บท 153: Gajhin
"Monsters? How many?"
Captain Melina Toz Yarzen put her helmet on and tucked her black hair as she sat behind her desk and looked at her subordinate.
As a workaholic, Melina always looked slightly tired, her complexion a bit pale, her lips dry, and her eyes slightly downcast. She stared at the soldier in front of her, who responded,
"There are not a lot for now, Captain. I sent a squadron of 10 to eliminate the threats. However, some villagers claim seeing an ogre. If that's true, it might be safer to mobilize more forces.
"An ogre? So close to the village?"
The soldier retrieved a smelly and bloodied cloth, which wrapped around something putrid and disgusting. He carefully put it on the desk and spread the cloth.
"This is one of three Gajhin Orc livers found at the edges of the village. They were spread 100 meters from each other. Although they were outside the wooden wall, they were still close enough to draw the monsters and possibly the ogre, consequently leading to minor skirmishes."
"An orc's liver?" Melina frowned as she didn't understand the soldier's meaning.
Upon noticing her confusion, the man, who had a grizzly black-beard and a stoic face, cleared his throat and explained,
"The livers of Gajhin Orcs are known to attract monsters. It is considered a luxurious delicacy for nobles… though even for monsters, it is still an enticing treat. The ogres are no exception."
"So you're telling me someone is instigating these monster attacks?"
The soldier didn't respond to her rhetorical question, he just stood there with his hands behind his back and waited for her to sort her thoughts.
Melina was much younger than he was, but he kept his loyalty and obeyed her orders. The captain might lack a bit of experience, but she was strong and determined to carry her duties to perfection, making her a much better candidate to follow than the corrupt Captain of the 1st Sky Battalion.
"An investigation has been launched, but the perpetrator left no evidence whatsoever. To begin with, it isn't easy to procure the liver of a Gajhin Orc as one needed to kill it first. None of the merchants in the Sky Wall Fortress sell it, so whoever is behind this travelled far West and killed the Gajhin Orcs living in the swamp. Even the finest hunters in the village can't take on an Orc, so it is highly likely that we're dealing with an unknown outsider. A dangerous person."
Melina attentively listened to Samuel Nelinger with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Her exhaustion vanished and a sense of unease dwelled within her, making her feel extremely anxious.
The Global Line was a strategic region, well-defended from enemy forces, but that only included humans. This region was as infested with beasts and monsters as other places.
Admittedly, the Skywall Fortress was impenetrable, but its surrounding settlements were vulnerable. Excluding the clear and safe-guarded Southern roads, the East, North, and West were all filled with all types of monsters, most specifically orcs and several ogres.
The Gajhin Orcs might not be as numerous or as strong as the ones found in the Frostrune Duchy, but they were still Orcs. Gifted with tenacious and large bodies, and an not an insignificant resistance to Magic, thus making them a genuine threat.
Alas, despite her continuous requests, the Castellan refused to let Melina take the 2nd Battalion and attack the orcs. He didn't even give a logical reason, instead telling her to focus on defending the vicinities of the fortress and leave other matters to him. Melina started to suspect that the Castellan actually wanted monsters to regularly attack, or at least needed somesort of threat to be present.
After an inordinate amount of time passed, the captain heaved a sigh and covered the nauseating and big liver at the edge of her desk.
"From the killings to this…" She paused for a couple of breaths before coldly saying, "Increase the number of patrols and instruct them to start heading farther West to make sure no orcs or ogre are approaching. We might have the numbers, but a coordinated attack from the monsters would lead to untold casualties. Our duty is to protect the villagers."
"Yes, captain."
Samuel saluted and exited the office thereafter.
West of the Skywall Fortress, closer to the coastline, there laid a lush region of trees and a couple of valleys; Gajhin Forest, named after its notorious inhabitants, the orcs.
Approximately 15 kilometers West of the fort, Arthur, disguised as Richard, was using a knife to dissect the orc's bulging stomach and pull out the liver.
Thanks to the skills he received from Latif, the entire process, albeit disgusting, was very easy.
In total, there were three orc corpses around him, all had their necks snapped to the side. They were killed swiftly and without the ability to resist, though they weren't dangerous to the parasite to begin with.
They had impressive brute force, but they were weaker than regular knights, thus making them easy to subjugate or outright eliminate.
After pulling three heavy and bloodied livers, Arthur looked around before dissolving into a mist that soon rose upwards and glided above the trees.
In fact, Arthur was pleased that some of the trivial information he had read in miscellaneous books aided him in this entire matter.
Orcs livers attracted all sorts of monsters, so it lessened the trouble of causing some disturbance close to the village.
Whether it was wolves, wild boards, or even small tribes of weak goblins, they all smelled the strong scent of the liver and rushed towards it like crazed beasts.
Of course, Arthur didn't forget to possess all his targets and gain even more stats as well as some new skills, all of which were good but practically useless in a human-type host.
The only monsters he avoided were the ogres: Tall orc-like fiends, dumb as a brick but outrageously strong. They had an insane resistance to Magic and couldn't be killed easily.
Admittedly, the parasite knew he could kill them if he tried hard enough, but it wasn't worth the effort and time. He wasn't particularly power-hungry to chase after enticing targets while ignoring the more imminent complications, such as the need to finalise his plans and set things in motion.
After acquiring a total of 10 Gajhin Orc Livers, Arthur returned to the vicinity of the village, the silhouette of the sky-piercing structure covering the entirety of the Eastern horizon.
