Chapter 39: Wolf Hunt #1

Chapter 39: Wolf Hunt #1

“Ah, so that’s what happened.”

The adjutant nodded in understanding as I explained the situation.

“Indeed, Estel’s companion wouldn’t be a Vigilante. The Captain trusts you so much.”

“You’ll keep it a secret, right?”

“Of course. We don’t care what happens to those Vigilantes. Rather, we’re relieved that you gave them a taste of their own medicine in our stead.”

Strictly speaking, adventurers killing each other and stealing equipment should be punished.

However, considering the circumstances, our counterattack was close to self-defense.

And the deep-seated animosity between the guards and the Vigilantes was taken into account, so we were not reprimanded.

“However, it would be best to remove the Vigilante emblem from the armor. It could cause misunderstandings like this.”

The adjutant advised.

“Especially in the current atmosphere… Ah, please pretend you didn’t hear that just now.”

“You mean, so we don’t get caught in the crossfire while the guards and Vigilantes are fighting, right?”

“How did you know?”

The adjutant’s mouth dropped open.

“We have our own sources of information. There will likely be a large-scale clash soon.”

“You truly know everything. It’s hard to even make excuses when you know so much. Estel is right.”

The adjutant and the guards had very serious expressions. They were faces of those prepared for a decisive battle.

Garden’s main quest, the Vigilante rebellion, was imminent.

Soon, Garden would be swept by a storm of blood.

“I have something to say about that matter. I want to meet the Guard Captain.”

“The Captain?”

“I think we might be able to help with something.”

The adjutant pondered for a moment and then readily nodded.

The Vigilantes are by no means to be underestimated.

From the guards’ perspective, there’s no reason to refuse our offer to help.

Will the final victor be the guards or the Vigilantes?

The key to that victory rested entirely in my hands.

***

Inside the Guard Barracks.

My request was accepted, and a secret emergency meeting was held.

“You found their secret hideout?”

The Guard Captain’s eyes gleamed.

Building a hideout beneath Garden, hidden from the Empire’s eyes, was in itself evidence of an attempted rebellion.

The Vigilantes had finally crossed the point of no return.

Now, only their extermination remained.

“We can’t just stand by and watch. Tell me the location. We must mobilize all our forces to suppress them immediately.”

“Captain, wait a moment. It’s not as simple as that.”

“Estel, is there a problem?”

“Think about it. If the soldiers rush in, they’ll be discovered immediately. And their hideout is an underground cave with winding, maze-like passages. If they hole up and focus on defense, the guards will inevitably suffer heavy casualties.”

“You’re right. This is tricky…”

The Guard Captain sighed. The adjutant also looked troubled.

In an open field, a straightforward battle would decide the outcome, but the situation was different now.

A terrain where one Vigilante could easily face two or three guards.

The guards’ forces were insufficient to breach a hideout optimized for defense.

The Guard Captain’s worry deepened. The guards seemed to have no clear solution to the situation.

This is where I should offer a clever plan.

“There’s only one answer. A small, covert force must infiltrate. If we secretly penetrate and cause chaos inside, they won’t know what hit them.”

“Is that possible?”

“We have to try.”

I walked over to the large map hanging on the wall.

It was an operational map depicting Garden’s fortress, barracks, and streets.

“They are hiding beneath Garden’s land right now.”

I drew an arrow beneath the Garden frontier.

Then, I drew a large circle and wrote ‘Vigilantes’ inside.

“They are growing stronger in the underground caves. Their trump card is this: the Dwarf Vision Cannon.”

“Cannon? They’ve prepared such a weapon?”

“We have no information about that.”

The meeting room buzzed with murmurs.

The Guard Captain, the adjutant, and the squad leaders all looked visibly flustered.

It was natural.

This information was classified, set up to be absolutely unobtainable by the guards.

It’s natural they wouldn’t know.

If the player doesn’t help, Garden will become a sea of fire under Dawson’s cannon.

Neither guards nor adventurers can survive that fierce barrage.

“There’s no way to bring a weapon like a cannon into Garden… Did they overlook such a large piece of iron at the guard posts?”

“No. The cannon wasn’t brought from outside. They are gathering materials and assembling it underground. Dawson has kidnapped several dwarf artisans and is forcing them to work for him.”

