novelraw Chapter 122 : Covert Operation
Chapter 122 : Covert Operation
Chapter 122: Covert Operation
The reporters were indeed fast.
Early the next morning, when Levi woke up, a freshly printed newspaper, still carrying the scent of ink, was already placed before him.
《Messenger of Justice or Guardian of Power? What Exactly Is the Identity of the Phantom Killer?》
Looking at the newspaper in front of him, Levi could tell with even a strand of hair that the other side must already be panicking.
He wasn’t afraid that the news wouldn’t report it. Due to their origins, the people of the Melisia Region were naturally resistant to authority———which made sense. People without such resistance usually didn’t end up committing crimes in the first place.
The reason why the Melisia Region could currently unite as one against the Empire was also because of this resistance to authority.
But did that mean there was no resistance to authority within the Melisia Region itself?
Of course not.
The Continental Parliament———this body currently represented the Melisia Region in negotiations with the Empire, and they were effectively its rulers.
And Levi had raised a very sharp question———was the Phantom Killer a private weapon of the Continental Parliament?
He believed that not only had he thought of this, but those reporters had as well.
That was why this report had come out so quickly.
If the Phantom Killer was simply a partner of justice, that would be one thing. But if it was the Parliament’s personal assassin, then the situation was entirely different.
At that point, would anyone who opposed the Parliament be killed by the Phantom Killer?
If that were true, wouldn’t the Continental Parliament become no different from the Empire?
How could that be acceptable?
The reporters even thought further than Levi—if the Phantom Killer was truly a private force of the Parliament, then in the future, the Parliament could do whatever it wanted. No one could stop them. Anyone who dared oppose them would be silently killed, or worse, you wouldn’t even be able to confirm whether they were killed!
The more they thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
Thus, this issue of the newspaper quickly became chaotic.
If before everyone had been uniformly singing praises of the Phantom Killer, now there were skeptics, opposition voices, and staunch supporters, all mixed together.
Some reporters even stated that the Melisia Region had no need to rely on such a shadowy figure. They must protect their own land and freedom. As for that bloodthirsty murderer, it should be left to Detective Levi to deal with!
If it were someone else, such words might not carry much weight. But Levi was different. Since his debut, he had specialized in solving these mysterious cases, and had always handled them with ease. If others said they would catch the Phantom Killer, people would laugh it off—but if Levi said it… there was a real chance he might actually succeed.
That was enough.
After reading the news, Levi nodded in satisfaction. He didn’t expect to defeat the Phantom Killer with this alone. What he feared most was if the entire Melisia Region united in full support of the Phantom Killer—then the latter might receive an overwhelming boost, which would be truly troublesome.
But now, as long as people felt unease, suspicion, or fear toward the Phantom Killer, its power might be weakened.
To what extent was unclear, but at least……… he wouldn’t be facing a fully buffed boss.
After all, many games worked the same way—before fighting the boss, you broke its seals, weakened it, and then the battle became manageable.
Charging in head-on against a fully buffed boss? That was just asking to die without even knowing how.
Even so, simply waiting passively seemed like a waste of time……… hmm………
After thinking for a moment, Levi made a decision.
Since the Phantom Killer specifically targeted imperial advisors, then what he needed to do was simple.
“……………You said you want to become an advisor?”
It had to be said, when Governor Geller heard Levi’s request, he was genuinely stunned.
“That’s right. Didn’t you say many of your advisors were killed by that guy? So I think if I become your advisor, it will increase the probability of him coming to attack me. Tracking him down is an option, but I think letting him come to me is faster.”
“Hmm……… ”
Governor Geller pondered for a moment.
“Very well. I trust your abilities, Mr. Levi. And having a warrior who has single-handedly eliminated a Sea Monster act alongside us will also boost morale among the men! Coincidentally, I plan to dispatch a unit of soldiers to rotate at the fortress. Would you be willing to go with them?”
“Of course.”
Although he didn’t know what Governor Geller was planning, Levi agreed without hesitation.
After that, Levi was escorted to the training ground, where he saw the unit preparing for rotation.
If other parts of the Empire gave Levi the impression of being backward or modern, then looking at the military equipment here made him feel like he had stepped into a science fiction film.
The most eye-catching were several gleaming mechs———but unlike humanoid mechs, these had no human-like form.
Simply put, they were cylindrical iron bodies with two reverse-jointed legs on either side, resembling the hind legs of a horse.
At the front of the cylinder was a cannon, and on top were two machine guns.
At the back was a steam-powered unit, with a tall exhaust pipe that looked like horns.
At the front were Hound-class mechs, slightly taller than humans. Their role was reconnaissance, so their firepower was weak, but they were lightweight and agile, excelling in various terrains.
Behind them were Knight-class mechs, about as tall as a two-story building. They were balanced in speed, agility, and armor.
