He stepped out of the building, restraining himself from hopping around, as he felt a burst of energy and excitement. "Ha, I don't know why, but I feel so lively today. Maybe it's because of that satisfying dump I took." he said casually, smiling broadly.
He was glad to be alive and free, even if it was only a temporary illusion in his mind as he was still in the enemy territory. Nevertheless, he always tried to enjoy his life a little despite the hardships he faced, especially now that he had some freedom to do so.
As he looked at the outside, he was astonished by the construction of the fortress. He stared at the wall that loomed in the distance, blocking his view of the horizon. It was a wide structure and as tall as the building he had just left, and as far as he could see, it had no end. He could see the wall was built of a pale stone with traces of light brown, giving it a warm and ancient look. It looked like something from a different era, or a different world.
"Wow…" Moriarty was speechless at the sight of the wall that he hadn't been able to take a good look at before.
He felt a surge of awe as he gazed at the breathtaking view before him. He was so captivated by the sight that he didn't notice someone approaching him from behind until they collided with him.
"Ow, sorry. Excuse us please." A voice apologized hastily.
"Get out of the way! This thing is heavy. Just kick him away!" Another voice snapped impatiently.
Moriarty turned his head to see who had bumped into him, only to receive a kick in the chest that sent him flying backwards.
"Ugghh!!!" He crumpled on the ground in agony, feeling his ribs crack. 'What the hell? That hurt like hell! That was a powerful kick.' He thought as he looked up at his attacker.
Two soldiers were carrying a crate, pushing past him. They wore uniforms that were very different from his own. He recognized the design, which matched the soldiers who had dragged him to a prison cell, those who had escorted him to the lady's room and officers on the third floor.
They had the same navy plain shirt underneath, but over it they wore a vest full of pockets. The vest was plated with some kind of black alloy in certain areas, like the shoulder, giving them a knight-like appearance, but with very light armor.
On the front of the vest, there was an insignia of Kisesh Kingdom, engraved on the metallic part in the chest. It was an octagon-shaped symbol that curled like a flower, with leaves even protruding inside. In the center, there was a lotus flower surrounded by a blue hue, as if floating in a river or the sky.
On the back of the vest, there was an insignia of Lorelei Fortress, with a simple line that shaped like a less than sign and a circle on its intersection. This indicated that they were a fortress located on the west side of the kingdom.
And on the right shoulder, there was a mark in rectangular shape, with a ship and an X on it. This meant that they were in service to the fortress
Anger and resentment boiled in Moriarty's chest as he glared at the soldiers who had assaulted him so callously.
He wanted to lash out at them, but he restrained himself, knowing that this was not the time or place to cause a scene. He had to be careful not to draw too much attention or suspicion, as he was still masquerading as one of them.
He also didn't know if those two had any ranks, but he assumed they were just lowly soldiers, as they were doing menial work.
He chose to bite his tongue and let it slide for now. Moriarty memorized their faces and vowed that if he ever had a chance to get even with them, he would not hesitate. He wanted to make them pay for kicking him so hard.
He slowly rose from the ground, hiding any signs of pain or anger. He brushed off his clothes. He acted as if nothing had happened and resumed his exploration.
The two soldiers headed to the left, opposite the direction Moriarty picked to explore. They were going to a training ground, where trainees like them trained to become duos, and someday could be called true soldiers. They had to endure tough and harsh training to prove themselves worthy of wearing the uniform.
Meanwhile, on the right. Moriarty was dumbstruck by the sight of the slacking soldiers. He wondered how such a bunch of military personnel could even be admitted in such a fortress. Bit by bit, the image of the formidable army of a great fortress of Kisesh Kingdom crumbled in his mind.
'It's like a madhouse out here…' He thought as he saw soldiers lying on the road, sniffing flowers, one embracing a tree, a few just lounging on the grass, gossiping, one reading a book on a branch of a tree, some even dancing as a few made noise with joyful rhythm, and a few he didn't want to describe as they did some strange thing that men shouldn't cross. 'Ughh, disgusting.'
Though they were just playing a king's game, Moriarty had a assuming mind.
But seeing only men so far, Moriarty confirmed his guesses that the military didn't have any women as soldiers. This made the lady he had met earlier more conspicuous to him and he swore to be very cautious with anything that would involve her. He sensed that she was different from the rest and had some different authority and power.
He was baffled by the contrast between the stern and disciplined soldiers who had kicked him, and the lax and carefree soldiers who were slacking off. He wondered how such a varied and inconsistent group of people could cooperate as a team. He wondered if there was any order or hierarchy among them, or if they were just doing whatever they pleased.