You wake Weiss when the sun crests the horizon.
The white-haired girl raises her head from your lap and stretches her limbs with a yawn while you make sure that she doesn't accidentally fall from your perch.
Once she is fully awake, two of you begin the climb back down to the plateau below, then from there make your way back to the World's End.
The city is still asleep but the time you arrive. None of the shops have opened yet and aside from few early risers and routine patrols, there is no one on the streets.
You return to the bar where the expedition has settled and Weiss orders you back to your room to get some sleep before the expedition departure which she figures will be around afternoon. That gives you around four to five hours of sleep which is more than enough.
Morena greets you when you enter the room you two share, making you question whether the shek warrior actually ever sleeps. Putting aside her constant vigilance aside, you head to your bed and tell Morena to wake you up when it is time to leave.
You end up waking up on your own few hours later due to a nightmare.
With no chance of going back to sleep, you wash your face in the communal bathroom then start searching around for Weiss. You find her and Valentine in Weiss's own office along with Blake who watches the two of them from atop her friend's bed.
The feral catgirl's eyes immediately snap to you upon your entrance, soon followed by Weiss and Valentine.
"You are up early, Wolf," Weiss greets you. "There are still some hours until the expedition is ready to leave."
"I slept as much as I can," you reply, ignoring the stare Blake is giving you. "What is going on?"
Weiss sighs. "Valentine and I have been talking about how to best transport Blake."
"I have been trying to convince Lady Schnee to keep Blake in a cage," Valentine states with a frustrated tone.
"And I would rather prefer we didn't treat Blake like a wild animal," Weiss responds, annoyance clear in her voice.
Oh boy.
You are stuck between two beautiful women, a situation no man should ever be in. That said, you aren't going to let that stop you from speaking honestly.
"Well, treating Blake like an animal sounds very counterproductive to her treatment."
"Exactly!" Weiss exclaims, feeling validated with your support.
Valentine shakes her head in response. "That may be so but Blake is currently a danger to both herself and everyone around her. She needs to be kept under control or she may attempt to run away or hurt someone."
"I can keep her under control, Valentine," Weiss argues.
Valentine remains unconvinced. "Perhaps, but what about when you have to sleep? Or when a situation requires your personal attention."
The argument goes on for a while with both Weiss and Valentine raising equally valid points. In the end, two of them compromise. Rather than caging Blake, they agree to collar her so that Weiss can rein the feral catgirl in case she attempts to run away or attack someone.
As often with compromises, neither side is happy with the solution but they can both tolerate it.
Though this also means that Weiss will be unable to oversee the expedition as efficiently as she previously did and you may have to shoulder some of her duties.
It takes until four hours past midday, three more hours than Weiss estimated, for the preparations to be finished and the expedition to finally leave the World's End.
For the return journey, Weiss chooses to follow the northern route. While it is a bit more dangerous than the route you followed to reach World's End, the northern route avoids passing through the Okranite territory which seems to be Weiss's main concern. She believes that with the news of Grand Wizard's fall spreading plus Blake's added presence that it would be near impossible to pull the same trick to secure safe passage through Okran's Valley.
Plus, having secured cannibal hunters as allies, Weiss now has the option of calling on them to secure the return route. While that doesn't mean you will be safe from bandits, cannibals, psychos, and all the other potential dangers you may encounter, you will at least have the support of local cannibal hunter squads.
Still, considering how the journey to World's End went what with all the bandits, psychos, sandsharks, and the mercenaries, you can't help but expect to face a cannibal horde or two, or perhaps even a wyvern.
Fortunately, your wounds have healed completely, something that Valentine thoroughly tests before you leave the World's End with a particularly rough and intense session of lovemaking, breaking your fragile aura six times in the process.
With Val finally clearing you for action, you immediately throw yourself back into training to get back into shape, and Morena, also having been given a green bill of health, is all too happy to join you.
The first week back on the road starts out peaceful.
The expedition adopts a slow and steady pace as they skirt around the edges of the Okranite territory and follow the northern coastline.
There are still problems here and there, problems that Weiss tries to personally tackle in her usual efficient manner. Unfortunately, she quickly finds out that it is pretty hard to supervise things when also having to take care of a feral catgirl and has to rely on relaying orders through you.
You two manage to keep things functioning that way for a while, though in a far less effective than Weiss would have liked. Then half of the tents get misplaced during a days travel and Weiss finally reaches the limits of her tolerance for incompetence.
She promptly saddles you with Blake duty before taking off to sort everything out.
Which ends up going far better than it has any right to considering Blake's past reactions to you. You fully expect the catgirl to attempt to run away and force you to restrain her.
Instead, somehow you two bond...
You have no idea how that happens, how that Blake manages to get over her fear of you. Yet, somehow she seems to figure out that you are not going to hurt her. More so, she actually approaches you, curiously sniffing at first before proceeding to softly headbutt your arm.
