The Kestrels rose into the sky with the cover of the sparrows.
They rose up and headed away from their rendezvous location.
The half-open rear showed the mountains and the forests, before it revealed the
Willful Institute's City.
The mana barrier had failed and a large section of the wall had collapsed. There was smoke coming from inside the city. Spells were being hurled back and forth, hitting in the midst of the empty land around the city where different groups were working together, attacking the city the long range catapults and mana cannons were silent, mounted forces were already fighting the defenders while fighters on foot were clambering over the remains of the walls.
Storbon used eagle sight, looking into the city with greater clarity.
He could see where lines cut through the city, some buildings were tilted into the broken sewers and chaos reigned.
The city became distant as they flew away, toward another city, there they could store their aerial beasts and teleport back to Alva for their next mission.
***
Nearly an hour earlier; Wang Xi gritted his teeth in anger, with months of work he and his fellow intelligence agents had been able to pull together several smaller sects in the area that had grudges with the Willful Institute, orthose that were immoral and greedy.
It seems that we gave them too much damn room to breathe.
The sects not wanting to lose out to one another started to move into their positions for the attack.
He pulled out his sound transmission device to talk to his contacts inside the city.
“Go,” Storbon said.
“They’re in position ahead of time. We need to move up the schedule,” The Wang Xi said.
There was a pause on the line.
“What are your positions?”
Wang Xi checked his map quickly.
“Grid square One-two, eight, by four three seven.”
“Okay, I’ll need another twenty minutes to make a clean exfil,” Storbon said.
“They’re all hyped up here, a lot of unstable factors in one I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold them back from taking action,” The Agent replied.
“Do your best and be ready with those spells on my mark."
"Understood."
Wang Xi sent messages to other agents that were among the ranks of the different sects and Empires.
Wang Xi squatted there in the snow, a scarf covered everything below his nose as he surveyed the line, wearing the garb of an apprentice fighter. No one cared about a simple apprentice fighter.
Under the scarf his throat was moving but no noise came out as he used his sound transmission device. All Alva devices had built in sound cancellation formations so that others couldn't hear them. The Special teams took it to another level, talking through their throat microphones and sound transmission devices instead of talking openly lest someone read their lips or overhear them.
These same practises had been passed onto and trained into the Intelligence department's agents.
Wang Xi kept listening to all the sound transmissions from his subordinates.
"I don't know what happened but we just got hit with a scan! The forces on the wall are reorganizing and sounding the alarm," One of the agents called out, their voice strained as they used their throat mic.
"Ready!" Wang Xi told all of his agents as he opened the channel back up to Storbon, he heard it click, the channel connected.
"We've been spotted!"
"Shit, alright, send up your loudest and flashiest spell attack!"
"Ready covering attack spell scrolls!" Wang Xi ordered his people. Our people are our priority, no matter what they need to get out of the city safely!
The sects, seeing that they had been discovered before the time of the attack had started, they were starting to panic and fall into disarray.
"Ready with spell scrolls!" The last person reported in just moments later.
"Activate them!"
Dozens of attack spell scrolls were activated, they all hurled out different kinds of magics that slammed into the barriers that had appeared around the city. Ripples appeared on the surface.
With the attacks the sects started to pull themselves together and some moved forwards.
"Push the sects to attack now, keep up the attack scrolls and be ready with the covering scrolls!" Wang Xi ordered, waiting for communication to be restored with the team inside the city.
The seconds ticked by, his agents exerted their skills, pulling the sects together, convincing their leaders and sending them towards the city with their weapons at the ready. Ranged cannons and trebuchet were pulled out from storage rings. Mana barriers appeared and attack spell scrolls were deployed.
Several groups were working by themselves the tree line that they had been hiding in became a hive of activity deep within the forest formation covered rocks were shot out and pillars of light tore through trees to hit the mana barrier of the city.
More people were showing up on the defenses with every passing minute, reinforcing the forces that were being besieged.
Wang Xi had spent months working on these different forces, it had taken incredible patience, guile and cunning to bring all of these people together. He had infiltrated half a dozen different sects across the Fourth Realm. Creating these alliances and laying plans. Now it was all coming to a head and his patience was wearing thin as he waiting, nearly rocking on his feet for something, anything from the team inside, all kinds of scenarios popped up in his mind but he had to shake his head to clear them listening to the reports coming in from the different agents planted among the sects, unknowingly guiding them without them knowing any better.
They were the control and command of the sects and none of them realized it.
Units orders were changed as they left the commanders mouth, shifting units to support one another without them knowing. They weren't a unified army, but with discrete changes they were no longer a rabble of different sects fighting for their own actions.
Once we're inside the walls then there will be a wave of deaths and we can start to pull out our people before they enter the city, removing any fingerprints we might have.
