Damian continued to stand by as he watched his party save the soldiers' feet. He had noticed that Fergus went to help the few wizards in the group first.

  They were closer together, but... Could it be because he figured that it'd be better to be in their good graces, or that they'd have lower constitutions and would be harder to treat after they bled out more?

  Either way, they've made it to treating the standard soldiers now.

  We aren't going to get paid for any of this... or could we appeal to Ms. Sanderson or Higgins? The Healers Association? Talking to Major Aberman? That'd be a fast track to nowhere. He doesn't even look bothered by the fact that his soldiers have died or been handicapped. Maybe he'd be concerned if he were in actual danger himself.

  'sigh'

  The spectacles-wearing adjutant had returned and was waiting to be called upon by the Major. He was like a dog wagging its tail, waiting for its master to call it. 'Sit, Stay, Stay... Ok, come here, boy!'

  "Major, I'd like to report to you that we've gotten official documents from General Oseers. We are to relay his order that we collect all the evidence and bring it to him immediately. If we encounter any resistance, we are first to cite the Emergency Command Structure Act. If they continue to withhold evidence, we are to use force."

  Ah, fuck...

  The Major had a smug look on his face as he was waltzing with a clack to his step over toward Higgins. She was currently carrying one of his own men back to the makeshift healing center.

  'sigh'

  Damian waited a little, then followed behind. It wouldn't do them any good if the Major became suspicious of their group.

  "... and due to the Emergency Command Structure Act, Former Colonel Sanderson's chain of command is circumnavigated."

  Higgins basically had smoke rising from her ears, likely trying to come up with a way to prevent the evidence from being taken.

  Damian knew little about military affairs. Still, he did know that a General delivering commands, even across command structures, had to be abided by or else it'd be labeled insubordination.

  If the General overstepped their power, it wouldn't be until all was settled and done that a punishment could be delivered. And even then, lobbying would result in a slap on the wrist.

  "Hmm? Cat got your tongue? Worry not, I'll find the other body on my own~ For all I know, you left one unreported. So I'll be checking all of the caskets. Men, if you would."

  The remaining soldiers spread out and began hauling all the caskets to a central location. One by one, they were all being lined up. Some adventurers who had placed their fallen allies in earthen caskets were making a fuss.

  Damian saw the man who had cradled the shrivelled woman from the healing center; he must have returned for her after the wave had concluded. The young man had even opened the casket to show it wasn't part of what they were looking for, but it seemed orders were orders for these soldiers. At least one of the men promised to return the body.

  "Toddy, if you would." The adjutant followed orders and began walking along the line of caskets. Soldiers removed the covers one by one as he passed. His eyes kept glinting, some skill in use. Toddy was growing closer and closer to the casket the earth shaper had made for Damian...

  Shit... What should I do?

  Before the adjutant arrived at the casket Damian had acquired, he stopped several steps short and peered closer to one of the bodies.

  "What happened to this body?" Toddy asked, directing the question toward Higgins.

  "Huh?" She stepped forward and looked inside. "Oh! When we battled with the tier 6 wraith, several good men and women were turned to ash. We decided to gather the ashes and lay them to rest. I had requested caskets for them. But after we had already started, someone pointed out that we should be using urns instead. The other urns are right over there."

  "Toddy, what does your skill say?"

  "Yes, Major, it is telling me that the ash was formerly organic and roughly converted to ash between 8 and 16 hours ago. Someone with a higher skill could narrow it down further."

  "Hmm, carry on."

  Higgins was squirming nervously. The armor she was wearing was scraping against itself, and the tapping of metal on metal was heard as she rang her gauntlets together.

  It was overly loud, given that most of the chatter in the room had died down once the Major arrived. She looked like a schoolchild asking her teacher to use the restroom.

  The adjutant continued down the line and reached Damian's casket. He leaned forward and peered inside. "?"

  "Why is there a chain amongst the ash in this casket?"

  "!?" Higgins bounded forward and peered inside. Damian also shuffled amongst the gathering crowd to get a better look. Genuine alarm on his face.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  The casket that was supposed to contain the tier 6 Imperial soldier held only ash, in the rough outline of a person. In the middle was the steel chain that restrained him.

  "... I don't know..." Higgins was spaced out in thought, trying to connect the dots of what could have happened. She was bouncing between being dumbfounded and great concern.

  As for Damian, he melded into the crowd with a grave look on his face.

  The adjutant ignored Higgins's weird shuffling and continued down the line. He continued to peer at each body, not showing much of a reaction to the dead. Then he finally reached the end of the line.

  "Major, I have not identified any of these remains as being the one we are looking for."

  "?! Hoho~ So you thought that you could hide the evidence from me. Enough games! Where is the remaining body, Commander! Which dungeon tunnel did you store it in? Is it in someone's spatial skill?"

  Higgins was shaken from her stupor. "Huh? I'm not sure..."

  "Toddy! What does your skill say about that statement? It'd be a horrendous offense to lie to an officer on official duty. I'll mark this down as insubordination!"

  "Uh, it says that she's telling the truth..."

  "What!? You there!"