It takes you several minutes to figure out that she is asking you to pet her head.
Once you realize that, you place your hand on her head and begin to gently stroke her hair like you have seen Weiss do. Blake immediately begins to purr in response.
When Weiss return hours later, she finds Blake sleeping with her head resting on your lap, purring in her sleep as you softly stroke her head.
An awkward explanation later, Weiss decides that from now on you can share the Blake handling duty with her.
You are not sure how you feel about that.
But you are pretty sure how you feel about the horde of marauders that decide to attack the expedition a few days later.
"Well, that was quick."
Weiss lets out a sigh at your words. Both of you are watching the horde's approach from the top of a hill while behind you the expedition tries to form up into a defensive formation, corraling the pack animals and non-combatants into the middle.
"Permission to join the combat?" you ask out of courtesy, knowing well that Weiss won't deny you. Especially when your participation can turn a hard-fought battle into a one-sided slaughter as the trip from Sho-Battai to World's End has shown.
"Just be careful, alright?" she asks, resigned. It is clear that she dislikes sending you into danger, at least not while she has to sit behind herself. Unfortunately, somebody has to look after Blake and she knows that you would never consent to babysit the feral catgirl while Weiss herself throws herself into danger, no matter how slight it may be.
You nod then begin making your way down the hill, passing through the defensive line of mercenaries who swiftly step aside to clear your path until you reach the very front.
You raise your longbow, notch an arrow, draw it back, then release.
A marauder topples to the ground a moment later with a long, feathered arrow shaft sticking out of his chest right. You take a second to confirm your kill and pick another target.
Notch, draw, release.
Your arrow catches your target right in the head. It shatters the skull and ripping through the soft brain tissue inside. Death is instant.
Notch, draw-
A low cracking sound brings you to a sudden stop. You slowly relax the string then check your bow, the arrow still in your grasp. It takes you a few seconds to spot the small hairline fault on the upper arm, barely visible to the naked eye but there.
The weapon is still functional but you won't be able to draw it with full force lest you damage it further, not until you get it repaired.
You notch again. draw, release.
And repeat that two more times before enemy manages to reach you, their numbers lessened by two more.
You discard your longbow and pull your nodachi out of its sheath just in time to greet the first enemy that reaches you, a heavily armored marauder wielding a chain weapon, with a swift strike. Your attempt to capitalize on your foe's momentum and use it against him but he manages to turn your blade aside with his own weapon.
That costs him his chance to attack as you bring around your weapon for another strike much faster than your foe can, your lighter nodachi much easier to manipulate than the heavier chain weapon he wields. Yet, rather than giving up on his attack and blocking your strikes as you expected him to, your opponent instead shifts his body just enough to receive your strikes on the armor he wears, your sword sliding off the black armor plates.
Unfortunately, the chain weapon your opponent wields fares much better against your armor. The serrated teeth, powered by the primitive engine attached to the weapon's hilt, rend your armguard and nick your forearm, dealing a shallow but a bleeding wound.
Then you find yourself surrounded by enemies, a state of affairs that you have long grown accustomed to.
You parry, sidestep, and block strikes from four different weapons in the span of a single breath and force open enough room around yourself to to once again go on the offensive.
This time, your blade gets past the armor of your opponent. The steel plates painted black and red provide little resistance as the blade of your sword neatly slides in between them. The chain mesh underneath is torn apart by the strength behind your blows and your nodachi slices deep into the flesh, severing muscles, tendons, and nerves.
The chain weapon slips from the raider's loosened grip, limp fingers unable to hold onto the handle. The whole arm hangs uselessly, leaving the bloodpact you face completely open to a killing blow which you promptly deliver.
You follow up on your kill, preserving the momentum you have gained with the death of the bloodpact raider and deny the enemies surrounding you a chance to attack.
It takes only a single step to transition from Dragon's Claw into Red Harvest and your next swing carves through multiple bodies. Each swing takes multiple lives even as more raiders come to throw themselves at you only to be cut down by your sword.
When you step back into Dragon's Claw, there are five more corpses on the ground, bringing your current tally up to ten. Ten lives you have ended, six of them in the span of only a couple of minutes.
The two enemies who have managed to survive you take a step back. The bloodpact stands firm despite the rents in his armor and the wounds underneath them, his desire for violence and bloodshed overriding any slivers of fear that make into his heart.
The other raider facing you is a whole different matter. He is clearly unnerved by the deaths of his comrades. The saber he holds shakes like a leaf in his grasp and behind the visor of his helmet, you can see his eyes are open wide with fear...
Fear of you.
And even as more raiders come to surround you, returning to your foes the advantage of numbers you had so brutally cut down, raiders facing you refuse to approach let alone attack you, realizing that you are still not outmatched.
Then their leader arrives.
