger Enrique.
Taking away the years from an old woman and leaving just the childishness. In other words, just like a child.
But itll still be a good learning experience.
Among the children of the Hero Party, she was the one who directly received the teachings of the previous Hero Party. It ant she was the most outstanding among the new Hero Party mbers, lacking only practical experience.
A great agent never achieves just one goal in a single operation. Always aiming for beyond the objective, Ivan deeply cherished those teachings.
Even in this operation, as soone who had graduated with excellent grades from the mature education system of the 21st century, he was planning to educate the young students as an educator.
Lucia was enough to assist as a communication soldier from a distant point. Since he could personally provide guidance, practical education was possible.
Whats the response?
Understood. Operation proceeding as planned!
Confird. Move out.
Yes, sir!
Quietly.
Yes, sir!!!
Is she doing this on purpose? Turning around, he found a look that seed to confirm she was indeed doing it on purpose.
Ivan, who spent his childhood during the ti of the student rights ordinance, doesnt resort to violence for discipline.
But he wanted to hit her once. He reflexively reached for his belt, then quietly withdrew his hand from the axe handle. Instead, he sighed.
Every ti he thought that it wouldnt hurt to use a primitive education thod in this primitive pre-modern society.
Suppressing the urge with a determination to maintain dignity as a representative of Earth civilization.
Andrugrund, The Book of Valor, Day 2 of Operation Execution. This happened just after the occupation of the first target point.
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