Hearts of Iron 4 Player's Guide to Save the Isekai World

A jolly good show

A gentle tug on his forearm stirred Erich from slumber. The nauseating cheap perfume jolted him awake.

"Midnight is upon us."

The hand grasping him parted ways. Erich ceased the fitful thoughts with a sharp headache that would last him the day and sprang up, knuckles pressed into his back and his Guardian Spook silhouetting herself from the magic lamp, set to eye-prickling brightness.

Midnight, the code. The sunlight had yet to reach the window, but the blue was getting lighter.

"How long till it starts?"

"Four hours, sir. The carriage is ready for you at the stable."

"I reckon there was a curfew until sunrise."

There's no point in knowing when she snuck in or how many spooks surrounded the inn. The nobility locked in on this lucrative trade, and anything lower than one owned by a ministerial noble targeting the rich middle class was begging for security and food safety issues.

"To prevent crime, not to punish the honest tanner's good evening."

"And what are you supposed to be?"

"Your night's companion."

"I don't remember paying for extra."

"Purchasing referrals is unnecessary. As far as the inn is concerned, they've secured a portion of my profits," a perfect cover story.

That means he's worth that much to the house, or the spook has a reputation around here. And if it's the latter, Cascadia can get eyes anywhere. For all he cares, the establishment might be a flytrap for foreign spies trying to be sneaky with some standards.

The hallway and lobby were as quiet as the forest, hiding something. Erich had a Model 1906 Luger tucked in his overcoat pocket; however, the spook showed no elevated alertness. They left from the backdoor, made a few turns in the tight alley, and met the stable boy, coachman, and passengers.

The spook stepped aside and bade Erich a farewell bow, and he waved.

A hand extended from the back of the carriage, and Erich grabbed it. With the horses trotting and the carriage shaking, one of the spooks reached for the wheat sack at the corner and handed Erich an officer school uniform.

He frowned. "I said dirty and worn."

"His Majesty wants to remind the cadets that this can be them."

"The nobility needs to be reminded of what they did to a hero," threw it to the floor. "Now, if you mind."

He and the spooks fought for space for the boots, trampling on the snow-white tunic, digging dirt deeper with every step, and grounding it against the wooden floor.

"Tear the hem of the trousers apart, limit the knife to openings, and do the rest by hand. And spare me the boots. I need to stain my feet."

They followed suit, and Erich began buttoning up the shirt, only to pry it open and scatter the buttons. Some might see a maniac, but Erich saw it. He saw the struggle it forced him to endure, the sweat and exhaustion.

Soon, he will expose the hypocrisy hidden beneath the veils of the enlightened.

***

Blaire, Duchy of Estrier
4 hours later

Once the city had shaken off its morning grogginess, it became busier. And they let that busyness go for another hour. The carriage rattled less, trapped between the caravans of faraway merchants. The diversity in the block ended with the masonry and steel separating greenery and nature in the city center.