American Isekai - Chapter 174 (Patreon)

December 2, 623

I stuffed the dried meat from my ration into my mouth, spending a while chewing before swallowing with discontent. It was getting annoying, eating the same thing every day. Thankfully we were able to catch the occasional wild animal, giving us a good eat for a night or two. No matter how much we brought in though, the knights were always quick to engorge themselves. Stupid knights. 

In front of me sat a new map, complete with every little detail of every single timed Scourge movement and number count we had discovered. I now had a good overview of everything happening around the eastern crossing, and I was already seeing our way in. 

I had also figured out how the Scourge were able to move such large armies away from their territory and across such technical terrain. The answer to that question lied in the fungal biomat covering the surrounding lands. 

The fungus’ purpose was two fold. It drove out all flora and fauna, eliminating all form of comfort and sustenance for us humans by devastating the ecosystem. And after having my Chiefs help me raid a tiny encampment and uproot a Gut Root, I found out that those fleshy trees were capable of transporting some kind of nutrient paste across vast distances. It was their supply network, spanning the entire landscape. 

Wherever they spread their fungus, they could receive food. It effectively became their territory, and unless we devoted ourselves to eliminating the red fungal mat, we would never have the upper hand. They would be able to send any amount of troops as if into their own homeland. Supplied so long as their bases behind their lines had enough to spare. 

That was very bad news and I sincerely hoped that the Kingdom’s military knew about this. I knew they wanted to get rid of Gut Roots and those infection spreaders known as Pustules, but I didn’t know to what end. Plus, I was pretty sure that the fungus wasn’t the only factor. This infiltration would help with figuring that out. 

Well, I just needed to do my job here and hope the military was at least semi-competent. 

I observed the map projecting from my Orb, devising a few plans. On top of all the Pathfinders and my few Chiefs, I also had the Snow Doves close by. They had left when we did and had been wreaking havoc on everything Scourge related nearby. They were definitely attracting attention, and I, along with the Chiefs, had remained completely covert. 

Now though, it was time to utilize my cards. All I needed was an in, and on my map, I could see it. 

A little chink in their armor that I could use to breach their lines and insert my troops. 

I tapped my Aerial, calling some people in. 

The three Chiefs, along with Pollux, arrived before long. 

“Alright, I’ve figured out how we’re going to infiltrate. If you would direct your attention to the displayed images.”

I pointed to some newly projected images from my Orb. They were pictures of the eastern crossing. 

The crossing wasn’t active at all times, but it did in fact have regular patrols and guards to monitor everything. These patrols and guards were fallible though. 

The portion of Hare’s Pass that I knew near Stronghold Charlie was tall and deep, with a massive landbridge going across its top. However, the Hare’s Pass in our current area to the east sloped down toward the ground. It also more cleanly revealed the river that cut through it to form the Pass. Eventually, the Pass would completely level to the rest of the ground and lead to a river that was supposed to come from a relatively distant lake. 

The eastern crossing that we were looking at took advantage of the lower cliffsides. It was an artificial land bridge that still went over the Pass but had no more than 100 meters of distance between it and the river. In my book, that was an easy cliff to climb and afforded us several options for crossing that didn’t involve taking the actual bridge. Still, the main issue was avoiding the river. It was rapid and could prove to be a hindrance even for Authority 9 knights and warlocks. 

I laid out my plan. 

“We’re already on the external side of the crossing, so there’s no need to make things more difficult by cutting across. Chiefs, your objective is to cross the river without getting spotted. You simply have to make it from one side to the other. Now, I don’t know your full capabilities myself, so do you have any ideas?”

“I can handle that.”

Chief Reginold raised his hand. 

“I can create a physical bridge for us to cross. It can be anywhere.”

“Oh? Well that certainly opens up more options…”

I looked back at the map and pictures, nodding with a smile. 

“Alright. Let’s do that. We’re going to move a bit farther east and have you three bridge across. However, there are patrols along the length of the crossing. We’re going to need to divert the Scouts so that you can slip by undetected.”

“That’s should be pretty easy for them, not to mention with you there, Liaison.”

Pollux smiled at me. 

“Aren’t you the ranged master here? Can’t you just kill them?”

“I am, but not only do I make a lot of sound, but I’d prefer to not kill a single one. If we kill them far from the eastern crossing, they’ll assume that we did something over there and start suspecting the presence of infiltrators, which is exactly what we don’t want.”

“You think they’re that smart?”

“I’m not going to assume they’re stupid and then get proven wrong in a spectacularly tragic fashion by losing the Chiefs. We need to assume the worst and operate accordingly.”

“We appreciate that.”

Chief Reginold chimed in again. I looked over at him and received two nods from the other two Chiefs as well. 

