Heroes to Hunted

We passed many workstations and structures while following Hearth.

There was a gruff old blacksmith. He hammered away at smoldering steel over an ashen black anvil. With the Sun creeping below the horizon, he relied upon the glow of lantern light and the bed of cindery coals to see.

Next was a series of tented storehouses. Each was guarded by two soldiers dressed in makeshift studded brown-leather armor and boasted longswords.

Amongst them stood Barrett; he angrily shouted at a soldier about "the careful distribution of food" or something along those lines.

After passing numerous bunkhouses, we saw the most curious structure. Curious because, out of every other, this one was the most developed and fortified.

It was a modestly sized rectangle fitted with meticulously crafted wood planks and iron plating. The top flared up into a multitude of venting chimneys. Most intriguingly, the building contained no windows or means to see inside. On its blackened door was a wood sign inscribed with the phrase "R&D."

"R...and D?" Agawa pointed quizzically at the building. "What's that?"

I could guess what it meant based on what I knew from my world. I was proven right when Hearth spoke up.

She maintained a steady pace forward but cocked her head back and smiled warmly. "It's Research and Development! We use it to study and create tools from salvaged material. I can't go into specifics, though. Even I'm not sure what goes on in there," she finished with a charming giggle.

We passed several structures, sleeping tents, small training areas, and bonfire pits. Eventually, we came upon a grand gray tent with two banners staked in the ground.

Immediately upon seeing them, I was struck by a sense of familiarity. The red borders, the centered red Sun. It was the same banner I saw when we first came here. The ones I saw during the "bandit" ambush on the carriages.

'Yup, so they weren't bandits, in the end, after all...' Beyond confirming my suspicions, the banner evoked other feelings.

'Japan...' It nearly brought a tear to my eye. Though it was devastated by war, it was my home. The place I swore I'd die for.

My heart tightened with melancholy as images of a proud island country played through my mind. Memories of salty sea shores, thriving urban districts, and tranquil green farmlands. 'I miss it...'

"We're here!" Hearth exclaimed with raised hands, breaking me from thought. "Welcome to headquarters! The General's just inside, waiting for you all," she turned toward us and smiled. "I'll be right out here if you need me."

Kamida thanked her for her guidance before we followed her instructions and cautiously entered the tent. The inside screamed the phrase "officer's quarters."

The ground was covered by a luxurious red carpet, fully sealing the tent away from the outside world. Above it stood a sleek pinewood desk with various books and paper stacks lining the edges...and behind the desk sat a born leader.

His focused, darkened blue gaze, his brooding silence, and his aura of absolute righteousness. Just one look and I knew he was a man of power. A man of quick planning and swifter action. Physically, he was angular and chiseled, befitting a man of high leadership. He donned an immaculate white collared shirt and black tie beneath a dark blue suit.

He had his arms propped atop the desk's surface and crossed his hands in front of his mouth. His attention neglected us; he was staring at three others, the three we parted ways with half an hour ago.

Mizuno, Suda, and Shrug stood quietly before him. They each had alarming expressions of unease and worry. Even Shrug, the man of peak stoicism, couldn't fully contain his angst.

The man sliced through the silence with a clear voice honed to a razor's edge. "This is..." he stopped and wearily rubbed his temples. "Provisions were already low enough..." he lowered his head and hushed his voice. "Goddammit..."

"I'm sorry, Cap. I..." Suda performed a solemn bow. "I know the camp really needed it." Likewise, Mizuno and Shrug performed their own gestures of apology.

The suited man sighed and waved their apology off. "It's fine... Between the strange 'wisps' that you mentioned and everything else, you had a hell of a time. You all did the best you could. Besides, there's no use worrying about the failures of the past... Not while we're screwed in the present."

He gave a tired smile and lifted his gaze from the table, noticing us standing at the entrance. "Ah, these are  the new recruits you mentioned, I assume?" he questioned the three.

The three also turned toward us, and Mizuno nodded at the suited man. "That's right, Sir," she responded. "They're the ones we found being attacked by the quillbeast."

He hummed to himself and looked us over. Strangely, he paid me extra attention. "They're going to need a lot of training. Will you three be responsible for it?"

"Yes, Sir," Mizuno replied again.

He'd been about to speak when Suda interjected. "Uh, Sir! What should we do about the supply problem? Ya know...since the bear didn't work out..."

Silence ensued while he visibly pondered his next move. He took a breath and turned his attention toward Mizuno. "What do you think? Any ideas, Lieutenant? I can't make a decision without input from my second."

Mizuno brought a hand up from her cloak and gripped her chin. "Aside from dispatching more hunting parties...we could schedule a raid? Steal from Blackwood's stores?"

The suited man shook his head and chuckled. "That sounds risky, but we're running out of time. So a raid might be our only option left..."

"Oh well," he sighed, "our problems aren't going anywhere." He looked at us and smiled. "Let's call it quits for now and rest. You all must be starving and tired."

My countrymen needed no verbal response; their longing and drooling faces at the mention of rest and food were more than enough.

He laughed again. "Well, before I send you all off, my name is Furuya Susumu, former captain of Tokyo PD and the lead figure in this settlement. I look forward to formally meeting each of you. Dismissed!"

After the meeting's conclusion, everyone began their departure from the tent. However, as we left, he waved me down. "You and I..." he paused and stood up. "We need to chat," he narrowed his eyes and motioned for me to take a seat.

Given his fierce expression, a refusal wasn't an option.

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