He is a mountain of muscle that towers over everyone around him, manhandling any raiders standing in his path as if they are toys. In his grasp is a large, mechanical monstrosity with countless serrated teeth attached to a belt, purring in anticipation of violence and bloodshed.
He comes to a stop just outside the reach of your blade, his men forming a wide circle around you two.
It seems the raider chieftain has decided to duel you himself.
You shift your stance, position your feet for rapid movement, and point the tip of your sword at your opponent. The hulking brute snorts, a sound similar to that of bull.
"I will break you, little man," bandit chieftain growls, his deep voice distorted by the gas mask he wears.
You don't respond to the taunt, focused fully on the fight before you. You are up against a slayer of men, a killer who craves bloodshed and violence. He has come to challenge you, seeking to satiate his urges and add your skull to the chain he wears around his waist, among all the other skulls he has taken as trophies.
The only thing he will get from you is his own death.
You explode into motion, closing the distance between you and your target in three steps. If your foe had been a lesser warrior, the fight would have ended right there, with your sword buried in his heart. Yet, despite all his failings as a human, being unskilled in combat is not one of them.
And he proves that to you by diverting your blade aside with the shaft of his weapon and striking at you with its teeth in a single swing.
The awkward angle prevents your foe from putting his monstrous strength behind the weapon, which is why rather than losing your arm, you only suffer a gouge on your armguard and shallow wound beneath it where the serrated teeth have sliced your skin.
Your retribution comes swift as you strike at the enemy's leg, shearing armor, and flesh.
Rather than flinch or recoil, your foe brings his weapon around in another strike, far faster than you expected or even thought possible. Your reflexes kick in and you jump back but the tip of the weapon connects with your helmet, serrated teeth sawing through the faceplate slashing open your cheek.
The wound stings and it bleeds but you pay it no mind, already moving back in to strike at BORS before he can recover from his swing.
You find your first diverted aside once again, BORS using the butt of his chainblade's shaft to block. Before he can force you into a contest of strength you spin to his left and slash at his side, cutting through metal and muscle.
The Bandit Chieftain lets out an angry roar that drowns out all the other noises before furiously swinging at you and you meet the attack head on this time rather than trying to avoid it.
The chainblade crashes into your nodachi with a thunderous force. If you had only been blocking with your arms, your foe's strength combined with his weapon's weight would have simply swept your blade aside and his weapon would have buried itself deep into your body. Instead, you angle yourself so that the strength of your whole body is behind your sword to meet the blow.
With weapons locked, you and your foe push at each other in a contest of strength even as the serrated teeth grind against folded steel. BORS narrows his eyes once he realizes you are strong enough to force him into a stalemate...
And skilled enough to break it, suddenly stepping to the side and letting the chainblade slide off your sword and into the empty space you occupied only a second ago. He stumbles forward, his balance robbed, and you capitalize on this moment of vulnerability.
Your swing first, cutting deep into his side and slicing the last of the chains which keep the iron plates your foe wears as armor in place. With your foe divested from his primitive and ramshackle armor, you thrust, seeking to end this fight by piercing his heart.
You miss by a finger, delivering a wound which would have been fatal to lesser men, but not BORS. He lives, he breathes, and he roars in anger and fury.
And expresses his rage like most animals do.
He lashes out.
You barely have time to pull your sword out with a back step before the chainblade your foe wields comes right at your head. You duck under the wild swing only to get kneed in the face.
The blow staggers you for a moment.
Long enough for BORS to swing his giant weapon once again. Even as he loses balance and stumbles due to the wounds you have dealt to his leg, his strike rings true. His chainblade rends open your right arm, shredding the armor into scrap and eviscerating the flesh underneath.
Pain is much more intense this time though not enough to make you cry out, it still draws a hiss.
Fortunately, the wound is while deep not deep enough to reach the bone and you can still use your arm. But the way it bleeds makes death by bloodloss a real danger unless you end this fight fast and get treatment.
So you block out the pain, lift your sword, and thrust it once again.
This time you manage to pierce the heart, yet the tenacity of BORS is such that death is not instant. Instead, the hulking bandit drops his weapon and grabs you by the should with one hand. You catch his other hand before it can grab your head and two of you are locked in another contest of strength.
One that BORS has lost from the very start.
You only need to hold until the death claims your foe.
With his heart injured and bleeding, it doesn't take long for BORS's strength to desert him and his limbs to go slack. Then you simply let go of your foe's left hand, shrug the other hand on your shoulder, wrench your sword free and let the corpse fall.
You have won.
You are also injured, bleeding to death, and surrounded by raiders and bandits.
Yet none of the enemies surrounding dare to approach you. Even as wounded and battered as you are, you are still fearsome in their eyes.
It is that fear which ends up saving you. It makes the enemy hesitate long enough for mercenaries to break through the raider horde and reach you. With their leader dead along with more than half of their original numbers, the rest of the raiders turn and flee.
