Его не звали, но он приперся / They never called, yet he is here: Глава 2

Chapter 2
* * *

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 12:07

The sausage tract tried very hard to show us all its nasty character, but alas, it was no longer enough character for us. Every single one of Yelny's soldiers acknowledged that the beasts that lived here were in many ways unique creatures - they were found neither in the lands of the Empire of Ages nor in the wilderness, but only in the territory of Sausage and several other similar mountain valleys. The beasties were of a respectable standard, and the monstrous survivability and survival rate made it almost impossible for them to settle here. There were hardly any intelligent beasts, but the average resident of the Vzdyrznevsky tract was still superior to the average beast in intelligence and wit.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 12:29

As a result of this evolutionary game, leading a normal life here was problematic. The Empire would have colonized the place long ago if only it had been actually needed just for living. But the imperial bosses were solely interested in the accommodation we had left alone, for which the fewer people, the better. Ordinary peasants, though very, very, for peasants, pumped up, were unable to arrange the local fauna silence of lambs even in their dreams. Well, they could try, but they would not like the result because the losses would be like a full-fledged guerrilla war. Packs of white wolves alone could do no worse than a squad of seasoned raiders, up to and including organized ambushes on small caravans. And there were worse things than that.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 12:31

Again, they rarely interfered with the simple life, for they remained, for the most part, not monsters and creatures but simple beasts, albeit strong ones. Such beasts have no compulsive desire to slaughter and tear soul-bearing sentient beings and therefore, simply do not stray into human-occupied territory without a serious reason, such as starvation or some natural cataclysm. But they ate those who entered their territory even more enthusiastically than the usual monsters; beasts are generally extremely aggressive in their territoriality, even if they are not predators by nature.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 12:34

The bad news for them was that my team did not care about their territoriality, and Ygra did not care in triplicate, genuinely enjoying the opportunity to gorge herself on fresh meat. We did not allow her to go on fire in the camp for fear that she would kill all the animals. No, we did not starve the ogre; we simply dragged it to hunt far from the camp. The slowpoke herself was well aware of this position, even without the heightened intelligence, for adult moor ogres did not hunt near the camp either, leaving the most accessible prey to the smallest. To Ygra, goblins and orcs seemed exactly like children - just as green, but stupid (yes, yes, she really thought they were stupid) and quite feeble. She did not think so for her entertainment with the gang.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 12:37

Anyway, we made it through the tract without delay and adventure, unless you count the torn trousers, which were her favorite garment, as an adventure. What chance did a dancer of her rank and characteristics have of slipping and ripping the fabric on a sharp limb? And yet I offered to reinforce her clothes with essentialism! I even reinforced most of it, but she either didn't want to give me her favorite garment or she'd forgotten all about it. I heard three and a half new swear words, and even Hans nodded respectfully.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 12:41

The ravine, beyond which the Empire began, was blocked by another outpost but larger than Yelny and not so neglected. The garrison here was even weaker in some ways, and the defensive charms were inferior to those of Yelny. Not to call these charms pathetic or shitty, but they were weaker. More crude, more gaps in the signal nets, and other little things added up to a big difference.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 12:43

My clairvoyance answered me with a series of images, which led me to the conclusion that where Yelny was a full-fledged outpost designed for combat and deterrence, Cedar Fort was more of a training camp for a new generation of recruits. They did not plan to fight serious enemies here. On the contrary, yesterday's peasants were being prepared to fight for the Empire in the future. That's why the fort was so remote, so close to the wilderness (which the records of the Empire of the Ages regarded the tract as part of as well), so there was no place to desert.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 12:44

Ahead were sparsely populated lands where no one would welcome deserters, and behind were only tracts where it would be foolish to run. The elite or even normal units were located elsewhere, far more prestigious, but it was not elite or even the mediocre who were being trained here, it was the real meat. Not necessarily something that would die on the front lines - the Imperials were not fools and would not feed the soldiers of a likely enemy with a free experience. But someone has to take up grassroots positions in guarding backwoods towns, acting as a construction battalion and laborers, and other nonsense.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:13

One could consider these actions a waste of manpower because a couple of hundred heavy infantry, not to mention cavalrymen, could easily overpower three times that number of such 'fighters' without even taking serious casualties. Such is the mechanics of levels that a mob of meat can very rarely defeat a much smaller, but high-level crowd of elites. I would really think so if I didn't know that the rest of the world's armies have pretty much the same picture: a core of veterans, elites, and guards and a whole crowd of low-level recruits.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:16

