I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 92

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

[092] Kairon Company #2
According to Diogenes, the corruption perpetrated by Kairon Company amounted to accounting fraud, delivery irregularities, and tax evasion.
‘Irregularities? Accounting fraud? Tax evasion is the least of it….’
This was far beyond such petty crimes.
Everyone involved in this deserved to be dragged to the execution block.
The crate was densely packed with cylindrical objects fitted with fuses.
｢Unknown explosive device [???] discovered!｣
｢Manufacturing technology that does not currently exist in Belheim has been employed!｣
‘This is… a homemade bomb made with diatomaceous earth.’
From the charge chamber to the fuse, it was identical to the dynamite I remembered from my previous life.
Only a Transmigrator with extensive knowledge of chemistry could have crafted such a device in this world.
Crates filled with such explosives were stacked throughout the basement.
‘If these were detonated, they could breach the walls in an instant and slaughter the Knights without mercy….’
The moment evidence of Kairon Company and a Transmigrator’s conspiracy to assassinate the King surfaced.
I quietly closed the lid and examined the contents of other crates.
Massive quantities of weapons and armor—not for Royal delivery, but for unknown purposes.
Siege weapons so enormous that individual components towered above my height.
Modified equipment that appeared to leverage Transmigrator knowledge.
｢A masterfully crafted ‘Mayfly’s Sword’ has been discovered!｣
｢It grants the wielder an exceptionally powerful sword technique once, but the weapon dissolves upon activation!｣
｢A ‘Mayfly’s Shield’ has been discovered!｣
｢Its durability is abysmal, but it can perfectly defend against a barrage of attacks from all directions for a brief moment.｣
“They were truly prepared for a full-scale operation.”
[Mayfly Equipment Series]
These pieces boasted exceptional auxiliary effects but were treated as disposable due to their extremely fragile durability.
Yet their manufacturing difficulty was extraordinarily high and their unit cost prohibitively expensive, limiting their use to specialized purposes.
Typically, seasoned adventurers employed them when tackling boss monsters or facing critical battles where losses were acceptable.
Such equipment could endanger the user and was wholly unsuitable for Royal supply.
Yet the quantity was staggering.
As I pondered how such materiel could have evaded the Royal Capital Guard’s detection, I discovered a passage leading from the basement’s corner.
‘They smuggled everything through a tunnel!’
I couldn’t determine how they bypassed the Royal Capital’s barriers, but given the warehouse’s proximity to the City Wall, tunnel excavation would have been feasible.
‘Kairon Company recently involved itself in redevelopment projects, didn’t it….’
Likely to secretly establish spaces for stockpiling siege weapons, just as they had here.
After thoroughly examining the basement, I discovered bundles of ledgers containing detailed records of material imports.
While this diverged from my original objective of exposing Kairon Company’s corruption, returning with this evidence would nonetheless fulfill Diogenes’s commission.
But as I gathered the documents and a sample explosive before ascending the stairs, I heard the thundering footsteps of Guards rushing down.
‘Damn… they’ve come to transport supplies?’
I concealed myself among the crates, waiting for them to pass.
Yet my presence was discovered, and the soldiers blocked the exit, shouting with authority.
“I already know everything! Show yourself, intruder!”
“The barrier has been triggered! An intruder is hiding somewhere in this place, so stay alert!”
‘Damn it…!’
Just when I thought things were proceeding smoothly.
I quickly searched for an escape route, but every exit—the staircase and even the supply tunnel—was blocked by soldiers.
As I pondered how to break through this predicament, I suddenly became aware of the crates surrounding me.
After all, this was the armory of a military supplier overflowing with powerful equipment.
And I knew how to use every single one of these weapons.
As I confidently stepped out from behind the boxes, a man who appeared to be the Guard Captain spoke with a chilling tone.
“So you finally reveal yourself.”
“Don’t even think about running!”
The soldiers immediately surrounded and advanced toward me, but my hands were filled with all manner of items.
｢’Mayfly’s Sword’ has been equipped. You can unleash one powerful sword technique!｣
｢’Mayfly’s Shield’ has been equipped. You can block all attacks for a brief moment!｣
“Mayfly, sing your final song!”
The moment the soldiers thrust their spears forward, a blinding light erupted from the sword in my hand.
Surrendering my body to the sword’s guidance, the approaching soldiers were struck by the blade and sent flying helplessly.
“Ugh, argh! Everyone, fall back!”
“Damn it! How do you know how to use that weapon?!”
The powerless sword instantly crumbled to dust and vanished, but this place was overflowing with equipment.
Clang—! I kicked over a crate, scattering a pile of weapons, then wielded sword and shield as I faced off against the Kairon Company soldiers.
｢You have unleashed Mayfly’s sword technique three times in succession! Three swords return to dust!｣
｢Mayfly’s Shield perfectly absorbed the enemy’s strike! The shield’s power is depleted and returns to dust!｣
｢The Guards are flustered by your counterattack! Strength and Agility each increase by 4!｣
‘Excellent… this is working!’
These weapons were their trump card against the Royal Knights.
Each one was an expensive consumable, and having an unexpected intruder suddenly appear and burn through them like water must be driving them mad.
“Damn it! Everyone, use whatever equipment is here—capture that bastard! If he escapes and reveals what’s in this place, we’re all dead!”
