I had awaken to an unfamiliar place, but the familiar sight of the vanilla colored tent around me that was etched into my mind said otherwise.
It was only yesterday that I graduated from training that I was immediately moved to my new post after the ceremony. Hell, Colonel Levon himself was the one who notified me of the news. I was only given less than 10 minutes to pack whatever items I had on me; not even allowing to see Sharice, Armando, or Doran. This time, however, I just barely managed to pack all of my belongings into one trunk in time. Compared to the first time I came into the military, I had bought several other necessities in order to adjust to my new life. For the first time, I had plenty of belongings that was important, both job related and personal.
For a test that was difficult for some, the outcome was underwhelming for me. We went through all that pain and all we got was a certificate that recognized our efforts and a stamp on our P.U.P.s. As much as everyone in the platoon had expected medals and the like, we still raised our heads held high. We weren't ungrateful, unlike some. The stamp on our P.U.P.s, in the shape of the Kingdom's emblem, indicated that we had successfully finished training and are now officially part of the army. We were also given our very own chain mail armor and the official uniform that accompanies it during the ceremony.
Me and Sharice arrived in the expected time frame, while everyone else was late and some had barely managed to bring themselves in to report before the Sun had risen on the East. It turned out on our reports that I was dropped off at the farthest location from everyone else. The army had expected much of me, they knew I had experience in travelling the prairie and they were pleased that I did not disappoint them, but I knew I could've done better if not for Sharice. I don't blame her in the slightest. After all, she would've gotten killed by that Longtail if I hadn't planned on hunting in the same area.
I did myself a favor, at least.
But now, I was in another tent. This time, it was actually big enough to share with ten other people. It was now my first day on the field. I sat up and looked around. Every bed was now empty. I rushed off my bed and got dressed immediately after dunking my head into a bucket of water in the outpost well. Clutching my sword, I ran towards one of the watch towers to get my assignment, now fully dressed in my uniform.
In truth, I had only spent one night in this remote outpost. Apparently, sending me to the outpost near the Atlas border was a good idea since I was a danger to myself and other people. Though I do want to have my say in the decision of the higher ups, I merely shrugged and accepted it. My right arm was now beginning to hurt more and more as time went on, but my gut was telling me that it's still far from an outburst.
I looked at the bulletin board that was hammered onto one leg of the watchtower. I read through the short list of surnames until I found mine. Under my column, there was a note. On the said note, it read:
Remain on standby until notified by Commander Lucien
I glanced back at the bulletin board. Unfortunately, this small piece of parchment was all there was for me. It seemed I was foolish enough to think that my first day in my first post would tire me out as soon as it could, but I can't help it. Me and the rest of my platoon had already spent quite a while doing nothing at all, waiting for the remaining platoons to finish their own final tests.
But I was no stranger to disappointments. Folding the note into one of my pouches, I made my way back into the large tent.
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Though the incoming summer heat was already settling in the prairie, the wind was generous enough to provide the cold I needed to survive a lazy afternoon. The wind that was brushing against the blades of grass was unnaturally colder than what I expected them to be, but that is to be expected since this outpost is located just a few minutes walk away from the border to Atlas, as evident by the perpetual snow that was continuously pouring from the region. Aside from monitoring any carriages that would enter and exit Atlas, mainly for restocking supply and transportation, this outpost was also covering the security of a local village called Fraxinus located south from here. Rumors say that the people that inhabit that remote village were once survivors and previous residents from Flaron after the infamous siege. They've traveled quite far, but I'm thinking that they needed to distance themselves from the Desert border.
After all, no one wanted to experience that again, and putting themselves far from the reach of the lizards was the best choice. The brutality of the Desert troops were enough to make any innocent mind break down from the tragic sight of the town. Their decision was final, but at the cost of being more vulnerable to monsters that are constantly roaming around the Atlas border.
They say Atlas has the harshest working conditions out of all the supervised regions in the Kingdom, maybe even in the continent as a whole, and I could see why. Just looking at one of the mountains sent a shiver down my spine. The cold reached far, and it can reach even the hearts of the unwavering. However, explorers and archeologists were puzzled, as they discovered ruins of well crafted buildings within the depths of the snowy wasteland, showing signs that people lived here before, along with workshops that were dedicated on puppet and marionette crafting. I, on the other hand, was not surprised on hearing this.
I did not believe Nolva at first, but seeing as this information was circulating around the Kingdom and adding to the fact that these were still being discussed, I don't have any reason not to believe her.
