A New Plan

The truck rolled back onto the main road. Even in the dead of night, Otto kept the headlights off.

Inside, everyone was utterly exhausted. So much had happened in a single day—from the ambush at the banquet that morning to the withdrawal and the two engagements with the judgment cells. Everyone was using the ride as a rare chance to rest—no one knew when the next battle might come.

After those two encounters, the Fourth Squad had suffered noticeable casualties and losses. Most of the Night Knights were wounded, though thankfully still capable of fighting. Arcia remained on the stretcher; her internal and external injuries had partially healed thanks to Type-2 potion and Inaya's treatment, but the internal bleeding still needed time. For an ordinary person, this kind of trauma would require surgical intervention from trained medical personnel. But a Night Knight's enhanced constitution, paired with Type-2 treatment, could accelerate the absorption of internal bleeding. Even so, Arcia would likely need at least a full day or two to recover.

The two squad leaders and Otto had only sustained minor injuries and were more or less recovered by now. But Otto's primary concern had shifted to the convoy transporting the prisoners.

"Why do you think the Holy State troops showed up here of all places?"

Inside the cab, Otto and Nordhausen were discussing the broader situation.

"No idea. But it looks like they were lying in wait in that forest," Nordhausen replied.

Running into judgment cells twice couldn't be a coincidence. The second encounter especially—those white-robed warriors had clearly been preparing an ambush near the trucks.

"Maybe the Church is secretly intervening in the war," Otto guessed.

It wasn't far-fetched. Historically, the Church had deployed forces to obstruct Dazilet's expansion to the north. Though they rarely interfered in southern affairs, Dazilet's rising power may have changed that calculus.

"Whatever the political backdrop, our situation isn't great. The enemy is in the shadows—we're exposed. We have no idea how many of them there are."

Whether or not the judgment cells had been specifically targeting the Fourth Platoon, it was clear now that they were a target regardless. And right in the middle of a high-risk prisoner transfer.

"Over four hundred kilometers left... If the Church is after the prisoners, we're going to face serious resistance."

If more judgment cells came after them, Otto couldn't guarantee the mission would succeed. Hell, they might not even make it back alive.

"Should we activate the fallback plan?" Nordhausen asked.

The fallback plan, proposed by Rogm during the mission briefing, involved seizing a mid-sized military airfield about forty kilometers from Hekar. The idea was to secure a landing strip long enough for command to dispatch aircraft and extract them and the prisoners. Typically, such an airfield in Luvina would house around two thousand personnel, with four to five hundred security forces. A full takeover wasn't feasible—it would have to be a quick landing and takeoff under pressure.

"It's worth considering. But we need to confirm the convoy's status first," Otto replied.

Rogm's airfield plan was certainly faster than overland retreat, but the risks were significant. Yet given the danger the judgment cells posed, Otto was starting to think the greater threat was staying on the road.

"Agreed," Nordhausen nodded.

With no contact from the convoy, Otto and Nordhausen took turns at the wheel, pushing through the night. As dawn broke and sunlight crept through the forest, exhaustion forced them to rest, handing the truck over to Edwin.

"Hey, Nordhausen, something's up ahead," Edwin called out, slamming on the brakes and rousing Nordhausen from the passenger seat.

Nordhausen rubbed his eyes and peered through the grimy windshield. Three charred, skeletal truck frames lay twisted on the roadside, bodies strewn beside them.

"Stay put. I'll get the others," he said, hopping down and signaling to Otto and the squad to dismount and inspect the scene.

"Looks like they ran into judgment cells too..."

The group stared grimly at the wreckage and corpses.

"Only our people and theirs are dead..." Otto muttered after a careful look. The dead were all Night Knights from the First, Second, and Third Platoons—and one squad leader was among them.

"So their target really was the prisoners?"

"Seems likely," Nordhausen replied.

Not a single prisoner's body could be found, suggesting the Church's forces had deliberately avoided them. Nor was there evidence of large-scale spell damage, unlike previous engagements.

"Based on the tire tracks, it looks like the convoy kept moving," Nordhausen observed.

Only three trucks had been destroyed—no sign of the rest. Apparently, the convoy had fought off the attack and pushed on.

"Let's move before they get too far ahead!"

The squad scrambled back into the truck. They drove for another three hours, winding along a mountain road, when they finally spotted a long convoy in the valley below. The trucks were parked by the roadside, their passengers resting on the grassy slope nearby.

"That's our convoy," Otto confirmed. "Step on it."

The Fourth Platoon had finally caught up.

"Took you long enough," Nemilic greeted Otto as he hopped off the truck.

"You guys ran into Church troops too?"

Otto got straight to the point. Time was short.

"We did. Looks like you already know," Nemilic replied, leading him to Trenchap and Rogm, where the four exchanged intel.

"'Judgment cells'... The name sure sounds impressive," Rogm remarked dryly after Otto's summary. "But you're right. We don't know their numbers, and they might've already aligned with Luvina. It's very likely they were tipped off in advance—that's why the ambushes."

"That's why I think we should enact the secondary retreat plan," Otto said. "The road is no longer safe. You've seen what those judgment cells can do. If they attack en masse, we're in serious trouble."

The others considered his words and agreed.

"We'll need to finalize the battle plan soon—tonight, ideally. I'll report everything to command during our scheduled communications window," Otto added.

For this behind-enemy-lines mission, the Fourth Platoon had been outfitted with newly developed portable radio units. Otto's squad had even undergone a month-long communications training program before deployment. With these units, they could contact command—up to five hundred kilometers away—under favorable nighttime conditions and potentially call for support.

"No problem. We'll hash out the details on the move," Trenchap replied.

The four platoon leaders returned to their positions. The convoy couldn't depart just yet—the prisoners were still eating.

"These guys are getting five-star treatment," Edwin grumbled, watching the captives chat leisurely on the grass. "They even get dedicated mealtime and rest breaks?"

"They'll be stuck in those trucks for six or seven hours straight. Let them stretch their legs—might be the last time they get to," Otto said, standing beside Edwin and scanning the crowd of prisoners now dressed in standard Luvinan infantry uniforms.

As per the original plan, the four platoons were to disguise themselves as a logistical transport convoy returning to Dazilet territory. To sell the illusion, the prisoners had been forcibly redressed in enemy uniforms.

"Let's get some rest too. There's a real fight ahead," Otto muttered.

He meant the assault on the airfield, though Edwin hadn't yet heard about the new plan. Still confused, he followed Otto back to their truck.