The black sun hangs high

Chapter 59 Officer Alfred

Because of the snow, the car that Hugh was in was moving at a slower speed. Feeling the slight vibrations in the car and listening to the various sounds coming from outside, Hugh's dulled senses began to gradually awaken.

"Where are we now?"

"army."

This vehicle must have been designed specifically for accommodating patients. The interior was spacious, with room to stand and walk even after a bed was placed inside. So, Vera sat down on one of the fixed chairs by the window and replied, "To be precise, it's in the Fifth Highland Hunter Regiment... They've been stationed and patrolling near Seren City for many days. Mr. Hugh, they're here to pick you up."

"pick me up?"

Hugh was slightly taken aback, but he quickly realized that the name "Highland Hunter Corps" contained very obvious traces of the Ernst family, and in addition, Verine had revealed that the Ernst family had given her information about a special mission. Now, this was the only reasonable answer that Hugh could come up with.

"The entire Fifth Highland Hunter Regiment invaded the Kingdom of Delan... just to take me away? When did I, a bastard, become worthy of such treatment?"

"According to the Hunter Corps, they came here with some important missions, and picking you up was just a 'side thing'."

Vera emphasized the word "incidentally," but Hugh didn't see any mocking expression on her face, clearly indicating that Vera herself didn't agree with this statement.

Hugh tried to sit up to speak, but due to exhaustion, his movements were difficult and slow.

Vera sighed, reached out to support him, and then picked up a pillow and placed it behind Hugh's back.

"Thank you."

Hugh nodded gratefully, and only then did he notice that the female mage was wearing a silver metal collar around her neck, with two dull-colored crystals embedded in it.

Hugh immediately became alert.

He knew what this thing was for.

Those are Demonsilver shackles, often shaped like chains, handcuffs, or neck collars. In Walter, these items are often used to restrain highly dangerous spellcaster prisoners. Under the suppressive effect of large amounts of Demonsilver, these prisoners are often unable to perform normal spellcasting.

"It seems that Vera is not trusted by the Hunter Corps..."

He opened his mouth slightly, about to ask something more, but then noticed that the moving vehicle had suddenly stopped. Weilin immediately gave him a wink, then stepped back to her original position and looked at the other end of the carriage.

The car door opened, and two unfamiliar figures appeared in Hugh's field of vision.

They were a hunter-gatherer officer and a male mage holding a cane and wearing a hood.

Their attire, like the carriage they were in, carried a strong Walter style—emphasizing deep colors and prioritizing simplicity and practicality.

Needless to say, the young officer wore nothing on his dark overcoat except for a badge to identify him.

The middle-aged monk's clothes were also unusually simple, without any extra decorations.

"It seems that Mr. Ernst is recovering very well."

The young officer's demeanor was not as cold and stern as his attire suggested; he wore a smile and his eyes were full of sincerity.

Seeing the other person nod at him, Hughes also gave a slight smile and politely returned the greeting.

“Mr. Klaus, I told you, the only thing that can awaken a sleeping young person is another young person of the opposite sex, and they must also be charming enough.”

The officer made a joke in front of Verin without any hesitation, but the military mage named Klaus clearly lacked basic social skills and a sense of humor. He simply nodded silently, his gaze sweeping across the carriage as if checking for anything unusual.

After a moment, the mage Klaus spoke: "Madam may leave now. I need to perform some basic examinations on Mr. Ernst."

Upon hearing this, Weilin immediately stood up. Without engaging in further conversation with Hugh, she simply picked up her robe and got out of the car.

Then the unfamiliar officer and mage came to Hugh's side. The young officer leaned against the wall of the carriage, while the mage Klaus sat directly next to Hugh and raised his spellbook, which bore the mark of a Valley-level mage.

Hughes dared not say much at this moment. He did not know whether his identity as a "wild mage" had been exposed, but out of caution, he quickly checked his mental world. Only after confirming that the metal disc was working properly and that the magic power had been contained did he feel a little relieved.

Soon, Hugh underwent a very thorough magical examination.

Various detection spells were cast on him, and he could even feel those invisible forces constantly surging and flowing across his body.

After a long while, the mage Klaus closed his spellbook. He stared at Hugh for a moment, then said, "There's nothing too serious now. The effects of the magic overload and break have mostly disappeared. However, for safety reasons, Mr. Ernst would be best not to use magic without authorization before arriving in Borden... especially magic of unknown origin."

As he spoke, he took out a palm-sized light blue emblem, on which was outlined the image of the giant eagle of the highlands of Walter with black and gold silk thread: "Keep it with you and don't lose it. Even in the present-day Lovi Plateau, the identity of a wild mage is still strictly controlled. Mr. Ernst, after you arrive in Borden, please register your identity as a formal mage as soon as possible... However, I think someone should arrange this for you."

Klaus raised his hand, and a faint magical energy surged forth. Hugh then saw that clear water and several pieces of not-so-appealing bread suddenly appeared in the cup and plate on his bedside table.

"You haven't eaten for several days. In this situation, magical food is the most suitable for you... Although it tastes terrible, it can repair the damage to your body and mind."

After saying that, Klaus stood up, leaned on his cane, and got off the train, not lingering in the carriage for even a moment longer.

"Bang!" The car door slammed shut, leaving only the young officer and Hugh alone.

“The team is planning to take a break, which gives me a chance to chat with you… However, if Mr. Ernst is feeling tired, I can come back later.”