As for the commander that was supervising this outpost, she was merely a coin flip when it came to her duties. I say that because I could not tell whether or not she wanted to keep her job or leave indefinitely. Not that I was upset by her inability to care when I arrived here yesterday at sunset, but I certainly felt like she wasn't taking things seriously. I can't deny that she is beautiful for someone in the military. Her dark honey colored hair that was constantly bouncing with her walk, not to mention her sultry figure, and the fact that she was downright gorgeous made anyone want to be her underling, but her looks weren't at all my foremost concern. What concerns me is that if I'm able to do anything on my first day here.
Perhaps I'm getting a little too uptight, but it just upsets me that I got nothing to do and I didn't feel like swinging my sword around to cool off my frustrations due to the heat of the Sun.
But as luck would have it, I felt my P.U.P. heat up in my right pocket. Reaching in, I immediately fixed my eyes on the bluish hue that was writing my next assignment.
Meet with Commander Lucien at the front gate ASAP
Taking my sword with me, I hurried off to the meeting point. I wasted no time and arrived there in a span of a minute. I straightened myself before looking around. Unfortunately, there was no one to meet me again. I sighed.
Commander Lucien was late to her own meeting.
But the disappointment didn't last, however. A moment later, I heard the sound of shattering glass, followed by an eruption of pink smoke. Immediately, I covered my mouth, nose, and eyes instinctively. I knew that these clouds were harmless, but my body couldn't help but keep its guard up.
"Flinching at the sight of me? You're no fun~" a voice sounded from the smoke, then the figure of Commander Lucien appeared at last. I cleared away the smoke from my face. It did smell of jasmines and roses, but it was mildly uncomfortable on my eyes. Her gaze met with mine as she wore a sweet smile on her lips. "Well, I forgive you. You're cute, after all~" I couldn't help but feel flattered and annoyed at the same time.
The last time someone told me I was cute was my mother.
Commander Lucien is an odd character. From what I heard from her subordinates, she has the knack to get drunk and disregard her duties. Though somehow, she still gets the job done regardless on how many times one would think that she didn't. Then, there was her tendency to get overtly comfortable with men. Any weak willed individual would only play right into her seductive ways.
I don't know if I should feel honored or uncomfortable by the way she's behaving towards me and my comrades, but one thing's for sure: she is my superior and I would do well enough to follow whatever she needs me to do.
That is, during my duties, of course...
After fixing up her regalia, which was generous in emphasizing her delicate bosom, she pulled out a scroll of parchment. "Now..." she cleared her throat. "Your assignments will mostly involve scouting and doing field checks for the nearby village..." she said in a serious tone, contrasting her previous way of speaking. "In addition to that, watch guard duties will rotate with every single soldier stationed here, so you best be referring to the bulletin board over there..." she said as she pointed to the watchtower on the right of the gate. "Remember, your P.U.P. will not inform you of anything unless it's urgent. The way information goes around here is through that board. It also updates every sunrise and sunset, darling~" I said nothing as I processed everything she had said.
"As for your first assignment..." she kept the first scroll as she pulled out another. "I need you to go to the village and ask the chief for the assistance requests from the villagers. Report back to me once you're finished, alright? Don't let me down, cutie~" she took my right hand, placed the form, and gave me a wink. With that, she blew me a kiss before disappearing in yet another cloud of pink smoke.
It seems I had no choice but to go to the village as soon as I can. I went beyond the gate and began heading south. Luckily, the front gate is always facing East, so it was only a matter of time before common sense kicked in and my legs began leading me southward.
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The walk from the outpost to the village only lasted a short while. The path of parted grass that stemmed from the prairie trail made navigating here easier. The village itself had nothing worth talking about. Not in a bad way, at the least, because everything in this village looked ordinary. The houses looked decent and there was a distinct sense of direction. It lacked, however, the stone pathways that Corona had, but it didn't matter at the slightest. It still looked like a village, and suitably so.
But what bothered me were the villagers...
Everywhere I look, they always wore a face filled with worry or anger. It wasn't as lively as Corona, and I felt that it wasn't as friendly either. I don't know whether or not it's just the way they act, or some other odd reason I'm missing out on. Either way, I still had an assignment to complete and a job to do.
Looking around, I haven't got the slightest clue on where I should be able to look for the chief. But, knowing that I will eventually have to talk to people, now wasn't the time to have cold feet. Besides, asking around wouldn't hurt one bit.
"Excuse me..." I said, approaching a woman carrying a basket full of fruits. "Would you be so kind to tell me where the chief is?" At first, she eyed me suspiciously. Her body language told me that she was uncomfortable, as she tensed up the moment she realized that my face was not from around here. I remained patient, though.
