Chapter 160: Eighteenth Episode: Chapter 6 (2/2)

Oscar was lost in thought. He knew that Silvio was still trying to convince him to abandon his established war plans.

”Sir…” Silvio sighed as if wanting to give up. ”I believe that you have definitely received accurate and reliable intelligence support in the Coyttshag operation. Otherwise, it is impossible for you to defeat the land's bandits in three month's time! Those bandits have caused losses to all the suppressing units of the Guards who have been to Coyttshag.”

”But this time…” the Commander of the Second Corps started and hesitated. However, he still blurted out the words in his heart. ”Don't blame me for complaining but you are completely clueless about the bandits who are skipping over the Center Highland and the Shawmond border area! You only have the rough analysis of the southern Military Intelligence Sub-bureau on the bandits. You... ”

”Yes, it's like this!” Oscar suddenly cut off Silvio. ”I will tread carefully! Whatever the case, I must give it a go!”

Silvio sized up the Marshal of the Guards a good while. He had a feeling that the youngster should be saying that he was going there to try his luck.

”Then… I will go with my previous words; wish you luck!” in the end, Silvio still gave up. He didn't understand whether this youngster was really war-thirsty or just really stubborn.

”Oh, that's right!” the Commander of the Second Corps suddenly slapped his forehead, ”I've forgotten to tell you! Don't let your scouts be too scattered and don't be frightened by the bandits who suddenly pop out from one of the nooks! They have cut a lot of tunnels in the mountains and are as sharp as the mice.”

Oscar once again thanked the Commander of the Second Corps and then returned to the army camp of the Special Combat Brigade. It was said that His Highness didn't sleep a wink that night. He was indeed pondering about Major General Silvio's proposition. Up until the next day when the Marshal saw his brave Special Combat soldiers, he cast aside the butcher's words. He believed in his soldiers and trusted that the soldiers would secure victory for him.

***************

Church's year 799, the 20th day of the 5th month, it was a bright and sunny day in the southern mountains, without any wind or cloud in sight. The Center Highland of Boudesdorf surrounded the southeastern Bodes Mountain. The nearby shade of the highland was filled with low pine trees and the green thicket stretched out all the way to the middle section of the mountain ridge, up until the snow line close to the summit.

The sky was clear as if it was washed. Occasionally birds would streak across the heavens. Aside from the crisp, bright sound of chirping, the entire highland was deserted and still, without the slightest trace of any wind or stirring of the grass. Sizing up this mountain ridge that rose up from the ground from the inner war route that connected to the north, the people would realize that an ancient riverbed cut through the left wing of the highland. The riverbed has already completely dried up, revealing bright yellow soil. The right wing of the highland was rather indistinct. There was an open space close to a thousand acres wide. The open space was also connected to Boudes Mountain at the Southeast. The tall grass grew among the pine trees and the pine trees stretched their torsos under the sun; occasionally one or two huge banyans would be slotted in between.

A strong mountain soldier was flitting through the forest. The shadows and forest completely obscured his figure. Even the frightened birds had no way of determining his position. This nimble soldier, who carried a long bow, ducked into the underbrush. After a brief tremble of the underbrush, it instantly resumed its stillness.

The tunnel was very peculiar for certain places were moist whilst others were dry. Under the dim reflection of light, the well-trained mountain soldier shuttled back and forth in the tunnels. Occasionally, the sound of coughing would travel out from the soldier hide-hole on both ends of the tunnel. When he met someone familiar, they would greet him. However, the soldier didn't pay any attention to the shouts and repeated whistles of his companions. He passed through a few corners and advanced through a few trap areas. In the end, he arrived at a ”Liberty Front” at the underground Command Center of Boudes Mountain. Bagheeda Narov has been waiting for quite a while in the dusky Command Center. This middle-aged man, who kept a pigtail, was not just an ordinary ore merchant, he was also the field leader of ”Titan's Liberty Front”. He already predicted the situation of today as early as when the Military Intelligence Bureau intervened in the southern battlefield. He has made full preparations for the armed uprising he was leading. This included weaving into the resistance structure of the nearby area and also further shrinking the operation scope of the rebel army.

Bagheeda gave a warm embrace to the communications officer. The official was a little nervous but mostly excited.

”The wolfdog has entered the outer perimeter of the highland!”

A few of the followers beside Bagheeda immediately came forward and surrounded the map. The communications official immediately indicated the position of the ”Great Wolfdog”.

”The dogs are very crafty. There's only the artillery group on the warpath whilst the rest of them are in the wilderness.”

Bagheeda frowned. This was somewhat different from what he has imagined, but he believed that O'Neil Andrew Morisette wasn't clear about just what was waiting for him here.

”Rabbit, are you ready?” the leader of the Liberty Front swiveled to face his comrade.

