Chapter 189: Day 404 – Aftermath, After Action Reports

I got up and made my way to a window. It was daytime. I had gotten back late last night and everyone had regrouped in the plaza, with only minimal guards at the gates, for healing and to assess what had happened.

I had a change of clothes and a bed had been brought and set up in this building. One of the benefits of being the Champion. It had been a long jog back to the city. I hated wet boots and clothing. There was still a smell lingering on me, I was sure of it.

The swamp terrain was just as vile as I knew it to be. I left the room and made my way downstairs. Two soldiers were at the base of the staircase. They snapped to attention when I came down.

“General Gerold?” I asked them.

“He is currently in the plaza, making ready to depart Champion Michael,” one of the soldiers replied.

“Thank you,” I said as I turned away and made my outside and to the plaza. I was easily let through and reached the General who was talking with some of his captains. People noticed me, and he followed their gaze to see me approaching.

General Gerold along with everyone else saluted me. I returned the gesture with a nod and everyone dropped their salute. The General spoke up, “Champion Michael, the city is secure and we were just discussing some issues we could use your input on.”

“Before that, I want to know why the soldiers at the gate broke so easily,” I said. The General looked to the side and one of the Captains spoke up.

“Champion Michael, I am Captain Jeff. The fault lies with me, if I can explain,” the man spoke up. I nodded at him to continue. He took a small breath before speaking up again.

“My men were deployed in a half circle approximately 20 units out from the gate with scouting out to 40 units.” Units were being used as the term to describe the size of a building plot. “We had secured the rooftops and were scouting the interior of the buildings. Unfortunately, the skill users were waiting in ambush in one of those buildings down a side street,” Captain Jeff explained.

“While it is unclear the suspicion is that they braced themselves in the ceiling corners to avoid detection. So, when a summons was sent through the building it missed them in its haste. When my men began to advance, the skill users were behind our lines at around 10 units from the gate.” Everything he said made sense so far, even if I was unhappy about it.

“They then emerged from the building ambushed one of the rear units that had been set up as a fallback point. Two of my men were killed and another three were wounded. The alert went up quickly and various teams and summons converged on them or the gate to slow them down.”

“They reached the gate and killed the level 2 white slime while holding off my approaching soldiers. Their Body stats had to be around 400 with the way they were moving and 50 Mind to resist the mental attacks. My men suffered one more casualty and five more were wounded by the time the slime was killed.”

“The skill users rushed through the tunnel and the archers fired at them. Their high body stat allowed most of them to dodge, with only one of them being wounded. Once they cleared the tunnel entrance, two more of my men were killed and another six were injured.”

“A total of five casualties and fourteen wounded in combat, with regenerations costing around 100,000 points,” Captain Jeff finished explaining. There was silence as I thought over what he said.

“Why didn’t you have the summoner keep tabs on them as they left?” I asked.

“They were too quick and there were no wolves in position that remained alive. The butterflies were too slow even when they gained altitude, the skill users, quickly outpaced any chance of following them. I didn’t dispatch my men, since I needed to see to the wounded in order to stabilize them for transport to the plaza,” the Captain responded calmly.

“Your thoughts General?” I asked, curious to what he would say about the failure of his people.

“They did well, but we have identified several weaknesses in our combat doctrine. First, we need to clear and scout more effectively. Will have to run some drills for our summoners when we return. Second, combat piecemeal against a superior opponent, is a bad idea. Better to group up first then attack all at once to overwhelm them,” the General said. I nodded along as both of those were good points.

“Finally, I would say that ranged weapons have limited usefulness against high level opponents,” the General said.

“I disagree to some extent. Enchanted arrows would be a great delivery system for attacks. The archers also need more skill to aim at moving targets and practice fighting high stat level opponents. Perhaps blunted arrows in mock training sessions, then equipping the best with enchanted gear,” I said.

“That could work, but it would be expense,” the General replied.

“Also, arrows would work better at larger targets. Specifically, monsters. Perhaps train the archers to hide and ambush monsters, while the summoners seek to find them, like hide and seek,” I suggested.

“I will look into that once we return. I know you said you killed the skill users, anything else I should know?” the General asked.

“No. Their combat abilities were decent, but they were just proficient at running and hiding. The wounds and exhaustion helped me catch them. You did well Captain Jeff,” I complimented the man.

“Thank you Champion Michael,” he replied.

“Now, what is left?” I asked.

