Forrest stated that the location for the meeting was a closed garbage incinerator located on the outskirts of District W.
He explained that this facility was an ambitious public project initiated by a councilor in the district.
The councilor's plan was to improve the district's financial situation by disposing of not only the garbage within District W but also garbage from other districts.
According to Forrest, the construction of the incineration plant was in line with the plan and helped to secure the budget in the early days.
However, shortly after its operation began, the huge fumes and odors generated during the incineration process caused significant inconvenience to nearby residents, leading to protests and calls to close the facility.
The councilor who invested a significant amount of money and received advance payments from other districts tried to keep the incinerator open.
However, as residents learned that smoke from the incinerator could make them sick, their resistance grew more violent.
A war broke out between the city councilors and local residents, with residents attacking the incinerator workers and being taken to hospitals.
The city councilors did not back down either and secretly hired police as well as Pinkman to suppress the protestors.
The series of events surrounding the incinerator were tumultuous and well-known throughout the city of Landa.
The negative impact on the real estate market and image of District W led to a significant decline and greatly contributed to the current state of the area being a slum.
By the time the incinerator was eventually reopened, following the suppression of protests, a new competitor in the form of the Magic Tower's Spatial School of Magic had entered the garbage disposal industry, making it difficult for the incinerator to recover and it was eventually closed without recouping the original investment in its construction.
As a result, the incinerator failed to serve its intended purpose and became nothing more than a symbol of the failures of District W.
“Is the person named Willes in a place like this?”
Oliver, who came with Joe, Sam, and Owen, asked Arthur.
Behind Arthur were the people he had seen before, including silk-hatted women armed with magic guns, men with machine arms and goggles, and men armed with exoskeleton gloves, all of whom seemed well-prepared for whatever lay ahead.
“Yeah. I heard from a reliable source that the director of this district's Crime Firm assisted.”
Oliver was reminded of what Murphy had told him.
Murphy had explained that the Directors of Crime Firms are the co-leaders of the Landa branch of the crime organization, and there is one Director for every one or two districts.
They are considered to be powerful figures in the underworld, and their influence extends throughout the United Kingdom.
"I don't understand, why is a Director of Crime Firm helping the remnants of the Kell Liberation Army?”
"Rebels."
"What?"
"I've felt this for a long time, but ‘Liberation Army' that’s a bullsh*t. ‘Rebel' is the correct term," Arthur, a former soldier of the Empire, corrected the terminology.
It wasn't really that weird either.
After all, he was also a soldier who fought for the British Empire.
Rather, it could be said to be natural.
Oliver asked after correcting.
"Why is the Director of Crime Firm helping the remnants of the Kell rebels?”
"Well, there's a rumor that the Director was from Northland," Arthur replied.
"Northland?"
"Yes, many Northlanders leave their poor hometowns to come down south. The Director's main business here is trafficking with Northland, which mainly deals with quality illegal portations, scrolls, and black magic items. Moreover, he rose up to that position with that business."
"…are you saying that the Kell rebels and Crime Firm had a dealing in business?”
"Well, I don't know the details. However, it is not impossible. The Kell rebels also need a trading partner to secure funds, and there are always people who want to get a good product even with a little risk,” Arthur explained.
Oliver nodded with a slight conviction.
That was exactly how the city operates- for strength and profit.
"Then, is there any chance there will be help from Crime Firm?" Oliver asked.
"That's impossible. According to our broker's investigation, it was confirmed that the Director decided to provide only a space to hide due to the situation and to leave the other parts. If you're caught helping the rebels, he'll be arrested under treason laws. It can't be solved with a bribe or two. There will never be any outside intervention. That's right, isn’t it McBore?"
Arthur replied, turning to his colleague with mechanical arms and goggles.
"I think so, there are only about 40 people in the incinerator, and there are no other people around except those believed to be beggars,"
McBore confirmed, looking around with a telescope-like machine on top of his goggles.
With about 40 people, it seemed like a enough number to try.
Arthur's men were twelve, all armed with the latest equipment with the support of the city, and Oliver's group was worth it.
