Gacha Kingdom Building-Chapter 294: Detail in Execution (02)

Eight cars formed a column on the street before the burning mansion.

James and I rode on the fifth, together with the Mayor and two of his guards, who sat in the backseats, facing us.

Despite this, most men avoided looking directly at each other.

We focused on the road, alert for any suspicious activity.

Once the flames were left behind us, the sirens and the screams died down.

A funeral-like silence followed.

Mayor: "...Young man? Something wrong?"

It was cunning of him to target the youngest, and thus most inexperienced, with such a loaded question.

He probably already knew what was on mine and James’ minds.

The burning of the mansion wasn’t in the briefing.

We weren’t informed of our final destination, nor the reason we had to reach it.

Most importantly, while it was important for at least one of us to keep close to the escortee...

Both James and I lost most of our combat effectiveness inside such a claustrophobic, moving space.

Water, earth, and green magic were all out of the question for the Landscaper. No matter how skillful he was, he’d most likely hurt the mayor and the guards.

My situation wasn’t any better.

If I summoned a girl inside the car, while it was moving, it’d only lead to chaos and confusion.

Even if they were told beforehand, that’s just too hard to adapt on the fly.

Also, I could only summon so many of them before we ran out of room.

So, to answer his question...

Miwen: "I’m just wondering if there’ll be more surprises on the way... Sir?"

Despite all of the reasons I had to complain and question the operation, I chose to cooperate with the mayor’s attempt to lift the mood.

It was sly, but ultimately, his intention was good, and I agreed it’d be better for everyone to get along as much as possible.

Although to that end, I had to be respectful of his position, and if not for James’ nudge, I might’ve let my pride slip a little.

It was just a little hard for me to treat anyone respectfully, given my history with kings and queens, and how many of them now served under me.

Not to mention my own position, and the fact that he’d just underestimated me.

Mayor: "Haha! Who knows? I wasn’t the one who wrote your briefs!"

Due to his old age, the mayor’s rugged face barely had the strength to lift his lips to form a smile.

If it were Lily and Ellie in my place, they’d probably sympathize with him, or at least, they’d think this made his smile more gentle.

Unfortunately, I could only think of how much more deceptive it made him.

Every decision was calculated, and cracking a joke at my expense wasn’t a mistake.

Miwen: "I see..."

Having already seen through his intention, I played along with an act of my own.

I built no barriers against him.

Offering no resistance, I answered quietly.

Reserved, but still far from meek.

This time, not because of pride.

I sincerely believed that, as his escort, I shouldn’t look weak.

Not if I wanted the others to rely on me, if it came down to that.

It was a difficult balance to strike, but I had the experience to pull it off.

The conversation continued.

The mayor never once doubted he was pulling the strings, and eventually...

Mayor: "I can tell you didn’t vote for me! You don’t even know my name, right?"

Miwen: "Well... I wasn’t old enough to vote for anyone, so I didn’t really pay any attention to the candidates..."

Mayor: "Oh... I see. Well, the name’s Richard Blake. Be sure to vote for me when I run again."

It was a brief exchange. Friendly, casual.

The perfect ground for a careless slip had been laid, and he was the one who did all the work.

Hoping he’d be unwilling to sacrifice the mood he’d set, I took the opportunity he so generously presented me.

Miwen: "I’d consider it, if we safely reach... Where are we going again?"

Richard Blake: "..."

The mayor was smart enough to understand that choosing silence was an admission of its own.

It wasn’t a mistake that our briefings didn’t disclose this information.

This was, purposefully, a secret.

One worth sacrificing the mood he had worked hard to build, and the pretense of friendliness.

James: "Kh... Cough..."

Guard: "...!? Gh..."

Suddenly, James started coughing.

Loudly.

Then, the other guards started doing the same.

The mayor and I were seemingly the only ones not affected by the coughing spree; however, fearing sabotage or another type of foul play, the mayor forced the convoy to stop.

Mayor: "We can’t afford to waste more time."

James: "...I’m sorry, sir. But I cannot let you proceed without help, either."