And you take a deep breath in relief.
You aren't dying today it seems.
Perhaps you spoke a bit too soon.
The glare Valentine levels at you and the way she keeps stabbing the needle just a bit deeper than necessary into your flesh as she sews your arm up is enough for you to figure out that she is displeased with you. It is only Weiss's own presence that prevents the last hope operative from getting nasty with the way she communicates her displeasure.
Not that Weiss is pleased with you once again putting yourself in mortal danger. You are sure that if it weren't for Blake, she would have come to back you up personally once the raider chieftain showed up to challenge you.
"Honestly, it is distressing how regularly you get wounded like this," Weiss tells you, watching while Valentine works on your arm.
You instinctively try to shrug only for an irritated Valentine to prick you deeply enough to make you wince. "Sorry, Princess but in my defense, I do not go around seeking these fights."
"Yet you put yourself at great risk each and every time without any backup," Weiss admonishes you.
This gets a nod from Morena who stands guard over the three of you. The shek warrior personally slew seven raiders just to reach you, breaking the enemy's battleline in process, and the fact that a shek thinks you are being too reckless is enough to make moot any counterargument you can possibly make.
To be fair, you aren't really used to having people actually care about your wellbeing like this, not since Jin. Years of living and working alone have taught you to put your trust only in your own blade and nothing else.
As such, you are kind of in the process of relearning how to rely on others.
After all, your life no longer belongs to you but to those who also care about you as well.
That is gonna take some time to get used to.
With your arm injured, you are once again taken from active duty much to your consternation.
Instead, Weiss charges you with watching over Blake so she can personally manage the expedition. As a result, you spend the following weeks in the company of the feral catgirl.
And learn just how much trouble an aura enhanced catgirl can cause.
Blake grows restless the longer she is kept away from the presence of Weiss and it takes all your patience and effort to keep the catgirl contained inside Weiss's tent. For your troubles, you get scratched to hell and back. Thankfully all of them are shallow enough that your newborn Aura can heal them overnight without leaving a scar behind.
It is only during the second week that Blake begins to get used Weiss's day-long absences and your job as her caretaker becomes a lot easier. Earscritches and head petting also help in keeping the catgirl calm, and her attitude becomes much more pleasant and warm.
While you would never admit it, the way Blake purrs when you pet her is pretty relaxing.
With you taking care of Blake, Morena takes your place as Weiss's bodyguard, at least until your arm heals.
You trust her to do a good job, though that doesn't stop you from worrying about Weiss which is ironic considering she can probably beat even you with her aura magics and that giant spectral warrior of hers.
Fortunately, the worst thing to happen while you are out of commission is some thieves managing to steal from the expedition's food stores.
No one is hurt though Weiss is furious at the laxity of the mercs assigned to the night watch. Still, the amount of food lost is deemed affordable and your friend decides not to waste time chasing after the thieves through the dangerous wilderness, instead choosing to continue the journey.
That said, nightly patrols are doubled after the incident and all the mercs involved have their pay cut.
The expedition's fortunes appear to have taken a turn for the better as you come across a set of friendly faces while passing through the north of Bast.
It is a calm afternoon when the scouts report the approach of a group of armed warriors. The expedition prepares itself for another fight and you take your place in the battle line, having returned to active duty just a few days earlier.
Everyone takes a breath in relief when the warriors turn out to be a cannibal hunter patrol. The news from World's End also has already reached them and you are hailed as allies. Weiss has a quick conversation with the patrol leader and she learns that these cannibal hunters are part of the group left behind to garrison the Darkfinger.
The patrol leader offers to escort the expedition through the Darkfinger part of the northern route, even inviting Weiss to Northern Reclamation Army's headquarters, the Bastion, to rest and restock.
Weiss accepts both offers and the patrol squad joins up the expedition.
The cannibal hunters' expertise in pathfinding and knowledge of the area proves to be a great boon. The hunter patrol leads the expedition through the northern wilderness and thanks to their guidance the expedition manages to avoid the many dangers that plague the land, making great progress.
Overall it only takes another week to reach the main headquarters of the Cannibal Hunters.
The Bastion is a fortress built atop a steep hill, in the middle of the plains that stretch between the Darkfinger and Sinkuun peninsulas. Despite its strong defenses, it holds little strategic value due to its remote location and the hostile surroundings which is why the Empire hasn't contested its ownership with the cannibal hunters, a decision you can see the wisdom in.
Even with a skeleton garrison, wresting the control of this fortress would cost too many lives and resources and its upkeep would eclipse any benefit holding it would bring.
As it is, the Bastion serves as a safe haven for any traveler braving the dangers of the northern wilderness while also providing a strong point against raids from the cannibal tribes of Darkfinger with little to no cost for the Empire.
That said, you currently care more about the safety the walls of the Bastion can provide than anything else, a sentiment shared by every member of the expedition.
