Chapter 505: Road Gang (1)
Brrrrrrrrrooooom!!
On the road away from Landa, a large vehicle was speeding along.
The vehicle's exterior was just as extraordinary as the roar of its engine. With multiple layers of thick armor, specially coated massive wheels, a hefty frame, and traces of various modifications, it looked like an illegal weaponized vehicle reminiscent of a Road Gang.
However, there were two key differences.
First, unlike the rough and makeshift appearances of most Road Gang vehicles, this one had an air of refinement and luxury.
Second, instead of harsh, decadent music blaring from the radio, it was broadcasting a popular radio drama, Inheritance and Marriage.
[“…At that moment, Frank's aunt collapsed. Her long-standing illness had suddenly worsened from the shock! Her relatives and Frank, her nephew and heir, rushed to support her.”]
The radio narration described the scene, reaching a climax after a lengthy buildup.
Inside the car, Oliver, Derek Redhill, Yareli Ice-eye, and Erzsébet Ünner listened to the drama with impassive expressions.
[“In the end, Frank's aunt passed away three days later. Considering her painful battle with illness, one might call it a mercy from the heavens. Yet, tragically, she was in such agony that she forgot to revoke the inheritance rights of her nephew, who had carelessly gotten engaged without her approval. After the funeral, Frank boarded a train to the rural village where his true love awaited.”]
Crunch, crunch, crunch... The sound of Oliver eating a calorie bar echoed quietly.
[Frank met his fiancée, Jane, and said in a low voice, “Fairfax. My aunt has passed away.”]
[Fairfax responded, “Really?”]
[“Yes. My aunt has passed away… My aunt is dead! We can get married!!”]
[Frank jubilantly announced his aunt’s passing, embracing his beloved. Fairfax also laughed joyously, hugging him tightly. The one who had used the inheritance to thwart their love was gone. Frank and Fairfax, arms wrapped around each other, twirled in circles, their laughter echoing through the air.]
[“Hahahahahahahaha!!”]
[“Hahahahahahahaha!!”]
“…I’ve got a question. May I ask?” Derek, sitting in the front passenger seat, spoke up as the radio drama neared its conclusion.
“Crunch, crunch… What’s your question?” Oliver replied, still eating.
“At first, I wanted to ask why we’re traveling in such a conspicuous vehicle for a secret mission. But now, I’m curious about something else.”
“…?”
“Why did you play this radio drama?” Derek asked, and Yareli and Erzsébet, seated in the back, also showed interest.
“Well, because there are ladies on board?”
“What does that mean?” Yareli, who had grown remarkably since her heroic deeds in Gallos—most notably, discarding her glasses—asked.
“Just as it sounds. Some people I know enjoy listening to radio dramas like this one. Did you not find it entertaining?” Oliver replied, recalling the workers at the House of Angels, who would gather around the radio during their breaks, with him often listening in as well.
“I’m not particularly fond of it,” said Derek.
“Oh, I see… What about you, Miss Ünner?” Oliver asked, turning to Erzsébet, who sat a little apart from Yareli.
“Not really my thing either…”
“Oh, is that so? I personally enjoy it.” Oliver’s unexpected answer surprised Derek, Yareli, and Erzsébet alike.
“I think it's rather interesting and educational in its own way. After all, dramas are based on reality to some extent, aren't they?”
Though there was plenty to debate about that statement, no one challenged Oliver. Instead, they asked what he had learned.
“Well… I’ve learned that a young man without an inheritance from his parents has little hope, parents can only gain respect by wielding that inheritance, and a woman without money must rely solely on marriage.”
An oppressive silence filled the car once again.
As the truck trailing them began to pass by, Yareli broke the silence.
“How about changing the channel?”
“Good idea,” Derek immediately agreed and pressed a button to switch stations. After a burst of static, music began to play, featuring the voice of Charlotte, a famous radio singer known for her beautiful songs despite lacking magical or natural enhancements.
It was said that she had been a hidden lover of a famous musician before the scandal that propelled her to fame.
“Pretty knowledgeable, aren’t you?” Derek remarked, surprised that Zenon would know such things.
“Someone told me I should be aware of these things to learn how to live leisurely and become a charming gentleman. That’s why I occasionally listen to radio dramas, music, and even read fashion magazines.”
Everyone looked at Oliver with a puzzled expression. Just when they thought they had a grasp on him, he would always surprise them.
Oliver, too, had his own questions.
“If you don’t mind, may I ask a question?”
“Go ahead,” Derek replied.
“I was just wondering how you got involved in this mission.”
“Is there a problem?” Yareli asked shortly, her voice carrying a hint of disappointment.
“No… not at all. It’s just unexpected. This mission was supposed to be conducted in secret, so I didn’t expect to see more people involved.”
Oliver’s remark was accurate. While the Tower of Magic outwardly focused on retrieving the stolen project and breaking into the vault, the true goal of this mission was to secretly track down and identify Eve, the suspected mastermind behind the infiltration, and secure her.
But it was a mystery why Derek, Yareli, and Erzsébet had been informed and brought in.
Derek answered first. “I don’t know either. My uncle just told me about it and asked if I wanted to take on the job, so I agreed. It seemed like an opportunity.”
Yareli followed, “It’s the same for me. I think it’s because it’s an important matter for the Tower.”
Hmm. Oliver merely nodded at their somewhat vague answers.
“What about you?” Derek directed his gaze at Erzsébet, suspicion in his eyes.
