Assassination Terrorism?

On Dairam Island, a large-scale disturbance suddenly broke out. Those who had witnessed the situation in which the dead and wounded from the forced dispersal, and even those wounded people themselves, were being arrested no longer merely talked.

Crash!

Large-scale looting was carried out, centering on shops run by mainlanders. Violence even broke out, and because of that, police officers who had been dispatched after receiving reports could not help but fill the area with gunshots and shouting.

The entire main city of Dallon was filled with chaos, and fires caused by arson were spreading everywhere. They were even assaulting the firefighters moving to put out the fires, which showed just how serious the situation was.

As things reached that point, military units were immediately deployed again, and indiscriminate gunfire toward those causing the unrest began to continue. Gunshots were ringing out wildly throughout the city, and several tanks moved along the main roads as if marching.

But what flew toward those tanks were Molotov cocktails thrown from who knew where. As the shattered bottles spread flames, the tanks were burning. No matter how strong their iron-plated armor was, they could not help but be extremely vulnerable to fire.

Together with the tank crewmen, who died unable to escape, the tanks showed themselves burning in the middle of the main road. At that sight, the soldiers, driven into a frenzy, fired in all directions, but with everyone inside and between the buildings, they could not land proper hits.

It was a scene showing just how difficult urban warfare was. In that situation, photographs capturing these sights were shown through newspapers across the entire Polia Kingdom, so many people could not help but feel shock and fury.

The perception of the Dairam people had already been bad enough, but now it had grown even worse. On top of that, a slogan appeared that made such feelings even more unpleasant: “The Dairam people do not want interference. We need a nation of our own!”

Those words meant that they intended to become independent and betray the Polia Kingdom. Many people began saying, “Who gave them the right to become independent?” As a result, the treatment of the Dairam people who remained on the mainland could only become even harsher.

It got to the point where even when buying groceries, “Let’s see your forearm now,” became such a common phrase that many Dairam people could not even obtain food. In that situation, among them, those who belonged to armed retaliation groups began to show movements to carry out terrorism.

A house somewhere in Pullea, the capital of the Polia Kingdom.

About seven people had gathered there. All of them were young people in their twenties, and on the table before them were bombs that looked to have been made by hand. The expressions of those looking at these bombs were filled with resolve.

“Everyone, let us meet in the next life.”

“We are sacrificing ourselves for the Dairam people.”

“For the Dairam people. For our families.”

“For bloody revenge against the vicious Polia Kingdom.”

“We will also take revenge on those shameless and discriminatory mainlanders.”

All of them were nodding as they looked at one another. Then they began gathering the homemade bombs each of them had to take. Their expressions as they put them into bags were completely stiff. In truth, it could be said that their hands were also subtly trembling.

No matter that they were doing it for their fellow people and their families, they were planning to carry out terrorism as good as throwing away their own lives. It would have been a lie to say they were not trembling. Of course, that did not mean they had any intention of giving up. To that extent, they desired the independence of their people and bloody revenge.

“Let’s go.”

Had everyone finished getting ready like that? Before long, they rose from their seats and were about to leave. Just as they began moving as if to depart, bang! With that sound, there were people who came crashing in along with the broken door. At that sight, while all of them were startled, those forcing their way in began subduing them one by one.

“Kraugh?!”

“H-how did you find this place!”

“Die!”

“Urk!”

They were startled by the sight of those who had found the place where they were gathered and tried to resist, but before overwhelming force, they began to be subdued in an instant. Those subduing them were all special agents. Without any emotion at all, they broke arms or simply strangled them until they lost consciousness.

As they were overwhelmed without being able to do anything, one of them hurriedly pulled out a homemade bomb from a bag and tried to blow himself up, but before that could happen, a bullet flew in—bang!—and pierced his forehead, leaving him no choice but to collapse on the spot. That was how the scene inside the house, where the suppression had been completed in an instant, looked.

At that moment, someone entered the place, clicked his tongue as he looked over the inside of the house, and muttered to himself.

“They probably never realized they were all under surveillance.”