I wasn’t being lax with their lives and was making sure that they would have the easiest time while behind enemy lines. Even the slightest rumors of them being there would make this mission far more dangerous. I wouldn’t take that chance, and they didn’t want to either. 

Pollux went quiet while I continued. 

“So, we need a diversion. I have one decent idea. We should attack and destroy the eastern crossing. Demolish the bridge, attract all their attention, and hopefully divert all the Scouts away from where the Chiefs are trying to sneak in.”

“...That’s sounds like a good idea. We’ll need some more firepower though. We should call some of the other Snow Doves.”

Reginold gave his advice, making me nod. 

“Yes, I was hoping I could do that. In that case, we’ll head out tonight to go chat them up. Once we get their help, the mission is a go.”

“What if it doesn’t divert the Scouts though?”

One of the other Chiefs, Chief Vipul, spoke out softly. She was a knight but she generally kept to herself despite her power. 

I shrugged. 

“I was thinking, since Chief Reginold can manipulate earth, that he could tunnel you three through the cliffside, perhaps underneath the river, and then dig your way behind enemy lines directly. If that can’t happen, then I’d have to think up some other plans. Maybe we would just need to go so far east where Scouts don’t bother patrolling, but I don’t know if that’s even viable if their territory goes that far.”

“...I should be able to handle tunneling. How far is debatable but we should be fine if we need to resort to that.”

Chief Reginold gave his assurances, making me relieved. I didn’t know how far the Scourge had spread east and I didn’t want to have to find out after we’ve already done so much recon. It would take much longer and we didn’t have the resources to be out here for an extended duration. 

I stood straight and crossed my arms. 

“Alright, we’re going to move forward with those two plans in mind. Unfortunately, if both of those fail, we’re a bit screwed. Unless we get lucky, we’d have to regroup and figure something else out which will probably require us to return to base for more supplies. So let's make these two plans work. Now, before discussing more, we should get the rest of the Snow Doves involved. Commander Pollux, I can take the Chief Reginold there with me. Tonight, we need to make preparations for tomorrow. I’ll leave that to you.”

“I have a question, before you leave.”

Pollux waved his hand. 

“What part will the Pathfinders play in the destruction of the crossing?”

“Once we get the Snow Doves operational, primarily support. All of you will be focused on the bridge in order to provide more numbers. If we can’t get the Snow Doves to move, or at least get some of them to help us, then you’ll have a more active role, obviously. But that shouldn’t be a worry.”

“So in the best case, we’ll be taking a back seat.”

“Yes. No insult to everyone, but this isn’t something I want to take on without top end firepower. I don’t know if they’ve bothered to station some powerful guard on the crossing in secret, but I don’t want to take that chance, nor do I want to be unlucky. We’ll bring out everything we have, do it right the first time, and get our infiltrators across without notice.”

“Mm. Sounds good to me.”

Pollux nodded. I wouldn’t put his people in danger simply because I didn’t want to risk coming across something that they couldn’t handle. They weren’t powerful enough to completely disregard the risk of the unknown. The Snow Doves were. 

With that, Chief Reginold and I left for a distant camp. The place we left from wasn’t the maij camp with every Pathfinder in it. I had created two separate camps, one for myself, the Chiefs, and Pollux along with his first squad. The rest of the Pathfinders were off somewhere else, there to draw the attention of any Scouts that might be lingering in the area. On the other hand, we were completely hidden, and I intended to keep it that way until I got my infiltrators over the Pass. 

It didn’t take too long to find the Snow Doves since I had told them to stay in the area. Once we arrived, Reginold and I stepped out to greet Brigadier Nonnen. Miron was somewhere else, and I was glad his ugly mug wasn’t there to ruin my night. 

“Brigadier Nonnen. Good to see you.”

“Hello Liaison. Reggie. Let’s head to the tent.”

After we shook hands, we entered the command tent. There, we sat down, nobody else to disturb us at the table. 

I looked around the tent. Last time I had been on edge so I didn’t get a good look, but this place was actually pretty nice. It must be a singular structure that Nonnen could take out of a pocket ring or something. While portable structures seemed crazy, they were more than plausible, and there was no reason rich Brigadiers couldn’t cart them around for the ultimate field comfort. 

I got down to business after a few glances. 

“I’ve got our plans for insertion. Now, I just need the help of the Snow Doves.”

“What kind of help?”

“We’re going to destroy the eastern crossing and annihilate every monster there.”

“...Ballsy, summoner.”

Nonnen gradually grinned, leaning forward as some of his subtle battle lust seeped out of his Aura. 

“Tell me more.”

……

December 3, 623

…

“What the hell have you gotten me into, Liaison?”

