Border Guardian Hal Akircius

When Hal began to ponder the text of his letter to Commander Dekims Adamantius, there was one commotion at the Imperial Northern Border Post.

"So I've told you many times! A friend of mine is in an abandoned city!

"No, abandoned cities are dangerous places for dead spirits and warcraft to roam from day to day, not to mention ex-Ministry of Security officials. We can't let a citizen go to such a dangerous place now.

On the north side of the barracks, inside the gate, which serves as an entrance to the area where the people of Cliffonam live, the young man who is questioning with soldiers who have stuck themselves in a disappointing armor helmet is a former official of the Ministry of Security of Lucius Aetius.

Now it's not a gray uniform, it's wearing a thick jacket over a green piercing coat, and underfoot is also firmly cemented with leather boots, with short double-swords at the waist.

Later he is accompanied by a horse loaded with luggage, a traveller who goes on the road from wherever he may see it.

I had already spent quite a bit of time pushing and questioning, so Lucius got annoyed and lied, if only I could get through this gate.

"Then let me through because I'm not going.

"Is that true?

"... what the hell.

Lucius unwittingly turned a blind eye as the soldier glanced at Lucius as he said so.

The voice of the victorious soldier reaches Lucius' ear.

"No, you're lying, aren't you?

"Hey, look, you should write on the books there that you passed the traveler going to the village of Cliffonham!

"Don't be ridiculous, I don't do that injustice, Imperial Soldier, even if I rot!

"... I want you to listen to that dialogue with the rotten officials of the Empire..." That's not true! Don't be so hard! This is the only place you're saying something that's not popular!

Lucius overhears the pleasant words of the soldier for a moment, but immediately returns to me and complains.

But still, there is no island for serious soldiers.

"I don't know anything else, I won't tolerate injustice here, so go home.

"... I have trouble without guys like this in my work colleagues, but when they say so much in the margins, I get angry, I came all the way from the Empire! Let me through!

As he pressed questions with the soldier at that rate, Lucius was put on his shoulder from behind.

Looking back, an Imperial Army general stands with armor helmets, just like a soldier, who has a splendid physique but wants to reach the age of sixty.

Both the hair peeking from the helmet and the splendid mustache of the mouth are white, and the black eyes are soft but their radiance is strong.

Before Lucius said anything, Lucius and the soldier he was pressing for questioned turned to the officer, and a hasty salute entered his sight.

"I'm sorry, Commander, but this traveler..."

"Oh, I heard you, I'm sorry, don't blame the soldiers any more, the imperials are basically not allowed to cross the border, I'll listen to you for now.

Controlling the soldier's tenacious attempt to report, an officer speaks to Lucius.

"Excuse me, but what about you?

"It's Dekims Adamantius, he's the defensive commander of this northern border post, and we've come this far because of it, let's make sure the request is as good as we can.

With Dekims leading the way, Lucius is led to a spectacular soldier's dining room.

The soldiers' cafeteria, supposedly converted to a watchpost, was idle except for the soldiers on duty who had finished their service eating, and Dekims himself brewed powdered tea into a wooden cup and offered it to Lucius.

"Wow..."

"From here, the Great Forest Zone of Cliffonam is a panoramic view, although more than 100,000 Cliffonam people live in these woods.

Dekimus smiled so lonely at the words Lucius uttered as he received the wooden cup.

Here, the Northern Border Post, for which Dekims is the defensive commander, is set up in the Great Mountains of the North, which separates the Empire from the Oran region, and the Great Mountains of the East, which form the border with East Photography and Siluha.

On the imperial side and on the Cliffonam side there are gates respectively, between the gates and the gates it is like a little town.

Once the imperial side entrance to the province of Cliffona Superior, the original small fortress was renovated, expanded and maintained.

It now serves as a fortress on the northern border of the Empire, and is also the place to monitor imperial crossings, cross-border screening of barbarian merchants and mercenaries and issue entry certificates.

Though not in a state of war, it is, so to speak, at the forefront of the imperial border, and as a border guard, it was large, with 1,200 soldiers packed all the time.

In addition, there are imperial grocery merchants and blacksmiths, garment workers, doctors, pharmacists, carpenters, masons, bathers, martial arts artisans, horse eaters, etc. in order to maintain the facility, and there is a small town size if you look only at the number of people.

Besides, there are branches of the Western Postal Association, and those who are Cliffonam and Oran and whose families work in the Empire can also ship letters from here.

Some come directly, others come together in villages and ask others to go out into business, but before the postal association, people gather.

