(Vol 2) Chapter 27: System Smoothness Principle

When the woods got thicker, they paused to leave the horses with the two who’d come just for such a purpose, as well as the dog Anvil to help guard and protect them. While it was possible to walk the horses through, it was quieter, safer, and faster not to.

After this, they proceeded through the trees on foot, crickets hopping away with nearly every step. At least there were less mosquitoes in the area to pester them.

No more repugnance for Azure, then. Doesn’t exactly fit someone so desirable. Hehe.

While they could still talk freely, Samantha discussed the basics of the plan. Under the cover of her illusions, they’d move in slowly and quietly at first, and dispatch any sentries, hopefully just as quietly. This done, they could sneak directly up on the group and have weapons trained on or at the necks of the majority. As long as they specifically had coup de grace options on the Brothers, they likely would win without any real fight.

“I say we kill Bagatta Meritosi immediately,” Janius said darkly. “He’s far too dangerous to let live, and the kind of scum that belongs in a grave rather than breathing the same good air as decent folk.”

Various others expressed agreement.

Samantha frowned. “You can try them all as suits you for your community when the time comes. I doubt you’ll let them live, hmm? Seems more satisfying for the sake of justice.”

Some nodded thoughtfully, but Janius scoffed. “Who cares about that!? I’m telling you not to let Bagatta even wake up. He has a reputation for slipping away, even after being caught!”

“Then I’ll keep him unconscious. I have the means.”

Janius glared at her but took a deep breath. “Look, you don’t have to be the one to do it. The blood won’t be on your hands. No one here expects that of a… madam. We’ll take care of it.”

There was vehement agreement. One of the hunters even said, “No blood on the lady!”

Samantha found her chin raising a bit of its own accord. Annoying how much they agree with this guy, but it’s to be expected. “I have killed before, Janius. And did you not agree to do as I say?”

“Yes, but-”

“Yes, you agreed! So abide by the agreement and stymie your bloodlust!”

“If I may interject?” Devero was looking between them with a quirked eyebrow. “There’s hardly any guarantee this is going to be relevant. The best-laid plans and all that. We all know about the System’s Smoothness Principle.”

There was agreement, mostly in the form of wry grunts and grumbles.

“What the hell is that?” Sammy couldn’t help but ask.

Devero grinned at her. “Haven’t heard of it up in your ivory tower, Madam? System’s Smoothness Principle: a quest — with two sides especially — can only go as smoothly as the minimum experience reward indicated. Is there a range with a 1 in it? Go ahead and hope for an ideal solution. 2 minimum? Maybe a little rougher. 3? Rough. Let’s not even get into 4 plus. You get the idea.”

“You’re saying the System sabotages events at high experience rewards?”

“Wouldn’t put it quite like that, but who knows? Maybe it does. Or it predicts the difficulty. Or it was all decided already.”

“I seriously doubt the last.” I practically know it isn’t. Not 100% decided, anyway.

“Well, it is philosophical, isn’t it? But the likelihood we’re missing something in the equation is significant. We just don’t know what.”

“Fine. If things go to shit? Do whatever you have to do. But if they surrender, we’re not massacring them. Stay your hand and take them captive.”

“Actually, I wanted to suggest letting the minions run. They still slightly outnumber us so we can’t cover every person. It would be a massive hassle all around.”

“If stragglers run, they run. We can cut some captives loose, stripped of weapons. And coin.”

There was a smattering of laughter and agreement. Devero grinned. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

Within an hour they were passing the ruins of Stormtower. It was nothing more than a slightly upraised hilly area with jagged stones sticking up here and there amidst overgrown, thick weeds. One mound was taller and stonier than the others, likely the remains of the tower itself. No one knew much about the place, only that it was a small town once.

The hunters were in the lead on their path through the remaining thick woodlands, occasionally conferring with Samantha to ensure they were on the right track. They had to light a lantern to see the way through most of the spooky wilderness, but at least there were no random attacks by wolves, bears, or… slimes?

She had no idea what random shit the System pulled, but she was glad Calrenazzod wasn’t frequently into cramming in filler enemies.

Ain’t nobody got time f ‘dat!

Meanwhile, Dart reported everyone was asleep in the camp and sent imagery of where he noted the Brothers were lying as well as the wizard.

There were two sentries, unfortunately. One was keeping an eye on the perimeter, the other deeper inside the building structure.

The collapsed roof, aggregate earth, and the remains of a stone wall made for only one direction as an approach inside, if rather large and open. On the other hand, they could come from that far side and the sentries/group in general would be blind to them until coming around.

With this in mind, Sammy had them veer around the facility to that far side as they got close, while still being under cover deep in the woods. Finally, they came to the clearing, tall weeds replacing trees rather suddenly and the terrain rising into a slight hill.

They killed the lantern light and Sammy began the activation of her Illusion power, utilizing the more efficient PFE for the occasion. She faked some runic signs and whispered incantations, trying to make it believable considering she suspected Devero had spellcraft himself.

She switched her Outfit back to the more protective armor-clad form, but cloaked in a disguise making her look like a simple leather-clad soldier. With the wider radius of her illusion, she was able to create a slight glow inside, while from outside looking in, they’d be camouflaged.

They approached the spot where bird-Dart and bird-Constance were waiting — a rather obvious spot at that, being chopped and cleared of weeds to expose the earth where the stone had to be buried.

Dart was inside the radius, while Constance was outside. Two crows that would seem rather suspicious if happened upon just hanging out at ground level. But the weed cover was high enough to block vision — Dart wasn’t even detectable to the others right then, technically.

