Chapter 86: A Bold Plan

For Gawain, the most terrifying sight was standing atop the Dark Mountains, gazing southward—and seeing no faint glimmer of the protective barrier.

For the nations of the continent in this era, that would mean the end of civilization itself.

Yet, at the horizon’s edge, the barrier still stood. Against the chaotic backdrop of the Corrupted Lands, it was like a wall of light, a bulwark between heaven and earth. Though it had stood for seven centuries and many of its functions were likely fading, as long as that light remained even a single day, the world was still safe.

“That’s the Magnificent Wall…” Hetty said in awe, disbelief coloring her voice. “I’ve only ever read about it in books…”

“People on the border knew that wall well a few hundred years ago,” Gawain sighed, shaking his head, “but over these centuries, civilization’s borders have retreated again and again—now even north of the Whitewater River. The magical storms are receding, and yet you’re retreating too. How ironic.”

Hetty’s face flushed with shame, but what could she do? A hundred years ago, her great-grandfather—brilliant, reckless, and gifted in rebellion—had single-handedly destroyed the entire southern legacy. Who would dare shoulder that blame?

“Alright, alright. The wall’s still there, so that means the so-called Sentinel Towers have ‘self-healed,’ right?” Amber, though impressed by the Magnificent Wall, was eager to leave the corrupted lands behind. “So those mutants won’t get reinforcements—let’s get back and figure out how to deal with those monsters!”

Gawain nodded slightly, then leapt down from the boulder, casually adding, “I already have a rough plan.”

Amber hurried after him, catching up as she jabbered, “A plan? What plan? You really intend to charge into battle and take down over nine hundred of them? I’m joking, right? Or are you really that amazing?”

Gawain thought back: maybe seven centuries ago, Gawain Cecil could have charged through that horde alone. But the man before her now? Doing that would be a one-way ticket to death by spiral. His plan wasn’t about a lone hero’s charge.

“I’ve roughly calculated the mountain paths and the monsters’ movement speed,” he explained. “They haven’t detected the camp yet, so they’re moving slowly. At this pace, it’ll be at least two days before they pose a real threat. That gives us two days to prepare.”

Amber scratched her head. “Prepare what?”

“Blow up the northern cliff on the west side of the camp,” Gawain said, flipping through mental maps. “The rock layers there are unstable, with cracks forming. And the road beneath the cliff lies directly in the mutants’ path.”

Amber froze. Gawain’s plan was so bold it bordered on madness—completely unexpected.

She had imagined countless scenarios: setting up defenses outside the camp, fighting bravely, flanking maneuvers—even nearly moved by her own daydreams. But she never thought Gawain would propose something so unconventional…

Then doubt crept in. “Can you really do that? Blow up part of the mountain? How’s that even possible?”

Gawain glanced at her. “Not the whole mountain—just a section of rock. Trust me, I’ve studied the terrain. It’s easy. And we have the means to blow it apart.”

Amber blinked, then realization dawned. “You mean… those fake crystals your second granddaughter made?”

This guy’s knack for nicknaming things was getting more and more impressive.

“Exactly. They’re called ‘Rebecca Crystals,’ with a proper name,” Gawain nodded. “They’re made from the mountain’s stone, and once the process is explained, even serfs can smelt them. We’ve produced a lot, and now they’ll finally come in handy.”

Amber wanted to argue, but Gawain was already ahead, tossing over a casual remark: “We’ll discuss the details back at camp. Those monsters won’t wait for us.”

She looked up to see Gawain and Hetty striding swiftly along the rugged mountain path, and she was hopping mad behind them. “Hey! Wait up! Gawain, you’re a knight, so your stamina’s good, fine. But Hetty, you’re a mage—how can you run so fast in the mountains?”

Hetty heard Amber but only smiled and shook her head.

No outsider would know the Cecil family’s ancient tradition: before coming of age, every family member—regardless of gender or talent—had to kill a wolf barehanded in the forest. Rebecca had been knocked out by wolves three times before passing, but Hetty? She cleared it on her first try.