“Nothing too crazy, Commander. So long as you don’t get caught in the crossfire.”

“...I’ve never seen the Snow Doves so excited. What did you tell them?”

“I just gave them my objective. And then gave them no rules.”

“You’re going to be the death of me.”

I chuckled to myself while looking into the distance, watching the moving convoy. 

Their Auras were bristling and completely obvious. They were holding nothing back, broadcasting to the entire Pass that they were there and that there would be a battle the likes nobody had ever seen before. 

They numbered just two platoons, but their battle power was sky high. The Snow Doves were definitely the brunt of the muscle, but the Pathfinders weren’t inept. They might not be able to handle the top end, but they could do more than enough damage to everything else. 

Besides, nothing that I asked of them was beyond any of their capabilities. So long as nobody threw themselves off the bridge during the battle, there should be no issues. 

Still, this wouldn’t be safe. I could see the eastern crossing from my position on a hill and there were more than enough enemies to give us a run for our money. 

Our goal wasn't to kill them all though. In fact, more enemies was better. 

I clicked my Aerial. 

“Just have fun, Commander. Liaison out.”

With that, I turned my Aerial off. It was about time to start and for the sake of secrecy, I didn’t want to broadcast the fact that I was about to sneak off with the Chiefs. Who knew if the Scourge actually could tap into Aerial communications? I wouldn’t risk it. In fact, I had been thinking recently about incorporating some operational security. 

Well, one problem at a time. 

I turned my head and looked at the Chiefs beside me, my three infiltrators. It was just us four, and we’d be making our way to our target area on foot, completely dark. 

They weren’t unequipped though. 

Not only did each of them have spatial devices full of supplies to last them the next two months completely isolated and comfortably, but they were equipped with some special tools that very seldom got used. Things like advanced sensors, powerful magic cameras and video recorders, even a distress relay that could send out one massive burst signal across the land and back to us at base. Such a thing was only supposed to be used if they were going to die though, so I was hoping it’d never get used. 

On top of that, they had some particularly special vehicles, speedster motorcycles faster than anything else in the military’s arsenal. Their speed was only matched by their relatively short charge. They could get them out of danger quickly but couldn’t necessarily sustain long distance travel. It would be up to them how they used it. 

I had to say, spatial devices made operations like this incomparably easy to run. They didn’t have to worry about hauling massive amounts of food or handling its weight or bulk. They could also carry entire vehicles with them. Granted, those devices were prohibitively expensive, even more so than my own, and they also had several each. But still, just a couple arm bands and these guys had enough to get them through complete isolation for months in enemy territory where they couldn’t forage a single scrap of food or water. 

It was almost too easy. 

I adjusted my coat, completely covered in the rooty, red fungus. The Chiefs sported the same gear, gear that would allow us to blend in with these landscapes now covered in the stuff. There was no better way to blend with your environment than to take directly from it, although I wasn’t a fan of having potentially poisonous fungus near my body or on my gear. 

Better than getting spotted though.

“Alright, let’s move.”

I spoke and we started our trek. All of us were silent and tried to maintain our secrecy as much as possible. 

Not long after we started, we heard the sound of explosions and fighting in the distance. The battle had started. 

I glanced over in that direction, my vision unhindered since that corrupting red fungus had driven off and killed any flora in the area.

I could see dust rise, massive spells overturning the land across the crossing. I could see the Aura of the Scourge converging on the area, ready to meet the Snow Doves and Pathfinders in battle. The firepower I witnessed was particularly striking. I still found it awe inspiring to see singular people wield the power of entire armies. 

After some observation, I looked over to the Pass, scanning across it. 

I had spotted several Scouts and monsters patrolling the ravine earlier. Their territory covered just about everything beyond the Pass, so I wasn’t surprised that there were enemies occupying every inch of it. Even now I could see them patrolling the edges. 

But as soon as the battle started, they had their attention drawn. Some of them close to the battle moved to support while others farther away were either lingering or hesitating. 

I waited patiently while continuing to move with the Chiefs. 

We hopped and skipped our way over down the Pass. I had found a suitable area about 3 miles from the eastern crossing, determining that would be a good place to let them insert. 

The battle in the distance only got worse as we continued. Half an hour passed as we walked, only after then that we finally arrived near our target area. 

Once there, I stopped our march and looked across the Pass. 

I could see over a dozen scouts within line of sight. All of them would be threats to our plan. 

However, half of them were now heading to the battle while the other half was standing around, watching. A couple more got swept along with the others, but it was clear that there would be at least a couple that stayed. 

I pointed. 

“Those three. Those will be the only ones of concern.”

“Seems like it.”

Chief Reginold nodded from beside me. 

“How should we deal with them? I know you didn’t want to kill any but even one is a problem.”

