Chapter 37
Sena Vark.
She was an A-rank freelancer.
In Magitera, A-rank meant someone who was reasonably trustworthy.
She could be assigned to most corporate jobs, entrusted with making decisions alone, and put her name on a report after a failure without being terribly ashamed.
That was not bad, but… of course, it was nothing remarkable either.
Sena herself knew that well.
Her ACU was Tier 5.
By ordinary-citizen standards, that was quite high. In the outer districts, the mere mention of Tier 5 often made opponents retreat before a fight even began.
But the mercenary world was different.
Tier 5 was not especially rare. It was the minimum standard for upper-level corporations’ high-risk contracts and the sort of personnel subcontracted PMCs liked to use as squad leaders. A loss was regrettable, but not enough to make them irreplaceable forces.
That was what Tier 5 meant.
Sena knew her specifications were nothing special.
Her ACU output was not top-class, and her cyberware enhancements were not excessive. She was not a famous mercenary everyone recognized by name. Nor did she have a spectacular record that would earn her recruitment as an exclusive agent for a major corporation.
Even so, she had survived until now.
Skilled movement, quick judgment, and the habit of discarding useless pride.
Those consistent behavioral patterns were what had allowed Sena to survive until now.
Moreover, corporations were organizations obsessed with cutting costs.
Corporations that based everything on the principle of ‘minimum’ revealed that trait even in the personnel they assigned to contracts.
The minimum number of personnel.
But that number was based on the assumption that each individual was worth a full person’s share of capability.
And the problem did not end there.
Seraph Industries’ transport-escort contract appeared simple on the surface, but it had some rather troublesome aspects.
They were to escort a transport truck carrying a prototype product from the research district to Outer District Test Site 3.
However, the escort force consisted of five Tier 5 mercenaries—an ambiguous number for an easily exposed route.
It was neither too many nor too few.
To be precise, it was enough people for hyenas to decide it was ‘worth trying’ and attack.
“….”
And there was one more thing.
Sena looked at the black-haired young man sitting beside her.
Kael.
Someone with nothing exceptional about him, no cyberware or other equipment, and no mercenary experience because this was his first job.
As Sena checked his information on her terminal again, Brick was openly voicing his dissatisfaction.
“Team leader. Are you really okay with this?”
His voice was low, but it was easily audible inside the truck.
Sena answered without looking at him.
“We’ll find out soon enough.”
“He registered today, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“And you put someone like that on this contract?”
“If Seraph Industries included him without rejecting him, it means there’s something about him worth trusting.”
Brick let out a hollow laugh.
“Something worth trusting? What, if you put a rookie on a contract, the enemies will start shooting gently?”
His words were reasonable to some extent, so although she was annoyed, she held her tongue.
At that moment, Yudin quietly spoke while checking the long case on his knees.
“If Seraph inserted him, there must be something there.”
Maras was twirling the drone controller between their fingers.
“Hopefully there is something. If there isn’t, we’ll have to make up for it ourselves.”
Sena sighed once before speaking.
“I’m confirming the operation.”
At her words, everyone’s attention inside the truck focused on her.
Only then did Kael raise his head.
“The front vehicle will clear the route, and the rear vehicle will cut off pursuit. Our objective is to directly escort the cargo inside. If we’re attacked, the primary objective is preserving the cargo. The secondary objective is personnel survival.”
Brick nodded.
“I know.”
“Brick, defend the entrance. Hold the line in front of the bulkhead. If close combat breaks out, you’re the first line of defense.”
“Good.”
“Yudin, provide rear fire support. Cover the blind spot on the right side of the bulkhead. If the vehicle stops or overturns and you gain an outside view, eliminate threats from high ground first.”
Yudin nodded quietly.
“Understood.”
“Maras, monitor our surroundings with the drones. If communication with the front vehicle is cut, prioritize confirming a detour immediately. If the rear vehicle disappears, report at once whether the enemy is following us. And if an internal disruption signal comes in, pass it to me first.”
“Okay.”
Sena looked at Kael last.
The mouth that had been issuing orders suddenly clamped shut, and she fell silent for a moment, thinking.
She had no idea where to station him or what role to give him.
He looked too frail to use as a wall like Brick, and he was not an exceptional talent equipped like Yudin or Maras.
He was supposedly Tier 5, but she did not even know what kind of magic he used.
“….”
Putting someone like that on a key route was dangerous.
That was Sena’s conclusion.
“Kael.”
“Go ahead.”
“You’ll be our reserve.”
At her words, Brick let out a small chuckle.
“Reserve?”
