Arc 4 Chapter 22 : Ambush

[Balian POV]

The city of Avelino was the largest port city in the eastern territories of the Republic Venetia. In fact, all of the Republic Venetia's major cities were located along the coast, owing to the nation's deeply rooted maritime culture and thriving trade.

Situated at the center of the continent, the Republic Venetia saw countless ships from foreign nations pass through its waters, carrying trade commodities bound for the western, southern, and eastern lands. The Republic imposed taxes on these merchants, providing a substantial source of revenue for the Venetian treasury.

The Republic's considerable influence was not solely due to its strategic location, but also the exceptional quality of its goods. This made demand for Venetian products among the highest on the continent, second only to those of the Aragon Empire.

Nearly fifty percent of international trade across the continent was dominated by them, making the nation an economic giant and the wealthiest country in the world.

"Hey, hurry up and get those goods into the warehouse! I don't want my wages docked because you're late!"

"Lower it slowly, idiot! Do you have any idea that this crate contains handicrafts you couldn't afford even if you saved your entire lifetime's wages?"

I was currently at the city's harbor to receive a logistical shipment sent from the capital of the Republic of Venetia—Florentia.

The place was quite busy, although not nearly as crowded as the capital's harbor. Ships docked along the piers were constantly unloading their cargo, which was then transferred into warehouses.

After walking through the harbor for a while, I spotted a ship docked at the fourth pier. Its crew was unloading several crates and loading them onto a cart.

"Hey, you're from the Logistics Department, aren't you!?"

One of the crewmen overseeing the unloading called out to me. I assumed he had recognized me from the uniform I was wearing.

"That's right. How is the shipment?" I asked him.

"Where's Vito? Isn't he usually the one who comes here to receive the shipments?" the man asked. "As for the cargo, you can inspect it yourself if you find anything out of order."

"He requested a transfer to the capital. I'm taking over his duties here, handling the receipt and dispatch of goods," I replied as I began taking out a pen and a sheet of paper containing the commodity records.

"Oh, that coward Vito! He must have wanted a transfer to the capital because he's afraid this city will be attacked by the Empire!" the man exclaimed irritably. "He should have faith that our republic will win this war! Where's his patriotism toward his homeland!?"

The man was a former sailor in the Republic of Venetia's navy who had been appointed as the captain of a cargo ship after retiring from military service.

I began inspecting the crates being loaded onto the horse-drawn carts. Each one displayed details regarding its weight, commodity type, official seal from the Ministry of Transportation, and the origin of the goods.

"One ton of wheat, half a ton of vegetables, and one hundred liters of wine."

I checked the crates of commodities that had just been unloaded from the ship.

A soldier required half a kilogram of wheat and one hundred grams of meat each day to maintain enough energy to remain ready for battle.

That meant forty thousand soldiers of the Kingdom of Draconia could consume as much as two hundred tons of wheat and four tons of meat every single day. And that wasn't even accounting for clean drinking water. Everything had to be carefully prepared if one wanted to win a war. Victory could not be achieved by relying solely on muscle and brains.

The total amount of commodities delivered by this ship was one hundred and fifty tons of wheat, twenty tons of vegetables, and five hundred liters of wine. All of it would be transported to the warehouse, ready to be shipped to the forces of the Kingdom of Draconia stationed in the Margraviate of Cataluna.

After inspecting the commodities that had been loaded onto the horse-drawn carts, I returned to the ship's captain to complete the transaction.

"How much does the merchant guild charge for all of these commodities?" I asked him.

"Seven hundred and fifty Gulden," he replied.

I then took out a sheet of paper bearing a stamp and someone's signature before writing down the amount the ship's captain had mentioned.

This was the check system that had been introduced by the President's Daughter several years ago.

Previously, the banks in this country had only offered lending services. However, thanks to a proposal from the President's Daughter—Siena di Reginossa—the banks introduced checks like these to make transactions between merchants and their customers more convenient.

These official checks could later be exchanged at a bank for the payment corresponding to the transaction.

"Very well. Then this transaction is complete," the captain said before returning aboard the ship with the crew under his command.

I then directed the horse-cart drivers to place the goods inside the Military Logistics Department's warehouse. Once I had confirmed that everything had arrived safely, my work would finally be finished after I reported to my superior.

Walking through the Military Logistics building, I made my way to the office of Madam Milessa—my superior in the Military Logistics Department of the Republic of Venetia.

"Ah, Balian. How did it go? Have you finished receiving the shipment?" the woman, who was still in her early thirties, asked.

"I've finished, Madam," I replied. "At present, we have three thousand tons of wheat, four hundred cattle, and two hundred sheep ready to be shipped to the Kingdom of Draconia's forces the day after tomorrow."

