13 Counter-Counter Part 1

Report File No.41820

Operation: Slave Rescue (a.k.a Operation: One-Day Treaty)

Division Participants: Black Resort, White Shots

Casualties:

Riverway Port buildings were slightly devastated, with the units of redcoats had been eradicated.

171 slaves were retrieved including the recovery from the Riveryway port; however, the rest of 43 were dead. Most causal reasons were sickness, natural causes, and ruptured womb exclusively for some women. (Disposal of corpses was buried beneath the western graveyard.)

No units were slain, but 17 members of white shots division were injured.

67 female slaves were drugged with aphrodisiac.

Details:

Account from the unnamed leader of redcoats was told to commander Juliette van Vermiculo.

According to him, the lists of the official participants were kept at their "vault" as their "oath to revolt against the royal seat". Theoretically, some of the aristocrats, tax collectors, merchants, military generals, and other officials may be involved in this case. Thus, the investigation has been requested for further details and verification.

An anonymous subject (a certain female person) of the ritual by the hands of the Blue Devil cult had been retrieved. Her statement was that she came from the world.

There were cages found at the port of the Riverway, and it was claimed by the white shots. Moreover, there were also available at diversion of the redcoats.

The peculiar racial creature called "trolls" had been found and claimed by the black resort.

Written by: Camelia Mizqua

Verified by: Juliette van Vermiculo

Markus Himmler

* * *

Somewhere western part of the capital of Reversia - Western Capital Gate, Falx City

The sun compassed to a right-angled atmosphere below which the sunlight started to dim as the dusk came to rest the light. It was a long trip for Mirai, Juliette, and the rest of the members of the Black Tear, including the surviving slaves, as they sat inside a moving carriage and rested from their terrible fatigue. The pairs of horses, acting like convoys, were striding as a carrier of people within their particular carriages, and the only one who could do the solo horseback was Juliette, alongside Mirai who snuggled against Juliette's back. Most female slaves— including Mirai— were provided with cloth to cover wholly their naked body as they were avoided to let the males peek freely with their ogling eyes.

They could hear the crowd noises, but they forced to ignore as they might get suspected if any circumstances would ruin the entire thing — since this was the city where the Royal Seat lived in front of the people.  Some buildings congregated while others left a slight space to facilitate their business — whether it could forge, harvest, and any other essential craft to earn some profit.

"Hey… Juliette… when will be our dinner?" Mirai asked while her stomach growled for supplement.

"The victory feast dinner will be our constant stomach-filling. Although you said to me moments ago that you also don't want to get fat," Juliette answered while adjusting her top piece. "But for now, we must redeem our rewards and report our testimonial case. For this, we can freely do whatever we want… or else they will give another task. At least, the guild isn't ran by some corrupt officials nor supporters to cover things up. Royal Seat has always strictly eyeing the reports and activities."

"...?"

Suddenly, there was something that piqued her curiosity. She thought of something pulling the string to restrain afterwards. The possibility that this might counteract them while turning the blind eye and cramming for a bittersweet bottle that wouldn't count at all.

Thus, Juliette turned her face towards one of her subordinates — a horsewoman who was the slave's carrier service.

"Maria, retrieve the slaves back to the residential office for their registration. Make sure the receptionist is a woman before some males will attempt to threaten them… if there are some, try to threaten them first." Juliette cried for Maria's attention as she rode the carriage filled with slaves.

"...," Maria nodded.

Hence, Maria's direction shifted the route towards her designated location.

"Haru… Clement, back her up… silently."

"Yes, ma'am."

"We'll do our best!"

Following her order, both of them jumped down from their carriage and walked straight to the alley where nobody could see them anonymously.

Although the reason remained unknown, Rachel questioned her concern.

"Lady Juliette, what's going on?"

"Nothing — I want to finish this thing up hurriedly."

"..."

Rachel realized something Juliette was up to. She thought there was significant purpose with no words left to explain, but for Juliette's perspective, it was a mere coincidence even a blind eye could see what was going on. Thus, she understood her point.

"(This strange feeling… It often happens when any chance goes by sunset.)"

Juliette predicted the future as her crimson sense was the proof that she could only witness. But to shove things up, she turned it aside.

"Mirai, welcome to the city of Falx… where you will renew your life despite troubles may come," Juliette said.

"You really sound like you're somewhat stressful," Mirai commented.

"Oh~! My apologies!" Juliette bowed for a bit. "I guess you really understand the perception when it comes to business…. Well, it sounds obvious as you're an adult despite of unknown origin."

She had a business background although she couldn't remember it at all since something tucked away her memory — leaving her nostalgia like a prodigal child.

* * *

Both Haru and Clement could reach the rooftops of congregated buildings. They provided themselves with an unobstructed view of Maria's convoy. The road was wide, which could fit two lanes in each one-way route, but divided lines drew it out as the cemented ground were merely stones with wrinkled patterns.  She approached the right direction, but the problem would yet reveal soon.

