Interlude

  - Akaras' Revenant -

  - Elin -

  For real, I can't believe I agreed to do this.

  A week by foot to reach Akaras to deliver an envelope with the kind of content that every single one of those traitors would slit my throat for.

  I dodged so many patrols that I almost lost count.

  One time, there were even some strange monsters with spiked backs that trudged on two legs through the undergrowth.

  Seriously, I thought that was it for me.

  However, now that I got out of the foresty area and to the open plains of the east, things go a lot easier.

  Here is officially within Akaras' jurisdiction.

  The area is regularly patrolled by the Rakisean army, and therefore, the private troops of some lord can't enter without a very good reason.

  Having left the woods, I can now at least increase my pace.

  One thing is for sure.

  The army is maintaining the roads rather well in their territory, probably to secure their logistics.

  I mean, tens of thousands of soldiers have somehow to be fed.

  The city itself is already visible in the distance.

  Akaras, the great fortress town of the east, functions as the one big barrier to the wild orc tribes of the Barrens.

  I seriously have no idea how they managed to build it.

  The whole place is basically a hill, or rather a plateau.

  A three-layered wall with one barrier surrounding each level.

  The first contains the civilian district, yet even that one mostly contains businesses that go well with the military.

  I'm rather sure the tailor in that part made more uniforms and light armor than civilian clothes in their life.

  The second level has the exercise fields and barracks.

  I can only see what juts out from behind the wall, but it's certainly big enough.

  And lastly, there's the inner fortress with all the logistics and administration involved.

  That last one being my destination, where I'm supposed to deliver this letter to the marshall of our army.

  I'd like to repeat here that I've no idea how I got into this situation.

  I mean, I want to get back at those responsible for my parent's death, but if I'm being honest with myself, I'm applying some really roundabout thinking here if I let my vengeance target every single one of them who is part of the same organization.

  On the other side, if the crown wins, which given how they now have Shari and Liqu with them doesn't seem too unlikely anymore, siding with the winning side might grant me some leverage later on.

  I mean, successfully delivering this message against all odds should be considered a recognizable feat already.

  In addition, the mere proximity to my two favorite slimes should allow me to be remembered by my superiors down the line.

  I proved loyal, so a wish or two shouldn't be demanding too much.

  Like giving me the power to torture someone to death.

  The small things.

  If I got this queen right, and I'm a good judge of character, she isn't too much against such things.

  But first, I still need to deliver this letter.

  Let's hope this last part goes smoothly.

  Once I approach, I feel a weird mix of relief and trepidation.

  The first is because it’s a rather safe bet that the guards at the gate are not under contract of any other hand, as the army is rather strict and mostly consists of patriots.

  Probably a necessary trait to voluntarily go into the desert to battle orcs.

  The latter, because now it counts.

  I have my envelope and a badge to identify myself as an official messenger, but my looks aren't all that convincing of me actually having this kind of job.

  "Halt! Who goes there?!" (cliche of a gate guard)

  I fight the urge to roll my eyes in favor of delivering my agenda properly.

  "Sir, I'm an envoy from Aurea and am here to deliver an important message for Marshall Zervion." (Elin)

  He, understandably, looks at me with some degree of scrutiny.

  "Sure. Because the country nowadays lets kids guard their most important correspondence. What are you trying to pull here?" (asshole guard)

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Fine! Just look at this! Here, my personal identification badge!" (Elin)

  Just good I got this.

  After all, the downside of having an unassuming carrier of important things is that the recipients will assume the same.

  "Where did you get that?!" (idiot guard)

  "Are you serious?! I'm here with a message! Bearing an official messenger badge. So maybe, you could entertain the thought that I actually do have an important message! If I didn't have one, I would be in serious trouble, and there's absolutely no sane reason why I'd be doing this right now! So could you please just accept that I'm here on a delivery job?!" (Elin)

  Is a little bit of rational thought asking for too much?

  At least that seems to have got him started thinking.

  "Fine. Hand over the message, and I'll deliver it to my superiors." (I can't believe this guy!)

  "For real?! What kind of messenger do you think I am? Handing out my delivery to the first guy I meet, someone who's distinctly not the one I'm supposed to give this document to?" (Elin)

  "God, would you just do so?! There's no way I'm just letting riff-raff like you pass without screening! Now hand over the message so it can properly be evaluated!" (guy I'm starting to seriously get annoyed with)

  Could anyone else here please take over for this guy?