"Very well. Your duties for today are complete," Madam Milessa said. "Your colleague, Sera, will be responsible for the shipment tomorrow. You should contact the Merchants' Guild and have them prepare to place another order for wheat to be sent to the Kingdom of Draconia's forces."

"Understood, Madam Milessa."

I left her office and headed toward the most secluded place I could find so that I could deliver a report to my other superior.

After making sure there wasn't a single person nearby, I took out an artifact shaped like a small sphere that could fit in the palm of my hand and activated it.

A dark blue light began to emerge from the artifact.

I then used the blinking lights from the artifact to create a Morse code message, transmitting it to Boss Raul—the superior who had assigned me to spy on the logistical shipments intended for the Kingdom of Draconia.

---

[Scarlett POV]

Two days had passed since we emerged from the tunnel inside the mountain.

After entering the forest, Captain Raul ordered us to establish an operational base here, specifically not far from a river that flowed from the mountains toward the Venetia Strait.

We made beds using hammocks suspended between the trees. In addition, Captain Raul ordered us to set up a perimeter of alarm traps covering an area roughly five hundred meters around the operational base.

He then divided our group into two.

One hundred men would remain behind to establish and maintain the operation, while the other one hundred would follow him across a river located only two to three kilometers from the base.

After traveling east for roughly fifteen minutes, I could hear the sound of rushing water somewhere ahead.

Not long afterward, I saw a river approximately one hundred meters wide, its current flowing quite rapidly.

"Piers, where's the rope I ordered you to bring?" Captain Raul asked, calling out to the short man.

Piers then brought over a very long rope with the help of several people behind him.

It seemed we were going to cross the river by hanging onto this rope.

Captain Raul then approached Tazz, who was holding the rope behind Piers.

"Tazz, you have the strongest physical strength among all of us," Captain Raul said to the large man. "Tie this rope to a rock, then throw the rock to the opposite bank."

Tazz nodded.

He picked up a fairly large rock from the surrounding area and carried it over to a female Earth-element mage who was accompanying us on this operation.

"Can you make a hole in this rock?" Tazz asked the mage.

If I remembered correctly, her name was Estera de Ibena.

"I understand," Estera replied as she placed her palm against the rock. "Gegen Press!"

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Suddenly, a circular hole formed in the stone.

Tazz then tied the rope through the newly created hole.

"Everyone, move away from here," Tazz said as he secured the rope to the rock.

He took a deep breath before beginning to spin his body like a tornado, building up momentum to throw the rock toward the opposite bank.

After spinning for several moments, Tazz finally released the rope attached to the stone.

The rock soared through the air and landed on the opposite bank.

"Good job, Tazz! Now swim across and tie the rope to one of the large trees over there," Captain Raul ordered.

Tazz nodded.

The large man then entered the river and began swimming against its powerful current toward the opposite bank.

"Piers, Joshua, and Eric, tie this end of the rope to one of the large trees on this side," Captain Raul ordered the three members of the Disciplinary Committee.

The three of them then secured the rope around one of the largest trees in the area.

On the opposite bank, Tazz had already reached the shore. He likewise tied the rope he had thrown to the largest tree he could find.

Once everything was ready, Captain Raul ordered us to swim across while holding onto the rope bridge that had been set up, preventing us from being swept away by the river's powerful current.

The first ten men entered the river.

Thirty seconds later, another ten crossed.

Then it was my turn.

Gripping the rope tightly with both hands, I lowered myself into the river.

The powerful current immediately slammed against my lower body. I was certain that if I weren't holding onto this rope, I would already have been swept away by the force of the water.

"Don't let go of the rope, no matter what happens!"

I heard Captain Raul's voice from behind me.

I was already halfway across the river when I suddenly spotted a large piece of driftwood being carried toward us by the current.

"Don't panic! Keep moving forward!"

The rest of us trusted the Captain's words and continued swimming toward the opposite bank without stopping.

The piece of wood was getting closer.

If we didn't do something, it would crash into us with tremendous force.

SPLAATT!!

But suddenly, a whip of water shot out and restrained the massive piece of wood.

"Water magic... Could that be Barney?" I muttered.

Barney was a Potioner in the Disciplinary Committee. He possessed Water Nature Mana, allowing him to use magic to manipulate the water around him.

Once we were safely out of the driftwood's path, Barney deactivated his magic and allowed the piece of wood to continue downstream.

After several minutes, we finally reached the opposite bank.

It took us nearly an hour to cross the river.

Once everyone had made it across, Captain Raul ordered us to rest while listening to his next set of instructions.

"We're going to attack a Caravan carrying logistical supplies that will be traveling along a road somewhere around here," Captain Raul explained. "The convoy will be escorted by roughly three hundred to four hundred soldiers from the Republic of Venetia."