Not that I had any choice.
Her eyes glanced up and down, until she finally saw the crest on my uniform. I saw her sigh in relief before looking back at me. This time with kinder, warmer eyes. "You must be from the Acies outpost, right?" I silently nodded. "In that case, continue through there until you see a large house. Chief Ardeo lives there." she pointed towards the inner part of the village with a path made out of dirt leading toward it. Smiling, I bid her farewell as she returned the gesture with a smile of her own.
So, I walked towards the center of the village blindly. Then, I saw a noticeably large house that stood out from the rest. The chief's house had more details engraved in its walls, roof, and pillars. It was also the only house that was elevated from the ground by a stone foundation. On the foot of the stairs leading up to the main door, there was a bulletin board that has all the same announcements and the like, eerily similar to the board back in Corona.
After swiftly ascending the creaking wooden stairs, I knocked on the hard oak door. Then, in an instant, I heard light footsteps coming from the other side. After a few and hasty clicking noises from the other side, the doorknob twisted and the door itself immediately swung open, and I was greeted by a little girl that was no older than ten years.
"Yes?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the right in utmost curiosity with her innocent amber eyes locked on me. "Hana! How many times do I have to tell you not to answer the door!?" another voice echoed from the back of the house in an annoyed tone. The girl replied almost immediately as she broke eye contact. "Grampa! There's a soldier here!"
There was a few seconds of still silence before the voice called out again. "Wait!" Rhythmic thuds of heavy steps were telling me that this girl's grandfather was on his way to the door. I looked into the house for the first time, and saw an older man. His back was now crooked as he walked clumsily with his walking stick. His silver beard reached the floor, dragging along his way, in contrast to his shiny, bald head. His eyes, one scarred and blind, and the other a radiant red, were now looking at me with utmost warmth.
The girl ran up to him and hid behind his legs. "How may I help you?" he muttered, the kindness in his voice flowing unto the air. "Are you Chief Ardeo?"
"That I am..."
"I'm here under the orders of Commander Lucien. I've been told this village needed assistance." at first, the chief was looking at me weirdly. His eyes furrowed, it seems as though he was trying to remember something. Clarity came to his eyes in the next moment, however. "Ah! Yes, yes. That's right... Please wait here..." Chief Ardeo walked back into his house. I did not bother to peek inside as the girl was staring at me from a couch in the living room, unblinkingly. I stood there on the doorway, fixated on one spot. Moments later, he came back with a hefty amount of paper in his hands as he gave it to me. "Here..." receiving the papers, I wasted no time in skimming through them one by one. I read them thoroughly, but every single one of them was the same.
The words written here were different, but they all requested for the same thing: exterminate monsters.
"The void season is coming..." Chief Ardeo said weakly. "It breaks my heart that the people are not feeling safe, at all..." I had sudden thoughts about asking whether this village truly was Flaron from before, however the papers in my hand reminded me that there were more pressing matters at hand. Storing the papers away, I turned back to him. "Don't worry..." I said. "We'll take care of them." He formed a wrinkly smile. Then, I heard a soft thud from the couch, but only saw the dashing visage of the scurrying girl as she quickly climbed a flight of stairs. "A naughty girl, she is..." The chief mumbled, still wearing his smile.
"...But her heart is in the right place."
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It had never occurred to me how people managed to live their lives normally. Granted, I don't know whether or not the Desert Kingdom is still in war with us, but that wasn't my main concern. Rather, it was the fact that children get to grow up with such sweet innocence, without fear of others, themselves, or everything around them. Maybe I'm putting a little bit more thought into it, but the eyes of the little girl told me everything. She has not known an ounce of pain in her life.
At this point, I'm merely finding excuses for the position I am in. I doubt that I want to quit being a soldier sooner or later, but maybe this one time I'll be able to find the reason for my existence.
After all, I had left my old life behind, expecting to be able to find something else.
I did not have the best luck in the world, as I was already born with a curse I was fearing day by day. From the moment of my birth, I was already in pain, and things did not go up from there. Losing my mother when I was twelve years old, then actually killing my own father five years later, and being put into situations I did not understand? I admit, it was too much for my heart to take.
I lived in fear. Though I did all I could to live through it, the doubts always seemed to linger, as with the fact that I did not know what would happen next if I stepped outside my home. But maybe, if protecting children like her would ensure that they would not grown up fearing the circumstances they're in, then all I have to do is fight.
Though, whether this affected her or not, was beyond me.
My sharp senses came back as I was already approaching the Acies outpost, request papers in hand. I absentmindedly read through all of them again. It now dawned on me that the requests were different, however, because some dealt with common creatures, others were asking for complete extermination of monsters within the area and a few beyond the village.
