The map of the desert's periphery had long been compiled into a book by Imperial scouts after hundreds of years of exploration. This made the soldiers performing special missions even more familiar with their surroundings than the locals. But if they were to go deeper, the difficulty would increase exponentially. That place was a completely foreign world to the Imperial people.
It could be said that even Liver, the team leader, didn't have absolute confidence in finding the 'destination', but because of Lancer, their luck seemed to be good?
"Captain, are we really going? That large stronghold has at least several thousand people. We only have a little over ten people. Even if they stood there and let us kill them, we wouldn't be able to finish. Once we're surrounded..."
Although it was a mission, Liver, as a deputy general, had extremely high authority. This operation was also under his full command. If he felt that it was impossible, they could still choose to retreat or find the next settlement, but...
"Since we've seen it, it's impossible for us to just leave. We have to at least sneak in and investigate."
Liver ultimately rejected his subordinate's suggestion, and after hearing Liver answer, the other party could do nothing but sigh. But after the sigh ended, his expression became serious again. Since it was unavoidable, there was no room for hesitation!
"Alright, since everyone has no objections, I'll assign the tasks. Lancer, this is your first time on a mission like this. You're in charge of the outer perimeter. Quesser, Tulli, and Hesler, you three are also in charge of the outer perimeter. If needed, we'll send a signal for you to come and assist. If not, you will retreat according to the original plan and hand over the information here to the general!"
"Yes!"
Liver words undoubtedly gave the others a 'get out of jail free card'. If necessary, they could completely abandon the others, but this was also a last resort. Their numbers were too small, and if they were to be surrounded, probably not a single one of them would be able to escape.
The team of a little over ten people was divided into three groups. Lancer and his team were in charge of the outermost perimeter and also the rendezvous. Liver personally led the two strongest people into the core area to try and assassinate the person in control here. Based on their understanding of these savage foreign races, as soon as the person in control died, the place would definitely fall into a civil war.
As for the last group, they were in charge of investigating the water source and setting up traps in the city to buy time for a retreat if necessary.
Watching the other nine people leave their sight, Hesler, who was standing beside Lancer, patted Lancer shoulder.
"Don't look. Let's finish our mission first."
"Our mission? What is it?"
"...You'll find out later."
In Lancer memory, Hesler was a big, bronze-skinned man who was silent but very friendly, but the other party's somber expression at this time made Lancer feel as if he had become a different person.
When Lancer followed the three of them to a place that looked like a temporary shantytown, he was completely stunned. Although he hadn't gotten a close look at the foreign race settlements before, Lancer had seen them. The houses they lived in weren't luxurious, but they were definitely sturdy. After all, houses that weren't sturdy in the desert would have already been weathered away.
But what about this place? It gave off the feeling of being 'ruins' rather than a residential area. There were rubble everywhere, and only a few houses were brightly lit.
Led by the three of them, Lancer walked into the rubble, but when he saw the 'things' in front of him, his eyes widened!
"What... what is this?"
Lancer tried his best to control his voice, but it still sounded a bit shaky.
"Them? They're the women that the foreign races plundered from the villages near the fortress before, and the descendants of the women who were plundered before..."
"Then what do we need to do? Rescue them? Our manpower..."
"No, our mission is to kill them!"
Hesler's words made Lancer instinctively want to refute, but the other party spoke first.
"Captain Liver told me that you have never been to the border and don't know much about the foreign races, but I'll explain it to you here..."
Glancing at his pocket watch to confirm that there was still some time before the operation began, Hesler took a deep breath to calm his voice down as much as possible.
"Those damn foreign races plunder people from the border and transport them to the desert. The men are used as labor, while the women are simply used as 'breeding machines'. The boys they give birth to are immediately taken away and trained to be warriors of the foreign races, and the girls are raised and will repeat their mother's fate. For these women, killing them is probably the best choice. At least in my memory, very few people are able to maintain their sanity. They either go insane and become crazy, or they completely break down and become 'slaves'. The 'slaves' in these foreign race settlements deep in the desert are said to be all suffering from remnants, and are almost all the second kind..."
If Lancer had been unable to understand the Imperial people's hatred for the foreign races before, then now he understood it a bit more.
But Lancer didn't give up. He tried to find someone who could still be saved, but he failed.
Even when he tried to wake up a certain woman, they were either listless and like walking corpses, or they would actively try to have sex with Lancer. That posture made Lancer almost bite his lip until it bled.
The time they had agreed upon was getting closer and closer, but Lancer failed again and again. He didn't even know how many people he had already looked for...
"Lancer! Time's up! I know this is your first time and you might not be able to do it. You go and take care of those 'guards' and the people inside the buildings. As for these people... we'll help them find their release."
"Yes..."
At this time, Lancer voice was incredibly hoarse. He didn't know if it was because he had said too many words before or for some other reason.
But when he walked toward those few buildings, his originally gloomy eyes were instantly ignited like gunpowder meeting a spark.
Liver mission for them was to 'attract attention and buy time for the other two groups', so he had no reason to hesitate anymore!
"Crack~!"
The lance on his back hadn't been used for a month, but the cold sensation of it in Lancer hand calmed his almost frenzied mood down a bit. However, he was more willing to believe that the reason for the calmness was that the almost unstoppable 'killing intent' was reminding him of how to kill more efficiently instead of just swinging his weapon around.
The giant shield was held in front of him, the lance handle was tucked under his armpit, and his right hand held the front end of the handle in a reverse grip. His left foot stomped forward, and then his speed continuously increased until...
"Bang!!!"
With a loud bang, the stone house that was strong enough to withstand a sandstorm was instantly hit with a large hole. The people inside seemed to have no idea that this would happen. A group of naked men scrambled to cover their bodies with things and look for weapons, but what greeted them was a yellowish-brown lance!
It was a camouflage color that he had painted on before setting off, but it seemed to have been a waste of effort, because today, it would become even more enchanting than before...