World Domination System - 543 Desperate Straits
Library

543 Desperate Straits

Shaking his head, Daneel traveled back to Lanthanor, and as he did so, he couldn't help but pause over a spot on the highway to proudly see those who were utilizing it to travel between the Kingdoms or transport some kind of goods.

Smiles were on their faces, and even though they were still alert, this was nowhere near the anxiety and fear which usually followed a caravan like a cloud.

Using this moment to take a little joy in what he was seeing, Daneel called for a meeting in the Palace with all the planners, again, as he had just gotten an idea.

Although his main goal was to stop their chilling plan to incite race issues like many that were present on Earth, he had no method of finding out where they would be targeting the numerous elves who had started to enter Lanthanor as part of this process of development. Some were trinket designers, who wanted to see the real-life usage of their trinkets so that they could design better ones, while others were just fascinated about exploring new places and new people. Before, the prejudice against elves had stopped them from freely traveling where they wanted.

So, all he could do now was find a way to hasten the process of connecting the two by railway so that these people's objective could be rendered moot. They might still go through with it, but it was Daneel's idea that they might let something slip in their desperation to stop him.

When he sat down in front of Eloise and the rest of the Lanthanorians and proposed his plan, they stared at him as if they didn't know him.

Oh, right. Even though this was a simple scheme, not everyone was aware of his…capacity to scheme against his enemies.

Only Eloise had an amused smile on her face, and he had looked at her and shrugged ruefully on seeing this reaction, which had made her burst out laughing.

This broke the atmosphere and shock, and everyone immediately got down to implementing the King's plan, after reevaluating his 'honorable and just' image in their minds.

…

"150 soldiers. All wiped out. Dude, I heard that even their faces were beaten so out of shape that no one could identify one body from another."

"Man, what kind of psycho would use methods like those to kill people? The big boss is right. The King of Lanthanor must really be a devil from h.e.l.l. My grandma always used to say that devils would come upon the land if humans didn't stay true to their roots."

"You dunce, your grandma said that that to scare you and to make sure that you wouldn't abandon her when she became really old! Your stupid a.s.s even believed it and did that!"

"Oh…well, I was gunna do it anyway…"

"Wait…shut up! I hear something!"

These two bandits, who were lying p.r.o.ne on the ground while chatting with each other to avoid boredom, suddenly froze when they heard voices.

"It's our lucky day! These people must have not wanted to pay the small fee to use that d.a.m.n highway! Contact the others! We might have a caravan to loot!"

As one bandit said this and reached for the communication trinket in his pocket, he suddenly found that his hand had been grasped by the other, who was looking forward with an incredulous expression on his face.

"What's the matter?"

"Look! That's not a d.a.m.n caravan!"

On the urging of the second bandit, the first focused on a spot on the horizon and felt his jaw drop when he saw those who were approaching.

Mages, carrying metal bars and laying them down one by one!

A d.a.m.n train track!

But…why the h.e.l.l was it here?

"Hey, are you sure we're at the right spot! Maybe we got lost and are in the path of the track our brothers are attacking…"

"No! That's impossible! Let's go! We need to talk to the big boss!"

Saying so, the first bandit scrambled to his feet and started to run, while the other followed.

After a few minutes, they were panting for breath inside a hole similar to the one Daneel and Faxul had 'invaded'.

Their leader had a very grim expression on his face, and as he waited for them to catch his breath, he kept glaring in a certain direction.

Finally, after a few seconds, the second bandit spoke.

"Leader! You won't believe what we saw! But I swear its real!"

Strangely, these words made their leader sigh and bury his face in his hands for a moment in frustration.

The bandit had been expecting to shock everyone, but when he saw similar reactions appear on the others, too, he still continued, but his tone was more puzzled now than shocked.

"We saw a train track…"

"THAT MAKES 8! THAT F*CKING b.a.s.t.a.r.d IS PLAYING WITH US!"

Sure enough, this outburst from the leader made the jaws of these two drop.

8?! 8 railway tracks!

Wasn't the whole point that the trinkets were precious, and, hence needed to be carefully laid as they needed time to be made? Wasn't their whole plan hinged on them being able to attack multiple spots of the singular track to cause troubles?

They were already shortchanged in numbers, as it was, as each attack was a kamikaze one! Yet, now, they had to stop 8 tracks?!

Impossible.

Immediately, the leader used a trinket to contact their big boss, who had already gotten the news from the others.

In the end, the final count was 10 tracks. 10 tracks were being laid, simultaneously, at a speed that didn't match what had been on display till now.

In his quarters, Daneel was smiling to himself while holding a communication trinket in his hands.

This was something that connected to the one that was used by the bandit leaders to communicate, and he had given it to the one he controlled just now after finding out that an emergency meeting had been called.

As Daneel prepared himself to finally hear the voice of the one who was behind all this, his heartbeat slowly started to accelerate.

He had already been told that the 'weird' one belonged to the hidden leader, but he didn't know what that meant.

Soon, the meaning of 'weird' became clear.

"The King has outsmarted us. He knows that we only have resources to stall one, or at most two tracks from being built. But 10? Impossible."

It was a garbled, as if the voice of the one speaking was being distorted because it was pa.s.sing through some or the other layer.

"Young King, this is a simple spell to hide one's voice. Whoever they are are, they are being very thorough."

Daneel nodded as he heard this, and, honestly, he hadn't been hoping too much that he would find a clue with the voice, anyway.

Indeed, this hidden leader had covered all bases.

"d.a.m.n him! What should we do, now? How did he even make so many tracks? If they are completed…"

The garbled voice interrupted the other bandit leader, who had a gruff tone.

"I suspect that some of them are fake, but there is no way to tell which are fake and which are real. It doesn't matter. It would have been best if we stopped them from being built, but even if they start to function, nothing much will change in a week. Nothing too much, at least. The outrage that develops because of the ma.s.sacre will be enough to drive these two apart. Actually, he b.u.mped up the stakes, so let us do so, too. Stop all attempts at hindering the railway tracks. Ask all the bandits to disperse silently and covertly into multiple small towns and villages inside the two Kingdoms. Focus more on Eldinor, as Lanthanor has that d.a.m.n ID system. When I give the signal, they should emerge and kill many, many unsuspecting elves."

Wh-what?

This definitely hadn't been what Daneel had in mind when he implemented this!

As he bent forward with his eyes widened, he realized that he couldn't even do anything to stop it.

Who the f*ck was this person?

"I'm leaving to give the order to the bandits under me. You two do so, too. Time is of the essence. I'll call for a meeting if anything else needs to be addressed. Do you two have anything else to say?"

As silence appeared after the garbled voice said this, Daneel ran his two hands through his hair.

All he had was a week, from now. How was he supposed to root out thousands of bandits hidden among millions of citizens in that time?

Thinking quickly, Daneel made a decision. It was time for desperation, so he threw caution to the wind.

Using the trinket that connected him to the bandit leader, Daneel gave the command.

After a moment, the leader, who was named Skylar, spoke.

"No. We've gone along with everything, so far, but I won't stand for this. If this happens, we will have lost for all of our forces. I think there are better ways. I officially call for another Bandit Gathering, just like when the three of us were placed in charge."