My Players Are So Fierce

The former Transylvania border town of Bata Sin has already expanded twice, and even more outrageously, a third expansion within eleven months has already been put on the agenda. The original city walls have been torn down and pushed outward to open up a broader area, dedicated to the ceaseless flow of trade.

This city is the headquarters of the Bataxin Business Association, and right now it’s Transylvania’s land?based commercial core, second only to Torrent Castle.

The trade routes heading to Ice Bay, the Kafuhoka Region and even the more distant northern barbarian realms all set out from here, and the wagon convoys of the “Lion King’s Pride” Trading Company—which has already monopolized Transylvania’s logistics industry—load and unload cargo here hundreds of times a day on average.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Bataxin City today is basically the economic heart of Transylvania.

If this place were ever destroyed or occupied, it would absolutely finish off Transylvania, whose finances have long been teetering on the brink of collapse.

An area this important naturally gets heavy protection. So in Bataxin City there’s not only an Elite People’s Army unit withdrawn from the Maginot Line on guard, but also 1,500 Winged Cavalry permanently stationed here. The Midnight faction of the Blood Vulture Clan has built two Mage Towers here, and the elite Midnight Psychics personally trained by the young lady are also garrisoned on site.

This level of defense is enough to ensure that even in the worst?case scenario, the city can complete evacuation and withdrawal before it’s wiped out.

Rumor has it that Perfect Shipping Company is about to set up a commercial station in Bataxin City. Once the airship spire currently under construction is completed, then this place will one hundred percent see heavily armed airships appear as part of its defensive power.

But precisely because of how important this place is, external forces harboring malicious intent toward Transylvania are constantly here stirring up trouble.

Take, for example, Marshal Hilaklio, who was transferred to serve as Governor of the Kafuhoka Region just over half a month ago. He and the military nobles clustered around him are very interested in engineering a successful border clash with Transylvania and then escalating it into a full?scale invasion.

Right now they haven’t pushed things openly for two main reasons. First, after Klim Fortress fell, Cardman City, stuck at the extreme southern tip of Kafuhoka, is clearly a lingering military hazard that still needs sorting out. That Old Marshal who’s spent his life fighting wars will definitely not foolishly start a two?front war before he’s dealt with this issue.

The second reason is obstruction on the diplomatic front.

At present, the Transia Transylvanian People’s Army is on the Ligurian Peninsula helping the Half-body Men drive out invading Wolf People. In this situation, if Nordtof, as a member of the civilized bloc, were to take the initiative to attack Transylvania, it would cause a terrifying diplomatic scandal.

The Old Marshal is merely a hawk; he’s no fool.

To start a war, you have to pick the most suitable timing, and right now is clearly not it. He’s also deeply dissatisfied with the quality of the Soldiers in the Kafuhoka Region and is in the process of strengthening training and re?equipping, all of which takes time.

But both Marshal Hilaklio and the officials of Bataxin City are very clear: if they let these border provocations keep going unchecked, sooner or later the two sides are bound to spark a real firefight.

And right in this sensitive window of time, down in a basement in Bataxin’s old city district, something is happening that looks downright “peculiar” no matter how you look at it.

“Swish.”

The ragged sack was yanked off his head, making the alcohol?reeking Lieutenant Colonel Ivankov involuntarily squint. A bright lamp in front of him was painfully glaring, so harsh he couldn’t see the actual interior of the room at all.

His sabre and sidearm had been taken, even the boot?dagger hidden in his stinking boots had been found and removed—and all of this had happened in the few minutes after he’d been knocked out in a dark alley, fully proving the other side had come prepared.

As a veteran who’d been on battlefields, fought Barbarians and even tangled with Wolf People, Ivankov knew this was no time to act rashly. The pressure of staring danger in the face sobered him up quickly, and behind that rough exterior, his surprisingly meticulous mind began to work through who he’d possibly offended lately.

He soon arrived at an answer.

“Fuck! I already said, give me a few more days, I’ll pay back what I owe you! I’ve got a sterling reputation in the Kafuhoka camp, you know.”

The major cursed:

“I’m even a VIP client of your Treasure Bay! That fancy little card is in the left breast of my jacket—dammit, I’ve drunk with your Boss Huo himself. And this is how you treat your valued customers?”

“What you owe us isn’t exactly a negligible sum that can be wiped out with ‘friendship,’ Major.”

In the blinding light, a cold voice snapped:

“To win it all back and play the big shot in front of that voluptuous, enticing lady, you borrowed money from our Blood Rat Gang six different times. With the stipend attached to your current rank, you’d have to go fifteen years without eating or drinking to pay off that debt—and that’s not even counting interest. Boss Huo treats every guest generously, but our Blood Rat Gang has its own way of doing things. Especially when it comes to bastards who borrow money, then hide back in their army camp and don’t intend to pay it back…”

A cold blade touched Lieutenant Colonel Ivankov’s neck and then withdrew the next moment. A faint splash of blood was more threat than injury. The man gripping the knife sat down on the table under the lamp, letting the light swallow his figure and making it impossible for the major to see his face.