Now, it's no easy feat to defeat a monster. Or so I heard. They are unpredictable, and notoriously ruthless. Born from the void, they seem to have no mind of their own. The closest thing they have to a feasible purpose is destruction of everything it encounters. Even simple foot soldiers have difficulty dealing with a few. The last time I encountered roaming monsters was when I was dragged out into the night and was forced to accompany a certain someone to roam the prairie. It was a horde of monsters, as I recall, and I still haven't got a clue as to how me and Marcus survived that night.
Whether it was dumb luck, something or other, it didn't matter now. I suppose I don't plan on doing it again any time soon.
As for the creatures that one can encounter in the prairie, it still would be dangerous. Although it may be equally as dangerous as the monsters or less, depending one who you ask. The worst case scenario is when you would encounter a Longtail Beast. Those beasts are to be feared, and for good reason. Their immense strength, coupled with the swiftness of a bird makes it impossible for a normal person to run away from, let alone fight. As for the others, like Boomshrooms and the packs of wolves, be it Blue or Red Wolves, it's best to deal with them prepared. Still, the chance of getting hurt is higher than letting someone else deal with them.
I guess that's where us soldiers come into play.
I greeted today's afternoon guard at the foot of the watchtower before making way to Commander Lucien's office. I've already been there once, and that was yesterday, so I didn't need to ask where it was to begin with. And partly because it was right next to the barracks tent where we all slept. Unlike the tents in the encampment, this one was an actual building made from wood, stone, and steel. I knocked on the door, waited a while, and let myself in. Considering it's Commander Lucien, I'll take a guess that she doesn't mind. "Oh? Back already?" she looked up from her desk that was only a few inches high from the floor. I've heard that the commanders assigned in an outpost have the liberty of personalizing their offices.
It seems like Commander Lucien took this to heart.
Her desk, obviously, wasn't even a desk at all. It was more like a plank of wood supported by four tiny stubs on each corner. This allowed her to lay down on the floor comfortably with soft pillows. All the papers that she keeps are all up on the ceiling, neatly piled accordingly, only ever coming down on her whim. All around her are various potions in neat bottles with little propellers on the caps, along with ingredients and materials that I usually would find in St. Paula's facility.
I took the initiative to walk over her after greeting her with a salute as she remained still, obviously unwilling to stand up. I sat down on the floor and gave her the papers, which she received with a lazy swipe. "It seems like Fraxinus needs a bit of help..." she said as she took one paper and glanced over it. "No worries~" with an upwards swipe, all the papers flew upwards and settled themselves in between two piles. "Thank you so much, handsome~ Oh! And the bulletin is already up to date right about..." she dragged on, but she snapped her fingers. "...now." But before I could do anything, she had already spoke up. " Since you're already here..." she groaned as she pulled herself up from the floor, now assuming a sitting position. She flicked her finger tips and pulled out a map of the outpost from thin air. "You will be patrolling the field around the outpost after dinner." she instructed, pointing towards several dotted points on the map. "You will only begin your patrol until tonight's assigned sentinel climbs the watchtower. That way, you won't be in danger of a sneak attack as he can cover all this area here..." she dragged her fingers and encircled a large portion of the map. "Sounds simple, right? 'Cause it should be~" "Understood, commander! I won't let you down!" I said as I straightened myself and gave her a firm salute whilst sitting down, before standing up and leaving. I heard the commander giggle to herself as I closed the door behind me.
For someone who has a knack for lazily doing her job, she is undoubtedly a talented sorceress if I had ever seen one. It was as if her soul energy was effortlessly flowing through her. Now that commanded respect. I may or may not plan on asking whether or not she knows about St. Paula, but only time will tell. Who knows how long I'll be in this outpost? Three months? Maybe even a year or two?
With the afternoon heat still flaring on in the day, I dragged myself toward the barracks to get some shut-eye before dinner.
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Dinner was strangely quite ordinary. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it, at least. Still, I would've preferred the food back at the encampment banquet hall. Though the food differed, the outpost's mess hall was the same in terms of a welcoming atmosphere. It gave off a vibe that would eventually lull people to sleep. I would say that it's nice to have that, if not for the fact that I wouldn't be sleeping at all tonight. Commander Lucien gave me the map of the outpost area just after I had woken up from my nap. It was timed well, too, as the sun was already down and dinner was already prepared as soon as I woke up.
As I took sips from wildberry juice from my tankard, I kept my eyes focused on the outpost map. There was a lot of area to cover, and a note on the top left part of the map gave the routine instructions that I would follow until dawn.
