Chapter: 28 Night Raid’s Base
[North of capital]
(Mountain ranges)
CHII !
As Leo and Najenda soared several metres above the ground, they were greeted by the gentle touch of the fresh morning air on their skin.
Their coats fluttered in the wind, adding to the sense of freedom as they beheld a breathtaking scenario. Surrounding them were majestic mountain ranges adorned with diverse flora and fauna, painting a picturesque view.
One day prior, their journey commenced as they departed the Revolutionary Army headquarters, riding a large bird-like danger beast that resembled a falcon with massive wings. And now they were now on their way to Night Raid’s secret base, hidden several kilometres away from the capital of the Empire.
Najenda turned towards Leo, who remained calmly watching the mountains as his hoodie fluttered around him.
Throughout their journey to the secret hideout, Leo maintained a mostly silent demeanor, only speaking up when Najenda directly addressed him, a behavior that was not common for a teenager, even for one who was a soldier.
Having sparred with Leo and conversed with Geralt, Najenda had gained some insight into Leo’s personality and way of thinking. However, there was something about his mindset that reminded her of someone else, albeit in a less aggressive manner.
Najenda made the choice to not dwell on it, instead giving her attention to Leo’s potential usefulness and his ability to produce results on assignments.
As long as Leo proves himself valuable and effective to their cause while equally maintaining an acceptable level of coordination with his new squad, Najenda was willing to overlook some of his traits.
Thinking about Night Raid members, a trivial but important problem rose in Najenda’s mind and she said while turning her head towards Leo “I didn’t tell you this, but there’s someone named Leone among the Night Raid members who has a similar name to yours. Do you think it could lead to misunderstandings if we need to address one of you during missions?”
After a while she said, “Do you have any other name or nickname from which Geralt or any other person that you know calls you?”
After considering Najenda’s words, Leo shook his head and replied, “There was no need for me to have any other name all this time.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “But it indeed will create problems during missions, which could become a long-term hassle.”
Leo’s gaze then went towards Jörmungandr, and after looking at it for a few moments, he made a decision. “ ‘Bane’ Call me ‘Bane’ from now on,” he said.
“My previous name doesn’t hold any importance to me, and the only people who know about it at this moment are you, Geralt, and a few others in the Revolutionary Army.”
Najenda didn’t say anything for a few moments, but after she nodded her head,
“Okay, Bane, from now on you will be called by this name,” Najenda said with a smile. As she turned her head to look ahead, she added, “It seems we have arrived at the base.”
Bane, formerly known as Leo, followed Najenda’s gaze and saw the hidden base of the Night Raid coming into view. Although it didn’t appear very hidden to him, he refrained from questioning Najenda about it.
Bane surmised that Najenda had prepared numerous traps and alarms hidden within the flora and fauna surrounding the base to keep intruders and spies at bay.
The base consisted of grey-coloured, heavily fortified, militaristic-style buildings beneath a curved hollow mountain, which acted as its shield and provided additional security.
The hidden main headquarters of the Revolutionary Army operated under similar circumstances, with only the main leaders and a select few trusted individuals knowing its original location.
But the secrecy of the main headquarters was on a whole different level, maintained through a sophisticated entry system that involved accessing the main base through other hidden bases.
To gain access to the main headquarters, a high-ranking and trusted member of the Revolutionary Army with access to several high-grade artifacts will be dispatched to one of the hidden bases. At this hidden base, they will apply these artifacts to the individual who is designated to be transported to the main base.
The artifacts strip the person of their senses during transport, rendering them unable to hear, feel, smell, or sense anything throughout the journey.
This process effectively ensures that only authorised personnel with the necessary clearance and security measures in place can enter the highly secure main headquarters of the Revolutionary Army.
Furthermore, within the different sectors of the Revolutionary Army, several strategically placed high-grade artifacts remained undisclosed to all except the top leaders.
These artifacts were meticulously designed to monitor and record every single event within the base through mysterious methods, thereby strengthening the existing security measures.
Despite having a gut feeling that there were several contingency plans in place for the main base to be discovered, Bane decided to halt his thoughts and refocus his attention on his new base of operations.
Najenda, as if reading Bane’s inner thought said, “You don’t have to worry as even if the base is not well-hidden, it is surrounded by dangerous high grade danger beasts who only venture on their own territory that deter citizens from venturing into this area.
Additionally, the base itself is heavily fortified, with various traps and security measures in place to protect it. Our squad member possesses a versatile teigu which can easily detect intruders from a very large distance easily, so you don’t have to worry about intruders discovering its location.”
She continued to explain, “Inside, the base is divided into several areas, including living quarters for the members, a training area, a weapons storage area, a medical bay, and a command centre where missions are planned and strategies discussed.
The living quarters are modest but functional, providing a place for the Night raid members to rest and recuperate between missions.” Najenda said with a grin, to which Bane only nodded his head.
As the bird landed at the base, Najenda retrieved her luggage from its back and descended to the ground, followed by Bane who didn’t require any additional luggage as he had his own low-grade storage artifact containing the essentials he needed for daily use.
CHII!!
With a final screech, the bird signalled its departure and flapped its wings to return to one of the hidden bases where its master resided.
As Bane and Najenda walked along the riverbank towards the base, they spotted a teenage girl with black hair seated near the riverside.
She was grilling a large piece of meat from a risk species bird and appeared to be enjoying it thoroughly. Her relaxed demeanour suggested she was a familiar presence at the base.