CHAPTER 8: OUTPOST

Luna’s eyes suddenly widened as a thought seemed to cross her mind. "Come to think of it, you don’t have anywhere to stay right now, do you?" she asked.

"No, not really," Allen admitted. "I’ve been sleeping in the forest for the past two nights."

"Then... how about coming with me?" she offered. "The place I’m staying is a bit rough, but it’s better than sleeping out here. You can stay until you figure out your next move."

Now that is an interesting proposal, isn’t it? I do want to go with her but I’m not really sure of where I’m headed. Asking her outright is an option, but it may seem suspicious so I’d rather avoid that. From the information I have about her I can take a few guesses, but they’re just guesses in the end.

Allen frowned a little, trying to evaluate his options and decide whether he wanted to go through with Luna’s proposal or not.

"Are you sure I won’t be imposing on you? I don’t mean to cause you any trouble," he said, stalling the conversation so that he could get more time to think.

"Well, I’ll have a bit of explaining to do to my companions but I’m sure they’ll have no problem with it. So you don’t have to worry about it," she explained.

’Companions’ huh? That’s just another new information... Sigh... Overanalyzing isn’t gonna do anything. I finally have a possible way to find out more about this world through her, and that is the most important thing right now. If I have to take on a little risk due to that I won’t mind that at all. Plus, it’s true that I don’t have a place to stay.

With that thought Allen made up his mind and decided to go through with Luna’s idea.

"I see. I’ll gladly take you up on that offer then," he said with a nod.

"Let us head out then. There’s a little something I’m worried about as well, so it’ll be better to reach there sooner," she said.

"Hmm? Do you think more of those assassins are gonna come?" Allen asked curiously.

"Oh, no. It’s nothing major like that. It’s just a part of the protocols I have to follow after encountering something like this," she explained.

"I see," Allen nodded.

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After that the both of them left the area and began to march forward, with Luna leading the way and Allen walking along with her.

Then after about two to three minutes of walking in silence, Luna spoke.

"We’re almost there," she said.

A few moments later the forest around them began to thin out until it eventually reduced to a few bushes. Across which was miles of grasslands and plains spreading in all directions.

In front of Allen’s line of sight, at about a distance of a few hundred meters was what looked like a settlement.

What exactly is that? Allen thought, trying to discern the identity of the location.

There were dozens of tents of various sizes, surrounded by crude wooden walls that looked like they were built in a hurry. A simple protective barrier, though a weak one. It looked more like a makeshift solution than anything else.

Around the center of the settlement near the biggest tent was a flag which fluttered effortlessly in the air. It was dyed in blue with a white crescent moon on it.

Needless to mention there were a lot of people present as well.

There’s something off though. Allen questioned internally, his eyes squinting a little as he looked closely at the scene in front of him.

Are most of them wearing armor? Certainly does seem like it. Actually, now that I look at it it’s quite similar to Luna’s armor. They’re carrying a sword with them too. Wait... is this a fucking military outpost?

The realization struck him like a brick. While he couldn’t say for sure yet, the settlement in front of him did seem like a temporary military outpost.

While it was quite different from a modern military outpost, the field that most of Allen’s knowledge and interest focused on. He had read about and seen some military infrastructure of medieval times.

Things may not be the exact same in this world due to the existence of magic, but a few patterns would still exist. In fact, anyone with a little common sense would be able to tell that.

"Is this a military outpost?" he asked, deciding to just get it over with.

"Kind of. It’s a defensive outpost," she replied calmly. "We’re trying to reclaim territory from the highlanders, but things have been at a stalemate for a month. For now, we’re just holding our position."

"We?" Allen pressed. "Are you part of the military?"

"Yes," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I’m a commanding officer of the Knights of Perseverance."

Wait Wait Wait. Am I in the middle of a fucking warzone? Is my luck really that bad? Even the worst spawn points in those isekais were at least inside a town or city. Plus, I have no clue what’s going on. What the fuck is Knights of Perseverance? What the fuck are highlanders? What occupied territory? How do I even know if it’s truly occupied territory or just propaganda on your side to claim foreign land?

Allen’s thoughts raced as the both of them walked closer to the settlements. Eventually reaching what seemed like the entrance.

It wasn’t much. Just a few guards keeping watch on a small dirt trail that led inside toward the camps.

"Welcome back, Ms. Revoltstar," the guards said in unison, clenching their fists and putting them over their hearts in a form of salute.

She nodded to them in response, their attention then shifting toward Allen.

"Don’t worry, he’s my guest," Luna said, looking at Allen.

"Understood," the guards said, making way for them to pass.

"You’re quite a bigshot it seems," Allen mentioned casually.

"Well, kind of. Someone had to fill those positions after all, it’s not like I’m anything special," Luna replied.

Allen smirked.

"Too much humility isn’t a good thing, Ms. Revoltstar. You should accept the credit you’ve earned," he bantered.

A small, genuine smile spread across Luna’s face, and she let out a soft chuckle. "You got me," she laughed.