The only thing that they thought was probably Maria's struggle to handle alone when any situation might come soon. Thus, they didn't want to suspect her as suspicious.  

Yet Maria was merely sauntering towards her aim — like the same townsfolk rode horseback while some of them were carriers of supplies, transportation, etc.

"Why do we need to give her some back-up?" Haru asked.

"I guess we have to secure her anonymously before something might happen," Clement answered, fidgeting her lips with her fingers.

"..."

"Even though we completed our operation and finished filing our report, there is always a time when enemies need to counteract by any chance to claim back their winning status. In other words, our business here is to handle the competition that it has staged us to."

"Like day-to-day, the additional tasks always surprise us," Haru sighed with fraught concern. "Not to mention that these cult members are indeed a pain in the ass."

Eventually, they felt irritated as they needed the possibilities to measure vigilantly before things might come to worse despite the testimonial result. This was Juliette's suggestive idea to confirm the result before the report would submit beforehand. They had to make sure if confirmation would suffice everything that every detail within the reporting document is in the same place.

"..."

Moments later, there were multiple dark-hooded figures running across the rooftops on the opposite side of row buildings.

"Looks like we caught their tail-upon-tail."

Clement caught her first glimpse as she chased back before the other parties would do — while Haru delayed her response as she tried to reach her vigilantly as possible. They best not to expose her position altogether before the hostiles might be wary of them. The commander's ideas were clever; she believed that they would never give up on their aim.

They concealed the positions enough to keep the detection out of their attention as they scuttled while hiding against its one-angled side of the roof would be available in front of their rushing eyes; they wouldn't let them divert their attention before any circumstances could hold soon.

Clement bit her lips as her sweat broke out on top of her forehead; the same went for Haru, trying to fill the air in her lungs as long as possible. They trained themselves to jog and sprint 20 laps as their daily routine, to keep their stamina stable enough to handle their body with greater effect than average. It sufficed them to pass through the hindrances that an average human couldn't dare to supply their reliability, but for them, it felt nothing but a mere distraction.

"These dirtbags need to stop before one-way investigation will crawl beneath their feet," Clement angrily muttered while inculpating about the particular organization who bore the responsibilities of their crimes.

They had to proceed with the procedures despite the result being handed out to the Royal Seat.

They had to grasp the actual testimony to affirm their report file.

The last step had almost reached the very last line.

* * *

Outside of Residential Office Building 1 - Located at the Northwestern District of Falx City

Maria enjoyed her carriage ride with the conclusion of her sight of a certain building shown in front of her eyes. It was her task to prepare for a registration process ordered by the official to reconvene the slaves as the Reversian citizens — registering for their File of Residence — an official documented paper which can identify every personal information like a birth certificate.

Most female slaves, who were barely alive in naked yet covered with a large cloth, gave themselves a chance to renew their life with the provision of a service within the nation — to contribute economically, to serve the people, and to live with living others. It also meant lifestyles like these were also to unite with proper communication, relationship, and status.

The dusk had almost blighted as Maria jumped off from her driver seat.

"Our job has supposedly finished, but she also seemed like she had something important to do…. That's pretty odd for a diligent woman like her," Maria mumbled while approaching the back entrance of the carriage.

Maria saw no one passing by this street, considering it suspicious for a noisy and active city of Falx; it somehow felt like she reached the edge of the borderline where people didn't want to get cornered — like a kid who lost his mother in a crowded place.

Speaking of getting cornered, there was something that left her with a disadvantageous outcome. She could feel someone who played a slingshot in surprise since this place was too quiet to build something coincidental.

A knife suddenly flew towards Maria, aiming directly to her head; it came from the direction of her blind spot.

However, because of her early sense, Maria dodged her body aside — leaving the knife stuck on the surface with a ping.

"What the hell? Another bunch of dirtbags who want to play with me?"

Maria clicked her tongue as she complained of her tiredness. She was hurting during the time of morning where a certain old man smacked her external oblique — at the side of her midriff — which resulted in a slight cramp for now.

"(I blame the old man for this, but I'm happily thankful to that mysterious woman who sliced his face into half.)"

Maria thought about the cause of her problem; Juliette awhile ago informed her about the occurrence of a certain incident that created a vast pool of blood with corpses in a blue robe. Even though she doubted at first because Juliette was also unconscious, she realized the fact when the one who protected her alive was herself all along — although it turned out that something weird bothered her the most.

"I wonder if all of you are some allies of the Blue Devil Cult and redcoats, Correct me if I'm wrong, but your job is too blind for you to accept," Maria cried over the assassins while gripping her sudden-appeared blade to prepare for a next move.

Silence broke out her comments for a second. Then, some deep masculine voice came out from above to jump for their surprising appearance.

There were several hooded assassins with brown cloaks behind their back.

"I know all about that, but you gotta take things equivalently while producing a result for a certain circumstance," one of the hooded assassins revealed his face of a bearded man who might be the leader of his group. "Marketing outcomes are always sufficient when it comes between advantage and disadvantage; it's quite stubborn of you that shoving away the price cannot take much of granting its disadvantage."

