Vol 4: Chapter 54
** Underground City Operations Headquarters **
The hundredman chief had not returned—the operation was delayed. The marshal couldn’t hide his discomposure.
At the operations headquarters after the light turn-off time, every time there was a noise outdoors, the marshal raised his head. His bangs, which normally hung down in a bunch, were messy today.
「Calm down, marshal. It is indeed worrisome that only the hundredman chief’s team hasn’t returned, but we have already prepared for that possibility, right?」the staff officer said.
While looking anxious, the strategist nodded as well.
「Yeah…」the marshal muttered.
Tomorrow, they will finally defeat Sarume, the head of the Urume family. Having suffered under her dictatorship for many years, it is finally time to put an end to her regime.
The strategy was perfect and ready. The strategist and the staff officer had thoroughly reviewed the plan to make sure there were no holes in it.
The only problem is a monster called the mediator. But it is to be solved with【Insane Blade ★★★★★★】.
Considering what happened to Sumeria, it would be best not to use this skill orb, but if something unexpected happens, there is no choice but to use it. The Hundredman chief would be the person to use it.
That was the plan. At first, the Marshal himself planned to use it, but his subordinates objected, saying his presence is important to lead the Underground city after Sarume’s death.
Therefore, it was decided that the Marshal would hold on to the skill orb, and the Hundredman chief would use it at the right time.
The details of the plan were not briefed to the Hundredman chief. As a military employee, he meets many people in the Sarume faction. So the strategist advised the Marshal saying, “If the Hundredman Chief is unable to contain his discomposure, people will be able to tell something is wrong. So let’s brief him right before the plan is put into motion.”
Perhaps that’s why the other reconnaissance units are back, but not the Hundredman chief’s unit. Perhaps he was thinking that there was still time until the plan, and was not hurrying back.
(But tomorrow is the decisive day.)
The Marshal wanted to plan more thoroughly, but the longer he waited, the more he couldn’t hide the skill orb. Sarume will use her power to investigate the homes of all underground citizens.
Tomorrow, more units will leave the underground city to work outside, so it was the best timing.
「…Hmm? What is that?」
The Marshal seemed to hear a noise from somewhere far away. It sounded like an explosion or a landslide.
It seems that the Marshal did not mishear it, as his subordinates heard it too.
They hurried to the site of the noise. It was an entrance to the underground city that is normally not used. By the time the Marshal and his subordinates arrived, soldiers were already gathered near the entrance and lit it up with magic lamps.
「What happened?!」the Marshal asked.
「M-Marshal. It’s good that you are already here.」
The soldiers were surprised to see him, and saluted.
Among them, he saw one soldier riddled with wounds. The Marshal recognised that he was a member of the Hundredman chief’s unit.
「Hey! Why are you injured!?」the Marshal asked.
「T-That is…」
The soldier explained everything while still in a state of gasping for breath.
His unit was attacked by a flock of birds called the early summer birds.
The unit scattered into smaller groups while returning back to the city, but all other members except himself have died.
And also that the early summer birds did not stop the pursuit even though he was alone, and relentlessly attacked him.
「Such monstrous birds!? What happened to the hundredman chief!?」
「T-The chief led the early summer birds attacking him to the dark elf village…」
「…!? That fool!」
The Marshal was able to read the Hundredman chief’s intentions.
There was no such thing as a natural enemy for the Underground city that had not been invaded by foreign enemies in hundreds of years.
However, skill orbs were discovered recently. And they had to compete with the dark elves for it.
What would happen if the dark elves wanted to find the Underground city?
They are not monsters without intelligence. The dark elves could very well become the natural enemy of the Underground city.
So if the Hundredman chief leads the flock of monsters into their village and causes damage, the Underground city will be safe.
(Hundredman chief, are you looking so far ahead into the future of the Underground city!?)
Even if the coup succeeds and the Marshal takes the lead, the Underground city itself will not survive long if the dark elves exist as an enemy.
It may be that the Hundredman chief chose to sacrifice himself and attack the dark elf village to keep the Underground city safe.
A distant noise echoed at that moment. Early summer birds were probably rampaging outside.
「I’ll go take a look. Attend to this man’s injuries.」the Marshal said.
「M-Marshal!? It’s dangerous!」a worried soldier exclaimed.
「If you can’t see the enemy, you can’t plan a strategy. Isn’t that right, Marshal?」the staff officer said in a matter-of-fact manner.
Leaving the strategist behind, the Marshal took the staff officer and three other soldiers and went up a narrow passage that is normally not used.
There was a rusted iron door at the end of the passage with overgrown mold. It’s an emergency exit that is rarely used, but the Marshal noticed something unusual when he reached the iron door.
It was hot.
It was a stuffy kind of heat.
He could hear the cries of birds from far above — a sound he has never heard before on such a night.
「Can you guys open it?」
「Yes, sir.」
The soldiers headed for the iron door and opened the gate.
「————」
The forest outside was burning.
It was bright like noon due to the flames.
Hot air and embers blew in from the outside. The soldiers covered their faces.
「Did the early summer birds do this?」the Marshal muttered to himself.
The fire had spread over a fairly wide area.
As he was about to step outside the gate,
「Marshal, it’s dangerous!」
The staff officer raised a voice concern, but the Marshal did not stop.
(Why?)
He had a question.
(The early summer birds have scattered flames so widely. So there must be a pretty large horde, yet… they’re nowhere to be seen.)
Although he can still hear cries in the sky, there were no birds around this area.
He had no choice but to confirm it by going outside.
The Marshal went out through the iron door and looked up at the sky.
He saw “it” on the slope of the burning mountain.
「Wh-Wh-Wha…」
Early summer birds are birds clad in flames, he understood.
The sizes of the birds can be discerned even from a far distance. If such monsters attacked in a flock, even the Hundredman chief’s elite team would be helpless.
However–
「What the hell… is that?」
The early summer bird flock was trying to break away and escape.
However, there was a giant who was tall enough to pierce the clouds, grabbing the birds and swallowing them whole.
The Marshal trembled the moment he saw it.
His instincts screamed to not get involved with it.
「…That thing is just imitating a human. It’s actually a lizard.」
A voice came from behind the Marshal.
It was his mortal enemy, Sarume.
