Monsters are one of the major causes of death in this world. They can spawn due to condensed mana or are born naturally from parent monsters.
Officially there isn't a way to determine the danger level of a monster, as it varies for everyone. A simple village civilian may place a typical forest goblin at the top of the list, while a soldier (not including our units) may place it in the middle. And then there is someone like Merci, where a goblin is not even on the list.
So when villages encounter monster problems, sometimes they don't receive any support from the local lord due to the difference in threat perspective. Even if help is sent, it could take days, possibly weeks, to arrive. By then, it could be too late.
There was once a village that was under attack by a single orc. The local lord, a military veteran, thought the villagers could take down the orc, so he did not send any soldiers. Sometime after, the single orc had created an army of hundreds of orcs and destroyed city after city. The death toll was estimated to be in the thousands.
We decided to station small security forces in villages far from military bases or towns. That way, any threats could be responded to immediately.
This was decided due to the abnormal increase in monster activity. We learnt that packs of wyverns had been spotted, causing significant damage around the former Cerenth Empire lands. So we placed the air force on high alert by increasing air patrols and more ground base surveillance radars.
Wyverns are viewed as a flying disaster; swords are ineffective against something that can fly at extreme heights. The only effective way to take down a Wyvern is to remove its capability to fly with long-range mages and magic weapons. Then the melee troops can finish it off. It was the most effective way, but it could lead to high casualties.
Even though we had fighter aircraft, we still needed to be careful as most of our current weapons are meant to be against an enemy at the same technological level. Monsters were never included as an intended target during the design process of these weapons. So one of the main focuses is developing weapons with monsters as one of the targets.
Speaking of countermeasures, we also had to increase our intelligence and counterintelligence capabilities. With the increase of refugees coming into our cities, it wouldn't be a surprise to find a dozen or so spies hiding. A special department called the Department of Security and Intelligence, or DSI, was created, and its main focus was to collect foreign intelligence and counterintelligence.
Our latest arrest was a duo; though it wasn't the DSI who caught them, it was actually the newly created 4th battalion stationed in Christina's territory.
The base had perimeter security cameras with inferred and night vision capabilities. The cameras had already picked up the intruders when they got a few meters close to the fences.
We decided to proceed with activities, as usual, to find out what they were after. But that was until they attempted to take down the two units guarding the weapons storage, so the intruders had to be subdued and brought back to the main base to be interrogated.
I had plans to watch the interrogation to properly understand the process, and maybe because I was getting bored reading reports and using my phone to create supplies.
We need some more entertainment, something like video games or tv shows. But that would require many people like actors, scriptwriters, etc. Maybe the units could fill those roles?
Oh, well enough thinking. I prepared all the things I needed and walked out of my office. My two bodyguard units followed closely behind me.
The interrogation room was going to be the prison, which was quite empty. We still held a few captive from the war, as most prisoners had been ransomed off or had begun working for us.
After they were brought to the prison, the first person was brought to the interrogation room and his hands were chained to the table. The spy looked about in his early thirties and had the build of someone who had seen some combat.
We confiscated an identification card that granted entries to one of the major cities in the Weston Union called Rembook. But we presumed that it was naturally fake. He also carried two small daggers and a tiny bottle of what we assume is poison.
We aimed to identify which country or organisation he and his companion are working for and their objective. But as excepted, he didn't say anything except swear at the interrogator.
His partner was also the same, not a single word. But something didn't sit right with me. The first spy had a plain look with no distinct features, which is quite helpful for a spy to be forgettable. On the other hand, the second one was a handsome young blonde man, probably around my age, who was not forgettable.
I turned to the unit that was managing the recording and camera systems.
"Is the anti-magic system on right now?" I asked.
"No, commander. Maintenance has found issues with the system when it has been on for a long time. So it has been temporarily switched off until repaired, and security has been doubled temporarily."
I thought about the next course of action and then exited the room. My two bodyguards are always fully armed and equipped with nearly everything. That included an anti-magic grenade.
I opened the interrogation room door and threw in the anti-magic grenade. It rolled under the table, and a small shock wave shook the room. I was told the shock wave is the mana being pushed out of the area, which is how it prevents magic from being used.
The spy looked at me, confused. Until he realised, I was looking at his now glowing ears, and his expression turned dark.
"So you're an elf."
"So what."
"Why are you working with that human spy."
"Why should I tell you that?"
"Because I have an idea of what you are looking for. Tell me, did you belong to the elven village in this forest?"
As I mentioned the village, he stood up and slammed his hands against the table, clearly in rage.
"You bastard, did you do that to my village!?"
"No, no, no. I didn't do that. It was the work of the Minotaurs that destroyed your village."
"Minotaurs, where are they right now!? I will kill every single one of them!"
"We've killed them all already." as I said that, the look of revenge disappeared as was replaced with sadness.
"Were there any survivors?"
"Before I tell you anything else, I want you to tell me everything about that other guy," I said as I sat in the interrogator's seat.
His expression turned angry and annoyed initially, but then he calmed down all most immediately.
"Fine, I'll tell you everything I know about him." the elf began to explain. "I don't know his real name, but I think I know who he works for."
"Really, who?"
"The Spider."
"The Spider? I don't think we've heard of them before. Please tell me more."
"If you look at the roof of his mouth, there should be what they call the Mark Of the Spider. They specialise in all sorts of dirty work as long as there is money.
"So that means someone has hired them against us."
"That's right, he approached me with an offer; if I helped him to sneak somewhere, he would tell me who destroyed my village. But I guess I don't need to help him now."
"Did he mention what he was looking for?"
"Not directly. I overheard him talking to someone at a bar when I followed him. It was likely his boss, and they mentioned things from weapons to finding the leader."
"Any idea who this boss is?"
"Nope, couldn't see them, or else they would have seen me, but I am sure it was a woman's voice. That's all I know; now tell me what I want to know.
Just as he finished, a unit entered the room.
"Supreme Commander, as per your orders, Elrand and the others have arrived."
"Elrand?" said the elf.
"That's right, Elrand and some others are the only survivors of the village we know. Now follow the unit; they will take you to them."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, why?"
"I mean, I was arrested for spying, trespassing and tried to attack one of your soldiers. Now you're just going to let me go?"
"Not exactly; I will let Elrand know of this and have him punish you. Does that seem fair?"
"Not really; I'd rather stay in a cell than Elrands punishments." he joked, "My name is Algar, by the way."
"I currently do not have a name, though I should probably give myself one, as it's getting inconvenient."
"No name? Why?"
"I'll tell you all about it later; now go. Elrand and the others are waiting, and we haven't told them why they're here."
I saw Algar off before calling for another round of interrogation for our only spy. The aim was now to find out who hired them.
Waiting for chapters for 5 months now hope it comes soon
Have fun with family, can't wait for me chapters.