'Why are these guys trying to test ?'
These people's exclusivity, Gustav's attempts to probe the mber dispatched from the Black Citadel—everything seed unnatural to Erich.
However, even within that strange flow, Erich had little trouble grasping Gustav's intentions.
These n trusted and followed Richter as if he were their liege. Erich was from the Black Citadel.
Combine the two, and there was only one thing they didn't want to hear.
"You're wondering if I'm here because of Richter's dismissal, aren't you?"
"Let's stop pretending. Trying sothing I'm not good at is making itchy. You're right. That's exactly what I was going to ask. So let ask you one more ti, properly. Is that really why you ca?"
Gustav's expression hardened with coldness. At the sa ti, tension spread around the table.
Erich could feel Frederick's grip tightening around his sword. At the sa ti, Barnes silently placed his hand on his own blade.
—Clack.
He felt the supply caravan mbers watching from behind, casting anxious glances at him. Maybe it would be enough to just say, 'That's not the reason.'
'I'd better dig a bit deeper about Richter.'
Erich had no intention of missing this opportunity to acquire information. In the tense atmosphere, Erich looked Gustav straight in the eye.
"Looks like Richter has you all pretty well under his thumb. If I can't return to headquarters, your fates are as good as sealed, aren't they?"
"That doesn't matter. Dying this way or that, what's the difference?"
Their faces were filled with resolve. Even threatening a commander-level envoy from the Black Citadel with murder was an incredible thing.
If the 6th Fortress were to be labeled ard rebels, they would no longer receive even the ager supplies they already lacked. That would basically an death for them...
'... And yet, being with Richter, is there still a better chance of survival?'
Erich narrowed his eyes. Exactly what kind of magic had Richter worked to gain such trust from his n?
Then Frederick growled threateningly.
"Why don't you just parade around with 'REBELLION' written on your damn forehead?"
Gustav's face showed a flicker of fear at Frederick's threat. Ironically, because of Frederick's intimidating mannerisms, Gustav was more tense on this side.
Erich gave a faint chuckle.
"Turning your n into a private army is treason. Is the garrison commander Richter's dream so heinous betrayal against the Empire?"
"A private army? Hah, maybe you could call it that. But what do you think kept us going here? Your people's lousy excuse for supplies? We're here alive only thanks to Richter himself."
Passion poured from Gustav's mouth. Although his montum had withered a bit, standing his ground before Frederick's blade was still impressive.
'So, he's a guy who speaks his mind.'
Gustav's eyes even held a trace of determination. Erich probed.
"Really? Is Richter that remarkable?"
"You could bring anyone you want, and none would compare to him."
Gustav's head turned, as if searching for sothing in Erich's reaction. Then, as if realizing sothing, he muttered,
"Wait..."
After pondering sothing, Gustav's gaze softened.
"... So you didn't co for that reason, did you? Damn, you had all nervous."
"Why do you think that?"
"Everyone knows you couldn't pay soone enough to take charge of 6th Fortress. And you say you're here to dismiss him? Unless our commander committed so heinous cri, that would never happen. And if you really ca to investigate a cri, why all this talk? You'd have just cut us all down. Especially if you're the 'Barbarian Butcher' from the Black Citadel..."
"... Barbarian Butcher?"
"Oh, that's your nickna. We gave it to you among ourselves. Anyway, the fact you're just playing word gas with us ans you only wanted to sound us out."
"Well, half of it, yes."
Erich quietly curled up the corner of his mouth. At the sa ti, he slightly upgraded his assessnt of Gustav.
'He really does have enough wits to serve as acting garrison commander.'
Of course, even if Gustav hadn't realized Erich's intentions and had attacked, there wouldn't have been much of a problem.
After all, their numbers weren't enough to overco by force if things ca to that.
If they had tried, Erich could have simply crushed their little "private army," then pressured this Richter as the fortress commander.
"Why, just a mont ago you seed ready to draw your sword. Why not keep going?"
"I'm done. No more pointless provocations. We're edgy enough already. So, you only tried to probe us because you wanted to know what kind of person Commander Richter is?"
"That's more or less it. That's enough explanation for ."
At Erich's crisp reply, Gustav gave a wry smile.
"You talk just like the commander."
And when Gustav ntioned "you sound just like the commander," the tense atmosphere in the fortress noticeably relaxed. People here and there nodded in agreent, showing they shared his view.
Well, for them, it was probably not unusual to et people who spoke like Erich. The Watch, after all, was made up of drifters.
But the fact that they felt the sa about both Erich and Richter gave Erich so sense of what kind of man Richter might be.
"... You're just as blunt as this guy."
"By 'this guy' you an?"
Erich glanced at Frederick, who held the sword.
"The two of you are equally short with your words."
Frederick replied in a disgruntled voice,
"Tch, what's with all you learned folk. I was never taught anything about formal speech."
