Heroes to Hunted

When Hearth and I arrived at Furuya's tent, we opened the flaps to see Mizuno, Shrug, and Barrett standing opposite him around the back table.

We stepped inside, and weight was instantly stacked atop my shoulders.

The four of them were engrossed in a high-pressure discussion, their serious tones and expressions conveying the urgency of the matter at hand.

"That's what Sgt. Sato suggested," Furuya said.

Mizuno put a hand to her chin while pondering. "Raiding a farm... It's a better plan than attacking Blackwood. But it's far... really far. Would the camp hold out?" She lifted her eyes from the map and looked toward Furuya.

He matched her gaze with eyes of certainty. "With tight rationing and an early harvest from our farming plots, it'll hold long enough. Right, Barrett?"

Barrett stood with crossed arms and an intimidating scowl. "Even if it won't, I'll make it last. This camp won't fall from something like a 'food shortage.'"

Furuya bobbed his head with satisfaction.

They conversed further while Hearth and I paced closer. When we'd gotten past his desk, Furuya noticed us.

He gave a slight smile. "Good morning, Sato. I hope you slept well. Hearth, we'll be assigning jobs to the recruits today. So if you'd please stay, too."

She smiled and bowed. "Of course, Sir," she said, walking to the table. She took her place between Barrett and Mizuno, much to Barrett's displeasure.

He glared at her and growled, to which she responded with a wicked grin. "Nice to see you too, Barrett," Hearth said with deceptive friendliness.

After a light bow to thank Hearth, Furuya focused his gaze on me. "We're also discussing a potential raid on the closest farm. I'd like you to join us; it was your idea, after all."

I agreed and stood at an empty space around the table.

'He really does swap personalities for work and casual.' The imposing man in front of me was a far cry from how he'd been the night before.

"Okay," Furuya planted his palms onto the war map, "now that we're all here, the real discussions can begin. We'll start with job assignments. What do you think of them, Lieutenant? As the person who spent the most time with them, where would they best fit?"

Upon hearing Furuya put Mizuno in charge of assigning my countrymen and me, Barrett audibly grunted with dissatisfaction. Then, like a pouting child, he turned his head away to avoid eye contact with Furuya or Mizuno.

Mizuno stopped to consider carefully, then pointed a finger toward me. "After witnessing his combat prowess firsthand, I suggest Sgt. Sato be involved in the raid, Blackwood or farm."

I subtly ducked my head with guilt, remembering what she was referring to with that statement. Though she forgave me, and the others seemed to have gotten over it, the blunder still haunted my mind.

'It's time to get over it,' I shook my head. 'There are more important things to worry about than pride right now.' As I'd expected, the conversation continued ever onward, leaving no time for me to brood.

Furuya hummed in agreement with Mizuno's analysis and gestured for her to continue.

"The younger of the sisters, Hikari, gives the impression of being a liability in a battle and has low strength for strenuous labor. The meek male, Takahashi, as well. I suggest they be placed under Johnathan's care in the kitchen."

She must've been referring to the cook in the mess area, considering the Traunt brothers called him "Johnny."

Furuya cocked his head toward Hearth. "What do you think of that assessment? Are you in agreement?"

Hearth crossed her arms beneath her chest and smiled. "Yes, sir. From the short period of time I spent with their group, those two appeared the most unreliable. The girl hid behind her sister while the male retreated at the sight of others. So I'd recommend non-combative roles for them too."

Mizuno, after Hearth finished her analysis, continued.

"As for the male with earrings, he's reckless but has a high potential for fighting. He's also exhibiting erratically dangerous behavior due to the death of an ally. His unstable emotions make him unfit for active combat, but Shrug volunteered to train him personally."

"Is this true, Shrug?" Furuya interrupted. "Do you really intend to train him?"

Shrug, as usual, opted for a non-vocal response. Instead, he shrugged and ducked his head in agreement.

"Wow," Furuya muttered with bewilderment. Though Shrug's actions surprised him, he soon returned to the talks at hand. "Anyway, please continue, Lieutenant."

"Understood, Sir." Mizuno saluted. "The slender male, Kamida. Though he seems incapable of anything physically oriented, he appears well-learned and charismatic," Mizuno flashed a glance at Hearth. "He'd do well assigned to logistics."

Hearth's expression turned intrigued as she tilted her head and hummed pleasantly. "Do you really think he would work well? Besides Barrett and me, we have never had anyone else assigned to logistics."

"I understand," Mizuno responded. "But I still believe Kamida would be a good fit."

"We'll see," Hearth replied, a mischievous smile forming on her lips.

'Good luck with that,' I found myself praying for Kamida's success. Somehow I thought it'd be easier to be assigned to the front lines rather than work under Hearth.