The timing was incredibly perfect and thus, suspicious.

However...

It seemed like we had a dilemma in our hands.

Miwen: "...Can you use your magic to keep watch over us from afar?"

The trailblazers often praise James’ ability to keep watch, and there was an old story about him using roots to feel various corridors of a Dungeon and act as a makeshift scout.

James: "Yes. But I’m not powerful enough to cover the entire city."

Miwen: "Oh... If only we could reduce the area to only where we know for certain we’ll pass by..."

Since there was no reason to act friendly anymore, the smile I gave the mayor was anything but warm.

Richard: "Fine..."

Again, another confession.

This time, we discovered that time was even more important than the destination itself.

Although the route still piqued my interest.

Normally, I’d have expected a mission to escort a mayor to end in a safe location, and this one wasn’t different.

The final destination was another city’s office, guarded by the army.

However, I couldn’t help but notice that our route was a little odd.

It was almost like we were meant to stop somewhere else first.

And if I had to hazard a guess...

It’d be the local cemetery.

From there, the route was about as straightforward as it gets...

Miwen: "...No need to be anxious."

Before getting back on the road, I summoned Mia and Anna to fill up the vacant positions inside the mayor’s car.

The mayor protested, saying he’d prefer his men to accompany him.

So, Anna and Mia demonstrated exactly why they were the best option.

They forcibly entered the car and took their seats, proving the futility of its defenses.

Convinced, I asked the mayor to sit between them, so that they could cover both his left and right.

This caused him to sweat profusely.

His eyes drifted around, hiding from mine.

The innocent face I had put on before was gone now.

With the girls in danger, I became watchful.

Any movements, from anywhere, would prompt me to act.

Nothing could escape my eyes, not even the mayor.

Richard: "...Don’t, for a second, believe I don’t know what James did."

After minutes of being stuck in a cage with me, the mayor’s mask started to slip.

I wasn’t trying to scare him, but I welcomed the change.

Miwen: "...It was for your own good."

James had used his [Green Magic] to release spores into the air.

He concentrated them on the guards and on himself, so that they wouldn’t interrupt him when he asked to leave.

The mayor must’ve realized it the moment he used the situation to force his hand.

I could’ve lied to protect James, but there would be no point.

It was never about fooling them; he only wanted to force their hands.

Having succeeded, he trusted me to hold the fort.

Richard: "That’s the problem with you, adventurers. You think... You can do whatever you want... When you don’t even understand what’s happening..."

I was impressed.

Despite being alone, surrounded by unknown elements, he still held his head high.

He wasn’t as confident as before, but still, he met my eyes and confronted me.

Not with thoughtless words he scrambled together, either.

His complaint was valid; it extended beyond this matter and into the entire war.

There were many cases of well-intentioned people whose ill-judged attempts to help caused more harm than good.

The AOTG and the Government diverged, mainly, on how much emphasis society should put on Gifts and magic versus experience and knowledge.

Miwen: "If you grip it too tightly, it will break."

It’s just a matter of time, really.

Miwen: "Besides... the only reason we’re in the dark is that you refuse to let us see. I don’t think it’s fair to blame James for not following your script when you never gave him one."

The mayor’s eyes squinted.

The more he pushed, the less I gave.

Most of my answers were meant to defend James and me, rather than a commentary on the overarching war.

Still, the underlying text clearly bothered him.

Richard: "You have no idea how many problems your lot causes, do you? How expensive it is to clean up after you?"

Miwen: "No clue. Would that be more or less than fighting an eternal war against the Dungeons?"

Richard: "We have the resources to stop the Dungeons now."

Miwen: "Right. That’s why there are still cities lost, huh?"

The discussion started to heat up.

Seeing the smile on my face grow, Mia started kicking my leg, hoping to make me stop throwing fuel into the fire.

Richard: "If at least you could win a Divine Event by yourselves-"

Unfortunately, just as I was starting to have fun, the convoy slammed to a halt.

This time, it wasn’t for a sick passenger.

The sound of gunfire shredded the silence.

I stepped out of the car to find us surrounded.

A hundred men.

At least.