Chapter 970 |
Chapter 970
"Gakane!"
"Kanna, you're here already? You still don't look well..." Gakane said as Kanna joined him, shaking her head at the worries pouring in from those around her, her face devoid of any hint of a smile as she opened her mouth to speak.
"The Deputy Commander can't be away forever. I should be involved too. The biggest issue right now is identifying and repairing the damaged parts of the breakwater, right?"
Kanna's flow of conversation was so natural, as if she had just been in a meeting with them until now. People were inwardly surprised to see her talking as if she knew everything without even listening to any explanations, but only Gakane calmly nodded his head.
"That's right. With just the members we have now, it's difficult to identify and fix everything."
The current problem that Gakane was engrossed in was the breakwater collapse-related matters discovered during the process of assessing and gathering forces after Kishiar left his position. The tall breakwaters that the Cavalry members had built with the Imperial Army had faithfully served its role in preventing waves and monsters from the sea from reaching the town. However, the problem was that after continuously blocking thirteen attacks, some parts had collapsed, and holes had formed inside during the process.
If all the cavalry members were here and in full strength, they could have quickly assessed and repaired the state. But now, not only were there few available personnel, but their strength was also lacking, and there wasn't even enough time.
Unlike the members who were anxious about the desperate situation, Gakane's expression showed no signs of wavering. Kanna stared at her friend's face and asked,
"Hmm... Fortunately, the breakwaters in other areas are fine. It's just the ones in Charloin that are problematic."
"Yeah."
"I'm thinking of asking Elpkins to bring over Captain Sunz for a while."
Captain Sunz was currently in charge of the town most vulnerable and lowest in elevation. The town had been affected several times by tremors starting from the sea, causing the land to sink or monsters carried by the waves to head there, but thanks to Sunz's vision abilities, no one had suffered major harm yet.
"It would be great if he could come... but is he in a state to use his abilities?"
"I just exchanged news with him; he seems okay for a short while. And there's a medical tent right behind us here, so if any problem arises, it's easy to go for treatment immediately."
Kanna nodded after a moment's thought. The medical unit of the Cavalry only had two people, but she knew firsthand just how exceptional those two were.
"If he's here, we can immediately identify the most problematic parts. Then, how do we fix it?"
"Hmm... We can't dismantle the breakwater and rebuild it meticulously right away. But... I was thinking of a similar temporary measure."
"Something similar?"
With a sheepish smile, Gakane scanned the faces of a few members around. A small realization dawned on Kanna as she recognized the faces identified by Gakane.
"Ah! I see."
The abilities of those Gakane had pointed out weren't strong physical strength or flashy attributes. They had somewhat unique powers, like changing the position of objects they touched or temporarily extending and shrinking certain objects. And most of them were under Kanna's command in the Jung Division.
These members, whose powers weren't necessary to exert continuously in battle situations, had managed to last this long. However, if used cleverly, these powers could surely fill the unseen holes and gaps in the breakwater.
"...Us?"
"What are we going to do? Can we really do this with just us?"
"Of course. Think about it. Once Captain Sunz arrives and points out the weak spots, all you need to do is insert and enlarge the stones at those spots. Simple, isn't it?"
Indeed, considering it was thought up in a hurry, it was a decent temporary solution. Yet, even with that thought, the members hesitated for a moment, exchanging uncertain looks.
"I'm having trouble controlling my power right now. If I make a mistake... might the entire breakwater collapse?"
"Those who built it, the gods and their kin, might know the internal structure, but we don’t..."
"No, we can definitely do it. Kanna is here too. Just help me this once, okay?"
Gakane, noticing the wavering confidence of the members, patted their arms and smiled brightly. His genuinely effective and kind smile eased their hesitations.
'Gakane... Poor guy. Right. He's struggling like this in place of the Commander... We should help if we're needed.'
"Alright, I'll give it a try!”
"Thank you."
Members of the Jung Division, unlike the Shin and Sul Divisions, were neither numerous nor unified in their abilities, which varied greatly, leading to a lesser sense of belonging. However, having belonged to the same division for a long time and assisted each other in training, they were well-acquainted with each other's capabilities. This familiarity was undoubtedly going to be of assistance when the need to combine their powers in urgent situations arose.
