The sound of the alarm took Sieg by surprise when he was helping to adjust the irrigation system in the kitchen garden. The gardener quickly stepped back, making way for the soldiers who were on an olericulture task today, to get quickly to their positions on the wall. Aside from a few newcomers, everyone knew exactly what they had to do and didn't waste any time.

Practically flying to the top of the stairs, Sieg prepared a rifle and aimed it at an area outside the wall. Just outside the electric fence, a group of soldiers had brought a cart loaded with carcasses of caught animals. The officer in charge formed a battle formation using the cart as a shield for his subordinates. Despite the early hour, the sun had already set. The soldiers on the walls squinted their eyes, looking into the darkness surrounding the defensive line. Something was moving near the border where the light from the lamps could not reach.

"Lit the spotlight!"

The graveling voice shouted the command. It sounded close to Sieg, who recognized its owner without averting his gaze from the aim. In a few seconds, a ray of bright light hit the ground, chasing away darkness. It partially reached the area where they saw movement. The predator's eyes reflected light, appearing as two red dots. The beast with a slender yellow body full of dark spots and a long muzzle growled and dived into the darkness. A few other shadows followed it.

Sighs of relief filled the air.

"Open the gates!" barked the next command, Margrave Nolden.

The soldiers outside the wall started to retreat, keeping the formation. When the last of them reached safety behind the walls, the gates were closed again and electricity returned to the fences. With the alarms turned off, soldiers on the walls went back to their duties. Sieg went back to the kitchen garden, only to be dismissed by the gardener. The old man decided to postpone work until morning. Sieg accepted the decision without complaining.

He thought for a moment whether he should just go back to his room or find another task. Nolden was still at the top of the wall. Sieg visited the kitchen and then returned to the margrave with two mugs of hot tea. He found Wenzel grumbling about the late return of the hunting party. The officer in charge listened to complaints with an expression of humble acceptance on his face.

"We shouldn't do this in the first place. Growing our veggies and hunting to supply border troops is not the best way to maintain an army. I highly doubt anyone in the capital does these things aside from for leisure," scowled the margrave, observing the cart's cargo being unloaded and moved to the kitchen. When he noticed Sieg, Nolden dismissed the officer to the latter's clear happiness. The margrave was wearing a thin shirt, leaving his jacket behind and rushing towards the sound of the alarm. Considering the cool night air, it turned out to be a good idea to bring hot tea to warm the grumpy superior up.

Nolden took the mug with gratitude and smiled. Sipping hot tea, his mood brightened immediately. In silence, two men watched as the soldiers finished unloading their cargo and dispersed from the square. The anxiety that had filled the air only minutes ago had turned into a relaxed mood. This change from peacefulness to alert tension was an integral part of life on the border. It was easy for Sieg to adjust to this never-ending cycle, as it was similar to the life of a Magic Snatcher. What was new were the constant interactions with the soldiers from the nearby territories. Regardless of whether they were Kushane or Anatolians, from the margrave down to the last private, everyone maintained an amiable attitude.

Right now, it was a good time to ask the question he had, considering the margrave's appeased mood.

"Margrave Nolden, if I may be so bold, can I ask a question?"

The man stared at Sieg with a half-open mouth. The skin on his right temple twitched. "My, how formal you sound. You should leave such speech for the palace. Ask me anything."

"Thank you. We share the border defense with Kushane in the south. What do you think about them?"

Nolden didn't even hesitate to answer. "Kushane are brave and strong warriors."

"What about the North-West, then?" asked Sieg, preparing to hear some remarks about the canal issue which took place between nations a year and a half ago. But the margrave continued speaking in a calm manner.

"Anatolians are smart. They always come up with unexpected solutions to situations with lack of resources."

"Does this mean you like both of them?" Sieg was expecting advice on how to watch his tongue in the presence of other national soldiers or an order to limit contact to the bare minimum. It would be understandable if there was at least some rivalry or dispute.

