WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 290: Sacramento (5)

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Two days had passed. In those two days, Gyeoul’s task force had not seen a single battle worthy of the name. In fact, the same was true of every other unit that had entered the city. Major General Rogers’s plan to draw the mutants out from a disadvantageous position currently looked like a complete failure.

That did not mean there was no tension.

A mournful cry spread across the radio net.

[Moooom!]

Gyeoul could hear it with his own ears too. The crying child was hanging upside down in the air. The hand gripping the child’s ankle belonged to a monster with grotesquely thick, long fingers. That monster was also broadcasting the child’s sobs live across several frequencies.

A group made up of one Trickster and an unknown number of other mutants had boldly come right up near the State Capitol, occupied a building, and was now provoking the human army. It felt like mockery, and the faces of the staff officers seeing and hearing the same things as Gyeoul twisted with anger.

[Company commander, we’re ready.]

Han-byul’s report came over the company channel. Her voice was stiff, unlike usual. The best sniper in the company aside from Gyeoul had taken a high position with a group of marksmen. The anti-materiel rifle she cherished enough to name was surely aimed at the monster’s life right now.

Gyeoul replied.

“Stand by. Fire only if permission is given.”

[Yes.]

They could not shoot yet. The moment the Trickster’s head was blown apart, the child would fall and die. The building might not be especially tall, but if the child fell headfirst, it would be hard to hope for a miracle.

They could not shoot even if the child was taken inside. The cunning one’s death would set the less cunning ones loose. The horde of plague would tear the child apart the instant their reins came off. Considering the child’s bony state and the mutants’ hunger, the child was more likely to become food than a host. Even if they climbed as fast as possible, it was doubtful there would be any flesh left on the child’s bones.

‘Can’t we shoot every bastard that gets close to the kid through the windows...? No.’

An anti-materiel rifle could punch through walls, but there was no way to cover blind spots.

The communications officer who had been contacting the Combined Task Force control room looked troubled.

“Sir. The child’s identity has been confirmed. They say it’s one of the seventeen kidnapped civilians.”

“I see...”

Gyeoul had heard the transmission too. His enhanced hearing missed neither the whole exchange nor the screams in the background. Apparently, the child’s parents were among the civilians in the control room.

Then the operations officer reported with an even harder expression.

“Smoke is filling the interior.”

His tablet currently showed the inside of the old Treasury Department building occupied by the mutants.

Because the U.S. military lacked the ability to keep every building in the city occupied, they had compromised by installing surveillance devices in empty buildings during the day or restoring closed-circuit systems. The intent was to track enemy movement and launch mobile strikes.

But how many buildings were there, and how many key points? The number of cameras installed so far was absurdly low, and even in buildings that had them, they did not cover every corner. Even supplying power was limited from the start.

“Give it here.”

Gyeoul took the tactical information tablet with a gesture. Just as Lieutenant Foster had said, smoke was rising from the stairs leading underground. In the unlit interior, the smoke was as dense as storm clouds seen at night. It was another monster in itself, opaque and hiding who knew what inside.

‘Is it Acrid smoke, or a real fire?’

The Quarantine Strategy Institute had warned of organized arson by mutants. If a group had already resolved to die, there was a chance they would try to burn down the entire city in their final moments.

By contrast, this was not mutual destruction, but bait. Just as Major General Rogers had tried to lure out the mutants, the intelligent monster was trying to draw armed humans into sealed darkness.

Captain Singh spoke to Gyeoul as he reviewed the building blueprint.

“It’s a trap. We mustn’t get drawn in.”

Those were the words of someone who had been stroking his sword hilt with his beard trembling for some time now. It felt less like an opinion and more like a warning to himself. His whole body was drawn taut like a lion with prey before its eyes. The hand gripping with too much strength had long since gone white.

Gyeoul let out a short sigh.

“I know... But if we leave it alone, they’ll burn the child to death as an example.”

If they dismissed it as a bluff and ignored it, the cunning mutant would burn the child to death. Only then would future hostage-taking be effective.

And the screams of a child burning alive would be broadcast live, just like now.

“Have we gotten any more information about the underground structures nearby?”

When Gyeoul asked, Lieutenant Murray looked uncomfortable.

“It’s only been two days. We need more time to find every route. There was talk of checking whether the Library of Congress still had blueprints, but... given that there’s been no word so far, I doubt we can expect much there either.”

The reason it was the Library of Congress was that it stored every report on public works, whether original or copy. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which the military had first asked for cooperation, had replied that it had no current data on Sacramento’s underground structures.

‘The state government must have kept it.’

The fact that the data centers in California had been wiped out also played a large role. A Trickster’s self-destruct shockwave had once gone off nearby, so even if they reclaimed the facilities, recovery remained a distant prospect.

They were searching state government buildings, but at this point, there had been no results.

So the underground map Gyeoul could currently verify was nearly twenty years out of date at best. It meant there were side paths only the monsters knew.