If the Hound-class had 5 points in speed and mobility and 1 in everything else, then the Knight-class had a balanced 3 in all attributes—mediocre, with no strengths or weaknesses.
Following them were five hundred infantry soldiers armed with standard bolt-action rifles, each magazine holding ten rounds.
Although Levi wanted to try piloting a mech, unfortunately, as an advisor, he had to ride in another vehicle—the Rhino-class command vehicle.
From the outside, it resembled a tank, except its tracks were diamond-shaped and mostly covered by armor, with the body sandwiched between them.
It lacked heavy firepower, but its importance was undeniable. The many antennas behind it indicated its role as a communications hub. In battle, it would serve as the command center, allowing orders to be issued directly to all units.
Of course, in Levi’s opinion, it would be cooler if it could shout “MCV, reporting in” and transform.
Unfortunately……… that wasn’t happening.
The unit was led by Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, a decisive and calm man in his fifties. He neither showed excessive enthusiasm nor coldness toward Levi—he simply greeted him, invited him into the command vehicle, and then the group departed from the port base toward the fortress.
In Levi’s view, the scene was……… quite strange.
He stuck his head out of the vehicle, looking around. Mechs marched on all sides, while the five hundred fully armed soldiers and the command vehicle moved under their protection.
It felt like a blend of different eras.
“Phew……………”
Levi sighed, then returned inside and took a sip of tea.
“How is it, Mr. Levi?”
Smith asked while brewing tea.
“I can only say… isn’t this a bit slow? If we had more vehicles to carry the infantry, wouldn’t it be faster?”
Levi voiced his doubt. The Empire clearly had transport vehicles—so why make the soldiers march?
“We currently lack sufficient parts, and some equipment has been damaged or lost.”
“…Lost?”
Levi frowned. Damage was understandable—but lost?
“This is the Melisia Region, Mr. Levi.”
Smith smiled bitterly.
“The people down there aren’t exactly easy to control. Otherwise, General Geller wouldn’t have asked the Parliament for reinforcements.”
“I see.”
Levi nodded. He knew the situation here was bad—but not this bad. Locals daring to steal military equipment was serious. And it was clear Geller didn’t fully trust his own troops, hence his request for reinforcements.
Once imperial reinforcements arrived, it would likely lead to full-scale war.
“Of course, you don’t need to worry too much.”
Seeing Levi’s serious expression, Smith reassured him.
“While many oppose the Empire, some still support the Queen. We’ve obtained intelligence about the rebels through them. Though… their lives aren’t easy.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes…”
Smith sighed.
“The local factions are powerful. Those who support the Queen are often dragged out, covered in ink, feathered, or even beaten to death. Many others are too afraid to show their stance. I do hope reinforcements arrive soon, so those loyal to the Queen can feel safer.”
From the perspective of the Melisia locals, supporters of the Empire were traitors.
And from the perspective of royal loyalists, the separatists were the real traitors.
“Report!”
At that moment, the driver spoke.
“We have reached the designated location.”
“Oh, good. One moment…”
Smith put down his teacup and took out a letter.
“?”
Noticing Levi’s confusion, Smith smiled apologetically.
“This is an order from Governor Geller. I was instructed to open it upon arrival and act accordingly.”
“Oh?”
Levi immediately became alert. What he thought was a routine rotation now seemed like something more.
Clearly, Geller wanted him involved in this operation.
“………………”
After reading the letter, Smith’s expression turned serious.
“Mr. Levi, we are about to carry out a mission.”
“I figured as much. What is it?”
“According to intelligence, Governor Geller has obtained the exact location of a militia armory belonging to the local faction. We are to proceed at full speed and destroy it.”
“I see.”
Levi understood. Geller intended to weaken the militia by destroying their weapons stockpile.
Given the pervasive information leaks here, this method of delivering orders ensured secrecy. Anyone observing would assume this was a normal troop rotation, not a sudden strike.
“No problem. I’ll act with you.”
Levi wasn’t worried. Against monsters, he might hesitate—but against humans, he struck without mercy.
With wall-penetration and enhanced perception, losing an FPS fight was out of the question.
“Very good.”
Smith nodded and issued the command.
“All units, prepare to advance toward Concord!”
Soon, the unit changed direction and headed deep into the forest.
“By the way, is this route safe? No trouble ahead?”
Levi asked, looking out at the dark forest.
“No issues.”
Smith checked the map.
“This area is sparsely populated—only Concord and Lexington towns nearby. No significant threats. And Governor Geller specifically ordered us to maintain discipline and avoid unnecessary conflict.”
“Hmm……………”
Levi fell silent, then took out his Persuader and began checking it.
“Mr. Levi? What are you doing…?”
“Just in case.”
Levi smiled faintly.
“Maybe we won’t need it.”