95 Chapter 95: Defense of the Tomb (1/2)
The journey took a little more than an hour, but eventually our armored convoy of Malthas tanks and Cerberus APCs reached the outskirts of the tomb, which was about twenty kilometers away from the peripheral city of Haefield.
A huge mausoleum stood proudly, alone in the barren wasteland. The white, polished marble surface gleamed in the morning sun, affording the immense structure a majestic appearance. It really looked appropriate as a tomb for a king.
I mean, let's be serious. There was no way a commoner could afford to be laid to rest in such an enormous structure. It reminded me of the pyramids in Egpyt, or the terracotta tombs in ancient China, or the kofun graves in ancient Japan.
”The objective is just ahead. Everyone, get ready to disembark!”
Captain Elia Kratz, the commander of the light infantry company, announced over the vox. Her voice was tense, crackling over the soft static that hissed over the comns. Lieutenant Daniel Dressia and Lieutenant Benjamin Burado similarly issued simiar instructions.
”All right, guys. You know what to do. Pull our tanks over to our assigned positions, and make sure our weapons are facing outward. Let's give any idiots who dare trespass upon this sacred ground hell!”
”Get ready to disembark. You know the drill. We'll be protecting his majesty's resting place with our lives.”
Not wanting to interfere with my officers' command over their respective companies, I remained silent and instead trained my eyes on the auspex and holographic pict-screen inside my Malthas Executioner tank.
”This is Alucard's tomb…”
There were at least three tombs that had been forged throughout the millennia for the various vampire kings and queens who had ruled over Haemorage. They were spread all over the borders of Haemorage – but thanks to the longevity and what was essentially immortality of the vampires, there wasn't a need to build countless tombs. The dynasty changed very infrequently as vampires didn't die from old age.
I wondered how Alucard died. He must have fallen in combat against a powerful foe. Against one of the past Evelyn's Chosen, summoned thousands of years ago or something. Speaking of which, Lilith's mother also had a tomb north to Haemorage, but I wasn't insensitive enough to pry. I doubted Lilith would take my questions too kindly.
I was only a ”fake” lover, after all.
”…”
Upon successfully defending the tomb, we were to investigate the altar and retrieve whatever weapons and technology we deemed useful and necessary for the war effort against the humans and Evelyn's Chosen. After all, the legendary Alucard was said to have fought the entire legion of Evelyn's Chosen by himself all those centuries ago, and was more than a match for them before his eventual defeat.
The weapons he wielded must possess terrifying power.
”This must be the first time you're seeing this.”
Lilith's voice came over a personal channel. She had used a channel that was open only to me, so as not to let the soldiers overhear. I frowned at the use of personal channels during a mission, but technically she ranked higher than me, so I couldn't say anything.
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”Uh. Well, yeah.”
Even though I was supposed to be a gravekeeper, this was the first time I actually saw a grave in Restia.
”I haven't been in this world long enough. Maybe two months?”
”…yes. Restia is vast…there are too many things to see within a lifetime.”
”…yeah.”
”But since we're vampires, we probably have all the time in the world to see everything in Restia.” Lilith mischieviously giggled. ”Perhaps we could explore the world in a few centuries…maybe a millennium at the most?”
I sighed. ”Then what of your duties and your domain, your highness?”
There was a pause that indicated that Lilith was shrugging. ”I can always abdicate and leave my throne to my descendant.”
She would have to have a descendant first, and from her tone, I knew that she would never hand her throne over to her uncle.
”All right! We've reached! Go, go, go!”
As the APCs roared to a stop, the ramps slammed down and the passengers began to disembark. Unstrapping their harnesses, they lifted their rifles and shouldered them, filing out in disciplined lines.
”Move in!”
I frowned when everyone got into the tomb without any problems. I thought it was supposed to be sealed, and could only be opened by Lilith's blood, but evidently it was not the case. Either Bradley and Kishimoto were trolling me or they were referring to the secret altar that served as the heart of the tomb. Well, we would find out either way.
I stayed with the tanks as they parked in huge alcoves that could provide both shade and excellent cover for the tanks, and still afforded them a clear view of the surroundings. The treads spinning, the tanks reversed into the alcoves and whirled their turets and hulls around to point their weapons at the outside. The sponson weapons shifted and tracked the exterior, the sponson gunners keeping an eye out for the enemy.
”I'll leave Company T to you, Dan.”