“Sir. We have an order for Reconnaissance in Force. They say to send in the Heavy Infantry platoon...”

Lieutenant Evans relayed the message while glancing at Captain Singh. The bearded Sikh had twitched with anger. There was a reason that anger grew even stronger.

“Company commander. I question whether this is a rational decision. We should request reconsideration.”

This was not distrust toward Major General Rogers personally.

“You mean headquarters is under outside pressure?”

“How could it not be? That damned embedded press is the problem.”

“...”

“It’s already too late to control them. They’re probably sending out these screams right now, calling it a scoop.”

The child still hung outside the window, crying. The Trickster’s radio waves broadcasting those cries would reach at least several kilometers. Perhaps because this had been its goal from the start, it was not even using jamming signals.

Provocations like this had already been happening since yesterday. Someone among the embedded press had received them overnight too.

As a result, by dawn, the atmosphere had completely changed.

‘Press control isn’t what it used to be.’

The fierce presidential race was affecting even the front line. How many ghosts of power supported the Republican Party candidate? Of course there would be some not only in the Intelligence Agency and Bureau, but inside the Department of Defense too. That meant scoops that could be used to attack the current administration were easier to leak than before.

Trying to impose press control now would only provoke a public backlash. For Edgar Kramer, the Republican Party candidate fiercely criticizing the current president, that too would become an opportunity.

The cunning monster itself did not know this, but human circumstances were making the monster’s ploy even more effective.

“Let me go in.”

Jin-seok’s words drew the staff officers’ attention. The most aggressive Ensign in the company had finished preparing long ago.

“If we drive an armored vehicle into the first-floor lobby, they can withdraw under cover at any time and recharge in shifts. According to catalog specs, the armored suits also function as fireproof suits to a limited degree. And as long as the armored suit power doesn’t run out, they can crush anything the monsters try. That’s how we trained our kids. Please trust them.”

The armored vehicle he mentioned was a modified vehicle with a generator installed in the troop compartment. It had connection terminals on the outside, where the Heavy Infantry’s power cables could be attached.

It was still an armored vehicle, so it had a turret and could handle fire support missions as well.

Gyeoul read resolve and desperation in Jin-seok.

‘According to the blueprint... vehicles other than armored vehicles would have trouble entering.’

They were talking about forcing an armored vehicle through a doorway made for people in the first place. If several armored vehicles entered the lobby, there would not be enough room to move. No matter how much firepower increased, losing mobility would only turn them into fixed targets.

“Captain. A request to reconsider won’t work.”

Gyeoul said that after thinking over Major General Rogers’s personality. Captain Singh closed his eyes for a moment with a bitter expression, then opened them. Operations officer Foster spoke.

“The child has disappeared from view. That thing is moving. From that position, it’ll reach the stairs quickly.”

If they were going to storm in, they had to do it while the child’s position was certain. It was time to decide. Gyeoul nodded.

“Relay this to the tank platoon. Blow away the front wall centered on the first-floor entrance. We need to secure an entry route at least thirty meters wide. Tell them shell type and firing are at the platoon leader’s discretion.”

“Aye, sir!”

“Ensign Park, enter with the Heavy Infantry platoon as soon as the entry route is made. Independent Company 1st Platoon and 3rd Platoon will cover. Task Force Snyder remains at the strongpoint, 4th Platoon is reserve, and Task Force Gray blocks the surrounding roads. I’ll deploy tank platoon vehicles Three and Four to the eastern and western intersections. Notify the situation room and ask how long they can maintain air support and firefighting support.”

Gyeoul even decided the positions of the other task forces he had temporarily taken command of. They each had a company commander too, so assigning broad missions should be enough. Barring exceptional stupidity, U.S. officers’ abilities were trustworthy.

While the communications officer transmitted the radio message, Gyeoul stared at the front of the State Treasury Department building. It imitated a Greek temple, and above the colonnade that had no meaning beyond decoration, beneath a triangular roof with an obtuse angle, a line of poetry was engraved.

Bring me men to match my mountains.

By coincidence, it was a poem Gyeoul had encountered once. Not in this world, but in the past, because an Air Force officer he had befriended had once told him about some cadet-days trouble related to the poem. He used to recite it like a habit.

「Bring me men to match my mountains. Bring me men to match my plains. Men with empires in their purpose, and new eras in their brains...」

The title of this poem was The Coming American.

Gyeoul felt something strange.

The Americans who had come to lost territory were now about to advance by pounding shells into it.

Boom!

The main gate exploded. The shelling had been aimed at the doorposts on the left and right. If they had shot the doors, the shell would have simply punched through. Fragments scattered, followed by the sound of debris pouring down as it collapsed. Then came continuous shelling. Every time a tank’s main gun flashed, the ground around it wavered like a heat haze.

The blast pushed wind all the way to Gyeoul, who stood some distance away. It carried stinging sand, forcing him to narrow his eyes.

‘The whole front of the building won’t collapse, right...?’