In some ways, it was even beneficial because if some of the "meat" survived, they could move into the ranks of all those same veterans, or at least just into standard units. It was the first time in all my time on Alurei that I had fully grasped the reason for Hans' burning hatred of his former commanders and officers. As well as the reason why he was so happy to retrain as a guard for archaeological expeditions, which was a job even more dangerous than serving in Melaret's army.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:17

The archaeologists, or rather the commander of their adventurous gang, really needed his men. They needed them to be well-powered, relatively combat-ready, and not eager to run away from his squad, so they were treated differently, more humanely. And if they didn't think you were a bastard, you could stand a few extra skirmishes, and there was nothing for a jaeger to do in a direct fight.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:19

I shake my head, shaking visions away. At the very edge of my consciousness, I pick up a few more amusing facts. It turns out in the Empire, all the border forts are named after trees, and the inland forts within the borders are named after beasts. There are also magical towers, departing under the jurisdiction of the Magic Academy (I'll have to look through this template standard fantasy with my third eye), called all kinds of flowers and castles, and the palaces of the most powerful military aristocracy, not directly subject to the Emperor, but honored to be entered in the registers and passing under the name of all kinds of birds.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:21

If anyone was expecting any trouble sneaking past this embarrassment, I'll have to disappoint you. Even Losius, as the only one of us without a stealth bonus, could at least dance the tap dance past this travesty of sentinels. I'm serious! It was more about making sure no one was leaving the walls than it was about making sure nothing was getting in from the tract. And all the wildlife in the vicinity had been wiped out years ago.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:24

After a couple of weeks, during which we were once again reminded of all the "pleasures" of camping life, which we had become rather unused to in the very comfortable camp, I made the heroic decision to go out to the people. We were a conspicuous bunch but not so conspicuous as to be the cause of gossip and rumors.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:25

Hope so.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:25

Ygra had upgraded her camouflage skills to such a level that I seriously thought it possible to sneak her into the city. I mean, not just to sneak her in, but to let her hide relatively freely in the "stone jungle" without being seen by the townsfolk. The idea seems absurd when you think about its size, but Ygra has always given me that feeling, like a tank sneaking around a corner in the middle of the bare steppe. The frost didn't bother her - her stamina was still higher than the rest of us - and the dark green of her skin, with the skills mentioned, didn't stand out too much against the snow-covered forest. Even if she were pink and speckled with gold, she had overpumped corresponding stats.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:28

We did not take any risks, largely because Ygra did not want to go into the city - she did not like the smell, the noise, and the fact that the noise sources could not be eaten or at least wrung their necks - so she habitually stayed behind the walls, to reduce the population of bandits, monsters, and other scum. Though I admit, there were only three gangs of outlaws in the Empire of the Ages that we'd seen, but the monsters had been slaughtered.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:29

We left the knife and axe workers untouched. Not because we didn't want to get our hands dirty with the blood of innocent murderers, but because we didn't want to leave any trace of our movement towards the center of the Empire. I had to swear to Hans that I would visit them in a dreamlike manner, to make it another "Nightmare on Elm Street". I only wish I hadn't baited another one of such pranksters because he'd just lost my trail.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:31

Before we went into the city, I had to do a little work through a small mirror, straining my clairvoyance. I really, really didn't want to go inside those walls only to find that some cultist or Cthulhu himself was nesting there in all his unawakened glory. In short, I didn't want a second Kraj.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:33

To my surprise, I did find an evil and dark cult that had been around for decades. Or rather, not a cult, but five bloodsuckers (a small family nest) with two dozen slave mercenaries-servants bound with blood and Blood. On delving deeper into the subject, I was surprised to learn that all the parties concerned were quite aware of these guys, and there were rumors among the common people as well. The men were not a problem for everyone - the bloodsuckers did not rampage, they drank their servants' blood, and if they killed, they kill not often, and all sorts of scum.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:36

What's more, they also kept some of the criminal elements under their wing. And no, if you're thinking of the Assassins' Guild (which has a presence in the city) or the traffickers (who occasionally drop in for a visit), you're dead wrong. The bloodsuckers traded in antiques, jewelry, and even mid- to high-end contraband amulets, brutally slaughtering anyone who tried to trespass on their market turf.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:40

