Just A Reincarnation Story (Summoning Japan Edition)

Chapter 97: Personnel Matters

'This job officially sucks...'

Grumbling under his breath, young Nestor crouched beside the rugged bark of a tree and watched his breath form mist in the chill as the wind hissed through the frosted branches, warning off anyone foolish enough to stand out in the midst of this darkness. Nevertheless, as he was among those assigned to guard duty, his gloved hands were wielding a bow with an arrow already nocked, ready to be launched against an approaching threat. For the last part, he was well aware it was a lackluster weapon by his people's standards—he didn't need reminding of that.

The weapons cache behind him was little more than a small crudely dug cave, hidden beneath branches and a dusting of snow. Yet, it contained all that his group managed to scrounge, steal, or smuggle from the neighboring countries. Inside, there was a stack of Civil War-era firearms and some explosives: magic-stone powered firearms, gunpowder-based ones, matchlock, flintlock, and a few bolt-action rifles they'd acquired from a lucky run. There was even an assortment of cold weapons. Standardization was a luxury they simply couldn't afford.

Nestor muttered under his breath again. How many nights had he spent like this—guarding a pitiful stockpile of weapons in the biting cold, while his comrades lingered in the trees like shadows, scattered throughout the forest on the mountain slope? They were all here to protect the little they had, guarding it from anyone who might stumble upon their operation during the fragile preparation phase of the "Great Destiny" their leaders had promised when they recruited people like him from the nearby villages.

Thinking about it now, his branch was a pretty sad group, but they were the only ones in the area, given how isolated this place was. Some claimed the remoteness worked in their favor for smuggling much-needed but low-tech, low-quality weapons from their sympathizers abroad, while others argued it just cemented their status as one of the shittiest groups in the region.

Anyway, it would probably be just another night staring into darkness until dawn, Nestor thought in irritation. He'd been told to watch this spot, even though his buddy Leo was only a few meters down the slope.

Then, something utterly inexplicable happened. His limbs felt locked into place and his body was paralyzed, frozen not by the cold but by something far more sinister. He tried to scream, but his voice was trapped in his throat, while his lungs themselves were barely able to draw breath. He couldn't even move his eyes; all he could do was stare straight ahead, locked in the direction he had been looking.

Young Nestor's consciousness went dark without knowing what came upon him.

---

After delivering a hit that rendered the helpless young rebel unconscious, a silent figure landed on the snow near Nestor. Clad entirely in white and blending with the frosted forest, they and their companions moved creepily like ghosts as they literally floated down, almost without a sound, and closed in on the unsuspecting weapons cache. From their headgear to the backpack to the gloves and boots, every part of their gear matched the snowy landscape. Even their weapon, a compact-looking rifle with a prominently visible magazine, featured a custom snow camouflage design.

The figure knelt next to Nestor's limp form, carefully checking his pulse to ensure he was unconscious. They then retrieved a reinforced cord from a pouch and bound his wrists and ankles, tying him tightly before unrolling a black body bag and easing the unconscious rebel into it.

Shortly after, voices crackled through the comm device in their earpiece, connecting them to the rest of the unit.

"All targets neutralized, numbering eight. We've secured Point Anton."

"Understood."

The figure nodded to themselves, scanning the surroundings. Helped by the device on their headgear, they ensured no other surprises lurked in the darkness. The frigid wind whipped through the trees was the only sound save for the soft crunch of their boots on snow. So far, their raid has been quiet, which is good.