Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 663 - Captain Eight-Guns

Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Captain Eight-Guns

Chapter 663: Chapter 663: Captain Eight-Guns

Both men ordered drinks and then found a table to sit down and continue their conversation.

During this time, Captain Lades not only talked about the commendation he received at Red Water Camp after solving the serial murder case, but he also handed over 90 pounds, ninety percent of his reward, to Shard as they had agreed.

“Captain, after you returned to the camp, did anyone mention ‘Captain Eight-Guns’ to you again?”

Since Captain Lades had moved on from the incident, Shard dared to ask. Indeed, the middle-aged officer looked sad but was not despondent,

“Of course, people mentioned it, but things turned out much better than I expected. After all, I had returned after establishing my merits in Tobesk. The fact that I had been captured by the Carsonrickians indeed happened, so I accept that reality.”

“I’ve always been curious, where exactly did you enter the battlefield? I haven’t heard of any warfare breaking out in the Sicarl Mountain Region in the last six months.”

Shard asked in a hushed tone, and Captain Lades looked around before answering:

“Although there was no war, we occasionally had skirmishes with the soldiers from the other side of the mountain. Let’s not talk about it anymore, it’s an embarrassing matter; let it go.”

The captain had originally planned to take Shard hunting in the mountains, but the recent rain had made the mountain paths muddy and difficult to navigate, so they had to give it up. Nevertheless, Shard still asked the captain about the terrain of Sicarl Mountain, intending to obtain the Demon Hunter’s sword before Miss Aphrola arrived in the area.

But Captain Lades couldn’t show him the military map of the camp because both the map and the sand table were in Brigadier General Carter’s quarters. Although he could describe it orally and sketch the general appearance of the mountain area with water on the table, it was ultimately less clear.

Thus, Shard indirectly inquired about the location of Brigadier General Carter’s quarters. Captain Lades either did not understand or pretended not to understand and drew a detailed diagram of Red Water Camp for him.

The camp had nearly every functional building imaginable: a blacksmith shop, kitchen, prayer room, and so forth. Brigadier General Carter’s quarters were not in the center of the camp but were next to a nearly vertical cliff.

If one were to enter from the camp’s entrance, they would have to cross the entire training field and pass through three checkpoints to get there. Aside from the few buildings Captain Lades was reluctant to disclose, the headquarters with the precise Sicarl Mountain map and sand table was situated in the deepest part of Red Water Camp.

The two men did not discuss much about the camp, instead they sat there and talked about the differences between this place and Tobesk. This topic easily helped pass the time, and by the time someone hurriedly pushed open the door of the tavern and told Captain Lades to quickly return to the camp, it was already four-thirty in the afternoon.

“What happened?”

The captain patted the young sergeant’s shoulderand said,

“Did Lieutenant Houghton, who was caught stealing from the camp’s funds, run away? That’s not good; the person to escort him back to Tobesk hasn’t arrived yet.”

“It’s not that. Captain, the steam engine that broke down the other day is acting up again because some fool mixed power coal number one with power coal number three.”

“Oh, my God, when will these new recruits learn to bring their brains along with their luggage from home.”

Grumbling, the captain stood up and hurriedly followed the sweaty sergeant back to the camp, after saying his goodbyes to Shard.

Shard leisurely finished his apple cider and then got up to leave Traveler’s Camp.

Standing under the sign for Rising Wind Trail, he looked up at the imposing Red Water Camp situated on the high ground.

“What do you want to do?”

“What do you think?”

Shard left the main road and walked into the woods.

The nameless hill where Red Water Camp was located was about 50 feet tall—about the height of a five-story building. Apart from the side with stairs, galleries, and corridors, the other sides were slopes where the angle between the mountain and the ground was more than 70 degrees, making it nearly impossible for even an agile animal like Mia to easily climb them.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t underestimate that cat.”

“She” said with a laugh.

When Shard circled the hill in the forest and reached the base of the vertical cliff, he found the situation much better than he expected. Although the cliff was indeed steep, the soil layer of the hill contained few loose elements, and instead, blocky rocks protruded from the cliff face.

Thus, about five minutes later, a pair of hands quietly appeared over the wooden fence at the top of the cliff behind the quarters.

Then, a head slowly “rose” from behind the fence on one side of the cliff. Using “Lagre’s Leap” and “Frog’s Leap,” Shard, who had completed the climbing activity very cautiously, looked around to ensure no one had seen him.

But his position was completely blocked by the two-story stone building in front of him. Shard could see no one, and no one could see him.

