Overwhelming Firepower

In Ironhold, the moon was up high in the sky, most were asleep, but there were rats scurrying about in the city.

”The Iron Duke has sent out a small group of people with a few knights, and even the genius of the Yellow Tower is heading out.”

That was the message that was going around, and most were calling their respective masters using communication orbs. It was quite a sight to see some of them so jumpy at every movement the Iron Duke made.

One of the many who were becoming irritable because of this news was the merchant Edrim. His image through the communication orb was filled with irritation.

”What happened? I told you to capture the son of the Iron Duke, but now you’re calling me because the Iron Duke is sending out knights?! Tell me, how hard is it to capture a kid?! One that is widely known to be sickly!”

”Sir, the mercenaries we hired haven’t reported back. We’re still waiting for an update from them.”

”I did not hire any mercenaries to do your job! Should I perhaps replace you lot with the mercenaries you hired since you think they’re going to do your job for you?” Edrim was sounding more and more impatient.

”I’m deeply sorry, sir.” The head spy bowed his head and did not dare raise it. There were several seconds of silence before Edrim spoke again.

”Fine, then do you know why the Iron Duke deployed a unit out of Ironhold at this time?”

”Sir, based on the equipment most of them were carrying, we think that they are going to harvest monster parts.”

”Harvesting monster parts, but there haven’t been any monster waves, yet, correct?”

”Sir, the last monster wave was several months ago.”

”I smell something big is happening, and I need to get something out of it... Is there anything else to report?”

”Sir, there was someone who came to Ironhold a few hours before the Iron Duke sent out the two knights, a group of soldiers, the yellow tower’s mad genius, and the monster harvesters.”

”An unknown individual?”

When the head spy heard the interest in Edrim’s tone, he knew that if he made a mistake here, that would be the end for him.

”We’re trying our best to see who that individual is, sir! The people we had bribed in the Iron Duke’s estate said they would inform once they knew.”

A smile appeared on Edrim’s rather greasy face.

”Heh, I knew it, even the servants of the Iron Duke can’t go against the power of wealth.”

”Very well, update me if you get more information.”

”Yes, sir,” the head spy bowed again, then cut the communication orb with a trembling hand.

***

In a different place, a very similar conversation was being had.

”So the Iron Duke sent out two of his knights alongside a group of soldiers, and the mad alchemist Robert Duskwell, alongside skilled monster harvesters.” The one speaking through the communication orb was Viscount Cedric Darenthal.

”Yes, my lord.”

”And the person who came before this decision was an unknown individual covered in a cloak bigger than himself?”

”Yes, my lord.”

”... Did anyone see in which direction said individual entered?”

”He entered through the northern gates, my lord.”

Hearing the answer, Cedric closed his eyes in thought.

”...The northern gates, huh?” Cedric muttered, fingers steepled beneath his chin. ”And no record of his name?”

”No, my lord. He entered without issue, but no one caught a name or a sigil. Only the cloak and the short axes at his waist.”

Cedric opened his eyes. ”Axes, you say... Was he Norvaegardian?”

”We... we believe so. His speech was native, and he carried himself like a seasoned mercenary.”

Cedric let out a soft chuckle, though there was no mirth in it. ”A nameless sellsword gets admitted through the northern gate without question, walks into the Iron Duke’s estate, and hours later, two knights, a group of soldiers alongside skilled monster harvesters, including Robert Duskwell, are sent out under moonlight? Something about this is not right.”

Cedric wanted to tell his spies to go and follow the group who left, but he knew that he couldn’t get them too close.

The last time the knights caught a spy, they did a thorough cleansing within the city. It took a lot of time and money to be able to place new spies in Ironhold. He did not want to do that again.

”Continue monitoring the city, and report everything that comes and goes from now on.”

”Yes, my lord.”

”Is there anything else weird about the people that were sent out?”

”... Yes, a small group of soldiers who were accompanying the two knights were carrying a weird object wrapped in cloth.”

”A weird object? What is it shaped like?”

”It looked like a staff wrapped in cloth.”

”Blackmisth and carpenters being called to Ironhold, and now soldiers holding weirdly shaped objects that are being hidden from the sight of others.” The pieces of the puzzle were starting to click into place.

”Since the soldiers are holding them, they should either have a weapon or a piece of equipment that would help clear the battlefield... No, since they’re with monster harvesters, it could also be something that would help with that.” Cedric tapped his forearm as he was thinking.

”Do everything in your power to find out what those items are. Send daily reports of who comes and goes from Ironhold and communicate them to Vellis.”