Wang Xi watched the fighting that was only heating up as the different sects had their mounted forces preparing on the wings and the foot soldiers were moving forwards, using their different protective measures to close with the wall, if they could take out the mana barrier then the mounted forces could rush forward into the heart of the city.
"Black Snake this is Special Team Four, ready your covering scrolls!" The voice was crackling and distorted but Wang Xi was able to hear it out.
"Understood!" He switched to his people's channel. "Ready on cover scrolls! Prepare to launch on my⁴ command!"
"We're ready on our end," Yao Meng said.
"Understood, activating the spell scrolls now," Wang Xi pulled out his own covering spell and sent messages to his people as he activated the scroll. A blue and white spell formation covered the frontage of the city. Dozens of others appeared as smoke spread out from the spell formations, covering the city and obscuring the wall. Rotating drills that seemed to be formed from water appeared in the sky and then launched through the air disappearing into the smoke.
"Spell formations, are active!" Wang Xi yelled to the special team.
Nothing could be seen in the sea of fog that covered the walls.
Suddenly there was a rumbling sound followed by crashing. Wang Xi was watching the mana barrier of the city, it flickered and then died as it's formation was cracked.
Wang Xi activated another spell formation. It was unseen by all as the smoke started to lift and dissipate, revealing a very different view from before. mana cannons and trebuchets were now firing into the city. There was no mana barrier to protect the buildings below. The wall had collapsed into piles of rubble, the defenders were either wounded or killed in the collapse.
"Sound the advance!"
The moun
ted forces heard the different drums, trumpets or saw the different flares and spells. They lurched forward like hungry wolves seeing a wounded beast. Hundreds and then thousands of riders crossed the snowy plains rushing at the opening in the walls.
The different sects ordered their foot soldiers forward, not wanting to be left behind. Ranged attacks slowed to a halt as they didn't want to hit their own people.
The reinforcements for those on the wall were in shock, their morale taking a large blow seeing their mana barrier and wall collapse with just several spell formations working together.
The mounted forces were like a sword through an open wound, they stabbed in fiercely and flooded outward, gaining depth and a foothold into the city.
Wang Xi watched as different agents 'died' on the battlefield. Corpse collectors would drag them back and out of the way, clearing the path for others. Then the 'corpse collectors' numbers would grow as the agent changed clothes and headed out, gathering more of their comrades.
Unknowingly the agents that had been working for months within these different sects and groups handily ‘passed away’.
Explosions went off within the city. Sewers were destroyed, only adding to the chaos of it all.
The Willful Institute's students gathered together in groups within their headquarters and started to march out to create stability as their guards and the first wave of reinforcements were now engaged in a gory and bloody street by street battle inside the city.
The fighting grew in intensity as the elites, experts and leaders on both sides were drawn into the battle to counteract the forces on the other side. It was a true war! There was smoke coming from dozens of fires small and big.
With utilizing all of their power from going all out, different fights involving dozens of people or even one or two leaders was tearing up the inside of the city.
It is easier to destroy than construct. Wang Xi had a cold sneer on his face watching the different sects tearing off chunks of the Willful Institute. In some circumstances the different sects or people that had grudges against one another in the attacking force, took this opportunity to stab one another in the back. The war was just a backdrop to some 'unfortunate' losses.
Wang Xi and his agents watched it, withdrawing all their forces, there was not one Alvan inside the city anymore. Though there were plenty of secrets in the midst of battle that were covered over and hidden.
The eyes and ears of the Intelligence department captured it all.
***
Elise sipped from her cup, looking at the trader on the other side.
She could practically see the conversions and calculations that were happening inside his head.
He smiled and picked up his cup taking a drink.
"Very well, your offer is more than generous. The Ronhua traders will be happy to work with you!"
"I look forward to our partnership, I'll expect delivery at the end of the week?"
"Yes, I will have the wood delivered to you promptly," He smiled.
They made small talk before Elise left the tea house.
With the Ronhua traders no longer supplying wood to the Willful Institutes in the Third Realm then it will lead to a decreased production of bows, staffs and most importantly arrows. Swords, once made require maintenance unless they are broken, then they can be reforged into new weapons. Arrows, once they are used they are hard to recover. Without a steady supply of wood, the sects in the Third Realm that are the main crafting headquarters and supply centers of the Fourth Realm Willful Institute will not be able to keep up with an increased demand. With Elan's people the people in the higher realms will think those below are holding back materials. The ones in the lower realms will think those from the higher realms are being unfair. Trying to get more out of them when they don’t have much left.
"Let's head to Doran, we have a deal to make about ingredients," Elise said to her security detail. She got into the carriage and pulled out her sound transmission device.
"Hello, Trader's Guild Third Realm," A voice said on the other end of the line.