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“There was an ongoing discussion if we should leave a force here and how to deal with new arrivals,” the General said.

I didn’t want the place to become Neo Brasilia, but I didn’t want a separate city building up. “You are thinking of implementing a rotation plan here?” I asked.

“Perhaps, but we would need to station a large amount of people here to oversee things and someone to run the place,” the General said.

“Are you asking for a promotion to Governor General, instead of just General?” I asked.

“Perhaps,” he said, and I let out a small sigh.

“The issue is the Ritualist and splitting our forces at this time. We can’t afford to. But it would be another source of crystals,” I said and paused to think. I looked a Gerold for a bit and considered my options.

“The tax rate is fifty percent and half of all tax revenue goes to Purgatory. That means a quarter of the city’s wealth production. You can keep fifty people here to manage things. For now, there will be no defensive pact, but that will be expected in the future. You can keep fifty men. You will still recognize myself as Champion, and the Immortal Council once it forms,” I said.

“Of course, Champion Michael. I swear to obey your commands and follow your leadership,” General Gerold said and gave me a salute.

“In addition, there will be regular audits and communication. If you do well enough, here I have no doubt you will have the crystals to climb up to the Immortal Council yourself. Don’t disappoint me Governor General Gerold of the Red Military Police Force. I recognize your authority over the City of Truth and its zone as a vassal city of Purgatory, under my authority,” I spoke up for the second half of what I said and saluted the General back.

I agreed, because I needed to give out rewards to my people. I couldn’t do everything myself. There was a chance he would try and backstab me, but that would just continue the cycle and I would be stronger by then. In addition, I would be gathering up the tax revenue for Purgatory in the meantime.

Even if he only sent 20% or 15%, that was thousands and thousands of points. I was too far ahead to easily catch up, unless everything the city earned was invested in one person. Even then, it would become a power sharing agreement most likely than a death match.

The fact was I would win a war. Even if he picked the strongest 50 soldiers, I had the Union and Naran on my side. On top of all the city upgrades. The big risk would come if I died, which would destabilize the power structure. If that happened, I didn’t care, since I wouldn’t be alive. I wasn’t planning for anything I set up to survive after my death.

The Immortal Council was a nod to that, but with how long it was taking people to get to that level, I wasn’t holding my breath. This was also a test in expanding my control from one city, to a multi-city empire. Purge the city, put in soldiers and a Governor General, and then create a rotation on the nearby monsters to generate tax revenue. That was why I said he was a Governor General of the RMPF, not a new organization.

He was under my authority, and he knew it. However, it was a huge opportunity. The chance to control a city from the ground up. While the 50% overall tax rate, and 25% cut headed towards Purgatory would slow him down, this kind of opportunity was still quite huge.

Governor General smiled and there was clapping and cheering from the nearby soldiers listening in. “Thank you Champion Michael, for both this privilege and honor. I will manage the city to the best of my ability and obey the terms you set out,” Governor General Gerold said.

“That leaves the question of your replacement to take command of your forces for the return trip,” I said. Governor General Gerold nodded.

“Captain Jeff distinguished himself in combat, fighting on the front lines and being injured. Step forward,” Governor General Gerold said. The Captain from earlier stepped forward. “Captain Jeff, you are promoted to the rank of Vice General and will convey to General Smith his promotion.” They then saluted each other.

There was more cheering. I noticed several other Captains were not happy, but they didn’t say anything and clapped with everyone else. I wasn’t up to date on the inner politics of the RMPF, but they knew where I stood. If I have to get involved, it won’t be pretty.

“Champion Michael, there is one more thing that needs to be dealt with before you depart,” Governor General Gerold came over to me, leaving Vice General Jeff to his fate and organizing the departure.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Follow me.” I followed Gerold.

We soon came to a building next to the plaza with several soldiers standing guard outside. They saluted us as we went inside. More soldiers were guarding a room. We entered. I looked at the mangled prisoner on the floor.

“I care about this because…?” I trailed off waiting for an answer.

“This is former teammate, Tom. The skill users holding him prisoner left him behind here. While he isn’t a criminal, we are under no obligation to heal. That was why I held off on a decision until you come here to assess the situation and make a decision,” Gerold said.

I didn’t know what to feel or what to do. My emotions were a hurricane hidden behind the calm exterior I presented. I hadn’t even been thinking about him, since I had long put him out of my mind and considered him dead.

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