Chapter 197 - Harassment Units

After receiving the mission, I was surprised that Leif had been asked to create his own team. I was afraid that forming a team from scratch could cause issues on this kind of mission, only to learn that Leif had been hiding his progress from me.

He was one of the top-performing students who had come here with House Petrae’s contingent. He was already considered one of the leaders among those students, and they were the ones he would be taking with him on the mission.

After cursing and berating him a little for not sharing the fact that he was a top performer, we both made our way to the training yard to continue our usual duties.

At night, I joined my squad around the campfire. While Leif and I had tried to find a way to leave the town unnoticed while using as little mana as possible, we had failed to come up with anything that had a high chance of success.

The best plan we had was to climb down the wall late at night using a rope.

But before taking that plan to the Captain, I thought I should ask the experts in sneaking, and my squad was full of them.

So, with my whole squad present, I threw my question out in the open.

“Let me ask you all this. If there were no domain and you wanted to escape the town right now, how would you do it with Frosthallow outside, ready to hunt down any soldier?”

Without thinking, I turned to Barry.

“Well, for me, escaping is very easy now. At night, I could almost walk straight through the gate, and hardly anyone would notice me.”

I gave Barry a deadpan look.

Since his breakthrough to Tier-3, he had gained a lot of unnecessary confidence. Now he tried to sneak up on everyone all the time. Thankfully, my skill [Perceptive Instinct (UC)] was not purely mana-based but was also based on intent, allowing me to catch him most of the time.

“I am asking how more than one person could escape,” I said.

“Hmm, then the river can be used. It will be tough with Frosthallow completely surrounding the town, but with the right timing and location, it can be done,” Barry replied.

That was something Leif and I had considered.

The problem was that the river flowed from east to west, and while the water was still moving, five steel-barred gates blocked anyone from entering or exiting. There were also detection runes that would alert the defenders if something or someone tried to pass through.

It was possible to open the gates and sneak out, but doing so increased the risk of alerting enemy patrols.

Silas chimed in from the side. “If possible, I would try to create a distraction or take advantage of one. The best time to escape is when everyone is engaged in battle.”

The biggest weakness of Silas’s idea was that it required Frosthallow to attack us first. If they were already attacking the town, there would be no need for us to go out and provoke the enemy.

As I was mulling over ways to sneak out, an unexpected voice interrupted my thoughts.

“I use sewage,” Garran said.

It was just three words, but Barry’s face lit up.

“Giant is right! I can’t believe I did not think of that. Sewage is the best way to sneak into and out of a town, no matter the town or city. I usually avoid it because of the smell, but it works when all the doors are closed.”

I gave Barry a questioning look.

“How would you do that? Do they not have bars or something to stop people from entering that way?”

“Sure, they do,” Barry said. “I do not know this town, but slum delvers or smugglers usually create exits for obvious reasons. And even if there is no hidden exit, sewage channels have gaps in their bars. After digging around them a little, people like you and me should be able to squeeze through after removing our armor. The giants here might not be able to do it.”

Barry looked at Garran, Varric, and Kael.

“I can bend bars,” Garran replied confidently, as if he had already done it.

I stopped myself from dwelling on that and focused on their idea.

Sewage sounded reasonable. Moreover, because of the smell, patrols would unconsciously avoid those areas, giving us the perfect opportunity to sneak out. Another hurdle would be convincing nobles to cross a canal filled with sewage.

Lastly, the most important consideration would be the location we had to attack. The largest canal carrying sewage ran close to the main stream, which was located west of the town. If the Captain wanted us to go too far from the canal’s exit, then using it would not make sense.

As more militia members started joining the campfire, I made my exit to survey the sewage canal.

As soon as I approached it, the heavy smell of rotten food and meat hit me.

It was a canal that diverted part of the river flowing through the town, with smaller channels dumping sewage into it.

I approached the tunnel that carried the sewage outside the town, passing beneath the wall. The design of the tunnel was a little different from what Barry had described. Three thick stone grates divided the tunnel, each carved with openings large enough for sewage and floodwater to pass through but too narrow for a person.

Even so, if an earth mage removed some stone and widened the openings along the outer edges of the tunnel, people like Barry and me could squeeze through.

Leif might be able to create an opening large enough for Varric to fit through while using only a small amount of mana.

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That brought me to the question of who would make the best team for this mission.

Barry was an obvious choice. With his Tier-3 breakthrough, he could be a menace out there.

Next were Peter and Silas. Both of them were agile enough to pull off this mission. Peter, especially, might prove to be the best support in the chaos outside.

As for the rest of my squad, none of them were exactly suited for this mission. Kael, Varric, and Garran were giants and easy to spot, so taking all three of them was out of the question.

But taking only Varric would not be that bad. While his size was a problem, his destructive power was a great asset, and if needed, he could easily go toe-to-toe with Tier-3 elites from Frosthallow.

After selecting Varric, his teammates, Rokan and Daren, were obvious choices. All three of them had developed great coordination over the past year and a half, and since all three used hammers, their destructive power was high.

That meant Kael, Garran, Oren, and Brakk would remain behind in the town, which was, in a way, ideal. Garran, Oren, and Brakk were the main frontline defenders of my squad, while Varric’s team served as the main attack force. Garran’s team was perfect for defending the wall, and Kael was capable enough to command them alongside the militia if the need arose.

Day 44

On the night before the domain was supposed to be removed, Leif and I received an emergency meeting notice from the Captain containing the meeting location. Dropping everything, we made our way to one of the warehouses in the commoner district, close to the slums.

As soon as I entered the warehouse, I was shocked.

There were already fourteen people present. Six of them were either Tier-2 or Tier-3. Five held the rank of sergeant, while the sixth wore a student uniform like Leif’s. All of them were standing near Captain Petrae in front of a table.

