Second Sergeant, Wilhelm von Habsburg , Russiva Imperial Year 782 Month 3, Day 8, No Man's Land, Deutsche Imperial Army
"I am Lance Corporal Reichel Schwertspinne, From Group D, 126th squadron!"
A powerful voice, yet also oddly enchanting and calming as well.
The young girl in her teens, who had a mighty demeanor befitting of a soldier was a Lance Corporal or any other higher rank at such a young age.
"Sir! Now that we have introduced ourselves, may we get back to training?"
"Ah...right, Of course."
Wilhelm was overtaken by her assertive tone, as well as Veit who was also unable to comprehend the situation.
'More importantly...'
'Considering Lance Corporal Schwertspinne's rank...'
"She's your 2nd Adjutant, just below me." Veit said, apparently he and Wilhelm were thinking of the same thing.
"But isn't that kind of ridiculous? Being a rank above Private at that age, on top of not being a noble..."
"There's also the Group where she comes from."
"You mean Group D?"
"Yeah that."
People who were employed by the Empery's military were split into groups based on how they were hired by the military. There were four of these groups, these groups were Group A, B, C. and lastly D.
Group A were the people who were recommended by a noble or royal family or were admitted due to sheer talent and competence, Examples of this is his Wilhelm's friend, Corporal Welcker and himself, They could enlist at any age above 20.
Group B were the people who volunteered and got a basic education on how to be a soldier in Cadet School, prime example of this is Private Balholf, who took advantage of the fact that he was going to get drafted anyways and volunteered to get a good record.
Group C are people who were forcibly conscripted, most of these are men from ages 25 to 40.
And finally there was Group D, who are declared 'special cases'. Typically these people would get admitted into Group A, however there could be multiple reasons why they couldn't be admitted to Group A.
Ranging from lack of recommendation, lack of physical requirements, doubt about places of origin, and/or volunteering despite being a natural-born citizen of the enemy nations.
'And there's also...'
Being shifted into Group D, because they didn't reach they age requirement, but however had too much talent for the Empery to pass up.
Example of this was Grand Knight Heinz von Schaber, who tried to enlist at the age of 15, and was rejected due to his age. However it was not until he was 18 that the Emperor officially created Group D, and he was finally enlisted and quickly rose through the ranks by being a field commander.
'How scary...' Wilhelm thought.
But even if he thought he was scary, he still thought that Lance Corporal Schwertspinne would be a good person to get along with, despite her being from Group D.
However he didn't know at the time.
He didn't know the ride that he was in for in the near-future, He didn't know just what Reichel had in store for his future.
He was going to play a large part in the Empery's history.
Simply just because Lance Corporal Reichel Schwertspinne thought that he could be useful.
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Later that night...
About 9:00PM in the evening, when soldiers had already gone to sleep and the night shifts were rolling, keeping sight of any intruders. Wilhelm was sleeping soundly when he was suddenly awoken by an abrupt, yet strangely weird and quiet noise.
It was the sounds of soft muffling, as if someone was trying to make their footsteps appear quieter.
Feeling his paranoia spike up, and the alertness of a new recruit who was just so anxious on his first day; Wilhelm rose up from his makeshift bed inside the squad tent of the 126th.
"...what?"
All the other his other squadmates were sleeping soundly, but as his gaze trailed off to the farthest corner of the tent, he could see that one the beds didn't have somebody sleeping on them.
It was Lance Corporal Schwertspinne's bed.
Wilhelm suddenly had this strong urge to look for her, because he feels like she might be doing something more than just a midnight stroll.
"Nah, she's just probably looking at the stars or something." Wilhelm ignored the feeling, considering that she was only 17 she should be allowed some degree of freedom at least, even if she was in the military.
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Lance Corporal, Reichel Schwertspinne , Russiva Imperial Year 782 Month 3, Day 8, Czuch Union, Deutsche Imperial Army
Reichel ran across the fields of No Man's Land, she kept running at full speed without stopping until she reached Czuch territory.
The almost desert-looking plains were replaced by a lush forest, untouched by the technology of mankind.
Ever since Reichel got a hold of the Essence of Gluttony, she just couldn't sleep unless she drained out her massive supply of stamina, or unless she was too injured to move which would then make her body shut down in an effort to focus all of her body's resources on healing.
And speaking of the Essence of Gluttony...
