Ch.171The Circumstances of the Fortress

# 171. The Fortress Situation

“Why are you bringing that up now? Are you saying this is all our fault?”

“Huh? How did you interpret my words that way? That’s not what I meant at all.”

“What do you mean that’s not what you meant? You speak in roundabout ways, clearly implying something, then immediately backpedal and play dumb when things get uncomfortable—that disgusting, nauseating, beggar’s-foot-wrapping way of talking!”

“What? Are you saying my way of speaking is like a beggar’s foot wrapping?”

“Oh. You understand that perfectly well, don’t you? Protective barrier? Of course it’s important! But what you suggested earlier was essentially sending an expedition team into the sealed area without priests and mages—just the other classes!”

“Tsk, is it a swordsman’s trait to take things out of context and twist them to extremes? How many times do I have to explain that’s not what I meant! We’re in an urgent situation, so stop nitpicking over nonsense. If you don’t like it, suggest a better alternative instead of being contrary!”

“What did you say? ‘Swordsman’? Are you finished talking?”

“And what if I am? What are you going to do? Draw your sword?”

“This old geezer, I swear!”

‘What the hell is this?’

The three of us—Lord Delton who was our guide, myself as the party leader, and Subin as my deputy—approached the Vice Commander’s tent. Normally, there should have been a soldier guarding the entrance, but he was standing far away. Lord Delton didn’t comment on this, just shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“Lord Delton.”

“Shh.”

As we stood there unsure what to do, Lord Delton tapped his ear with his index finger and pointed at the tent. Naturally, we eavesdropped on the situation inside.

“Is this what they call a strategy meeting among the fortress leadership?”

“Yes. Now you understand why we couldn’t go in right away, right?”

“Huh. Lord Delton. This is—”

Subin quickly pinched my side, but my thoughts had already slipped out. Lord Delton, however, seemed to understand completely and let it slide. He even clicked his tongue again, as if agreeing with me.

“The Vice Commander is truly brave and fights well, but honestly, the Commander deserves most of the credit for leading this dysfunctional leadership until now. The Vice Commander is somewhat… distant from politics. The Commander was wise, the Vice Commander valiant. That was the dynamic, but who knew things would turn out like this right after the Commander’s death.”

“Shouldn’t we stop them? Is the Vice Commander not inside?”

“He should be. But I’d bet half my salary that the Vice Commander is sitting there with his arms crossed, letting that pathetic argument go in one ear and out the other while formulating a strategy.”

Perhaps Lord Delton’s bold claim was heard, or maybe they were going to end the chaos anyway.

“ENOUGH!”

The Vice Commander’s low, deep voice thundered through the tent.

The chaos was suppressed with a single word.

“Everyone has been through a major battle and hasn’t had any rest. Looking at your condition, I think the officers should take a break.”

“Vice Commander.”

“The atmosphere isn’t conducive to progress right now, so cool your heads until I call for you again. And perhaps wash up a bit.”

“Ahem.”

“Hmm.”

Lord Delton waved his hand. Subin and I tactfully moved away from the tent. Soon, the leadership filed out of the tent, glanced at each other with disdain, and dispersed. Some of them glanced at us, but they were few and the looks were fleeting.

“The Vice Commander managed to defuse it today. At least we won’t have to speak in front of those people. Let’s go in.”

“Um… is it okay to enter without announcing ourselves?”

“As long as our business is important, he’s not one for unnecessary formalities.”

“No matter what, Lord Delton, we could at least announce who we are before entering.”

“We have urgent reconnaissance to report.”

“Then I suppose it can’t be helped. I’ll overlook the omission of salutes as well. And who is this refined lady beside you?”

“She’s the deputy leader of adventurer Ban’s party. A skilled sorceress.”

“Hmm.”

The Vice Commander nodded with a slightly tired face. We sat in the closest seats on either side of him, and Lord Delton spoke first.

“To get straight to the point, my party and adventurer Ban’s discovered an anomaly in Sector 2.”

“An anomaly?”

“The numbers are significant. At least equivalent to Sector 3 levels or higher. Ban, you fought them directly—can you provide the Vice Commander with more details?”

I reported on the battles we encountered during reconnaissance, keeping it brief but highlighting the essentials. Subin occasionally added detailed figures, such as how many of each type of monster were grouped together, how many times we fought, and how many times we avoided combat.

The Vice Commander, who had been listening attentively as the report began, leaned forward and uncrossed his arms when we finished.

