The strider, upon which the country of Astria lay, had a diameter of 50 kilometers, which is around 30 miles. The largest city and the capital of this territory was Rosenburg. That was also where the king and his family operated from.
One would guess that Rosenburg would be at the center of this large area. However, that was not the case. It was east of the center, sticking close to the strider's wall.
The reason for this was that the strider's wall was the largest and thickest on the east side. Outside forces had the hardest time invading from there and the aerial defenders could easily hold them off.
Not counting Rosenburg, Astria had three officially verified towns with each bearing its own duchess or duke. They bore the rank of highest governing bodies, just before the king and his family.
When Naomi showed Gabriel the map he found, something stuck out to him. Neustadt, the town in which he woke up, was not part of the three verified towns. Its name was written much duller, even though it had its own duchess.
"Strange," Gabriel eyed the map. "It's not even the only one with a name written like that. There is another town northwest that seems to be unverified."
"Politics!" Naomi leaned back in his seat. "Even in a world like this, people are stupid enough to fight over a patch of dirt. I just really hope we won't get mixed into their squabble…"
Naomi got this map from an anonymous letter. He found that beside his bed when he woke up after the burning forest's events.
The map was marked with a black 'X' not too far from the town. There was a single sentence written next to it.
"Leave no one alive"
Shorty after they woke up, a wagon came to pick them up. It was old and dusty, and it perfectly blended in perfectly with the other carts.
The only thing special about it was the butler clothes left for Gabriel. Not only did they fit him perfectly, but the silver buttons and quality materials were something Gabriel was fascinated by.
One of the buttons displayed the face of an old queen. Though it was a bit uncanny, the face was small enough to be barely noticeable between the many well-made ornaments of the clothes.
Even Naomi had to appreciate how well it was made.
"Lucky bastard! You get to look like a royal butler while I'm still stuck in street clothes."
"If you think I wear this to look good, you're wrong. Clothes are symbolic. They are meant to represent our role in civilized society. Why do you think the king wears his crown? The priest his garbs?"
"Huh, that's some dystopian thinking. The king and the priest are more than what their roles represent. They are human beings with a personality and past. You were a butler's clothes, but you are more than just somebody's minion, right?"
Gabriel wanted to oppose that statement, but he stopped. His open mouth hung in the air with a hint of confusion and self-doubt. He shook those feelings aside with a mocking smile.
"You wouldn't get it."
Suddenly, the wagon came to a halt. The two jumped out in the back and walked up to the driver.
"Why did we stop? The map says we are still not there."
"That's as far as I'll go." The driver snorted with disgust. "No way I'm getting anywhere close to that damned place."
"What do you mean?"
"Chaos infestation. A pretty thick nest was made down there in the old cave. Guess' that's what happens when you don't pay enough attention to your surroundings."
"I don't get it." Gabriel frowned. "Are we talking about a monster? What is it? Who made a nest down there?"
The driver simply shrugged.
"I don't know, but it's also none of my business. That's why you self-proclaimed heroes are there for. Speaking of…"
The driver reached into his bag and threw a book and rapier before the two.
"Letter said this is for you two."
The book was a grimoire, containing the minor spells Naomi has come to know.
The rapier had no special attributes, but even then, Gabriel was relieved to have it in his hands. The weapon was made out of steel and its weight was roughly identical to the one he has wielded in his past life.
He played around the rapier for a bit, slashing and stabbing the air to see how much has changed since last time.
His skills were still undoubtable, much like the elegance with which he moved.
"Nice!" Gabriel tied the rapier to his side. "Come on, Naomi! Let's not waste any time!"
Gabriel walked along the road towards his objective, whistling a quiet but joyful tune. Naomi was hesitant at first, seeing how fast the wagon fled the scene, but ultimately followed the demon.
Their objective was deep inside the forest, at the feet of a mountain that connected to the strider's wall. It was an abandoned mine that hasn't seen any work in more than a decade.
Old, rusty nails and pickaxes lay before the entrance. A railway began just a bit further, though it was in a state that rendered it completely unusable.
A deep rumbling echoed from the depths. It sounded like the mine was alive and very, very hungry.
As Gabriel approached the entrance, he noticed something weird. The sunshine broke before him, revealing a square-shaped thing. It look magical, almost like it was a portal.
"Hm." Gabriel reached into the square and his hand disappeared.
"What the…" Naomi recoiled. "H-Hey! How about we just leave? I mean, there is no way they will figure out we didn't actually do the thing! I'm sure they won't check––"
But before he could have finished, Gabriel jumped into the portal and disappeared.
"What are you doing? Have you gone insane?!" He yelled before rushing after him.
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