The very next morning, Cæ got right out of bed early in the morning, long before the morning Sun could even illuminate the dark skies, as he freshened himself up with a quick shower before going through his itinerary for the day.
The day of the commencement of the slum acquisition operations had much work for him. He needed to start personally overseeing the operations of the task force to make sure that things unfolded exactly as they were meant.
He went through the logistics log that the task force maintained, detailing reports on the status and progress of the various reports in the task force database. His gray eyes softened with a hint of relief as a new update on the final supplies had been marked in the log of updates.
The very final of preparations that they were waiting on had been completed late last night, as the Elendir Institute of Magic had received a supply shipment which was then promptly inventoried as per protocol.
"We're set," Cæ heaved a deep breath. "We have everything."
Now, it was just a matter of making sure that they executed their operations perfectly. It wasn't too long before he donned his uniform once more, carefully wearing the neatly ironed set of clothes comprising the formal gray three-piece suit that was custom-tailored to his body, before grooming his messy hair a little.
And then, it was time.
CLACK
He locked the wooden door to his dorm shut before briskly walking down the empty corridor, heading out to the logistics departments of the administrative wing, far away from the academic wing of the campus.
The morning Sun shined brightly upon the Elendir Institute of Magic and Colohen City, illuminating the day as he went about getting to task.
STEP
He arrived at the dispatch facility that was booked for the operations. A large building with a spacious warehouse filled to the brim with all manner of supplies. Within it were many trucks, neatly parked in a line with their back doors opened, while several students of the Elendir Institute of Magic gently lifted the many supplies that they would need to conduct their operations.
Each truck had enchanted tires, at Cæ's insistence, having known the dangers of carrying the supplies that they would in the slums, but especially deep into the slums. He pulled out a magipad, watching the screen light up as he began skimming through the supplies and the protocols surrounding their docking and arrangement, as he began coordinating with the staff of the Institute regarding the logistics.
"Magiguns go to the assigned armories from stations adjacent to trucks."
"Magic aptitude testing kits be uncased and placed in trucks ranging from five to six."
"Portable fencing goes in truck seven."
He immediately began rattling instructions while helping the staff of the dispatch facility complete the protocols faster with his magic and specifications as the director of the task force.
The most boring but also the most important part of any operation was the logistics, for they are at the very root and foundations of any operation. Ensuring that they went well was basic for ensuring the success of any operation.
Soon enough, the other members of the task force began arriving at their designated times, showing up for reporting. The first was, of course, the assistant teams of the task force.
These weren't students or members of the task force but teams assigned from the executive wing of the Elendir Institute of Magic, meant to help the task force members ensure that they didn't have to deal with the more mundane and menial aspects of the operation.
Soon, the security teams assigned to the task force also reported for duty, comprised of two separate forces. The first was the commando squads, comprised of non-mage operators trained in military operations and with enchanted weapons.
While they were much weaker and less powerful than mages, they were still quite effective and useful. They immediately began arming up before waiting on standby for the operations to commence.
The mage squad intrigued Cæ more than most. They were comprised of apprentice mages who weren't and had never been students of the Elendir Institute of Magic, and were far older than Cæ or any of the other students of the Senior Program. They came equipped with some enchanted vests and wands in their special holsters for easy access in case of an attack.
Soon enough, the actual members of the task force showed up at the authorized time, as they immediately began equipping themselves with the vests and other gear, as per established protocols.
The students of the Elendir Institute of Magic were the highest priority.
Harm to them would be disastrous to the reputation of the Elendir Institute of Magic, and Cæ knew that.
The Headmistress had stressed that the success of the mission was to be compromised if the risks were beyond tolerable. Cæ had them don not just mere enchanted vests but also protective artifacts that the Elendir Institute of Magic had in its inventory, meant for the most important missions with high risk factors.
Thus, unless the Colohen Mafia and the affluent families literally declared frontal war in a manner that would expose them, the students were assured to be safe.
It wasn't long before everything was ready.
"Supplies; check. Security; check. Transport: check. Human capital; check…" Sorenon listed out all the protocols that they had fully followed, nodding with a satisfied expression as he turned towards Cæ.
"Everything is ready, big bro."
Cæ directed a sweeping gaze across the many gathered trucks and the docked supplies within them, the various teams ready on stand-by, and the task force members equipped with the necessary tools and attire.
They were waiting.
For his call.
Cæ's dichromatic gray eyes sharpened, before nodding curtly.
"Commence dispatch operations."
Immediately, the various teams began entering the designated trucks, each team given their own truck that had a special place in the formation centered around security.
