The two ordered their drinks, then found a table and sat down to continue their conversation.
During this time, Captain Rades not only recounted the commendation he received at Red Water Camp after the serial murder case was solved, but also, as agreed, gave Xia De ninety percent of the bonus, which was 90 pounds in cash.
"Captain, after you returned to the camp, did anyone mention the 'Eight-Gun Captain' to you again?"
Captain Rades had already moved on from the incident, which was why Xia De dared to ask. Sure enough, the middle-aged officer only looked troubled, but not dejected:
"Of course, people would mention it, but the situation was much better than I expected, after all, I came back because I rendered meritorious service in Tobesk. Being captured by those Carson Rick people was indeed something that happened, so I accept this reality."
"Speaking of which, I've always been curious, where exactly did you enter the battlefield? I haven't heard of any war breaking out in the Sicar Mountain area in the past six months."
Xia De asked in a low voice, and Captain Rades looked left and right before answering:
"Although there's no war, we occasionally have conflicts with the soldiers on the other side of the mountain. Let's not talk about it, let's not talk about it, it was a very embarrassing thing, let it pass."
The Captain had originally planned to take Xia De hunting in the mountains, but it had rained a few days ago, and the muddy roads in the mountains were difficult to traverse, so they had to give up. However, Xia De still asked the Captain about the terrain of Sicar Mountain, hoping to get his hands on the Demon Hunter's sword before Aurora arrived in the area.
But Captain Rades couldn't show him the military map in the camp, because that map and the sand table were both in Carter Brigadier General's barracks. Although he could describe it orally and draw a rough outline of the mountainous area on the table with water, it wasn't intuitive this way.
So, Xia De subtly inquired about the location of Carter Brigadier General's barracks. Captain Rades probably didn't understand, or rather, he understood but pretended not to, and drew him a detailed diagram of Red Water Camp instead.
That military camp had almost every functional building: blacksmiths, kitchens, prayer rooms, and so on. Carter Brigadier General's barracks were not in the center of the military camp, but right next to an almost vertical cliff.
If one were to enter from the camp's entrance, one would have to pass through the entire training ground and three checkpoints to reach it. It could be said that, apart from the few buildings Captain Rades was unwilling to reveal, this barracks, which contained the precise Sicar Mountain map and sand table, was located in the deepest part of Red Water Camp.
The two didn't talk much about the camp; instead, they sat there and chatted about the differences between here and Tobesk. This kind of topic easily passed the time, and by the time someone rushed through the tavern door, telling Captain Rades to hurry back to camp, it was already half-past four in the afternoon.
"What happened?"
The Captain patted the young corporal's shoulder:
"Did Lieutenant Xiu Dun, who was caught stealing camp finances by his superiors, escape? That won't do, the people escorting him back to Tobesk haven't arrived yet."
"It's not that. Captain, it's the steam engine that broke down a few days ago, it's having problems again. Some fool used No. 1 power coal and No. 3 power coal together."
"Oh, my God, when will those new recruits remember to bring their brains along with their luggage from home?"
The Captain grumbled as he stood up, said goodbye to Xia De, and then hurried back to the camp with the sweating corporal.
Xia De sat there unhurriedly finishing his cider before getting up and leaving the Traveler's Camp.
Standing under the sign for Windy Path, he looked up at Red Water Camp perched high above.
What do you want to do?
"Guess?"
Xia De left the main road and walked into the mountain forest.
The nameless hill where Red Water Camp was located was about 50 feet (approximately 15.24 m), or five stories high. Apart from the side with steps, boardwalks, and corridors, the other sides were slopes where the mountain body and the ground formed an angle greater than 70 degrees, and the cliff behind Carter Brigadier General's barracks was almost completely vertical to the ground; even an agile animal like Mia couldn't easily climb it.
Perhaps you shouldn't underestimate that cat.
She said with a smile.
When Xia De circled the hill through the forest and arrived at the bottom of the vertical cliff, he found the situation much better than he had expected. Although the cliff was indeed steep, the soil layer of this small hill contained little loose soil; instead, blocky rocks protruded from the cliff face.
Thus, about five minutes later, a pair of hands quietly appeared at the top of the wooden fence erected on the cliff behind the barracks.
Then, a human head slowly "rose" from behind the fence on the cliff side. Xia De, who had completed his ascent using "Raglai's Leap" and "Frog's Leap," cautiously looked around, wanting to confirm if anyone had seen him.
But this position was completely blocked by the two-story stone building in front of him; Xia De couldn't see anyone, and no one could see him.