”Yes, my lord.” The communication ended with that.

***

The following day, Lucen woke up as he heard a noise. The other mercenaries had already woken up and had already had their weapons out.

”Little leader, good to see you awake,” Harlik spoke with his weapon at hand.

”What’s happening?”

”Frostfang wolves caught the dead dragon’s scent. Also, Mark’s got something to say to you after.”

”Mark?...”

”I’ll tell you about it later.”

While they were talking, Lucen was putting on his armor that was placed by his side, but he did not load the arquebus since he no longer had any gunpowder left.

He decided to use gun creation only if needed; for now, he’ll just watch the mercenaries work.

’No need to waste mana since they seem to be able to handle it. Also, it’s a good chance to observe how they move as a group.’

”Not joining the fight?” Harlik asked.

”Why can’t you handle it by yourselves?” Lucen responded. Hearing Lucen’s response made Harlik grin.

”Heh, you hear that, guys? Our little leader thinks we can’t deal with some Frostfang wolves.” Harli spoke to the other mercenaries.

”Come on, little leader, we just killed a f*cking dragon, of course we can handle this!” One of the mages responded.

”Yeah, give us a little credit, we can handle a bunch of pups.”

”Just sit back and watch, little leader, we’ll show you how we deal with this.”

Despite their frivolous way of responding, the group was moving very efficiently, which was surprising for a mercenary group.

The frostfang wolves emerged from the darker tunnels of the cavern, their pale, mist-wreathed forms flickering between the jutting stalagmites and shimmering frost. Their breath came in white plumes, eyes glowing cold blue as they crept closer, drawn by the scent of dragon blood.

Lucen finished tightening his armor straps and stepped to the side, arms crossed, watching with quiet interest.

”Everyone tighten up!” Harlik barked, voice echoing in the cavern.

Two heavy-shield fighters moved to the front, their boots crunching against frozen gravel. The shield wall formed snugly between two boulders, narrowing the field and denying the wolves any wide approach. Behind them, a mage knelt, her palm pressed to the cavern floor, chanting.

The wolves tried to charge at the group but were unable to get past the heavy shields. The mage in the back finished her chant.

She used a first circle spell, vine entanglement, which made small vines come out of the ground and wrap around the frostfang wolves. It stopped them in their tracks.

”Archers fire!” Harlik commanded, and several arrows came and shot down the frostfang wolves.

As the first volley of arrows struck down three frostfang wolves, the rest of the pack snarled and scattered into the shadows, using the jagged terrain to break line of sight. But the mercenaries were ready.

”Don’t let them flank! Shift the wall left!” Harlik roared.

The shield-bearers adjusted swiftly, rotating like gears in a well-oiled machine. A second wave of frostfang wolves came, leaping from the higher ledges on the cavern wall, trying to descend from above.

”Above!”

Without hesitation, a roguish mercenary with a hooked chain tossed it skyward. The chain latched onto the frostfang wolf, and he pulled the frostfang down towards him were he had his sword at the ready. Once the frostfang was near him, he slashed the frostfang in the belly, killing it.

Seeing that half of them were down, the frostfang wolves were about to retreat, but before they could do so. Harlik, his body wrapped by his aura mantle, charged at the fleeing frostfang wolves and decimated them.

Lucen, who watched the way the mercenaries dealt with the frostfang wolves, was reminded of how organized player raids looked in MMOs, aggression balanced with formation, spells and weapons timed with precision, chatter mixed with calm confidence.

Despite their rowdy attitudes, this was no ragtag group. These were professionals. Warriors shaped by fire and coin.

Now Lucen was imagining them holding arquebuses, doing volley fire, and rotating ranks. It would be quite the sight to behold.

Once the last wolf collapsed under Harlik’s devastating aura-powered charge, silence returned to the cavern, broken only by the faint crackle of frost and the shifting echoes of dripping water. Harlik turned around with a smug smile on his face.

”So what do you think, little leader, not bad, right?”

”Could be better,” Lucen answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

A few mercenaries chuckled, while some grabbed hold of their chest and overreacted, saying, ”That wounds me, little leader.”

”Right,” Harlik muttered, his voice losing its earlier lightness. ”Now that the frostfangs are dealt with... Mark.”

All eyes turned.

Lucen followed their gaze, his posture sharpening slightly. ”What about him?”

Mark took a step forward. He looked like someone who had already accepted some sort of dreaded fate.

”I got something to confess, little leader,” Mark’s tone was rather light despite the atmosphere in the cavern. ”It ain’t something you would like.”