The moment you step inside the walls of Bastion, your instincts tell you that there is something wrong.
You reach out and put your hand on Weiss's shoulder, your finger tapping a short warning in battletongue which you taught to her. Your friend stiffens before giving you a questioning glance to which you reply with a subtle shake of your head, having not yet spotted what is triggering your instincts.
Weiss nods in response, accepting your warning whereas anyone else would have written it off as paranoia.
You turn your attention back to your surroundings, trying to find the reason for the unease you feel as Weiss steps forward to meet the commander of the cannibal hunter garrison.
You watch your surroundings with extreme vigilance, ready to commit brutal violence at the first sign of anything wrong. You have been on edge ever since you stepped inside Bastion, shadowing Weiss as she settled in the expedition. Yet, despite your instincts, everything looks normal.
This only serves to make you even paranoid because your instincts have not proven you wrong before and the chances of this being the first time for that is not something you would gamble Weiss's safety on.
A magical warrior she may be, but treachery can bring low even the mightiest.
That said, it is clear to you that whatever this new threat is, it is also well hidden. You need to be proactive if you want to find and defuse it which would also mean leaving Weiss open.
While remaining at Weiss's side would mean ceding the initiative, something you would like to avoid if possible, it would also allow you to put yourself between Weiss and any possible danger to her wellbeing.
Weiss's safety is paramount.
While you have experience and skill in investigation and counter-espionage, you are not confident enough in them to guarantee Weiss's safety. As far as you are concerned, you are now in enemy territory and Weiss may come under attack any moment. With Blake also a concern, she will need you at her side when such a situation happens.
So, you remain by her side.
The expedition finishes settling in by the sunset. As Weiss oversees the last checks, the garrison commander himself comes up to her with an invitation for dinner. The man approaches Weiss under your gaze with you ready to cut him down if he attempts anything.
Perhaps some of your violent intentions have leaked into your posture despite your attempts at keeping a calm appearance or perhaps it is simply your intimidating figure, clad in full plate samurai armor, and standing taller than everyone around you, but the bodyguards accompanying him become concerned with your presence.
"This is definitely a trap," you say to Weiss once the commander and his bodyguards are out of earshot.
"I am aware," Weiss replies, looking resigned. "Unfortunately refusing the offer would have been suspicious not to mention offend our new allies."
"Then you should take with you extra bodyguards. I am sure I can convince both Ezra and Nines, perhaps even see if there are any other skilled mercs available," you tell her, making a list of all the noteworthy fighters among the merc squads which turns out to be far shorter than you would have liked.
Weiss shakes her head in negative, "Bringing more than two armed escorts would show that I don't trust them which in turn may tip them off to the fact that we are aware something's wrong here."
"Which means me and Morena," you let out a sigh and try to think of a way to provide Weiss with more protection. "What about Valentine?"
Weiss lets out a questioning "Hmm?"
"She can play the harmless doctor well enough," you explain.
"Or you can let me investigate while you two play dinner-date with the commander," Valentine joins the conversation, having once again silently snuck up on you.
"How is Blake?" Weiss asks her, pushing the suggestion aside for a moment.
"Sleeping," Valentine answers. "medics are currently watching over her and the sedatives should keep her asleep for at least three more hours."
Blake had been docile enough when the expedition entered Bastion, but then the feral catgirl had become increasingly hostile once inside the walls of the fortress, forcing Valentine to sedate her.
"Then I need to leave someone behind to protect Blake," Weiss states, and considering the importance of her friend, that someone is going to be either you, Morena, or Valentine.
Three of you retreat to a secluded room inside the dorm where the expedition has settled. After making sure there are no eavesdroppers around, Weiss and Valentine begin planning with providing input whenever its asked.
In the end, it is decided for Valentine to investigate while you protect Weiss, leaving Morena to guard Blake. You also raise the issue of the mercs and whether they should be alerted or not. Valentine advises against that, stating that they can't be relied on or trusted which both you and Weiss concede.
With everything decided, Valentine takes her leave to do ninja stuff while Weiss begins preparing for the upcoming dinner. That gives you some time to do maintenance on your own gear. You clean your armor and replace the ruined armguard with a simple gauntlet made from crude iron from the pile of gear the expedition has looted from its enemies. It is a significant downgrade in quality compared to the rest of the armor you wear but you decide it is better than nothing.
After Weiss finishes her preparations, you and her leave the dorm together and head to the main keep to meet with the garrison commander.
You keep a vigilant watch over your surroundings as Weiss and the commander exchange pleasantries.
Most cannibal hunters are rough and tough people in both appearance and mannerisms as a result of spending long amounts of time in wildlands infested with cannibals.
In stark contrast, the garrison commander of Bastion shows little of the usual signs of a life spent far away from civilization. He is well-groomed with a neatly trimmed beard and smooth hair. His skin is clear and mostly devoid of scars. And even though he doesn't display the same petty, ignorant arrogance typical of most empire nobles, his manners betray an aristocratic origin.