"Very good."
He jumped over the fence, put on his mask, and then changed his clothes. This unpainted, very simple-looking small building was the barracks of Carter Brigadier General, the military commander here. And according to Captain Rades' description, the sand table and map should both be on the second floor.
"I have no reason to enter from the first floor."
So, after climbing the mountain, Xia De began climbing the wall. Fortunately, compared to the 50-foot-high cliff just now, he could almost touch the top of the two-story building with a single jump.
He still clung to the window with both hands, only daring to climb in after confirming no one was present.
Thanks to Captain Rades' help, he found the right window. The sand table was placed in the center of the room, with towering sand indicating the terrain, and small flags and various metal models representing the iconic buildings on Sicar Mountain. The map, meanwhile, was hung on the west wall, with a cabinet below it holding a mirror, a pen, letters, and a pistol.
Xia De walked to the wall and quickly scanned the map:
"Did you remember it?"
I remember.
"That's good... Footsteps!"
He took out the 【Corpse Mirror】 from his 懷, then reached out to touch the mirror on the cabinet and stepped inside. A few seconds later, a tall, thin middle-aged man in leather boots and military uniform walked in, glanced at the window, walked to the wall to take down a telescope, and then walked out again, thoughtfully closing the door behind him.
"Quick, let's go."
Xia De, having achieved his goal, "jumped" out of the mirror, turned around, and was about to leap out of the window in a standard diving posture. But at that moment, a loud commotion suddenly came from outside. Xia De thought he had been discovered, but the sound seemed to be coming from the training ground outside.
"What happened?"
He hesitated for a moment, then out of curiosity, went to the window on the wall facing the camp, leaned against the wall, and slightly parted the drawn curtains to look outside.
Carter Brigadier General's barracks were located at the highest point of the entire Red Water Camp; apart from the defensive watchtowers, there were no higher buildings in the camp. From here, one could see the training ground in the distance, where a group of people were gathered around a haystack.
Although Xia De couldn't hear exactly what was being said, he could see Captain Rades and another officer he didn't recognize standing together, each holding a gun pointed at the sky, while the people around them cheered.
"What are they doing?"
Bang!
The unknown officer's gun spat out a bullet, and only then did Xia De realize they were shooting at birds in the sky. It was the season for migratory birds to fly south, and although sparrows don't fly south, they are more active in autumn. A convoy of five carriages was unloading goods on one side of the training ground, and the scattered grain on the ground attracted bold animals to constantly attack from the sky.
Therefore, even a pistol could hit targets high in the air.
The unknown officer's first shot missed the target, and the gunshots made the animals coveting the grain fly higher, but they soon descended again.
Seeing Captain Rades also preparing to aim and shoot, Xia De smiled and took out the Mind Crystal Ring from his pocket:
"Let me help the Captain."
He pointed his finger at the low-flying birds. 【Mind Blast】 is stronger the closer it is to the target. At such a distance, even if the targets were just sparrows with pitifully weak mental energy, it would at most only make their movements pause for a moment, but that was enough.
"Mind Blast!"
Timing his move with Captain Rades' shot, Xia De, hiding behind the window, used 【Mind Blast】 to perfectly "point" at the air outside. Mind Blast can only attack one target at a time, but under "Divine Radiance," it can affect multiple targets. As Xia De acted, the sparrows, though not collectively unconscious, were momentarily unable to make any agile evasive movements.
"Hit!"
Cheers erupted from the training ground outside. Captain Rades' marksmanship was still very accurate; aiming and shooting at a "fixed target" in the sky was not difficult for him.
Xia De, behind the window, also smiled. Seeing the Captain raise his gun again, with the unfamiliar officer waiting nearby, he extended his finger once more:
"Mind Blast!"
Another gunshot rang out, and then the sparrows preparing to steal grain fell to the ground. The surrounding soldiers cheered again, and the Captain smiled, scratched his head, and raised his pistol for the third time.
"Alright then, Eight-Gun Captain, is it? Captain, remember to thank me."
He muttered softly to himself, and Xia De cooperated with Captain Rades for six more shots, allowing the Captain to hit eight sparrows with a total of eight bullets. Then he left; whether the Captain continued to shoot was no longer his concern.
But from today onwards, another story related to the "Eight-Gun Captain" would probably circulate in Red Water Camp. Xia De sincerely hoped that what he had done would make his friend's life better. Captain Rades was a good man, and good men deserved a better life. This had always been the Outsider's belief, even in this strange world of steam and mist.
