SS1 8.1 - Planning the Exfil
As Ariel said, the tear gas gave us a few minutes of early start. However, we only managed to gain about 2 km before low-rank monster filled the area to the brim. Their number was too many, and even without radio and only by relying on shout out relay, they could coordinate very well. It would be too risky to continue the exfil.
Ariel then took us to hole up in a small cave, located on middle of cliff wall, and about 8 meters above a surface of huge pond. We had to clean it first, and then piled up purple moon stones on its corner before we could use it. It was also only about a half of Sierra Lodge’s size.
However, we managed to get into this cave without anyone tailing us. Having a hidden resting spot when thousands of low-monsters wanted to turn you into human chops was a priceless luxury. And so, I enjoyed our situation.
After setting up an improvised bathroom in a corner, I said to Ariel and Kara, “Let’s have something for dinner before we sleep in turn.”
“Mhm.” Ariel lightly nodded while Kara said nothing.
Wasting no time, I set up stools and table using beer crate layered by rubber mat in the middle of the cave. Then, I arranged crackers, peanut, raisin, boiled edamame, and mineral water.
We couldn’t eat something with strong smell so we didn’t have many options in our menu, but it was not too bad compared to when we had to eat in the open, and could only have plain bread, raisin, and mineral water.
After offering the gratitude for the food I said, “Let’s eat.”
Ariel and Kara immediately took cracker and munched it heartily, while I took a handful of edamame. After putting two pieces of edamame in my mouth I turned my gaze to Kara.
“Are you really from Silva Family?”
“Yes,” Kara replied casually. “My full name is Kara de Silva, member of 5th branch, the smallest branch in Kara Family.”
“How old are you?”
“In two months I will celebrate my fifth birthday.”
‘Five-year-old huh…’ I muttered before asking another question, “Can you tell us how Old Jack managed to snatch you?”
“Old Jack didn’t manage to snatch me,” Kara gave me another calm reply. “I let him to snatch me.”
“Huh?” Big question mark popped up in my forehead as I looked at Kara straight at her eyes. “Why did you do that?”
“It’s order from Matriarch Marta, the current leader of Silva Family.”
“Wait a second.” I tilted my head to the side as the big question mark in my forehead thickened. “Are you saying your matriarch ordering you to become Old Jack’s meal?”
“Sort of, in case I fail to kill Old Jack.”
After taking another piece of cracker, Kara then calmly explained the detail of her mission. Basically, she would go to open plain around Karmen alone, and let herself being caught by Old Jack. After that, just before Old Jack gulped her down she would make a swing on his neck and decapitate him.
This mission was being ordered by Matriarch Marta to remedy Edwark’s mistake, which had tarnished Silva Family’s name to some extent. Kara was being chosen to execute it because she came from the weakest branch in the family.
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“What if Old Jack killed you on the way to his resting spot?” I curiously asked.
“Berg, that’s possibility is very low,” Ariel explained. “Wyvern has a habit to eat the children they manage to snatch alive.”
“I see,” I weakly replied and I couldn’t help recalled the pair of sibling who got snatch by Old Jack right before my eyes.
The terror they experienced must be unbearable, especially for the one who had to witness their sibling gotten eaten alive. After letting out a deep sigh I then turned my gaze back to Kara.
“How high your chance to kill Old Jack?”
“Very high,” Kara replied. “Wyvern tend to lower their guard when they are about to eat a living kid.”
“After killing Old Jack, what is your plan to leave the area?”
“On foot, at daylight, sneaking between low-rank monster patrols. Kara has lot of ration in my inventory, so food won’t be a problem.”
“Are you saying no one will pick you up?”
“Yeah.”
I couldn’t help but letting out a sigh as I looked at Kara’s childish face. “You have it rough, kid.”
“Yeah, but that’s the fate of children from weakest branch of patrician family,” Kara casually said and I swore she was too calm for a 5-year-old kid. “We have to be ready to be sacrificed for the sake of family glory.”
Honestly, it was too harsh, but I said nothing other than lightly nodded my head a few times. Then, we continued our dinner in silence. After that we took a bath in turn before sleeping in turn. Ariel and Kara would take the first watch, while I would sleep first.
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Morning in the cave went calmly but swiftly. After done with morning private routine, we had breakfast. Then, we planned our next move. After spreading out map of Kubran Valley with fresh transparent lamination on the table, I turned my gaze to Ariel.
“Where is our current position?”
“Here.”
Ariel pointed a spot in the map and I immediately put a mark on it. After that I measure the straight line to the edge of Kubran Valley and found out it was 5 km away. Of course, we couldn’t just take exfil route in straight line.
After a moment of ponder I turned my gaze to Ariel one more time. “Mark the best route to exit Kubran Valley.”
Without a word Ariel put several marks on the map, and after connecting it I found the total distance we had to take was about 14 km.
Question mark instantly popped up in my forehead. “This is far longer than our infil route?”
“Yeah,” Ariel firmly replied. “It’s because we have to make detour to avoid low-rank monster concentration.”
“We also can only move in daytime,” Kara added. “Last night, when we were on the watch, we heard a series of warg’s howl.”
‘Warg huh?’ I muttered to myself.
Based on information I read, warg basically was the sabertooth version of wolf. They were also far bigger than regular wolf. A mature warg had a size as big as adult male bison. They were categorized as mid-rank monster.
Overall, they were weaker than wyvern, but they hunt in pack of 4-6. Therefore, as a pack, their body count was far than any wyvern, including Old Jack. Most of all, other than remarkably sharp nose and ears, they had good night vision.
“With the warg enter the field, I agree that we can’t travel at night,” I calmly said. “But, after we killed Old Jack, traveling at daytime is not bad, right?”
Kara instantly tilted her head while deeply looked at me. “How long since you become a hunter?”
“I just started this profession this month,” I openly admitted.
“I see,” Kara said before letting out a sigh.
Then, Ariel explained our situation to me, “Berg, when a pack of warg hunt in an area, the entire low-rank monster in this area will hunt only at daylight, when the warg sleep.”
I nodded and said, “It mean daylight travel won’t be as easy as I thought.”
“Yeah,” Ariel calmly replied.
“In case we stay in this cave, how long we have to wait until the commotion die down on its own?”
“It will take a week before Kubran Valley return to its normal routine,” Ariel said. “However, it will take 3-5 days at most, for the warg to discover our location.”
“Damn,” I softly cursed. “So, we have to continue the exfil as fast as we can, and take the risk.”
“Yeah.” Ariel then turned her gaze to the map on the table before weakly adding, “If only we have a way to blanket our exfil route with tear gas. That will enable us to take shorter route. It will also increase our chance to escape significantly.”
“Are you sure covering our exfil route with tear gas will increase our chance to escape?” I asked while giving Ariel an expectant gaze.
“Mhm, but it’s impossible to carry out such plan,” Ariel dejectedly said.
“Maybe it’s not that impossible,” I calmly said. “Mark the shorter route and give me a few hours to plan the details.”
“Okay.”
Ariel gave me a nod while Kara said nothing. After Ariel finished marking the shorter route, I immediately took out a pocket notebook and pencil before sitting in one corner of the cave and silently drew the exfil plan.
*****