Which only puts you even more on edge.
"I am glad that you decided to grace me with your presence, my lady," the commander courtesies, holding his hand out to Weiss as if offering a handshake only to surprise her by swiftly landing a kiss on her knuckles. You almost kill him on instinct right there, only holding yourself back due to your iron self-discipline.
Weiss, for her part, manages to keep her expression neutral, showing neither disgust nor discomfort except briefly narrowing her eyes. "I couldn't deny your polite request as it would be most improper though I must confess, I didn't expect such distinguished manners from an officer of the Northern Reclamation Army."
The commander gives her a knowing smile. "Reclamation Army has always been a safe haven for exiles and outcasts, even for those of higher stock."
Which is true enough but, while nobles losing their titles and status is not uncommon, those that manage to escape the executioner's blade usually take their chances at southern territories and not the cannibal infested north.
"I wouldn't call fighting cannibals safe," Weiss states, echoing your own doubts with a single eyebrow raised to indicate her skepticism.
"Perhaps not but compared to the alternatives, fighting a bunch of naked savages armed with sticks and stones is safer for many people," the commander responds. "Now, if you would follow me, I had a table set up for us in my office."
The commander's office, like the man himself, is uncharacteristically luxurious.
A carved wooden desk and a dining table, chairs with pillows, a bookcase filled with various items and trinkets, trophies lining the walls in form of weapons-is that a freaking carpet?
While what you have seen is nothing comparable to displays of extravagance that belong to the Imperial Nobles, it is still far above what you would expect from an organization like the Northern Reclamation Army which possesses very limited resources. Having met the General Robun himself, you are very disinclined to believe that he would waste any amount of wealth on such luxuries. Hell, you doubt he would even have enough to afford it.
Something is definitely wrong here.
You still don't have enough clues to piece together into a solid picture but you enough to guess and theorize. Hopefully, Valentine will provide you with the missing pieces.
Until then, it is up to you to protect Weiss from treachery.
Just then, you notice the commander coming to a stop next to the guest's chair. Recognizing his intent, you smoothly take over Weiss with two long steps and grab the chair before the commander can do so. You spot a brief flash of annoyance in the man's eyes before you pull the chair out for Weiss who takes her seat with a polite "thank you".
Rather than giving a response, you silently take your place behind her seat to her left while the commander takes his own seat across the dinner table from Weiss.
Weiss and the commander make small talk until the food is brought on ceramic plates carried by a slave.
That gets a raised eyebrow from Weiss because it is a well-known fact that Cannibal Hunters don't practice slavery though it is for pragmatic reasons rather than moral ones.
"I was led to believe Northern Reclamation Army didn't employ slaves," Weiss queries, her polite tone devoid of any accusation.
"We normally don't, but with the shortage of manpower we are having due to muster at World's End, we decided to conscript slaves into our workforce," the commander explains. "It is a temporary measure, I assure you."
Weiss nods before taking a look at the dishes laid out on the table. The food before her wouldn't be out of place in a restaurant in one of the Imperial Cities but in a military outpost far from civilization...
It is another clue added to the pile.
After sending away the slave, the commander turns to Weiss with an apologetic look. "I apologize if the food is below the standards you are used to is used to. This far in the wilderness we don't get supplies often and acquiring ingredients for proper dishes is somewhat difficult."
"I am sure your cooks did their best," Weiss curtly responds, before taking a spoonful from her soup.
You almost attempt to stop her so you can taste her food but realize between her aura and the need for not arousing any suspicion, you stay your hand. The commander starts on his own soup when Weiss drinks another spoonful of soup without voicing any complaints.
You silently watch Weiss and the commander eat. There are light conversations between courses, sparked by the commander. It is mostly subtle prodding and maneuvering you are familiar with from the dinner events hosted by the Imperial Nobles. It is only once both sides are done with the food that the real conversation begins accompanied by cups of sake.
"I heard from my men that your expedition came under attack."
"You heard correctly," Weiss curtly responds before taking a measured sip from her cup.
The commander mirrors Weiss with a sip from his own before continuing, "It is fortunate that your people have managed to repel the bandits without significant casualties."
"It was not fortune but preparation that saw us through," Weiss tells him in an even tone, masking her feelings behind a carefully crafted expression of regal apathy.
"Of course," the commander concedes with a genial smile, placing his cup on the table. "Still, it is kind of curious that you have decided to brave the Northern Route rather than going through Okranite territory."
"We wanted to avoid dealing with Okranites."
"I can't really blame you. The harsh tariffs they impose on foreign traders along with their strict laws make dealing with those zealots absolutely dreadful." A brief expression of distaste forms on the commander's face. "Still, many merchants still choose to deal with them rather than travel north."