“Similar to you. The Grand Master suggested it,” she answered.
The Grand Master, Merlin. Although unexpected, it wasn’t out of the ordinary, and Oliver nodded.
However, Derek and Yareli didn’t entirely let go of their doubts. It wasn’t just them; suspicious rumors about Erzsébet and her sister had been circulating throughout the Tower of Magic.
Yareli had even encountered Erzsébet in the past, albeit not in great detail.
Though Oliver found the situation regrettable, he also considered it inevitable, given the general atmosphere of the Tower.
Fortunately, Erzsébet seemed accustomed to the suspicion and responded confidently.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be a burden. Despite how I look, I can handle myself, and I’m somewhat capable of wielding the World Tree.”
Hearing that, Derek and Yareli withdrew their stares.
Despite the questionable rumors, Erzsébet had proven her worth with her profound knowledge of blood magic. Coupled with the ability to wield the World Tree, she might even be more valuable than Yareli or Derek in this mission.
With that discussion concluded, Oliver took the opportunity to ask something that had been on his mind.
“Does anyone feel carsick or think they might get carsick soon?”
Everyone tilted their heads at the sudden question.
“What’s that about?” Derek asked.
“Oh, I just thought the ride might get a little rough,” Oliver replied cryptically.
It soon became clear what he meant.
Several illegally modified trucks had pulled up alongside Oliver’s vehicle, both in front and behind.
“What the…?” exclaimed his companions, shocked at how the trucks had closed in so stealthily. If not for Oliver’s dark wizard eyes, which could perceive emotions, he might have noticed the threat a moment too late.
The harmonious blend of Oliver’s engine and the rumbling truck engines resonated across the road.
Derek picked up on the telltale sign.
“That rough engine sound… It’s a Road Gang.”
The Road Gang, or road bandits, operated outside the city, delivering illegal goods or raiding shipments. Today, it seemed to be the latter.
Without hesitation, the trucks in front and behind closed in rapidly, threatening to trap them.
“Big Wheel. It’s a Road Gang that used to be dominant around here,” Derek speculated, recognizing the truck modifications.
“‘Used to be’ dominant?” Oliver asked.
“Yes, past tense. They were pushed back by other gangs. Especially after some of the smaller gangs from Landa moved out of the city and weakened them.”
Oliver recalled how unaffiliated gangs had been driven out of Landa due to contracts between Crime Firms, the Fighter Crew, and redevelopment projects in District X.
Forcibly displaced, many gangs had been squeezed out into the outskirts and small towns.
He hadn’t expected it to have this much of an impact on the existing gangs outside Landa.
“But these guys don’t look like they’ve been driven out,” Oliver noted. Judging by their equipment and formation, they didn’t seem like a gang struggling to survive.
The trucks, though roughly modified, were well-maintained, and the engines sounded powerful. The gang members' morale was high, like predators ready to strike...
Screeech...
At that moment, the modified truck’s cargo door opened, revealing five men armed with machine guns and bazookas, as well as a woman with a mounted machine gun welded to the floor. Their eyes gleamed with a feral light as they shouted.
“Let’s start the party—”
“—Mortar,” Oliver interrupted, pressing the incendiary shell button. With a press, the mortar mounted at the back of the vehicle sprang into action and fired a shell towards the front.
Thoom.
The dull sound was immediately followed by an explosion, and black smoke along with crimson flames engulfed the truck’s cargo hold. The gang members inside didn’t stand a chance.
The fierce flames melted the gang members’ flesh like wax, drawing out agonized screams. Some of them, unable to bear the pain, thrashed wildly before falling onto the road.
Thud!
One of the unlucky ones fell in front of Oliver’s vehicle and was crushed under the specially coated wheels, flattened like a cutlet.
“...”
Derek and Yareli, stunned by Oliver’s swift and precise reaction, stared at him in amazement. But Oliver didn’t respond to their gaze; instead, he turned his attention to the approaching truck behind them. If they kept moving at this pace, they’d be run over.
Clack. Clack. Shhhhhk.
Oliver quickly maneuvered the steering wheel and gearshift with his left hand and the Ptah’s Assistant, turning the vehicle around 180 degrees.
“It’s my first time trying this, so I’m not sure how it’ll go.”
“Huh?”
In that instant, the vehicle spun rapidly, causing the passengers to be thrown to one side. They suddenly found themselves face-to-face with the truck that had been chasing them.
Oliver’s custom car, driving in reverse, and the modified truck, charging straight ahead to crush them.
Oliver pressed the button on the center console, deploying the machine guns built into the sides of the hood.
“Machine guns?”
“Pretty cool, right?” Oliver remarked as he pressed the trigger.
Dudududududu━!!
Flames erupted from the twin machine guns, and gray gunpowder smoke filled the air as the modified truck's metal plating was riddled with holes, tearing it apart. The driver didn’t stand a chance.
The truck pursuing Oliver lost control in a matter of seconds, flipping over and exploding in a burst of fire and black smoke that rose high into the sky.
In the chaos, Oliver spoke.
“It’s not over yet, it seems.”
No sooner had he said that than another modified truck emerged from the black smoke and flames, like a monstrous apparition.
Beeeeeep━!
The piercing blare of a horn rang out as several bikes with aggressive designs, resembling combined locomotive engines, appeared on the side of the road, surrounding Oliver and the others.
It was clear they had been lying in wait.
Oliver observed each of the attackers one by one and then calmly reached for a calorie bar, stuffing it into his mouth.
“This is getting interesting.”