"No need, I've had enough sleep."

Hugh shook his head quickly. Although he was not quite clear about his current situation, he did not want to continue sleeping no matter what.

Hearing Hugh's answer, the officer nodded in satisfaction. He went to the chair where Verine had been sitting and moved the bread and water that the mage Klaus had created with magic toward Hugh: "Mage Klaus is like that to everyone. In fact, he is quite caring. Once you recover, you might be able to have a good chat with him... But I think among mages, you would prefer to chat with Ms. Verine, wouldn't you?"

Hugh wasn't very good at dealing with these overly familiar people, but in the current situation, he could only smile and thank the other person for their kindness, then reached for the water glass and a piece of bread.

As Klaus said, the food made of magic tasted terrible. The bread tasted like damp sawdust in his mouth and had no flavor at all. The water was slightly better, but for some reason, it always had a strong minty smell, which made Hugh feel like he was drinking mouthwash.

But the effects of the magical food were truly amazing. After Hugh struggled to swallow a piece of bread and a small half-cup of water, he was surprised to find that his physical strength had been restored to a certain extent, and his somewhat sluggish reactions and thinking had become much clearer.

Seven days isn't a very long time, but it's definitely not short either.

While Hugh was eating, the unfamiliar young officer began to recount the events of the past few days to Hugh. In recounting these important events, he displayed a very distinct Waterloo military style—his language was concise, brief, and direct. Under his description, Hugh quickly gained a general understanding of all the important events that had occurred during his coma.

He put down his now empty water glass and asked, "So, the war is about to begin, isn't it?"

"Yes, it will be a major battle."

After the topic was brought up, the officer's smile finally disappeared. He patted his pocket, then took out a pack of magical lighters and "Eagle Feather Cigarettes" made in Walter. He skillfully put one in his mouth, then took out another and handed it to Hugh.

Seeing that Hugh had accepted his offer, the officer grinned and said, "The medic and Mr. Klaus certainly wouldn't allow this, but without this, I can't continue our conversation."

As he spoke, he gently opened the window a little, and soon a faint smoke drifted out of the carriage.

As the two chatted, Hugh finally learned the other person's name.

This young officer, nearing thirty, was named Alfred Mouche, a junior major in the Fifth Jäger Regiment.

This surname indicates that Alfred comes from the "Muchi" family in the Kingdom of Walter, a large family with a long history on the Lovi Plateau. They have close ties with the various kingdoms of the plateau. If the Ernst family is a towering tree rooted in the Kingdom of Walter, then the Muchi family is a widely distributed vine and thicket.

Alfred exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Just today, the Kingdom of Delan announced that it will launch a full-scale mobilization in response to the threat to our country."

Hugh flicked some ash from his cigarette. He noticed that Alfred seemed very calm, even somewhat relaxed, when he said those words, so Hugh asked, "Full mobilization? That's not good news, is it?"

"That's true for civilians, but for the military... well, I think you can understand."

Alfred smiled and said, "Compared to these things that are destined to happen, I am more curious about what happened to you, Mr. Ernst. Perhaps you don't know, but many young men in the army are your loyal readers. They especially like the story you wrote called 'Night Shift Sentinel.' I remember that was your fourth work."

Hugh's expression stiffened for a moment, but he still nodded: "Yes, the fourth one."

"Hmm... Perhaps because everyone here has served in the military, they have a different feeling when reading this article."

Alfred nodded at Hugh with an air of certainty: "It's very well written, I like it quite a bit too."

The other party's words made Hugh somewhat embarrassed. He never expected that the things written by the original owner of this body would have such a market outside of Seren City. It seemed that the Peace Newspaper had indeed swallowed up a lot of his royalties.

After casually chatting about Hugh's works for a bit, Alfred suddenly changed the subject: "To be honest, when I learned that the Fifth Juggernaut's main objective in infiltrating Delan was to bring back an illegitimate son of a powerful family from near Seren, I was furious, extremely furious... But when I learned what had happened in the city, I calmed down instead."

The young officer smoked quickly, and when only the cigarette butt remained between his fingers, he stubbed it out and stared intently at Hugh, saying, "Mr. Klaus told me that you are actually a spellcaster, and Ms. Verin and the other two civilians who were rescued with you also confirmed this. It's quite surprising."

"I don't find it surprising at all."

Faced with Alfred's words, which were clearly probing, Hughes responded calmly: "Compared to the disaster that has occurred in Seren, what I have done is insignificant. I still cannot believe that my family would use its power to rescue an illegitimate son who has tarnished the family's reputation and the aristocratic style."

"Ha, that's true."

Seeing that Alfred did not continue to ask about anything related to Seren, Hugh immediately changed the subject, asking, "So... where are we now? How far are we from Borden?"

"Due to the snowfall, the team is not moving very fast. We are still two days away from Borden."

Alfred stood up: "Now that you are awake, Mr. Ernst, I personally suggest that you walk around the camp and the caravan to recover your energy. Of course, you can also visit your friends."

As he spoke, he pointed to a cabinet in the corner of the carriage: "As for the things you were carrying with you before, they are all here. However, the weapons among them have been confiscated. But if Mr. Ernst needs information about them, I can show you the weapons that the Votel soldiers are using now."

He grinned: "I can guarantee that those things would make any normal man yearn for them."

"I am looking forward."

(End of this chapter)