Of course, the Kell rebels might not be easy, but it seemed worth a try.
Oliver asked Arthur a question.
"Can I ask you what your plans are? As far as I know, Arthur is in charge of the field position."
"That's right. Thank you for accepting it willingly,” Arthur replied.
"No, I'm not good at leading, so it's okay. What's your strategy?" Oliver asked.
Arthur immediately pointed to McBore with goggles and mechanical arms.
He took four bird-like clay models from his bag. It appeared to be golems controlled by mana.
"McBore will stir the inside first with that golem. It's nothing, just throwing a few grenades and shooting. But it's enough to distract them," Arthur explained. Oliver nodded.
"Then, Richard and I will be at the forefront and enter at once. Then, Dave, you can sweep it with strong firepower."
Arthur's plan was simple but effective: McBore would use the golem to create a distraction, then Oliver and Richard would enter and Dave would provide support with heavy firepower.
"And then we fight separately. Is there a problem?" Arthur asked.
Oliver saw Joe and his party. They, too, nodded in full conviction
"…none."
"All right, let's get started."
⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩
The operation began with Arthur's declaration.
As Arthur said, McBore was the first to move. Wearing machine arms and goggles, he flew four bird-golems.
The bird-golems flew under mana power, went down the middle of the incinerator, and soon the sound of a bomb exploding was heard.
"All right! All the close combatants, including Richard, charge formation!" Arthur shouted.
Richard, who wore exoskeleton gloves at Arthur's call, took the lead by pulling a shield and a huge knife, and close combatants wearing iron armor capes were in a V-shaped formation.
Starting with exoskeleton gloves, the mana contained in the steel cape slowly moved, and blue mana particles gathered together to develop a translucent mana shield.
This shield would protect them from anything except artillery shells or equivalent firepower magic.
"Dave," Arthur called out to Oliver.
Oliver nodded and joined Joe and the others right behind the vanguard, with the rest of the ranged support following behind.
Arthur shouted as the formation was in place.
"Well, let's get to work, friends!"
Richard, wearing exoskeleton gloves, rushed forward as he increased the output of the gloves.
He ran forward with a mechanical sound, and the rest of the manpower followed him.
Upon entering the incinerator, machines that became lumps of scrap metal or piles of illegally dumped garbage blocked the way, but Richard swung a huge knife close to a blunt weapon and destroyed obstacles as well as walls and went straight ahead.
Boom! Boom! Pa-ba-bump!
As they rushed through the obstacles, soon they encountered the remnants of the Kell Liberation Army.
They looked confused because of the sudden intrusion of the bird-golem, but when they saw Richard breaking through the wall, they were taken aback.
"INTRUDERS!"
The enemies quickly turned their guns toward Richard and his team.
"Deploy the shield!"
Richard and other close combatants immediately increased the output of their equipment to increase the strength and range of the shield.
"Dave!"
"Yes."
At the same time, Oliver strengthened the Warlock's vision.
As the world became dark, the general human vision became blurred, and instead, emotions began to be clearly visible.
Not only the emotions of those who are in front of him, but those who are over the wall or far away could be seen.
‘Um, they're preparing something,' Oliver thought.
Oliver cast a targeting spell on the enemies, then created a black dart with one hand containing Las Bomb and threw it in the air.
The black emotional mass turned into a myriad of blades in the air and flew towards each target in a deformed curve.
A small explosion occurred as soon as the sharp sound of cutting the wind hit the target.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A small but accurate explosion.
Numerous screams rang out, and the enemies were thrown into confusion.
When the shot stopped for a moment, Arthur stretched his Golem arm forward at the timing.
The large amount of mana flowing inside the golem prosthetic arm rapidly increased, condensed into one point, and was fired as it was.
The mana-powered laser flew in a straight line and caused extensive damage to the surrounding area.
At the same time, the shield disappeared, and Richard and other close combat personnel, and Joe's party charged as they were and began to engage in close combat with the enemies.
Richard pushed in with his colleagues and swung a huge sword to cut the enemies in two, and Joe and the others teamed up to defeat the enemies.