He hid the livers in inconspicuous places and even spilled some blood around them before retreating to the shadows. He knew that they would be discovered, but that wasn't the point. What he needed to do was pressure the 2nd Sky Battalion and incite a bit of chaos as that would distract almost everyone, including the Castellan.
During his soon-to-happen breakout, the soldiers of the Skywall Fortress must not enter the Penitentiary and help the guards. Of course, it was unreasonable for his plans to force them all to leave and start defending. Nevertheless, the more soldiers dispatched outside, the better it would be.
'Around the fort, I saw at least 1 to 2 thousand soldiers and knights. Cavalry and even dozens of mages. That would be the 1st Sky Battalion, in charge of solely protecting the fort itself. But, Captain's Melina's troops are mostly guarding the Southern roads and spread all over, which leaves her with little to no manpower to actually defend against a horde of monsters that include ogres. She will need reinforcements from within the walls.'
After planting the livers, Arthur dug a couple of holes much closer to the village and buried not a small number of Blood Crystals, specifically those which had been changed due to his blood.
Upon contact with Mana, they would automatically detonate, causing untold destruction.
Some of the soldiers were able to wield Magic, and in their attempt to defend against the monsters, they would trigger the Blood Crystals. As a result, they would suffer more losses, and if things proceed well, their defences would eventually be breached.
It could also go a different way and the monsters would be eradicated with one coordinated swoop. It all depended on Captain Melina's judgment and tactics.
Even while knowing that there was going to be a big number of casualties, Arthur didn't feel guilty. He was the bad guy and that was it: Sometimes he would do things perceived as good, and sometimes it would be the opposite. He would stop at nothing to successfully rescue Christopher.
Perhaps his conversation with Nader changed him a bit and he started to think less of humans. Just like they thought nothing of parasites and killed them all, he wouldn't have any sympathy for them either.
Selene sat in her carriage, staring at the red-haired gentleman facing her. He gave her an amicable smile as he repeated himself.
"You heard me correctly, my lady. You must be the one to deactivate the formations. You're the only one who could get close to the Warden."
"Absolutely not!" Objected Zenzo as, like usual, he kept glaring daggers at the unwelcome Leonis Sanguis.
"The Anti-Magic Formations are controlled by an artifact in his person. Unless you do this, I cannot act freely."
Selene kept biting on her nails nervously, debating whether to risk it or not. It was true that she could get very close to Bernard Capilla and surprise him, but she wasn't a fighter and, in case of failure, the consequences would be too much for her to handle.
She might be an aristocrat, the daughter of a Duke, but she had no authority whatsoever in the Shadow Keep Penitentiary. It also didn't help much that Castellan didn't have a good relationship with her father.
"Let's suppose I do it… how will you save my darling? A-and what about me?"
As if expecting such a question, Arthur gave an immediate response,
"You have your trusted and strong Knight by your side, do you not? Amidst the chaos, I doubt anyone would suspect you, my lady. The only issue would be Bernard, who you can choose to knock out or kill. He will be the only witness. As for the matter of saving your lover, I will be in charge of that. From beginning to end, you won't be in any real danger."
Arthur's words were nothing but truth, in fact. Selene needed just to deactivate the Anti-Magic formations after stealing the artifact. She didn't even need to be on the 6th floor, everything could be done from Bernard's office.
"You expect us to just believe your words?"
The parasite shrugged his shoulders and rebuked, "After our last meeting, I'm sure you've done a thorough investigation about my identity."
His eyes narrowed as he meaningfully gazed at the young girl, "Therefore, let us forego the pretence. Whether with or without your help, I will begin the operation on the eve of the 29th of the Red Star."
Zenzo furrowed his brows as he realized something, muttering with a low voice,
"The night of the full moon? So you really are a…"
Arthur put his index over his lips as he motioned for the Knight to be quiet.
"If all proceeds well, I will bring your lover to this precise location. Anything that happens after that is not my concern, including any attempt of escape he might try."
Arthur was clearing up everything, but before he could leave the carriage, Selen extended her hand and hesitantly said,
"W-wait… who's the person you want to breakout? We could still assist each other after all of this. I'm sure my father would warmly welcome you in Donkrig."
It wasn't a lie, especially after she had learnt a great deal about Leonis Sanguis, the man behind the Blood Purge. All the criminal activities he had engaged in had happened in the Militant Syndicate.
He was a free man in the Global Azakin Empire, and with his secret identity as a Vampire, he would be considered a great ally to have.
"I'll think about it. We shall meet one more time before D-day. I hope you've decided what to do by then."
With one hand on his chest, he performed a small bow and left the carriage.
Right after, a swirling green mist enveloped him and carried him into the air.
Selene and Zenzo stared at the vanishing mist, one was perplexed and absent-minded while the other was high-alert and suspicious.
"He might be affiliated with one of the Originals, my lady. That man is dangerous!"
"That's more of a reason to go do it!" She lashed out with gritted teeth.
"I don't care what he did in that backwater town. All that matters is what he's capable of and if I can count on him in saving my darling."
Zenzo stared at his lady for a bit before turning his head and maintaining silence. He had no way of convincing someone as stubborn as her.
Furthermore, after he had consulted with the Duke of Donkrig, he was given the green light to act as Selene wished.
The Duke wasn't particularly worried about his daughter, though he had entrusted her with multiple high-grade artifacts, which made her practically unkillable.
The amount of magical jewelry she was wearing was utterly ridiculous.
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