Dekims, taking his seat, asked slowly.

"So where are you going?

"Oh, a friend of mine went to Toko called an abandoned city, so I thought I'd go see him.

Tilt the wood cup you received after saying so, surprised Lucius.

"What, isn't that tea from East Photography... you haven't had one in a long time.

The rest of the fort is such a steep mountain that there is no foot trail, and there is no place for people to pass by.

When he grinned lightly at Lucius' surprise, Dekims asked after thinking so.

"Who is that friend? As I said earlier, basically the imperial crossing is not allowed, I can't imagine it slipped through this junction.

"He's probably a border guard now, so he probably just walked through here? His name is Hal Akircius.

Dekims looks lightly at the office out of Lucius' mouth and its name.

But Lucius was distracted by the tea and didn't realize how Dekims had changed.

However, even if I noticed it, it is not like it would be a problem because what has been someone else's treatment so far has changed to looking inside me.

Dekims overlaps the question.

"Well, you're a friend of that neighborhood guardian lord... Hmm, so how did you know he was in an abandoned city?

"Yeah? Yeah, that's what the Cliffonam Oyaji, who was here to sell village products, told me, Almar sounds like a village Oyaji, but you talk a lot when you buy food and horse food.

Lucius, who was looking for the food and household items he needed on his journey, met the men who happened to be coming from Almar to sell his products and bought what he needed for his journey.

"I see..."

Dekimus nodded as he was convinced by Lucius' explanation, sipping his own brewed powdered tea all at once, slowly rising from the chair before saying to Lucius.

"You should take your time here, if you wait three or four days, I'll make arrangements to allow you to stay in a soldier's quarters until then, please?

"If it's okay to go over there, I'll wait.

To Lucius, who answers with his hands up, Dekims nodded and said:

"Now, if you'll excuse me here, speak up to the soldiers on duty if you need anything.

Dekims, separated from Lucius, silences himself in the office for one.

It's already been forty years since that war.

My body, which was magnificent back then, couldn't hide its decay and now I just wait to retire.

My life after I lost sight of someone who should have been called my mentor didn't taste anything, and it's about to end soon.

Perhaps if you retire, you will pull into Albionius, where the children are, and into the countryside, which is also the home of the Commander of the Army of Altrius.

That way, I can't visit the land alone.

Not to mention that the Empire is ostensibly about to usher in a time of oblique yang, from now on the political and social situation will get worse and worse.

There are many things you can see even as you spend eternal time at the periphery in forty years guarding your master's grave.

Class struggles, the rise of factions, factional strife over unstoppable corruption.

Fortunately, the periphery here, the stench of the imperial capital that makes you want to pinch your nose, has not yet reached this point either, but that would also be a matter of time.

The immersion in teaching and working out the magnificent many young men who come of their own will gave them a certain satisfaction and comfort, but my time has stopped since that time, forty years ago, when the Harmonium fell and the Commander of the Army of Altrius was taken over.

Speaking of left-hand migration, I was also surprised when the border guardian came to duty, but now again, someone who shares the will with him is heading to that abandoned city.

It is telling that the border guards are moving a lot.

A rare East Photo merchant who bought in Cliffonam merchants and villagers, Oran fugitives, and paper.

And beside it is said to be a Kryphonum sun cleric and a ghost general.

Is this an extraction of heaven, or is this the last trap against this old...

"Either way, I'd like to say hello to the master one last time.

When I wrapped up my feelings and crushed them, Dekimus Adamantius felt his stopping time move.

Four days later in front of the north gate of the detention center.

Three hundred fully armed Imperial soldiers were in full force with heavy units.

"... why are you coming, Commander, are you okay?

"The soldiers at the barracks here are the best in the empire, Mr. Lucius, and if you fought a Kingsguard, you wouldn't take a hiccup, you're not as soft as you can handle without me.

Dekimus Adamantius, who lined up his horses with Lucius in an upbeat mood, looked back and waved to the soldiers who remained in the fort when he said so.

Dekims, who saw with satisfaction that salute and decree would be returned from the fort.

"... at all, you're my favorite grandfather, number one, how about you put it on me when you didn't put an escort on me when you were a border guard?

"Oh, when they say that, it's painful... but I was timid then, don't be scared when I was forty years old, Mr. Lucius, you seemed to be wearing a spirit of preservation before you even realized it yourself... and then..."

"Hmm?"

"I'm not your grandfather yet. I'm active!

"Oh, whoa!?

Dekimus laughed when he saw Lucius glaring unnecessarily on the horse in surprise.