Chapter 31 [Barren Baron's Territory - 1: Disturbance]
While the Baron's troops were temporarily defeated, considering the noble is like a cockroach, leaving him alone might lead to a resurrection and more trouble. Let's pursue and corner that wretched Baron.
So, we arrived at the town of Barren. It seems to be the capital of the Baron's territory. Accompanying me this time is Keen leading the Skink unit, all equipped with fire mages. We've been using flying magic for transportation, and we reached Barren on the same day. Quite convenient, I must say.
"Now, what's our objective this time, Master?"
"Ah, sorry, but this time, I'd like to ask for a slightly dangerous mission."
After witnessing the Lord's army's flashy infighting, I thought, why not use that? The target is terrorism. After all, this town is a hotbed for the Baron, devoted to Yalta Church, and those who have supported various forms of persecution and slave hunting against demi-humans. No need for sympathy or consideration.
However, the primary goal is to escalate distrust towards the Baron. The targets have already been investigated by the elves. Two despicable merchants who sold unnecessary luxury goods to the Baron, a lousy church that incited attacks on elves by selling charms, a slave trader who came to town targeting elves, and the main target, the wretched Baron.
"This time, causing a commotion is the only objective. So, to enhance the panic-inducing effect, we'll set fires late at night. The purpose is to cause a disturbance, so it's okay if the fires are small. Scatter them around; just be careful not to be noticed as the culprits. If Skinks are suspected, at worst, a lot of unrelated Skinks might get killed."
For starting small fires, we don't need big ones. Just place small sparks in places with flammable materials. Places without much human presence should have low security.
"To maximize the chaos, we'll execute almost simultaneously. When I give the signal via telepathy, start all at once."
After infiltrating Barren's town, I've been searching for suitable places to start fires. Wooden fences, wooden walls, warehouses, etc. I didn't have any trouble finding places where a lizard could sneak in.
"Keen, you and I will deal with the Baron. Let him experience a bit of pain."
...
We arrived at the Lord's mansion, but does this foolish noble have no sense of caution? Right after the commotion in Silva's Forest, there are no sentinels in front of the mansion. Arrogance or stupidity... Oh, no, there's a charm attached to the door. Do they genuinely believe in its miraculous power?
"... Keen, since it seems even more idiotic than I thought, let's not complicate things and turn the lord's mansion into a dungeon in one go. It's okay to kill him outright, but we don't know who will take his place. It's better to deal with a controllable idiot than someone crafty. Once the mansion becomes a dungeon, put everyone inside to sleep. Set fire outside the lord's room and a couple more places, then escape. After the escape, immediately cancel the dungeon to destroy the evidence. Don't be caught."
"If we're just starting small fires, we don't need a big one. Let's spread a bit of fire here and there."
"To increase the confusion to the maximum, the operation will be almost simultaneous. When I signal via telepathy, start all at once."
The deep-night terrorism worked out brilliantly for us. Here's what I heard from later inquiries:
The fire on the stairs of the lord's mansion smoothly spread, and in the grain warehouse, this year's wheat burned down. Moreover, a dust explosion occurred, increasing anxiety among nearby residents. The idiot Baron continued sleeping, unaware until the explosion, and when he woke up, he couldn't escape the burning house, breaking his leg by jumping out the window.
The Skink who went to the church didn't pay attention to places where people were and set fire inside the wooden chapel. Understanding the mission well, he refrained from setting fire outside the chapel, so they couldn't extinguish the fire, leading to its complete destruction.
The two who attacked the merchant's residence both set fire to the warehouse. But not only that, they set fire around the warehouse and on the path from the residence to the warehouse. Thanks to this, even if they tried to put out the fire, they couldn't get close to the warehouse, and it burned down neatly.
The reckless one was the Skink who went to the slave trader. Climbing the wall of the inn, sneaking into the slave trader's room on the second floor, he set the bed on fire and returned. Surprisingly, they didn't notice it until late. Ah, the slave trader himself suffered burns, but like the Baron, he managed to escape by jumping out of the window. At least he didn't break his legs.
There was widespread panic in the town due to the simultaneous fires. The half-panicking security forces clashed with the nearby residents, and the merchant, who had always been resented, even faced looting and assault amid the chaos. In the inn where the slave trader stayed, frightened horses fled, intensifying the disturbance. The panicking guests suffered injuries and damage from the fire scene. Against the surviving slave trader, the inn blamed him for a fire caused by negligence, demanding compensation. Although the slave trader, who had no recollection, resisted, since the origin of the fire was in his room, the likelihood of being forced to compensate is strong.
It pains me a bit for the residents who suffered, but the inhabitants of this town are followers of Yalta Church, who have supported demi-human persecution until now. Let them pay off their debts. There are still plenty of debts to accumulate.
Now, what's next?