I confess, looking at the traces and effects of these monsters, I really assumed that one of them was the "kind of dark" isekai, killing "kind of only the bad guys" and generally being a noble and misunderstood Byronic character. Well, the situation was obscenely similar! I was looking in the mirror till the pain in my temples, but no, they were the most usual bloodthirsty monsters who had nothing human in them or had lost them long ago. They are simply very pragmatic and self-disciplined monsters, knowing that if they were to go along with their instincts, they would soon have to give up a fairly quiet and comfortable life and either end with a bare ass in the cold or get a friendly visit from some priests or paladins.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:42

Dangerous and cunning bastards, but, purely on the legal and moral side, they have committed far fewer abominations than one hundred percent of the local underground guild men of a wider profile. That's not a compliment to the bloodthirsty freaks but a kick in the direction of what ordinary people are willing to turn themselves into. And there's not even a realm force pressing on their heads, only money and a thirst for another piece of the pie without letting their rivals have it.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:44

To summarise the above, I can say the following: Arenam is a typical provincial cloister with its passions and dangers, but well suited to be legalized. The influence of crime in this city was much more noticeable than in Ostmark or the Kraj, but for a tightly coordinated and not looking easy prey group of mercenaries (who we claim to be), all roads are open here.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:46

My companions, tired and eager to warm themselves in a warm bath, not by the fire, had had time to howl three thousand times in the snow and the occasional snowstorm and listened to my report silently and with little emotion. Even if I had told them that it was not five of the strongest bloodsuckers and a mob of bandits behind the walls but a whole Nestlayer led by the Blood Lord, it would not have stopped them.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:47

Taria alone looked as if she could slay Count Dracula himself with a heel strike to the eye for a bucket of hot water and a soft cot, despite the difference in levels and the latter's theoretical immortality. I guess my idea of starting the journey during the winter wasn't as awesome as I originally thought it would be. In my defense, if we had stayed in the camp we would have lost time because there was no normal pumping, and winter weather even made the gathering of ingredients for alchemical research difficult.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:49

How to prove it all to Taria?

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 13:49

"Halt, damn it!" The old sergeant of the Imperial Guard, who had the misfortune of commanding the guards at the gate today, sounded surprised and a little frightened. "Who are you? Give me your voice, or I'll shoot!"

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:24

The threat was no idle one. The man had already pulled a light and compact but very effective crossbow from his shoulder. Three more of the ten guards had pointed larger crossbows at our dimly discernible figures because of the snowfall. The man's belongings were obviously not official property but had been bought with private funds... or, rather, a gift. The reaction is also understandable - people prefer not to walk in such weather, and all sorts of creatures that might seem human in such a blizzard sometimes wandered up to the walls of the glorious Arenam.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:28

"Easy, troops." Hans, as the chief specialist in negotiating with such soldiers, answers tiredly and jadedly. "Don't make a fuss, but tell us where the five of us can lay our bones. We've been lost in this fucking blizzard for a while."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:29

"I'm not, but you'd better tell me, where did you brave fellows wander off to come here?" The guard did not raise his voice in kindness but clearly calmed down and took his finger off the trigger without, however, lowering his weapon. "I do not remember any kind of people knocking at gates in winter. Are you the thieves?"

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:31

I intervene, having been able to see through the clairvoyance to the ideal scenario to answer any questions. There is no need for a dream, just the usual but timely words. Well, I can say words, too, but they usually get me killed in a particularly painful way, but that was just a coincidence.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:32

"Thieves are common on these roads, guardian." Shouting the wind howls is difficult, but I manage, careful not to provoke anyone to step forward and pull the scarf over my face down. "There's a village about six days from here that sells wasted supplies, and the villagers have been overtaken by the night. We have potions for poison, but we lost the horses. They did not help much in this weather. The rest of the way is on foot, straight to your place."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:35

My words were not just spoken but also layered on top of the information and suspicions already present in the guardian's mind, supplementing his thoughts with precisely the details he was willing to see. Also a kind of influence on the mind, but without any external energy, only on bare diplomacy. All the more so as the gang, operating by the same method does exist, and if they start looking for them, they will be found.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:37

"Is that Seromgiye, or what?" He calmed down completely, lowering his crossbow and even stepping closer to me so he could see my face. "I knew they were out there on the road, bitch! You can tell me all about them now, in the tower. You don't have to suffer for your boys. We'll keep them warm, and we won't hurt them, but you have to tell me everything."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:48

I must have been mistaken for the captain of the little squad, for I stepped forward and opened my face. And the man's got a personal grudge against that village... I guess. I can't explain his enthusiasm otherwise, only the loss of someone, though not close, but a good acquaintance for sure. Or a distant relative, perhaps.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:49

"There's nothing left to tell about that gang," I answered calmly, not even moving from my seat. "We're at least level twenty, and it's just a bunch of men with a shiv. Only thing is, they had good poison. It was almost undetectable. The alchemist, I'd wager, was so guilty after her atrocities that she tripped and fell on her knife if you ask me about her."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:52

"Just the alchemist?" A surprised eyebrow raised in response to me. "And no one else?"