That was exactly right. All of the Dairam people on the mainland were under surveillance. In the midst of that, they had shown such suspicious movements, so in a way, being discovered was inevitable. To that extent, the surveillance net of the Mauter had been laid densely throughout the capital.

In truth, arrest and suppression operations were beginning not just here but in other places as well. For the Dairam people, it became a situation in which they were all being arrested before they could even properly carry out terrorism. It was bound to be a situation completely different from the past.

In effect, back then there had not even been a secret police force yet, and although one of the reasons for its creation had been to monitor the nobility, it had also been created for the purpose of preventing terrorism like this. In addition, incomparably vast funds were being used compared to the past, so there could not help but be an enormous difference in scale.

They might have had the advantage in Dairam Island, which was their own territory, but there was almost nothing they could do on the mainland. Of course, that did not mean all of them had been subdued. There were still many hiding and waiting for an opportunity.

Meanwhile, on Dairam Island, cries of “We officially want independence for freedom!” began to erupt. Of course, what followed those cries could only be indiscriminate gunfire by the Polia Kingdom army.

The Polia Kingdom could not permit the independence of the Dairam people. To begin with, it did not want an independent state like a thorn so close to the mainland, and it had absolutely no intention of granting independence even because it found their conduct outrageous.

At that point, the Dairam people also began to retaliate, and armed with rifles that no one knew where they had obtained, they began engaging in full-scale firefights. The island was gradually becoming more and more filled with chaos, and in that situation Ian, who had been staying only inside the royal palace, was beginning to move.

It was a procession of vehicles leaving the royal palace. It was an enormous movement numbering over thirty vehicles, and in the car at the center of that movement, Ian was riding. Looking out at the scenery through the window, Ian thought:

‘Will they really be able to carry out terrorism against me?’

He was inwardly curious. Did they still have that much capability left, and exactly what kind of assassination terror would they attempt? Of course, it might be the security personnel who would get hurt because of this, but in truth, Ian had no intention at all of letting them get hurt.

‘It would be nice if I could inspect my telekinetic power again after a long time.’

Lately, he had not been able to use the power of telekinesis in earnest. Everything had been perfect, so there had been almost no reason to use it. Of course, if there was an item he was too lazy to fetch, he would secretly bring it over with telekinesis, but he had not used any great force.

Even in such circumstances, the power of his telekinesis was steadily growing. As he absorbed the White Crystal, his other powers were also growing, but the power of telekinesis, which could be called his very first power, was also continuing to increase.

‘At this point, if I wanted to, I feel like I could even lift something the size of a destroyer.’

He had not tried it, but he felt it would probably be possible. As such, it could be said that no physical attack could reach him. Naturally, it was obvious that such attacks could not reach even the area around him. In truth, whereas in the past 100 meters had been the limit of where his power could reach, now it was possible to use it at even greater distances.

‘It would be good if I could absorb just one more…’

That was what he found regrettable. In the past, when he had absorbed less, it had been impossible to absorb more, but now it seemed like it would be possible. There was a White Crystal at the institute right now, but that one was absolutely necessary for research, so he could not absorb it.

‘It would be nice if we could also discover a ruin site.’

He wanted it to be discovered by their own expedition team rather than, as before, by the Magnia Empire side. If that happened, all they had to do was bring it back as secretly as possible. Of course, the absorption would also have to be done as secretly as possible, but making such preparations was not a problem for him.

‘More than that, this kind of place looks perfect for a sniper shot.’

In a place like this filled with buildings, he thought it would not be strange at all if a sniper’s bullet came flying in. By now, Mauter agents were probably positioned in most places worth mentioning. Depending on the route of movement decided in advance, places suitable for an ambush would have already been cleared beforehand.

‘Will they really be able to break through these difficulties and fire a sniper rifle at me?’

Since it was something Viscount Rubingston had steeled himself over and guaranteed, there probably would be no gaps. As expected, even while passing along the roads, there was no attack of any kind. It was a peaceful vehicle procession passing without anything happening, and it was gradually leaving the city center.

And so they left the city center without anything happening, and at that sight Ian could not help but let out a hollow laugh. At that, Mardin, his secretary seated in the front passenger seat, asked as if puzzled.