“Don’t move until instructed. Wait in the seat to the left of the bulkhead. If someone goes down or there’s an internal breach, fill the empty position then.”
The truck fell quiet for a moment.
Kael looked at her, but strangely, he did not appear offended.
“Why?”
“Because we have no information about you.”
Sena answered briefly.
“If you plan an operation around an unknown person in the field, you’re likely to die. You always have to consider the worst-case scenario. So I’ll count you as nonexistent combat power. If you prove genuinely useful, we can account for that when the time comes.”
Kael seemed to think for a moment, then nodded.
“Reasonable.”
This time, Sena asked, puzzled:
“You’re not upset?”
“No.”
At his answer, Sena examined Kael’s expression again.
What a strange young man.
Usually, rookies got angry when they were dismissed this thoroughly.
Most either bristled with confidence or tried to explain their abilities.
But this young man accepted her words far too easily.
Sena spoke one last time.
“…Fine. We’ll do it that way.”
***
Kael did not think poorly of Sena Vark’s judgment.
No, he thought it was actually quite good.
Putting him in reserve had been a wise choice.
Not counting unknown forces as forces was the most basic principle any general commanding a battlefield needed to follow.
When planning an operation, more uncontrollable factors tended to arise than controllable ones.
That was why, especially in missions where lives were at stake, variables had to be eliminated as much as possible.
Kael knew that well.
He had planned countless operations himself.
In front of crumbling walls, inside burning forests, overlooking the Demon King’s army camps, and in the middle of gorges whose retreat routes had been cut off.
He had passed through battlefields where one person’s mistake annihilated everyone countless times, and had broken through countless battlefields paved with their corpses.
That was why Sena’s judgment could be called correct and reasonable.
If Kael had been in her position, he might have been even more blunt about it.
Sena finished assigning positions quickly, then continued checking the route.
Her command was not bad.
Speaking briefly and saying only what was necessary was a trait of competent commanders.
Brick looked dissatisfied, but he followed the orders.
Yudin checked the equipment without a word, while Maras watched the drone screens.
For a team assembled temporarily, they were decent.
At least, none of them ran wild according to their own whims.
Of course, that excluded Brick, who had been openly picking a fight with Kael until just moments ago.
Compared to the worst parties Kael had experienced, even that was fairly minor.
“Front vehicle, route clear.”
The transmission rang out.
“Rear vehicle, no pursuit signal.”
Maras spoke while swiping through the drone display.
“Inside the urban surveillance network. No external entities approaching. No drone interference either.”
Brick muttered with his arms folded.
“It’s too quiet.”
Soon afterward, Maras raised their head first.
“The rear vehicle is gradually falling behind.”
Sena’s eyes immediately turned that way.
“How much?”
“Eighteen meters beyond the regulated distance. No, twenty-four meters. It’s still widening.”
Brick straightened.
“Maybe the driver just made a mistake. Or they were drinking while driving.”
“Request confirmation from the rear vehicle.”
Sena opened the internal communication channel.
“Rear vehicle, respond. You are currently falling out of formation.”
Only brief static came through; there was no response.
Sena’s expression hardened at the sudden development, then quickly relaxed again.
“Rear vehicle, respond.”
Maras moved their fingers rapidly.
“The communication packet has been cut.”
“Reconnect it.”
“I’m trying.”
Kael closed his eyes, touched the floor with his fingertips, and quietly recited a spell.
Revela
[Detection]
‘It hasn’t stopped.’
He opened his eyes as he grasped the situation.
‘We’ve been hit.’
At that moment, a red warning appeared on the truck’s internal communications.
[Rear Escort Vehicle Signal Lost]
Brick cursed.
“Damn it.”
Yudin silently unlocked the case, while Maras sent two drones toward the rear.
Sena immediately issued orders to the team.
“Brick, to the bulkhead. Yudin, prepare to secure the rear view. Maras, send only one drone to the rear and keep the other watching above. Tell the front vehicle to increase speed.”
“Understood.”
“Kael.”
At her words, Kael looked at Sena.
“Hold your current position. Don’t move rashly until I call you.”
“Understood.”
Kael answered obediently.
The atmosphere inside the truck changed the moment the rear vehicle’s signal was cut.
Sena spoke.
“It’s an ambush.”
At the same time, the truck’s rear surveillance screen came on.
The screen was partially obscured by noise.
Where the rear vehicle should have been, flames spread as black smoke billowed upward.
Maras spoke.
“Rear vehicle confirmed destroyed.”
Sena steadied her breathing, then immediately issued her next order.
“Everyone, prepare for combat.”
***
Maras shouted.
“Front vehicle stopped!”
Sena’s eyes wavered.
