Chapter 431 Chapter432-A Harrowing Blow
"I will make the arrangements; I'll do everything you've asked," Sorovo promised.
The commander nodded, "That would be best."
With that, she pulled out a small roll of paper and extended it towards Sorovo.
"This is part of the intelligence, concerning a safe house used by Red Eye and his band of thieves. You might find something useful there."
"The rest of the information will be provided to you periodically.
If possible, it would be best to delay the negotiations.
The later the negotiations are held, the greater the chance of capturing Red Eye."
"You'd better not be deceiving me."
Sorovo took the paper, noted the address, and then tore it up.
"I'll start arranging the raid immediately."
"Never overestimate Red Eye's bottom line, nor underestimate his strength," was the commander's final piece of advice.
As her words faded, she disappeared from the courtyard with the speed of a whirlwind.
Stroking his chin's beard, Sorovo called the city guard soldiers waiting outside back in.
"My lord! What is it?" The centurion stood before him promptly.
He seemed somewhat surprised by Antalya's disappearance but chose not to voice his questions.
He understood well that some matters were not his to inquire about.
Forcing questions could end up bringing trouble upon himself.
"Call back those who went out; we're about to take major action."
Though the centurion didn't understand what Sorovo meant by "major action," his battle-hardened senses could detect the scent of blood in Sorovo's words.
More people were going to die.
Thinking this, the centurion obeyed the command and left.
Gathering the city guards who had been sent out didn't take long.
Roughly an hour after the centurion was dispatched, over sixty elite city guard soldiers from Breeze City were standing in front of Sorovo.
Led by three centurions, the troops were divided into three squads, each comprising eight close-combat sergeants, six longbowmen, and six spearmen, reflecting the expanded combat team configuration.
Above these three squads were the Three Knights and two apothecaries.
At this moment, the three squads were neatly arrayed in the courtyard, sixty-eight pairs of eyes, one hundred thirty-six gazes, all focused on Sorovo's face.
After scanning the assembled crowd, Sorovo began slowly, "I have found Red Eye."
Not everyone was privy to the true purpose of this operation, but the name Red Eye was almost universally known in Breeze City.
The leader of the largest thieves group around Breeze City, the city's most wanted criminal with the highest bounty, a certified magus known for his extreme cruelty and brutality.
In Breeze City, his name was almost a byword for terror.
"After finding him, there's only one thing left for us to do!" Sorovo's voice was not loud but loud enough for everyone to hear.
He slowly surveyed the crowd, making eye contact with each person, seeing the flames of determination gradually rising in their eyes.
"After the battle, each of you will receive half a month's leave and a generous bounty! I promise, this bounty will make the coming year very comfortable for you!"
No cheers erupted, but Sorovo could see the flames burning fiercely in their eyes.
Honor, status, money—so many people chase these three things all their lives.
And now, for these city guards of humble origins, such aspirations seemed within easy reach.
Just by killing Red Eye, they would become heroes of Breeze City! The generous bounty would be enough for them to start a small business.
With some hard work, a life of comfort for the latter part of their existence wasn't out of the question.
All it would take was the courage to risk their lives, and perhaps they could completely alter their fate.
Often, those who live the most freely in this world are those who care the least for their own lives.
"Good, I see no cowards here. It seems I don't have any foul-smelling rats under my command."
Sorovo paced in front of the sixty-odd men, hands clasped behind his back, his gaze cutting across each face like a blade, his voice deep and resonant like an angry beast, "Now, I will begin issuing orders! Each squad is strictly responsible for the commands within its purview. There's no need to overly concern yourselves with the progress of the other squads. The three squads will be directly coordinated by me!"
Sorovo didn't plan to commit all his forces based solely on the intelligence provided by the commander.
Only one squad, along with himself, would move to raid the specified location, while the rest of the troops would wait at two different distances for backup.
This approach ensured that if the individual was an ally of Red Eye, there would still be enough strength left for a counterattack.
Moreover, if Red Eye's forces at that location proved too formidable, he could quickly organize a blockade to prevent any escape.
This strategy wasn't foolproof, but Sorovo felt it was sufficient.
He harbored no illusions of capturing Red Eye in this single endeavor; as long as the operation didn't end in complete failure, it would be a significant step forward.
The orders were passed down succinctly, specifying only the location, time, and action, without any explanation—typical of Sorovo's style.
He regarded all under his command as pawns, expendable so long as they served the purpose of achieving his objectives.
"Move out, the operation begins!"
Once he confirmed everyone understood their orders, Sorovo issued the departure command decisively.
He was not one to delay; in warfare, speed is of the essence, and any hesitation could lead to missed opportunities or clues.
Sorovo, along with the other two knights, led the way.
Over sixty men silently exited through a small gate in the twilight, marching away in formation.
They moved with care, making no sound, their cold black iron armor casting a chilling presence.
They were Breeze City's sharpest blades, each one's hands stained with blood.
...
Sorovo did not intend to commit all his forces based on the intelligence provided by the commander.
Only one squad and himself would move to raid the location, with the rest waiting in two different spots for backup.
This way, if the person was Red Eye's accomplice, at least there would be a force left to counterattack.
Moreover, if Red Eye's forces at that location proved too strong, he could quickly organize a blockade to prevent Red Eye's people from breaking through and escaping.
This wasn't a foolproof plan, but Sorovo felt it was sufficient.
He did not harbor illusions of capturing Red Eye with this single move; as long as they didn't come back empty-handed, it would be significant progress.
Orders were issued succinctly, detailing only the location, time, and actions, without any explanations - typical of Sorovo's style.
Everyone under his command was considered a pawn; as long as the objective was achieved, any sacrifice was deemed worthwhile.
"Move out, the operation begins!"
Once Sorovo confirmed everyone understood their orders, he crisply commanded the departure.
He had no intention of delay; speed is of the essence in warfare, and any hesitation could result in missed opportunities or clues.
Sorovo and the other two knights led the way, with over sixty men silently marching out of the mansion through a small gate into the dusk, moving in formation.
They tread carefully, making no sound, their cold black iron armor chilling to behold.
They were Breeze City's sharpest blades, every one of them bloodied by their deeds.
"Follow me!" Antalya commanded.
"Although I don't plan to intervene, we must verify what the true situation of the battle is."
Reluctantly, but with clear orders from Antalya, Howard had no choice but to follow.
He didn't anticipate any mishaps in Sorovo's operation.
Even if Harry wanted to inform Red Eye, he would need time to act.
In fact, from receiving the intelligence to Sorovo initiating action, minus the time taken to gather the city guards and issue commands, it was only about an hour in total.
Such a short span of time.
Harry couldn't even grasp Sorovo's intentions clearly.
This was also Antalya's thought; since they couldn't directly stop Harry's actions, they would leave him no chance to make any moves.
Rising slowly from the rooftop, Howard was mindful of the gaze from below.
Being in a higher position, it's easy to overlook things below, even exposing vulnerabilities.
This habitual neglect could sometimes be fatal, and Howard had no intention of dying over such an oversight.
Dodging the gaze of pedestrians, Howard leaped across rooftops, swiftly rendezvousing with Antalya.
Then, they met Ali, waiting at another location.
Greg, needing to recover his combat strength as quickly as possible, did not partake in this operation, but the others weren't so lucky—they were all roped in by Antalya as a precaution for Sorovo's mission.
Should anything unexpected occur during Sorovo's operation, Antalya was prepared to have them intervene as necessary.
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