The soldiers picked up weapons and charged at me all at once, but I had the upper hand in equipment utilization.
｢You have thrown a Glow Fly’s flash bomb! Three soldiers have temporarily lost their vision!｣
｢You have scattered Trap Spider’s sticky substance! Be careful not to get your feet stuck!｣
｢You have consumed a low-grade potion! Your wounds are recovering at a rapid pace!｣
Using the expensive magical items scattered everywhere freely, the soldiers could not advance further and retreated.
But this alone was insufficient to escape from this basement.
To get out of here, I would need a more decisive measure.
I smashed the lantern hanging on the wall to extract the flame, then gripped the bomb I had been carrying in my pocket.
“Everyone, stop!”
“…!”
“Don’t move! Take even one step closer and we all go up in flames together!”
｢The soldiers are growing anxious upon seeing the bomb in your hands!｣
“If an explosion occurs here, everyone will die screaming!”
The moment I threatened to detonate the bomb, the soldiers stumbled backward hesitantly.
“W-wait, you… calm down! If that goes off, we’ll all die…!”
“Y-you’re right, you wouldn’t want to die either…! If you surrender now, we might just imprison you…!”
“Everyone shut up!!”
“”….””
The soldiers fell silent in unison.
‘…Finally, some peace and quiet.’
They all valued their lives, as expected. If the bombs detonated in a chain reaction, not only would the Underground Vault be destroyed, but this entire Region would be obliterated.
Even the weapons carefully prepared for the assault on the Royal Palace would vanish in an instant.
And to intimidate them, I needed to give the impression that I might detonate the bomb at any moment.
“Heh… kuhahaha…!”
When I suddenly burst into mad laughter, the soldiers stared at me in bewilderment.
I abruptly stopped laughing and tightened my grip on the bomb as I issued an order.
“You there!”
“M-me?”
“Yes, you. Punch the one next to you.”
The hesitant soldier reluctantly tapped the Knight beside him with his fist.
“Harder!!”
“Ugh…! Y-you psycho bastard… I’m sorry!”
As I threatened to light the fuse immediately, the soldier struck the Knight forcefully.
I used the bomb as a hostage, commanding the soldiers to perform all manner of absurdities.
Squats, push-ups, jumping jacks—everything.
The eyes of the soldiers facing me had transformed into the gaze one reserves for a madman.
“Th-this lunatic… what the hell is he doing now…?”
I smiled with satisfaction and brought the spark to the fuse as I declared
“Move.”
“….”
“Want to watch everyone die?! Clear the path now!”
The Guard Captain and soldiers finally stepped back from the Staircase, opening a passage.
Though they clenched their teeth, they couldn’t bring themselves to attack.
But I knew that the moment I left this Basement, they would assault me in unison.
‘So at a moment they’d never expect…!’
Halfway up the Staircase, I lit the fuse and hurled the bomb behind me.
“Th-that bastard?!”
Laughing, I transformed into Night Stalker and leaped into the Darkness, when a massive explosion erupted behind me.
Soon, deafening booms erupted in rapid succession.
As explosions detonated beneath the ground, the earth caved in and buildings collapsed.
I hastily fled the Kairon Company and climbed into the carriage waiting in the Alley.
“Wh-what in the world is happening?!”
“We need to get out of here right now! In a moment, this entire area will become a sea of flames!”
Just as a towering pillar of fire erupted through the ground, Radi whipped the carriage forward without hesitation.
Karen seized me by the collar and screamed.
“Are you insane?! Detonating bombs in the heart of the Royal Capital! Do you have a death wish, or are you just that mad?!”
“I had no choice! If you knew what was down there…!”
BOOOOOM─!!!
A succession of deafening explosions and tremors rippled through the air, staining the night sky above the Royal Capital’s outskirts in crimson.
The moment the weapons meticulously stockpiled for the assault on the Royal Palace crumbled to ash.
｢The underground armory of Kairon Company has been destroyed!｣
｢A portion of the core resources of the faction plotting the King’s assassination has been annihilated! However, this alone will not be sufficient to completely thwart their plans!｣
｢Citizens are awakening from their slumber upon hearing the commotion!｣
The surrounding area descended into chaos in an instant.
Some families fled the flames with their loved ones, while servants came rushing with basins and buckets in desperate haste.
In the distance, the sound of hoofbeats from the Royal Capital Knight Order began to echo.
I gazed at the pillar of fire beyond the rapidly passing scenery, my mind churning with contemplation.
Though I had escaped safely, this incident had confirmed one certainty.
‘This isn’t the work of merely one or two Noblemen.’
Judging by the sheer volume of supplies stockpiled in that basement, they possessed the resources to mobilize an army of at least several hundred.
When accounting for the personnel needed to operate siege weapons, it meant an even greater force stood behind them.
Moreover, they had surely distributed such supplies across multiple locations beyond just the underground vault of Kairon Company.
‘And they even possessed bombs crafted using a Transmigrator’s knowledge.’
This was far too much to prepare in a single day.
Something far greater lurked in the shadows.
When the full scope of this incident came to light, the balance of power within this Kingdom would undoubtedly shift.
We drove the carriage toward the south of the Royal Capital, where Diogenes awaited us.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————