Chapter 9: Great Plains of Death
"That is why we have formed this Alliance! To prepare for such adversities! The plan is simple: we work together and shield each other from the beasts that stalk the plains!" -George affirmed proudly.
"Captain Leylin and I have already discussed this with the other traveling parties. We will swap positions with them so that our Furze Alliance can occupy a few carriages that are close to each other! We've also received the authorization of the black robes!" -At his words, the crowd visibly calmed down.
George was explaining the details of 'his' plan: "Furthermore, us noble males will take turns being guards to protect the carriages! Of course, this is with the caveat that we are merely assisting the black robe Knights. Beautiful ladies of Furze, the logistics and cleaning duties will be up to you!"
"As for the weapons, you guys also do not have to worry. We've already made our preparations and even got hold of a crossbow!"
After much more clapping, George addressed the particulars of the plan.
The youths of the Alliance all began talking amongst themselves, and after some discussion, virtually everyone was in favor.
"I agree with Lord George's plan!" -Exclaimed the fatty that had spoken earlier.
"He will protect us! As the strongest Knight of our group, there's no one else who could guide us during this crisis!" -This was his friend Yarfuan.
"Good thing we have him on our side...!" -Another told as if a considerable pressure had been lifted from his shoulders.
Multiple others expressed their faith in George and his strategy until it became unanimous.
[These people... How can they blindly trust such an irritating kid?]
'Besides his obvious traits, he's basically an idol. People fancy looking up to symbols of strength and superiority in dire times. They want someone to come and fix everything for them, while they keep warm and cozy. Blondie is that person for these incompetent brats.' -Leylin concluded, still bored out of his mind.
[Hmm... Yeah, now that you mention it, that's basically how herd mentality works. Emotional manipulation, a charming face, and rest comes easy enough...]
'Now you're getting it.'
George could've waited until these nobles were dying by the dozens out in the plains to create his Alliance. The best-case scenario would be that only one or two youths would die, yet there had been times where at least twenty had perished. Or so had George's father told him.
Nonetheless, if George had sat on his hands, he wouldn't have had enough time to savor that which he craves the most: a woman's body and attention. Or more accurately in his case, a girl's. The Borunin noble was no fool, and he understood perfectly that with this strapping white knight persona, he could get nearly any girl from the Alliance he desired.
Being Lord General, as he began to make himself known, George was the leader of this Furze Alliance consisting of nearly half of the total number of acolytes that made up the caravan. Some 20-odd noble youths stood at his command.
Striking while the iron was hot, he began to hand out some missions and offering positions of power within the alliance to his closest friends.
That Viscount's successor Yarfuan, for example, had been named Chief of Supplies; meaning he had control over the group's food, water, and medicines.
As for the position of Captain of the Guards, the second most prominent, it was inevitable that Leylin would assume that position since he had been officially named by George in front of everyone.
The feast continued afterward, and most of the enthusiasm in the crowd that had been momentarily lost, quickly returned after George's reassuring smiles and confident tactics calmed everyone's minds.
[It's a good thing that Blondie Boy is so shameless and arrogant. He basically took those strategies you fed him earlier and put them in place to the last word.]
'Admittedly, he's a very convenient pawn. Just a few persuasive words and he's dancing to my tune. I almost vomited in my mouth, but alas, I'd do it again without blinking...'
'Since I pretty much handed Blondie a leader toolkit to go around playing hero, we can be sure that these buffoons are going to be kept in line and according to my own designs.'
[You're quite the mastermind, Doctor.]
'Well, I have to compensate for my lack of strength with my puppeteer skills... *Sigh* I just hope that as I go along, my ability to spew bullshit gets refined. I had initially thought that I could talk anyone's ear off without any reservations, but the latest occurrences have shown me that even I have a limit. Especially when it comes to flattering men.'
[Regardless of what happens, know that I'll be cheering for you.]
'Good.'
George finished speaking with his other subordinates, and finally, put his gaze on Leylin.
"Originally, I had intended on giving you a cross blade, but it seems there is no longer any need! You move fast, Captain!" -George drank from his tankard as he strolled towards Leylin, pointing at the sword fastened at his waist.
"Thank you. I got this as reimbursement from one of Ourin's lackeys..." -Leylin made a pause to drink from his own source of wine.
"You know, seeing this Alliance getting on the right track brings me certitude of our general well-being. Let's just hope that we're not forgetting anything... I fear that when the time comes, we'll inescapably end up suffering losses..." -Leylin put on a fake brooding attitude.
