"No, I'm making a quick inspection at Manfura," The response Bain gave was succinct.
"Manfura?!" Nelson gave the Chief of the Army a perplexed look. For whatever reason, he feels the man on his right is hiding something from him. An ominous feeling gripped tightly in his heart. The king thought they were closed enough for him to gauge some secret.
No one can blame him for thinking that way. Nelson was unquestionably a nobleman with the same mindset which, he has yet to change. Commoners, as he saw them are simple yet selfish creatures. They are easily angered or easily happy. Just be a little nice to them and they'll quickly open up. It is incredibly simple to get a convenient pawn.
Bain refuses to elaborate more than necessary. "You heard it right, Your Majesty. I need to ensure the soldiers don't slack off. Peaceful time often erodes discipline."
After enjoying a sumptuous meal, Ryntum Chief of Army bids the king and queen farewell. His children are nowhere to be seen as all of them are staying in Bideford, learning at the university.
As the carriage carrying Bain faded from his sight, so does the friendly aura Nelson exudes. He asked for some insight, "Wife, do you think that man is hiding something from us?"
"I do believe so, but, what can we do about it? Someone in his position holds a lot of secrets. It's natural for him to remain tight-lipped. I think the problem is that you're overthinking." The queen dismisses her husband's concern.
Although his wife's words are somewhat true, he remains unsettled. Perhaps he couldn't put his entire trust in Ryntum.
His neighbour is a bit lacklustre in terms of diplomacy. The proof is all relations they had are purely business oriented, including this alliance.
"I may consult this with a priest later."
....
Yawn—
A mouth belonging to a soldier was wide open. Ever since he is working as an active soldier, he expected to meet with some sort of action. After all, he was given a mission to hold a piece of confidential information. Often he sinks into a dream where he wields a cutting-edge weapon, blasting the enemy.
And yet, here he is, sent to the edge of the kingdom, to the city of the border, Manfura.
Well, this place isn't particularly bad and wasn't neglected either. The city receives many improvements over the two years of joining the kingdom. Life improves dramatically and job opportunities are abundant. Still, being human meant to never stop complaining.
pαndα`noν?1--сoМ He yawns once again. Seriously, this boring lifestyle needs to end. He reached the logbook near him and opened it.
"Today is the same as always." He mutters. His job was to guard a city wall and by the end of the day, write a report for anything out of the ordinary. It's easy to envision how monotonous the job is.
He looked at the logbook.
- - - - - -
Week— 7
12/2/303 (Sunday): Everything is normal.
13/2/303 (Monday): Everything is normal.
14/2/303 (Tuesday): Everything is normal.
15/2/303 (Wednesday):
16/2/303 (Thursday):
17/2/303 (Friday):
- - - - - -
As he is about to write down, a neighbour of a horse was heard from afar.
He looked up and saw a luxury carriage approaching the city.
"Who the hell is coming here? I received no notice whatsoever." He squinted his eyes, gazing at the emblem carved on the carriage. Gradually, he was engulfed by a sense of trepidation. Whoever is inside must be a big shot.
He stood up, preparing to greet the guest.
The carriage stopped right in front of him. A man comes out from the opened door. He exudes an air of authority that makes the soldier feel so small standing in front of him.
"S-Sir Bain, I welcomed you to Manfura." The soldier struggles to get words out of his mouth. As a person who received an education in the military academy, Bain Lawrence was a recognizable character. A graduation ceremony felt incomplete without a speech from Ryntum Chief of Army.
"Hm. At ease, soldier." Bain smiled to reduce the tense atmosphere.
'Even if you say so, I couldn't bring myself to do that. And what with that smile?' The soldier grumbles internally.
"Soldier, lead me to the construction line," Bain said.
"Pardon, sir? C-Construction l-line?" He wasn't exactly sure what the chief meant. A few seconds later, he was able to fully activate his brain and figure out what his superior meant.
Bain actually means fortification line, an elongated area where troops and armament were placed as a defence against any aggression. The king has ordered for a temporary line to be built quickly and discreetly. Ryntum, famously known for its numerous construction sites didn't have any difficulty transporting thousands of labours and building materials to Manfura.
So far, everything has progressed smoothly without any sabotage or intervention since everybody thought it was some sort of canal for agriculture.
"Follow me, sir. We need to ride a horse if we want to inspect the entirety of the line."
"Fine by me."
The soldier leads the way to the army stable.
Shortly after, Bain's eyes widened while looking at the breathtaking sight of the fortification line. It stretches over twenty kilometres. Also, it's a little inappropriate to refer to it as a 'line'. 'Maze' would be a better term to describe it.
At a certain part, trenches were dug whilst another part exploited the natural terrain features like lakes. Wooden towers were erected from the ground. Barb wires, wooden spikes walls and traps are buried everywhere beneath the ground.
'It wasn't perfect and flawless. But, it'll be more than enough to hold off enemies from advancing into the kingdom.' Bain comment at the fortification.
Regardless of his amazement, Bain is concerned about the completion time. "Can they finish constructing before the end of this month?"
"This...A lowly soldier like me has no idea about it, sir." The soldier scratched his cheek. He continues, "I can assure you the labourers are working non-stop every day. There are another two weeks left."
"I hope your words come true, soldier."
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