As they drew near, Samantha motioned for everyone to pause, then leaned over to whisper to Devero. “I guess you’re up. You can see where it probably is, in front of the crow.”

He nodded silently and walked over in a crouch, the crow hopping out of his way. Constance sent mentally to Sammy, “He’s kinda cute! And has that roguish charm. Literally. Sure you don’t prefer the masculine type?”

“Shut up right now with that, Constance!”

Holding her breath — which she found she did more often considering she didn’t need to breathe — Sammy watched anxiously as Devero very tediously worked. He put on a pair of glasses and looked down at the ground as though puzzling over it. Then he put on a pair of strange white gloves, and dowsed powder over them. With his hands, he reached out toward the spot and began ‘feeling’ the air.

This is so fucking bizarre. I don’t even detect magic.

He nodded to himself and scooched up closer, finally removing the gloves and taking out a kind of thin, long wooden wand that tapered to a point with an end that had a bit of gleaming metal. With this, he slowly inserted it into the ground at a sharp angle… very slowly…

He paused at a certain depth and turned his head slightly back to them. “Be ready to move as soon as I say. I’m not risking a dispel, so this is just a temporary fuddle while he’s asleep. Good odds. But here goes nothin’...”

As everyone was poised, he very lightly pushed the wand further into the ground. Sammy definitely felt something. A flicker in the ward.

“Go!” With a harsh whisper, Devero jumped up and bolted forward. Everyone else followed quickly behind.

Devero didn’t stop moving through the weeds until Sammy could feel the flicker again. Then the rogue turned around, looked, nodded, and finally grinned. He spun the little wand in one hand before pocketing it. “I think it worked!”

Samantha had her eyebrows raised. “What the hell was all that?”

His grin widened as he took off the glasses to return them to a case and pocket them. Then he was brandishing his crossbow in hand. “A fellow best not reveal all his secrets, just like a lady, wouldn’t you say? Come on. Let’s get away from this spot.”

“Hey, Devero?”

“Yes?”

“Sorry for doubting you.” She smirked.

“How kind of you to remember — my heart, it sings.”

Once more, Devero led the way, crouching like most of the rest as they found some better cover to hide and wait a bit. Sammy didn’t bother crouching… the illusion was up. She also sent Dart back into the air to go check on the camp and see if all was quiet.

Janius was suddenly at her ear, whispering. “Saw what he did, eh?” When she turned to eye him, he was grinning like a devil. “Know what it is?”

Sammy took a deep breath and tried to suppress her general annoyance with the man. She shook her head. “Should I?”

“I didn’t, either. Maybe Rogue class shit, right? But I asked a mage once passing through who seemed to know him. Hate him, maybe. He told me that shit is the Nega Ith. Anti-magic techniques, the alchemy they pull in northern Traesh. The mountains.”

Devero turned his head around to make a ‘quiet’ motion with a finger.

Janius seemed to smirk at the look on her face and whispered, “Still happy you brought the bastard, sorceress?”

Sammy didn’t answer. In truth, she was — she thought — however that every moment with the man made her more nervous and suspicious.

“Shit, he’s up!” Dart sent imagery of the wizard waking up… rising and stretching. He didn’t look like he was sounding any alarm, but he might’ve been frowning. He pulled out something from his coat, cast a quick, quiet spell…

The wizard then stowed the item away, then walked off in the direction of the side of the building.

“The wizard is up,” Samantha said. “Move to the opposite side, he might be coming this way!”

They made their way more or less to the opposite way they’d intended around the building — the left side, to them, as the wizard went around the right, Dart hopping up on the roof and watching him through his crow eyes.

The wizard suddenly stopped… then undid his trousers to take a piss.

Fucking hell…

When he was through, he simply went back around back to his bedroll. Samantha redirected everyone back to the urine-side of the building since it was closer to the camp when one would come around.

Slowly they stalked around under the cover of illusion. With two sentries, things were slightly tricky to attempt pulling off in stages. Instead, the plan was to execute multiple actions within the same timeframe. If stealth failed in the attack, it wouldn’t matter, as the whole ambush would be happening at once.

The nearest sentry, she assigned to Dart, under a full invisibility spell, and the inner sentry by the captives, to Constance, also made invisible, to show no shimmers whatsoever. Both were cats on the approach for soundless movement and would shape-change right before striking.

She had them move out to secure their fronts, virtually undetectable. Once in position, the main group inched around the wall and approached the sleeping bodies… one step at a time… eyeing the sentries… everyone’s weapons out, ready to take advantage in an instant…

No wammies, no wammies…

She felt an exhilaration she’d never known in the stalking up, tasting their victory chances improve with each foot in front of the other. No yells, no cries, all the way up to charging distance-

She felt a sudden magical pulse, a charge in the air, and a sound like a bullhorn flared out from the center of the camp.

Fuck! A second alarm! Damn it, Dart-

The sleeping men were utterly bewildered though, shocked into an initially stunned state of uselessness — most of them, anyway. Her group charged to take advantage, at least having the sense not to yell. She had little choice but to charge with them.

The wizard got up with a little more awareness, and even looked in their direction like he had some idea where the problem was — but it did him no good. A bolt took him right in the eye from Devero and he dropped dead on the spot in a crumple.

Ugh… it is what it is…

Screams of terror from the sentries indicated success by her dragons, but Samantha had no time to heed it. She was focused like a laser on the one she couldn’t let get away, the one waking up and responding quicker than the rest.

Bagatta Meritosi — you’re mine.

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