Well shit.
I was gonna torch the red light district tonight in order to thin out the guards (I was a sucker for the classics), but that plan went to hell the moment Tali discovered her inner mass-shooter. The decimation of that no-name Baron Household this afternoon really riled up the metaphorical hornet’s nest. Guards at key installations, like the forge-smithies, had doubled or even tripled. Tension in the city turned up to 11, and the only saving grace was that the Rangers refused to step into this dumpster fire. Either way, subtlety was no longer a viable option.
Which leaves dumb brute force or clever misdirection.
Unlike last time, I couldn’t play the long game and hide my handiwork in the shadows of suspicions between rival factions. So clever misdirection wouldn’t have the time to develop. So I guess I had to go with brute force.
According to Mike, none of the competing noble bottom-feeders had the brains to engineer a grand alliance. So all I could work with were petty rivalries and shaky promises. I supposed I could take some solace in the fact that I didn’t need to worry about allied reinforcements- no factions were oathbound to help another in the event of an attack. So if I hit hard enough from the outset, I could suppress any and all resistance without worrying about a 2nd wave.
Still, 5 raids in a single night is a lot to ask for, especially when the raiding party consisted of just one man. Perhaps a bit of clever brute force would serve me better. After all, if there was one lesson I’d learned back in my previous life, it was “work smarter, not harder.”
***
**BOOM!!!**
A fiery explosion rocked the city block as windows shattered. The men posted at the front gate of the forge-smithy were horrifically shredded, and those lucky enough to survive the impact were grievously wounded. The remaining guard took positions near the front gate in anticipation of a follow-up attack, but that attack never came.
Mostly because the guy attacking them was too busy looting the forge-smithy and getting out via the backdoor. I didn’t want to waste my precious mortar rounds for this, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Well, thanks to the odd trajectory of mortar indirect fire, these amateurs assumed that this was a frontal assault. After all, even the most skilled Archmages couldn’t cast a spell without a line of sight to the target.
If they’d noticed that the two guys assigned to guard the back door weren’t with them (they were silently shot), maybe they’d noticed something was off. But hey, amateurs will be amateurs, right?
Well, not like I had time to gloat like a supervillain. I had a busy night ahead of me, and those forge-smithies ain’t gonna rob themselves~
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
***
By the time I cleaned out the last forge-smithy on the docket, I had to steal my 3rd wagon of the night in order to transport the loot. My spatial accessory literally couldn’t fit anything inside of it anymore. All in all, it was a successful night! As I arrived with the sweet sweet loot at the rendezvous point in front of the orphanage, I saw Tali and Sapphy desperately trying to get the kiddos organized into a convoy.
Judging by the sheer size of the caravan, I’d knew our plan was fucked. Bum-rushing a city gate with 5 or 6 wagons was already asking a lot. But 10 wagons plus half-a-dozen pedestrians? Nothing short of a pitched battle could clear the way for a caravan that slow. And after the heists last night, I was down to my last 2 mortar shells.
Good thing I still had an upgraded Lady Vengeance.
After I parked my wagon-o-loot, I walked urgently to Tali. Tali seemed to notice me and approached me. With a hushed voice, I said. “My Lady, this is more than three times the children we planned for.”
Tali gave me a guilty look. “I know! But I can’t leave them! With all the bridges I’d burned today, I doubt we could be back here for a long while.”
I heaved a long and tired sigh. “True, with noble idiots desperately gang-pressing mages and vets to break the deadlock, it was just a matter of time before we’d get dragged into this mess. So that’s the entire orphanage, huh?”
Tali looked at the ground while muttering, “Yes.” So uncharacteristically meek (and cute)~
“I’ll see what I could do, Tali. But whatever crazy new plan I put in won't guarantee the convoy’s safety. Not with a turf war brewing at the newly vacated South Gate. The day would end with blood on the ground, no doubt about it.”
With a gloomy look, she nodded along. “I’m very sorry for putting this all on you, Rummy. I feel terrible for expecting miracles out of you on a weekly basis. It’s not reasonable for me to force you to constantly change plans just to satisfy my moral compass.”
“It’s OK, Tali. What employer hadn't asked the world out of their employees these days?” I gave her a wink.
Tali shook her head emphatically. “No, it’s not OK. After we get through this, I swear on my honor that I will reward you in any way you deem fit.”
I eyed her with curiosity. Well, that was new.
“My good Lady, you really shouldn’t say that to a known lecher and pervert.” I jokingly replied, subtly giving her an out.
But to my surprise, Tali stood her ground and stared right into my eyes. “I mean what I’d said, Rummy.”
I tried my best to swallow my surprise at her resolve. “Well, in that-”
“My Lady, we’re ready to depart!” Sapphy yelled across the yard as she approached us. Godsdammit, girl!
Tali looked at me longingly, in a way that I’d never seen before. “Please give me another miracle, Rummy. I promise we will talk about our future after this.”
I gave her a disappointed nod, turned towards Sapphy and yelled back. “Sapphy! On me! We’re exiting town in style today…”