"No need to worry so much, dear Leylin! No matter what, as long as everyone groups together and follows my- I mean our plan... Then our odds of survival would have increased at least tenfold...!
The blonde resumed his 'consoling' of Leylin: "What's more, our allied comrades will definitely hold some goodwill towards us and our respected families... As long as one of them becomes a Magus, then the returns shall be huge for us!"
"Aside from your swordsmanship, your wits have certainly impressed me!" -Leylin uttered his empty compliments with fewer quandaries than the first time.
George's eyes sparkled: "What I did were merely things that any proud son of Borunin would do!"
"I strive to follow your example, dear George!" -Leylin chuckled, linking his hand to George's in a brotherly handshake.
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The cold wind blew strongly at this particular time of day, hitting a certain lad in the face like tiny sharp needles.
With each breath drawn, Leylin could smell the fragrant smell of wet grass.
[It has already been 15 days since we've entered the Great Plains of Death... Time sure flies...]
Glancing at the other carriages following in tow, Leylin could see some traces of damage on them, causing him to feel quite satisfied with his decisions so far.
On the surface, he looked somewhat dreary with a tinge of solemn.
The damage on the carriages had patterns comparable to the cuts of small daggers. These marks had been left by a particularly vicious type of claw.
'The Great Plains of Death have dangers that ordinary humans and even preparatory Knights would have much trouble with. This means I made the right call in joining up with these grand Furze meatbags and their Golden king.'
[I must say, you do have a thing for predictions.] -Aralis gave recognition to her Master's scheming.
'The only way to stay safe is to always be ten steps ahead of everyone else. At the minimum... What I lack in raw power, backing, or wealth, I must make up for in preparation and caution. Prudence is my greatest asset; secrecy, my greatest weapon.'
[But what about me?] -Aralis protested in confusion.
'You are my trump card.'
[Hmmm... You didn't live by that borderline paranoic viewpoint when we were still in our previous world... You always ran around stepping over people as you wished. It was fun, to tell you the truth.]
'We can agree on that. And I think we can also agree that it was my recklessness and abuse of power that ultimately got me cornered on all sides.'
[That's... all true, I suppose.] -The A.I. conceded.
'I may not be a once-in-a-generation genius or the bastard son of a god... but I am a competent learner. Experience teaches you the more valuable lessons, and I have learned mine well.' -Deemed Leylin gravely.
[I just hope that there comes a time when you can crush stupid people like bugs...]
'Rest assured, I shall continue with my supplying of quality entertainment every once in a while... But my chief interests are to cover all my bases and to watch every single detail. No more slip-ups are allowed in this second life of mine...'
'I, Fang Ming, WILL stand tall and triumphant in the end. I shall conquer this world and whatever else comes my way. No matter the cost; no matter how long it takes...'
[I think perseverance would be another one of your fortes...] -Aralis said in an irreverent tone.
Leylin only smirked in response, as he recalled the most recent events surrounding his perilous journey into the Great Plains of Death.
Right after entering the plains, despite that both the black and white robes had increased their number of patrols, along with how various of the acolytes had joined defense groups, there had still been some number of casualties.
They had been mostly random acolytes that nobody cared about, left alone by the different alliances, or simply too weak to carry their own weight outside the comforts of civilization.
Leylin of the past would probably have been killed by now, even if Ourin hadn't taken action when he did.
Speaking of Ourin, it had been rumored about his recovery thanks to Bessita's aid. Still, he was yet to be sighted outside of his carriage, and it was all hearsay at this point. Leylin, however, knew for a fact that he was still alive thanks to Aralis' scans.
'That Ourin has outlived his due time thanks to his so-called-goddess. But I had already foreseen that possibility. I have grown tired of knowing he still exists though, and as such, he's made it high up on my to-kill list... Bessita, I wouldn't risk messing with her just yet. I don't know how I could deal with the consequences it would bring if I offed her. She is a kingdom's Princess after all.' -Leylin concluded.
Back to the attack; the marks on the carriages had been caused by a pack of plains direwolves. The very moment the caravan had arrived at the land of doom, the carriages had suffered an onslaught from these creatures.
There had been several deaths across the board, and that pack of direwolves had nearly pushed over a couple of carriages and had damaged almost all of them. This was including the one Leylin currently rode on.
From that moment onwards, the acolytes hadn't dared to set camp outside, and everyone resigned themselves to sleep inside the smelly carriages.
However, matters did not end with that wolves incident.