“Kidnapped? Good heavens! I never imagined he’d resort to such tactics. That bastard Dawson…”

The Guard Captain wiped the cold sweat that had formed on his forehead.

Even at this moment, Dawson’s ultimate weapon was being smoothly manufactured underground.

He seemed to be finally realizing that its barrel could be aimed at him at any moment.

I drew a few small cannons on the map over the Vigilante hideout.

Then, I drew an X over them.

“Our party will sabotage Dawson’s plan. He doesn’t know yet that we’ve seen through his scheme. If done well, we might even be able to use the cannon against them.”

“Indeed, if what Estel says is true, we have a chance.”

The adjutant nodded repeatedly. However, the Guard Captain frowned.

“Hmm… It’ll undoubtedly be a dangerous mission. You don’t need to take such risks. If that plan is to be executed, we will select people from our guard force.”

“Thank you for the offer, but it’s fine. Leave it to us. You have your own tasks to attend to.”

“What tasks?”

“Draw their attention from the outside. To make it easier for us to infiltrate. And when chaos erupts inside, that’s when the guards will make their full assault.”

I drew thick dust clouds over the Vigilante hideout.

Cannons and people all mixed together, creating utter chaos.

And then, I moved an arrow labeled ‘Guard’ towards the underground cave.

The operation name: ‘Wolf Hunt’.

If the operation proceeds smoothly, the Vigilantes will be wiped out without resistance by a pincer attack from both inside and outside.

‘This is the most likely successful strategy.’

There is another reason why I proposed this operation.

‘It’s also the strategy with the most lucrative rewards.’

In this operation, the small infiltration team plays a crucial role in determining the success of the mission.

They take on great risks, but their achievements are also significant.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

The Guard Captain still looked hesitant.

“It’s fine. I’m not doing this for free. Make sure to compensate me well when it’s over.”

“Don’t worry about that. If the suppression is successfully completed, I will report your contributions to the higher-ups without omission. If all goes well, you might even receive a medal.”

“Keep the medal, Captain. I need something more practical than those pieces of metal.”

The meeting concluded like that.

The Guard adjutant and squad leaders began to flesh out the plan I had devised.

Troop deployment, formation, order of entry into the hideout, and the signal…

As it was an urgent matter with the house on fire, everyone hurried.

“Let me know when you’re ready.”

The Guard Captain also personally put on his armor and prepared his weapons.

Looking at his face, a faint image from past memories slowly surfaced.

‘Guard Captain, you look familiar.’

I narrowed my eyes and observed the Guard Captain.

Why does that face seem familiar?

‘Ah.’

I suddenly realized.

‘His face is exactly like Yuria’s.’

Around the time I left Lich’s mansion and headed for Garden.

I had discovered the corpse of a young lady in a bandit’s hut.

The name of the unfortunate maiden was Yuria.

In her possession was a letter written with care.

A tragic letter that was never delivered to her brother.

That letter is still safely stored inside my cloak.

‘I couldn’t find Yuria’s brother among all the Garden soldiers. I was looking in the wrong place.’

I belatedly realized my mistake.

Yuria’s brother wasn’t a soldier. He was the Guard Captain.

No wonder I couldn’t find him after searching for so long.

‘It’s fortunate I can deliver it now.’

I reached into my cloak pocket.

I really wanted to deliver this letter.

Leaving aside quests and rewards, I felt I would be at peace if I did.

“Estel, do you have something to tell me?”

The Guard Captain looked at me curiously, as if he had noticed my gaze.

My hand, reaching into my pocket, stopped.

I hesitated for a moment, holding the letter.

‘The timing is bad.’

The letter must be delivered. However, now is not the right time.

At this crucial moment before an important operation, delivering bad news to the Guard Captain would be an unwise decision.

“I have something to tell the Captain.”

“Feel free to speak. I’m always ready to listen to what you have to say.”

“But it’s not something to discuss right now. After the Vigilante suppression is over, I’ll tell you then. Is that okay?”

“It seems to be something important.”

The Guard Captain shrugged.

Despite his thick mustache and beard, that kind face was indeed very similar to his sister’s.

“Let’s do that, Estel. We’ll talk after it’s over.”

“Okay.”

The Guard Captain patted my shoulder and walked past me.

I stood still, gazing blankly at his retreating back.