Reich Marshal of the Belkan Reich

RM Vol 3: For a World without Boundary – Interlude: Spooks

While Adam is neck-deep on an unexpected front, his fiancee Aria is having a much more leisurely time back home. Disliking crowded and noisy places, Aria regularly rides a white horse all over her family's ranch. The sight of the Nekomata's fiery red hair riding in the wind would have captivated Adam if he had been there. Unfortunately, the Lieutenant of the house has to perform his duty elsewhere, leaving Aria to find comfort in guarding and building up the ranch in anticipation of his return.

Usually, it takes nearly the entire morning for Aria to ensure the horse ranch of her family runs smoothly. The importation of feeds, dealing out daily tasks for the workers, making sure the horses are healthy and well-behaved... Such are the duties that Aria has learned and taken upon at a young age. The workload she undertakes isn't without good reason though. Primarily, Aria wants to lessen the burden on her parents, the fact that she also derives enjoyment from doing such activities is a nice bonus. The other part is because she basically has to since the ranch will be hers to inherit. If she's to ensure the happily ever after for both Adam and herself, the horse ranch needs to be well taken care of. It's why Aria tends to take the hands-on approach, mingling with both the horses and the workers to ensure their productivity and loyalty. Most of the time, things would turn on pretty fine in every morning checks. Unfortunately for Aria and the ranch, today starts quite grim.

The Klein family's ranch is located in the small town of Warendorf in the countryside of Belka. Due to the size of their ranch, fitting the entirety of it in the government-constructed anti-Demons walls of Warendorf is borderline impossible to do. As such, the family builds and maintains their own set of walls, obviously shorter, cheaper, and less protected than the government-owned one. Nevertheless, with the military patrolling and the adventurers that take commission in rooting out the Demons and Zombies, the ranch is surprisingly safe. That said, like many other farms and ranches that ventured beyond the government walls, there will come a day when their private defenses are just not up to par. Today is one such case for the Kleins' horse ranch.

Earlier when it was not even dawn, a pack of Demons broke through the walls of the ranch. The commotion has alerted the cowboys and workers of the ranch from their sleep. Those who could use a gun on horseback immediately set out to deal with the ruckus. While the Chariot that broke through their walls was intimidating at first glance, the cowboys still managed to deal with it relatively easily thanks to their horses and surplus pistols and rifles. It's the low-flying Archangels, however, that proved to be a challenge. Though not numerous, just the fact that they could fly had caused the cowboys some trouble trying to shoot them all down. Ultimately, the Demons were dealt with in the break of dawn, but not without a cost. In the conflict, some Archangels broke into a barn, slaughtering and injuring ten horses. Yet, what broke Aria's heart the most was the fact that the Cowboys also took a hit. One of them lost his arm when an Archangel managed to get a lucky swipe. Another managed to dodge but not before a Demon clipped his right eye. Such injuries are devastating to anyone, especially more so for people who love riding like the Cowboys.

Yet, there is indeed a silver lining in everything. Aria and her family have decided to foot the hospital bill for the injured cowboys. These men and women have bled for the family, they will be damned if they leave them in the dry. While the cost of treatment is hefty and they can't recover the eye of the injured, they can at least make sure that the cowboy who lost his arm has it magically reattached. If the two cowboys persevere, they will still be able to ride again. Nevertheless, the incident leaves a bad taste in Aria's mouth. Although the monetary loss is substantial, the family can still handle it. What Aria is worrying about is the bad feeling looming in her heart. The day starts with an unlucky incident, and Aria's instinct tells her that this is just the beginning of a very bad day. Her premonition turns true when she finally returns to the family's home on the ranch, her parents greet her with some unfamiliar guests.

A woman, dressed in a black suit with a necktie, steps forward to greet Aria. "Miss Aria Klein? We would like to have a moment of your time, please." The woman said calmly.

It's at this moment that Aria starts dreading what the rest of the day will entail.

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"So you're telling me that..." Aria raises a finger, pointing at the screen showing the drone footage of the battle in Warsaw. "My fiancee is now fighting a bitter struggle just to get the civilians to safety? You're also saying that the Polanians are the actual baddies and that Adam shakes hands with the Rusviets?"

The female ONI agent who has driven Aria to a secure ONI site nods. "That's a gross simplification of ongoing events, but yes, lady Klein, it's as you've surmised."

On her part, Aria just says. "Huh. Well, that checks out."

The ONI agent raises an eyebrow at the very chill and composed reaction from Aria. The Nekomata woman notices the unasked question. "Don't get me wrong, I feel for the Slavs, and I do worry more for my fiancee. It's just that Adam, being a knight in shining armor, is very much just being himself. I am not surprised that he somehow managed to stumble into this mess and opt to brave the danger for the weak. Still, to think that he can find help in the Rusviets of all people, that somehow surprised me more than anything."

The agent calmly nods before adding. "As a disclaimer, it's known to us that the Rusviet VIP Lieutenant Kemper has been escorting turned out to be a cut of the same cloth as the Lieutenant in terms of mentality."

Aria exclaims. "Oh, then it's a no-brainer that they would band together then..." Aria stops for a bit before asking seriously, losing her prior fake smile. "Tell me, can the military ensure the safety of my fiancee and his group?"

The ONI agent nods. "Rest assured, lady Klein. As you have seen on the screen and the bits of radio chatters, we are committed to helping Lieutenant Kemper and the others make it out of harm's way. Nevertheless, I must emphasize that..."

Aria interjects with a sigh. "The fortune of war is an enigma, everything can happen... Yes, yes, I know... Just knowing that our country hasn't abandoned them is more than enough for me. What comes next... I will pray to the Mother Goddess for my fiancee, and them all."

The female agent gives Aria a small smile, grateful that she is an understanding individual. "Rest assured, lady Klein, we will not leave one of our own hanging in front of danger. Nonetheless, I must inform you that after the dust has settled, the nation would like to discuss something with you. It's nothing incriminating, of course. Rather, it's the Reich that would like to enlist your family's service in the near future. That said, I am not entitled to reveal anything to you just yet, as we understand that you would like your fiancee to return safely first."

Aria smiles thankfully at the agent. "Thank you, agent Zava, and do call me Aria, being referred to as a lady makes me feel old when I really shouldn't." She cracked a joke.

Agent Zava smiles before standing up. "Then please call me Zava. For now, I will leave you here to watch the ongoing action. There are full amenities in this room, including a bathroom and a kitchen. If you need me before I return or anything else, there's a buzzer by the doorway. If you press it, the guards outside will handle any request you make. As a friendly reminder, you are free to leave whenever you want. The only reason you're here is because we want to reassure you about your fiancee's condition in the spirit of future cooperation."

Aria, with her green eyes glued to the screen, says understandingly. "Don't worry, I got the memo, Zava. Though I don't think I am in the mood to make anything, so if this goes on longer, can you get me something to eat?"

Agent Zava nods before excusing herself. "I will alert the chefs to whip up something nice for us later. For now, I must report to my superior. I will see you in a bit, Aria."

Aria raises a hand up, waving. "See ya."

Surprisingly, these spooks are nice. Who would have thought?