"Between cannibals, bandits, and psychos, Okranites are the safer choice for most," Weiss points out, idly tracing the edge of her cup with a single finger.
"Unfortunately, you are right," the commander agrees, then his voice takes on a conspirational edge. "But let's say if that were to change."
Weiss raises a single eyebrow. "Oh?"
Seeing that his audience is interested, the commander continues, "If there was a group of armed people capable and willing to escort caravans safely through the north."
Weiss takes another small sip from her cup while thinking about the hypothetical situation presented to her. "I guess it would depend on how much they would charge."
"I am thinking... percentages."
"Then the person leading such a group could potentially turn a significant profit," Weiss confirms before giving the commander a questioning look. "Yet, I am curious about how they would deal with all the bandit groups and the cannibal tribes plaguing the region. That would require a personal army at the very least, would it not?"
"You are correct," the commander agrees before giving her a conspiring smile. "It just so happens that we are in the middle of a recruitment drive with our numbers soon to increase at least threefold."
"That kind of expansion would require significant resources, resources that you don't have," Weiss challenges the idea, unconvinced.
"True," the commander concedes her point. "Then again, if we had backing from a noble house..."
"Patronage from a trader noble would indeed let you gather a sufficient armed force," Weiss agrees. "But that begs the question of what exactly the noble in question gain from such an agreement."
The commander, waiting for such a question, answers without missing a beat. "Several things. First, they would get to enjoy lower tariffs while any possible rivals they may have would have to pay extra. Second, they would gain access to information on any rival caravans passing through. Third, for a sufficient fee, such caravans might encounter unexpected misfortune and get lost."
Weiss makes a show of thinking it over, her eyes wandering over to her own sake cup and the amber liquid inside. Then turns her gaze back to the commander.
"Sounds interesting."
Weiss spends the remainder of the dinner subtly prodding the commander while parrying his requests for her support with vague and non-committal responses. The commander doesn't seem to be aware that Weiss is suspicious of him, playing the charming aristocrat while trying to secure your friend's support.
Half an hour passes before Weiss finally takes her leave. She requests time to think over the commander's proposal, promising an answer tomorrow which the commander grants.
You finally get to take a breath of relief after leaving the main keep without any incidents like an ambush or an assassination attempt. You speak up once the you and Weiss are back inside the dorm building expedition has settled into.
"That went well... I think." You turn to Weiss. "Did it go well?"
Weiss returns your uncertain look with an amused one. "Yes, it did. We learned quite a bit while not alerting the commander to our suspicions."
"By 'we', you mean 'I', right?" You ask her in a light tone. "Because I didn't do anything other than standing still like a statue."
"Don't sell your self your short like that." Weiss playfully admonishes you, a smile playing on her lips. "You were a very menacing statue. I am honestly impressed."
You let out an amused snort. "That's the Samurai Elite training at work. The most grueling training regimen ever designed to create human scarecrows so that nobles can scare dirty peasants into submission."
"What about your skill with the blade?" Weiss asks, curious.
"That one is all me."
You find Valentine waiting for you inside Weiss's room. She is seated on top of the collapsible desk set up inside, one leg crossed over the other.
"What took you two so long?" the ninja greets you two, her voice coming out as a bored drawl.
"A business offer from a rather ambitious army officer," Weiss replies, sounding weary. "How did things go on your end?"
"I spotted Blacktooth," Valentine tells her.
Blacktooth is a name that is reviled and feared throughout the northern regions. He is an infamously cruel outlaw who is devious enough to pick targets that are below the notice of nobles, thus keeping his name out of the first fifty spots of the Empire's bounty list despite all the countless caravans and villages raided by his band of opportunistic murderers.
"Did you tell the guards?" you ask her, back on high alert once again.
She turns to face you with a grave expression. "He was leading them."
The room descends into silence as both you and Weiss try to comprehend the full implications of that statement which are very unpleasant. While cannibal hunters are not picky when it comes to potential recruits, they still have standards and an unrepentant scum like Blacktooth easily falls below them.
"Right," Weiss breaks the silence. Gathering back her wits, she asks Valentine, "What are the chances he has actually become a member of the army?"
"Zero," you tell her, having seen his handiwork first hand.
Weiss winces at your tone before looking to Valentine. "Okay. Start from the beginning."
Once Valentine finishes informing you and Weiss about her short jaunt through the Bastion, it becomes very clear that the garrison commander is acting without the knowledge of General Robun and the rest of the Northern Army. From what Valentine has managed to gather, the man has filled his ranks with bandits and outlaws and it seems that he is looking to turn the Bastion and the region around it into his own personal fiefdom.
"Now the question is, 'What do we do with this knowledge?'."
"Is there a need to do anything?" Valentine asks, inspecting her nails. When neither you nor Weiss gives an answer, she proceeds to explain, "The commander is unaware that we know about his little coup and he wishes for your support. So we can just simply along and leave come tomorrow as we planned originally. The commander and his men are not our problem."
