B4 Chapter 472: War Room, pt. 4

Surrounded by Deadacre’s leadership, Kaius tried to consider how they could ready the city’s defenders for the coming battle.

The city Delve was the obvious option, but it had problems. There was a limitation on how many could reasonably populate the biome it entered into. Plus, with how low-level it was, most would need to make several descents to reach a difficulty where they were getting meaningful levels.

Perhaps with help? He thought he might as well voice the idea.

“Why not the Delve?” he suggested after thinking for a moment. “You could cycle the lowest levels through it — with chaperones. As many as possible. I assume the surrounding biomes are mapped as well. There should be more than enough space if you push laterally. Then, when they’re strong enough, they could push down and another group could enter. Chaperones could help with guardians. You wouldn’t get as much food compared to properly farming the thing, but surely defence is more important at the moment.”

Ro drummed her fingers on the table. “It’s not a bad idea.”

“It is a risk, though,” Henrik contended. “If most of the militia is occupied in a Delve, we might be caught flat-footed. If the beasts arrive while they’re inside—”

“Well, there’s an easy solution to that, isn’t there?” Kenva replied, drawing the table’s eyes. “The city Delve’s what — layer two? Just have a high-Steel team on standby. Even dedicated, I doubt anyone would get lower than five. The right team could blitz down there in a matter of hours, clearing guardians and setting off signal fires. Invest in some communication artefacts for the chaperones. Teams in the outlying biomes could converge on the city Delve to exit through the open portals.”

Rieker nodded. “We’ve got a few teams on our roster who would fit the bill. A couple who focus on swiftness and shock tactics. They could do it fast enough. I’d suggest you guys, but you’ll be too critical to the defence effort.”

“What of the general populace?” Priestess Susanna asked. “The city is full to bursting. Tensions are already high. If the city is surrounded, they could fall to panic. Riots could end us just as swiftly as starvation — or the beasts. Plus, they’re vulnerable. Too many will be lost to simple collateral damage.”

Ro gave Kaius a quick glance — fast enough that only his team, Rieker, and Arc would have caught it. He knew what was on her mind.

The ruin beneath the city.

He hesitated, not out of a desire to protect his own interests, but in how best to manage his suggestion. He was certain that the castellan was on his side. However, the automata itself had said the systems within the ruin were breaking down, and communicating commands could be spotty. If even a single worker drone attacked civilians, it would be a slaughter. No amount of bakers and leatherworkers would be able to stop such a thing. And the panic it would instil — no. This needed to be managed carefully. They needed a week or two for the castellan to finish sealing the lower levels of the ruin and masquerading the upper levels as deactivated.

He still had to say something. The entire room was looking at him and his team now, with how public the pursuit of Old Yon had been. Everyone here knew of the ruin’s existence.

“Below the city,” he finally said. “I cannot testify to the safety of the Imperial ruin. We deactivated it, but there could be stray automata or defences that still linger. However, the maintenance tunnels should be clear. They are large and fortified. And many of them still have functional siege doors. They’d be cramped, unpleasant, and claustrophobic — but safer, at least.”

“You are sure the ruin has been deactivated?” the chamberlain questioned. “If any defences remain, surely an incursion of that scale would trigger them.”

“Utterly certain,” Kaius replied. “I confirmed it myself. However, from experience, it would be best to wait at minimum a week, to give any remnant mana the opportunity to discharge.”

Kaius did his best to keep his face straight as he lied through his teeth.

Reaching through his bond, Kaius nudged Porkchop for his attention.

“Can you let Ro know I’ll need an excuse to go down to the ruins alone? The sooner, the better. I’ll need to inform the chamberlain of the developments. At the very least, those steel doors in the maintenance tunnels need to be able to be operated manually. Any entrances to the ruin outside of the city walls need to be sealed. If we’re lucky, it will hopefully be able to provide some other help for the defence of the city.”

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“Of course,” Porkchop replied.

Unaware of the hidden interaction, Hanrick, the priestess, and the governor’s chamberlain let out audible sighs of relief.

“That, at least, is something,” Hanrick replied.

A moment later, Kaius felt a nudge from Porkchop.

“Ro says you should go tonight. She’ll make an excuse if anyone asks. She also said that if the automata are truly unable to operate outside of the ruin, if possible, the castellan should try to reinforce the foundations around the city wall — so that no burrowing beasts can breach that way.

Rotten roots, he hadn’t even thought of that possibility.

“What of our allies, Hanrick?” Susanna said. “Will you be able to pull others over to our defence? We need everything we can get. Grandbrook, perhaps?”

The priestess gave Arc a questioning look.