XXI The Capital of Unchean

Unchean was the pearl of Ferris. The sole controller of the sea. Waiving the rights to control it; Ferris sea was now completely owned by Germany. Scheduled weekly voyages were to be took by the K-3s and Leberect Maaas, training in the middle of the sea whilst effectively safekeeping. And by that time, the amount of iron sloops effectively doubled to ten.

Unchean's ground defences were more than secure. With three highways (from Krimvald's old capital, from Venit Ille, and from Easel) being safeguarded by toll-keeping soldiers. But ever since the surprise attack from Hesia, Hierd's been upping the city's defences big time.

Hierd introduced the Military Police. Essentially, people who waned to make it to the prestigeous Venit-Ille black position and did not were thrown here. Nearing Febuary, the MP was already stacked with five hundred active personnel, with two hundred acting as it's guards and the three hundred acting as intellegence.

Unchean was the Latessian continent's biggest continent, possibly even the whole world of Auferstan. It was already expanding into the Tria forest, cutting away so far back that it was reaching Venit Ille. And Hazel Port, down south, was connected with Easel city with Unchean's branching roads and many lots of buildings side them.

The population was booming, from the two thosuand before to somewhere between fifteen thousand and sixteen thousand. With three subdivisions, so many state buildings. Those Betelionic Rebels were fresh in the MP's minds, and constantly; they were looking for their presence.

---

From the army, a respected comrade of Hierd's. Alrife. The first person he's ever met in Auferstan, back so many months ago that it seemed like it was forever ago. Was a Lieutenant Colonel. Leading the Southern Brigade-A (a training brigade).

Recently, he switched jobs; working from one of the military's top brass to the MP's chieftain. Taking office a week into Febuary. And he didn't want to waste a single second, "I've thought about this, long before the rebels had even been an issue." Infront of a board of officers from the army and other MP intellegence, he stood up from his chair.

"In a perfect world, people would not hurt one another." He flicked open a folder full of paper, passing it around to the officers one-by-one. "Even if the capital's seen extreme lows in crime, it's still being done. No doubt just petty crimes and the rare murder; in that paper I just gave you is the many locations we will be raiding today."

"Today?" Questioned one.

"Could I be more specific?" He scoffed, "today at dusk. Those three locations are near our prized buildings. The Manor, Hazel Port, and the University. If the Rebels would find to be operating within Germany, no doubt they would be in those general areas. I want to gather any and all evidence linking to anything regarding… The Rebels."

"The Rebels." The word reverberated inside their minds and soon after they were already readying up. It was the afternoon; two hours before dawn. Fifty officers and twenty MP soldiers; driving down to Hazel port slowly, yet not in groups to avoid 'suspicion.' It had been two-three months that these cars and trucks were being sold to the public, only the richer ones, and some middle-class merchants have been able to use them.

Unchean's roads were flooded with the trucks of the merchants and the cars of the nobles. The center of the city was so cramped and trafficked because of the university that it took twenty minutes for the team to get to their location down south. Hierd's made some adjustments of course, widening the roads at the newer spots, whilst renovations were being made to do the same in Unchean's center (the city's original size).

Alrife, driving ahead the free streets of Unchean's south; he couldn't help but look at the sea. Hierd had just so recently introduced Unchean's first passenger liner to the public two days prior. Her name was SS Maguildafaulkner (a suprisingly long name shorted to; Maguilda by the locals, even if the full name was to commemorate a woman captain from Krimvald's past).

In reality, she was the RMS Majestic in earth. She was a hundred seventy seven meters in length, bigger than the K-3 sloops and Leberect Maaas. It was a grand introduction, her maiden voyage taking place the same day, nine hundred Germans taking the ride when they found that it would be going to the port city of Geo. There was also a two hundred soldier complement in case the Rebels were to somehow make their most great entrance there.

It returned that afternoon, her silhouete over the near yonder horizon so striking, beautiful. It was attracting a crowd as it was nearing the small port that it departed from. Her black hull, so contrast with the blue that surrounded it; not looking away would be a crime.

Suddenly, the bulky radio blasted awake. "We're at Uni, sir."

Alrife grabbed the reciever; "Check the whole outer perimeter of the campus, any buildings that could house the rebels, anyone suspicious, should be checked."

"Aye, sir."

Arriving at their destination; it was a whole line of buildings, modern in their own right. They were a mix of housing and commercial units for the ordinary man. "We're looking at all that?" Replied an officer in the backseat.

He set his eyes on a small parking lot reserved for a merchant's shop.

Alrife looked back; "Yes, yes we are." He opened his door, at the same time with his officers which were unfortunately named Tim and Timmy or something, Alrife couldn't recall, and simply referred to them as Blue and Red because of their hair.

Getting out of a car doesn't scream commoner, the people there knew that no group of people could obtain a car without scraping up a debt of money in spite of how useful that thing actually was. Their clothes, however, were blending in with the poorer crowd.

Mumbling almost; "the other squads'll be heading in soon; they check out their own sections, we're here to observe these lines of buildings. Since they're a direct window into Hazel Port. Then set up camp for a covert base. Simple."

