Chapter 8: A Bold Attack

"Report to the battalion commander, the captain of the third detachment of the Iron Guard, 'Moriella', here."

"Come in."

"Yes."

Turn the doorknob and slowly walk into the battalion commander's room.

The choking smell of cigarettes was the first to irritate the captain's nasal passages.

The room is simply furnished, with nothing but an iron table piled high with papers and a glass case stuffed with books.

Sitting behind the iron table was an old man in a military uniform.

Although he said that he was an old man, he looked strong under the tight military uniform.

There is a pale mustache under the tip of the nose, and there is not half a hair on the smooth top of the head. If it weren't for the dim lighting in the room, the bright bald head would have been able to reflect a dazzling light.

It seems that the captain has been waiting for a long time, and the cigarettes in the ashtray have piled up.

The kind smile on his face made the battalion commander's eyes so thin that he couldn't see it, like a kind and kind grandfather.

But Moriella, as the captain, had no such thoughts.

Respectfully, he first bowed to the battalion commander, and then knelt on the ground.

Waiting for the accountability of the battalion commander.

The battalion commander was holding a cigarette and looking at the documents in his hand.

Instead of turning his gaze to Moriella, he questioned while reading the documents.

"I heard you met Mr. Fortes, right?"

"Yes."

"What do you think?"

"It's a very powerful magister, not at all like a C-class mentor."

"What else? Shouldn't we lose so many brothers in exchange for just such a little evaluation? ”

"I'm so sorry - it happened too hastily, and the small ones are too quick to react."

Mauriella pressed her head even lower.

It's not that it's too hasty to say, it's because the amount of information is so huge that I don't know where to start.

In the end, the explanation was also abandoned.

That's really a force that humans can't understand.

"Too rushed, huh? What an unpleasant answer. ”

"I'm sorry for making you feel uncomfortable."

"It's okay—let you die to apologize."

Slowly put down the papers in his hand and picked up the musket on the table instead.

The musket had been filled with gunpowder beforehand, and it seemed that Mauriella's life and death had already been answered.

Mauriela was not panicked or frightened at all, for she had already died.

Of course, Moriella's indifference was all seen by the battalion commander.

"Looks like you're mentally prepared, right?"

"It's a small punishment that must be borne, and there's no need to be anxious about it."

"That's quite a revolutionary spirit of awe!"

Raise the musket and aim it at Mauriella's forehead.

"Goodbye, captain of the third detachment."

The board machine is snapped.

Heavy gunfire erupted through the silent room.

But there was no death or blood splattered as expected.

In an instant - the battalion commander was shocked.

Because Mauriella's body began to evaporate some kind of dark aura.

This breath protected the bullet attack.

Mauriella survived.

Different from the previous kind smile, the pure black eyes showed because of anger - the battalion commander's face changed drastically.

"...... this?"

"Mauriella! How dare you resist the will of the military? ”

"Not really! You're mistaken, it's not from my power! ”

"Fart! So you can explain, what is going on with this pitch-black vapor? ”

"Even if you ask me that, I don't know......"

Just now I was suspicious of this, but then a figure flashed in my head.

Mauriela came to her senses.

It's Fords.

The pitch-black vapor slowly dissipated, and the filthy air returned to the room with only the strong smell of smoking.

The two pairs of eyes looked at each other awkwardly.

Trying to explain the strange phenomenon, Mauriella voiced his guess.

"Report to the battalion commander, in fact, the little one once bit his tongue and committed suicide in front of Fortes, but he was finally rescued by him."

"You mean- did he do that thing just now?"

"I'm afraid so."

If it had been the mysterious Fortes, it was possible.

Finally retracted his angry look.

Again put on the signature smile of a gentle and good grandfather.

"In that case, there is nothing to be done...... Did he tell you why he did it? ”

"It's just that I still have value to use."

Saying such demeaning words in person, Maureella suddenly felt a little pathetic.

When did you become so inferior?

However, the battalion commander did not have time to care about Mauriella's feelings.

He pondered, pondering Fortes' reasoning.

After a brief silence - the unbelieving battalion commander raised his musket again.

Shot coldly at Mauriella's heart.

As expected, the pitch-black aura burst out again, enveloping Moriella's body.

Two shots weren't enough, then ten more shots - until the gunpowder around him ran out, and Mauriela was still unscathed.

It seems that Fortes was very clear about keeping Maureliella alive.

But why?

Both of them pondered in confusion.

Trying to threaten Mauriella's life or sanity to destroy the atmosphere inside the barracks?

The battalion commander was puzzled.

Looking at the current attitude, it seems that Mauriella's attitude does not show the intention of rebellion.

In the unlikely event that Moriella shows his intention to mutiny, there is absolutely no way for the military to stop this "immortal".

No matter how you kill, you can't kill it, it's the most difficult thing to deal with.

Then you must be kind to this immortal.

"It seems that there is no way to know Mr. Fortes's intentions at this time, so that's all there is to it—you go home first."

"What do you need to do next?"

"I'll remove you from the position of captain first, and you won't need to be in the barracks during this time."