*gruuuuuumble*
"Hahhh...hahhh...hahhh..." Reichel took huge breaths of air, not because she was tired, but because she was trying to keep herself from going awry.
Once every few days her condition would convert like this, It's not because of the full-moon werewolf shit or anything like that, It was just because...
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"I need...more!"
Military rations just wouldn't satisfy her hunger.
The Essence of Gluttony has a large effect on one's mind, that's what Reichel surmised, and even with someone like her, she still has trouble keeping it in check, even if her hunger was satisfied.
When Reichel first joined the military, Every day in the camp was nerve-wracking for her, she couldn't stop seeing her own squadmates as food. Three measly meals a day just wouldn't cut it, and if she continued on like that she couldn't tell just when she would snap out. Not only that, but No Man's Land was quite a quiet place, save for the few skirmishes that occasionally happen since last month. People didn't die that quickly, and it was still a normal thing to find the person you were fighting alongside the other day to be still alive the next.
'There's not enough fighting for casualties to be that common of a thing yet.'
" *sniff* *sniff*, Seven...Nine?"
So that's when she had the idea, If Reichel started eating soldiers out of the blue, even at night. People would get suspicious, but what about monsters? If she ate monsters then not only will her hunger be satisfied, but there was also the slim chance of antagonizing a huge monster tribe, meaning that monster attacks may grow in number and intensity, meaning that she could finally earn some war merits!
Reichel's bare hands gripped the bark of the branches she was perching on tight. And after checking the cloak she had on was securely placed and she had the item at hand. she bolted off on all fours.
Like an animal.
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Hobgoblin, Hynek, Russiva Imperial Year 782 Month 3, Day 8, Czuch Union, ??? Tribe
"Haaaaaahhh, Do we really have to do this?"
"We have to, It's for the safety of the tribe."
"Ughhhhh..."
Hynek grumbled and sighed, it was tiring to be on patrol every night.
"Hey, do you really believe what the others are saying?"
"Believe what?"
"You know...the Black-Haired Stalker!"
The Black-Haired Stalker, A human turned-monster with facial features of a siren and hair as black as night she moves around the trees at night and taking out not only goblin, but also orc patrols single-handedly, and then drinking monster blood and feasting on monster flesh every night.
"Hey! Tone down your voice! We might get heard."
The Black-Haired Stalker was said to have appeared a month ago, and quickly swept through the numbers of anybody patrolling the forests at the border of the Czuch Union. At first the initial reports were dismissed due to the sheer absurdities of the claims. But as time passed on the numbers of missing orcs and goblins suddenly skyrocketed.
One of the Elders suggested sending out small armies to search for the so-called Black-Haired Stalker, But other Elders were against it, since they already had their hands full with the war against the Polski Confederation going on, They couldn't afford to antagonize a different human nation at this time.
And then instead of sending a small army, a vote was casted for a member of the Ogre Knights; The strongest military potential of the Czuch Union, to investigate.
The Ogre Knight just arrived yesterday, and ordered the members of each patrol to be tripled, as well as making 'escape' the priority in the case they encounter the Black-Haired Stalker.
"Tch, And we can't even fight back in the event we actually do see her."
"If she's as dangerous as the rumours say, then we let the Ogre Knight take care of her."
"Now that I think about it... Isn't he your older brother, Cestmir?"
Cestmir, the hobgoblin in front of Hynek was an extra-ordinary soldier. But he had an even more talented brother who entered the Ogre Knights despite being a hobgoblin.
Although the Ogre Knights was named like that, There were some members who were Orcs, Ogres, Kobolds, and even just Goblins. The Czuch Union doesn't differentiate on race, as long as you have the ability you will get the job.
That was one of the reasons for the near-zero corruption rate of the higher ups of the Czuch Republic, Something the human race could never imitate or possess.
"Running leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but if we can live another day then I wouldn't have it any other way. Especially you Hynek, You're even more of a brother to me than my actual brother."
"Aw shucks, Don't say that. I'm sure he loves you too, You're his younger brother after all!"
"Yeah, I guess you're right...Hahahahaha."
Cestmir laughed sincerely, And Hynek smiled upon seeing that. Although Cestmir's brother always acted cold to him and was deeply against him joining the military, he still supported him nonetheless and even became a part of the Ogre Knights to protect him.