Alrife was with three other people, two officers and one soldier. They were all armed of course, their lugers were stashed within their suspender-holsters inside their carefully thick suits.

The houses were designed by a rather seasoned architect in Hierd's right hand; each building was meant for four-five people, two floors with one bathroom, two bedrooms, and one kitchen (stuck with the kitchen was a dining room). Making it cheap to make.

Hazel port is adjacent to the southern highway, leading to Easel city. Lining that highway was a grand mount'a those houses. Sixty-eight to be exact. There were only three houses not being occupied; those three out looking Hazel port; distancing themselves apart by ten or so houses.

 Barging into every house'd rouse suspicion, of course. So they simply were going to survey (externally).

They were… Obviously empty looking from the outside. Even the doorstep looks unused. But, Alrife mused the window in the second floor bedroom. The height itself wasn't something that someone could jump to; either the rebels would need to jump and walk on the other roofs; or a ladder.

"Talk to the neighbors," Alrife simply said.

They left, while he stayed near the house. Walking, he tried to budge the door, seeing if it was open. "It ain't!" A voice said from behind him.

"What?" Alrife questioned, staring at the old man, hunched on his back.

"It ain't open. I says there's house there's haunted, and that's why it ain't openin, no one's buyin."

"You live nearby?" Alrifed probed.

"What's it to you?"

"I think I'd want to buy this house actually, just wanna know the local scenery."

A twitch, in the old man's eyes.

"Yes. Yes I do live from nearby. But I don't think you should go round's buyin' this house."

"Just because it's haunted?"

"Just because." A hint of aggression in that ancient voice.

Alrife found that he shouldn't probe further. "Good day to you then."

The old man simply nodded, and went the other way.

"Weird." Alrife stepped back to look at the doorway. "Haunted?" He tried the lock again.

"The way these were designed, it should be pretty secure since the lord's factory's doing them. But this wood used is from the Tria. Four men can bust these down." He tried budging the door, this time pushing. "Hmm. It's as if the door itself isn't connected to any hinges. Any ordinary door would have some budge to it. It's like this door's just…

Part of the wall."

---

"There were a couple men, weird guys, scoping round the uni. I didn't think much of it though, so I didn't see the need to report it to the authorities… Or something." The officers were questioning a Betelionic student, it was from last night he said that the event happened.

"Can you describe what they were doing more specifically?" Questioned the officer.

"W-well… They seemed very suspicious. I was pretty far, they were in the dark, but I saw chain mail. Or something shiny that they carrying or… Wearing on their bodies. But those things aren't being used by Germany right?"

"You're right on that." Said the officer. "T-thank you, you may go now."

"Thanks then…"

The officers were hanging out at a bar where the students mostly frequent after school, they had little itty bits of information each. But all in all, they were pinpointing to the Rebels.

"Let's report this to chief."

"No."

"What?"

"No. I think I have a general idea where they're hiding. And I think we could narrow it down ever more further if we stalk those 'weird' guys in the act and follow them back to their base. Besides, it's an hour before dusk. Trust me."

They looked at each other, contemplating to take it or not. "Sure… But if the chief's going to beat us after this, you're giving us each one gold."

"Deal."

They set off the bar in a hurry to their car. The driver carefully sped off to the road where the incidents were happening.

The University itself was a big thing, like a parasite. But in a good way. Every week it seemed like the campus was expanding. With way more buildings to house many more students. Erected around the university was a five meter tall wall, almost as if it were some prison. There were two thousand students on campus, and within it were some high ranking Hesian and Betelionic nobles.

The modus operandi was being drawn up without a single crime being committed. To either destroy the university itself, or to kill all the nobles there. Or better yet, kidnap them. Better yet.

They parked near a closed store, the campus just yonder the wall with it's awe inspiring height and the lights within those many windows still being lit up; it was homely, in a way.

"There!" He pointed at the far road, three men. Dressed in some leathery something. They did not blend in with any crowd, since Unchean's uniform by then were dress shirts, trousers, and belts. And nothing as medieval as those that these guys were wearing.

"But why so early?"

"Don't know. But let's not interfere yet."

They hid, spying on them from a safe distance. They weren't wearing chain mail that day. But even a knight wouldn't wear chain mail, it's frankly too heavy for daily use. 

There they go, scoping out the wall. One had a big bag, and one was observing their surroundings. The man with the bag untethered and opened it. Two large hammers! He cautiously placed it on the sidewalk.

"They're not doing anything bold in the day." One of the officers said, "so maybe they're leaving it there later to use."

"And what. You think they're actually going to try and bust a hole down?"

"Yes." He smirked, "and if it's anything like at Jane, they're probably with a small militia of sorts. Their numbers should have had decreased by then, maybe there's still two hundred of them alive. I'd count most of them are knights."

"But where could they be hiding a militia in Unchean?"

"Underground." His face was so serious that the man didn't think if he should chuckle a little to respond to the joke or not.

"No possible way. It'd take month to dig a tunnel."

"It's been many months since then."

"One month, at the most." He retorted.

Whilst they were bickering, one of the officers pointed out that they were moving.