"And what about the little executions, ......?"

"Since the other party intends to let you live, he naturally has his reasons. Wait for this strange magic to disappear, and I will naturally decide your life and death. Of course, you also have a chance to atone for your sins. ”

"Please make it clear."

"In the middle of the night tonight, the military will conduct routine arms deals with other countries at the Canaan Grand Ferry. As a government guard, I would like you to stay around and patrol in case of intrusion by the likes of idlers. ”

"Is that all?"

"Don't be too complacent, you're no longer the captain of the Iron Guard, so naturally you don't have the right to interfere in the transaction."

"You...... That's what you're saying. ”

"Well, stand down."

"Yes."

He bowed again to say goodbye and walked out of the battalion commander's room with a heavy heart.

How to say that?

It is already the battalion commander's greatest tolerance to survive, although most of it is due to Fortes.

You shouldn't be dissatisfied with that.

Even have to hold a more honorable mentality to do things for the battalion commander.

A grief-stricken Mauriella thought so.

But if it weren't for what Fortes did to him, what would he be like now?

I guess I'm dead.

What exactly does he want to do to himself?

Or do you want me to see something?

I don't know - the only thing that is certain is that tonight's arms deal will be his most important task.

"Canaan Grand Ferry"?

I've never been there, except that the government often deals with other arms dealers there.

Because of the considerable distance from the civilian area, and the fact that a lot of goods are piled up around it, it forms a natural barrier that makes all arms transactions secret.

So why do you need your own patrols?

Does the battalion commander want to give himself a chance?

It can't be - the battalion commander didn't hesitate to shoot himself.

At that moment, I realized that my life was so cheap.

Could this be the cruelty that Fortes wanted to see? I guess I'm thinking too much.

With only a sigh, Mauriella walked away from the cold barracks with the lonely figure on her back.

Fortes was walking down the street with three "subspecies".

They are a white-haired male classmate with a snake's head and a human body, a blue-haired girl with fish fins on her ears, and a big snake wearing glasses.

All three of them respected Fortes quite respectfully, and followed behind Fortes quite politely.

Even if it is looked at strangely by passers-by, as long as it is protected by Fortes, it is extremely reassuring.

The so-called subspecies is a strange species that is different from the appearance of humans.

In this town—or rather, in this land—there is a general discrimination against subspecies.

There is a dislike between races, and naturally there will be unfair treatment.

This is especially true in the area of "education".

Today, the three subspecies who followed behind Fortes were wearing the uniforms of the St. Goethe's School of Magic.

It seems to have been given to Fortes.

They walked to a tavern down the street.

"This is it."

"Excuse me, Lord Fortes, what kind of place is this?"

The white-haired male classmate with the head of the snake asked suspiciously.

"It's just a regular tavern."

"But we're not good at drinking human alcohol."

"I didn't want you to drink, I just brought you over to find someone important."

"Dare to ask ......?"

"You'll find out when you meet."

Gently pushing open the delicate wooden door made of red cypress, I thought it would greet the strong and foul smell of wine-

I didn't expect it to be unexpectedly fragrant.

As an orthodox tavern, it not only smells of wine, but also does not even smell the strongest.

Whether it was the scent of flowers released from the flower pots placed in the tavern or the mouth-watering aroma of the dishes, the three subspecies students finally showed an expression of disbelief.

This is very different from the pungent and foul smell of alcohol that you might expect.

When the wooden door was pushed open, there was a loud sound of bells slamming.

Then a young waitress dressed in a black and white maid costume trotted in.

She looks like a little girl in her early twenties, with a ponytail tied to the back of her head, and she looks quite lively.

"Welcome...... Wow————! Mr. Forts!? ”

"How are you doing? Titirella. ”

"Also...... Not bad, right? ”

The tone of the speech was no longer as sharp as it had been when it first greeted everyone.

His pale cheeks flushed in an instant, and his erratic eyes didn't dare to stare at Fortes.

This scene made the three subspecies students immediately aware that Mira liked Fortes.

The shyness that only love has carved into Mira's face, but Forts still looks at it blankly.

Fords, it seems, was completely unaware.

There were only two customers in the tavern, and it seemed that they were just old women who had come to rest in the restaurant.

Looking into the deserted tavern, Forts seemed to be looking for someone.

But it doesn't seem to be here.

"Where's the boss?"

"Wow! Father was warming up in the open space behind the tavern. ”

"I see, can I trouble you to take us to the boss?"

"...... you guys? Could it be the three children behind the gentleman? ”

"I didn't expect you to tell how old they were."

"Not really—because they're wearing school uniforms!"

"That's right."

From Dilla's eyes, it seems that there is no discrimination against subspecies by humans.

The three subspecies students looked at each other.

The "boss" in Fords' mouth seems to be the waitress's "father".

Since the daughter is able to have a normal attitude towards the subspecies, maybe it is due to family factors, right?

It seems that it should be a little more reassured.

After walking past the bar, there was a door to the backyard, and Mira took the initiative to open it for Fords and the others.