But that was not what surprised me.

What surprised me was the presence of eight Tier-4s.

Peter’s father was present, as were Captain Petrae, the three senior lieutenants—Caeso, Torquatus, and Scaevola—and three other Tier-4s. Two of those three were lieutenants serving under Captain Petrae, while the last one, I assumed, was Captain Roscoe’s bodyguard, as he wore the Roscoe symbol and stood close to Captain Roscoe.

Finally, I felt a sense of security.

For the last five days, I had avoided thinking about it, but I had been afraid that if we entered enemy lines, there was a good chance we would be killed by a Tier-4 within a minute of them detecting our presence, and we might not even know what had killed us. Now, the presence of these Tier-4s gave us a much-needed sense of security.

Leif and I joined the others in front of the table.

Captain Petrae spread his mana around the room. Then, looking at all of us, he began.

“I was going to hold this meeting tomorrow after the domain was lifted, but after some discussion with my advisors, it was decided that we should hold it tonight so that you would have enough time to understand the situation. By now, all of you should already understand the importance of this assignment and this meeting."

“Currently, we have no information about the events taking place outside this town, so we will plan for all situations."

“The best-case scenario for us would be for them to attack as soon as the Tier-5 domain is retracted. We are prepared and rested, while they would be attacking with their strongest fighter out of commission. But that would not be ideal for them."

“That does not mean there will be no attacks. They will start testing our defenses from the first day. If our defenses or walls fail, it will put them in a highly advantageous position, as their need for high-level fighters will be drastically reduced."

“Now, if that happens, there will be no special mission for your squads.”

Pausing to let his words settle, the Captain continued.

“But if we are able to hold for a few days—which is the most likely outcome if my analysis of both armies’ strength is correct—then these missions and your squads will become necessary."

“if you are wondering why all of you were selected for this mission, a major reason is your loyalty to Avalon. We have observed you for the last forty-four days, and I have complete trust in your loyalty to Avalon. The second factor was individual combat ability. Every one of you has demonstrated the ability to survive or escape against multiple Tier-3 opponents.”

The Captain took a deep breath.

“Now, have any of you found a way to sneak out of this town while using as little mana as possible?”

The Captain’s question started a conversation among everyone present. Most of the proposals were similar to what Leif and I had already discussed, from sneaking out using the river to climbing down the wall at night. Some even suggested sneaking out through the town gate, but only if both armies were already engaged in battle.

I hesitated a little before putting forward my plan.

While I liked it, I was sure the people in front of me would hate it. There were eight Tier-4 nobles present, and the other sergeants also looked like they came from prominent backgrounds.

But after several minutes of thought, I finally decided to speak.

“Ahem, I think we can use sewage.”

As soon as I said those words, frowns appeared on the faces of all the sergeants present. There was more than a little disgust in their expressions.

Ignoring their looks, I continued.

“I checked the sewage tunnel that carries the town’s waste outside. The tunnel is divided by thick stone grates that stop people and beasts from entering the town, but an earth mage should be able to manipulate them using very little mana.

“We will have to carry our armor instead of wearing it, and we will also need extra clothes to replace the smelly ones afterward. But I believe the area near the sewage canal could provide us with the best exit, since patrols might unconsciously avoid that area.”

After putting forward my exit strategy, I looked at Captain Petrae for confirmation.

“Sergeant Edward is right about the sewage tunnel’s design,” Captain Roscoe said from behind us. “Moreover, the canal merges with the main stream again two hundred meters outside the wall. In that section, the water is low enough for soldiers to use the canal walls as cover.”

Captain Petrae nodded. “This method is feasible. If we create a distraction by attacking the enemy elsewhere, the chances of success will be high.”

“Sir...” the student present began to say something but stopped, hesitating.

Captain Petrae looked at him, silently asking him to complete his sentence.

“Is sewage the only option?” he asked, the disgust clear in his tone.

“Student Rufus, it is that or death,” Captain Petrae said, cutting off any chance of further discussion.

Then, looking at everyone present, the Captain continued.

“Now that we have an exit route, I will answer a question you might already have: Why are almost all the powerhouses of the town present in one place? The answer is this: your eight teams will function independently. Each team will report to a specific Tier-4 commander. Your commander will contact you and provide missions, specific details, and objectives whenever the time is right.

“These commanders will be responsible for monitoring your activities outside the wall, but they will help your group only if you attract the attention of a Tier-4 enemy. Enemies below that level are your responsibility. They will not intervene even if you die; you are out there to harass the enemy, not fight to the death. Retreat whenever you feel it is necessary, using the route Sergeant Edward suggested.”

I could see what the Captain was planning.

He wanted to use these eight teams as harassment units to cause enough damage that they would attract the attention of Tier-4 enemies. It looked like the true primary objective of these missions was to give our own Tier-4s a chance to eliminate some of the enemy’s powerhouses.

“Student Leif, your unit is one of the most powerful, with the highest number of earth mages. Good job. You will report to me.”

“Student Rufus, you also did a good job selecting your unit. Once again, it is a mage-heavy unit. You will report to Captain Roscoe.”

“Sergeant Edward, your unit is one of the fastest, and it has a Tier-3 assassin-type member. You have the best chance of covering the most ground. You will be assigned to Torquatus.”

I was happy with the assignment. It looked like the Captain had matched each unit’s composition with the right Tier-4 commander.

From what I knew, Senior Lieutenant Torquatus was an exceptional sensor. He should be able to track us deep inside enemy territory without much difficulty.

The Captain continued introducing the units and their respective commanders.

Once the assignments were complete, the meeting was dismissed. Leif and I were the last ones to leave the warehouse.

“So you included Lela?” I asked Leif with a suggestive grin.

“Yeah,” he replied with a smile.