The Rogue Reaper (Sword Art Online)

Part 16: Ronbaru

A frenzied din assaulted Noct's ears upon entering Ronbaru.

"We still need more rations!"

"Who's got the crystals?!"

"We have more wounded! Help me bring them to the medic station!"

I'm in the right place, Noct thought, descending down to the street. The normally quiet and sleepy town was in a state of chaos with so many people running and shouting everywhere, but at the same time there seemed to be some semblance of organization.

"Move it, people! Bring those weapons and food items over here! Where's the new supply of potions?!" A man clad in white Army armour barked orders in the general direction of a crowd of soldiers running back and forth from here to there, carrying crates and bags full of things from the warp gate plaza to a caravan of horse-drawn wheeled carts.

"Potions here, sir!" A teenaged Army member said, holding up a wooden box full of bottles and vials.

The officer took one peek into the crate and exploded. "These are all strength potions! Where are the healing potions?! Put these in that cart and go get as many crates of healing potions as you can carry! Now! Move it!" He shouted in the soldier's face, spitting all over him. The soldier promptly wheeled around and nearly tripped over himself as he sprinted back towards the item shops as fast as he could.

Noct put his hood up and walked briskly towards the town's gate. Everywhere he looked, there were men and women in ivory uniforms. They crowded the shops and the roads, dodging around him as they ran supplies to their destinations and back to get more. Off to the side the Army had set up a makeshift healing station with a tarp and rows of blankets. Medic players were busy tying bandages and administering healing potions to a rather large number of soldiers with red slash marks all over their bodies. One medic officer was shouting at the runners for more bandages and healing potions.

A band of players who were notably not wearing the white PAA uniform were gathered and waiting around at the gate. A rugged looking player who was wearing a dark ranger's outfit noticed Noct coming towards them. "You're a merc, right? You're just in time. We're heading out in five," he said.

Sure, I'm a merc. "Where is it?" Noct asked.

"Fort Terran, north of here, but the Reds are lying in ambush along the main road so the supply caravans can't get through. Our first job is to clear those guys out and secure the road- Hey, where are you going? We're still waiting on a few more before we go-"

"I'm scouting ahead first," Noct said shortly over his shoulder. "Don't worry about me."

Ronbaru was a town in the middle of a green wildland. Bushes and shrubs dotted the landscape and tall trees cast shade over the main road. There was a steep cliff a bit to the east. This whole road was indeed ideal for ambushes, and it would only get worse when the sun fully set in just a few hours. Once he was a fair distance from the town, Noct's «Detection» ability sent up red flags- he couldn't see them, but he was surrounded by hidden players. How many exactly, he couldn't tell, but there were a lot of hostile signals, more than a single party of five.

Noct stopped. His eyes shifted to the left, then to the right. Was there one in the bushes over there? Behind that tree? Or in the branches above? He heard a rustling noise somewhere behind him. Even though nobody revealed themselves, the emanating bloodthirst of the hiding Reds was making the atmosphere tense. Noct had to make a conscious effort to keep himself from reaching for the sword at his belt. Let himself appear open to attack, then they'll come to him, where he'll be able to fight in the open. It was time to test out how far the power of his «Hidden Skill» could take him.