- Liqu -

Seems like it got decided we would attack this place. I'm also in favor of an open approach. This one should be faster and lead me sooner back to my Shari.

"Everyone, we decided to take down this vile place. While we will give them a formal offer to surrender, I think we all know how unlikely it is for them to take it. I won't sugarcoat this to you. This is going to get ugly. The enemy has holed up in there and taken hostages, which they are very likely to use against us. If you face any collared, you may try taking them down without killing. But if the risk is too great, do what's necessary. Don't risk the formation." (Vela)

Wow, that's harsh. Probably warranted, as I can't blame the soldiers for favoring their own safety. But still, it can't be easy to order something like this. This is part of the job.

But then I notice how Vela addresses this lightning guy. Still don't like him.

"You know what to do. I'm counting on it." (Vela)

"Sure, officer." (Zeon)

Then the rest of the preparations commence rather quickly. They form groups, get themselves orderly, and move to their respective places in the formation. I always found this aspect of human fighting intriguing. That you need to position yourself right in a respective manner to others is quite interesting. Knowing about this aspect often helped me gain the necessary advantage in a fight where mindless charging would have been my demise.

"I hope you all are ready. We're going to take down this encampment! Don't hesitate. These people take part in the selling of your fellow people! They're the worst kind of scum and don't deserve your pity!" (Vela)

Well, considering it's human nature to protect their own group, it does make sense that these people wouldn't look too favorably on this kind of thing. So it probably disqualifies them from any human treatment. Which means I can go all out with them!

"Ahem. Agent Liqu, I want you to stay back in the second line. Don't expose yourself if you're not ordered otherwise." (Vela)

Huh!?

"Why?!" (Liqu)

She's telling me not to participate in the fight? But I'm good at it. This doesn't make sense!

"Because there's a good chance they have anti-monster weaponry. Not just this, but we don't know how many prisoners they have with them, and a mass panic because of a monster attack would make things difficult. In addition, we should maintain a proper separation between divisions. You are one of the queen's subjects, and our troop was tasked to lead this fight." (Vela)

Still, I'm sure I could be of help.

"Don't give me that look. You are still supposed to do what you can from the second row. Watch the frontline, help where you can, but otherwise hold back. Only if things turn really dire, I want you to get serious. Otherwise, you can trust us to do our part." (Vela)

"Grllbsh. Fine." (Liqu)

"Hah, to think you are capable of this kind of reaction." (Vela)

Am I still lacking in human-like behavior?

But well, I shouldn't complain that I don't need to do anything and can let the humans do their thing while I only have to lie back and watch.

Eventually, the formation stands. I'm in the center, between some ranged fighters. They apparently feel a bit uncomfortable with me around, yet that doesn't seem like something I have to mind. While I don't know all that much about formations, as this scale is far beyond what the adventurer groups I had to deal with in the past did, I would say she's good at it. Everything looks quite orderly in the end.

"In the name of the king! Regardless of your circumstances, you will surrender to our forces and submit to the crown's judgment!" (Vela)

We wait a bit longer, listening to rummaging behind the wall. Yet in the end, this is all we get:

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"Piss off! You have no power here!" (Moreau)

Hey, I think I know that one! He made my Shari do something she didn't really want to, and that is bad.

Hmm. Well, regarding what he said, I'm not exactly sure about this. I mean, we are here and we have power. I don't really see why we would have to leave.

Anyway, next, the attack begins. The humans on the front line have shields with them. Even though that slowed them quite a bit on the way, they now serve well to protect them against enemy arrows. Unfortunately, those arrows are of the bad kind.

"Hah. Those idiots use arrows with voidstone coating. Serves to make them blunt!"

Yeah, nice for you that you're not bothered, but I need now to pay attention were I place my steps. Something that is rather difficult with everyone bunched together so tightly.

What is positive is that my energy levels are rather high. I could replenish with some stray monsters on the way, and as long as the stones don't touch me directly, their drain is at best negligible. Even if they would, such tiny pebbles barely do a thing, and I can dissolve them back. It's only a tiny bit difficult because the drain also weakens my control. Yet as I said, it's negligible.

On another note, there are quite many fighters on the enemy side. Those can't have all been with the group we followed. This means those who were not part of them often hang out here in this forest base.

Be that as it may, our side seems to win, as the others aren't quite as good fighters. In addition, I need to say that it also appears like this formation thing does help. The others don't really get through and are eventually dealt with.

Oh, that one's hacking quite fervently at the human in front of me. That woman said I should support, right? Well, doing nothing is boring and feels kinda wrong. So I place my hand right on the hacker, concentrate, and guide the wave to him. He even nicely stays still for a moment when I connect.

"Impact." (Liqu)

"Whosh"

I could make the energy pass almost unobstructed. This sends him flying, crashing right into three more who were behind him. The one I helped out strangely gives me a look I can't quite pinpoint.

