One More Day

Chapter 30: Mission-so-Not Affirmative

"WE HAVE REACHED THE DESTINATION." 

They stopped at a Camp after a few hours of staying inside the cramped wagon. They still haven't seemed to reach Leiden yet, but were in the middle of the trade route.

Indie stepped outside into the cold snow, almost freezing up. Finally, her almost-developing claustrophobia had disappeared.

The Sun was almost on top of its Horizon, making the blue cold skies illuminating with red flares in the sky.

The Cardinal did say that they were going to stop at the Trade route before. But what for? A mission for the spies*? For her? 

What did Original Indie do in this type of situation?

'Why are we doing this in the middle of Winter?!' Indie started to hate the season and the author. The blasts of wind, freezing boots, and frozen human bodies- no wonder why the survival rate in this Empire is low for poor people.

Indie was already walking around like a dead corpse ever since she had transmigrated in the novel.

The what-so-ever Camp was heavily guarded with armed soldiers with white heavy cloaks and large golden crests of the Church and huge cabanas along with giant long trees set up for a large bonfire.

No doubt it was prepared beforehand a long time ago for such a camp to exist.

"It seems that we are stopping here for a break," Aven says with a smile. Indie turned to look at this angelic human's existence.

"Well, it seems like it..." Indie unconsciously replied as her eyes drifted towards him. She started to become warier of this man. 

'Just who is he? Why is he part of the Holy Order and this secret mission for the spies?'

Aven smiled at Indie and Indie smiled back at him. So... awkward...

Sage Thea steps out from the carriage and stands between them saying: "Ah... finally some fresh air, don't you all think so?"

'Ah... finally someone who understands.' But Indie quickly shut down her mind as the Sage smiled at her and says: "Priestess Solstice thinks the same as well."

Indie awkwardly responded with a calm face while bowing and said: "Don't mind my imprudence, Your Holiness. It was a bit cramped for me to breathe."

Indie was not only supposed to be wary of Aven, but also the Sage, and the Priest. So many enemies...

But why did they land in a Camp beside a Trade Route? Is to watch over the Trade Route ever since the Blizzard blocked the transport system to the Capital this morning?

"Greetings to Camp Fiend, Your Holinesses, and Eminences!" A nearby soldier greeted them both as they all stepped out from the carriage. "Please come inside the cabanas to warm up, we have been awaiting your arrival from the Capital."

As expected. Indie's mission was to watch over the Trade Route from the Camp because of the Blizzard that blocked all the transport systems. Not only that- this Camp is a military Camp.

The Cardinal mentioned Bandits taking place in the Trade Route, which is a sign of Rebellion. It was probably Indie's mission to find out the source of the Rebellion and stop it.

The question was: Was it the doing of the Aristocratic Faction or the Patirican Party?

'Tsk. I hate this.' She lost motivation in her new mission already. 'Should Priests really be doing this?'

"Your Eminences, please take a break here." One of the guards summoned them into one of the huge tents. Inside the tent, looked lavishly decorated than on the outside. A warm fireplace was placed to heat the entire tent, a wollen carpet was placed on the cold floor to make it welcome its new guests. 

'They really had it prepared for luxury...' Indie stared around the giant tent. 

"Priestess, you should freshen up first before heading back." One of the soldiers said bowing at a ninety-degree angle.

A large bowl of fruits was laid before her eyes as they seated the three other guests in the large tent. 

'Is this a getup?! Is the Cardinal really charging all of this luxury for free-!? Is this like a bonus I get for doing job perfectly the last week? A vacation?'  

Indie did not understand the Cardinal's intentions with all of this luxury in the middle of the camp. But as she watched Sage Thea sit down and eat, Indie quickly noted that this was for the favor of the Sage.

"Is Leiden so far from the Capital, that we had to stop here?" Sage Thea asked. 

"It takes two-three days to reach Leiden, your holiness," Aven responded. "Since we had arrived faster than the usual timing, we will probably get there by tomorrow evening." 

'Another flipping seven hours in that cramped wagon...b*tch I-'

Indie was heavily dissatisfied at the thought of this. But the tent did the justice of what the wagon could not do. 

Just as the tent was filled with heavy silence, a loud march was heard on the other side of the tent. 

"Salute! Captain!" The soldiers inside the tent shouted as they all put their arms in air and bowed a ninety degree. A large bulky middle aged man made his way towards the inside of the tenth and then greeted Indie and others with: 

"Greetings your Eminsces, I hope that this luxury was enough to make you feel at home But I have important news to discuss with you all." 

Then the Captain dropped a bombshell:

"Recent suspicious activity with the most powerful terrorist group seems to have raided Leiden."

'HUH?' Indie froze in her thoughts as she stared at the Captain in disbelief and surprise. 'Terrorist group? In Leiden?' 

Indie chewed her lips. 

"It seems from the current reports that have been arriving, that the infiltrators have been awaiting your arrival in Leiden."

'This never happened in the novel...' Indie was in disbelief. 

"Are the current infiltrators seemed to be affiliated with the Aristocratic Faction?" Aven asked. The soldiers around Aven quietly flinched, and the Captain then showed his glare- clearly showing his dislike toward Aven's question. 

'Are the soldiers part of the Aristocratic Faction?' Indie wondered as she stared between the reaction. The rift between Aristocratific Faction and the Holy Order had just currently started (due to Indie's schemes). 

It seems that the military camp has been around for years- (the camp is a mix between aristocratic members and the holy order). 

"What will happen to the current plan?" Priest Jason asked instead. "Will we postpone our destination to Leiden?"

"There has been no communication status between the Camp and the Capital for a week, as this is because of poor weather in the continent during the winter." 

'An entire week?! That means, the Cardinal planned for all of us going to Leiden, all the way back before I probably even arrived to the Captial? Just what does he want?'

Indie had suspicions on the Cardinal on the day he started listening to her plans to abandon the Aristocratic Faction and distrust them. 

But it seems like the Cardinal already knew beforehand that it was going to happen, and set up for it?! 

'Or was it the Pope?' 

Indie still wasn't very close to the Pope, or even properly see him as a person. He rarely showed himself in public spaces like the power-abusing Cardinal. 

Now that she thought about it- Aven was right next to the Pope when he was introduced. And the first question that Aven asked was about the Aristocratic Faction...

Indie bit into her lip as she stared into Aven again, 'just who is he?' 

Did the original Indie know him? Did he know the Original Indie... is that why he was in the town, where she transmigrated into, that day? 

Was he spying on her? Was he... testing her?!