Setting the width at thirty meters had been a matter of vague instinct. Wider was better, but if they opened it too wide, they really would have to worry about collapse.

No sooner had the firing died down than Gyeoul gave the signal.

“2nd Platoon, breach! 1st and 3rd Platoons, deploy!”

The Heavy Infantry and armored vehicle advanced, crunching over concrete debris. If they seized the first floor, they could cut off the monsters’ retreat and block reinforcements.

Clack. As Gyeoul checked his weapon, Captain Singh asked him.

“Surely you don’t intend to engage directly?”

“Depending on the situation, I might.”

Gyeoul shook his head at Singh, who seemed about to say more.

“I’m still a company commander for now.”

“...Yes. I understand what you mean.”

He might be a battalion commander in practice, but in a situation where they had no proper means to observe the interior, he could not stay outside just because he was the commander. The video transmitted from helmet cameras was often blocked by granite and suffered poor signal quality. There was even a chance the Trickster had prepared corpses of its own kind. It was also difficult to fully trust the EMP resistance of infantry equipment.

Beyond the collapsed wall, in the dim interior, gunshots and monstrous screams rang out in harmony.

========== Author’s Note ==========

#The Wind and Star Cluster

In the last Author’s Note, I said The Wind and Star Cluster of the Ossuary universe was a maritime horror thriller. Sorry. That was a mistake. The Wind and Star Cluster is a maritime horror “mukbang” thriller. When Captain meets Cthulhu, Captain eats Cthulhu, and when Captain meets Tunguska, Captain eats Tunguska...

Please make sure there’s no misunderstanding about the universe. :)

#Q&A

Q. Calpis: @First place, how lucky! And to help with the author’s livelihood, I shall buy Volume 3 as soon as it comes out. All hail Skarlochen! (Come to think of it, where did Quallen go?)

A. Demon summoning is forbidden in the comments section.

Q. Eeiko: @Recruiting party for orchard raid@@

A. Please succeed...

Q. UnlimitedOne: @Was the Major General trying to tell him to look at reality instead of ideals, or was he trying to place one thread of hope on him? / That aside, even if it is mostly for strongpoint defense, armored troops... I’m starting to feel bad for the mutants. How scary is a maintained government...

A. Interpretation belongs to the readers. / As shown in the main story, they can also be used offensively to a limited degree. A properly maintained government really is a powerful force.

Q. Bug: @Gyeoul’s battle!! Ah, with accumulated talent values, is knowledge possible too? Since Map Navigation works, it seems like system-wise a science route, I mean a weapon development route, would also be possible? With future knowledge, he could improve things like those work suits from the chapter using technology suited to the situation... Internet searches, theories, basic technology... parts of patents and so on...

A. If you have money, it’s possible! But if future knowledge and technology are released without unlocking the related DLC, it will be judged as a Situational Computation error or intellectual property rights (patent) infringement, and a rollback will occur.

Q. kimtw9742: @That rose isn’t foreshadowing, right?

A. I can’t answer questions like this... :(

Q. Nokilyeon: @Author, please just be honest and say multiple chapters in a row are impossible. It’s not like we can set the orchard on fire, seriously. Isn’t this hope torture that we won’t see until before the ending...? :(

A. Don’t think it’s impossible... Author Lee Yeongdo will definitely release a sequel... Even for a poor old thing like me... :(

Q. qgegegqe: @Paying off all that debt in a few months is hopeful. How much time has passed since Gyeoul started broadcasting?

A. It’s a secret!

Q. FallenPope: @It says enhanced combat suits are an outdated paradigm in the outside world, so what are the latest weapons outside? Iron Man??

A. It will be mentioned in the story soon, but they are enhancement of the human body itself and synthesis of machines and the human body. The latter can be seen as biomechatronics.

Q. Karstein: @Author, if there are any military or weapons-related books or materials you referenced while writing, could you tell us?

A. As for books, not really... For depictions of the U.S. military, I primarily reference manuals. For the rest, I either search for or verify new information based on the knowledge I already had...

Q. BlueCrystal: @Thanks for the chapter. It’s been a while since I read on Noble. These days I’ve been reading in the green neighborhood, so it’s a shame I can’t see author’s comments. The fun unique to this novel is author’s comments, so when reading in the green neighborhood, I kept wondering what comments author had written. I came by after a long time and just read through author’s comments. I’ll see you again next time I make a purchase. Until then, keep writing well~ (It’s surprisingly nice to let the comments pile up and read them all at once haha)

A. Eek... Did you pay for Noblesse just to read these unfunny Author’s Notes...? I’ll have to work hard and pile up dumb jokes until the next time you come.

Q. wnsdlfh: @Ah, I was the one who asked that question! Thank you for remembering and answering. Come to think of it, we really haven’t seen the fox for a long time...

A. Yes, there has been no appearance for a long time. But it will come back. Because it’s necessary for the happy ending. :)

Footnotes:

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