Magical Girl's Knight Brother

Chapter 556 Crossing the Border

After a minor hiccup, the group continued their journey for quite some time, finally arriving at the cellar at the mouth of the old chimney on the afternoon of the second day.

This is where he stores his smuggled goods, a place he usually keeps secret from outsiders, but he can't care about that now.

The cellar mentioned by the old chimney was less a cave dwelling and more a natural cave entrance deep into the mountain, partially hidden by a massive rock formation. The entrance was extremely well concealed, covered by thick snow and alloy panels disguised as rock. Several of the old chimney's henchmen were laboriously moving the heavy panels to create a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through. Immediately afterward, cold, dusty air rushed out.

Tang Zijun, Hawke, Leisen, and Old Chimney himself bent down and crawled into the dimly lit space. The biting wind and snow outside were instantly shut out, leaving only the sound of dripping water and their heavy breathing echoing inside. The cave wasn't large, filled with dusty crates and bulging waterproof bags—clearly Old Chimney's smuggling haul accumulated over years. The air was polluted, but at least it was warmer than outside. The main forces of the three groups were ordered to maintain their respective guard posts a kilometer away.

The resistance squad occupied a snow slope with a good view, Tang Zijun's agents were scattered in the shadows of several giant rocks, and Old Chimney's men huddled in a sheltered spot near the cave entrance, shivering from the cold—clearly, the trust between the inner circle was as thin as the ice that had formed at the entrance of this cellar.

"Phew... I can finally catch my breath."

The old man plopped down on a relatively clean crate and, like a starving ghost reincarnated, pulled a small crowbar from his pocket and deftly pried open a metal can with a blurry fish-shaped pattern. A strange smell of grease and preservatives filled the air, but he didn't care. He used his dirty fingers to scoop out a large lump of grayish-white paste, wolfed it down, his cheeks bulging like a hamster's, and mumbled incoherently.

"At this rate... *gulp*... we'll reach the border by tonight at the latest." He swallowed hard, his greasy fingers pointing in a direction deep within the cave. "That's... the territory of the omnics."

As he spoke, he shoved another large chunk of canned meat into his mouth. Ignoring the old chimney's eating manners, Rayson said in a deep voice, "Those iron patrols don't discriminate. They open fire on any living thing they see. Trying to force your way in is suicide."

Hawke leaned against a cold rock wall, arms crossed, his brow furrowed. The scar on his face looked even more menacing in the dim light. His sharp gaze swept over the supplies piled up in the cellar, then lingered for a moment on the old chimney's ravenous face before he spoke.

"Forced entry is impossible, Old Chimney. You've been in this business for so many years, you must have connections. We're just one step away from success." Hawke's men, however, weren't as patient. The man and woman were starving, their stomachs practically sticking to their backs. Watching Old Chimney eat with gusto, they walked over to a pile of supplies, roughly lifted a tarpaulin, revealing several identical fish cans underneath. Without a word, they picked up the crowbar Old Chimney had dropped, pried open a can in a few quick snips, and, mimicking Old Chimney, grabbed handfuls of the cold, greasy paste and stuffed them into their mouths.

Seeing this, the old chimney, surprisingly, didn't let his stingy nature surface. Instead, he waved his hand. "There are only a few boxes of canned food, so eat sparingly. As for water, there's snowmelt seeping down from the back hole. Just take a bucket and collect it. There's a water purifier at the very back."

Upon hearing this, the woman immediately took the canned food to find a bucket, while the man took several cans and walked over to Hawke. "Eat something, Chief. It's a waste to leave this stuff here." Hawke declined, taking a can and weighing it in his hand before glancing at the old chimney. "What's the plan? Don't tell me you really intend to let us run headlong into the omnic's patrol turret." The old chimney took a big bite of the fish paste in his hand, his greasy lips twitching, before lowering his voice. "A plan... it's not impossible, but the risk is too great." He licked the grease off his fingers, his eyes gleaming. "The omnic's defenses can't be without flaws. I know of an... abandoned mine tunnel, right below the border, dug decades ago, mostly collapsed." He paused, looking at Hawke and Tang Zijun. "But that place... is even more sinister than the surface. Years ago, a landslide buried many people, and it later became the lair of mutated giant rats and radioactive cockroaches. It's filthy and smelly, and there might even be poisonous gas. Moreover, the mine exit is very close to a small outpost of the omnics, so if we make a fuss, we'll definitely be discovered. Whether you leave or not... you can decide for yourselves." After he finished speaking, he quickly lowered his head and ate the canned food voraciously, as if saying another word would be a loss.

