Baldschmidt (3)
***
Garcia Empire.
Expanding its territory with expansionism, it was the most powerful force in the central region, virtually the ruler of the central region.
Was it a matter of perspective?
In "Disaster 7", the Empire was friendly to the protagonist, so they never had a bad view of their ideology.
But now that they have become enemies, the empire that can be seen from afar began to feel like a cluster of ominousness.
'As expected, the Empire's gate is closed.'
The huge gate, which symbolizes the Empire's prosperity and is over 30 meters high, was tightly closed, and underneath it, guards were checking.
As concerns about the demons grew, they tried to let only those with proven identities in.
'They wouldn't send a tower mage at times like this.'
So Reed got one thing from Leto.
A fake ID.
Strictly speaking, it was borrowed from one of the residents living in the slums.
He wore civilian clothes that didn't look suspicious, and changed his hairstyle to look like a commoner.
He waited in a long queue for his turn to be checked.
"Alright, next!"
Reed's turn approached the end of the waiting line.
Just as Reed was about to hand over his ID.
"There's no need to check him separately. I vouch for his identity."
Someone approached from behind and spoke.
Turning his head at the refreshing voice, Reed met eyes with a familiar-faced man.
Blonde hair, golden eyes. A half-dragon with sharp, deer-like horns.
It was Gorgan, the knight who had been the escort of Prince William, the third prince of the Empire.
"If the Knight Gorgan knows him, there's no need to check. Understood."
The soldier who was about to take the ID just passed Reed's turn.
Gorgan stared straight at Reed with his eyes.
I already know who you are.
His eyes seemed to be telling him that.
"Would you please follow me?"
"…"
Reed silently followed Gorgan into the building.
Only after entering the Garcia Empire did Reed open his mouth.
"Does the vanguard usually appear out of nowhere like this?"
"It seems my luck was bad. I was thinking of doing a little inspection today, but I didn't know I'd run into you like that."
"Third prince's escort?"
"Prince William is currently under house arrest. I don't know where it came from, but a recording of the prince's voice was sent as a threat."
"Is that so? It's a shame."
Reed feigned ignorance.
But Gorgan already knew who had given that item.
"I have no intention of retaliating. It was a personal matter back then. Besides... thanks to that, the third prince has become a little more cautious."
"People learn from their mistakes."
"Let's move on. What brings you to the Empire?"
Knowing the intent behind the question, Reed frowned.
"It's personal. Are you planning to follow me?"
"Lately, there have been many rumors about demons roaming around. So, I'm on guard against demons."
"Guarding against demons. That's a good thing. What does that have to do with me, the tower master?"
"They say that demons might be roaming between the towers as well."
Gorgon answered straightforwardly.
It was an unpleasant matter, but the same went for the tower mages.
It was a common excuse since they often said at the conference that demons might be hiding in the workshop.
"It's personal. I'm going to visit the Baldschmidt family."
"Baldschmidt, you say?"
"It's a family of mages who worked at the Empire's workshop. They might have retired recently and you might not know about them."
"I'm not unaware. If you don't know the location, would you like me to guide you?"
"Please do."
Gorgon asked the patrolling guards to confirm the location of the Baldschmidt family and began walking with Reed.
'Baldschmidt...'
Reed's visit to the family Dolores abandoned was to learn more about Dolores.
There was a limit to the information he could get through Leto, and when he reached that limit, Reed boldly decided to visit the Empire.
'I'm not sure if they'll be cooperative...'
At least, he thought he might be able to grasp some clues while talking to them, and so he visited them with the feeling of grasping at straws.
"I never thought you'd come to find retired mages."
Gorgan spoke.
"I occasionally hear it over the shoulder. Whenever the workshop mages have a conversation, the main subject is always the tower master of the WallinTower. They lament that she could have become the greatest talent in the Empire's workshop."
"Human life is originally unpredictable."
At that, Gorgon nodded.
"You're right. I don't know about mages, but if they were swordsmen, they might have cut off that talent."
"If you can't have it, you break it... is that it?"
"When you meet again, if it's an enemy, you'd better fold up your warm feelings in advance."
"The Empire's rules are harsh."
"It's not the Empire's rules. It's my rules to protect the Empire."
Gorgan didn't care who or what happened to anyone.
'He's not one to see people as they are in the first place.'
Maybe because he was a half-dragon, his priority was work over people.
He was a man who was certain about priorities, so much so that he would ruthlessly cut off their necks if they messed up their work.
'I wonder what he thinks about Phoebe?'
Suddenly, he became curious.
He had threatened Prince William by poking his weakness, and in the end, it didn't end well.
Reed asked him.
"Are you curious about how Phoebe is doing?"
"…"
Gorgan, who had been talking fluently, suddenly fell silent.
When he turned his head to look, Gorgan bit his lower lip with his teeth, muttered, and swallowed his words again.
"…No, I'm not."
He added while fiddling with the sword he had placed on his waist.
"I saw her once before, and I could tell. Our chief will always be the same."
"Always the same."
A truly loyal dog.
A Golden Retriever-like guy who never gets tired, comes wagging his tail, and rubs her head against your leg.
Reed knew that Gorgan didn't remember her that way.
As they talked to Gorgan, they suddenly reached the center of the Empire.
The buildings became more splendid and classical, and there were many buildings with at least five floors.
As it was a place where key executives and personnel had to live, security and cleanliness were high.
Reed and Gorgan stood in front of a building.
The sign on the building read 'Baldschmidt.'
'It seems a bit narrow...'
Of course, it was much bigger than other ordinary houses, but it didn't look cozy enough for a mage of noble origin to live in.
Reed glanced at Gorgon as he turned his head slightly.
"You're not going to follow me inside, are you?"
"I'll wait outside."
So he would respect that much privacy.
Still, it was just uncomfortable to be under surveillance.
Reed tried his best to act nonchalant and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
* * *
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[Original Source – dreambigtl . com]
* * *
After a while, the sound of movement inside grew closer.
"Who is it? Coming to my house without an appointment... You are..."
Seeing his face, he recognized it and knew he was Igtus Baldschmidt.
Reed quickly offered a polite greeting.
"It's been a long time, sir."
At that, Igtus snorted.
"Sir, huh. Last time, you called me a damn old man and now you're polite."
"I don't remember saying those words now."
Igtus caught a glimpse of Gorgon standing over his shoulder.
The outside was too heavily guarded.
"Come in."
Igtus cleared the way and let Reed in.
"Who's here... It's you?"
Erel's pupils widened as if she had met someone she hadn't expected.