And the ones who knew them best were undoubtedly Kanna, the Deputy Commander of the Jung Division.
"Now, you all heard what Gakane said, right? When Captain Sunz arrives, I'll read the information with him, understand what he has identified, and relay it to you. We don’t have to succeed in one go, so let's be cautious and thorough."
"Understood."
"But what if... what if we can't fix it all and another wave comes?"
A member, known for his cautious nature, furrowed his brows and asked. Gakane scratched his head, his smile slightly different from before.
"Well... don't worry about that and continue the work. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you until it's finished."
"Gakane, you will?..."
It was rare for the usually cautious Gakane to step forward and make such a guarantee. But it was this rarity that paradoxically offered a mysterious reassurance to others.
Kanna looked into her friend's eyes. Somehow, she could guess Gakane's resolve without him using his powers.
‘He's planning to use the shadow curtain he created on the day of the hailstorm.'
Back then, Gakane had created an enormous, powerful barrier strong enough to contain the rampaging Nahan. It was believed to be possible only with Kishiar's help, but now it seemed Gakane had decided to recreate it using his strength alone.
Gakane was already so exhausted, but could he really do it? After pondering for a moment, Kanna nodded decisively.
‘He can do it. Who else but us, trained personally by...'
This wasn't a baseless hope, just clinging to optimism. Kanna knew how persistently Gakane worked; he must have been relentlessly practicing to deploy and maintain the shadow curtain secretly ever since the day of the hailstorm. That’s just who he was.
Since Gakane had judged himself capable and decided to try, as the Deputy Commander, Kanna could only offer her support.
"Understood. If you say you'll keep going until the end, I'll count on you."
As Kanna voiced her trust with a weighty tone, the attitudes of the other members solidified as well. If Kanna, who knew the most information among them and was close to Gakane, had such faith in him, there certainly must be a good reason for it.
"Alright. Let's do this!"
Together, they clapped their hands, shouting words of encouragement, and hurried towards the breakwater. Soon after, Elpkins arrived with Sunz in tow. Emon, who had recovered from exhaustion and was mingling among the people, greeted him.
"Sunz! I've never been so relieved to see your face."
"Emon, just a moment... My stomach is... ugh."
Despite his very pale face from the novel experience of flying in someone's arms, Sunz clearly knew what he had to do. Swallowing his rising nausea, he closed his eyes and focused on the breakwater. A faint, mist-like energy flickered around his eyes.
"Captain Sunz, can you see where the problems are?"
"Yes. I see them. There seem to be about five critical spots."
Opening his eyes, which now induced dizziness from the side effects of his used powers, Sunz, supported by Emon's back, gasped for air but managed to stutteringly convey what he saw and the exact locations of the gaps within the damaged breakwater.
To anyone else, understanding Sunz's explanations through words alone would have been difficult, but Kanna Wand, right in front of him, was different. Supporting Sunz and using her powers, Kanna visualized the breakwater in her mind, turning Sunz's descriptions into precise information.
"Alright. I understand. Now go get treated and rest."
Then, without hesitation, Kanna gathered her Division members.
"It feels like our Division and Yuder have done similar training before, though I'm not sure if you remember. This time, though, it's the real deal. Shall we start?"
Initially, there were several trials and errors, naturally. Transferring stones into the invisible interior of the breakwater to plug the holes was no easy task. A few times, the breakwater even seemed to totter on the brink of collapse.
But, eventually, they began to succeed, one by one.
Gakane, intensely focused all this while, watched over them, ready to assist at any moment.
And then, it was when they had left just two of the largest gaps.
Rumble…
"Gakane! Over there... something strange is coming from afar...!"
A foreboding vibration rolled in from the sea, and in the distance, a strange blue wall loomed ominously.
It was, of course, the fourteenth and final wave.
Just as one of the Division members flinched, his powers wavering, Gakane shouted with a firm voice.
"Don't look that way. I'll handle it for you!"
"...Got it!"
Gakane exerted his power. Shadows stretched forth from beneath him, enveloping the breakwater, the members, and Kanna, then surged upwards, creating a wall even larger than the breakwater itself.