What catches your eye is the red brick fence and the green turf.

Although the space is not large, it makes everyone feel relaxed and happy.

A skinny and heavily hunched middle-aged man, shirtless, punches the air alone.

Each punch seemed so weak and slow that it might not even be an itch.

However, this man was exactly the man Forts was looking for.

The man was so focused on the punching that he didn't pay attention to the arrival of Forts and the others.

So Dila took the initiative to remind the man.

"Father, Mr. Fortes has come to visit you personally."

"Fortes?"

Finally stopped the training of punching, and looked at the door with heavy eyes under his eyes.

The moment Forts made eye contact with the man, he was the first to greet him personally.

"How are you doing lately?"

"Is it Fortes? What else could be bad, even though the liquor business has been a bit cold lately. ”

"I'm afraid it's because of the massacre in the regal district."

"Perhaps. What are you looking for me to do today? Are you here to drink? ”

"You're joking, and you know how much I drink."

"Hahaha! Sure enough, only Hans, the old drunkard, was more qualified in the academy. ”

The heroic and hearty laughter did not match the old figure at all.

Fortes cut to the chase indifferently.

"I wanted you to help me train my students."

"Student ......? Did you say the three behind you? ”

"That's right."

"First ...... First meeting. ”

The three subspecies students bowed rather jerkily and greeted each other in unison.

Looks nervous.

The man took a cursory look at the three unfamiliar figures.

"Is there a snake clan, a fish-man clan, and a snake clan?"

"Yes."

In human opinion, not all subspecies are known to the world.

The "Celestial Snake Clan", the "Fish Man Clan" and the "Snake Man Clan" are relatively prominent races.

It's no wonder that the man recognized the ethnicity of the three students at a glance.

While observing the nervous immature face of the face god, he sighed and said:

"You said earlier that you hoped that the academy could allow other races to study, but you didn't expect it to be so smooth."

"It's not smooth, it's just that the head of the house is more open-minded."

"Amazing! Those three—come here! ”

"Yes...... Be! ”

Approached the man in a rather stiff stance.

This scene couldn't help but make the man laugh again.

"Hahahaha! I won't eat you again, why are you so afraid of me? ”

"Aren't you afraid of us?"

The blue-haired girl from the Fish-People asked timidly.

"What are you little devils doing? You can't even move a single hair of mine. ”

"I'm not talking about combat ability, but about our physical ......"

"Aren't they just three young little ghosts?"

The man's tone sounded rough but extraordinarily gentle.

It's something I've never felt before.

I thought that only Fortes would tolerate us in this world - but we didn't know that there were other aftertastes.

Three subspecies students stood in front of the man in a row.

"Report your name first."

"Hello! My name is 'The Serpent. Unodear', please advise. ”

This is the real full name of the white-haired male classmate of the Sky Snake Clan.

"My name is 'Julie. Isis', does not hesitate to advise. ”

This is the real full name of the blue-haired female sea from the fish-man clan.

"I ...... I'm 'Mandela. Timiwell'. I hope you will accept my stupidity. ”

The last one is the real full name of a male classmate of the snake people who is particularly inferior.

The simple introduction made the man seem particularly happy.

If you can tell yourself your name with confidence, you should let your guard down a little.

"It's good to be young! Everyone spoke so energetically. My name is 'Madison. Nadi Luk'. As you can see, I'm the owner of this tavern, but I've got some special skills, so don't underestimate me. ”

"Yes...... Yes! ”

"You must know that I have never taken in apprentices, and who called it the young man who asked for me. Looks like I'm going to have to say yes to this request – so please advise me in the future. ”

At the same time, Fortes handed the parchment in his hand to Nadiluk.

"This document records the detailed abilities of these three children, and I hope to be able to improve them more in my spare time."

"You're really careful."

He took the paperwork from Fortes, but didn't look at it right away.

Instead, he looked expectantly at the three embarrassed figures in front of him.

"After all, words are dead, and everything still has to go through a necessary process."

Sensing Nadiluc's intentions, Fortis and Mira left the backyard and walked back to the tavern.

Suddenly only Nadi Luke and the three students were left.

"Kids, try to knock me down."

"Now......

"Otherwise, is it later? There is no time or place in battle, only victory or defeat is real. ”

"Yes...... Yes! ”

The students hurriedly took on an offensive stance, focusing on the unarmed Nadiluk.

Faced with three physically strong young students, Nadi Luke looked old.

However, the confidence of the old dragon clock made the momentum overwhelm the three students.

A brief gaze.

The first is Unodear, who is a member of the Celestial Snake Clan.

He clenched his right fist and rushed straight at the unsuspecting Nadiluk.

The speed of running is fairly ordinary, but he should have other tricks.

"Is it such a bold way to attack? It's not that I don't like to-"

In the face of Unodar's attack, Nadiluk stretched out his hands and circled in the air.

The hands are like the soft tentacles of an octopus, and they are quite elastic to push away the majestic Unodar.

"It's the kind of offense that only me and Forts are qualified to achieve."