Sam supported with a pair of pistols, and Owen broke down obstacles and enemies with an iron club, but Joe's performance was the most prominent.
After endowing his body with black magic that increases agility, he put on the black armor that Oliver taught him in his fists and crushed his enemies with only his fists.
His punches now had the power to make the disease-type warlock who he fought in the sewer in inflated state to smash into the wall.
Boom! Kwagwang!
At the astonishing scene, not only Sam and Owen, but also Arthur's side stopped for a moment and looked surprised.
"Oh, that's great.”
Arthur, who blew a Golem prosthetic hand to smash the enemy and unleashed flames with his opposite hand, said with sincere admiration.
"To be honest, I just thought you as plus one, but you’re quite good. Thanks to you, the job is much easier."
It was true. Not only Joe's party, but Arthur's close combatants were pushing their own way to crush the Kell Liberation Army.
The long-distance combatants, including the silk hat woman, climbed up each building and took advantage of it.
While keeping enemies in check with general firearms, they dealt serious blows to enemies by attacking with heavy firearms such as magic guns.
They were pushing it unilaterally, at least on the surface.
"It doesn't seem like the enemy has given up either,"
Oliver said, looking at the emotional state of the enemies.
It was true that they were confused and afraid, but they didn't seem to give up at all.
Rather, they were waiting for something.
Arthur also nodded in agreement.
"That's right. They’re being pushed back, but they doesn't break down. They’re trying to drag on somehow. Willes is an excellent wizard, so he might be preparing for something. You don't know what a skilled mage will do if you give him a little time”
It was then, the communication device in Arthur's front pocket rang out.
[Ah, Leader]
Arthur replied, pressing the communications device.
"Yes, McBore. What's going on?"
[Quickly stop the rebels in the incinerator room]
"Well, I know. I know. I'm pushing them."
[Push faster. They’re going to start the incinerator.]
"The incinerator?"
[Yeah, doesn't Willes belong to the Agni School of the Magic Tower’s School of Element Magic? Absorbing the firepower of the incinerator would be a headache.]
Oliver remembered what he read in the document provided by Forrest.
The Agni school of magic, one of the sub-schools belonging to the School of Element Magic and was said to be a school that specializes in fire magic.
Although it seems somewhat weakened now, it was nevertheless a school with an old and strong tradition of engaging in various activities in both war and industry.
Arthur shouted in bewilderment.
"Does that make sense?! This incinerator has been closed for more than 10 years, right?”
[How would I know? What I checked is that the machine is working now. Now………. Ughh, they got the last Golem too. Sorry, there's nothing more I can do.]
"FU*K!"
Arthur was truly irked.
Oliver comprehended the situation; if they activated the incinerator and harnessed its power, it would be a problem.
The versatility of magic was limitless, as long as one knows how to utilize the surrounding environment.
Oliver, who grasped the situation, said.
"It'll be dangerous if we keep going like this".
"That's right! There's nothing we can do about it. We have no choice but to go inside quickly, even if it's too much."
"Um, I'll go inside first and stop them, Mr. Arthur… bring everyone as soon as possible."
"What?"
Instead of responding to Arthur, Oliver put on [Black suit] and began casting black magic.
The black energy around his body thickened and he began to channel high levels of power.
Perhaps because of the improvement in the structure of [Black suit] inspired by teaching Joe, the efficiency seemed to be much better than before.
‘Hold the main line with thick threads and connect the surroundings with dense threads to secure flexibility… I should write it down.’
Focusing the energy in his legs, Oliver leapt forward.
He easily scaled the wall and entered the second floor of the building.
Dodging the attacks of several enemies, he quickly made his way to the center of the incinerator operation device.
Once inside, he found a dozen people preparing to activate the machine.
Though Oliver was not familiar with the device, it appeared that part of the abandoned incinerator had been reactivated.
To be honest, he had never met a fire Wizard, so he wondered what he would do, but Oliver decided to put work first.
After extracting the emotion, he chanted.
[Black dart]
(To be Continued)
OR
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