Chapter 48: The Changes at the Fortress of Silence
“Did you know? They keep transporting stuff out from the forest… I’m not sure what it is, but just before I left, I happened to catch a glimpse of a church transport convoy.”
“The ones escorting the convoy are from the Second Knights Order, but there are also loads of clerics and nuns tagging along, plus a war chariot belonging to a bishop. The cargo on the chariots is so tightly wrapped in cloth that you can’t tell what’s inside… but I’m betting it has something to do with those so-called ‘demons’ that are already dead…”
“So we decided to follow them, keeping a safe distance, just outside the observation range of the convoy, sneaking up for a peek now and then. The longer we followed, the more I sensed something was off…”
“The convoy’s route was super secretive, taking paths almost no one would tread—like they were trying to hide something. After emerging from the forest, less than three days later, they took a detour to a nearby granary, which seemed to be a temporary transfer point for the merchant association to ship grains to the southern territories. Once the cargo arrived, it got mixed in with the merchant convoy’s supplies heading south… the timing, the goods, the people—everything was a jumbled mess…”
“I didn’t have enough manpower to tail them one by one, and getting too close to the granary was risky. I knew there were some serious heavyweights in that convoy, so I didn’t dare risk it. Instead, I found a high point to watch, waiting to see where the bishop’s war chariot would end up… only to be found out.”
“Those clerics were not your ordinary folks; they were a far cry from the clergy we usually meet in the church. I don’t know how they noticed us—they were on high alert while making their way… but eventually, their tracks were indeed exposed. They set a trap for us, but I sensed it coming, so we had to retreat before they could spring it…”
“We retreated to a nearby village, spent the night, and the next day turned back to chase after them, only to find we had already lost the trail of the war chariot. They had left the granary long ago, and after hopping between a few villages to gather intel, we heard that a team from the Second Knights Order had stopped by one of the towns after leaving the granary, rested briefly, and then headed to East Tower City to the south…”
“Let me tell you, those Second Knights Order folks are no match for the clerics; they’re all clumsy and not very sharp, making it a piece of cake for us to blend in with the merchant crowd. After leaving East Tower City and while en route to Pevensi Gorge, we caught up with them.”
“However, when we did, we found out that the goods they were escorting weren’t even from the granary batch; they were just emergency supplies shipped to Alectine City along with the southern merchants. We had completely lost the trail leading back to Woodward Forest… Just when we thought that, someone from Kanli overheard the knights chatting and discovered they were delivering orders to the vice captain stationed at the Second Knights Order camp in Alectine City…”
“Those knights were pretty dull; they had no sense of vigilance, making it easy for us to get close, even blending in with the merchants’ convoy briefly. By nightfall, after a few drinks, they spilled the beans… It was way too simple to uncover their goals, and we learned that the orders were about measures for settling refugees… but there was one detail that caught our attention.”
“They kept mentioning the Fortress of Silence…”
“Just saying it wouldn’t be a problem, but the way they talked made it feel rather odd. I can’t quite put my finger on it… it was like they were wary of it or something. They didn’t even know where the stuff coming out from the forest was being sent, but I remember them saying, the Fortress of Silence is likely never going to be liberated from hell for a hundred years…”
“So, we followed them to Alectine City.”
“After that, we split up; I stayed back with two others while I sent the other two ahead to investigate the situation at the Fortress of Silence. I had a feeling everything was connected… While I was investigating your situation, I also slipped into the Second Knights Order camp at night and found that order dispatched from Woodward Forest…”
“They had found all sorts of ways to send selected disaster victims to the Fortress of Silence… and that was the conclusion I reached after reading the order. It was indeed about settling the disaster victims, but they categorized them by levels—essentially picking out the lonely orphans and the pitiful souls—those refugees that no one would care about if they died—and sending them straight to the Fortress of Silence. They even put out a bounty within the church…”
“At this point, I was already starting to grasp what was going on. You wouldn’t have guessed, right?”
“I must say, it’s spine-chilling… it’s like they’ve thrown caution to the wind and are no longer even trying to cover it up.”
“But without evidence, we couldn’t act rashly. We just kept probing around town for your situation and waited for the two who went to the Fortress of Silence to return to see what they could find. Just a few days ago, those two came back.”
“According to the information they brought, the area around the Fortress of Silence is now managed by the church. As the largest refugee gathering place in the southern territories, they even built orphanages and shelters there. Getting inside those places isn’t hard, but if you want to dig deeper and actually check out the Fortress of Silence, that’s nearly impossible… The guards there seem lax, but they’re actually very tight. There are white birds almost constantly watching the skies, monitoring every nook and cranny. Even if you could fly, you couldn’t sneak in undetected…”
“My people ultimately couldn’t get into the fortress, but they uncovered something more crucial. Everything transported out from the forest eventually gets sent to the Fortress of Silence, usually requiring at least a day’s wait. Only after the sun rises the next day can the convoy set off again.”
“If I hadn’t run into you here, I was planning to check it out myself. The Queen has tasked me with the mission, and conclusions drawn from guessing and speculation won’t cut it with her; I need to uncover all the details… But now, I think those matters aren’t that important anymore.”
“What’s most important is reporting back to her about seeing you as fast as possible. You must feel the same way, huh? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have chosen such a method to write to me, heh… it’s so different from how straightforward you used to be.”
“I’ve shared everything I know with you; I think it’s necessary, but honestly, I don’t wish… how should I put it? I don’t want you to do anything reckless.”
“After all, if something were to happen to you, the Queen… she might really struggle to take it. She’s already made some bold moves for you, and if someday it backfires, the consequences could be unimaginable… Her Majesty has already been elevated to such a high position, and if she slips, she might end up with a fate similar to her father, crushed to pieces… she’s already deep in it now. I hope the news I bring back can offer her a moment of pause…”
“As for the document I mentioned, you can verify it at the Second Knights Order camp. I know you’ve had some past experiences with the Fortress of Silence during wartime, but please, remember—if anything happens… you need to stay calm. Think about those who care about you; don’t take unnecessary risks—some things can’t be rushed… Alright. Now, let’s get ready to head back. I assume you won’t be joining us, right?”
“Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of the person you entrusted to me…”
