In the barracks of the town of Servusarator, the leadership of the local garrison gathered together for a meeting about what had recently happened in the front gates of the town. After all, what had happened was something they couldn't ignore.
"The governor just died and it was one of our own that killed him." One of the knights muttered with a cold expression and continued. "Even if he was spreading the words of our adversaries, we didn't have the right to kill him."
"The fact that a colonial governor died by our hands means that we will be responsible."
"Even if we survive our current circumstance, the Albion Empire will start an investigation into his death. Perhaps, the Inquisition would also be mobilized." The words of the knight caused the atmosphere in the meeting room to tense.
"How about we throw the responsibility of his death to the United Navy? Wouldn't it be better if the governor was known to have died in the hands of the United Navy?" Another knight suggested, causing the war master to shake his head in rejection of the idea.
"No matter how much we accuse the United Navy of killing him. The interrogation methods of the Inquisition are remarkable. What had happened was seen by every guard in this town, and it was clear that it was one of ours that killed the governor."
"It wouldn't take long before the inquisitors come knocking on our doors." The war master understood the capabilities of the Inquisition. It wasn't to be underestimated.
The Inquisition was a branch of the Magus Tower that would investigate and gather intelligence throughout the world. Whether it was interior or exterior investigations, the Inquisition would always have their hand on the matter.
The death of a colonial governor was a serious matter. Especially if the colonial governor belonged to the Albion Empire and was part of the governance authority in the Colonial Dominion of Terra.
It would have been better if the United Navy killed the governor themselves, but unfortunately, that wasn't what had happened.
"What happens to the perpetrator of the assassination?" The captain questioned the knights, wondering what had happened to the archer that brought them this troublesome situation.
"Imprisoned in the dungeon, Captain. The archer was maddened, repeating the word traitor. I would have wished to separate myself from this archer. But sadly, we are responsible for his actions." A burly knight responded to the captain.
"I see... However, instead of discussing the maddened one. Let us turn our attention to the United Navy and our situation." The captain decided to change the subject since they were still under the predatory gaze of their adversaries.
Hearing the words of the captain, the knights, and the war master nodded in agreement. Even though the matter of the mad archer was important, they needed to survive to worry about its consequences.
"Good," The captain gave a nod of satisfaction and continued. "Now that we have killed their speaker. That would mean that negotiation had fallen between us and them."
"Were we even planning to negotiate?" A knight inquired, wanting to know the thoughts of the captain about the negotiation. Obviously, the United Navy would ask them to surrender.
"Naturally, we don't. Negotiation against our adversaries would stain our code of honor. They have invaded our land and we will not stop defending until they leave our shores." The captain didn't plan to negotiate with the United Navy.
In his eyes, they were invaders. Even if they had the Dragon on their side and had full control of advanced technology, the courage of humanity wasn't to be underestimated. Despair wouldn't be enough to break their wills.
"Since we have no plan to negotiate with the United Navy, how about we talk about our plans against them? The siege is practically confirmed. The question is when it would start and where." The war master spoke to the knights and captain with wisdom.
"The capabilities of the United Navy aren't to be underestimated. There's a reason why they conquered most of the plantation colony overnight and it wasn't only the Dragon that amount to that conclusion."
"Their operatives are highly dangerous. Wyvern camps throughout the island were destroyed, along with barracks burned into rubble by their firepower." The war master wanted them to understand the power of the United Navy.
"Sooner or later, we will be fighting in the streets of Servusarator. None of our fellow men have been evacuated yet. I believe we need to do so to avoid puddles of blood scattering throughout our pavements." He proclaimed to the others with a determined voice.
He wanted the civilians of the town to evacuate so that they wouldn't be in the middle of a crossfire between the local garrison and the United Navy. Besides, the local garrison wouldn't be able to defend properly with civilians on the way.
"Evacuating them would be troublesome. We would have to relocate a significant number of our guards to guide the evacuation. Not only that, I believe that they should fight with us. For Servusarator, and its glory." A knight expressed his thoughts, earning the frown of the war master.
The first words of the knight were sensible, but his last words weren't something that the war master agreed to do. However... It appears that most of the men in the meeting room were in agreement with the knight.
This made him sigh in disappointment, but there was nothing he could do about it.
'This wouldn't do good for the local garrison, but they are blinded by their pride as knights.' The war master quietly thought to himself, though such thoughts never escaped his mind.
The discussion between the leadership of the local garrison continued until they were interrupted by a guard entering the meeting room with a frantic expression. He was breathing heavily as though he had run from death to get here.
"What happened!?" One of the knights questioned as he stood up from his chair. The guard soon regained himself and looked at the people inside the meeting room. Hope lit up inside his eyes as he immediately reported the situation.
"We have a problem! Intruders have gotten inside the barracks!" The guard said with terror in his voice. He remembered his colleagues falling one after another after a thunderous shot resounded from behind.
"Has the front gate fallen!? How have the messengers not reported this to us!?" Another knight stood up, slamming his fist on the table.
"It's impossible for the front gate to fall without causing commotion and chaos throughout the town. The intruders must be infiltrators." The war master uttered, calming the knights surrounding the round table.
The captain also sighed in relief as he thought that the front gate of the town had fallen to the control of the United Navy. If they were attacked in such an unprepared state, it would have been devastating for them.
"But why are they infiltrating the barracks? Who are their targets?" A knight questioned since he found it confusing for a group of infiltrators to enter deep inside enemy territory. It was practically suicide, unless...
"The targets are us, and the infiltrators must be the group that conquered the entirety of the governor's manor. It seems that the United Navy has sent their best to bury us." The war master wryly smiled as the walls and ground shook.
*BOOM!!!*
An explosion reverberated throughout the barracks while the screams of the guards echoed throughout the halls. Dust shrouded the entrance of the meeting room before a single guard ran out from it with horror plastered on his face.
However, the escaping guard couldn't keep running as a gunshot sounded from behind.
*Bang!*
He fell to the ground with a thud as blood dripped from the hole in his head. The guard who reported the situation crawled away from the entrance of the meeting room in horror as silhouettes formed from it.
On the other hand, the knights prepared themselves and armed their swords forward. It was obvious. Their enemies were now before them, and they would have to fight if they desired survival.
The war master and the captain were at the very back of the room, watching the entrance of the meeting room. The captain was preparing himself for the worse, while the war master activated various runic spells scattered throughout the meeting room.
"It looks like we wouldn't be there to see the victory of Servusarator." The captain mumbled, causing the knights and war master to glance at him. They understood that his words were the truth to their circumstance.
But they weren't willing to go down without a fight.
They'd rather die fighting than cowering themselves and begging for mercy from their adversaries.
The dust outside the meeting room slowly cleared out and a white-haired lady soon emerged from it. With jet-black horns and a dark tail followed by luminous golden irises with slitted pupils, it was clear who it was.
"The Dragon of the United Navy, Laplace. They actually sent a dragon to assassinate someone." The war master couldn't stop himself from wryly smiling. One would expect for a force to use a dragon as a weapon of mass destruction.
To think that the United Navy would give it a job of assassination.
The knights held tightly to their swords, not wanting to let their own weapons go.
As the dragoness stepped forward, she looked at the men in the meeting room with a smile on her face. Her golden irises observed them with their faded radiance. It was as though death itself had knocked on their doorstep.
"All of you must be the leadership of the local garrison." She softly uttered, maintaining her tranquil smile.