Leading a large battalion through the frosty landscape of Almera, Amaragi and Maren were both traveling towards one of the military outposts away from the capital. Seemingly having grown silent, it was concerning that not a single status report had been sent from the outpost for many weeks now. 

 

Thus, leading to the current situation. 

 

'Take as many soldiers as you see fit, and find out what the cause of this is. I want to know about every single activity at our borders, understood?' 

 

Her father had been stern, and yet, she could have sworn that there was a fracture of uneasiness beneath that iron tone. Truthfully, Amaragi herself felt that same kind of uneasiness dwelling within her mind. 

 

There was the accident in Byanzinth, and the rumor which was most likely spreading that the Empire had assaulted a neutral territory, potentially harming their image even further. Then there was also the Norin kingdom… and the uneasy truce that they had established. While her sister had mentioned the improvements it had caused for their people, providing them with the necessary resources and food supplies that the Empire so desperately needed, she simply didn't trust in that truce yet. 

 

Knowing her father, she didn't believe that he would keep that truce forever… and she was certain that the Norin kingdom was aware of that as well. So what were they… 

 

"Is something troubling you…?" perking up slightly with a small shake of her head, she smiled lightly when she witnessed Maren's hesitant but caring expression, internally hoping he could do something while simultaneously not knowing how exactly to approach it. 

 

"Nothing new that could be mentioned, simply the same, old concerns." while she heaved a small sigh, Maren's expression fell slightly, even though he understood exactly what she meant. Albeit it also meant that he could indeed only do little to try and ease her mind. 

 

However, there was another factor as well that was playing into his head… 

 

With the large and armed battalion of Imperial soldiers marching not far behind, Maren truthfully felt a little oppressed. Even though he truly wanted to do more than just ask her about how she was feeling, he thought that she would not approve of him doing anything else while they were in the presence of others, in this case even more so, since Amaragi was viewed as an iron figure and leader herself. 

 

And the news about their bond had most certainly not reached the Empire yet, especially since they had not made it public yet, prompting Maren to overthink it even further. 

 

Despite that, unbeknownst to him, Amaragi was glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes. 

 

And he was an open book for her to read. 

 

Honestly, sometimes he was just adorable. Overthinking so much about how she might or might not approve of things when he simply wanted to help in whatever capacity he could. She didn't care about any kinds of images, not when she was planning to announce her claim in time anyways. 

 

She could simply just hug him… in front of everyone else… 

 

Sparing him from that course of action, albeit that thought appealed to her much more than she let on, she shifted her attention ahead once they finally arrived at their destination. A small distance away, the fort steadily came into view, the watch towers looming over the outpost. 

 

However, even from here, there was not a single soul to be seen on top of the walls, or anywhere else for that matter. 

 

She raised her hand, signalling for the battalion to halt behind her. 

 

"Exercise caution in your approach, search every corner of the fort. Now move out!" with a precise order, the soldiers heeded it without question and spread out, moving in on the front gate from every angle. With them further ahead, Amaragi faced Maren with a far more gentle expression. 

 

"Be careful, we don't know what happened to the soldiers inside. Normally our outposts are heavily armed and almost impenetrable… so please stick with me." just as Maren unsheathed his blade in alert, he glanced at her before he nodded. 

 

"Albeit the same goes to you… don't forget that." 

 

"I won't. You might not realize it, but your presence is making me feel a lot more calm." because truthfully, internally she was actually quite afraid. Truly, sometimes she regarded her sister in bewilderment when the latter could seemingly solve every single problem with her combat skills, never backing away from a fear inducing situation. That was certainly not Amaragi's strength, even though she tried her hardest to appear calm on the outside, especially for the sake of the troops under her command. 

 

But having Maren at her side… to protect and watch out for each other was blissful. 

 

With that, the two of them finally moved ahead as well while their soldiers already began to  infiltrate the fort. Amaragi unsheathed her blade once they passed the main gate, glancing around the courtyard while watching out for any kind of movement. 

 

The eerie silence was disturbing, for only the harsh winds were howling amidst the courtyard. The soldiers were moving slowly, their lances always at the ready as they moved from one place to another. 

 

Still, there was nobody to be seen… 

 

"No traces of a fight either…" Amaragi muttered under her breath, not witnessing any blood or other kinds of hints that may imply that a fight had taken place. 

 

However, Maren's attention was drawn to a small entrypoint which led into the fort itself, for the wooden door was slightly open. He nudged Amaragi with his arm, immediately drawing her attention to him before he pointed at the door. 

 

Her eyes widened slightly before she nodded at him, and they both slowly but carefully approached. Once they were in close proximity to the entrance, Maren reached out a hand for the handle, and they both glanced at each other with a silent understanding. With a strong but swift push, Maren pulled the door fully open before Amaragi immediately stepped forth and watched out for any people inside-

 

-but much to her shock, the only people she found were the soldiers who were supposed to occupy the fort. All of them laying on the cold stone floor, completely unmoving. Maren quickly joined her side, taking in the same sight as her. 

 

From what he could gather, the room was filled with many barrels which contained food provisions, and there were even some meals left on the ground, partly left uneaten. Maren approached the nearest body of a soldier, kneeling down to inspect them further. Most of them were still wearing their armor, just like this one. 

 

But to his regret, they were not breathing anymore. 

 

"Poisoned." he looked up to see that Amaragi was kneeling beside him, holding a small bowl with a half eaten meal in her hands. She could faintly smell it as she inspected the food closely before she put the bowl back on the ground, presuming that the other soldiers had fallen victim to the same fate. 

 

"Your highness!" metallic steps approached from outside before one of their soldiers suddenly barged into the room, albeit they gasped at the sight that was displayed in front of them. 

 

"Report. There is nothing we can do for them anymore." with a hesitant nod, the soldier visibly tried to recompose themselves as they straightened. 

 

"We have searched through the entire fort, and we've found that the armory is completely empty." Amaragi gritted her teeth slightly before she looked around the room once again, her eyes shifting towards the food barrels that were stored. 

 

"Stay outside and occupy the fort, watch out for any intruders." dismissing the soldier without another word, they simply nodded before they turned and left to spread the order. Meanwhile, Maren watched as Amaragi got up from the ground to approach one of the barrels, inspecting them closer. 

 

They were filled with various kinds of food, ranging from salted fish to long loaves of bread, mostly consisting of provisions that could be preserved for a relatively long time. But that was not what Amaragi was interested in. 

 

Reaching out a hand, she leaned down and dusted off the front of a barrel, revealing a small, blue inscription. 

 

'Northern Goods And Supplies' 

 

Her eyes sharply narrowed, and slowly but surely, she dusted off another part to reveal the rest of the label. 

 

'Norin Trading Company' 

 

Her hand clenched together, for it didn't take long until it all came together. 

 

And once again, her instincts had proven to be correct.

 

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AN:

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