Valentine is... Right. While you would loathe to let animals like Blacktooth and his ilk go free, picking a fight with them is neither necessary nor beneficial for Weiss and the expedition.
Weiss turns to you after thinking over Valentine's words. "What do you think, Wolf?"
"We can win if in a fight against the garrison but it would cost us," you respond.
"But?"
You let out a sigh. "If we let these bastards dig in, they are going to cause a lot of harm to the villages along the northern border. With the Bastion under their control, they will be too well entrenched to remove by force for the Northern Army and I doubt that Imperial will even bother."
In the end, you can't really justify the risk.
While you would love nothing more than to just draw your sword and go slaughter every outlaw infesting the ancient stronghold, Weiss and Blake are your priorities.
Even if that means turning a blind eye to the crimes of an ambitious snake who is trying to set himself up as a Bandit King.
And as much as this decision bothers you, it bothers Weiss even more. But she is dedicated to Blake's safety just as you are to hers. As such, she agrees with you when you support Valentine, even though neither of you likes it.
That said, you still get a bunch of mercenaries and set up a night watch that night. A single look from you silences any grumblers and under your strict command, the mercs manage to set up a possible perimeter inside the building. You and Morena oversee the night watch in alternating shifts with your shek follower taking the second shift, giving you four hours to sleep.
Once the morning comes, the expedition loses little time in preparing for the journey though with a subtle sense of urgency that is felt by every member of the expedition. Weiss passes the duty of overseeing the preparations to the foreman halfway through to go meet with the garrison commander with you shadowing her.
She manages to placate the snake with flowery words and vague implications. When the time comes for the expedition to leave the Bastion, none of the commander's men bar your path and you depart peacefully without any bloodshed.
Yoshide Morika, the soon to be crowned Bandit Prince, watches the Schnee princess depart from atop the walls of The Bastion.
"It is a shame." The softly spoken words grab the attention of his two lieutenants standing by his side. The two men, both infamous outlaws, turn to their leader as he speaks wistfully to the wind. "I really would have enjoyed working with you."
"Somethin you'd like ta share wit rest of us?" Blacktooth questions him in a rather challenging way. Then again, it is in the nature of the raider chief to constantly test his leash, looking for even the slightest sign of weakness.
A rather dangerous tool that man is, but useful enough to justify keeping at hand.
Yoshide sighs. "A rat came to me last night, and it brought me rather concerning news."
"What news?" Rattlesnake, while a bit blunt, is much more well-mannered and calm individual. He is the one Yoshide prefers to rely on, finding the cold-blooded nature of the man much easier to deal with compared to the brutish Blacktooth.
"It seems that the time of Schnee Cartel is nearing its end," Yoshide bemoans. "A real shame too. The young princess was a pleasure to deal with, something that I can't say for any of the nobles I have ever met before her."
Blacktooth spits off the wall at the mention of the Empire's ruling class. "You just say dat because she was good lookin unlike rest of the useless sacks of shit."
"I will admit, Lady Schnee is pleasant to look at," Yoshide admits. "But her professional mannerisms appeals to me more. After all, it makes a rather significant difference when you are treated like an actual person and not like dirt."
"I assume that means we won't be able to count on Schnee's patronage," Rattlesnake pulls him back to the important matters.
"You are right. It seems Schnee has made some rather powerful enemies and it seems her status as a noble will not last long. Yet..." Yoshide finally turns away from the battlements to face his lieutenants. "...There is still an opportunity for us. The rat who told me about the forces plotting the princess's demise also brought me an offer and a rather generous one at that. We have been asked to send word of Schnee's movements ahead of her in return for rather substantial rewards."
There is a minute of silence as the two men digest Yoshide's words.
"Ya know, I could just take my boys and run ahead of the Schnee and her toy soldiers. Gather some local help and set up a proper ambush," Blacktooth offers with a predatory grin. "I reckon dat whoever is after her delicate lil ass might just appreciate us deliverin it all nice and wrapped."
Yoshide shakes his head. "No."
"Why the fuck not?"
"It is too big of a risk with the three merc squads under her employ. Then there is her bodyguard to consider."
"You mean dat tosser inside the tin can."
Yoshide rolls his eyes at Blacktooth's dismissive tone. "That 'tosser' as you have put it has slain the Grand Wizard by himself. If half the rumors surrounding the man are true then I would bet on him nine times out of ten even with you pulling an ambush."
"Bullshit!"
"You are welcome to try your hand at it if you'd like but you would have to do so without my support."
Blacktooth spews a string of angry curses at him in response before angrily stomping away, leaving Yoshide and Rattlesnake alone on top of the wall.
"Rattlesnake, I want you to get a team of your best runners to carry a message for me."
"To whom?"
"The ruler of Sho-Battai, Lord Nagata."