As the coastline narrowed, the continent-spanning bridge known as the Grand Crossing came into view, the ultimate marvel of Hondurian engineering shimmering under the moonlight and forming a wavy reflection upon the water’s surface. As one end of the glimmering bridge led into the dense sea mist supported by thick pillars of stone, the other originated from the inland town called Vanguard Pass that they were nearing.

Vanguard Pass might have been classed as a town, but it was closer to a fortress than a normal border checkpoint where people cross into the other country. Built in the early days of the Western Expedition, it was the spearhead into the part of the western continent which eventually became the Kingdom of Caerheim. Nowadays, it functions as a mere stop-over before or after the long journey through the Grand Crossing, with ramparts extending out from both sides to form an effective barrier that funnels travelers through the town and keep out any illegal border hopping.

To think that it would become the perfect spearhead for the Caerheim Invasion in this war.

Even from afar, Vanguard Pass looked heavily fortified. Despite being more than half the size smaller than Loyderidge, temporary watchtowers had been erected to cover all directions along the ramparts that separated the peninsula the town sits on with the rest of the continent. The town was brightly lit, as though its inhabitants were on high alert the entire time. It was logical, considering how Vanguard Pass was technically staffed by the Hondurian military as an outpost, further amplified by the presence of royalty.

The seven members of the fellowship silently proceeded at the side of the merchant’s caravan, trying to act as normal as they could. Lugwen and Riwana took the front, while Mealgar, Aveye and Shadun filled in the center. Naomi and Beast covered the rear and he was busy grappling with how he could get across the message that the merchant was not what he seemed to be without blowing everything they were doing.

One wrong move and he could alert the merchant. If the latter were to perchance run away, the whole of Vanguard Pass would be on the lookout for their arrival, rendering the already difficult mission impossible. Then again, it was not like they should just follow him like lambs to the slaughter. Beast was sure that Riwana is no fool, but they might be underestimating just what this merchant could do.

Naomi suddenly rode closer to him.

“Beast…”

“Yes?” Beast answered as softly as he could.

“My father sent me a message from the capsule…” The girl was unsure if she should continue on what she was about to say.

“… Your mother called the dojo.” She was surveying Beast’s expression for signs. “She asked if you were with us.”

“Huh? Oh.” Beast gave a distracted reply, his mind still on the previous matter. Unfortunately, it made him sounded aloof. Naomi’s face furrowed.

“Can you not be so detached? This is your mother we are talking about. I don’t know what happened between the both of you but papa said she sounded very worried.” Instead of the reprimanding, bossy tone that she liked to take with him, this time Naomi sounded… concerned. What changed?

“In any case, papa told her that you are with us and told me to tell you to settle this matter with your mother soon, if you are a real man. In his exact words, he said he did not want a little shit for a grand-disciple and will not hesitate to kick you out of the dojo even if he had retired.”

Somehow it had become a threat all of a sudden. The mood whiplash was jarring. Beast weakly nodded, trying to ignore that jab at his masculinity made by Naomi’s father he had yet to meet.

“Hey…”

“Yes?” If there were more threats, she should simply just say them all at once.

“If… you need to talk about anything on your mind… you can talk to me.”

A small smile crept into Beast’s face at Naomi’s offer. “Sure.” He lightly replied.

For that moment and a few others after that, the atmosphere was heartwarming, amplified under the serene light of the moon. Then, a third person joined in the conversation seconds later and ruined it.

“Psst. Hey boy, I am sorry to interrupt your flirting but I would like to ask something.” It was Mealgar the historian.

“What is it?” Beast whispered with a small degree of irritation at the same volume the historian approached them with.

Mealgar took a glance at the front to check if the merchant was paying attention before he asked his question. “Do you notice something off about the merchant we picked up?”

It was logical that Mealgar, being of the historian class, would have the Detect Mana skill as well, thus allowing him to see the faint blue glow of magic emitting from the merchant. Despite that, Beast was unsure of how to answer; He did not know how the pudgy historian would react. Naomi on the other hand, reacted for the both of them.

“Something is wrong with him?” She inquired, sensible enough to keeping her voice down. The subject in question was currently humming a tune alongside his alpaca steed.

Mealgar nodded. “I originally thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but he is not what he seems. That man… is hiding something.”

Beast nodded in affirmation.

“Ah, I knew you could see it too. Very well, that confirms my suspicions.”

“Mealgar, could you inform Lugwen and Riwana? They need to keep their guards up.” Beast said a matter-of-factly.

“Lugwen and Riwana are already cautious, but they want to use this opportunity to get inside the town I think. I will just relay the information when I see the opportunity to. Well then, just letting you guys know about this.” With an apprehensive nod, the historian returned back to his position by the caravan, leaving Naomi and Beast alone again.

Beast supposed that the conversation was the game’s equivalent of hinting things. The three NPCs chosen on this joint operation was designed such that their skills covered a balanced spectrum, allowing leeway for all the myriad party combinations that could be brought on the quest. This was so that even a heavily skewed party would not be screwed from the start, even if their chances of succeeding would not be very high.