Although the black-robed Knights were guarding them, some of the youngsters still needed to go out to take care of their bodily needs... Alas, within the treacherous wilderness of the Great Plains of Death, that alone meant great jeopardy.
One youth, for example, had been bitten by a poisonous insect the very moment he stepped off the carriage. He had perished not longer than an instant later.
'According to Aralis' calculations, the venom of that insect could rapidly corrode the brain, taking an approximate 13 seconds... Any medical assistance would have been futile, and even those great and powerful white-robed Magi could only watch the youngster die...' -Leylin thought to himself.
'Nonetheless, there's still the possibility of them simply not wanting to save his life in the first place... This makes me all the warier of them... So far and unlike those black robes, they have not actively tried to protect any of the acolytes...'
After that tragedy, the noble adolescents would get off the carriage just when it was absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, due to the small size of the carriage and the sheer number of people squeezed inside, the experience was certainly unpleasant.
Plus, there had already been psychological repercussions for the most impressionable youngsters.
But not for Leylin. Things like being surrounded by death and mortal danger were like watching the sunset whilst enjoying a cup of tea for him. Mainly because he had measures put in place to protect himself, and also because he enjoyed watching others fall prey to their own incompetence.
He even went as far as asking for the chance to get some fresh air, in exchange for helping the black-robed Knights drive the carriage. He was given green light almost instantly.
Although being on the outside of the carriage seemed to be more dangerous, with the black-robed Knight that sat right next to him, it was actually all the much safer.
As for the carriage driving skill? Leylin only had Aralis transfer everything the previous Leylin remembered about horsemanship to him.
"It's getting dark! Everyone, get ready to rest!" -A voice called out from the front of the caravan, causing every single carriage to stop.
Not only was traveling at night dangerous, but it also meant the horses did not have time to rest. This could in turn lead to their deaths and cause even more predicaments.
"Your carriage driving skills are quite thorough, brat!" -The black-robed Knight looked at Leylin and spoke in an unusually friendly demeanor.
"Thank you for your recognition, Lord Angelo. I only made it my job to learn from you as best I could." -Leylin nodded as he put down the reins.
Returning to the inside of the carriage, a fierce smell hit Leylin's nose the moment he opened the door.
Leylin's eyebrows creased together, but seeing the benumbed looks on the acolytes' faces, he could only click his tongue secretly.
'Fuck! Did someone shit themselves in here or what?!' -Leylin growled internally. Even with his resilience, this type of foul scent was too much. And he had slept close to sewers in his past life.
[This is definitely not what you were used to so far... One of these 'nobles' couldn't build up the courage to get out into the bushes and decided to drop their bomb in here. Or several.]
Ever since the first casualty, none of the youths had a bright look. Instead, there was a mournful atmosphere irradiating from their sulking faces. This was another reason why Leylin did not like staying inside the carriage since it irritated him to no end.
'To hell with these useless children! What I wouldn't give to just lock the doors from the outside and light this carriage afire. Have them cook themselves in their own feces!'
[That would certainly be interesting. And disgusting. But still interesting.] -Aralis chimed in.
"Leylin, y-you're back!" -A small freckled youngster forced a smile as he greeted one of his heroes.
It was the same boy that had once irritated Angelo in the food queue, the same day Leylin discovered his A.I. assistant had fused with his soul.
"Hello, friend. It's doing fine weather outside, with no sight of dangers." -Leylin sat down and looked around, examining the different youths.
He was trying to figure out the identity of Shitty Pants so that he or she could have an unfortunate accident in the near future.
"Ley- Leylin... Tell me, what's the situation truly like? Just how many more days until we're out of this fiendish plains?!" -The boy seemed to be losing his cool by the second.
His question was clearly what everyone wanted to know the answer to, and this drew everyone's attention as they turned to look at Leylin.
"Whilst driving the carriage, I had a talk with Lord Angelo... We've already traveled half the distance to the coast. So if everything goes well from here, we'll be reaching our destination in another half a month..."
"Eh...?! Good heavens, there's still half a month to go?! What terrible days these are, I can't even stand another single day in this place!" -The freckled youth began to pull at his hair as he complained.
[I think we found him, Doctor... Shitty Pants is sitting right next to you, hahaha!]
'Of course, he is...' -Leylin rolled his eyes imperceptibly.
"Hey, cheer up, Kassa. As long as you can take these 15 days, then you'll reach the coastlines. Delicious fruits, fluffy bread... Not to mention a comfortable bed and a warm bath; all of it is waiting for you...!" -Another youngster said.