“Your conclusion?”

“We need to form an investigation team. As soon as possible.”

“The objective is obviously to investigate the sealed area.”

“Yes.”

“But you know as well as I do, Lord Delton. The accident has turned everything into chaos. And if you’ve seen it yourself, you know even better. If Sector 2 has become like Sector 3, how much more teeming with monsters must Sector 3 be now, and how much more horrific must the sealed area have become?”

Lord Delton fell silent at the Vice Commander’s question. The Vice Commander didn’t seem to require an answer, and a heavy atmosphere naturally settled.

At that moment, Subin nudged my side, and I nodded. She then raised her hand and spoke.

“I have a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“How was the sealed area managed before the accident? From what I’ve heard, it seems monsters existed there before as well.”

“Hmm. They said you were a skilled sorceress, and indeed, that’s quite perceptive. To put it simply, it’s like the tide.”

“What? The tide…?”

Subin, in the military, you shouldn’t respond with “what?”

I remained silent for now.

“Have you never seen the sea before?”

“No, I have.”

“Then you know tides have their highs and lows. Sometimes they crash strongly, sometimes they’re calm. It’s the same here. When they overflow, they invade all the way to here, and when it’s calm, we can carefully scout and investigate. Then suddenly, the accident happened. Yes, it was literally an accident.”

“If I may be so bold, could you tell us about the accident?”

The Vice Commander gazed steadily at Subin. She didn’t flinch and stared right back. After a moment, the Vice Commander chuckled and turned to Lord Delton.

“Well, would telling this be considered divulging secrets?”

“As long as there are no unwanted ears, I don’t see why not.”

“Hmph.”

“The very fact that you’re asking me this suggests you already intend to tell them, don’t you?”

“…You know me too well, Lord Delton. Sorceress.”

“Yes.”

“Please soundproof the area.”

Subin immediately cast a barrier. It was so discreet that we wouldn’t have known it was in place if she hadn’t nodded to confirm. The Vice Commander and Lord Delton quietly expressed their admiration.

“Fundamentally, we’re an elite force that doesn’t let down our guard. While we gather some of the best from various countries, just a month of fortress life is enough to strip away any arrogance or pride. As soon as they arrive, we hammer in education along the lines of ‘If this place falls, your homeland and the entire continent will be reduced to wasteland.'”

“Looking back, the training I received when I first came here was truly terrifying.”

“Who was in charge of your training, Lord Delton?”

“He has passed away.”

“I see. At least it wasn’t me, so that’s fine.”

What’s with this sudden flow of conversation?

“Getting back to the point, it’s almost certain that there’s a ‘crack’ in the seal in the current situation. The issues are the cause and recovery measures. I believe the cause lies in ‘carelessness,’ though that’s purely my speculation for now, and there’s no immediate way to confirm it.”

“Carelessness… you say?”

“Paelm Fortress has stood for a long time. While quite a few people die every year, overall, it’s been peaceful enough for quite some time. Death has become so routine that border duty, reconnaissance missions, subjugation, extermination of remaining monsters around the fortress, and fortress defense duties are viewed as mere labor. I don’t think Lord Delton would deny this.”

“…I can’t deny that the atmosphere has been like that recently. It’s sufficiently combative, but I’d say it’s been more political than anything.”

“Reports go up to each country every year. And if the results are good, one can use that as an excuse to return home earlier. So everyone’s always desperate to include their own regional personnel in deep reconnaissance missions that could earn them merit. That’s fine, as long as there are no serious flaws in ability or character. But this reconnaissance team made a mistake.”

“Why do you think that?”

The Vice Commander drained a cup of water in one go and spoke bitterly.

“This reconnaissance team was largely composed of personnel from the Commander’s home region. It was said that if this mission went well, the Commander could return home, and as the atmosphere formed, it naturally ended up that way. However, the team’s composition was too heavily skewed toward knights compared to the standard composition.”

“Why would such…”

“That’s why it was carelessness, and that’s why it was a mistake. I wasn’t involved in that matter… By the time I found out, the reconnaissance team had already departed, and the accident occurred.”

The Vice Commander asked again.

“Adventurer Ban, and Sorceress.”

“Yes, Vice Commander.”

“Your party, unaffiliated with any region, and skilled enough to be vouched for by Lord Delton, who’s called the God of Survival. Would you be willing to join this reconnaissance team?”

*Gulp*

The quest has been updated.