Before Tris could say another word, the two of them were led to one of the shelters surrounding the Scarlet Blood Stronghold. It was a small-scale shelter, housing a population of fifty or so people. But just from one glance, Kazuichi and Tris figured out that this particular shelter was well protected. Three-meter wired fences covered the entire place, and wooden stakes formed another line of defense right in front of the surrounding fence.
These stakes were at a diagonal angle, and they were deeply dug into the ground so they won't be uprooted easily. Even a horde with a fifty or so headcount would easily be stopped by the amount of exterior defense the shelter had.
"Since we're in the outer layer of the stronghold, we have to put in more effort in our defense. We're tasked with protecting the inner shelters and in turn, they provide us the resources we need to set up these defenses." Minori explained as he waved to one of the guards who were positioned by the outpost.
There were multiple towers surrounding the shelter and there are people working in shifts like clockwork. It was a pretty impregnable defense. Even as a Hybrid, Kazuichi felt like it would be a losing game if he tried to infiltrate a well-fortified base like this one.
"Oi, Kazuichi!" Tris, who had been keeping quiet all this time, nudged Kazuichi with a slight furrow on her brows. "Why did you have to tell them that we were from the stronghold?"
Kazuichi closed his lips and whispered back. He had already thought about this way before he blurted out the lie. Of course, it was a risk, but it would be more believable than them saying that they were from a certain shelter. They don't even know the names of the shelters being protected by the Scarlet Blood Stronghold so there was no way they could lie about that.
"This is the only way for us to get inside without arousing suspicion. And also, I know someone from the inside so you won't have to worry about getting in trouble... well, I'm not sure really, but it's worth a shot." Now that Kazuichi pondered about it a little deeper, he began to wonder whether the lady he met by the Underground Stronghold was really from the Scarlet Blood Stronghold.
From what he could remember, the lady was a Hybrid. 'Are Hybrids even allowed inside a stronghold?' Kazuichi felt a fuzzy feeling in his stomach as nervousness finally overcame him. Now he began to hesitate about whether they should follow through with their made-up story or not.
Then again, they were already welcomed inside. They had no other choice but to go forward in hopes that everything would go in their favor.
"If you say so, I'm going to trust you on this one, Kazuichi. As for me, I'm just here to look for my sister." Tris said. She couldn't directly thank Kazuichi for bringing her into the stronghold. After all, if it were only her, then there was no chance she'd be welcomed to the stronghold. It was only because Kazuichi was with him that they were welcomed in without any problems.
And as a cherry on top, they were even treated to lodging and dinner to boot!
"You're back earlier than usual, huh, Jun? Don't tell me you got too scared of the outside and you ran straight here?" One of the guards teased, grabbing Jun by the neck and rubbing his head with his fist.
"How many bombs did you strap this time? Last time you went out you only strapped three, right? Haha!" The other guard added, putting more tinder to the fire.
However, Jun and Minori looked confident this time. Without saying another word, Minori unstrapped the bag he slung on his shoulder and showed the two guards that it was empty.
"We finished the job, even marking the places where we put them so you won't accidentally set them off on your patrols." Jun proudly puffed his chest. "And it's thanks to these guys here that we were able to finish on time. I guess we won't miss the dinner schedule tonight, huh."
"Oh, that's surprising. I thought you came running back here after meeting another Aberrant or something. This is good news for the stronghold." The first guard said, relieved that the two didn't get into any danger.
"And you are... ?" The second guard trailed off, staring at Kazuichi since he was a new face. Even the prepossessing girl beside him seemed to be new, that's why he just had to ask.
"I'm Karuizawa Triciana, and this is Takemi Kazuichi." Tris bowed her head in greeting because doing so would make them appear less suspicious. As for their names, she figured that lying about their status was already too much. Lying about their names would make it worse for them on the off-chance that they got caught.
At the very least, it would appear as if they have nothing to hide now that they've given their real names.
"Karuizawa, huh, that family name's certainly familiar.' One of the guards rubbed his chin in contemplation, trying to remember every family name he'd encountered. "You may go in. I hope you put in a good word for us once you return to the stronghold."
"Of course," Kazuichi replied with confidence, extending his hand for a handshake. Based on the situation, it was not the right time for a handshake but Kazuichi's shut-in self know otherwise.
And just like that, Kazuichi and Tris were ushered inside. Jun and Minori then headed to a makeshift-looking house a hundred or so meters away from the entrance. There were a couple of people walking past, greeting Jun and Minori for their safe return. Kazuichi and Tris felt a little uncomfortable since there was a lot of uninfected in such an enclosed facility. They got used to surviving outside that being alongside people made them nervous.
"Ah, right! Now I remember, there's a girl in the stronghold with the same family name as you, she's famous for being a Canary. By any chance, is she related to you?" Jun asked out of nowhere, cornering Tris.