Charlotte's Trial

Karl led Charlotte through the quiet streets of Fran City at night, heading towards the City Defense Army barracks.

A cold wind blew, and silence still hung between the two, but the atmosphere was much more subtle than it had been in the governor's mansion hallway.

Karl could clearly hear his own heartbeat, and occasionally, out of the corner of his eye, he would catch a glimpse of the delicate profile and upright posture of the young woman beside him, outlined by the night. The indescribable flutter in his heart grew stronger.

As they approached the outer perimeter of the barracks, a figure flashed in the darkness. Two sentries, hidden in the shadows, suddenly appeared and blocked their path, their voices low and vigilant:

"Halt! Password!"

Karl was taken aback and immediately speechless.

He had been busy outside all evening; the daily drills and defenses of the barracks had been entirely handled by Brendan and Richter. He had no idea what the night password was.

Swish!

Seeing the approaching figure hesitate, the two sentries unhesitatingly drew the long swords from their waists. The cold sword tips glinted menacingly in the faint light, pointing directly at Karl and Charlotte, instantly raising the tension.

Karl could feel Charlotte's gaze immediately fall upon him. There was a probing look in her eyes, perhaps with a hint of imperceptible amusement.

He felt his face grow hot and, steeling himself, took a step forward and said in a low voice, "It's me, Karl."

Upon hearing this, the two sentries paused, seeming hesitant.

One of them cautiously raised his torch higher. The dim, yellowish light illuminated Karl's face.

"It really is you, sir!" the sentry exclaimed, quickly sheathing his sword. Both men simultaneously dropped to one knee. "Our apologies, sir! We didn't see clearly in the dark and have offended you!"

Karl breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression turned stern.

"Get up!" Karl said sternly. "You were right to stop and question me! That is your duty!"

The two sentries nervously stood up.

Karl's tone shifted, becoming even more severe. "But! What you did afterward was very wrong! You heard me say I was Karl and immediately sheathed your swords and let me pass? What if an enemy had disguised themselves with my voice or imitated my silhouette using the darkness to sneak in and attack you? Because of your negligence, the entire camp could have been in danger!"

The sentries' faces turned pale as they realized the gravity of their mistake.

"According to military regulations, your negligence tonight must be punished..." Karl paused deliberately, seeing the sentries' anxious expressions, before continuing, "...However, considering your hard work on duty and that this is your first offense, your merits and demerits will cancel each other out. But remember this clearly: when on duty at night, recognize only the password, not the person! Even if I myself arrive, you are not to let me pass without the password! Do you understand?"

"Yes! Thank you, sir! We will definitely remember!" The two sentries, as if granted a great pardon, loudly vowed with gratitude and shame.

"Continue your duty," Karl finally nodded, leading Charlotte through them.

After walking a few steps, Charlotte, who had been silently observing, suddenly spoke. Her voice was exceptionally clear in the night air, "Recognize only the password, not the person... not even yourselves. I seem to have a very good premonition, Karl von Schmidt. I think I might truly be able to see a different kind of army."

Hearing Charlotte's praise, especially when she directly called his name, Karl couldn't help but feel a bit proud. However, he maintained a humble demeanor. "Miss Charlotte, you are too kind. They are just new recruits who have only trained for a few days, and they still have many shortcomings. I am simply willing to spend money on them, buy the best equipment, pay them full wages and bonuses, so they feel it is worth fighting for me."

Charlotte smiled softly. In the darkness, her eyes seemed to sparkle like stars. "What you've done sounds simple, but ninety percent of the army commanders in the kingdom cannot achieve it. Either they lack the money, are unwilling to spend it, or simply cannot conceive of it."

As they talked, they encountered another patrol of sentries.

However, Karl now knew the password and answered correctly. After the exchange, the patrol respectfully saluted and let them pass.

This scene once again fell into Charlotte's eyes. The look she gave Karl now held an even stronger sense of admiration.

Karl also felt very satisfied with Brendan and Richter's execution. He hadn't expected them to manage the barracks so efficiently without any direct orders from him.

Soon, they arrived at the barracks area where Karl's troops were stationed.

Even though it was night, patrols and fixed sentry posts could still be seen inside and outside the barracks, all in orderly fashion.

"This is all my current assets," Karl said, gesturing to the quiet barracks. His tone carried a hint of pride, as well as a subtle, almost imperceptible, desire for recognition.

Charlotte stopped and scanned the silent barracks. Then, she turned her head, her eyes, still bright in the night, looking directly at Karl. She made an unexpected suggestion:

"How about a night emergency assembly?"

"What?" Karl was startled.

"A night emergency assembly," Charlotte repeated, taking out a whistle and handing it to Karl, her tone carrying a hint of challenge.

"I want to see how long it takes your soldiers, and your knight officers, to react in your absence, and what level they can achieve. A true army doesn't sleep soundly just because it's dark, and enemies don't only attack during the day."

Upon hearing this, Karl hesitated.

A night emergency assembly? This was something they had never practiced before. The soldiers were tired from a day's labor and had only just fallen asleep. Would waking them up suddenly cause resentment? Would the results be good?

On the other hand, he felt that Charlotte's words made a lot of sense.

In the future, in Carnford, night raids were almost a guaranteed threat. Practicing in advance would definitely be beneficial.

More importantly, the beautiful young woman beside him was looking at him with expectant eyes.

My brothers, don't embarrass me!

He took a deep breath, his gaze becoming resolute. He looked at Charlotte and took her whistle. "Alright! As you wish."

Karl took a deep breath, put the metal whistle Charlotte handed him into his mouth, and blew hard!

"Beep--Beep-Beep--Beep--!!"

An extremely sharp and rapid whistle sound suddenly tore through the quiet night sky of the barracks, like a cold knife piercing everyone's eardrums.

Almost simultaneously with the whistle, Karl strode towards the center of the training ground while shouting with all his might, "Emergency assembly! All personnel! Within five minutes, equipped and assembled on the training ground! Those who are late will be severely punished!"