Franz

He strode to the outer city of the castle and immediately spotted Franz standing alone in the shadows of a corner, seemingly leaning casually against the wall, but his gaze was slowly and casually scanning the surroundings and observing the flow of people.

He was dressed in ordinary coarse cloth clothes, but his posture and eyes revealed a vigilance and composure that set him apart from those around him.

"Franz," Richter approached him, his voice low but clear, "the Lord wishes to see you. Come with me."

Franz withdrew his gaze from surveying his surroundings, looked at Richter, and nodded calmly without any surprise on his face. "Yes, Captain."

The two walked back one after the other. As they walked, Richter whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Listen, Franz, the Lord's questioning is your opportunity, and also your test."

"Answer whatever they ask honestly, tell the truth, don't exaggerate or hide anything," he paused, his tone becoming more serious, "The fact that the adults are willing to meet with you alone shows they value you. Whether you can seize the opportunity is up to you."

Franz continued walking, his gaze fixed straight ahead, his voice low yet carrying a reassuring calm. "Understood, Captain. Don't worry, I know what to do."

Soon, the two returned to the extremely rudimentary office, which had been converted from an old warehouse.

Franz followed Richter inside, his gaze quickly and discreetly sweeping across the entire room.

The walls were rough, undecorated stone; the furniture consisted of only a simple wooden table and a few chairs; some miscellaneous items were piled up in the corner; and a faint smell of dust and mildew lingered in the air.

This was far from the luxurious and imposing office he had imagined for Lord; it was more like a front-line command post or a foreman's shed.

But his expression remained unchanged; he calmly withdrew his gaze and strode to the wooden table.

About three steps from the table, Franz stopped without hesitation, knelt on his right knee, placed his left hand on his chest, and gave Karl was sitting behind the table, a standard and respectful greeting. His movements were clean and crisp, with the decisiveness of a soldier.

Karl watched his movements, a gentle smile appearing on his face. He waved his hand and said, "Get up. In Carnford, this kind of kneeling is not customary, especially during our internal meetings."

Upon hearing this, Franz immediately and nimbly stood up.

He reacted quickly and without the slightest hesitation, straightening his back, bringing his feet together, raising his right arm, and giving Karl a more standard and powerful Carnford Army, the movement fluid and natural.

Karl watched him quickly switch between formalities, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. He nodded. "Very good, that's right."

He pointed to an empty chair next to the table. "Sit down, let's talk."

Franz didn't sit down immediately, but instead glanced subconsciously at Richter standing to the side, his eyes questioning.

This subtle gesture showed that he understood the hierarchical structure and maintained respect for his direct superior.

Seeing this, Richter immediately said, "If the Lord tells you to sit, then sit down. Remember, here, the Lord is the highest-ranking officer."

His words were both a reminder to Franz and a way of showing Karl that Franz knew the rules.

Franz then responded with a "Yes," sat down properly in the chair, straightened his back, placed his hands flat on his knees, and looked calmly at Karl, waiting for the question.

Karl didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point. "Very well, then, Franz, tell me specifically, how did you discover that the Sauron spy was acting strangely at Outpost No. 3 that day?"

Franz paused for a moment, then answered clearly, "My lord, the situation was like this: the man claimed to be a survivor from the Northern Territory Black Forest Valley, saying that his home had been burned down by the Sauron, and he had fled here alone."

"My comrade asked him a few basic questions according to the standard procedure, such as where he came from and who his family was, etc. His answers sounded flawless."

He changed the subject. "But I felt something was off about him from the very beginning. It wasn't something I noticed through what he said, but through his subtle expressions and small gestures."

"His eyes darted around a bit when he answered questions, and his unconscious fidgeting with his fingers suggested nervousness. So, I stopped my comrade who was about to wave him through and decided to ask him a few more questions."

"I asked him questions about the terrain, scenery, and even details about the local Lord' families around Black Forest Castle," Franz continued. "For example, I asked him, 'What's the name of the largest stream east of Black Forest Castle? Can you wade across it in the summer?'"

"He hesitated for a long time about a question that locals should know by heart, and finally said it was called ' Blackwater Creek,' but actually, everyone in the area knows that the creek is called ' Whitestone Creek.'"

"I then asked, 'What is the design of your Lord's coat of arms? How many stories does the castle tower have?' The Lord's coat of arms and the castle tower are things that the locals see every day, so they should have a very deep impression of them. But the details of the design and the number of stories in the tower that he described were not true."

"What aroused my suspicion," Franz added, adding the most crucial point, "Was that although his accent deliberately imitated the Northern Territory accent, the ending sounds of certain words, especially when speaking quickly, would unconsciously carry a distinct Central Plains accent."

"It's unlikely that a native of the Northern Territory would do something like this. Considering all these suspicious points, I judged that he was lying and promptly detained him."

Karl listened intently to Franz's narration, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.

After Franz finished speaking, he nodded, a hint of inquiry in his eyes. "Your observations are very sharp, and your judgments are decisive enough. However, I'm curious, how do you know so much about the details of Black Forest Castle and even the rest of the Northern Territory? Ordinary soldiers or refugees would probably find it difficult to grasp the specific situations of so many different territories."