The hobgoblin would always act scary whenever he saw Cestmir in his military getup, But Hynek knew that deep inside that rage was a caring heart.
*fruuuuuussshh*
*fwoooooooosh*
Hynek's flashbacks was interrupted by the sounds of leaves rustling. And Cestmir raising his hand, ordering the rest of the patrol to stop.
"What is it? Is something there?"
"Shush! There is an intruder!" Cestmir drew out his sword, prompting the rest of the squad to draw their weapons.
The weapons of the Czuch Union's army severly lacked any kind of uniformity, with all kind of axes, swords, and even sharp hoes being used by the army whenever they could. The quality of the weapons weren't all that great and they break easily, but they get the job done.
"This is the Czuch Union Army! You are trespassing on Czuch warzone, come out or you will face the might of the Union's army!"
Cestmir shouted, obviously not knowing where the intruder was.
Silence followed, but only after a few moments something like a pint of feminine laughter was heard.
'She's making fun of us!' Hynek fumed in anger and frustration.
'Where is she!? Where is she!?' Hynek searched his surroundings.
Goblin eyes were better than most human eyes, mostly because of the fact that they could somewhat see in the dark. Hobgoblin eyes were even better though, since they could fully see through the dark and shadows as if it was daytime.
The intruder whoever she was, was a fool to hide from the goblin's field of vision in the time of night.
And in his frustration he stepped forward, only to be greeted by a narrow pointy metal object that aimed to enter and stab his chest.
"Hynek!"
He didn't even realize what happend, not until Cestmir pushed his body. The blade stabbed into his abdomen instead, and his vision suddenly darkened.
'Paralyzing magic... no....paralyzing poison?'
It happend so fast that it was already too late when he realized, he didn't see it coming in any way at all, and even if he didn't see it coming somebody else from the patrol must have seen it at least since all of them were facing in all directions.
It was impossible for somebody like that to approach unnoticed, even if it was night. Moreso with goblin eyes watching in every direction.
It was impossible, Unless...
'The trees...It's the Black-Haired Stalker!'
The last sight he saw was a black-haired girl with red eyes, descending from above as she was stabbed in the shoulder by his friend Cestmir.
The black-haired fiend screamed in agony.
Thinking that they had already won, Cestmir let down his guard as he drew back his sword and made a swinging motion, aiming to decapitate the cloaked fiend.
A fatal mistake.
"Haha lmao gottem."
The cloaked fiend said, as her hand dashed out and made the head of his friend, Cestmir, explode into bits and pieces of bone, flesh, and brain matter in all directions.
The cloaked figure looked in Hynek's direction shortly, nodding in approval of Hynek's figure which was slouching in the ground.
"Don't forget to deliver my message."
That was the last piece of sound Hynek heard, as well as the screams of his fellow Hobgoblin soldiers, before his vision completely blackened, devoiding any kind of colour in the night sky.
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Hobgoblin, Hynek, Russiva Imperial Year 782 Month 3, Day 9, Czuch Union, ??? Tribe
The bright light of the sun rising struck Hynek's sleeping figure.
Hynek woke up, only to be assaulted by the feelings of soreness throughout his body.
"Did I...sleep through the whole thing?" Hynek as himself, still feeling dizzy.
'No...more importantly...'
"That wasn't a dream..." Hynek muttered under his breath.
None of his friend's corpses were left, only blood on the dirt remained, as well as the equipment and whatever pitiful equipment they had on them.
Blood smeared the dirt in ever direction, and Hynek vomited just imagining the things the Black-Haired Stalker did to their corpses.
He cried just thinking back on the gruesome scene of his vest friend's head exploding. He cried for him because his friend would never get to do the things he always wanted.
'What am I going to tell everybody? What am I going to tell his brother!?' Hynek grieved.
It was then that Hynek noticed something else in the dirt, something that wasn't equipment belonging to any of his comrades or the dirt-turned mud. He picked up the little object, and after he clearly saw what it was he stopped whatever he was doing, He stopped his grieving.
And instead Hynek ran, he ran as fast as he could in the direction of the main camp of the Czuch Army base in No Man's Land. And in his hand was the 'message' that Reichel left behind for him, left behind for all the Czuch monsters.
It was a shoulder patch which had the rank of 'Second Sergeant' belonging to the Deutsche Imperial Army.
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