Chapter Fourteen: Erza's Letter and the Possibility of Horror
Every important town and port in Beyeland has an echo hub for transmitting information. Originally, communication in various regions relied on the slow postal system or familiars or animals such as ravens and owls. Over the years, they relied on the magical power of the echo crystal.
It plays an increasingly important role in communication.
Although the echo nodes erected on high towers cannot transmit goods, they can transmit text or sounds across hundreds of miles in a very short time. Their significance in trade and futures trading is self-evident. Of course, they are also expensive.
Scary.
This service belonged to the work scope of the resident mage a long time ago. After the commercial value was gradually discovered in practice, the operation of the Echo Crystal was moved to a specially designed tower, and the express letters and familiar communication were placed on different floors.
Become the regional communication center.
Personal echo crystals, designed for small-scale communications, are also becoming popular and may revolutionize the way we connect and communicate.
Griffith found the local echo hub not far from the garrisoned mage tower. It was extremely busy here. A large number of parcels and letters were unloaded from the ship and sorted and delivered on the first floor here.
The second floor is an area dedicated to small animals such as familiars and messenger pigeons. There are dedicated personnel to take care of and arrange delivery and receipt.
The third floor is the true echo hub. It is said that extraordinary people with high inspiration will hear noisy and ethereal sounds here. Griffith tried it but heard nothing.
"I would like to check if there are any communications sent by Erza Valkyrie to Griffith Blanton." Griffith sat down at a counter and asked.
"I suggest you go to the mail center on the first floor first," the girl opposite the counter replied without looking up, "letters are generally not delivered by echo."
Her hands were tapping on a piece of crystal frequently, stopping every once in a while to write a few words. Although she did not have the aura of an extraordinary person, there seemed to be some way for her to hear the echo in the crystal.
"How did you hear the echo?" Griffith asked curiously.
"You can hear it if you touch it. Get closer." The little girl still didn't raise her head. "Go to the first floor quickly. You are disturbing me."
Griffith hurriedly retreated and returned to the noisy lobby on the first floor. There, he could indeed check the letters and packages sent by Erza.
"Letter from Erza Valkyrie
"Dear Griffith, my little brother, are you still adapting to life in Homemonworth? Have you been promoted to knight or third-level assault squadron leader? I think you haven't yet, so you are still my little brother!"
Griffith couldn't help laughing. Erza called the trainee knights in the squadron using words like "little brother, minions, and minions" and often mingled with everyone.
It's really a blend.
"I am writing to ask for help from my minions.
"You returned to the rear before the end of the battle, so you may not know that the idiots of the Eastern Army lost many files and letters after the victory of the battle. Either the transport ship ran aground and sank or the warehouse caught fire, and everyone's luggage was also lost.
"The guys in the squadron have been writing letters recently, hoping that I can provide relevant certification materials to help them return to their hometowns to work or enroll in school. The Reserve Army Headquarters also needs relevant certifications to assist in file registration. After I issued the certification, the local idiots felt that
This certificate is not enough, so I have to get another one. So, I thought of you.
"The attachment is a document that the guys need to sign. You need to check their information separately, the combat situation and the latest situation as far as you know. It's not complicated. Fill it out carefully and send it to my sister. Hurry!
"If you have urgent matters, you can contact me through the Echo Hub, and Beacon Academy will convey it in time. However, don't use that if you have nothing to do. Each word costs 10 sous. Why don't Kingdom Communications and Echo Company directly rob the central bank's treasury.
"good luck,
"Oh, by the way, Amber is my new minion. She is very powerful. You two should get along well."
Attached to the back of the letter is a thick stack of paper, all containing certificates and forms that Griffith needs to provide.
Erza had carefully written down the situation clearly, filed it in categories, and even filled out the situation statement in time for Griffith to leave the army. All she needed was for him to check and sign.
as always.
Griffith remembered that the second-level assault squadron leader would carefully arrange camping and food for everyone when not fighting. Although the food and accommodation on the Eastern Front were poor, Erza always made everyone better than others.
The squadron is more comfortable. When she doesn't call everyone "minions" or "minions", she will still remember everyone's birthdays and training progress, and give guidance and comfort to those frightened companions.
If you hadn't seen Erza take action, you would have thought that she was a careful, gentle and considerate wife who had to take care of more than a hundred young children every day. Everyone in the 502nd Wing said so. As long as she didn't take action.
.
This is not the point!