Four hundred soldiers?

That was four times the number of troops Captain Raul had brought with him.

Normally, a Caravan would only be escorted by fifty to one hundred men.

That meant this Caravan was extremely important, and the amount of commodities it carried must also be considerable.

"Twenty people with long-range attacks will strike first, while the remaining eighty will hide in the forest," Captain Raul continued, explaining the attack plan. "The first group should focus on targeting their Musketeers. After that, lure their Infantry into the forest."

Musketeers were a specialized unit belonging to the Republic of Venetia.

Captain Raul had previously explained that these units could fire something from a considerable distance, making them extremely dangerous if they weren't eliminated quickly.

After finalizing our ambush tactics, we resumed our journey through the dense forest.

"Hey, Scarlett. Are you nervous?" Viera asked me.

The female archer would be leading the twenty-person long-range attack group.

Since I could cast fire magic, I had also been assigned to their group.

"Not really," I replied. "I'm just thinking a little about my younger brother—Geralt, who's stationed on the Western Front."

Geralt, along with most of the other third-year students, was there seeking glory after joining the Empire's main army.

"Scarlett, we need to focus on the mission we're carrying out right now," Viera said, smiling gently at me. "If the forty thousand soldiers of the Kingdom of Draconia stationed in the Margraviate of Cataluna are defeated, our unit might be transferred to the Western Front. Then you'll be able to fight alongside your twin."

I nodded at Viera's words.

She was a good companion and always supported every member of the Disciplinary Committee.

After walking for an hour, Captain Raul ordered the entire force to stop and addressed the group that would be carrying out the initial attack.

"About two kilometers in that direction, you'll find a major road that the Caravan will pass through," Captain Raul said, pointing to the side. "Remember, don't retreat too quickly. We need the enemy Infantry to follow you all the way here. Understood?"

"Understood, Captain!"

"Understood, Captain!"

Captain Raul nodded at our responses.

"Very well. Good luck out there. We'll be waiting for you with our enemies."

After receiving Captain Raul's instructions, our group began moving toward our designated positions to prepare for the attack.

---

[Viera POV]

We were currently hiding among the branches of the forest trees, waiting for the Caravan to arrive.

Before us, a large road stretched through the middle of the forest.

Captain Raul had previously appointed me to lead the twenty people with long-range attacks in assaulting the Caravan when it arrived.

To be honest, our group was nothing more than bait meant to lure the hundreds of Infantry escorting the Caravan into the trap.

Of the twenty people in our group, fifteen were archers and five were mages.

Kratakkk... Kratakkk...

Suddenly, I heard the sound of approaching horses in the distance.

A large convoy of horse-drawn carts was slowly making its way toward us.

I signaled Estera—an Earth-element mage—to prepare her spell.

At the same time, I signaled the fifteen archers to begin aiming at their respective targets.

Not long afterward, the Caravan began passing beneath the trees where we were hiding.

I still hadn't given the order to attack.

Sweat trickled from my face down to my neck.

My heart was beating faster than usual as tension built within me at the thought of the battle that awaited us.

"Hey, why is our nation bearing all the logistical burden? Because of this, the price of wheat in Avelino has doubled!"

"You're right. The Kingdom of Draconia should be contributing as well to ease our nation's logistical burden!"

Several soldiers escorting the Caravan could be heard complaining about something.

I paid them no attention.

At that moment, I was waiting for the Musketeer Unit escorting the Caravan to pass by before giving the order to attack.

Less than a minute later, the Musketeers finally approached our position.

"Estera, now!"

I gave the order to our Earth-element mage.

"Earth Wall!"

A wall of earth suddenly rose from the ground, blocking the road and bringing the entire Caravan to a halt.

"What is this!?"

"The road is blocked!"

Everyone in the convoy appeared confused and panicked.

"Attack them now!"

I fired an arrow toward the neck of one of the Musketeers while shouting the order to attack.

"We're under atta—Arrghhhhh!"

The soldier's voice was cut short as the arrow I had fired pierced his neck, sending him collapsing onto the road while clutching his throat with both hands.

Swooshh! Swooshh!

The archers under my command rained arrows down upon the Musketeer Unit.

"Quick! Take cover behind the carts! We're being attacked from the right side of the forest!"

"Are they bandits!?"

The remaining dozen or so Musketeers quickly took cover behind carts loaded with sacks of food, making it difficult for us to shoot them from our current angle.

Suddenly, I saw a flash of light beside me.

Scarlett fired a Fireball toward the carts the Musketeers were using for cover.

Boommbb! Boommbb!

Explosions erupted, sending the hidden Musketeers scattering in every direction.

However, we archers immediately showered them with arrows, killing them on the spot.

"They're in the trees! Hurry and chase those bastards!"

