35 Chapter 9. The Inspector Has Arrived, Gentlemen! Part 2.

Here's a chapter for the power stones

***

"Why me?"

"Because I need a partner. Two heads are better than one."

"Well, you could have taken one of your poor guys; what do I have to do with it?"

We were walking through the forest with Suki. She was dressed as a typical traveler, in gray clothing, no bright colors, while I simply removed my military uniform under my cloak. For the hardy residents of the continent, I definitely should not be known as Kira, except for the rapier wrapped in fabric on my back and a small axe tucked into my belt. And, of course, I didn't forget a lighter, to be able to set fire to someone if necessary.

I could have changed my clothes too, but did I buy a cloak just to leave it on the ship when traveling on land? Certainly not. Let someone sharp-eyed recognize Kira rather than me being without my cloak.

For Suki, it was easier in terms of weaponry - her main weapon wasn't a long sharp stick, but fans, which she hid, literally, up her sleeves, ready to pull them out at any moment.

During our journey, I began to trust her enough to understand that she wouldn't cut someone without reason. It's not in her character, and considering that I was the only one on the ship stronger than her, I decided to dive into the local life with her, not forgetting to take writing supplies.

We will write and take notes meticulously, noting the specific issues in each town.

And, of course, bags of money. We'll walk around the local taverns, listen to the complaints of the locals, then change into richer clothes, walk around, see how they deal with bandits, and then make our verdict. Moreover, we'll keep separate records and then compare them. We have different upbringings and views on life, so we might have different opinions on certain matters. We won't delve too deeply into objectivity - we're just a superficial check, and when we send a message, the Military Police will come here, and then they will dissect everything thoroughly, interrogate, compile, and hang. Although we might do it ourselves, nobody would say anything against it.

"You're a strong solitary warrior, that's why I need you," I shrugged, "plus, you're a girl familiar with the Earth Kingdom's traditions, which will also come in handy, you know. It certainly won't hurt. And I'm a guy from the Fire Nation aristocracy, I can screw up just fine."

"Aristocracy? You?" Suki looked at me skeptically, "That's a funny joke."

Yes, despite her kind nature, she still liked to spit venom at me. She's far from Mai, but she tries, sincerely, so to speak.

"My face is quite characteristic of the Fire Nation aristocracy. I'm sure we even have a lot in common with Prince Zuko," I didn't take the bait, "I think it's not so hard to notice. Something like that."

"It's a bit difficult, a scar across half the face shifts the focus when you're looking at the face," the warrior complained, "but I believed you right away - your face is indeed noble. It's noticeable from afar. And also the manners that occasionally break through your deliberately rough carelessness."

"Wow, where did you read such words, in a village library?" why not respond to a jab with a jab?

"Wh-What?" the girl blushed with indignation, "for your information, we have a very good education! The elder makes sure we get..."

"Calm down, I was just joking," I chuckled, ignoring her speech, "let's go, and don't raise more suspicions. We're just a brother and sister who set out to travel together from our native village."

"I remember," Suki was happy to change the subject, "but we were just discussing your distinctive face, and you're saying that the Fire Nation won't recognize its aristocracy?"

"Considering my hairstyle, it takes a bit of attention to see the characteristic features," I chuckled, since I had let my hair grow decently long to the shoulders and just made a small loose tail, "our aristocracy usually wears certain types of hairstyles, so my long hair very well confuses them. And it's better not to catch too much attention, and all that."

"Ah, how simple it is for you," Suki exhaled, still unsure about this idea and feeling uncomfortable without her armor.

"Don't worry so much," I chuckled, "we're both excellent warriors and can get out of any trouble. Just don't rush ahead of the locomotive and remember: villages captured by the Fire Nation are under my jurisdiction, and poor treatment of people there is a direct violation of the laws. Although exceptions can be made, of course."

"Yes?" the girl immediately picked up on a topic important to her, "what kinds of exceptions?"

"For instance, villages overflowing with benders," I replied with slightly pursed lips, "there's no easy way to handle this; you can't just leave them be - they'd become a ready fighting cell in just a few months. So, there are a few options, such as jobs that pay a salary or prison, where, you could say, it's the same job but without the pay. So far, no one has come up with a better solution, and honestly, not many are trying to. These cases are quite rare, and one can always just move away with their family somewhere. A competent earthbender won't be left without food or shelter."

"I still don't like it," the warrior expressed her opinion.

"And who does?" I shrugged, "the closer to the front, the more strained the relations. You see, the long-captured coastal areas are already completely normal cities of the Fire Nation. But in some front-line villages, various things can happen. We'll see."

"Uh-huh."

"I know you're a patriot of the Earth Kingdom, but believe me: you need to see how they live and who is in their army. You'll see our army from the inside, with its flaws and moments of pride, but the Earth Kingdom army... However, you probably think that's our propaganda. I hope you're right about that. Otherwise, it'd be downright depressing for humanity."

"Well, you speak beautifully, there's no arguing there, but I've hardly seen you in action," Suki chuckled, "and your justice and morality, which you sometimes like to talk about - that too."

Hi, now for every 200 power stones there will be a chapter.

patreone com paracetam0l