”Yes, sir!”
Once all the tanks were in position, I disembarked from my tank and hopped into the interior of the tomb, where the infantry were hurrying about. Stopping in front of the command outpost that the two infantry companies had set up, I nodded at the three commanders.
”Ben, how is Company H doing?”
”They're all setting up heavy weapons along the openings and hatches – it seems that the schematics are accurate. We're having them take position in Lighthouse, Tavern, Hotel and Inn, as instructed.”
Those were military codenames for the locations we marked and arranged in our holographic schematics yesterday, and I nodded in satisfaction.
”Good, I'll check on them later. Captain Kratz?”
”Yes, sir?”
”Get Company L to form up and task them with scouting the tomb. I don't want any surprises. If there's a discrepancy, or a hidden chamber, make sure they report back. Also ask them to map the tomb and see if there's any difference between the schematics we have and the real thing. I don't know if the interior of the tomb has changed.”
”Doesn't seem to have changed much since the last time I was here,” Lilith remarked as she entered the outpost. I shrugged.
”Nonetheless, I don't want to get caught by surprise. Captain Kratz?”
”I understand! I'll get Company L to scout and recon the entire area!”
”Thanks.”
”Lieutenant Vanni!”
”Yes, ma'am.”
The two commanding officers of Company L hurried away to dispense my instructions. I nodded at the rest of the command staff, and then proceeded to check on Company H.
Company L, H and T. They were designated as such thanks to their various specializations, such as Light infantry, Heavy infantry and Tanks. Normally regiment were specialized, such as infantry regiments or armored regiments, and there were very few regiments that were mixed. Mine wasn't even a proper regiment, but a battalion, and we had two infantry companies and a single armored company. While it made us flexible, it also lacked the numbers of a normal infantry regiment or the sheer firepower of an armored regiment.
”Ugh…”
However, in the present, there weren't enough tanks in Morten to field entire armored regiments. It was a pity…I wanted to field vast armored columns of Malthas tanks and super-heavies, but that was logistically impossible.
Morten had yet to manufacture that number of tanks. We were overly dependent on the industrialized Moria to produce our weapons, and should the dwarven kingdom fall, none of the other demonic kingdoms in Morten would be able to step up to the task.
We couldn't allow Moria to fall at all costs.
Well, let's focus on the mission at hand first…
The heavy infantry saluted me when I came up to them. Ben had positioned the separate squads on various window-like openings and ledges, which both afforded them cover and shelter from the outside. They could unleash a devastating hail of fire down below, while duck down in cover should the enemy retaliate. They also had the high ground advantage.
”Sir!”
”Major!”
”Stand easy. Keep your eyes on the outside. Seen anything yet?”
”No, sir!”
”Nothing yet, sir.”
I nodded. Everything had gone according to plan. The enemy shouldn't be here until tonight at the earliest. Even Bradley Kreuger hadn't shown up yet with his house's militia. Unlike us, Bradley Kreuger and his troops didn't have APCs or transports, so they had to march here on foot or on horses. The problem of technological backwardness…
”Stay vigilant, guys. Don't let them sneak up on us.”
”Yes, sir!”
After making my rounds, I headed back to the command post to continue monitoring the situation outside. As I suspected, Bradley was still hours away from reaching, and there was no sign of the enemy. I wouldn't be surprised if they wouldn't appear today. The human armies might possibly arrive a few days later.
Unless…
I shook my head. No point launching into useless speculation. I should focus on the goal at hand. Turning to Elia, who was exchanging dialogue with her subordinates over the vox, I waited patiently for her to finish.
”How is the scouting going?” I asked when she glanced at me.
”Good. Nothing much…there's a chamber in the middle – the altar that holds the body of King Alucard – that we can't access, but other than that the layout of the tomb is exactly the same as the schematics.”
”Make sure they avoid the monsters in the forests, caverns and lakes. We don't want to accidentally get into a three-way fight.”
”Yes, Major. They're keeping their distance for now. As long as we don't bother them, I don't believe they will attack.”
”Good.”
”Sir!”
The comns officer, a boy named Benard Beltayn, turned to me.
”Lieutenant Dressia on the line, sir!”
”Oh, right. Hand the receiver over.”
I took the receiver from the flustered comns officer and nodded gratefully to him before bringing it to my ear.
”Tanaka here. What's up, Dan?”