The Cracks in the Facade

She turned to face the road, her posture ramrod straight. "All enlisted personnel in the Valorian military begin their service as Squires."

Squire. I mentally translated the term into something I could understand, something from my own world’s lexicon of non-commissioned officers and enlisted ranks. Here, a Knight led a Squire into battle. A Squire who proved their mettle could be knighted, and a Knight who achieved remarkable feats could ascend to the rank of Brigadier. From there, they could climb higher still: Inspector, Lieutenant, Commander, and finally, Captain, the apex of the mid-grade officer corps. Brielle just needed one more promotion to become a Brigadier.

In my world's pay grade, that would make her an O-5. Damn. That was the same rank as Tanaka-san. A wave of relief washed over me; I was glad we were in separate chains of command. The last thing I wanted was to take orders from a seventeen-year-old girl.

"I was under the impression you still operated under a feudal noble-commoner system here," I said, probing.

"According to Valoria's constitution, all citizens are equal," Brielle stated, a hint of challenge in her voice. "You were aware of that, weren't you?"

"We're here!" one of the guards declared, interrupting our conversation. We stood on the precipice of a cliff overlooking the town of Tenebra. The settlement sprawled below us, a collection of timber and stone that gave it a distinctly medieval feel, much like Darrow.

As my eyes scanned the town, one of our escorts offered a caution. "Please, don't stray too far from us. Those bandits could strike at any moment."

I can handle myself, thanks, I thought with a flash of irritation. It felt absurd to have two guards shadowing our every move. They were clearly on edge about something, and I was determined to find out what.

As we descended into the town proper, I immediately noticed it was more bustling than Darrow. Yet, something else caught my eye—something I hadn't seen before. Destitute families were huddled together in cramped, narrow alleyways, their eyes downcast.

"Is the populace here always this impoverished?" Brielle asked one of the guards, her voice hushed with concern.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Ah, yes. Well, this only started after the bandits came and ransacked the town."

"Why wait until after an incident like that to call for reinforcements? Why not before?" I pressed, noticing how other townsfolk deliberately averted their gaze as we passed.

"Oh, that." The guard rubbed the back of his neck, his unease palpable. "We thought we could handle them on our own. We weren't prepared for how strong they were."

We continued our patrol, searching for any sign of unusual activity. "Are you noticing something about the citizens, Arc?" Brielle whispered, flicking her eyes toward a group of merchants whose smiles never quite reached their eyes.

"I am," I murmured back, keeping my voice low enough to evade the guards' ears. "They're all under immense stress. Their smiles are forced, plastered on."

Suddenly, the sharp sound of splintering wood and shattering glass erupted from a nearby alley.

CRASH!

Instinct took over. My hand flew to my MP5 as I broke into a sprint toward the noise. "Arc, wait!" Brielle shouted, dashing after me with the guards struggling to keep pace.

The sound had come from a looted storefront, its windows smashed and its door hanging precariously off one hinge. Peeking around the corner, I saw three town guards strolling casually away from the shop, their demeanor utterly nonchalant. What the hell are they doing?

Brielle and our escort caught up to me, breathing heavily. "Arc, what's going on?"

Ignoring her, I tightened my grip on my SMG, took a deep breath, and slammed my boot into the damaged door, kicking it wide open.

"Breaching!" I yelled as I rushed inside, sweeping the room in a 180-degree arc. The scene that greeted me caused me to lower my weapon, a cold dread washing over me. It was a tableau that dredged up memories from my time in the Arid Expanse. A young boy, no older than ten, lay unconscious in the arms of a man and woman I presumed were his parents. All three were covered in bruises, but the boy's injuries were the most severe, his small body stained with blood. They stared at me, their faces masks of pure terror.

A memory flashed, hot and unwelcome: a soldier, a civilian woman, the sickening sound of a drill. I could still hear her final screams.

"Arc! What are you—" Brielle's voice caught in her throat as she took in the scene. "My god," she gasped, rushing toward the stricken family. "What happened to them?"

I didn't answer.

"Fuck," I spat, turning on my heel and striding back out of the shop. My blood boiled, and my hands clenched into fists. I wanted nothing more than to smash my knuckles into the faces of those guards.

"Arc!" Brielle called, her hand grabbing my forearm. "Control yourself! Please!"

I took a deep, shuddering breath and turned to face our two guides. "You two," I commanded, my voice a flat, dangerous monotone. "Place those other guards under arrest."

They exchanged a nervous glance. "I apologize, Milord, but our duty is to you. Allow the other guards to—"

"FUCKING DO WHAT I SAY!" I roared, my fury erupting.

Visibly terrified, the guards scrambled to obey. I returned to the shop and knelt beside the boy, checking his pulse and breathing. "He's stable, but he needs immediate medical attention." I carefully gathered him into my arms. "Take me to his room," I told the parents.

"Y-yes," the father stammered, ushering me toward a set of stairs.

"Done," I said, tying the final bandage around the boy's head.

"Thank you," the mother wept, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't even know who you are, but thank you. I don't know how we can ever repay you."

"It's alright," I said, packing away my medkit. "His injuries aren't life-threatening. Nothing a little field dressing can't handle."

"May I ask you a question?" Brielle asked the couple gently.

"Yes, young lady, of course," the man replied.

"Why did those guards do this?"

The man's eyes fell to the emblem on Brielle's uniform. "You're with the Order of the Knights of the Azure Cross, aren't you?" Brielle nodded. To our astonishment, the man dropped to his knees before her. "Please, you have to help us!"

Brielle and I exchanged a bewildered look.

I knelt, placing my hands on the man's shoulders. "Sir," I said, meeting his gaze. "What do you need from us?"

"Please," he begged, "don't tell the town guards about this."

"I understand," I assured him. "Now, tell me exactly what those guards did to you."

"They came to demand our tax payment," he said, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and rage. "I told them I could pay them next week, but they wouldn't listen. They started looting my shop. When my son tried to stop them... they hurt him." The man choked back a sob. "They threatened to burn the place to the ground if I don't have the money by tomorrow."

"Why would they do such a thing?" Brielle asked, her expression a mask of horrified disbelief. "Why didn't you report this to us sooner?"

"Mayor Thorne forbids any citizen from leaving the city," the woman interjected, her voice sharp with desperation. "If the town guards catch anyone trying to escape, the punishment is severe."

I stroked my chin, the pieces clicking into place. My theory had been correct. "So, this is what they were hiding," I said, looking at Brielle. "I think it's time we rendezvous with Elara at the rally point." She nodded in agreement.

I turned back to the boy's parents. "Don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of this. Our companion, Elara, will stay here and make sure you're safe."

The parents bowed their heads in unison. "Thank you! We owe you our lives!"

Brielle waved a dismissive hand, though her smile was warm. "Think nothing of it. It's our duty to protect the innocent."

As we were about to leave, the boy began to stir. "Big brother... big sis..." he murmured.

We both turned back.

"Good luck," he said, offering a weak but genuine smile. "And thank you."

I walked back to his bedside and rested a hand on his head. "You're a strong kid," I said, a rare, small smile touching my own lips. "I have a feeling you'll grow up to be a great warrior."