  "Yes, sir!" One of Higgins's subordinates was picked out at random.

  "Does Acting Commander Higgins have a skill that can obscure the truth? Answer me now!"

  "No, sir! Not that I'm aware of!"

  "What does that mean?! Do you not know her skills?!"

  "I am aware of four of her skills, sir! She recently reached tier 5, and I am not aware of her new skill."

  The Major was tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. "List the skills you are aware of."

  "Yes, sir! Her first skill gives her control over the aspect of defense. She can create shield energy that can strengthen her armor or shields. Her second skill strengthens her natural defenses, making her own body a shield. The third skill allows her to project an enlarged shield, weapon, or tool externally with shield energy, and it retains the effects of that tool, including rune effects. Her fourth skill makes her immovable. Nothing within reason can knock her down. She is the perfect bulwark when it comes to protecting her men."

  Her subordinate just broke a major taboo by revealing her skills. But given the circumstances, he can't fully be blamed. When Damian took a look at Higgins to see how she'd react, she had a smile on her face... Likely because he ended the reveal with a compliment.

  "Commander! What is your fifth skill? I demand to see its use! If you can't prove it's not an obscuration skill, I'll have you jailed!"

  Higgins still had a smug smile plastered on her face from the previous compliment. It took her another moment to register what the Major just said.

  "Oh! That is fine. This will be the first time I am using it. Colonel Sanderson advised that I hold off until I had a safety net."

  Safety net?

  Large, blue transparent wings stretched out from behind Higgins's back. They looked awfully similar to those of a Valkyrie. They were, however, slightly transparent and ethereal in nature, the same color as her enlarged weapon skill.

  With one big flap, she shot into the air at a rapid speed. She had still been standing next to the casket with the ashes and chain inside. That one big movement sent it scattering into the air rapidly, filling the soldiers' and the Major's air with corpse ash. Damian was fortunately far enough back that he wasn't a casualty.

  *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough*

  They all entered coughing fits. One of the poor soldiers started to vomit right into one of the caskets. It was the one with the shiveled woman's remains inside... "Gah!!!" The man who was protective of her was agast, trying to run over to shield her body, but his party members held him back.

  It was already too late for her. Running in now would only upset the military. Damian had to look away, aghast at the further casualties Higgins's innocent actions had caused.

  By the time the soldiers needed to take another breath, they weren't able to escape the ash storm. They had to take in another breath of the mortal ash-filled air. *cough* *cough* *cough* Those with armor had no defense. They couldn't cover their mouths with cloth because of their plate armor.

  When looking up, Higgins was utterly oblivious to the mayhem she had just caused. She had a beaming smile plastered on her face as she flew for the first time.

  She was soaring high above the teleportation room. Its high vaulted ceiling gave her plenty of room to exercise this new skill. She took to flying just like a baby bird pushed out of the nest. It came second nature to her.

  "Coming down for a landing!" She was swooping down at a steep angle, far too steep and too fast for it to be safe to be in her way. Right before she would have smacked into the ground, her wings changed her trajectory, and she sharply turned up and then released her wings.

  Her forward momentum was angled slightly upward, but then she suddenly stopped in the middle of the air and dropped down on her feet. She had consciously used her immovable skill. It gained another function with her tier-up. She never had to fear falling from a high place ever again.

  "You damn maniac! Who told you to use your skill there!" *cough* *cough*

  "You did, sir! You asked that I prove my skill did not interfere with any truth-telling skills."

  Was she mocking him? No... no way... It's certainly just too much goodwill. Yeah...

  "Dammit!" *cough* *cough*

  It took a bit for everyone to get the human ash out of their lungs, and even more to get it out of their hair and clothes. It may never come out... Damian could see it now, months later, after a long day's work: the Major knocks his shoe upside down, and human ash falls out. The horror!

  Damian's party had just come back after aiding the Major's men. They were standing by the doorway, baffled as to what was going on. Donna was actively washing off blood from the group using her water control.

  This reminded him that he hadn't been able to clean himself since their rest stop in the tower— right before running into Hans.

  One genius among the adventurers had built outhouses outside the tower from earth. You could also enter one of the dungeon hallways and battle your way against small critters to the first safe room. They didn't have water, but did have an area where you could relieve yourself.

  If you found one of these 'safe' areas in a dungeon that actively tried to kill you, they'd likely be traps as well. Damian remembered an old cautionary horror story about someone who thought the dungeon outhouse was safe to use. He shuttered.

  Damian moved toward them. "Hey... how about we leave for some place else. Things are getting a bit heated here."

  "But what about the..."

  "Something happened... Let's go." Damian cut off Donna and gave them a worried and pleading look.

  "Stop!!! No one leaves this Spire until we find the rest of the evidence!"

  Shit!

  Their group was stopped before they could even begin to take a step outside.

  "I'm going to be asking everyone here if they are the ones hiding the body. Whether it's tucked away in the Spire or being held by a spatial skill, I'll find out! If you dare lie to me, I'll have you arrested and put in a hole so dark and deep that you'll never see the light of day again!"

  "Men! Gather everyone who was outside! I don't want a single person sneaking away!"