Back at camp, Gawain immediately summoned Rebecca, Byron, and Philip to his tent. The druid Pittman, having heard the news, showed up uninvited.

Since many things couldn’t be kept secret, and if a direct confrontation with the monsters was inevitable, even this half-baked druid’s healing magic would be indispensable, Gawain didn’t send him away.

“There are more mutants—nearly a thousand—moving through the mountains,” Gawain said bluntly once everyone was gathered.

The news stunned them all. Pittman was the first to react, sweeping his robe dramatically. “I’ll forfeit this month’s pay—”

“Stop. You sound just like Amber,” Gawain shot him a glare. “Wait until I finish. You can make your speech after I’ve made the arrangements.”

“Your Grace,” Byron said, “there are fewer than a hundred combat-ready people in the camp—including a few dozen newly trained militia. Even with enchanted weapons and armor, matching the mutants one-to-one would be a stretch…”

“I know,” Gawain raised a hand to cut him off. “That’s why I don’t plan to fight them head-on.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened. “You mean… abandon the camp?”

She pouted, clearly dreading that answer. Though this was a barren wilderness, it was the Cecil family’s last foothold. It was her new home—her furnaces for crystal smelting, the steelworks powered by Magic Network One—all her hard work. This was the first place she’d ever truly enjoyed doing what she loved. No matter what, she didn’t want to give it up.

But if Gawain decided to retreat… she was ready to obey.

“No, we don’t have to retreat—not yet,” Gawain shook his head. “The mutants won’t reach a point where they can detect the camp for two days. Then they’ll need at least another day to charge. We have up to three days to prepare. I have a plan, but it requires a lot of ‘Rebecca Crystals’…”

He laid out his bold idea, emphasizing its feasibility.

Byron and Philip exchanged glances. As traditional warriors, they hadn’t paid much attention to Gawain and Rebecca’s tinkering and inventions. They couldn’t imagine how powerful those explosive crystals could be. Pittman was even more clueless—he’d spent his days either organizing alchemical potions in his room or wandering around blessing people and selling useless ointments. He didn’t even know what “Rebecca Crystals” were.

But Rebecca’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Those crystals work!”

She was proud of her invention and had spent every spare moment testing their properties and explosive power. She knew them inside and out. Gawain’s plan was like a door opening to a new world, and the girl was thrilled. “Listen, the plan the Duke proposed is totally doable! I know how powerful those crystals are—and the more you use, the more the power multiplies! If we pack them into rock crevices and carve detonation runes… we can blow down an entire cliff face!”

The two knights’ eyes brightened as well, though Byron still looked worried. “But will that really kill the monsters? They’re tough…”

“You fought them head-on—you know they’re not invincible,” Gawain smiled. “Besides, mutants inside the magical storm zone and those wandering outside are two different things. Without the chaotic magic feeding them, they’re far more fragile than you think. From what I’ve observed, the magical storm aura from the mountain mutants is much weaker than the pollution in the old Cecil lands.”

“That’s even better,” Byron nodded eagerly. “But what if the landslide doesn’t finish them all?”

“I’m not expecting to bury them all in one go,” Gawain chuckled. “If the first collapse takes out more than half, that’s a win. The rest we’ll whittle down with traps and underground ‘artistry.’ From the southwestern mountain pass to the camp, we have plenty of buffer zones. The open ground and fences in front of the camp are the last line of defense—but I doubt the monsters will even get that far.”

He looked at Rebecca. “I had you combine the rune triggers with traps. That’s done, right?”

“Of course! It’s easy. The simplest rune triggers can be made with a few stacked stones, as long as the rune presses into the detonation array,” Rebecca said happily. “And after you left, I sent more people to the furnaces. There should be a fresh batch of crystals now. Magic Network One is running, so placing the crystals near its charging points fills them up quickly. I’ve moved all the stored crystals to the steelworks courtyard. They’ll be fully charged by tonight at the latest…”

Watching Rebecca chatter excitedly, Gawain felt from the bottom of his heart that he’d found a real treasure.

This girl… was a true talent.

(End of chapter)