“Naomi, if there ever is an emergency, I want you to escape in a random, different direction and find somewhere safe to hide. Summon the party using Taerra’s Aid after five minutes, not a second more or less.”

“Okay.”

Naomi however, continued to keep her gaze on him.

“Beast, you already knew about this.”

It was not a question.

“Uh… yea.”

“Then why did you not tell us?” She looked hurt, so much that it made Beast feel a little guilty.

“I... was not really sure on the situation. Besides, everyone else seemed to be going along with it so…”

“You need to stop being so passive.”

Another statement, one that resonated within Beast’s soul. How many times had he gone along with the situation just because he was undecided on what to do and thus screwed himself over? The incidents with Lortan, the fiasco with Kiki and even in real life… Naomi was right, he had been quite passive.

“I am sorry.”

“There is no need. Just don’t always keep things from us next time.” Naomi stuck out her tongue as she refused Beast’s apology, leaving him stupefied.

“Besides, I think you can lead pretty well.”

Girls, he had no idea what they are thinking.

……………….

Vanguard Pass was mighty up close. Riding down the road towards the tall stone gates that is the entrance into the town, Beast could feel hundreds of eyes locked onto him. If he were to hazard a guess, most of them had already locked their weapons, ready to fire at a moment’s notice. The only thing between them and death via arrow shower was the merchant they were escorting and the certificate he had.

“Halt.” A voice called from above the walls. “State your business.”

“I am here to trade and I have permission.”

A minute passed before the gate creaked open to let out a Hondurian soldier. He beckoned for the merchant to hand him the proof of permission, to which the latter obliged. They conversed some, but it was not audible at their distance. Would the merchant suddenly betray them? As the soldier’s eyes darted across the parchment, Beast could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. He was sure the rest were the same, looking upon the scene with hopeful, yet anxious eyes.

One shout was all it needed to change their situation entirely, and he was already poised to flee at the slightest sign of trouble.

Then, the soldier announced, “It is okay. Open the gates and let them in.”

The merchant flashed them a grin and held up his thumb in victory.

Seven sighs of relief were released simultaneously while they were ushered into the fortress town. Entering Vanguard Pass proper, the heavy gates shut behind them with a loud bang. They might have managed to pass the first stage, but it also meant that from then onwards, they would not have much of a way of escape. It was the point of no return.

Glancing at the density of the town’s security as he walked down the streets, Beast wondered just how much effort it would take if they were to do the quest in the conventional stealthy way. Vanguard Pass was filled with patrols all over the place, so much that it was as though there was another army right here ready to march at a moment’s notice. Beast was right; Honduria would not give up on Loyderidge that easily.

Actually, the more appropriate question would be if Loyderidge would be able to hold up long enough against the onslaught of another Hondurian attack for them to even enter the town, much less find Duplent to negotiate. Even trying to find a relatively undisturbed dark alleyway free of people took much combing to achieve.

“I have fulfilled my end of the deal, yea?” The merchant looked at Riwana with pleading eyes and then to the rest of the party. His hand gripped the reins of his alpaca tightly as he awaited his verdict.

The court magician nodded. “Thank you for your aid, merchant. I suppose this is where we part ways.”

Now that they were in Vanguard Pass proper, there was no real need to associate with unknown liabilities anymore. Their next step of action would be to find out where Duplent Ashwald is located. They already had a guess; the prince should most likely be protected inside the keep.

“Uh… wait!” it seemed that the merchant was not ready to be abandoned.

“Yes?”

“Are you looking for someone?” The merchant glanced nervously at his alpaca. “My correspondence here might be able to help you. She is a blacksmith and makes rounds to the keep occasionally.”

Beast narrowed his eyes.

Riwana looked as though she was contemplating the offer. “Yes, we-“

“No thanks, but we don’t even know you. You can go about your business and we can go about ours.” Beast politely interrupted. Riwana glared at him for a second but let it slide after Beast did not back down.

It was a harsh but necessary refusal. Besides, there was something fishy about the man that he did not like, as though he was deliberately trying to make things simple for them. That and the original suspicions he had was enough to break ties as soon as he could. Without any hesitation, Beast turned and walked off, followed behind by the rest of the party.

If Beast had stayed around for a while longer, he might have seen a few things he would normally not. He might have seen the merchant’s nervous expression drop like a well-worn mask, only to be replaced by a creeping smirk under the shadows of the alleyway. If he had stayed, he would have heard… things.

“Alpy. Pass me the Pigeon Mail.”

Alpy the alpaca hummed as it obliged its master’s will, rummaging through the caravan before returning with a scroll in its mouth. The merchant then took out a golden feather pen from his pocket and scrawled words on the paper. After his act was done, there was a brief flash of light as the paper fold itself into the shape of a small bird and shot up into the night sky.

Mounting up the alpaca mount, he gently patted the animal’s head. “Well then Alpy, it is time to find Olurin.”

…………….

