Chapter 50: Disturbing Discovery
Looking around, Jaune's first choice for questioning would be the leader of the caravan, since he would have all the answers he wanted, but unfortunately he was amongst those that were killed by the bandits on the initial attack.
The contents that are being transported he can directly find out, but what he wants is information about who ordered the delivery in the first place.
His curiosity stems from despite him being able to access the caravan leader's Scroll to discover this suspicious delivery, the clients information was impossible for him to uncover along with his conversation with his current means.
And such a thing isn't something to be taking lightly as he was able to crack the security of the CCTS without much issue.
So he moved on to the other members of the caravan, trying to get more details about the trip.
That took some calming down as none of the survivors were in much of a state to talk after all they've experienced.
But once they did, he was disappointed to find out that they didn't know much, they've been mostly kept in the dark including the higher-ups of the same group and the other groups that were a part of the caravan were obviously completely unaware.
But what he did find out is that the payment was made in full in advance and it was quite a shocking amount and the caravan leader was so scared of this client that he didn't even consider double-crossing him after receiving the payment.
From this it became very obvious what was the power dynamic between the two, this client was in charge and the caravan leader was his lackey.
So with everyone else that could talk dead and the bandits being none the wiser about it, just catching this caravan by pure coincidence after noticing the leader's suspicious actions, all he could do now is move on.
So while Neo remained keeping watch on the survivors, Jaune went towards the carts that were holding the cargo to finally uncover them.
Those carts were easy to identify since they're much larger and were the ones that were being pulled by motorized vehicles instead of animal and human traction like the others, alongside a reinforced and much sturdier looking exterior.
There were three of them in total on the caravan, a small number but enough to carry plenty of this 'suspicious cargo'.
Getting a closer look, he could observe various marks that the Grimm have targeted these carts in specific and have tried to break in.
Which is unusual since he can feel no Aura signature from inside so it couldn't be people in there, at least not living people and he can't think of much else that would attract the Grimm to what's inside.
Grimm are not typically the materialistic kind.
So approaching its door, he was faced with a fairly robust lock, a pretty good one from his brief observation.
But it didn't really matter to him as he used his semblance to amplify the destructive property of his Aura and create Soul fire, which directly destroyed the lock without any issues.
So with a creaking sound, the door was pushed open, revealing a dark interior. But he could still identify the outline the shape of several cages of various sizes stacked close to each other.
Taking out his Scroll, he turns on its flashlight and points it towards the inside of one of the cages to look at what's inside.
And what he saw was a black fur like texture along with many protruding white spikes, as if disturbed by the light, the being inside gazed back at him with its piercing red eyes.
It's a Grimm, an Alpha beowolf to be more precise.
Maybe its due to his momentary shock of seeing them, but the other Grimm immediately start acting up and flailing about inside their cages.
Boarbatusk, beringel, ravager, sabyr, sulfur fish and even an Apathy curled up inside one of the cages with its unsettling presence. There were many types of Grimm being transported.
Most of them had some sort of restraint put on their limbs and mouths since otherwise they could easily escape the metal cages or just make a ruckus during transportation.
But this would answered why the Grimm outside would be so interested in breaking in, they must have sensed others of their kind inside.
And luckily they were dealt with by him before they could succeed, had all the Grimm inside this and the other two similar carts joined the fight. It could have been very bad.
So briefly taking a step outside, Jaune was left to wonder what exactly these Grimm were being transported for, but honestly he can only think of a few reasons for it.
The first was that they were going to deliver those Grimm to a combat school or huntsman academy in order to serve as demonstration or training.
But this hypothesis was immediately discarded due to it being transported by shady merchants when there should be an escort of licensed huntsman and no need to try and keep it under wraps.
Besides, even if that was the case, the selection of Grimm would be very strange as a presentation since these are all Grimm that are on the rarer side, so it wouldn't be as crucial to have experience fighting them as the more common variants.
The second and actually viable hypothesis is that these are being delivered to some filthy rich businessman that has acquired a taste for collecting 'exoctic specimens'. Which would explain the weird assortment of Grimm and how frightened the leader is of this person.
The third is that they're being transported to some illegal fighting ring as an attraction involving betting in life and death battles.
And the last... Is that there's some task that they need these Grimm to accomplish.
What comes to mind are the war crimes that were committed by the kingdoms during the Great war. Or what would be classified as such after the conflict.
It is no mystery that a war, with all its destruction and negative emotions being emanated in a global scale would drive the Grimm into a frenzy.
So conflicts in Remnant are as much about defeating your foe as dealing with the aftermath that is sure to follow. Usually affecting the vulnerable populace, turning the villages away from the big cities into prime targets.
So instead of sending manpower to raid and destroy villages in enemy territory to deny food and fresh recruits, two essential resources in a war, risking the outrage and condemnation of the public and the almost certain loss of your position after the war.
It is more convenient and less damaging for a country's public image to secretly release Grimm onto your enemy's land, either ravaging the countryside and crippling their economy or forcing more manpower to be pulled from the frontlines to tackle the issue.
It's unknown which kingdom started it, but at the end of the war everyone was doing it. Reading about it made him wonder at the time how humans and faunus haven't been extinct yet.
But turning back to the situation at hand, he could only hope that the second or third hypothesis are correct, since whatever purpose someone has for Grimm can't be a good thing.
That made him even more determined to uncover the Identity of whoever is behind it since this wasn't the first nor the last delivery of this kind.
