Classroom of the Elite: Amnesia Haven

Arc 3 - 6 Before the Climax

While the king and our interpreters walking out of the castle was a great movement, the effort to properly utilize the opportunity increased in difficulty. The reason Spearhead still hadn't taken advantage of this opportunity was that they'd have to go on a full-on assault by slaying a considerable number of goblins in the process. This was a one-time opportunity. If we fail, New City's security will likely be tightened even more so that Spearhead cannot enter easily.

I would advance to the waterless moat area alone. Manabu's team remained in a building dozens of meters from me. I assume it's going to be a total chaos eventually. Party Honami was stationed with Team Manabu.

At the moment, I was in the underground of New City, just in front of the castle. To get to where I was supposed to be, I passed through a lively street of ordinary citizens instead of a quiet street of goblins but with some goblin sentries walking around. The goblin sentries were much harder to pass by without being discovered or taking excessive amounts of time. Streets teeming with regular residents were much easier and took less time to deal with. I won't have to resort to killing as well.

The king sure is showy... I thought as I looked at him from the upper window of the building facing the large tunnel road he walked through. The vents of the tunnel road had various shapes. It'd be risky to be in the same tunnel, or above it due to the presence of snipers. That's why I chose to tail him from the neighboring building.

I had thought the goblin king was a mere statue at first glance.

His garb, cape, crown, and scepter. They don't all excessively glitter. They seem to fit him perfectly.

The king was encircled by goblins in red armor. I had seen those red gear the first time I went hunting in Old City. A dagger with a cut blade. Ken threw it away. It seemed to be quite valuable. But there was one goblin that I doubted was a goblin, protected just as strictly as the king, that caught my attention the most. His skin was too pale to be called a goblin. He also seemed pretty well-groomed compared to the king himself. Is that our interpreter?

I had to move in on them at the right moment and be quick about it.

The plan itself wasn't too complicated. Manabu's team, specifically Manabu and Akane, Miyabi and Ikuto, Fuka and Nazuna, would follow a certain route which would eventually converge with the king's path. Honami was going to be with Manabu, while Sou/Mako and Ryuji/Yuki were with Miyabi and Fuka. While Spearhead had figured out the exact time when this event occurred using a watch from the dwarves, they still had to consider that the time was changed for whatever reason. They employed another dwarves' invention called spyglass for that. I will be the one to send the signal. They have the tool for me too, in that case.

The plan is truly simple. To cut to the chase, the three groups of Manabu, Miyabi, and Fuka just have to force their way in to gather at the point where the king and his escorts arrive. I will tackle the king from the back, murdering him if he tries anything shady. But, yeah, we must force him to acknowledge us. It was simple, but, no, the timing of executing all those steps was more complicated than it seemed. The timing, to be precise. The moment the king retreats, it's the end. I can kill him, but that won't solve the problem. We have to make him hear us no matter what.

I went to one of the buildings Spearhead had set up as a signaling site to let it be known that the king was indeed exiting the castle and that they could start advancing now. Clambering up the floor through the vertical holes laced or unlaced, I went to the topmost one. One of the advantages of having tall buildings around the castle was that they could be used extremely well as concealment objects even on the outside of the buildings. Well, Spearhead's party still had to force their way in at some point, though. At that point, unless they were alone and clever at hiding themselves, they couldn't help but let themselves be known to the residents. After all, if the king went any further than the planned rallying point, the plan would inevitably fail.

The moment I arrived at the top floor, evading the many goblins on the way, I went towards the window. It was morning, so the goblins had already begun their activities. I picked up a long item with two rounded ends, each of which had a customized glass that served as a spyglass.

I brought one side of the small circular to my right eye, scanning a certain building, peering into one of its windows. I soon found Honami doing the same as me. We were separated by dozens of meters. She waved her hand. I gave her a thumbs up.

I quickly went downstairs. They should be doing the same before long. The farther the king is from the rallying point, the higher our chances of failure. The layout of buildings, tunnel roads, and the goblins would slow down the Spearhead, allowing the king to escape ahead of them.

I ran between the floors of the buildings, constantly checking whether or not the king's troops were about to change route.

There were a number of snipers stationed in various buildings. I deftly circumvented them.

There was no need to take the kill for now.

The king was coming from the south. Team Manabu would intercept from the north, Team Miyabi in the west, and Team Fuka in the east. As I was in the process of moving from one building to another, I could catch a glimpse of Fuka's silver-haired silhouette from the opening of the tunnel passage in the east. The same from the west of Miyabi. Their pacing was more or less the same. Only Manabu, Akane, and Honami glided faster than the others.

This will work out, I thought. The timing will be enough to trap the king's troops while at the intersection. They'll be distracted by the three groups attacking from three directions. None of them will immediately notice the rear line. I can hold him captive. It was a logical assumption because the security behind the king's army was at a very high level. It was further corroborated by the fact that it was close to the castle. I also had to detour to avoid them in the beginning.

I rushed downstairs, literally jumping from floor to floor, to get to the tunnel where the king's army was.

"?" My ears perked up.

I heard an explosion.