They followed behind. Keeping a close watch at their distance, and trying to stay behind the shadows. Dusk approached and it wasn't that hard to hide anymore in the orange hue of the dark sun. They simply walked from the university to somewhere in Unchean's northern houses.

They didn't seem bothered that they were out of place. And they weren't hiding their foreign clothes either, walking on the main roads onto busy paths and paths with lots of light. Were they following undercover rebels or just a pack of construction workers?

They stopped. The officers hid behind boxes, while peeking over to observe what was transpiring. The surrounding streets were ghostly empty. Almost as if they were being led to their deaths without their knowing.

It was a part of Northern Unchean that was still being constructed, soldiers didn't frequent that place often since it was only construction workers.

Newcomers.

Too far to hear what they were talking about, but the blades saddled on their belts said enough where the talking was gonna lead to. "I'm heading back to the car."

"That's three kilometers away." Retorted the other.

"That's as fat as your mother."

"You're reflecting your past."

"..."

Irritated, he groaned; "okay, radio in the information."

"Thanks, be safe." He rushed down the dark street into the happy light highway.

Just the remaining four left. They observed the men enter into an under construction home; "Let's head inside."

( * )

Hierd had previously talked about it three months ago. It was only the week prior that it had went into full affect. Hierd began deforesting Tria to it's limits. A line was cut out in tria, spanning from Easel, Unchean, Venit Ille, and the still being reconstructed ex-capital of Krimvald.

"Trains!" The engineer exclaimed excitedly. "What an invention, truly what an invention that only the minds of the lord's country could muster!"

The Unchean. Germany's greatest minds had came up with the very first train. Under the careful guidance of Hierd's eyes of course. It was twenty cars long, and rather original. The engine house was a mismatch of pre-ww1 and post-ww2 machinery that it combined reliability and speed at the same time.

The public were well aware of the project and the train was suject to be open to the public after the last tracks leading to the capital were finished. Which'd be about a day from then.

Hierd was just examining the tracks, they were being supervised by a ton of engineers and architects. As it was their first time, they were using their gained knowledge from Hierd as usual, as well as their time in the academy. Most that was there were still students even, but they were more than confident to tackle the project.

"Take me through the process." Hierd questioned Pomlik, handling the metal braces that secured the rails. "Pomlik."

"It's all knowledge, lord." He smiled, "There's this twenty meter clearance from rail to tree, and because of the gravel, it's raised about a meter up. I've read up, the gravel does something, and that doing something leads to good and not bad."

"Observant." Hierd placed sarcastically.

"The Unchean and Easel station's done, also lord. If you haven't yet known." He grabbed from a small drawer a large sheet of paper.

Hierd unfolded it, reavealing a large map where the engineers wanted tracks in. It was vast. Having tracks going from the Capital to Betelion, to Hesia, and more importantly to Port Geo. But such adventures were to idealistic for now.

As laying the tracks from Easel to Capital had already taken a month and a half. And the kilometers were fairly smaller compared to the great distances of land that these locations would take.

"Germany's pretty small." He said to only himself, examining the small border with only three cities, though it had spanned over multiple hundred kilometers of big cities, it still was pretty small.

It was for Naturvege and was also Alrife's job originally to keep tabs in the south and west. Krimvald was still there in a way that it wasn't. Cities and others villages still called themselves Krimvaldian even after the fall of their capital and the death of their king.

See, North of Germany is Betelion, East is Hesia. And west is this big yet almost mystical country. Handerbour. Unlike other kingdoms in the Latessian continent, it didn't have a set ruler to rule for their lifetime (a king). It was a democratic nation.

Hierd firmly knew of democracy. Freedom and all. Germany was not a democractic nation, completely opposite of that. There was only one leader. And one leader for life. Him. The two countries have been debating over this plot of land that span many acres of their borders.

Naturvege set his conclusions back then, and this is quoted; "We want cities near the shore, and cities near Venit Ille. You may take any other city but those near the sea."

They objected.

But, Alrife's presence at the south-west shore cities during the end of Auferstehen was threat enough. The Handerbour backed down their resolve, though there's still been some contest. "I'll need to settle it during the next few months." He stared at the sky, analyzing every blot of blue that the grey clouds hadn't covered. "I sense something brewing."

---

"I'm three men down."

"What?" Alrife's voice from over the phone hit Hierd like a gust of hot wind.

"One escaped to tell me, it was about 11:32 that they entered this construction building in the northern housing blocks that're still not done. Tons of rebels were stationed some where in the Tria Forest. Probably an underdiscovered cave. Three men died yesterday, and it seems I won't be able to enact vengence soon, since we don't know this cave."

Hierd frowned, his stern face darkening the office room. "Consider it soon finished." Hierd hung up the phone, quickly turning the dial.

-9-

-5-

-4-

-7-

It took only a second, someone picked up. "This is Venit Ille HQ."

"Ready the army, reinforce the inner city, and defend key landmarks. I want Unchean to be crawling with surveilance."

There was murmuring at the other side, "Yes, lord!"

"Betelionic Rebels are suspected to be in the Tria forest, some caves system. Run the whole forest with our troops. By morning, I want bodies delievered to my front door."