“Let’s begin the final briefing.”
Yurina Russell, seated at the table in the military tent, immediately got to the point. She glanced around at those gathered and gestured to her aide. A blue screen appeared in mid-air.
“Our operation is simple. Originally, Major Hyun was supposed to take the lead alone, but with Guild Master Logan joining… the two of them will lead together, and the rest will support from the rear.”
Yurina continued her explanation, manipulating the holographic map with her hands.
“First, there’s a change from the information we shared a few days ago. The enemy numbers have increased beyond our initial assessment.”
“The number of Dark Elves has grown?”
“Yes. Exactly forty-two now.”
“…Wasn’t it thirty before?”
The tent stirred at the news of increased enemy numbers. Everyone except Chen, who was already aware, was surprised by Yurina’s announcement. Iberis, his expression hardening, asked calmly:
“What’s the reason for this sudden increase of over ten?”
“After discovering the Black World Tree and Dark Elf group in my area, we scoured the back alleys of each region just in case, remember? It seems the elves hiding there have joined up.”
Yurina shared what her unit had discovered. While N-7, 8, and 9 were civilian areas, villages for military families existed in N-0 to N-6, with many shops catering to them.
Moreover, small guilds and mercenaries working on military subcontracts stayed near the bases, so every sector had its back alleys. Intensive investigation of these areas revealed traces of Dark Elves in some slums as well.
“Are you saying the Dark Elves, sensing the possibility of a large-scale subjugation operation, gathered in N-7, their stronghold?”
“Probably. Whatever the reason, the important point is that the number of enemies we face has increased.”
“Hmm…”
Iberis stroked his chin, staring at the screen Yurina was manipulating. It was filled with information about the Dark Elf group, gathered by N-9 unit’s reconnaissance team.
“There are even five Dark Elf mages. And ten warriors…”
Iberis’s expression grew serious as he read the screen’s contents. Dark Elves, being humanoid monsters, were tricky opponents. Unlike common monsters like werewolves or arachne, they thought like humans. They could even communicate to some extent.
For this reason, there had once been attempts to interact with humanoid monsters like vampires, elves, dwarves, yetis, and succubi. However, all failed except for the dwarves.
Vampires and succubi saw humans only as food, while elves were haughty and closed-off. Above all, they all viewed humans as an inferior race.
“Elf mages and warriors are A-rank, and regular elves are B+ rank monsters? Being humanoid, they’re stronger than regular monsters of the same rank… This is going to be troublesome.”
Iberis frowned, looking bothered. Mages and warriors were beings that used magic and aura similar to espers’ abilities. So when facing them, it was easier to approach as if fighting espers rather than monsters.
“That’s why we’re conducting this joint operation.”
Yurina forced a cheerful tone. Someone unfamiliar might mock them for gathering three military units and even a cooperative guild just to catch a few dozen elves, not hundreds. But this was certainly not an overreaction.
“According to our micro-drone reconnaissance, the elves have already fortified their position around the Black World Tree. They’ve piled up construction materials and earthworks to prevent us from flanking them, and we’ve confirmed archers positioned throughout the surrounding abandoned buildings.”
As Yurina switched the screen, photos of the Dark Elves taken by drones popped up. Seeing the enemy’s preparations more thorough than expected, murmurs broke out among the group.
This was the strength of humanoid monsters who formed groups and societies. Unlike goblins or orcs that charged blindly, they had weapons and strategies. Fighting them wasn’t just combat, but a small-scale war.
“…In terms of difficulty, it’s equivalent to an A+ rank rift conquest.”
Chen muttered with a dark expression. Just because a rift is rated A-rank doesn’t mean all monsters inside are A-rank. The rank is usually determined by considering the boss, the scale of the rift occurrence, monster species, and total number of individuals comprehensively.
As a result, sometimes rifts were conquered faster and easier than their rated rank suggested. The opposite was also quite common.
But calling this Dark Elf subjugation an A+ rank operation wasn’t an exaggeration. With their exceptional individual abilities and tactics unlike regular monsters, this would likely be a tougher fight than usual.
“That’s why we requested help from N-0 unit. Among us, only Major Hyun – no, only you two, including Guild Master Logan, can face an A+ rank boss and A-rank monsters simultaneously.”
Yurina, agreeing with Chen’s opinion, quickly corrected herself with a look of realization. Although she had an uncomfortable relationship with Livio for choosing Iberis over Mars Guild’s offer, making statements that disregarded him was a separate issue.