The town’s keep was as well-guarded as the town’s wall defenses. Fortunately, that served as a good indication of the prince’s location. Unfortunately after surveying the grounds, every entrance into the grounds was vigilantly watched over by at least one guard and moving shadows behind those well-lit windows only hinted at more patrolling forces. There seemed to be no way in without alerting the security to their presences, much less navigating the keep to where they needed to be.

Mealgar had urged them before that it is of utmost important that they have as private an audience with Prince Duplent Ashwald as possible, because there is no reason why he could not take the seal from them forcefully with the amount of military power available to him otherwise. In other words, the success of the mission rest entirely in them getting to Duplent’s room undetected.

Currently, the seven of them were hiding behind the corner of a building near the one of the town’s keep entrance that was the least guarded among them, discussing how they could best gain entry. Naomi was advocating that they break in with pure brute strength, while Riwana suggested using a sleep spell. The former was disregarded without mercy while the latter merited some thought, only to be ultimately dismissed due to strain and mana issue of having to cast the spell on every guard they come across.

“We could use Shadun again…” Beast eyed the bard, who gave him a disgusted look. Technically it is not considered detection if the guards were dead or unconscious.

“What? No!” Three people protested at once – the NPCs.

Beast shrugged. “Hey, it is not like you are the ones without earbuds…”

It was as well that his suggestion was shot down. The Shadun option would be a little too prominent in this kind of situation. Once the soldiers outside the keep realise that an unknown bard is wreaking havoc inside, they would be swarmed and overwhelmed in a blink of an eye. Furthermore, Beast did not really want to keep relying on Shadun’s singing and he somehow gets the feeling that the bard himself is not really proud of it. Therefore, they would have to approach the infiltration via another angle.

The only problem was that they could not come to a consensus on the matter. If this were to carry on, they would not be able to get anything done anytime soon.

Standing up fully, Beast suddenly strode out of their hiding place towards the lone guard standing by the keep’s entrance, much to the horror of everyone involved.

“Hey there.” He gave a friendly smile.

The guard stared at him.

“Tonight is a good night for you?”

The look in Beast’s eyes suddenly changed, setting off the guard’s danger bells. However, before the guard could yell out for help, Beast was faster. His fist flashed a dangerous blue as it smashed into the man’s jaw to a loud satisfying crunch of broken bone.

You have activated Predator Sense!

+30% damage!

You have gained the skill: Dazed Blow

Skill: Dazed Blow (Basic 1)

Passive

The impact of your punches is strong enough to cause slight disorientation to the enemy.

0.5-2.5% chance of inflicting dazed status

Beast stepped behind the guard in a fluid motion a split second after the hit was registered, his other hand already by the mouth and muffling whatever sound of pain that leaked out. Then, he constricted his arm across the man’s neck to deprive him of air, dragging the barely conscious guard back to the hiding place to everyone’s stunned look.

“What are you all looking at? Quickly strip his uniform and change into them. We are doing this the old-school way.”

Six pairs of eyes blinked in response.

………

Ten minutes later, another guard approached the guard post.

“Hey, Wingu. I am here to take the shift. Wingu?”

The figure stiffened and turned slightly. “Yes?”

“Wingu, your voice… and your face…” The second guard abruptly blushed. “You have become prettier…”

It was all the second guard managed to say before the white of his eyes turned and he collapsed onto the ground in deep sleep. Riwana took off her helmet before stepping on the man’s face with her foot in loathing, making sure to push in as hard as she could.

“Pervert.” She spat.

…….

“Say, Argo went to take the shift yea?” Two guards quietly conversed with each other as they walked down the dark path towards the guard post. They were holding what appeared to be bottles of liquor. “If so, where is Wingu?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that Argo should be bored and lonely. Which is why we are here right?”

“Yea! Let’s drink the night away!”

It was then they saw two figures in the darkness approaching from the opposite direction.

“Oh, there are the both of them. They are walking towards us. Hey guys! If you are here, who is guarding?”

Two simultaneous punches lashed out at once, followed by loud thuds of a sword hilt and a lute bashing against hard skulls. Before they could recover, arms were already around their neck, strangling them and robbing their ability to speak. A minute or so later, they finally fell motionless and were quickly stripped bare, their bodies abandoned in the bushes.

……….

“Hey, have you heard? They say that the back entrance was left unguarded. The guard who was supposed to be there disappeared.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I heard people have been sent to investigate and orders had come down from above that everyone is to keep their guards up at all time.”

“No wonder there is some abnormally high activity in the keep at this time of the night. Who do you think it might be?”

“No idea. Reports did come in from Loyderidge that a group of people broke out of the siege and were heading here. It might be them.”

“You are right.”

“Who-?”

An arm snaked in from behind, choking the guard before he had time to react. Clawing and flailing in desperation, he was then dragged into a dark corner of the keep where the sounds of struggled died and another person wearing the exact same uniform emerged a while later. Mealgar cleared his throat, the discomfort with the tightness of his new attire showing on his chubby face. Even so, he nodded at the five other people in the group, signaling that he was ready.

Beast grinned. The plan was going smoothly.

Author's Notes:

Good day readers!

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