“Front vehicle, respond. Why did you stop?”
Only static came through the transmitter. No one responded.
When the drone screen showed the lead vehicle, a black spear-like object was embedded in its front.
“The front vehicle’s been disabled!”
At that moment, the transport truck came to an emergency stop.
Screeeech—!
The heavy vehicle skidded violently along the aerial road.
Sena held onto the handrail and shouted.
“Everyone, get down!”
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Gunfire erupted outside, bullets ricocheting off the armor plating. Blue flashes soon scraped across the vehicle’s outer wall.
“Upper left! Multiple contacts!”
Maras’s voice sharpened.
“Determine their numbers!”
“At least twelve! No, fifteen or more! There are some beneath the structures too. No insignia visible. No regular PMC markings!”
Yudin began firing sniper shots as they spoke.
“If they’re forces hiding their affiliation, there are only two possibilities. They’re corporate forces or people hired by a corporation.”
Brick deployed the shield plate.
“Either way, they’re all assholes.”
As Sena raised her ACU output, blue circuit-light spread across the back of her hand, and a translucent barrier unfolded in front of her.
‘What do they mean, medium-high risk? This is enough to call it the highest level!’
She gritted her teeth.
“Brick, block the rear door. Yudin, shoot anyone who enters your sights. Cut off the high ground first. Maras, report immediately if anyone approaches from below.”
Yudin’s gun rang out.
Bang!
At the sound, the head of one target burst apart with a wet splatter.
At that moment, an unidentified black circular device was embedded in the rear door.
Brick immediately turned around.
“One bastard’s on the rear door!”
Sena shouted.
“Remove it!”
“I know!”
Brick rushed toward the rear door, but at the same time, the right outer wall split open.
A cutting spell. A long red line traced across the inside of the vehicle, continuing to cut through the outer wall with a horrifying screech.
Sena turned her defensive barrier in that direction.
“Yudin, support the right!”
“What about the rear door?”
“Brick will hold it. Don’t worry about that side. Just reduce the enemy’s numbers!”
Yudin changed their firing direction at her words.
Maras spoke quickly.
“Three enemies approaching from above! They’re preparing to cut through the roof! One drone can’t cover the entire battle. The rear is opening, and the roof is about to open too! Team leader, we have to give up one of them!”
Sena drew a short breath.
There was only one force left.
Kael.
Sena had to call him. Reserves existed for moments like this.
Pulling out an unknown card on the battlefield was dangerous, but if she held it until the end and everyone died, there could be nothing more foolish.
Sena made up her mind and opened her mouth.
“Kael, go to the rear door. Don’t rush out alone; fill gaps within the line Brick is holding. I haven’t confirmed your abilities yet, so I won’t give you an unreasonable role. But understand that we no longer have the luxury of treating you as completely nonexistent combat power!”
At her words, Kael rose from his seat.
“Understood. Push back the enemies within the line Brick is holding. Is that enough?”
“Yes. And if I order a retreat, withdraw immediately. If you get dragged outside because you were showing off, we won’t be able to rescue you.”
“I have no intention of doing that.”
Brick shouted from in front of the rear door.
“Hey, rookie! Stick behind me! I’ll block them, so don’t rush ahead for no reason. I don’t care if you freeze up in fear, but at least don’t get in my way!”
Kael walked toward the rear door and spoke.
“I won’t get in your way.”
“You’d better keep that promise!”
At that moment, the device locking the rear door turned red.
KABOOM!
The door blew open.
Black smoke poured inside, and an armed enemy burst out of it.
He carried two short combat axes, and light cyberware reinforced various parts of his body. He was obviously specialized in close combat. That was probably why he was faster than the other enemies.
Brick raised the shield plate and turned toward him, but their reaction was half a beat too slow.
The enemy exploited the opening. One axe grazed the side of Brick’s shield plate and plunged inward.
Slash!
“You son of a—!”
Sena tried to turn the barrier, but she had no room to spare because she was blocking bullets entering from the right outer wall.
“Brick!”
That brief opening.
Kael moved.
He boldly stepped inside the enemy’s attack range. The moment his hand touched the enemy’s wrist, he twisted it sharply.
Clang!
One combat axe fell to the floor, but the enemy aimed at Kael’s neck with a blade attached to his other arm. Kael ducked slightly to evade the relentless attack, then pressed the inside of the enemy’s knee with his toe, making the enemy’s body pitch forward.
Thud!
The enemy’s face slammed into the floor.
It took less than three seconds to subdue the enemy who had suddenly ambushed them in the middle of the melee.
Brick, who had watched from the side, opened his mouth.
“…What?”