“Good.”

He climbed over the fence, put on a mask, and changed his clothes. This unpolished, rudimentary-looking building was the military headquarters of Brigadier General Carter. According to Captain Lades’s description, the sand table and map were likely on the second floor.

“I had no reason to enter from the first floor.”

Thus, after climbing the mountain, Shard began scaling the wall. Compared to the 50-foot-high cliff he had just encountered, the two-story building was practically within reach with a single jump.

With his hands on the window, he made sure no one was inside before daring to climb through.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

Thanks to Captain Lades’ help, he had found the right window. The sand table in the middle of the room displayed the terrain with its raised sand, small flags, and various metal models representing the iconic buildings on Sicarl Mountain. The map, on the other hand, was hung on the west wall, below which a cabinet held a mirror, fountain pen, letters, and a pistol.

Shard walked to the wall and swiftly scanned the map:

“Did you remember?”

[I remembered.]

“Good… there are footsteps!”

He took out the [Corpse-Hiding Mirror] from his arms, then touched the mirror on the cabinet and stepped into it. Seconds later, a tall and thin middle-aged man in leather boots and a military uniform entered. He glanced at the window, went to the wall to take down a telescope, and then left, closing the door conscientiously behind him.

“Hurry up, let’s go.”

Having accomplished his goal, Shard “jumped” out of the mirror, turned, and was about to dive out through the window in a standard diving posture. But at that moment, a loud noise erupted outside, and though Shard thought he had been discovered, the noise seemed to originate from the training field outside.

“What’s going on?”

Hesitating and driven by curiosity, he approached the window facing the camp, stayed close to the wall, and parted the tightly drawn curtains just enough to peer outside.

Brigadier General Carter’s barracks were situated at the highest point of the entire Red Water Camp. Aside from the defensive watchtowers, there was no taller structure within the camp. From here, one could see the distant training field, where a crowd was gathering around a pile of grains.

While Shard could not hear exactly what was being said, he could see Captain Lades and another officer he did not recognize standing together, each with a pistol pointed at the sky, surrounded by a jeering crowd.

“What are they doing?”

Bang!

The unfamiliar officer’s gun discharged a bullet, and Shard then realized they were shooting at birds in the sky. It was the season for migrating birds to fly south, and although sparrows did not migrate, they were quite active during the autumn. A convoy of five carriages was unloading goods on one side of the training field, and the spilled grains attracted bold creatures constantly attacking from the sky.

Thus, even a pistol might hit a high-flying target.

The unfamiliar officer’s first shot missed, and the gunshot drove the food-tempted animals to higher altitudes, but they soon descended again.

Seeing that Captain Lades was also preparing to aim and fire, Shard chuckled and took the Mind Crystal Ring from his pocket:

“Let me help the captain.”

Pointing his finger at the low-flying birds, a [Psychic Shockwave] was stronger and more effective the closer it was to its target. From such a distance, even if the sparrows’ spiritual power was weak, it was enough to pause their movements briefly.

“Psychic Shockwave!”

Timing it with Captain Lades firing his gun, Shard discretely directed the [Psychic Shockwave] towards the air outside from behind the window. A Psychic Shockwave could initially only attack a single target, but under the effects of “Divine Afterglow,” it could hit multiple targets simultaneously. As Shard made his move, the group of sparrows were not knocked unconscious, but they were momentarily unable to make any nimble evasive maneuvers.

“Hit!”

Cheers erupted from the training field below, as Captain Lades’ marksmanship remained precise, targeting the “fixed targets” in the sky posed no challenge for him.

Shard smiled behind the window, watching the captain raise his gun again while the unfamiliar officer waited, and extended his finger again:

“Psychic Shockwave!”

Another gunshot followed, then the sparrows attempting to steal the grain plummetted to the ground, and the observing soldiers cheered again. Captain Lades chuckled and scratched his head, raising his pistol for the third time.

“Alright then, Captain Eight-Guns, isn’t it? Captain, remember to thank me.”

Muttering quietly to himself, Shard continued to assist Captain Lades in firing six more shots, allowing the captain to hit eight sparrows with eight bullets. Then he left, regardless of whether the captain would continue shooting.

But from today onward, another story about “Captain Eight-Guns” would probably circulate within Red Water Camp, and Shard sincerely hoped that what he had done would lead to a better life for his friend. Captain Lades was a good man, and good people deserved better lives. This had always been the belief of the Outlander, even in this strange world of steam and mist, he continued to hold this view.