"Finally, the elder sister Ayame and the girl Agawa are very agile. They're also quick to think in harsh situations. Therefore, I'd recommend they be placed under Suda's care."

"I guess she beat you to that one," Furuya replied to Mizuno, tiredly shaking his head. "I can't believe she left with one of the recruits without even saying where she was going..."

'Wait, what? Suda left with one of my countrymen?' Though I wasn't sure, Suda became attached to Agawa during their hunting trips. So I assumed Agawa was the one she took with her.

Mizuno bowed sincerely and grimaced. "I'm sorry, Sir; I knew she was unsettled about the failure with the bear, but I didn't know she'd pull something like this..."

Furuya was about to speak, but I wasn't about to remain silent when the life of someone I was indebted to was at stake.

"Are search parties in place?" I asked.

They turned to me, and Furuya shook his head. "No. Suda can handle herself. Besides, we can't afford the manpower right now. Not while the camp is on the brink of starvation."

"I'll search for them alone, then." I had faith in myself. It wouldn't be the first time I had to track down a lost group. This was a perfect opportunity to repay Agawa for the time she carried me to safety.

But Furuya shook his head in disagreement.

"I'm sorry, Sergeant, but I can't let you do that. If you're going to live here, you're going to need to follow my directive. I..." Furuya paused and pointed to the tent's exit. "WE...need you on the expedition to get food. The lives of everyone here depend on the success of that mission."

He took a step back from the table and sighed. "Plus, with Suda gone, there's no way of proving your intentions. I can't allow you to travel alone until Suda is allowed to check you."

I wanted to argue... It took much of what I had to not. But I knew he was right. When it came to the "greater good," nobody knew more about it than a soldier. Or their superiors, at least.

Much to their shock, I conceded. "I understand... How long is the mission predicted to take?" Suda was pre-law enforcement, so I could hopefully trust her to not make any life-threatening mistakes.

"Two weeks," Mizuno replied to me flatly. "It'll take a week to get there and a week to return."

'Two weeks...huh?' I sighed. I had no choice but to accept it.

"What's the plan for the raid?" I asked. Since we were on the topic of travel time, I figured it was finally time to discuss the mission.

"As for the raid, we plan to strike here." He placed the tip of his index finger on the closest farm, both to Blackwood and us.

Thanks to the accuracy of the landmarks, I could roughly tell the distance scale. The farm was only a few kilometers from the walls of Blackwood.

I pointed to the drawn fortress signifying the town. "Should we expect enemy reinforcements? Patrols? Anything?"

To answer my question, Furuya signaled Mizuno. "Your unit is the one that's traveled that sector most. What do you think, Lieutenant?"

Mizuno leaned over the map and traced a path between Blackwood and the farm. "Three patrols move through here, each taking an eight-hour shift."

"Do you know how many? What they're armed with? Training? Do they have the means to signal when they're being attacked?" I had many questions. From fighting strength to what they frequently ate for breakfast, I wanted to learn my enemy inside and out.

Mizuno concisely answered each of my questions.

Each patrol boasted roughly twenty members. According to her, they sported an average footsoldier's set of gear. Longswords, shields, spears, and leather or steel armor.

Judging by their gear, I assumed they'd be roughly the same as the ones I'd seen in the manor regarding training. I was confirmed right when Mizuno described how their previous skirmishes had gone.

Finally, she described that each soldier carried a "pocket flare" that, when ignited, launched into the sky and exploded. Which would, of course, alert any other patrols to their peril.

'No mistakes then. Got it.' I was used to high-stakes missions, so this was no problem.

Mizuno then described every aspect of the plan.

First, she discussed our entry point, which was to be a stream following a thicket. That way, our footsteps and bodies would be masked for the approach. She also said we'd run the operation during the early morning to maximize daylight.

They weren't sure if sunlight affected the vampires of this world, but they'd take any possible advantage they could.

Next, she elaborated on the farm's defenses. As I assumed, they were negligible, aside from a few guards and farmhands. She discussed that we'd need to empty at least one of the warehouses to obtain enough food for the camp's survival.

Toward the end, she did mention one troubling detail. The warehouse entry points were fortified with solid steel and reinforced by heavy-duty locks. I questioned how we'd get past those without explosives, but Mizuno assured me we could.

I asked her if we were to be given transport. There was no way we could carry all that food to camp on our backs. To which she responded a flat "no." Apparently, the base had horses but was forced to consume them a week back. So we were left to whatever we could improvise when we got there.

Our mode of escape was up in the air. It would depend on whether we could steal a transport or not. If we failed to secure one, we would retreat using the same footpaths we used to start the operation.

Mizuno concluded her briefing, so Furuya stepped away from the table and held his arms to his back. "Well, now you all know what you're set to do. We stand at a crossroads, people. The success of this mission will determine whether we make history or get swept away like dust. I wish all of you the best of luck!"