202: sentry

Chapter 199: Outpost

Seeing that the Lord still didn't answer, Flora spoke again, "We aren't far from the vineyard.

"We should arrive by noon tomorrow at the latest.

"Before that, it's best we confirm the members of our party."

"I agree," Sariya echoed.

"Leave this matter to you," Arthur said to Sariya. "Alright, you two can go back now."

"Lord, won't you sleep a little longer?" Flora asked with concern.

Arthur shook his head. "I want to be alone to think about some things."

"Then please be careful, Lord," the warrior monk urged. "By no means should you go beyond the last outpost."

Arthur continued walking and soon arrived at the second outpost.

To ensure the safety of the camp, Sariya had set up three outposts.

The outermost outpost and the outposts within the camp each had two guards, while the middle outpost only had one.

This arrangement allowed the soldiers of the entire team to smoothly rotate night shifts.

Previously, Arthur had asked Sariya why so many outposts were needed.

After all, the surrounding Undead had already been cleared.

The Commander's answer was, "Caution never goes wrong."

Arthur didn't press the matter further after hearing that.

The soldier on duty at the second outpost was a short, stout fellow.

He was wrapped in a long black cloak, wearing gloves, and leaning against a large oak tree, his head resting on his chest.

Arthur gently patted the sentry's shoulder. The man suddenly lifted his head, fumbling and nearly dropping the axe in his hand.

The hood of his cloak slid down, revealing a mess of hair, and he hurriedly pulled the hood back up.

Under the moonlight, Arthur couldn't clearly see the other person's face, but he recognized him.

In the previous battle, he was one of the people who followed Sariya to protect him.

"I wasn't asleep, Lord!" the man quickly defended himself. "I was just resting for a bit."

He was a brown-skinned Half-elf.

His tone of voice at that moment clearly showed some embarrassment.

He certainly should have been embarrassed.

This was neither his first battle nor his first war, yet he was so lax while on night watch.

"Be careful, soldier," Arthur's voice was calm yet firm. "Since you've been assigned night watch, you should fulfill your duty."

As long as the tone remains firm and confident, a calm voice can make people listen more attentively than a loud reprimand.

The Half-elf stood up from the ground, like a child who had made a mistake, lowering his head and not daring to look at Arthur.

"Undead can see things in the dark, and I know you Half-elves can too," Arthur continued. "But your enemies won't need rest.

"Especially at night, they will become more agile and powerful.

"By the time they truly get close to you, you might not have time to grip your weapon as you are now."

At this point, Arthur restrained himself from saying anything more.

Though he was not a harsh person, he would never tolerate mistakes, especially errors that could endanger the safety of the entire camp.

The Half-elf hung his head in shame, unsure how to respond to the Lord's reprimand.

For him, being caught by Sariya and receiving a few lashes would be better than being reprimanded by the Lord face-to-face.

The former was merely physical torment, while the latter would make him the laughingstock of the entire team.

"Perhaps standing somewhere without trees might help you resist the temptation to 'rest'."

Arthur gave the other party an out.

He knew that after the intense fighting during the day, coupled with the subsequent exhaustion from reinforcing the camp,

these soldiers would undoubtedly feel incredibly tired once the adrenaline wore off.

This was also why alcohol was needed to boost their spirits.

"Lord!" the Half-elf quickly responded. "I was derelict in my duty; I am guilty."

"People cannot defy their instincts, and sleep is one of them," Arthur waved his hand. "But true warriors learn to overcome their instincts.

"Also, Klement, it's very cold tonight, isn't it?"

The soldier's eyes widened suddenly.

Firstly, because the Lord had called him by name.

Secondly, he realized he hadn't become a true warrior in the Lord's eyes.

"Even if the Undead don't kill you, falling asleep in a place like this, the cold will take your life," Arthur added.

The Half-elf said nothing more, only respectfully saluted Arthur.

Then he walked three paces away from the tree trunk.

He stood ramrod straight, his eyes fixed on the darkness ahead, occasionally shifting his feet to prevent his toes from becoming numb with cold. The soldier had indeed regained his alertness, but how long would it last?

Arthur wished he could find out, but it was pointless to lecture this Half-elf any further.

He turned and continued walking, soon arriving at the outermost outpost.

The situation here was much better than at the second outpost; the soldiers on duty were intently watching their surroundings, showing no signs of slackening.

Perhaps the small bonfire beside them played a role.

The soldiers immediately saluted respectfully when they saw the Lord approaching.

Arthur suddenly stopped and asked, "Sariya, do you distrust me that much?"

A surprised murmur came from behind him.

Undoubtedly, Sariya had thought her tracking was concealed enough not to be discovered.

Indeed, few people could detect the subtle rustling sound when her boots stepped on dry branches and decaying leaves.

But she should have known Arthur could hear it.

As a priest, keen senses were an essential ability for them to establish a connection with the gods.

Moreover, the training Arthur received since childhood also gave him the most basic combat literacy.

In his memory, his first lesson was to always be aware of his surroundings.

Even when sleeping, he had to remain vigilant.

At that time, he was only about ten years old, and his mischievous nature was already beginning to show.

But his father believed that this restlessness and abundant energy were precisely the qualities a warrior needed.

However, for a young boy, "staying vigilant" was never an easy skill to master.

His mentor often warned him that in the constantly warring borderlands, any lapse in vigilance could quickly lead to death.

Even within the seemingly safe palace, one should be careful.

The countless bodies of assassins buried beneath Wolf Fang Keep were the best proof.

"I wasn't specifically following you, Lord," Sariya quickly caught up with Arthur and explained. "I was just on a routine patrol."

This was undoubtedly a clumsy lie, but Arthur didn't expose it.

"No matter how careful you are. Those creatures from the darkness can still quietly sneak up behind you and cut your throat,"

Sariya continued, "Miss Airo taught us all this before we set off."