[center][h1][color=f26522]Carnatia de Valmont[/color][/h1][/center]
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Carnatia accompanied Carmen and the rest into the outpost. There was a bit of argument at the gates, but eventually, Carmen managed to convince the soldiers to allow them in. Carnatia did take notice that they referred to Carmen as a 'Prince'. More likely than not, it was sarcasm than anything else, but it was something she would keep in the back of her mind just in case.

The soldiers then took the group to meet the commander, where they witnessed soldiers harshly rebuking a peasant over a rotten shipment. The sight confirmed Carnatia's previous suspicion that the soldiers they encountered on the road earlier were probably enacting a 'justice' derived from dubious legal procedure.

It was true that requisitioning peasants for supplies such as grains, especially in a time of crisis was a thing that could be done, even by Westernant's laws. But enforcing it to such a degree, from a pragmatic standpoint was unwise. Peasant rebellion may be put down easily enough, but it still took resources and had long-term unpleasant consequences. But even that aside, there was a gulf between the peasants unable to fulfil the requisition due to things legally called Force Majeure and willfully engaging in sabotage by delivering defective goods, such as what the peasant was being punished for.

Soldiers playing fast and loose with laws and punishment was a mark of a bankrupt judicial system, an indication of a larger rot in the region. What she had seen so far more and more made her think that Sielse being absorbed into Westernant was for the best for its people after all.

Finally, the commander in charge met with the group. The commander immediately brought up the incident at the border to question their intent of parley.

Carnatia replied, [color=f26522]"Let us not forget, Commander, that when Westernant opened its border to accept refugees of your Civil War despite our status as enemies, Tretagor repaid that gesture by sending in spies along with the refugees. But, just as I am sure you are about to say that you had nothing to do with that, so do we have little to do with that debacle. So why not we put the past behind us? As for our intent, I would like to point out that we did attempt to de-escalate, only for your men to shoot at us. But even disregarding that, we do not cause any further harm than necessary, one of our own even helped heal their wounds. We could also continue to avoid law enforcement, but here we are to clear the misunderstanding. I'd like to think that proves we are coming in good faith. That said, it was undeniable that our side started the conflict, it was a rash decision by some among our numbers. For that, we do apologize."[/color]