He's almost certain that it isn't Salem and her agents since with complete control over all the Grimm, there is no need to use this roundabout way of transporting them to wherever they're needed.
If the bandits hadn't attacked, he would have the option of following the cargo to its source. But alas, things aren't so convenient.
Shaking off the stray thoughts, he focuses on what needs to be done now.
"Regardless of what will happen once they reach their destination, it won't matter because they're going no further than here." He mutters after having made his resolve.
So with Crocea Mors in his hand, he went back inside to do what a aspiring huntsman should do when facing a Grimm.
At first a few sounds of the agitated Grimm bashing against their cages could be heard, but with each sound flesh being cut and a last dying whimper or shriek, the noise gradually diminished until it returned to silence once again.
Leaving the cart, he exported a cold expression as he looked towards the other two similar reinforced carts and went towards them.
Busting through the second, he was greeted with what he expected, a weird arrangement of many uncommon Grimm types.
So without further thought, he proceeded to butcher all the restrained and defenseless Grimm through the bars of their cages.
But as he approached the last target, he had an unpleasant surprise as he found the cart with one of its sides busted open.
So the Grimm were able to destroy at least one of the carts during the fight.
But looking closer at the breach, he detected signs of corrosion that could be linked to the carrion's acid spit, but what was curious was that the breach happened outwards.
Meaning that the wall was destroyed by something on the inside that managed to escape its restraints and cage with the Grimm outside only helping to weaken the wall.
Going inside through the breach, the scene was that of destruction, with all the cages being empty and destroyed.
But he could still distinguish which Grimm was inside by looking at the markings at each of the cages.
'centaur, manticore, centinel...' Looking through the names on the cages, he started to feel pity for whoever would have to deal with those runaway Grimm.
Especially considering that they're types that aren't commonly found on these parts, the huntsman here that aren't used to dealing with them would have some difficulty hunting them.
Even within variants of the same type of Grimm there can be differences in the way to deal with them, like vacuan blind worms that are faster, stronger and use burrowing for sneak attacks but lack the acidic blood of other variants and the vacuan King Taijitu that has weaker poison but can split it from a distance.
But now he has his own problems to deal with, he can't afford to be worrying about others.
Looking though the cages, there was one that was different from the rest in that it is so thoroughly destroyed that he can't see the engravings concerning the type of Grimm being held.
But he's willing to bet that it is the one that freed itself on its own and is responsible the escape of captivity of itself and the others.
Unfortunately, by now they should be long gone and he can't do anything about it anymore. All he can do is gather his things and move on with even more questions than he had initially.
Returning to the captives, he once again regrouped with Neo to decide what they'd do.
{So, what you found was worth all the hassle?} She asks with her gaze, that showed boredom and annoyance at having to stand around in the heat.
"In a way, though it didn't answer all the questions I would've liked it to."
{And what will you do with it?}
"I've already destroyed what was left."
{Good, so now we can finally get out of here.} She moves on from the topic, not showing any desire to know what was being transported or what I've learned from it, only our next destination.
That's one of the reasons he brought her along on this trip, her trust in him is absolute. While most would try to do what's best for someone they care about even if it contradicts with that person's wishes, she has an unshakable trust in my intentions without even needing to know them.
That has made her the person he confided on the most in regards to his plans and objectives. It's because she doesn't want it, that she believes and trusts him fully that he has allowed her to know him like no one else had.
His family might know him better as a perso, his habits, likes and dislikes. But she knows why he's seeking strength and how he intends to obtain it.
Though his reincarnation remains something that no living person is privy to and he intends to keep it that way, he isn't worried that she's going to spread it but this is a dangerous secret and it's still safer with himself.
And besides, this knowledge wouldn't help her in any way, while having a partner that can help him in his future endeavors would.
{But what we're doing with those people? Do we just leave them?} Neo than realizes that there was a bunch of people they needed to deal with.
"Without a guide, we would be left wandering the desert aimlessly, so we need to take someone that knows the way along with us, the rest will be left to their own fate. The bandits tried to kill us while the merchants had sold out tagalongs before and I do not doubt they would do the same to us if they had gotten the chance.
{So who's coming with us?}
"Before the attack, I sensed a single person possessing Aura amidst the caravan. I can still faintly sense him so he's still alive and If he knows the way back, then he would be a more convenient guide, mostly due to his greater survivability."
Hearing my words, she nods her head in agreement.
So we both head towards where the Aura signature is coming from, which takes them a few meters away from the caravan.
And the scene he got to see was a passed out young man on the ground and a pile of flesh and bones nearby that he thinks was a person at some point.
Seeing this, he can easily deduce what happened at this place and he can help but note this person's luck.
Contrary to what some rumors might suggest, playing dead is a completely ineffective strategy against the Grimm, as they have no qualms with killing you while you're unconscious but what fainting can accomplish is putting you lower in their priority list.
So that combined with himself luring all the Grimm to his own position through emotions, was barely enough to make whatever Grimm killed the other person to overlook his presence.
Now the question remains if that was pure coincidence or something premeditated.
"Neo, I'll leave it the convincing up to you. I'll be preparing our means of transportation while you're at it. If he doesn't know how to bring us to where we need it, then feel free to choose someone else, we can always unlock someone else's Aura to accompany us."
As he left, he couldn't see his companion's expression but from what he knows about her, she was sure to get as much amusement as she can while doing what she was told.
Entrusting someone that is mute to do this task might seem crazy and counterintuitive, but he believes that actions speak louder than words and in this aspect.
Neo can be quite persuasive.
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