Chapter 143: Stand behind Meira?
"I think... they are welcoming you." Elowen tilted her head toward the banner hanging above the outpost gate, trying to maintain a serious expression, but her pointed ears were already twitching with the urge to laugh.
Erik turned to her with an incredulous expression, then looked at Laviana sitting opposite him as though hoping the red-haired woman could explain what was happening.
"I can see that," he replied helplessly, pointing outside the window. "But can someone explain why a military outpost has a red carpet, flags, flowers, and even a brass band?"
Laviana stored the magical map in her spatial bracelet and laughed, saying that she had only arranged the vehicles and logistics, not the ceremony. Even so, she deliberately teased Erik by straightening his collar and smiling, telling him not to disappoint those who had prepared everything so carefully.
Before Erik could argue, a trumpet sounded right beside the door. A female soldier opened the vehicle, allowing cheers to flood into the passenger cabin.
He startled and nearly hit his head against the door frame before stepping down beneath Elowen and Laviana’s amused gazes. His expression at that moment was no different from Σ(°ロ°).
Female warriors in neat uniforms stood along both sides of the carpet. Some seriously raised their hands in salute, while others were so happy that they stood on tiptoe to look over their comrades’ shoulders.
A female soldier at the front of the line recognized him and called loudly, "Sir Erik has arrived!" The cry was quickly echoed by others. The women who had once fought in torn armor could now smile freely, leaving Erik both embarrassed and relieved.
The brown-haired female captain stepped forward in a black military uniform, her long hair tied neatly back, an insignia of the eastern defense line displayed on her chest.
Erik immediately recognized the person who had firmly ordered him to leave the battlefield after the giant spider battle. Her complexion was better than before, but her eyes still carried a trace of nervousness.
"Sir Erik, welcome back!" The female captain placed a hand over her chest and bowed deeply. Her voice rang clearly, though it could not hide her nervousness. "Everyone has been waiting since morning. Please forgive us if we startled you."
"Only a little," Erik replied, glancing at the brass band preparing to play again. "But you have just finished a campaign. I do not want everyone to neglect their duties because of me, and I especially do not want the outpost’s funds spent on unnecessary things."
The female captain hurriedly explained that the carpet had been repaired from the old ceremonial storage, the instruments belonged to the military band, and the banner had been made by the soldiers after their shifts.
The guard posts still had enough people, and the defenses were not affected. Erik laughed and waved his hand, telling her not to worry.
"We only want to be happy once, sir." The female captain softened her voice and looked at the comrades standing on both sides of the road. "When you first came here, some people had already prepared farewell letters. Now they are still alive, still have the energy to joke around, and can still wait for you to return. To us, that is worth celebrating."
Erik looked at the familiar faces: those who had once lain on rescue stretchers, those who had helped him distribute water, those whose hands had trembled from exhaustion. Now, they could smile. He lowered his head in thanks, unwilling to let his embarrassment ruin their happiness.
The female captain excitedly signaled for the brass band to continue, making Erik draw his shoulders in slightly. Elowen saw his expression and laughed.
"Master!" A familiar voice came from the barracks. Meira appeared in a neat combat outfit, her long blonde hair tied behind her back.
She had arrived the previous afternoon to inspect the outpost’s safety. The moment she saw Erik, she hurried over, hooked her arm through his, and happily pressed her cheek against his shoulder.
"You have worked hard." Erik brushed away a strand of hair that the wind had blown across Meira’s cheek, then gently asked about the state of the defensive line. Only after she confirmed that the main route was safe did he glance at the red carpet. "But did you know they were planning this?"
"I knew they wanted to prepare something," Meira admitted, her green eyes curving mischievously. "I did not know there would be an entire brass band. In any case, Master deserves a welcome."
"I thought I was a king who had just won a war," Erik sighed. The female captain immediately mentioned how he had saved Meira from the giant spider, and two veteran soldiers enthusiastically agreed.
Elowen gently held Erik’s hand and advised him to let them enjoy one day, leaving him no choice but to raise his hands in surrender.
Laviana quickly asked the female captain for permission to film within limits that would not reveal guard posts or military maps.
When the nearby female soldiers agreed, she activated the recording crystals. Erik immediately looked at her suspiciously, but Laviana only smiled and told him to stand closer to Meira so the shot would look better.