The lofty mountain hunter nodded repeatedly. ”Everything is ready! They're at the open space that connects to the mountain ridge!”

Bagheeda heaved a gentle sigh, ”are the needle and thread for stitching the bags ready?”

Another warrior with a composed expression replied, ”Don't worry, despite the dogs having two teams at the rear, they will definitely not be able to escape our encirclement.”

Bagheeda pressed against the trilby on his head and his fist finally slammed down on the Boudesdorf's Center Highland on the map.

”O'Neil Andrew Morisette has once been a national hero revered by the people, but he and his lackeys have committed the crime of massacring the people. Today we are here to judge them for their sins! We will use his head as an offering for the freedom fighters who sacrificed themselves in Coyttshag!”

The surrounding mountain warriors agreed with a loud roar. They entered the tunnel one after another with all sort of weapons in hand. Surely they would enter their preplanned attacking positions not long after that.

Bagheeda's fist left the map and only then did we realize that surrounding the center of the map was red arrows from every direction pointing directly at the forlorn Center Highland.

***************

O'Neil Andrew Morisette was in the tall underbrush beside the warpath. His line of sight was just above the top of the grass, his gaze fixed ahead with rapt attention. Annoyingly, there was only a deathly stillness that stimulated one to start thinking.

The Marshal of the Guards suddenly sneezed despite trying with all his might to control it, the sound caused the soldiers who were lying in wait nearby to turned their eyes towards him. Oscar shot back an apologetic look. ”Dang it, there must be someone cursing me!” the Marshal consoled himself.

Suddenly, there was a stir from the opposite underbrush. The snipers who were stationed high above the tree trunks immediately distinguished the trajectory that was parting the tall grass. The sniper pulled against his bowstring and the point of the arrow directed straight at the end point of the trajectory. Light reflected from a mirror came right on time, signifying that the person who arrived was on their side. A burden was shed off from the sniper. He slowly closed his bow and arrow and the moving trajectory also came to a halt.

”How is it?” Oscar sized up Fire Eyes Arthur who was perspiring profusely.

The head of the scouts wiped his face. The sweat that dribbled into his eyes caused him to suffer. ”Boss, how do I put it? There isn't even a shadow!”

Oscar pursed his lips and gazed at the opposite highland. ”What about the tunnel? We haven't found the tunnel?”

Arthur nodded. ”We found two. Both are on the mountainside, but I dare not send anyone down. I made a note though.”

Oscar nodded and swept his gaze over the surrounding underbrush. It turned out that both sides of the desolate warpath had countless Special Combat soldiers hiding in it.

The Marshal of the Guards spat out the grassroots in his mouth and with a ”splat”, killed the mosquito that stopped on his neck. He stood up from among the tall grass and waved behind him. There weren't the ten thousand men and horse that one would have expected, but only the continuous ”swish swish” from the underbrush.

***************

The vehicle procession of the First Artilleryman Division of the Guards finally emerged on the warpath. The heavy artilleries were draped over with a tarpaulin. The sunlight caused the tarpaulins to reflect multi-colored rays of light. The long march has caused the herd of oxen to be exceptionally beaten. Although they rested for the whole morning, the abrupt resumption of the journey made them whine in protest. The sound of the oxen and whistle of the lashes rang out over the warpath after a moment.

Brigadier General of the artillerymen, Viscount Tove Van Sukhoi had an expression that was not the least concerned. He sat on the first artillery vehicle, taking in his surroundings. Perhaps Torry really didn't care about the small hill opposite him, but he has a sense of priority. He and his old friend's Special Combat Brigade maintained a similar advancement in their march. The goal was to safely take up position at the Center Highland. Then, using the Center Highland as the starting point, launch a full-blown search targeted at Boudesdorf.

However... Oscar was carrying it out with a little too much caution. All the field officers felt that way.

Lying in wait among the tall grass where the mosquitoes roam about was not a delightful assignment. The Special Combat Soldiers hunched their backs, dragged their war equipment and advanced continuously on both sides of the warpath towards the Center Highland.

Torry's artillery team arrived at the artillery barrage preparatory area indicated on the tactical map without running into any incidents. He leaped down the artillery vehicle and instructed the soldiers guarding the artilleries to form a defending front on the spot.

Oscar once again stood up among the underbrush. Advancing forwards a kilometer with his back bent made him out of breath. He assessed Torry, who was not far off and then drew out his machete fiercely. The flag bearer following behind the Marshal immediately flashed a lightning streamer of the Special Combat Brigade. The sound of numerous weapons being unsheathed sounded behind the Marshal.

Oscar was the first to charge up the absolutely silent Center Highland. The Special Combat Soldiers followed the Marshal and the military streamer. They didn't make a clamor, nor did they shout. They merely dashed into the heart of the highland with the quickest speed possible.