Yet, Wenzel Nolden shrugged. "I do. We have a common goal, and we help each other. True, no one is perfect, but everyone has their own strengths, even the king. When the nereids struck years ago, he fought fiercely. Gahiji from the South-East came to help when he was just the captain of a border patrol ship. It was truly badass. And Wang Dongmei from the North-East joined them as a brilliant strategist. They won the war, but unfortunately, in the final battle, Dongmei's ship sank. Carlos searched for her desperately, for longer than her own country, but alas, there was no hope. And no, don't get the wrong idea - they weren't lovers. Carlos never put his women on such a high pedestal. He admired Dongmei's sharp intellect and sharp tongue, and he regarded her as one of "his men". Carlos treats his allies and aids extremely well..." The margrave paused, reminiscing over the events of the past war. "Anyway, just remember to always have a good relationship with your neighbors. At the end of the day, we are all human, regardless of what we wear or eat or love."

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The answer was more than Sieg had expected. He nodded, taking a sip from his mug. The tea began to get cold. The young man drank the remaining liquid, thinking about going back to his room, but the question he had asked triggered something in the margrave, and he addressed to the Magic Snatcher.

"Do you know why humans were able to withstand the Retaliation War and survive, despite the nymphs' magic?"

"Because humans possess technology," stated Sieg a phrase he had heard and read countless times.

"Yes, but more importantly, humans have a cooperative ability that is far greater than nymphs can imagine. Nymphs are individualistic, even ego-centric creatures. The needs of one stand above the needs of many. Only those with a great magical capacity can gain their respect and command them. That's why, as a species, they never explored other worlds. That and their sense of superiority. Humans, on the other hand, form society. We can organize ourselves into armies, complex nations and work on projects that require the efforts of millions..."

Nolden paused. The ground started to shake slightly, and the mug he placed on a stone ledge of the wall began to tremble towards the edge. The margrave held the mug for a moment, until the weak earthquake passed. Then, he lit a cigarette and continued, "Have you seen the Unity at the base of the Navigation Tower?"

"I'm afraid I have not."

"It's a remarkable piece of art. I saw it for the first time when I was just a greenhorn. Those figures carved in stone united in their efforts to hold their ground and survive. And they survived. Nowadays, you won't find this kind of determination and unity in palaces. Everyone fights for their share. Unity now can only be found at the wall."

Sieg listened to the margrave's speech. Was it because of the night sky above them full of stars or due to his first question that Wenzel Nolden spoke eagerly and frankly? It urged Sieg to share his thoughts and continue the conversation.

"Some people in the capital claim that humans shouldn't have started the Retaliation War in the first place. They say it was a mistake and even that the Saintess' daughter wasn't killed by nymphs."

The margrave scoffed, "Oh, I bet they do talk like that." Being far away from the conflict makes them think it doesn't concern them at all." The cigarette Nolden was holding was burning significantly, so he shook off the ash. "Well, it's not like we have any witnesses. We can only speculate about the murder, as we don't know exactly what happened that day. What's worse, the Saintess' daughter, Eve, was a quiet person, rarely sharing anything with anyone aside from her fiancé and mother. Our version of the story is a scattered collection of fragments collected from a few passersby."

The cheerful talk from the soldiers arriving at the barracks distracted Nolden for a moment. It was time for dinner. The marquess put out his cigarette and picked up his mug. He nodded at Sieg, inviting him to follow his lead. Slowly, they headed downstairs, when Wenzel continued the conversation.

"My ancestor served in the guard with Eve. He had a weird habit of writing a diary on paper. Now, it's one of the few documents from that era."

"Did you read it? It must contain a lot of important information." Hearing about such a valuable source of knowledge, Sieg felt a desire to look at the diary as well or at least hear the opinion of someone who had already read it.

"Yes, it does. For example, what he ate for breakfast and his bedroom adventures with his wife."

The margrave was silent for a moment, then he said, "We were desperate to not commit the same sins as our ancestors had done. We tried hard to be friendly and teach our hosts everything we could. But the nymphs were not interested. Their smiles and questions served one goal - to learn about better ways of our extermination." Wenzel sighed, "That's what my ancestor wrote in his diary. His two daughters aged five and eight, as well as almost everyone from the guard's corps, perished in the Retaliation War. No wonder he went a little crazy… It's tough and depressing. Don't read it."