"Hmph… I'm truly aware of your understanding of 'equivalent exchange', but you seem that you're missing a point here. Don't you agree?" Maria uttered with a smirk.

"Whether it is agreeable, we are only taking a task here to be accomplished. We cannot stand this around idly, but if you want to give yourself a painless way out, why not hand these slaves of yours to us?"

"An easy way out? How about if I say in an easy 'No way'? Do you think your insistent aim would stand against my answer?"

Before responding with his answer, the man handed out something from his pocket — gripping the bottle filled with reddish liquid.

"This drug can give something that sorts your ability with a particular demonic strength. It can draw itself to give someone what we can call it as the 'divine blessing'," The man in the brown cloak said with his chuckle.

"Divine blessing? Demonic strength? That pretty sounds ironic to hear… perhaps you really don't understand the whole concept."

"Shut up! If this drug marketing will sufficiently prosper throughout the world, then such need of help won't be necessary. Money first, then miraculous fortunes will come," he put back the bottle within his pocket.

Maria couldn't handle his delusion into the drugs he was holding to, yet it could be an enormous problem once anytime on their due time would issue in a harmful case. They were criminals who joined forces with a mysterious alliance of corrupted officials being dealt with secretly. The reason of their foundation remained questionable as it crippled them into astray.

Now what was their goal for their drug market?

"Money? Okay… now I understand your point," Maria smirked for a second time.

"..."

"Money for killing human lives just to gratify for the fortunate living? Money for enjoying the fortunes in front of your dazzling lives? Money for avoiding the problem just to solve immediately without dealing with its actual resolution?... It sounds too cheap for some reason, and I had no business for an ample lifestyle."

"Heh, now you exactly know what our business is being dealt with–"

"Crooks like you?... I think it's best for you to live as a farmer rather than to die as a mere loyalist."

"Shut your bitchy mouth up! I'll make you retract on what you say!!"

With that, the man drew the first "second" strike against Maria since the situation is a many-to-one situation; she wasn't some special person to begin with other than she had a muscular midriff. To release their anger, the group of hooded assassins tried to isolate her around while leaving no traces for her to escape. Afterwards, the leader handed his twin long-curved daggers to aim for decapitation.

However, it was obvious for Maria to determine his move.

"Too early…"

She grabbed the opportunity to dock down and kicked the man down while his surrounding ally went for a second turn.

"Go on! Go on! Play with me ever you want," Maria cried while flexing her muscles to fight as much as she could.

Despite her cramps, Maria could still barely hold herself while fencing against multiple enemies while protecting the slaves from them. They filled the Black Resort Division with members who were professional assassins like her who had already trained their self-reliability to fend for themselves as it was the purpose to be independently strong.

"Ggh!"

However, continuous cramps were continuously bothering Maria as she felt like her muscles and nerves were breaking apart.

She unwillingly fell down as the pain slowly paralyzed her.

"He he he he! What's wrong? Has your confidence been empty?" the man stood up while holding his bleeding forehead. "Perhaps to answer that correctly, you have been fatigued for your operation since past hours."

"...!"

"Let's see…. With you who are now paralyzed for some reason, we can just take these slaves back to our hands," the bearded-man snapped his finger. "Boys, pick them up in the right place."

Following his order, the subordinates approached the carriage as they had to finish their task as soon as possible.

Laying down under his feet, the bearded man wiped his beaten lips and kicked Maria's midriff as her front body was rolling upward.

"You pig!! I hope you will pay for these damages… and my bloody face!"

He constantly kicked while she regretted her loss. She was alone to begin with.

"...!"

Until someone timely shot two men in their head with two bangs while attempting to seize the carriage filled with slaves. Their dying bodies immediately fell down from aside of the seat.

"Huh?! What's happening?!" he cried.

The ones who appeared before his enraging eyes were Clement and Haru — with their guns pointing towards him.

"Free her before we'll put a bullet through your head!" Clement cried towards the bearded man.

Maria gazed towards their appearance; she blamed their delay because of her additional pain.

"You guys… are bit…too...late."

Maria panted because of many kicks.

However, with all her strength, she kicked his leg as her opportunistic payback to him. The body, belonging to the man with agitation, fell down from her advantage. The pain that had over her retracted back to him.

The rest of his men approached struggling Maria, but unfortunately, Clement and Haru could catch up with their Colt revolver pistol. .

Despite the pain, Maria gradually stood up as she fought her own convulsive legs that partially could not lift; however, it was possible to overwhelm it — successfully took his spot.

"Looks like your 'counter-advantage' has now redeemed back to us," Maria chuckled while spitting her blood and grabbing the gun from her pouch hidden within her cloak. "Farewell, fun-giver!"

Maria stomped on his belly before pointing her gun at him — aiming towards his heart.

"Don't... think... it's over.. yet!"

"..."

Maria gave him a victorious shot while his blood splattered over him and her face.