"Shall I see if deference leaks out when your neck gets twisted?"
Frederick averted his gaze from Erich. Gustav, grinning, called out.
"Weapons down!"
At his command, the fortress guards sheathed their swords at once. Contrary to initial impressions, their deanor now reminded Erich of a trained military unit.
After issuing his order, Gustav said,
"Heh, I'm not good at talking with smart people like you. That's how I got stuck out here from the Black Citadel... Anyway, then, what did you really co for?"
"This isn't the place to discuss it. Too many ears listening. Consider it a ssage from the commander."
"... Hm, is that so. That's unfortunate."
"Why?"
"The commander is out right now. I'm only running things temporarily, but I doubt what you want to say should go through ."
"That's true. Hm."
The conversation with Gustav had not been without value.
He got a feel for the fortress atmosphere, its people, and a sense of Richter.
Still, if Commander Richter was absent...
"So, the reason the regular reports to the Black Citadel stopped was because the commander left?"
"Ah... did we not send them? Sorry about that. We've had more important things to worry about than petty correspondence."
Calling the regular reports "petty correspondence" told Erich all he needed to know.
Gustav hesitated, then shook his head as though he didn't want to dwell on it.
"Let's do it this way. The commander will be back soon, so rest here in the anti. It's dirty and uncomfortable compared to the Citadel, but it beats the snowfield."
Erich nodded. However, with more to ask, he continued. He wanted to ask about the barbarian who'd been drained of blood.
"By the way, I heard sothing strange as I ca here."
"Strange, how?"
"Do any among you drain barbarians' blood?"
"... Barbarian blood?"
The mood grew strangely subdued. Erich didn't miss the change in the muggy air.
'... That reaction.'
If they knew nothing, they'd look puzzled; if they knew, they'd deny it. These n did neither. Gustav fidgeted.
"... Hmm, I'm not sure whether to say we know or don't know."
"You'd better tell the truth. If the reason is bad, be ready for trouble."
"P-please relax. It's not like we're trying to hide anything. It's just that we don't really know ourselves."
"Then say what you do know."
"You're from the Black Citadel and an officer, so you must know the structure of the fortress."
"I know enough. So?"
"Well, we have a section here that no other fortress has."
The Watch's fortress is divided into three sections: Guard, recon, and Internal. And there are even outposts under separate command.
Here the Guard section handled defense and repairs, as well as personal protection for the commander.
The Recon section did patrols outside the fortress, and the Internal section handled administration and chores.
Outposts were under the command of their own chiefs.
Anyone outside this structure was from other fortifications. Erich, recalling the organization, said,
"... There are people assigned from outside?"
"That's right. In our case, there's a 'Research unit' apart from the three groups."
"And you lot, all illiterates, are doing research?"
"Hey, that's a little harsh, but fair enough. We don't know much, honestly. But it's true. Maybe 'awkward coexistence' is the right term, but there's a Research unit stationed here. As I heard, they're also under the Black Citadel. Aren't you from the Citadel, too? From my point of view, I found it stranger that you didn't know about them."
Erich narrowed his eyes. Research in the fortress? This was sothing he'd never heard of, before or after regression. Of course, the Black Citadel supposedly had a departnt for strategy, responses, and barbarian culture research, but...
'They never achieved anything. By my ti as commander, those departnts were disbanded.'
If anything, 6th Fortress, being the frontmost outpost, made sense as a research assignnt, yet it was still dubious.
"... So, are they the ones collecting barbarian blood?"
"That's right. That's why I said, we know and don't know. The Recon section's guys were terrified of all the blood-drained barbarians outside—not realizing it was because of them."
"... Does Richter know about this?"
At the ntion of Richter, Gustav fell silent. He pondered deeply, then said,
"That's sothing you should ask the commander directly. I shouldn't answer that."
"Then take to where the Research unit is."
"To be honest, it's a breach of authority, but..."
Gustav squeezed his eyes shut. He seed to be thinking hard, then ca to a decision.
"Fine. I guess it's up to to show you. But if this gets in trouble, you're taking responsibility."
"Weren't you so defiant just a minute ago? For soone so bold, you sure do worry a lot."
"That's that; this is this. Frankly, I'm not sure I should even be doing this."
Erich and his group followed Gustav's lead. At the sa ti, the fortress crew surrounding them quickly dispersed.
—Crash! Bang!
Everyone darted for the supply wagon. As he walked, Erich paused, glancing back and forth between them and Gustav.
'Suspicious. Very suspicious.'
A fortress looking even more undersupplied than necessary. And a mysterious Research unit sent from the Black Citadel.
All of this was setting the regressor's nerves on edge.
'Maybe it's better this way. With Richter gone, asking questions might be easier.'
Erich followed Guard Chief Gustav toward 6th Fortress.
And amid all these suspicious mysteries, he only hoped that none of them overlapped with the dead.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】
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