"It is Elise. I want a sell order, weekly supply of one thousand Red veined trees. See if there are some crafters that are willing to create arrows. We can sell them to those fighting against the Willful Institute at a discounted price, make sure that they have the supplies they require."
"I will put down the information. What if not all of the wood is sold?"
"Sell it to the highest bidder, tax reduction for those that are making arrows. They will count as weapon exports, so only people that have a contract with us, or those that are whitelisted. Anyone found selling to non-white listed groups will have their trading licence removed."
"Yes Guild leader."
Elise cut the channel and watched the world moving by outside her carriage as they headed towards the city Totem.
With the Alvans turned bandits rules had to become stricter. Losing a licence will be a death sentence to most Traders. They will not be able to buy or sell to Alvans. Anyone that was part of the deal will be fined and they will have to do hard labor. All their materials will be recovered as well.
"I always thought that wars were fought with swords and shields. I never thought of how traders could affect the balance of a war with the right information."
She rode in silence, thinking on plans to gut the supply chain of the Willful Institute piece by piece.
Using their dilemma, many traders care only about profits and security. Seeing a large leg for them to hold on to, they'll tell the Willful Institute they are blood brothers, while behind their backs they'll make deals to protect their future. Money is their master. Some are loyal to the Willful Institute which requires some more work to break their trust then we can draw them away. The Institute has their hands full with their people getting killed and inner strife. How do they have the time to worry about a few small suppliers? In peace time they might not need any of these items, in times of war? Different materials are needed.
The carriage reached the totem and Elise disappeared in a flash of light. She reappeared with her security in the city Doran.
Time to buy out the Willful Institute's stock of healing ingredients. Who told them to be so reliant on Autumn Weed? Thankfully we have Erik to test all of their healing concoctions and tell us the most used and crucial ingredients. The cheaper and most inconspicuous, the better!
Chapter: From Afar
Elan was standing in Alva's command center based in the barracks. It was a massive space, there were ten rooms but five of them were being used. Intelligence agents, people from the Adventurer's Guild, Trader's guild, Alvan Armed forces. They were all there, information would come in hourly as the globe taking up half of the room would have markers changed, boards of information were shifted as well. Reports passed between the command rooms.
It all happened around Elan. He was in the central room that was surrounded by these ten rooms. It was the Alvan nerve center of the Ten Realms.
"The trader's guild report that they have bought up three quarters of the supply of Autumn weed. Competitions have started between four more Willful Institute locations and other sects in their area. There have been eight small scale skirmishes. Three Institute locations are preparing for an all out fight and are calling on their allies and supporters from above," A military aide said.
"How many locations are fighting currently?" Elan asked, looking at the people rushing around, his eyes flicking to the boards of information.
"There are thirteen locations, fighting openly."
"How many are fighting our forces and other forces?"
"One is fighting our Adventurer's Guild, the others are all fighting foreign forces."
"Have any of them looked for support outside of their internal factions?"
"Not at this time," The Military Aide said.
Glosil walked into the room and the military members snapped to attention. He saluted back to them and walked over to Elan.
"Commander," Elan nodded to Glosil
.
"Special Team One and Four have just returned and are readying for their next mission, Special Team Two is watching over the commanders and Three is prepped for deployment. The Air force is on standby for insertions and evacuations. Domonos and his Dragon Regiment are biting at the bit, ready to put boots on the ground," Glosil said.
"Once cities start to fall then the Willful Institute will start to gather together and assert their full strength," Elan said.
"Sirs! The city that Special Team Four hit broke their silence, their sending out messages to the higher sections of command," An aide said.
"Contact the lords," Glosil said.
***
Rugrat was covered in grit, dirt and grease. Weapon parts and formations all lay in front of him, unlike his appearance everything was lined up with an almost clinical precision. Looking at his body he looked tired but his eyes were filled with calculations and plans.
He was sitting in a mana cultivation room. Mana materialized as a mist here, with every breath the room would shake as mana shot into his body through his mana gates.
Looking at his drawn expression and how he gritted his teeth one could sense a small portion of his internal pain.
But he was a soldier, if he was gritting his teeth the pain he showed outside was ten times worse inside and many times worse than what a normal person could handle.
His veins were traced out by mana that seemed to be burning through his body.
His eyes that had been flickering from weapon part to weapon part, stilled as he raised his sound transmission device, listening to the message.
"I'll be there."
Rugrat rose from his chair, power seemed to flow around his body in invisible currents, the tired man from before was transformed into a warrior with sharp eyes.
He used a clean spell on himself and checked the gear on his belt, eyeing his boots as he walked out of the training room.
"We're heading to the command center."
The Special Team members flanked him as he strode forwards, the glow of his mana channels and his eyes was still fading. Only the Special Teams were able to withstand the pressure coming off of Rugrat that seemed to impose a steel-like cage restriction over his surroundings.
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