Well, then I'll stop doing as much. Doesn't look like I'm even needed. So we're winning, and I only need to laze around and let it happen.

"Goddamnit, you worthless filth! Do something productive and protect me, or do you want to die?" (Moreau)

Oh, that guy again.

"Aaaargh!" (collared)

Hm, he uses the device, and one of the people starts screaming.

Uh, and now he's dead. Quite a bad thing. Yet now other collared people start moving in our direction. However, their whole demeanor is telling me they're not really into it. Those who do approach barely fight back before they're hit. Mostly in the legs or other places where they won't die immediately.

"Brzzzt"

This lightning guy even only places his hand on the collared ones, and they just drop. This way, eventually, there's no one left or willing to fight. It's almost dumb how easy this was. I truly didn't need to do anything. While I'm not completely sure if I can fully understand how exactly everything came to be that I'm now standing here and doing this "not doing anything", my Shari once said we would get paid for it. This means, for all this "nothing", I'm getting money, which you can use for so much, like getting food, and don't have to do anything at all. Could be worse.

"Baron Moreau, give up. You are surrounded, and frankly left with nothing at hand. Your position couldn't be worse." (Vela)

"Nothing at hand?! Stay back! Or I'll press the button and kill every last one with a collar!" (Moreau)

Huh, that's quite the low move. Sore loser there.

"Baron, what do you intend to achieve with that? You lost. Even if you'd manage to escape from here, the monsters would eventually get you. Give up, before it gets worse for you." (Vela)

"Screw yourself! I'll get out of here, and you won't stop me! Listen, you can have half the slaves. The rest comes with me to cover my escape. If you do anything funny, I'll press the button and your little rescue mission will be a failure!" (Moreau)

Sigh. Obnoxious fellow. But even more vexing is that the woman seems to consider it.

If I leave this as is, we'll still be standing here tomorrow.

"Okay, I've had enough!" (Liqu)

"Wha-?" (Moreau)

"Liqu, didn't I tell you to stay put?!" (Vela)

"Yes, yes, but I don't wanna. You are taking too long and making this too complicated." (Liqu)

"You..." (Vela)

I ignore her and move to that loud man.

"D-don't come any closer! I warn you!" (Moreau)

Of course, I don't stop just because he says so.

"I-I'm going to do it! One step closer and all these people die!" (Moreau)

"Look at me. Do you think I would care?" (Liqu)

To be honest, maybe. If only because Shari really wouldn't like it if I let so many humans die. Might not be as bad as killing them directly, but it isn't great either. Still, if he thinks I don't care, there might be an opening. Meanwhile, the humans seem as well apprehensive of my person. The lightning guy even flanks me, as I can see clearly with my all-around vision.

However, they don't act yet, so I'll just keep them in view. My main focus should still be on that loud man. The fact that he lost his "power" due to the circumstances seems to bother him quite a bit. I'm still working on grasping that concept, but it appears to be a fickle thing. Surely, it won't help him against me. After all, personal prowess is superior, as it's something that won't leave you.

"Stay back! Stay back!!!" (Moreau)

Or what? Well, he might press that button, but he stopped threatening me with using it.

"Release!" (Zeon)

Suddenly, the lightning guy explosively propels himself forward. I immediately prepare countermeasures, like adjusting my inner composition or moving my core away, before I realize that he isn't headed towards me. No, in a fraction of a second, he is at the loud man and from one moment to the other has his device with the button.

"Wh-wha-?" (Moreau)

"You have no idea how much I was looking forward to this." (Zeon)

"BRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT"

I can very much tell that this shouldn't be pleasant.

"Zeon, you weren't supposed to kill him!" (Vela)

"I didn't! Not quite." (Zeon)

"You got the thing?" (Vela)

"Sure. Wasn't activated." (Zeon)

"Great." (Vela)

Then she turns to the center, addressing collared and former enemies alike.

"You all, listen! First things first, the slime isn't going to eat you. Secondly, once we're done here, we'll escort all of you safely back to town, where you're going to be set free. If you're no filthy slaver scum, of course. You don't need to worry. We'll show you how Rakis is going to watch out for its people." (Vela)

Now everyone is doing stuff. However, I have a question for the woman.

"Ehm, is it right that we are going back?" (Liqu)

"Yes. We'll take any evidence and tools we can find here and then return back to town. Our part is done." (Vela)

"Okay, then I'll be on my way." (Liqu)

"What!?" (Vela)

Was this too difficult? I should explain myself to her. Humans are sometimes so slow on the uptake.

"I need to get back to my Shari! She can't be without me. So if being here serves no purpose, I should be by her side instead." (Liqu)

"But... You can't... You... You are going no matter what I say, right?" (Vela)

Isn't this obvious? This is about my Shari!

"Yes, yes!" (Liqu)

"Sigh. God, the paperwork is going to be a nightmare!" (Vela)

Somehow, I got the feeling I wouldn't like being introduced to this concept. So I'd rather not and leave.

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