“Ahem, I found out that similar incidents occurred in D and T sectors a few months ago. They dealt with vampires and fairies there.”
Yurina cleared her throat, covering her mouth with her fist, and hastily changed the subject.
“All humanoid monsters?”
“Yes, the Central Intelligence Agency suspects that as power struggles intensify in the magical realm, some humanoid monster groups are attempting to find new territories.”
Yurina revealed what she had learned through headquarters as Iberis showed interest. In the early days of the Rift Era, humans were unilaterally overwhelmed by monsters, but things were different now. Currently, humans and monsters maintained a certain balance, dividing the Earth.
While rifts occurred every few days and dungeon breaks happened every few months, the creation of magical realms was rare. Recently, some even considered humans superior except in the seas.
“The areas managed by our Defense Force, as well as the small magical realms in various countries, are gradually being reclaimed through subjugation efforts. As a result, the land available for monsters is shrinking. However, their numbers within the magical realms are increasing rapidly.”
“So with limited space but continuously growing numbers, they’re fighting over the scarce land, and humanoid monsters like elves have turned their eyes to our territory?”
“That’s the intelligence agency’s theory. It seems they planted the Black World Tree in our sector to pollute the land and receive mana suitable for them.”
“…In other words, they’re trying to turn our living space into a magical realm?”
Iberis’s eyes sharpened. Earth’s environment isn’t suitable for monsters to live in because the mana from other dimensions differs from Earth’s mana.
“That’s right. From their perspective, the more magical realms expand and increase, the better.”
Yurina affirmed Iberis’s words. Currently, the only ways for monsters living in magical realms to obtain mana were to grow otherworldly plants like the Black World Tree or to devour beings from the same dimension.
“As you all know, the humanoid monsters living in magical realms have coexisted with us for years, sometimes decades. They’re that cunning. The Dark Elves probably realized that rifts frequently occur in places filled with otherworldly energy, like magical realms.”
“So they did this to obtain what they need when rifts occur? Then this won’t be a one-time thing; we’re likely to see similar attempts in the future…”
Iberis predicted, crossing his arms. If humanoid monsters continue to target defense zones, it meant one more thing to deal with.
“We’ll need to inquire with headquarters about this after the Dark Elf subjugation. So, what’s the final decided operation plan?”
“Ah, first, the priority for the vanguard, Major Hyun and Guild Master Logan, is to eliminate the Black World Tree. For that, you’ll need to break through the defensive wall the Dark Elves have created…”
Yurina shared the detailed plan she had devised in discussion with the Central Intelligence Agency and Strategic Command.
“…That’s all I have to explain. Any questions?”
“I have one thing I’d like to confirm.”
As Yurina looked around after her long explanation, Lucas, who had been sitting quietly until now, raised his hand.
“What is it, Captain Illum?”
“Once we enter combat, will Guild Master Logan be taking orders from Major Hyun?”
“Huh?”
Yurina gaped at the unexpected question. Everyone in the tent looked surprised. But the one who dropped this bombshell remained calm.
“Why do you look like that? It’s not an odd question.”
“No, well…”
“Two heads can lead to confusion during battle. So the chain of command should be unified. While Major Russell will handle overall command and manage the rear units, shouldn’t there be someone to lead those fighting on the front lines?”
“That’s true…”
Yurina awkwardly agreed. Lucas’s point was valid. The problem was that Livio was a former lieutenant general from the Defense Force. Even though he became a civilian due to a dishonorable incident, it was hard to completely ignore his experience. It was a kind of professional courtesy.
For Livio, taking orders from Iberis, his former subordinate and now bitter rival, would be the ultimate humiliation.
On the other hand, it would be strange to put Livio in charge of front-line troops in case of unexpected situations. If there were no other S-rank espers, maybe, but Iberis was clearly present. They couldn’t ignore an active-duty soldier like him.
Yurina, not wanting to get caught between them, thought Iberis should be in command but hesitated to make the decision. She even had the irresponsible thought that they might figure it out themselves once the battle started.
Honestly, from her perspective, it would be fine if Livio and Iberis didn’t cooperate. An S-rank esper could easily do the work of a hundred people, so even if they acted separately, there shouldn’t be any major issues. But this bold captain seemed to think otherwise.
“That’s why I think we should clarify this point before executing the operation. Wouldn’t it be better to establish a clear hierarchy to avoid any confusion?”
“Umm, you’re right, Captain. You’re right, but…”
Yurina hesitated, glancing at Livio. His face had been rigid since the moment Lucas started speaking.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