“If it’s really necessary, I’ll handle one of them. You guys won’t be getting your hands dirty though. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

With that, we sat down and watched. The battle in the distance only raged harder, but my eyes were on the Scouts across the Pass. 

I watched as most of them left, as I thought they would. One of the ones I thought would stay also left. In the end, after another 20 minutes, there were only 2 Scouts left. Both of them were about 1000 meters apart from each other, and we were between them. 

I thought for a bit before pointing. 

“Let’s move over there.”

After giving the command we marched a bit farther, until we were right in front of one Scout. 

Chief Reginold looked at me weird. 

“Why?”

“If I handle this one, there won’t be any others around for over half a mile.”

“You sure we should kill it?”

“Yes, but I want you to do something for me when I do.”

I gave him some quick instructions. After he and the other Chiefs nodded, I let out a breath. 

“Alright then. Let’s get this party started. Chief Reginold, go with Plan A. Start from here.”

“Got it.”

“Good luck, guys.”

“You as well, Liaison.”

I went around and shook their hands. I was under no impressions that they would be safe while carrying out their mission. We had equipped them with the best we could get and prepared them with all the intelligence we could give. But it would still be up to them to navigate enemy territory and brave its dangers, including the threat of the most powerful that the Scourge had to offer. 

Memories of the other two squads flashed in my mind. I sincerely hoped I wasn’t sending yet another squad to die. I had prepared them the best I could but I was still uncertain. I would feel better if I were going myself, but that wasn’t an option. 

After some goodbyes, Chief Reginold got to work. The other two Chiefs took up positions beside him, and then, he started tunneling. 

The ground opened up beneath him, the three of them lowering through the ground like an elevator. The dirt and stone piled back around on top of them once they passed, and before long, they had disappeared from my view, their Auras pulling in and following them as they vanished. 

Now, it was my turn. 

I got comfortable on the ground, using a nearby rock as a prop to hold my gun as I took aim. I could see the Scouts clearly, and the one in the distance only got farther away as it inched closer to the battle. It wouldn’t leave completely, but I would take what I could get. 

In the opposite direction of the one in front of me, there was also another Scout. It was nearly a mile off though, with no intentions of getting closer. These Scouts in the distance wouldn’t make a difference in the battle when so many had already left to reinforce. Instead, they had to maintain surveillance and likely a communication line between them. 

I watched the one in front of me intently. Then, after some time, I saw something. 

Chief Reginold emerged from the opposite wall of the Pass. He had tunneled down through the cliffside and then under the river, coming out at the bottom of the opposite cliffside above the river. 

After doing so, I saw the three of them scale its face, climbing up right below that Scout. Chief Reginold created a rock platform that simply rose up the cliffside, making it exceedingly easy for themselves. 

Then, once they got close to the top, they slowed. I saw them look in my direction, but I waited. 

I readied my rifle, my silenced Springfield. It was a bit weaker than other guns, but I didn’t need strength here. 

I steadied the scope’s reticle on the Scout’s head. Then, just as the three were about to reach the top, I fired. 

My bullet shot straight through the Scout’s head, dropping it and giving the signal. The Chiefs shot up from their platform and stormed the area, killing off all of the wolf escorts within seconds. 

They kicked all the bodies off the cliffside once they were done, dumping them into the rushing rapids below. Reginold even went so far as to dump some of the dirt and such with blood on it, eliminating all evidence. 

With that, they readied to disappear into enemy territory. Chief Regnold faced my direction before doing so though, giving a quick salute in my direction. 

I stood and gave one back. He couldn’t see me, but that wasn’t the point. 

After that, I watched them shoot off into the distance, one of the knights carrying Reginold. It wasn’t 30 seconds later that I could no longer see them. 

Their mission had begun, and mine had ended. 

I sent my rifle back, glancing at the other two scouts. Neither of them were suspecting anything and neither of them were within line of sight of the one I killed. While my gun had made a sound, the battle in the distance continued to rage and was sending quakes through the Pass. It was enough to mask my shot. 

Knowing that they would be safe, I turned and started marching back to my rendezvous point where I would get picked up. 

Along the way, I did my best to clear my mind of any worries. 

It was no longer in my hands, and I couldn’t say that I didn’t do my best to prepare. That would have to be enough. I hoped it was. It was just a matter of waiting for them to prove me right. 

On the other hand, I was curious as to the situation over at the Treehouse. If a decision was made regarding their plans of action, it would already be implemented. That meant that the base would either be deserted once we got there, or would be filling up with a massive amount of reinforcement troops. 

I wasn’t sure which one I should hope for. Either way, I’d make do with the cards I was dealt. 

And no matter what, there would be big battles coming our way soon.