Griffith hurriedly flipped through the documents about the squadron, almost going straight to the information he wanted to see.
Transportation and Logistics Team, no.
Grooms and weapons maintenance teams, not.
Assault infantry squad, no.
Armored assault cavalry, this is it!
The core of the squadron, the Armored Assault Cavalry, should have a strength of 17 people. In addition to the chief officer Erza Valkyrie, there are a total of 16 other officers and sergeants. Krista's file should be among them.
Griffith flipped through the documents with almost trembling hands, counting names. 13, 14...
The file ends at the 14th person, and there is no follow-up. Except for his own information that is not necessary to list, it is Krista that is missing.
Griffith began to sweat on his forehead, and he quickly checked the files of other squads and the squadron organization summary.
No, there is no information about Krista at all. Everyone else in the entire squadron is recorded whether they were killed, injured or alive and kicking in the final stage, but Krista is not the only one.
The armored assault cavalry group is so short of one man!
Griffith almost rushed up to the third floor on hands and knees and arrived at the service center of Echo Crystal Communications.
"Quick, I need to send a communication to Beacon Academy!" Griffith shouted in a voice that startled the service lady.
The few minutes after the message was sent almost passed like years. Generally speaking, the reply to the message during working hours was very fast. As long as Erza was not out on a mission, the echo hub specially designed by the college like Beacon would reply immediately.
Sure enough, Erza's reply came fifteen minutes later.
There were only a few words on the small note.
"who is she".
…
Neopolis is the largest island in the Broken Sea.
When the explorers first landed on this beautiful island, the hot southern winds, lush forests and sweet mountain spring fruits warmly welcomed these northern guests.
Since that time, groups of immigrants have migrated from all directions to settle on this island.
Griffith spent his childhood here. He completed basic school here, received basic training on the path of knights, and practiced martial arts with his brother before dawn every day. But now he still stays on this island.
My only relatives are my uncle's family.
Brandon, a feudal knight, was recently awarded a territory in the southern province for his outstanding achievements in the war. He has left with his family for the fiefdom. He has his own property and manor, which is a very rare treatment among many formal knights.
According to the kingdom's inheritance law, territory and titles can only be inherited by one person. While other heirs have no inheritance rights, they must also bear a special tax for the family to fight for the king. Therefore, Griffith graduated from the Junior Military Academy
After that, he was immediately sent to the battlefield in the far east to fight with the orcs.
Griffith's heart was very heavy. He originally thought that Galadia, Aaron and the Whispering Forest had been the most puzzling experiences in his life, but he was simply stunned by the strange clues about Krista.
There are two possibilities, neither of which is a good thing.
First, Griffith suspected that he had contracted battlefield syndrome in the East. This disease is very hidden, but once it attacks, it will cause madness and confusion, and even continue to accumulate wrong memories and cognitions. Suicide is the patient's
A common outcome.
If it were another possibility, it would be so terrifying that it would make people shudder.
Someone has tampered with Griffith's memory, or simply tampered with the memory of other people in the squadron or even the entire regiment, destroying documents and materials, completely erasing Krista's existence. If those people found out about Griffith...
What will you do if you retain the memory?
terrible.
The warm sea breeze from the sea blew the lush vineyards and farmland, and groups of children and their dogs ran in the shade of the trees and on the ridges of the fields. Griffith, who was cold all over, walked along the sunny path, trying hard
Relive past memories and divert your attention.
He could only try not to think about it. He would wait until he had the opportunity to see the strong and mature Erza again and ask her for her opinion. He hoped that she would be fine.
…
The last time Griffith appeared here was four years ago. His childhood home, which was full of memories, had been sold and became someone else's property.
However, there is a saying on Neopolis that when you leave your hometown when you are young, the memories of life on Neopolis will bring you back here. It may be that it is so different because of living here, or it may be that life is different.
it's here.
Griffith's destination, Hepu Town, is indeed different. The residents of Hepu have brown pupils and black hair, with soft and delicate faces, and strong and witty eyes. Griffith's appearance is a fusion of his parents'
The characteristics of both sides are black hair and brown eyes, but the edges of the face are more distinct, and the eyes are as sharp as blades.
His uncle Zion is a respected doctor of medicine. He once taught at Homemonworth, but has been away for some years.
The trainee knight carried a small package and weapons to the station in the market square, waiting for the public carriage to Heura. Not long after, a small public carriage pulled by two horses rattled along the road.
He drove along the gravel path, turned a corner, and stopped on the curb next to him.