“What is it?”

“I was just thinking that nothing is happening.”

“Shouldn’t that be the natural thing?”

“Even so, they were people who caused such chaos in the past, so thinking that they can’t do anything now makes me feel it’s funny.”

“Past is past, and at this point there is nothing they can do.”

“Mardin, do you think so as well?”

“Of course. We already inspected every road along the route beforehand. There will be no risk of assassination.”

Since, as his secretary, he inspected everything concerning the king, it seemed he had already completed the inspection while working together with the Mauter. Hearing that, Ian wondered whether this would end so blandly.

‘At a time like this, if a tree were to fall down ahead, it would be the perfect timing for an ambush.’

The instant he thought that, the vehicles ahead began to stop. Naturally, the vehicle Ian was in also came to a stop. In this situation, Ian thought, No way? Is it really going to be this method?

“It seems something has happened up ahead. I will go and check.”

“There is no need. Stay here. If something has happened up ahead, someone will come to report it.”

“Understood.”

Though he said he understood, Mardin kept scanning all directions with wary eyes. At that moment, someone approached and reported from outside.

“There is currently a tree fallen up ahead. It is completely blocking the road, so it seems we will have to remove it before we can move.”

“Remove it quickly.”

Perhaps Mardin’s words were heard outside, because a prompt “Yes, sir,” followed, along with footsteps moving away. Listening to those voices, Ian wondered whether they all really did not know. It was always at moments like this that an attack would begin. Was it at the very moment he thought that? Something caught in his senses.

‘A bullet?’

Zzt— The power of telekinesis shattered the approaching bullet. He could have merely changed its direction, yet he intentionally did that instead. It was to avoid leaving even the slightest trace that he had been attacked in the first place.

‘If Viscount Rubingston found out that such an attack had happened, he would be consumed with guilt.’

In the situation where he had acted with such determination, if he found out that an assassination attempt had even been made against the king, Ian felt he might go so far as to want to kill himself, so he deliberately erased the trace. He had said he trusted him, but he knew that not everything could be blocked.

Ian looked at several birds visible through the window. Toward those creatures, zrrr— he cast Mental Manipulation. A powerful mental wave burrowed into their bodies.

‘Find the enemy. And kill them.’

In accordance with that absolute command, the birds that had been mentally manipulated flapped their wings and immediately began flying quickly in the direction from which the bullet had come. Amid that sight, there was considerable commotion outside. Even if he had erased the bullet, he could not erase the gunshot. Before long, reports followed.

“They say they think they heard something like a gunshot outside.”

“I heard it too. More importantly, are they saying there was no incoming bullet?”

“Yes, they say there is no trace of a bullet having flown in. So they are becoming unsure whether this was really an assassination attempt.”

At the way they spoke as if it were strange, Ian inwardly apologized for hiding it and waited for the situation to end quickly. At that time, at a place about 800 meters away, two men were suddenly struck dead with brief screams by the birds that came flying in.

Not only were their eyeballs pierced by beaks, but their throats were torn open by claws. They were no ordinary birds. Under the power of Ian’s Mental Manipulation, even their bodies had been enhanced, turning them into beings that ordinary people could never withstand.

After killing the two men, the terrifying birds soon grabbed the sniper rifle and the corpses with their claws and began to lift them. It was an absurd sight, considering they were flying while carrying even the weight of human bodies. If someone were to witness such a scene, they would probably think it extremely bizarre.

The birds flew higher and higher, then gradually headed in the direction of the sea, and after flying far away, they dropped the corpses and even the sniper rifle into the sea. Even if the bodies were found, they would probably be discovered as unidentified corpses, and the sniper rifle would be buried deep in the sea.

And so, with the birds disappearing, the assassination terrorism became something that had never even happened. At that moment, as the tree was being cleared away, everyone was thinking inwardly that not only had there been no incoming bullet, but perhaps they had even heard the gunshot wrong.

In the end, with the tree blocking the way removed, the vehicle procession began moving along the road again. The place those vehicles were heading toward was where the Zaila Research Institute was located.