Chương 56: Chapter 55 – The Calm Before the Tide

The squad managed to return to the fort safely after five long days. We ran into a few more beasts along the way, nothing serious, but each fight left us more battered. Even before the Venelion, exhaustion had been catching up to us. After that encounter, it felt like we were stuck in a constant fog of fatigue. Being out in the open, always alert, never letting your guard down, it drained you more than you'd think. No drill within the safety of walls could truly prepare you for these expeditions.

Every encounter grew harder, every victory slower, and every rest shorter. The sergeant's insistence on keeping the conscripts out of combat didn't help either. It wasn't like I could argue, questioning a sergeant's order was an easy way to get yourself marked for insubordination, or worse, killed in the field for it. Still, the conscripts weren't in good shape either. Closer to the fort, Tier 1 beasts started appearing more often.

During one encounter with a herd of boars, Michael was mauled so badly he had to be carried in a cart, pushed by Varric or Garran, while Kael's injuries kept him from helping much. Three men doing the work of four didn't make the march back to the fort easy. Thankfully, Kael could still walk; otherwise, I was half afraid the sergeant might have ordered us to leave him behind. When we finally reached the fort, the sight of its walls felt like mercy.

After reporting the expedition, the sergeant brought good news—we were given three days off. I still had to submit my own intelligence report on the expedition and the conscripts, but the lieutenant gave me a few extra days to finish it. I took that as an opportunity to rest and mingle with other squads from Company Three, as well as a few from other companies. Turns out, Colin and Jack were social butterflies.

One afternoon in the mess hall, while we were eating with Colin and Jack, a soldier from another table called out.

"Hey, Colin! Jack! Come join us!" We slid over, trays in hand.

"I heard your squad had its first perfect run," one of them said in a blunt tone.

"How did that happen?" A perfect run, an expedition where every member returned alive. Judging by his tone, I could tell our squad didn't have the best reputation. But now that I thought about it, Lieutenant Fenward had hinted at something similar before we left. His exact words to the sergeant were: ' With beast activity rising, we expect more than a few full-strength expeditions.' Colin grinned.

"It's all thanks to our new private here, Edward. Strong fighter, good with first aid, and knows how to make runes." He clapped my shoulder.

"Edward, meet Jay and Phil from Company Five. The quiet ones are Luke and Mitchell, Company Six."

"Nice to meet you all," I said, setting my tray down.

"First time I've eaten with anyone outside my squad." They stiffened slightly. Jay narrowed his eyes.

"You're not a noble or rich merchant's kid, are you?"

"No," I said, puzzled.

"Why would you think that?" Jay glanced at Colin, who shook his head. The tension eased.

"People with rune-crafting skills are usually nobles or rich kids. Nothing against them, but they don't usually hang with the rest of us." That made sense. Rune specialization wasn't common among regular soldiers.

"Don't worry," Jack said with a laugh.

"Our Edward's solid. Patched us up every time without a single complaint." Phil nodded.

"Good to hear. It's nice to meet you." We settled into easy conversation.

"So," Jay asked, "how was the expedition? We've heard rumors about beasts getting more active lately."

"Yeah," Phil added, "a few squads in Company Five lost several men last week to a Tier 2 pack. What about you guys?" Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Colin leaned in.

"You'll never believe it, we ran into a Tier 3 Venelion." That earned silence around the table. Forks froze halfway up. I blinked. I'd assumed high-tier encounters were common, just rare in number. Apparently not.

"So Tier 3s aren't common around here?" I asked. Colin shook his head.

"They exist, but not predators like that. Beasts of Venelion's level usually stay in the inner forest. Seeing one this close is rare. I've served five years here and lived through two beast waves; this was my first time encountering a predator of that tier. That's why Kael's so thankful for your repair work on his armor."

"How did you take it down?" Jay asked, curiosity in his voice.

"Well, it was a tough fight; it took all of us to bring it down. Thankfully, Walter managed to save a conscript, and our Edward's antidote let us commit to the attack with less fear," Colin replied.