"Registering dispatch time as precisely 9:36 AM," Sorenon remarked as he ticked a magital box on the mission tracker magipad. "And we are now authorized to go."
VRMMM…
The trucks began departing from the large dispatch facility in a block of the external operations department, driving away in a smooth formation as trucks meant to serve as a defense buffer surrounded the various storage trucks that has weaker armor plating, making them more vulnerable to ambush.
The Security Department of the Administrative Wing of the Elendir Institute of Magic had warned Cæ of the faint possibility of a preemptive attack on the traveling convoy when they were least expecting it.
Of course, this couldn't be disguised as a testament to how dangerous the slums were, since it would happen when they were outside of the slums, or when they were traveling through slums in between districts.
Still, it was a possibility that Cæ had prepared for by accepting the security protocols for travel formation that they recommended based on the details of his operations.
The travel time was unfortunately long, for the Elendir Institute of Magic was situated in one of the central districts of Colohen City, while the slums began halfway across the city. Thankfully, the three districts that they were targeting for the day were comprised of one of the forty-eight districts that bordered the inner city, making their travel substantially less than it would be when they got deeper and deeper into the slums.
The trucks were also not very mobile, heavy and large, and more susceptible to being blocked in traffic.
As they traveled further and further towards the outskirts of the city, the quality of infrastructure, public and private, deteriorated with each passing block and district. In the central districts of the city, the quality of life was truly amazing.
The residential zones that they passed by were spectacularly ostentatious and extravagant, as massive homes ranging from manors to mansions and even some palaces that stretch a wide estate, belonging to some of the richest families in Colohen City.
Cæ's eyes widened as he came across one that truly begged the question whether he was looking at the castle of royalty. The proud name of the magifamily the estate served as a home to was plastered at the very entrance of the estate, barricaded by a massive, towering gate, protected by mages.
[Karjakin Family]
His expression tightened at the name.
It was the same family that President Mileila belonged to.
The commercial and public infrastructure of the district was also quite massive and spacious. The quality of the civil magineering was so high that it was galaxies above that of the slums, comprised of smart infrastructure brimming with magical energy and glowing encrypted runes.
Each building was so expensive that they were essentially not for sale.
At least, not publicly.
And yet, the more they traveled away from the central district of Colohen city, the lower the quality of infrastructure and civilization grew. The magical energy began decreasing at a very quick rate, visible to the eye as long as one paid attention to it. They also grew smaller and denser, while the atmosphere seemed to sparkle less.
By the time they got to the slums ninety minutes later, it had completely deteriorated.
It was almost impossible to stomach just how absolutely astronomical the difference was.
Just the Karjakin Manor was probably worth more than everything in the slums combined. They lived in paradise while the people of the slums slept at night not knowing whether they would survive to see the next day whether it was due to the storms or their shitty collapsing on them.
VRMMM…
The trucks pulled into a broken cityscape comprised of those very huts, stretching as far as the eye could see, while plumes of smoke from fires, for cooking and for heat, spread across the entire sky.
They quickly parked themselves in a formation where the armored trucks formed a protective perimeter around the vulnerable storage and transport
"Commence deployment protocols," Cæ spoke into a special commspad as he tightened his magic vest.
CLACK CLACK CLACK
The back doors to the trucks flew wide open as the various teams and task force immediately jumped out and got to work.
"Cough cough…!"
"Urgh…"
"Cough…"
The very first thing that all the students of the task force noticed was the horrible quality of the air.
It stank.
It reeked of smoke, garbage, and feces.
Sanitation and environmentalism were not a particularly high priority for people who were on the very verge of starving, struggling to simply stay safe from the ferocious monsoons of Colohen City, and their own insecure housing.
Several students, residents of the inner city, naturally, were visibly appalled that people lived their entire lives in such an environment.
"Focus," Cæ's stern voice broke them out of their stumped stupor, whipping them back to work in haste. "We don't have time to waste."
He quickly tightened his magical vest before equipping himself with enchanted helmets and gloves and a premium wand made from premium manawood from sentient magical trees in the Aetherwood Glades on the other side of the Gruonia Continent from the Democratic Republic of Elendir.
Immediately, the base security teams, entrusted with the responsibility of protecting their makeshift base, comprised of the trucks, began forming a perimeter around the entire base, quickly installing solid fences and barricading the entire area.
The other teams quickly jumped out, immediately getting to work and performing their tasks as per protocol. The assistant teams began unloading the various supplies that were needed for the immediate testing operations that would soon begin, while the task forces began equipping themselves with them.
Soon enough, the entire task force was ready to commence their operations in the slums.
"It's time to get to work." Cæ's gray eyes sharpened with seriousness.