Luna and I explored the territory, taking in the surroundings.
Initially, we were enjoying the local delicacies and shops.
Now, we were inspecting the surrounding walls.
“Wow…”
I gazed at the walls, awestruck.
It felt as if I was looking at the Great Wall of China, standing as an unyielding fortress.
Soldiers patrolled the walls, standing guard. Nearby, we could spot military equipment, likely prepared in anticipation of beast attacks.
Luna and I continued our leisurely stroll along the wall.
The place was barren, devoid of anyone but soldiers.
However, the guards seemed more focused on the area outside the walls and paid little attention to us.
This was a restricted area, only accessible to authorized personnel.
We, visiting students, were granted access. But it wasn't open to the general public.
With only authorized individuals around, the soldiers primarily kept their eyes fixed beyond the walls.
“Hey, Rudy?”
While I was lost in the view of the wall, Luna gently tugged on my sleeve.
“Yeah?”
“That person... Don't they seem out of place?”
I followed Luna's gaze.
An individual wandering around, looking out of place.
The attire wasn't typical of the soldiers guarding the wall.
And their cautious, sneaky movements were unmistakable.
Their demeanor practically shouted, ‘I'm up to no good!’
“What's going on?”
“Who knows? What could they be up to?”
Luna and I exchanged glances after observing the individual for a moment.
“Should we keep an eye on them?”
Someone wandering so aimlessly in such a desolate area surely had a reason.
More puzzling was how they managed to get in here.
It was rare for non-soldiers to gain entry.
A thought crossed my mind.
The story we had heard.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})The Rebels.
Could they be related?
Of course, there was a chance they weren’t.
But instead of ignoring a suspicious person, we decided it was best to observe them a bit longer.
We discreetly trailed them.
They headed towards the outer edges of the wall.
There, they loitered as if waiting for someone.
“Who could they be waiting for?”
“I have... no clue.”
We both took cover next to the stairs leading to the top of the walls, keenly observing the situation.
“Hmm…”
Leaning against the stairs, I pondered.
The Rebels?
Or something else?
Lost in thought, I noticed a soldier from atop the wall gradually approaching the stairs.
“Ah…”
I looked over at Luna, who was peeking out just slightly from the stairs.
I immediately pulled her into hiding.
"Ugh!"
Luna made a peculiar sound as I suddenly drew her towards me.
Ending up right before me, I quickly silenced her.
We both hid, pressing ourselves against the wall.
The muffled sound of footsteps approached.
Although I couldn't clearly see who it was, I could tell they were descending the stairs.
I held my breath, intently focusing on the footsteps.
Gradually, the sound faded into the distance.
Releasing a sigh of relief, I turned to Luna.
She was staring back, her eyes fixed intently on mine.
"Hmm?"
"Huh?"
When our eyes met, Luna swiftly sidestepped, breaking our gaze.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"Oh, I mean... I just didn't know where else to look."
She flailed her arms, seemingly embarrassed by her own explanation.
"It's okay, it was sudden."
I smiled, trying to ease the tension.
"Hehe..."
Luna chuckled uneasily, diverting her gaze.
"Hm?"
She then pointed to a spot where we had noticed someone earlier.
I followed her gesture.
The guard who had just passed was now chatting with the man who had been lurking nearby.
But there was an issue.
We were too far away to hear their conversation clearly.
I frowned, contemplating our next move.
"Should we move closer?"
Luna shook her head in response.
"We might get caught, and there's nowhere else to hide."
She began rummaging through her bag, pulling out Levian's Spellbook.
Flipping through its pages, she remarked,
"There's a spell perfect for this!"
After browsing for a while, she settled on a specific page and began channeling her mana.
The spellbook emitted a soft glow.
-Hey, I really appreciate what you did yesterday.
A faint voice sounded from the spellbook: it was their conversation.
Luna beamed with pride.
Although I didn't understand the spell she used, I gave her a thumbs up in appreciation.
We both tuned in, focusing on the conversation.
-Thanks to you, I got some fine liquor.
Liquor?
Nothing seemed too unusual at this point.
I was suspicious of the man we had followed, but maybe he was just an off-duty soldier.