It was a simple routine, involving taking several steps in one direction, looking around, then walking again in another direction. I wondered why this was the case, but I'd rather not ponder over it for too long. After all, the commander knows what she's doing for the most part.
As my fellow comrades around my rose from their seats as they all walked back to their bunkers, I headed towards the outpost entrance.
While I waited for tonight's sentinel to come over to the watchtower, I examined the bulletin board again. Aside from the individual names that had assignments posted under their columns, only now did I notice another space that was meant for general notices. Since nothing noteworthy was taking place as of the moment, there were only a few reminders posted there.
I looked back towards my column, and there were already three notes attached to it. I took all three and read them. Two of the notes were actually the assistance requests from earlier, and I was assigned the extermination of rabid Blue Wolves and a Buzzwing nest near the village. Along with those two notes, the last one was the reminders to tonight's patrol, which had the following written on it:
Patrol Reminders (7th of Sea Month): Von Zayne
- Do not stray too far from the outpost; follow the intended routine as indicated on the map
- Remain vigilant for any suspicious activity
Suspicious activity, huh? I began to wonder how frequent the incidents around these parts were. But considering how everyone had fairly low vigilance, I suppose it doesn't happen too often. I do wonder what kind of activity would involve going into Atlas, aside from the obvious operations that happen inside the region. Several things came into mind, like illegal substances, bandit plundering, and maybe even demi-human trafficking. Regardless, I needed to keep constant watch.
Who knows? Maybe I would be able to do something tonight.
As I lost myself in my own thoughts, I was snapped back into reality by the sound of approaching footsteps. I looked to where the sound came from, and saw tonight's assigned sentinel. He raised his hand to greet me. I did the same as I turned to him. "First time patrolling?" he asked as he took off his helmet. I answered with a simple nod. "Just do what the commander told you to do and you should be fine." he gave me a thumbs up before climbing the stairs to the top of the watchtower.
Without wasting much time, I stepped outside the outpost. I walked a few meters away before looking back at the watchtower. I saw the silhouette of the sentinel atop the landing. A few moments later, a fire was lit that now allowed me to see the sentinel's figure clearly. He waved both his arms up in the air before giving me yet another thumbs up, signalling the beginning of my duty.
I took a deep inhale and tried to brush off my nerves, before turning left and began walking off the path and into the thick patches of grass. I counted all my steps, stopped on the 30th and looked around. I was tempted to look at the sky, which was covered in an array of color as the stars shone brighter than it was on the day of the final test, but I locked my eyes around the horizon. It was dark, but I could still see clearly. There was nothing out of the ordinary, except of the loud chirping of several grasshoppers and the dark shadows of the mountains on the horizon. I turned left, this time I found myself on the outskirts of the field and now near the north wall of the outpost, before walking 30 more steps.
I continued this for about two hours. Or, at least, what felt like two hours. The routine did not allow me to do anything else, except for taking action on suspicious activity, so I was not able to check the time on my pocket watch.
I was now at my 12th cycle, and the patrol was already boring me. I reached for my sword on my back and gripped it tightly. I took another deep breath, before taking another thirty steps North from the entrance.
But just as I was dying from boredom, I caught the faint sound of voices coming from the darkness. I stopped counting and turned to where the voices were. As soon as I did, I began to search for any sort of figure in the dark. Squinting my eyes did not help, either. Then, I heard a loud smack. I began making my way to where it was. After a moment, I felt the sole of my boots hit the gravel of the pathway. The grass began to rustle as I heard panicked murmurs accompany it shortly after. I took another step toward, then I saw three hooded figures in tattered clothes. "Hey! Stop right there!" I shouted at the three men before breaking into a run. I had no choice but to dive back into the patches of grass, quite unfortunate as I had trouble running towards them. But, the chase was short lived, as all three figures disappeared into the darkness of the prairie.
I got back on the pathway to the entrance and began walking North again, counting my steps as I did so.
The question that was lingering on my mind was, "Who were those people?". The other half of my mind told me that they were mere bandits. That would be the best answer, as they were panicking in the face of authority. However, that still does not explain what their business was right here in the first place. What were they doing hiding in the shadows near a military outpost when they were risking capture? Illegal business perhaps? It might even be possible that they weren't bandits at all, that they were just mere children playing a prank on the rookie guard. Or maybe something beyond what I already know? Regardless what the answer was, I made a mental note to myself. I may not have done well, but I needed to report this matter to Commander Lucien first thing in the morning.
I have a feeling that this was a matter that needs to be looked upon...