The Marshal and his defenders finally came to a halt on the highland. Before him were hills that were unbroken and endless. The looming mountain on the right wing cast down a shadow. The flag bearer set up the military streamer beside the Marshal and the lightning streamer flaunted its body slowly under the shadow of the mountain, foretelling the arrival of the First Combat Force of the Guards.

The movements of the Special Combat Soldiers were swift and precise. Big Worm Blasky's Commando Group occupied the right side of the highland that connected to the open space of the huge mountain. The Commando members were divided into three large groups. Two of the large groups made up a defending front while the third group formed the skirmish line. They continued to dash towards the elevation of the mountain ridge.

The archer group of Ghost Archer Colonel Mitchen laid out a defense at the riverbed of the mountain ridge's right wing. The soldiers fanned out on the spot. They used little shovels to dig up a last minute arrow pit and used tall grass and branches to conceal the arrow pile. Above Commander Mitchen, the Heavy Armor Group led by Bison Bill set up steel fragment plates. According to the Marshal, it was easy for sudden attacks to one side of the riverbed.

Torry's artillerymen only had six Fortress Artilleries. Oscar deployed four of them on the highland and the remaining two were aimed at the riverbed. When the artillerymen were carrying out urgent loading and unloading tasks, Alligator Macier led the Assault Group to draw closer. The Assault Group was in charge of all the Special Combat Brigade's military supply wagons. Oscar handed over the most important war supplies to the most elite, solid team. The military supply wagon procession quickly formed a solid vehicle front to the north of the highland. The Assault Group didn't scale to the summit. These elite soldiers merely arranged into a strict formation within the vehicle procession.

The Scout Group of Fire Eyes Arthur scattered into the forest opposite the riverbed. This group was the only cavalry of O'Neil Andrew Morisette. This Marshal of the Guards had conducted adjustments to his ranks at the Military Command Center of the Eighth Region's Second Corps. He gave up many warhorses and switched a large amount of mountain combat equipment for the cavalry. Arthur broke up the organizational structure of the Scout Group and divided the small group into a certain number of fighting groups. According to the deployment before that, once they encountered the enemy, they would rapidly return to the core of the vehicle front.

Lastly, Devil Sandy's Commando Group was temporarily acting as the Marshal's guards. The one thousand soldiers were building an army camp at the heart of the highland.

***************

”It seems that... this is it!” Bagheeda kept the telescope. He stood on one spot of the jungle on Boudes Mountain, sizing up the Guards that were like ants scurrying about on the highland at the foot of the mountain derisively.

”Order... the rabbit to be released!”

A mountain warrior who was standing beside the leader immediately tugged at his bow. The feathered arrow went along a beautiful arc and embedded accurately onto a huge pine tree about a hundred meters away. The warriors on guard beside the pine tree immediately carried out the same actions. The command was thus rapidly transmitted down the mountain.

***************

The Commander of the Third Battalion under the Special Combat Commando Group walked ahead of the ranks. He was a daring trooper. When he noticed a puny figure suddenly scuttling out from the mountain forest, his first response was to tighten his bow and fire an arrow.

The whizzing arrow broke the silence of the mountain forest, but the feathered arrow didn't find its mark. The battalion commander cursed. ”Apprehend that scout!” Thus the entire rank started the high-speed pursuit.

”What's up?” Oscar set aside his binoculars and continued to peer in the direction where the whistle of arrow came from.

Big Worm Blasky shook his head. He anxiously measured up the Commando soldiers who were flitting in and out among the shadows of the forest.

Oscar felt uneasy all over. He has his suspicions but wasn't completely sure. As a Marshal, he didn't have many opportunities to reflect on his errors, but now he more or less had some experience.

His former self relied too heavily upon the intelligence from the Military Intelligence Bureau and facing this time's operation that lacked intelligence, he didn't seem too confident.

***************

Year 799, the 20th day of the 5th month, midday. Perhaps now was already a little late. Marshal O'Neil's Special Combat Brigade was bustling about strengthening the defensive structure while his searching battalion was pursuing a ”rabbit”. The rabbit, after turning a few circles over the mountain region, it vanished just when this searching group's commander waved his hand to signal the skirmish line to advance forwards. A quick-witted freedom fighter caught on that the field actions were only carried out when the commander was present. His feathered arrow accurately struck the officer's throat. When blood spurted out, the crisp, beautiful sound of a whistle rang out from the mountain forest.

”Enemy attack…”

The ranks of the Guards suddenly erupted with a rallying cry, but regrettably, this army was only escorting one of the Cavalry Companies of the former Commander of the Guard's Fifth Region, General Vangol Abberning Hagrid.