  It's not like he's the only guard present at this gate.

  "Or what?! Are you going to make me break my vows to the crown? Have me fail the expectations that the king and queen directly put onto me? Are you seriously going to spit on their authority like this?" (Elin)

  To be honest, I didn't vow shit.

  I'm solely doing this because it's the best course of action for me and the other side is not really the kind I would be able to collaborate with.

  Yet now I grow concerned that I'm approaching some kind of dead end here.

  "What is going on?"

  Suddenly, a man approaches.

  His uniform identifies him as an officer.

  Though, I'm not quite sure about his rank.

  "Captain Verad!" (useless guard)

  That narrows it down.

  "Would anyone please be so kind to explain to me the reasons of this commotion at the gates?" (apparently Captain Verad)

  Before he can speak up, I make use of this chance to introduce myself.

  "My name is Elin, and I have a message I'm ordered to specifically present to Marshall Zervion on behalf of the crown, and only to him. Here is my badge to identify myself!" (Elin)

  I speak intentionally loud, so any possible passersby will at least find it questionable if they take my message from me.

  I don't assume that they're working for the enemy, but one can't ever be absolutely sure.

  Yet if this would truly be the case, I'd already be out of options at this point.

  No one could demand that I infiltrate the country's mightiest fortress to reach its highest authority.

  I'm only human after all.

  The new guy examines me for a short while, before starting to speak.

  "Very well. I can arrange a meeting. However, while we may leave the message with you, it shouldn't surprise you that we'll have to search you for weapons and the like." (Verad)

  Makes sense.

  The marshal, as the one controlling the army, is probably a prime target for assassinations.

  So it comes that I find myself in a guardhouse adjacent to the gate and basically have to strip.

  Fortunately, they have a good portion of female soldiers to do the checkup. It's not like I mind all that much, but it still puts me at ease that they follow such customs.

  When I get to put my weapons on the table, I get at least some "Ohs" out of them.

  "Here's my dagger, an assortment of throwing knives. Be careful with the edges, they're coated. Also, I got this bottle of poison mist. And would you see that? Another dagger!" (Elin)

  I actually had to contemplate quite a bit if I'm going to try to keep any hidden weapons in their places.

  Ultimately, I decided to be smart and not raise their suspicion by smuggling a weapon into this important meeting.

  It's not like I could ever hope to fight my way out of a fortress full of professional soldiers anyways.

  I’m glad of this decision when they perform their job quite effectively, though they might still have missed my trick blade; however, they keep their word as I'm allowed to hold onto the message.

  After that, it’s up to inner Akaras with me.

  We walk past the neatly arranged streets that are all directed so they lead to the next inner wall.

  I need to say that for a city that is exclusively built to be a military position against possible orc hordes, it almost looks normal.

  Many civilian businesses, artisans, and even restaurants.

  The only indicator otherwise would be small things, like how the blacksmiths have a clear disposition for weapons or how the tailors make uniforms in bulk.

  My small guard escort leads me into the second ring.

  Here opens the true reality of the Rakesean army.

  Compared to Lord Kahan's troops, this is something completely different.

  Huge formations, moving in unison and brandishing the iconic spears of Rakis, with their wide blades at the ends.

  Those things are specially thought to deal with orcs.

  The long shafts allow men and women next to each other to sink them into the same target.

  One of the ways to securely fell an orc.

  In other positions, I find archers and even some crossbowmen doing target practice at the intended ranges.

  Oh my, are those centaurs?

  Real horse-men?

  I only ever thought of them as tall tales of senior adventurers.

  You won't find them anywhere else in the country, as it's said they, for some reason, prefer the wide plains of the Barrens.

  I don't have business with them, but that doesn't mean I don't find the sight impressive.

  Finally, there's the last row.

  Once we pass the gates, I find that the buildings look much fancier.

  Those are the places for the officers and administrative personnel, as well as other key infrastructure.

  We pass some more buildings until we reach the one in the center.

  This one isn't a castle or palace as a noble would live in.

  Rather it's a huge complex that goes several floors up.

  This one we enter.

  Well, time to deliver a message.