Dungeon Raider System-Chapter 631: In the army Part 1
The luxurious car made its way across the traffic jammed streets of what Uriel recognized as the wealthiest neighbrohood in Hollywood megacity. Instead of the usual skyscrapers that blanketed the city with an eternal dusk, this neighborhood was comprised mostly of big houses and needlessly big gardens which were among the rare places where the sun actually touched ground at noon.
Most of the residents possessed cars and not just one to move around, but also to boast their status in front of the public. But even those wealthy citizens who possessed riches Uriel couldn't even fathom turned their heads when they heard the purring sound of the Nikola moving nimbly through the traffic jam.
It wasn't just a matter of speed since most sports cars could easily match its astounding speed or even surpass its acceleration. The reason why Nikolas where so coveted was due to their smart console which allowed for assisted driving or even a completely automated mode.
Uriel could barely hid the grin in his face as he thought of all the possibilities that opened in front of them, but Lister mistook his expression for one of mischief.
"Before we arrive at the barracks I must beg you to keep a low profile. The interim general has a short temper.
The government relationship with the army is shaky at best and we can't afford to offend them in any way or we might trigger an armed conflict." Lister spoke as though he was addressing to everyone in the car, yet Uriel could feel all the glares set on him as though saying he was the most likely to cause trouble.
"Why are you looking at me like I'm about to cause trouble?"
"Because even though you always tell us to be mindful of our actions, you're the one always getting us into trouble." Nika said without even taking her eyes from the scenery that soon started shifting into the accustomed skyscrapers and commercial buildings.
"It's certainly within the range of possibility." Luna pointed out and Lister added.
"I've been lenient towards you because this city needs you and because of our initial misunderstanding, but just getting an appointment with the interim general was difficult. It seems they don't trust the government anymore and since they're a separate entity, I can't force them to do anything. The only thing keeping the balance between the government and the army is the holy rank hunters."
"First, I don't think there was any misunderstanding between us. You tried to steal from us, we kicked your ass and stole from you. It's a fair trade if you ask me since we didn't come here looking for trouble, you found it on your own. Second, I can't blame the army for mistrusting the government since their interests don't align.
If these were the old times, the army would be under the control of the government, but considering how they favor private endeavors over the extermination of cryptids it's reasonable they keep their distance. And lastly, of all those present who is the only one who is an official of the army with an albeit short respectable career as a soldier?"
"You should already know this, but while you're inside the city you're under the protection of the world government law like any law abiding citizen, but the same doesn't hold true in the army. All the army installations, from their headquarters to the smallest barrack counts as army territory.
It means you could face a court martial if any superior deems it appropriate and I would be unable to do anything to protect any of you."
"Seriously? Then why didn't you bring that holy rank jerk with you?" Nika furrowed her brows.
"Because he's currently training. Also, I don't need protection since me and my secretary are government agents and as such we have immunity.
Your case is different since you will be subjected to military law and the only one who can maybe get away with discourtesy is Miss Luna since she's the sister of a former general," Being in possession of a car able to drive through traffic like it wasn't even a thing was nothing short of a blessing as it saved precious time for all the passengers.
However, Lister found himself inwardly cursing at the car as it didn't give him enough time to prepare the unruly members of the Dungeon Raiders company for the meeting with the infamous interim general.
He had yet to meet the general in person, but everything in the file was more than enough to give him an idea of who they would be dealing with and he gave them one last warning before exiting the car. "If a fight breaks out, just surrender and I'll try to get you out of trouble, but please don't do anything unnecessary."
Uriel pondered the governor's words for a moment finally realizing how many times he made the mistake of overstepping in front of army officials. The first soldier he met in person was Captain Silvermane then Miss Dragonfang. He respected them both, not because of their rank but because of their position.
The former was in charge of the physical training class while the latter was the one in charge of his first incursion. Uriel had no qualms in showing them the respect they deserved, but the same didn't hold true with Ethan who not only was Mark's brother but also a colonel in the army.
The moment he met the late colonel he immediately disliked him and Uriel never cared to show him any respect which translated into Ethan trying to get him to face court martial on several occasions and even going as far as trying to kill him.
At first Uriel thought it was because he was Mark's brother and just had it against him, but now he wondered if the late colonel acted like that because Uriel was disrespectful to him. In hindsight, it was something he could understand. A weakling disrespecting a colonel of the army in front of civilians and soldiers alike was both an offense and a felony.
Reflecting on this, Uriel inwardly vowed to show respect to the interim general and to behave according to army etiquette. Especially since he was the one requesting information that as a mere lieutenant he wasn't entitled to.
"What the fuck?" Were Uriel's first words as soon as he stepped outside the car when he saw Lister shaking hands with the infamously short tempered interim general that just happened to be Mayhem. Everyone turned to glare at Uriel's breach of protocol, especially Lister whose glare hurled searing daggers at him.
If glares could kill, Uriel would have dropped dead in the ground before even finishing his short sentence.
"Lieutenant Sage!" a Shocked Mayhem performed an impeccable salute to the young archaeologist out of instinct.
"At ease." He replied, also out of instinct leaving the governor speechless for a moment. The same happened with the rows of soldiers orderly formed behind the interim general.
"Care to explain?" Lister fumbled to Uriel with a twitchy smile that did little to hide his turmoil, but the one to answer was actually Mayhem.
"He saved my life a few times and he also made me the woman I am today." Mayhem spoke with her official tone of voice which left no place for innuendo, but Lister couldn't find any explanation to the interim general's reaction other than a hidden relationship with Uriel. Still, he decided to save his theories for himself and proceed with pressing matters at hand.
"General Mayhem..." Lister spoke, but Mayhem corrected him.
"It's colonel. General Sword didn't resign to the army, she's taken a leave."
"That is good to know, but I'm not here just to find out what happened to General Sword. I want to know what's your answer."
"As for the time being, the army cannot participate in the eradication of city bound threats. We are currently dealing with a project of our own. Follow me." Mayhem headed towards Cassandra's former office which was pretty much as she left it.
Both Uriel and Luna noticed it and it reassured them that Cassandra was actually going to return at some point, but as soon as Mayhem closed the door her demeanor took a turn.
She lost her air of superiority, her authoritative voice fitting for army officials and even her stern face turned into a grimace that could only be interpreted as one of despair. Before even speaking a single word she swept the place looking for listening devices or hidden cameras, then dropped on the chair at the same time she unbuttoned her army uniform.
"So..." Lister attempted to speak, but Mayhem stopped him with a hand. She then took a bottle of alcohol from a drawer, poured a glass and pushed it forward at the same time she gulped down the entire content of the bottle directly.
Before Lister could move for the glass, Nika grabbed it with her trait and drank it leaving out a content sigh afterwards.
"Everything is lost," Mayhem started speaking with a disheveled look much more similar to how she looked when Uriel first met her. "After those filthy cultists exiled us from the dungeon we lost all our vehicles, most of our gear and they even forced our hand to leave behind our rations. The worst part is we can't make contact with the army headquarters."