Fiery torches blazed up at the mountain ridges on either side of the national highway among the cries of the knights and the sound of branches and leaves snapping and falling onto the ground was heard.

”Duck from those fireballs!” The Company Commander of the cavalry shouted an order to his soldiers loudly. The younger generation soldiers of the Hagrid Family finally stirred. They urged their warhorses to retreat to the mountain forest on the other side of the national highway.

General Vangol opened the door of the carriage and a soldier immediately blocked the door. Vangol saw that an arrow has already pierced through the soldier. The former General of the Guards' expression was inscrutable. He covered the eyes of the soldiers that were protruding out. The general straightened his uniform. He looked with slight regret at his empty epaulet. This signified that he was no longer a soldier of the Empire but merely a pitiful creature that has been discarded.

Hagrid drew out his sword, a sword that Marshal Alan entrusted someone to give to him. Although he knew he would use this sword long before that, he didn't expect to experience all this when his ranks just set foot into the Faran border.

Hagrid assessed the battlefield calmly. The guarding cavalry was backed up to one side of the mountain ridge. Quite a number of soldiers were shot off their horses by the first wave of feathered arrows. Their corpses fell to the ground, allowing the rolling logs and fireballs that were rushing down the mountain ridge to end them.

The cavalry's disaster hasn't ended. The foes who were lying in wait at the other side of the mountain ridge tossed out even more deadly spears. The spears were swift and precise and the commander of the knights was pinned onto a tree with a spear. This sort of outcome immediately plunged the entire rank into complete chaos.

***************

All around the former commander, Hagrid's younger generation soldiers were fighting, each man for himself. They knew that they have fallen into encirclement. The enemies appeared to emerge out of the blue. Every corner of the mountain, arrows came flying and spears were thrown their way. A unit of soldiers finally came through. Beside the Marshal, a sword and shield formation took form. They erupted with the most enraged cry as they confronted the bandits who were charging towards them.

”Bandits?” Vangol Abberning Hagrid watched the enemies that charged and fell ceaselessly with disdain. That powerful exploding force, the strict and meticulous teamwork and the courage in launching a surprise attack far outside the national borders. All these implied that these enemies were absolutely not just any bandits, but Special Forces Soldiers sent by someone who wanted his life.

Hagrid's long sword rose and fell continuously. His opponent and his own blood gradually stained his general uniform that didn't have any army rank red. What the former general felt odd was that these Special Forces Soldiers skilled in assassination seemed to be afraid to confront him. More often than not, a slash of the sword would be able to push them back.

Gradually, the General's strength couldn't hold up anymore. His defenders were left with a mere few. He also had no idea of which fields his family members have ended up in. Finally, the resistance came to a halt. The General was only left with four warriors who were wounded all over by his side. They surrounded the General's left and right with their long swords trained directly onto the enemies who had them surrounded.

”Gay” Mike parted the crowd and strode out with a group of soldiers following behind him. The soldiers were carrying a few corpses on their back but their footsteps were very steady.

”General, we meet again!” Mike said while saluting the former General of the Guards.

Hagrid snorted coldly in response.

”It's a little weird!” Mike shook his head, ”Your family members aren't in those few carriages. I can only find these few scapegoats.”

Vangol grinned, he hasn't misjudged O'Neil Andrew Morisette's nature. He already sent his family members abroad through a secret channel.

”Can you tell me?” Mike measured up Hagrid a little dubiously. ”Since you can conceal your family members without a trace, then why did you still walk into our ambush circle?”

Hagrid suddenly laid down the long sword in his hand, ”I only wish to give an explanation to His Majesty III. After all, I was the one who harmed the Imperial Household, but this has nothing to do with my family.”

Mike nodded, ”You are a General who is worth the respect. If it wasn't for the command, I absolutely wouldn't treat you this way.”

The Special Combat Soldier gradually narrowed the encirclement. His spear was almost piercing into the lonely defensive core.

”What are you still waiting for? Haven't you acted enough?” Colonel Mike suddenly said.

Hagrid was a little flabbergasted but the instant his body was pierced through with the spear, it dawned on him what this was all about.

”Hehe!” the General spat out bloody spit. He gave the guard beside him a once over. So these are the assassins who were concealed within the ranks? They have done it really realistically! The spears of four assassins pierced through the General of the Guards' chest and abdomen. Vangol could feel his blood and life draining away rapidly.

”Just like in year 791!” Hagrid muttered to himself. He was a little perplexed as to whether O'Neil Andrew Morisette was really stubborn or really childish.

”Tell your Marshal, his end will not be any better of than mine!”

Mike shrugged. He swung his knife and chopped off the General's head. The head rolled to the ground, emitting a rumbling sound.

This was actually a completely upside down world?

This was what Vangol Abberning Hagrid saw at the very end of his life.