Ambush

It seemed that automobiles had yet to be invented in this era.

Although some people had tried using Steam Engines to create vehicles capable of traveling on roads, they had been discarded because they were slow, overly cumbersome, and made thunderous noises when started.

Therefore, horse-drawn carriages remained the main mode of transportation within cities.

Or rickshaws.

Li Qi was currently seated in a carriage.

It was a small open-top carriage, driven by the sergeant responsible for receiving him.

Naturally, someone had been assigned to take responsibility for Li Qi after he arrived in the Royal Capital.

And the person currently responsible for him was the superior of the Intelligence Department Li Qi was about to be transferred into.

His name was Bolent Olidovich.

A captain and the head of the Intelligence Department, he was also the one who had advocated transferring Li Qi to the rear.

For that reason, Li Qi was very grateful to him.

After all, compared to working on the front lines, gathering intelligence in the rear was much safer.

However, the Intelligence Department made Li Qi recall Wood's final warning.

If possible, try to transfer to another department...

Li Qi had kept those words in mind. Though he did not know what exactly they meant, he was now considering how to move from the Intelligence Department into another department.

Li Qi would remember Captain Bolent's kindness in bringing him to the rear, but that did not mean he had to join the Intelligence Department.

He could repay Bolent's kindness just as well by going to another department.

In fact, joining another department might even broaden Captain Bolent's Connections, though Li Qi knew that Bolent probably had no need for his meager Connections right now.

He was only a lowly Warrant Officer, while Bolent would soon be promoted to a Field Officer. There was no way Bolent would need Li Qi anytime soon.

But whether Bolent could make use of him was not important.

What mattered was whether Li Qi did it.

If Li Qi stayed in the rear from now on, he certainly would not be able to earn promotions and raises merely by killing a few enemies on the battlefield as he had before.

In the rear, what mattered was still Connections.

If he wanted to live comfortably in the rear, Li Qi needed to pay more attention to such things.

As for returning to the front lines, Li Qi had never even considered it.

Though there seemed to be a ceasefire now, based on the knowledge Li Qi had learned, there would definitely be more wars in this world in the future.

After all, this world's resources had never been distributed evenly.

There had originally been mages and knights. Nations with greater numbers of mages could suppress smaller countries and barely keep wars within a certain scope.

But now...

Firearms had appeared, and cannons had long since been deployed on the battlefield. At this rate, high-tech weapons such as tanks and aircraft would definitely appear next.

The number of mages could no longer determine the course of a battlefield.

Manpower, tactics, and weapons stockpiles were the keys to victory.

Small countries that had once been looked down upon might rise up as well, while great powers once regarded as untouchable could be dragged down into the mire of war.

Li Qi had not studied much history in his Past Life, but he still knew a little about the history of warfare and could roughly see the trajectory this world would follow.

Therefore, he was absolutely certain that the front lines would be the most dangerous place in the future.

If possible, he would rather die than go back.

"...I just hope I don't end up like that little girl, unable to reach the rear no matter what... Well, probably not. This world doesn't have Being X."

For some reason, Li Qi thought of an anime he had watched before being reincarnated.

It was called "Saga of Tanya the Evil."

Its protagonist, like Li Qi, wanted nothing more than to live peacefully in the rear, yet was always struggling on the front lines.

But unlike that protagonist, the reason she could not get to the rear was because the god of that world was interfering.

Li Qi's world had no gods.

And he was already in the rear.

So there should not be any problem.

Li Qi thought so, yet for some reason, his temples throbbed. He had an ominous feeling.

With that thought, he looked up and discovered that the carriage had already entered some unfamiliar alley.

"...Is this the road to the academy?"

Li Qi finally understood where that bad feeling had come from.

He frowned as he questioned the man driving the carriage, his Right Hand already resting on the Military Blade at his waist.

After entering the Royal Capital, no one below the rank of Field Officer was allowed to carry firearms.

Therefore, Li Qi had only a Military Blade on him.