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 15:53

That the adventurers who had received the poison for their own money - and who else could we be - would avenge the frame-up, he not only had no doubts but considered such an outcome to be logical. But that the revenge would be so targeted and small in blood, he did not much believe. A company of five heads at the twenty-plus level would have cut a small village to the ground in a frontal attack. And a larger one would be slaughtered, for some would run away at the sight of the massacre anyway.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:27

"Also, headmen in such villages have a tendency to fall on the corner of the table... six times in a row." I smiled understandingly in response to the guard's grin. "And the rest of the men, they're all dead. Adventurers are human beings too, and after a poisoned battle, they are not at their best. They limited themselves to what they had. However, during the days we spent moving across snow and ice without horses, a desire to go back and set fire to that viper pit from four corners may arise in people. The only thing that stopped us was that we would have to go back first and then stomp forward."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:29

That's it. He believes me. We are now firmly in his picture of the world as the strong guys with whom it is better not to get cheeky with bribes but who are not yet strong enough to get cheeky with him. True, I will now have to arrange in said village exactly what I have now voiced. I have not, after all, told a falsehood; there is a village where travelers are poisoned and where thugs die of fits of conscience. We have antidotes, too, and we have lost horses, beasts, and scum, I hate them, even if in different circumstances.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:31

"I see, Adventurer." He nodded respectfully, giving the signal to lower the weapon. "You an independent, or one of Guild? And, uh, don't take this as a threat, but why are you and your boys out in the world at such a bad time?"

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:33

"Nah, I'm not from the Imperial Guild, though I plan to get a badge for the whole group," I answered calmly and relaxed, the way a man craving to warm his bones would answer, and not even pretending much. "There is no mystery. An aristocrat of yours has decided to set up a set of levels closer to the Northern Ranges for his sons. Not in the most uncharted, but close enough to the foothills to require guards. Private retinue is not suitable for such cases, so adventurers are hired, especially those accustomed to working in the mountains. Guides, corrals, and, occasionally, teachers."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:34

Again, not a bit of a lie, just a story not about us. But everything is true, and there is undoubtedly such an aristocrat, and he employs adventurers and pumps his sons with beasts. The Northern Ranges, or in other words, the Grey Mountains is a local section of uncharted territory. The only way to the wild lands in this part of the Empire is through Sausage, for those very mountains are in the way. But those mountains are also home to many beasts, and there are interesting ruins. The locals are happy that even if something descends from there, it does not go further than the foothills and quickly returns.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:36

"All right, man." Decides the guard. "I'm Tomm, a tenth officer of the guard of the glorious city of Arenam. It's a pleasure to welcome you and your boys to these walls. I'd advise you to stay in Ironmonger's Kitchen at old Bally's. He's cheap, and the food's good. If you want to party, there's the Golden Tray, but the guards there may be a problem. They don't let everyone in."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:40

"Nice to meet you, Tomm." I shake his outstretched hand firmly, introducing myself in return. "My friends call me Tin. And I've got not only men here but two ladies as well."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:41

The last phrase clearly confuses the guard, but a second later he regains a slightly cheerful and nonchalant look, glancing around at his companions still standing in the distance (just in case the guards shoot, which would fit the standard of behavior for hardened cutthroats). He scratched his nose, red from frost with a thick glove, and waved.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 16:53

"I still can't get used to the fact that you have so many women in your units." With mild indignation, this child of patriarchy asserts, trying not to offend said women too much, mindful of my allusion to their levels. "Go through the gate arch - they are already acti... turned on, in short - yes, you may be free to go. If you need a job, go straight to the Magistrate. It's easier to talk to the burgomaster than to the guilders. Otherwise, they'll try to cheat you for gold first, and then we should bury their corpses... when they've tripped and fallen on a table fork six times."

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 17:04

I laugh at the unsophisticated joke, simultaneously shuffling the stolen shadows and changing them around a bit. As practice has shown, if you have time for relatively safe experimentation, you can come up with many new ways to use your skills. For example, the combination of Shadow Creation and Shadow Theft, not only allows you to fool interrogators by slipping them someone else's status information but also to write new ones.

Camrad_RIP 03.04.23 в 17:05