Even as he tried to cheer the freckled boy up, his tone and words seemed as if he were trying to cheer himself up, more than he did Kassa.
'He won't be reaching the coastlines though. Unluckily for him, he has no use to me whatsoever. Little Kassa here will pay for ruining my day with his miserable life...' -Leylin reflected coldly.
[How are you gonna do it? Will you burn him alive as you said?]
'No; but he will die by my hand. I can promise you that.'
Just then, a rhythmic metallic sound could be heard as the doors to the carriage opened, revealing a George exuding arrogance like usual. Wearing his full suit of expensive golden plate armor and carrying his longsword, George resembled a true Knight.
Leylin also wore some form of armor, but instead of golden plates like George, he only owned a steel chainmail hauberk and a pair of iron greaves that he had bought from another acolyte a few days back.
"Hey, ladies! And gentlemen... Break time is here! If you need to loosen up a bit, just come outside. If not, then please stay inside. After all, out here is quite dangerous..." -The teenager exclaimed, never taking his eyes off a pretty miss.
The carriage grew restless before some red-faced girls looked at each other in the eye and walked out of the carriage, past the young Knight.
Leylin shrugged before grabbing his cross blade: "Let us go, then."
As Captain of the Guards, he needed to protect these ladies. Nevertheless, all he would do was to maintain his vigilance and call for the black-robed Knights' help if any trouble arose.
He wouldn't risk his own neck for some no-name girls, or anyone for that matter, that didn't represent a potential benefit for him.
"I... I won't go out this time!" -The freckled Kassa spoke out from the side as he shivered.
"Suit yourself..." -Leylin gestured at the rest to follow him out the carriage.
[This boy is one step away from being labeled a domestic terrorist! He would rather marinate himself and the carriage in his odor than to go outside and clean himself!]
'I'll be doing everyone a favor.' -Leylin decided in regards to getting him out of the picture.
[Absolutely...]
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Landing softly on the grass, Leylin couldn't help but stretch pleasantly outside. He thanked the chance to get out of that literal shithole of a carriage.
A beautiful scenery stretched far beyond what his eye could see. If it weren't for the fact that it would be suicidal, Leylin would have loved to sleep out here in the open.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" -George spoke out as he watched the setting sun.
"How beautiful indeed... but also deadly." -Leylin muttered.
"There's danger everywhere, my friend! Sickness, famine, war; the world is filled with dangers like these. To us, this area is a threat to our lives... but to the white-robed Magi, this is more like eating some pie in their home's garden!" -George clenched his sword hilt.
'Is this chimp actually trying to lecture me? I must've made an exceptional work in convincing him that I'm his number one fan, hahahaha!' -Leylin's mood had improved considerably thanks to that sneering realization.
[Glad to see you're back to normal. I don't like it when you're angry. Unless you spill blood over it, obviously.]
Leylin went back to playing his role: "Are you trying to say that, as long as you have strength, then you can obtain both freedom and security?"
"Exactly! Take a look at Kassa; he has already lost his courage. On this road to power, he is lacking the spirit to face danger. Even if he were to safely arrive at the Magus academy, it is unlikely that he can become a Magus. After all, studying magic is a treacherous path that is a hundred times more difficult than these plains!"
George threw a rock far into a pond: "Anyhow, it's time to protect our beautiful treasures! They should be done with their necessities by now!"
Seeing George walk away, Leylin muttered with a smile on his face: "Strength, that's obviously a must. But courage? Spirit...? Such things are irrelevant. Romantic tales used to manipulate useless potato bags like you. Cunning and ambition, I say."
Leylin then gave his orders: 'Aralis, show me the control grid.'
[At once. Displaying AR holoscreen...]
A three-dimensional scenery began to be projected within Leylin's head, showing the safety perimeter that followed him at all times.
Inside the light blue geographical image, a cluster of white points stood out from the layout. These points symbolized the other acolytes. Not a single one of them seemed to be hurt, according to Aralis' scans.
The black-robed Knights were purple points on the map, while those mysterious Magi had flashing yellow points assigned to them.
Additionally, every single nearby source of wild danger appeared in front of Leylin's eyes.
[Even if it's a poisonous insect, they won't be able to escape my sensors. The 10 km around you are 100% safe for now, Doctor.]
This was a guarantee that Leylin trusted fully. When Aralis talked about serious business, she never omitted details or covered up numbers. There was no margin for oversights in that respect.