I placed a hand on Rila’s Gate…though the array she’d drawn seemed much too big to call it that. A mountain of wooden crates sat on the circle. When I fed mana into the spell, faint particles of magic began to rise and the array hummed quietly. The supplies disappeared.
Barring a mistake on Rila’s part, the weapons and rations should have been sent to Bardenhawk’s capital. I trusted Rila regarding magic, so I assumed all was well.
The platoon soldiers I was working with stared, their mouths ajar.
“I-it disappeared…”
“I guess it’s kind of like really large-scale teleportation magic…”
“A magic circle this large could transport a whole military corps…”
Since most of Guerrera’s soldiers agreed with my plan to prevent the insurrection, no one tried to stop us.
Elsewhere, different troops were all likely hauling the hoarded goods to the other arrays that Rila drew.
The circle on the ground faded steadily until it wholly vanished. Rila had made the formation single use. I suppose that got rid of any need for destroying it and prevented misappropriation. Clever, as always.
“Let’s head to the next spot,” I said to the soldiers keeping watch around me. They swiftly gathered, and we moved as a group.
Once the circles were in place, anyone could activate them to transport goods, so long as that person could use magic. Demonic magic was known to be versatile in that way. Many forms of human magic required specialized arrays, theoretical concerns, and procedures to follow. Such spells regularly failed, even when feeding mana into them.
“Heeey! Rolaaand!”
The second storehouse was in sight, and I saw Ravi waving her hand from afar.
I’d asked Rila to bring her over, as well. This little counter-rebellion was all about robbing Barbatos of everything he’d stockpiled, and Ravi, who specialized in defensive magic and buying time, was perfect for our operation.
“How are things going?” I asked her once I was close enough.
“Umm… It looks like there’s a lot in there, so they haven’t been able to bring it all out yet.”
The soldiers had already formed a mountain of weapons and rations, but evidently, that was only half of everything.
I gave directions to the men to help out. Reports had included information about the supply quantity, but now that I saw it in person, it seemed more real. A few of the men had started hauling out crates in the middle of the night.
“Force Field.” Ravi used her skill.
The storehouse and magic circle were both enveloped by a barrier.
“Now everyone can work in peace,” Ravi stated, as though her work here was done.
“Right.”
There were eight storehouses in total. I’d asked Rila to draw a magic circle for each of them. After this one, there were seven more to go.
I looked to the castle, where the count would be. We’d already been at this for quite a while. Surely, he’d notice soldiers going against his orders soon enough. There was too much to move to keep the operation secret, so I’d decided he might as well discover us out in the open.
Even if he sent his forces to stop us, they’d be outnumbered. And with no one heeding his commands, Barbatos was sure to make a personal appearance.
I heard the sound of beating hooves.
“…He’s shown up earlier than expected.”
I saw an aristocratic-looking man riding at the front of a group—probably Barbatos.
We were foiling his plans by stealing his supplies. The gathered resources were to go to the Duchy of Bardenhawk, which was dealing with a severe shortage.
“You! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Barbatos had a fortified castle with traps and spells, a veritable fortress, yet there was no point to any of it now that he’d left its walls.
Barbatos had brought thirty men, all of whom appeared to be mages.
“Count Barbatos…” Ravi, who had once served the count, hid behind me.
“We collected these supplies for the fiefdom’s residents! What do you intend to do with them?!” He dismounted and scowled. “Hmm? This magic…”
He’d noticed Ravi’s skill. Evidently, he, too, incorrectly believed it was magic.
Barbatos thrust out his chin, and one of the mages stepped forward, holding a book as thick as a dictionary as he chanted something. A magic circle appeared below Ravi’s feet, and her skill disappeared.
“Who?! Who is responsible for this?!”
I stopped one of my soldiers with my hand when he tried to respond. “It’s a waste letting the supplies sit here to rot in the storehouse. I’m bringing them to a place where they can be used effectively.”
“Who the hell are you?! Get to your knees when you are in front of me. Lower your head.”
I ignored him. “I teach the soldiers in this town how to fight. I’m a special platoon captain.”
“…You hot-blooded idiot,” Barbatos spat. Again, Ravi cowered.
The troops who’d been carrying the supplies heard the commotion and stopped to hurry over. Their hard glares told me they recognized the count.
“…Tsk! Why are you looking at me like that?! You worms! The only thing you’re good for is fighting!”
To smooth over the situation before anyone drew steel, I stepped between the soldiers and Barbatos. “We’re fine here, so please return to your work, everyone.”
Immediately, the troops turned their backs on the situation as though it posed no threat to them and returned to the storehouse.
“Whom do you think you serve?!” Barbatos cried. “Get back to your stations, you incompetent buffoons!”
The men stopped when he said that.
“Our stations? We have returned to them.”
“Funny coming from a traitor trying to start a rebellion.”
“We don’t serve you, that’s for sure.”
“We’re grateful you employed us, but we didn’t join up to start another war.”
Barbatos scowled.
“Everyone already knows,” I said. “Recognize this?”
I brought out the envelope that contained the plans for rebellion. The one Barbatos had sent to the head of the Welger Company.
“…Not in the slightest. What is it?”
“This is the secret missive you had delivered to the Welger Company’s leader. The soldiers here know about your scheme.”
“They know? About what? Yes, I admit that the guild master and I have a close relationship. Is there something wrong with me sending him a letter? Of course not!”
He was trying to spin this.
“Hey! Stop them from moving that!” Barbatos barked sharply and one of his mages headed to the storehouse.
I stroked Ravi’s head as she cowered. “You’ll be all right. If anything happens, I’ll protect you. So go ahead.”
“…Okay.” Ravi nodded and once again invoked her skill. “Force Field.”
Klang. A transparent barrier appeared and barred the way to the storehouse and the magic circle.
Barbatos glared. “I knew it was you! First you failed in your duties and ran out on us, and now you stand in my way. Useless little wimp! You dare bite the hand that feeds you?! Preposterous!”
“I…did run away… But I know the difference between right and wrong…!”
Ravi’s tone was hushed, but she did her best to speak defiantly to Barbatos. When the count glared at her, Ravi shrank back again.