"Can’t you let me be embarrassed in peace?" Erik asked, deliberately looking pitiful. Laviana answered, "I can’t," so quickly that Elowen laughed, while Meira held his arm and tilted her head toward the camera, entirely satisfied to be standing beside her Master.
The broadcast notification quickly reached the registered female viewers. The image of the red carpet, uniforms, and brass band made many believe Erik was attending a ceremony in central Silver Moon. Only when Laviana introduced the location as the southwestern outpost did the comments truly surge.
[Wait, the southwestern outpost?! w(°o°)w I thought that place was still full of monsters!]
[News last month said the defensive line was about to collapse. Seeing them smile makes me happy too ??]
[Meira is holding Erik’s arm, and Elowen keeps smiling. This trip looks interesting ??]
[The outpost was just liberated, and they already have a red carpet? My sister’s unit still lacks supplies. Seeing this is really unpleasant ??]
[The carpet was repaired from old storage. Can’t you let them be happy for one day?]
[I heard Erik once saved people from a giant spider. But I do not know whether that story has been exaggerated ??]
Erik was busy greeting people he had met before. A female soldier who had transported wounded soldiers hesitantly asked whether he remembered her.
Erik brought up how she had once pushed a stretcher while arguing with the warehouse staff because of a lack of medicine, making her blush as she turned to boast to her comrades. Laughter broke out naturally.
However, not everyone at the end of the formation was smiling. A young black-haired Succubus with shoulder-length hair stood with her arms crossed, watching the crowd coldly. Her still-new uniform showed that she belonged to a group dispatched after the campaign.
When the wind swept her hair away from the back of her neck, faint dark marks, twisting like tree roots, appeared beneath her skin. She immediately pulled her collar higher to hide them.
"We risk our lives fighting while he gets a red carpet," she said loudly enough for those standing nearby to hear. "Who deserves credit for liberating this place? Does a man coming here to receive congratulations get to represent the entire unit?"
The veteran female warrior beside her abruptly turned around, her face reddening. "You were not here when the giant spider attacked! I saw Sir Erik rush forward to save people with my own eyes. Do not casually insult him!"
The black-haired woman only curled her lips, asking in return who had been standing night watch, repairing walls, recovering their comrades’ bodies, and continuing to march after Erik returned to Silver Moon.
"No one denies your contributions," the veteran soldier angrily replied. "But you have no right to erase someone else’s. He has never claimed credit in our place!"
The black-haired woman avoided answering. She turned toward the reinforcements and deliberately asked why they had to stand here welcoming a man when the barracks roof had not even been repaired. A new female soldier nodded when she heard about the shortage of rations. Whispers spread through the ranks.
A logistics officer spoke up, saying that the ceremonial supplies had not come from the repair budget, but the black-haired Succubus immediately replied in a bitter tone, "Fine, then what about the Top 5 rewards? Do you really want to repay combat efforts with hugs and kisses?"
The female warrior Erik had once saved clenched her hands and explained that the rewards were what they had personally requested, while Erik had been forced by the unit to return and rest because they were concerned for his safety.
However, many new soldiers were hearing the story for the first time, causing the ranks to begin splitting into two sides. The group defending Erik was larger, but the opposing side had fewer people and kept raising harsh questions.
Laviana signaled for the wide-angle shot to be maintained instead of pushing the camera toward the soldiers’ faces, then informed the female captain that something was happening at the end of the line. Seeing the accusations spreading toward the plaza, the female captain could not hide her worry.
The black-haired Succubus saw that she had attracted attention and stepped out of the formation entirely, heading toward Erik. She gave a very shallow bow, the corners of her lips still curved with challenge.
"Sir Erik, everyone says you are very brave. Then may I ask whether you came here to help the defensive line, or merely to receive flowers and praise?"
The brass band had long fallen silent. The female warriors near Erik immediately stepped forward, but he lightly raised a hand, not to make them be quiet, but because he wanted to hear clearly.
In that moment, the black-haired woman deliberately raised her voice, as though wanting the entire outpost and those watching the livestream to hear her question.
"If you truly have ability, why not come with us to the outer line, where there are still areas that have not been inspected? Or do you only dare stand behind Meira?"
The opposing group was small, but they all voiced their support at once. The brown-haired female captain’s face turned pale, while Meira released Erik’s arm, her gaze becoming cold. The veteran female warriors all moved forward. Erik understood that the welcome was no longer simply a cheerful gathering.