Leisen frowned even more and looked at Tang Zijun, clearly waiting for the big shot's opinion.

Hawke stopped swallowing. "Aren't you in the business of smuggling and crossing borders? How did you end up pulling this shady route?" "Do you think I wanted this?!" Old Chimney sneered. "It's all your doing. Glory City is ruined now. Do you think the omnics will recognize Glory City's pass? We're already being generous by finding you a way out. Don't make a fuss."

Hawke ignored the old chimney's offensive tone. He nodded silently, his eyes serious, clearly knowing that things wouldn't be easy inside the mine. "The mine is fine, it's better than being used as a target by the omnics outside."

He then turned his gaze to Tang Zijun. He had already realized that this young man was clearly the one making the decisions among Lei Sen's group. "What are your opinions?"

Leisen looked at Tang Zijun and, seeing no objection, said, "We're fine too. Let's rest here for a bit and then set off." "So soon?" Old Chimney frowned. He actually wanted to stay here a little longer; after all, this long journey hadn't been easy, and he hadn't experienced such strenuous activity in a long time. Although conditions here were harsh, it was still a decent base overall, much better than the rough conditions of the past few days. Resting in the wasteland wasn't easy; he'd been suffering from insomnia for several days. Leisen saw through Old Chimney's thoughts and simply snorted. "Let's rest after we cross the border. Once we're there, you can do whatever you want, but here, we're always at risk of being exposed." "That's right," Hawke said grimly. "We're near the AI's territory, and there's no cover at all. If our men are discovered, they won't have anywhere to run." Hearing their words, Old Chimney remained silent, knowing the situation was dire. They were about to reach safety, and they couldn't afford to falter at this crucial moment. Hawke glanced at Old Chimney, then turned to the man and woman behind him and ordered, "Find a third of the canned food, get some water, and send it out for the brothers to have a good meal. We'll set off at nightfall." "No, no, this is my supplies!" Old Chimney immediately stopped pretending.

"How long do you think these supplies can stay here? Or are you planning to take them with you?" Hawke said coldly. "You have the fewest men. I'm already being lenient by only taking a third. There's a good chance we'll have a tough battle later, and I can't let my brothers go hungry."

"Then let me make this clear beforehand, it will cost money."

"You!" The woman behind Hawke frowned, but Hawke stopped her with a gesture.

"What do you mean, 'what about me'?" The old chimney casually set the canned food aside, took the water bottle handed to him by his subordinate, and gulped down a mouthful. "When we discussed the cooperation, it wasn't said that I had to share my supplies with you. You didn't give me any food when we were short of it on the road the other day, did you? Now that you're sharing my supplies, what's wrong with me asking for money?"

"...Alright." Hawke paused for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Once we get there, I'm not afraid of you charging exorbitant prices." "Hehehe, then I must thank Mr. Hawke for his generosity." The old chimney chuckled sinisterly, then turned to look at Tang Zijun and Lei Sen. "How about it, you two, why don't you buy something too? My business is always fair and honest."

"No need." Leisen smacked his lips, savoring the taste of the pork floss bread and ham sausage. "We don't lack that here." "Mr. Leisen, those synthetic nutrition bars don't replenish much energy. This is genuine deep-sea fish canned food, not much contamination." Old Chimney had clearly misunderstood. However, Leisen didn't explain anything; he simply stood up with Tang Zijun.

"Let's head back now, get ready, and set off as soon as possible."

After leaving a message, the two ignored the reactions of the others in the cellar and walked out one after the other into the cold wind.