Their Infantry Unit had realized our location.

Several of them began throwing spears toward us, forcing us to stop firing.

"Fall back!"

I ordered everyone to retreat deeper into the forest, leading the hundreds of Infantry toward the place where Captain Raul and the others were waiting.

The archers climbed down from the trees and ran along the ground to escape, while Scarlett, the other mages, and I leaped from tree to tree to put more distance between ourselves and the enemy.

"Chase them!"

"Don't let those bandits escape!"

I glanced over my shoulder and saw the enemy Infantry beginning to pursue the archers running along the ground.

If this continued, they would catch up before we could reach Captain Raul and the others.

Gathering Mana in both hands, I drew my bow and infused the arrow with magic before firing it at the enemy soldiers pursuing us.

"Explosive Arrow!"

My arrow struck one of the enemy soldiers, triggering an explosion that hit the soldiers at the front of the pursuing force.

"Fall back quickly!" I shouted while continuing to fire at our pursuers.

However, no matter how many arrows I fired, the enemy's numbers did not seem to decrease.

Instead, more and more soldiers continued entering the forest.

I resumed my escape, leaping from one tree to another.

We were almost there.

We had to reach the Captain's position quickly.

"Arrrghhhh!"

Hearing a familiar voice scream in pain, I looked back again.

A female archer was lying on the ground, a long spear embedded in her leg.

"No, Ginaaa!!!"

She was my roommate back when we were stationed at the Margraviate of Cataluna barracks.

The enemy soldiers began approaching Gina, who remained on the ground, crying as she clutched her injured leg.

"Don't panic! I won't let them touch you!"

I tried shooting at the approaching enemy soldiers.

But there were simply too many of them. My arrows seemed almost meaningless against their overwhelming numbers.

"Die, you bitch!"

"How dare you attack us!"

They stabbed Gina's body with their sharp swords.

I could hear Gina's cries for help gradually fading away.

Finally, a sword thrust through her head ended her life.

She became the first casualty of the mission we were carrying out.

"Damn it... This is all my fault..."

If only I had thought of a better way for us to escape, she wouldn't have died like this.

I bit my lip, struggling to contain the emotions surging through me.

"Viera! Run! Why are you just standing there!?"

I heard Scarlett's voice calling out to me from behind.

With a heavy heart, I resumed my escape, leaving Gina's corpse behind as the enemies pursuing us tore her body apart.

But our escape was far from easy.

Spears flew toward us from behind, and the enemy soldiers were getting closer and closer.

If no one stopped them, they would catch us.

However, when we spotted a tree marked with a slash in the shape of an X, we all stopped and turned around, firing back at the enemies pursuing us.

"Triple Shoot!"

"Flame Thrower!"

"Earth Barrage!"

Scarlett, Estera, and I unleashed attacks upon the approaching enemies until they were forced to take cover behind the trees.

"Damn mages! Surround them from every direction!"

"Damn mages! Surround them from every direction!"

I heard one of them issue the order.

The enemy forces immediately spread out, encircling us in a circular formation.

The three of us wouldn't be able to fire in every direction at once.

Swooshhh!

A spear flew toward me.

I tried jumping to another tree to evade it, but I was slightly too late.

One of the spears grazed my right arm, making it more difficult for me to use my bow.

"Cut them down!"

Several enemy soldiers began hacking at the tree we were standing on with their swords.

The tree beneath me began to shake violently.

I desperately grabbed onto one of its branches to keep myself from falling.

Clang... Clang... Clang...

Suddenly, several metal canisters fell into the middle of the soldiers surrounding us.

Bombbb!

The canisters exploded, releasing thick clouds of smoke that enveloped the entire area.

"What is this!?"

"I can't see anything!"

The enemy soldiers sounded panicked and confused by what was happening.

"Have they arrived?" I muttered.

Not long afterward, screams of death erupted from among the enemy forces.

Splashes of blood flew through the air.

I could even see someone's head soaring overhead.

"Where did they all come from!?"

"They've received reinforcements!"

As the smoke suddenly dissipated, only half of the soldiers who had been pursuing us remained standing.

The other half lay dead upon the ground, having fallen victim to the surprise attack.

"..."

"..."

They could now see Captain Raul and the remaining eighty soldiers surrounding them from all sides.

There was no escape for the remaining hundreds of soldiers trapped inside the forest.

"Kill them all," Captain Raul ordered coldly. "We will take no prisoners this time."

"Ouuhhh!"

"Ouuhhh!"

The battle erupted.

Although we were outnumbered, our troops possessed superior quality and high morale, while our position gave us a considerable advantage.

As a result, after half an hour of fighting, we finally succeeded in annihilating the soldiers escorting the Republic of Venetia's Caravan.