"Your squad's going to rise fast. You're all lucky, first you got Walter, and now a great support private," Jay commented, glancing at me.

"You all know about Walter?" I asked.

"Yeah, he's well-known around the fort. Hardly anyone hasn't heard of him. Give it a few days, you'll hear more about him too," Jay said. We kept talking, the conversation drifting from beasts to ration quality to the upcoming training rotations. But my mind lingered on something else, the Venelion. If Colin was right, beasts of that potential shouldn't be appearing this close to the fort. I realized I needed to cross-check this against the previous intelligence reports the lieutenant had provided.

That night, after dinner, I pulled out the expedition logs. Using [Memory Recall (UC)], I rewrote the details, beast types, approximate distance from the fort, terrain. Then I activated [Map Reading (C)] and sketched a rough map of our patrol route, marking every encounter. Comparing it to older reports, I noticed a pattern forming. It wasn't just that beast activity had increased. Higher-tier beasts were moving closer to the fort. That was far more worrying.

I compiled everything into a clean report, added notes and comparisons, and handed it to the lieutenant the next morning. The next three days passed quickly. The lieutenant seemed impressed by my report. He even ordered that my format become the default for all future expedition records. I was to train the other intelligence privates in Company Three. He mentioned it might become standard practice across the fort. That part scared me. There were seven infantry companies, two scouting, and one archer company.

Even if I were only handling the infantry, it would still be a massive amount of work. But it also meant recognition and contacts. During all this, I also completed my first month at Fort Darrow and was finally able to collect my five mana crystals, the resource I'd been waiting for since I arrived. From the next day onward, my daily meditation exercises included absorbing a small amount of mana from the crystal.

A week later, after days of night watch and drills, the alarm horn called the entire fort to assembly at dawn.

"Any idea why we're being called?" I asked Colin as we joined the stream of soldiers heading toward the training yard. He shrugged.

"If the Captain's calling it, it's big." The entire garrison stood gathered below the command balcony. Then Fort Commander Lord Alaric Darrow, royal knight and captain in the Royal Army, stepped out. He was tall and broad, his armor gleaming even in the dim morning light. The weight of his presence and mana pressed on everyone.

"Attention, soldiers!" His voice carried like rolling thunder.

"I have gathered you here to deliver important news. Over the past month, our intelligence reports have confirmed that a grand beast tide will strike this fort within the next six months!" A ripple of murmurs spread through the ranks.

"Yes, a grand tide," he continued.

"For those unfamiliar, it's a beast tide that occurs once every twenty years, when the creatures of the Untamed Forest surge in both number and strength, growing fivefold compared to a normal tide." A grand beast tide was like a calamity. Even towns like Oxspell, about a hundred kilometers from Stonegate, had horror stories of the devastation they caused. I had never lived through one myself, only heard stories, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.

Normal beast tides were seasonal back home, times when the prices of magical beast materials dropped. But here at the fort, deep inside the Untamed Forest, dealing with normal beasts would be a nightmare. It was hard to imagine what a grand beast tide would bring.

"I have led this fort through the last two grand tides," the commander said, voice firm, "and I intend to lead it through a third. I will not let my name be tarnished by incompetence or failure. From this moment onward, all training drills will be intensified and closely monitored under my direct supervision. Within three months, an additional 1, 000 troops will arrive. Those with knowledge of runes or siege rigging will report for auxiliary duties under the rune-masters and Chief Sapper."

He paused, gaze sweeping the crowd.

"Lieutenants and sergeants, maintain strict discipline. Ensure your men are ready. The kitchen has been ordered to increase beast meat in the rations to keep all troops in top condition. Dismissed!" The assembly broke apart, tension humming through the ranks. On the way back to the Longhall, Walter caught up to me. His voice was low, unreadable.

"Meet me at the training yard after lunch." Walter didn't wait for my reply, just turned and walked off, leaving the words hanging. I watched him go, wondering what he had in mind.