But one Military Blade was already enough.

As long as he was not ambushed with a firearm, Li Qi could at least ensure his own safety.

The sergeant riding the carriage did not speak.

Li Qi narrowed his eyes slightly. His hand tightened around the hilt, and his voice grew sterner.

"Sergeant! Answer my question!"

"..."

The sergeant still did not speak, but he moved.

He stopped the carriage he had been driving.

"?"

The carriage had stopped in the middle of the alley, with long distances to both exits.

Li Qi's heart sank. He immediately activated his ability and looked at the sergeant.

His heartbeat was racing, the temperature of his Legs was rising, and the magic power in his body was rapidly circulating.

Was he about to attack me?

Li Qi guessed inwardly, only to hear the sergeant say,

"Y-yes... I'm sorry, sir!! I... I was only following orders!"

After saying that, the sergeant quickly jumped down from the carriage, rolled across the ground, and sprang back to his feet.

Then...

He took off running, moving so fast that it looked as though he were fleeing for his life. Li Qi stared in stunned disbelief.

He ran?

He was not going to attack me?

No!

Li Qi had expected the sergeant to attack him, so he was briefly stunned upon seeing the man flee. Then he reacted.

The person who truly intended to attack him was not the sergeant who had brought him here.

It was the others lying in ambush here!

His magic power surged as he expanded the range of his ability.

Sure enough, Li Qi detected several human figures outlined in red behind nearby Garbage Heaps, shattered walls, and shadows.

After the sergeant fled, they emerged from their hiding places or jumped down from above. Within seconds, they had surrounded Li Qi.

This was an ambush.

An ambush aimed at Li Qi!

Something like this could happen in the Royal Capital? Has security in the Royal Capital become this bad? And I don't think I've offended anyone, so why are so many people surrounding me?

All sorts of guesses flashed through Li Qi's mind.

But his hands did not slow.

Upon seeing that he was surrounded, Li Qi did not choose to get off the carriage. Instead, he tore off a brass button from his uniform pocket, flicked it with his finger, and sent it flying into the horse's rear.

"Neighhh—!!"

Pain in its rear made the horse let out a shrill cry.

It reared up on its hind legs, then dragged the carriage and Li Qi straight toward the alley exit in a mad dash!

The people surrounding them did not dare test their strength against a rampaging horse and hurriedly moved aside.

However, just as the carriage was about to rush out of the alley, several gunshots suddenly rang out from above.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Four shots in succession. Three bullets severed the ropes pulling the carriage, separating the horse from it.

The remaining shot...

Flew directly at Li Qi in the carriage!

The moment he heard the gunshots—or rather, even earlier, when he sensed someone above aiming a gun at him—Li Qi had already prepared his defense.

Two layers of Magic Shields protected his body.

The technique of Magic Entanglement wrapped around his vital areas.

Then Li Qi grabbed his Military Blade and leaped down from the carriage.

Without the horse, the carriage continued forward under its momentum. It finally lost balance, crashed into the alley wall, and overturned.

The luggage inside scattered everywhere.

But before that happened, Li Qi had already landed on the ground. At the same time, he flung out his scabbard, using it as a concealed weapon and throwing it at the attacker who had fired from above!

Bang!

A gunshot shattered the airborne scabbard completely.

Afterward, the gunman lying in ambush above also jumped down, landing at Li Qi's side and blocking the alley exit.

There were people in front and behind him. He was surrounded on both sides, with nowhere left to run!

"...Seven."

Gripping his Military Blade tightly, Li Qi counted the enemies, his heart sinking slightly.

There were seven people ambushing him.

Among them were four First Rank magic users, two Second Rank magic users, and one Third Rank magic user.

Moreover, two of the seven were armed with firearms.

One Bolt-Action Rifle.

One revolver.

The person who had accurately hit the carriage's towing ropes was the one using the revolver.

Not only was he the only Third Rank magic user among them, but he was also an expert marksman.

This was going to be troublesome.

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