-And that lady, she was really something.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})-Heh, looks like you enjoyed her company.
"Enjoyed?"
Luna tilted her head, puzzled.
-That woman... what a beauty.
My eyes widened in disbelief.
Doubting my ears, I caught Luna's equally surprised gaze.
Her face was gradually turning red.
Reacting quickly, I covered Luna's ears, urging,
"Don't listen."
"W-what?"
Luna's eyes darted in confusion as I blocked her hearing.
-Ugh, seriously─.
I couldn't help but frown.
I hadn't come here to listen to such vulgar talk.
While covering Luna's ears, listening to their indecent chatter made me feel oddly embarrassed as well.
"R-Rudy, is it over now?"
Luna stared at me, her expression puzzled.
However, the two of them hadn't stopped their crude conversation.
I tilted my head slightly, forcing an awkward smile.
Seeing my reaction, Luna couldn't help but smile too.
-More importantly, did you bring it?
It?
I quickly focused on their changed topic.
-Do you have any idea how hard it was to get this?
-‘That person’ probably got it, right? Why are you trying to make it a big deal?
I released Luna's ears.
-Whatever, just handle it with care. The blast radius is surprisingly large, so be cautious.
-Understood. Any word from the rebels?
-As usual. They're counting on us.
The two exchanged pleasantries before parting.
Watching them leave, my frown deepened.
The matters unfolding in the shadows:
Explosives.
Rebels.
And 'that person'?
Who is 'that person'?
"How did the meeting go?"
"Meeting? It was just a meal."
Locke's father, the head of the Lucarion family, Darren Lucarion, said with a chuckle.
Locke looked at his father and posed a question.
"I heard Astina was there."
"Yes, she's quite assertive. One shouldn't underestimate her because of her young age and gender."
Darren was a seasoned veteran from the North.
In front of him, Astina confidently voiced her opinions without faltering.
She didn't blindly accept Darren's views just because he was a veteran.
She critically evaluated the validity of his suggestions logically, accepting them if they were sound and refuting them if they were not.
Darren appreciated Astina's forthright attitude.
Even if Astina was the promising successor of a viscount family, she was still relatively inexperienced.
He had assumed she would mostly be in a learning position during the beast invasion.
He had underestimated her.
"It seems the empire is slowly transitioning to a new generation."
Darren had been through so much that it was difficult for him to think as flexibly as Astina.
He often relied on his past experiences over logical judgment, favoring consistency over change.
Yet, seeing how Astina approached things, he felt it might soon be time to hand the reins over to the younger generation.
Seeing his father smile, Locke opened his mouth.
"Why didn't Cedric attend this time?"
"Cedric, you say?"
Cedric.
He was known as the Mercenary King.
Cedric always returned to the North whenever there was threat of a beast invasion.
But he was absent from today's gathering.
A place where someone of Cedric's stature should've certainly been present.
It was a meal to which many notable figures and those with extensive northern experience were invited.
This gathering was meant for sharing information, primarily about the north and the impending beast raid.
But Cedric was nowhere in sight.
Cedric hailed from the North.
Everyone affectionately called him the 'migratory bird'.
A bird that returns to its homeland whenever magical beasts loom.
However, this year, there was no sign of Cedric.
"He might be busy. Maybe he's settled in another territory."
Cedric was a mercenary, a free spirit.
Even if the North was his birthplace, he was beyond any lord's control.
"As they say, no news is good news. He's probably doing well on his own."
Still, Darren's expression showed traces of concern.
Cedric was a close comrade who had stood by Darren through thick and thin.
A trusted ally especially during beast invasions.
His absence naturally worried Darren.
"We still have some time before the beast invasion. Let's wait and see."
Darren remarked with a warm smile.
"...Huh?"
I blinked in confusion.
Was I especially tired today?
I must be seeing things.
I had been wandering around the village for quite a while.
Seeing Luna tilting her head and murmuring,
"Hm? What?"
I guessed she might be feeling the same.
"It's been a while."
A woman with fiery red hair greeted, giving a casual wave.
She sat confidently, her legs crossed on a chair, wearing a broad smile.
"...Astina?"
I stared at her, my expression a mix of surprise and confusion.
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