"Liam, please present anything you know about the civil war," I say.
"The government is actively sending out military support to any area in conflict but to no avail. Despite their dwindling manpower, the Revolutionary Army has the upper advantage in this war and suffers few casualties. Nobles who participated in the revolution are officially stripped of their title but their power remains the same. In addition, the public is starting to shift towards the Revolutionary Army when information about Prince Armin's corruption leaked, albeit not showing it. The Revolutionary Army has so far captured a few cities in the West. That's about it for now."
Things are going according to the original script, nice.
"Is anyone here affected or directly participating in the war?" I ask.
"JS was hired for a large sum and since it aligns with our motto, we accepted it." Says Kin.
"My family is on the frontlines of the war in the West." Says Alure. "Private manpower of the Isva family was stronger than what the kingdom expected. Thus, we won with ease."
"I see..."
I rest my head on my fist and ponder.
"Is there an issue?"
"No, continue what you are doing. If I'm not wrong, the candidate for the throne that the Revolutionary Army supports is Prince Luxian William Veila." (Refer to chapter 46, Remnants(3), Samuel met the prince in the black market by chance)
Alure nods.
"Let me warn everyone here, Prince Luxian is a better ruler than Prince Armin in all aspects. However, he is..."
I stop and lean forward, whispering the rest of the sentence.
!!
A few words left the entire table shocked and confused.
"W-What? I-It's a joke right?" Kin says.
I shake my head. "I'm serious but I do not have any proof yet so take it with a grain of salt."
...
"What do you want us to do?" Alure says.
"Just continue what everyone was doing. Be that as it may, Prince Armin still needs to go. Support Prince Luxian but don't support his schemes no matter how saintly it may seem. But take note of Luxian's activity and keep a lookout for Despair, they will monopolize the chaos and increase their activity. There is also a high chance Despair infiltrated the Revolutionary Army." I say.
Everyone nods at my command.
It might seem like Armin is the cause of the fall of Rodgof in the future. But no, it is Luxian.
"Alure, can I talk with you for a bit?"
She agrees and we walk to the corner of the room.
"The true mastermind behind the Revolutionary Army is Rena, no?" I ask.
Alure glances at me and nods. "Do you know Rena? She mentioned you once in a meeting about potential allies. Everyone refused as you are associated with the BOV."
"I was associated, I left. Anyways, I need your help." I attempt to change the topic.
"What help?"
"Have you heard of The Order?"
"Yes. Some say they are the true ruler of the country."
"To a certain extent, they are. I want to find them and bring them down. But first, let's take care of their hunting dogs." I give Alure the paper of location that Armin gave me.
Alure gets the situation. "I see...I will need some time to gather my man-"
"No, the both of us are enough."
Alure smiles, flattered by the sudden compliment and misunderstanding of my intentions.
We finish our meal and bid farewell to one another. Kae reports back to the family at the warzone in place of Alure and she brings me to an inn, returning out with a giant iron sword. Her attire changes to a simple black jacket adorned with a fur collar and dark blue pants that hug her slender body. However, it is her aura that sets her apart here. A taunting energy surrounds her, enveloping her like a cloak of intrigue. With ruby eyes and short black hair gracefully flowing down to her chest, captivated heads turn as she walks by.
"Let's go."
=================================
In the middle of a forest...
=================================
A few cabins nestled between tall trees hide their presence from the world. Despite their abandoned outlook, activity is suspiciously high. People can be seen transferring boxes and cages from carriages to carriages. The cages constrain mostly humans and beasts.
Alure and I observe the situation from afar on a tree.
"Close to fifty people are here. What are they doing?" Alure mumbles.
"Human trafficking and smuggling illegal goods. I'm not surprised." I reply.
...
"We will proceed as planned." I jump off the tree to another.
Alure jumps down and casually walks to the hideout.
"Hm?" a man carrying a box puts it down. He alerts the others around him and everyone picks up a weapon.
"Young lady, you can't be here-"
*BOOOOM!*
A sudden swing from Alure's sword is enough to rip the men to mushy shreds and send a glacier of dirt and wood into the sky. It alerted the entire vicinity and everyone scrambles to get their weapons.
"An intruder!!"
Fighters confront Alure as non-combatants pack up whatever they can and escape. Now that their location is exposed, they just escape before it is too late.
A carriage rapidly drives off after frantically loading all cages and boxes back.
"What?" the coachman mumbles when he sees me blocking the road. He clicks his tongue and whips the horse, forcing them to go faster. I draw my sword.
*CHING!*
One swift line detaches his head. The carriage crashes into a tree, breaking the rope and freeing the horses.
Now a mangled wreck, remnants of it scatter haphazardly around the tree, the contents within thrown out. Captives in the cage look at me nonchalantly.
...
I cut open the cage and free them.
Is it just me or does one of the male captives look familiar...
No, I don't have the time for this.
==================================
A bald old man wearing torn and dirty rugs gulps inside a cage. He is the bishop of The Church of Axis that I saw before. He plans to escape Rodgof through illegal smuggling by posing as a captured slave.
The sudden commotion back at the hideout worries the man. He clasps his hands together and prays.
"Goddess Eantia, I pray to you and offer my soul, please guide me on the path of enlightenment and-"
*BANG!*
The carriage flips and crashed into the ground. The cage withholding the bishop flies out, bashing clings and clangs against nature before stopping beneath a humanoid shadow.
The bishop glances up and sees me.
"...Who are you? What do you want? " He asks.
I pull off my face mask.
!!!
"Y-You are..." His eyes widen.
He crawls out of his broken cage and instantly turns his back, running through the forest.
"Huff huff huff..."
The serene ambience within the towering trees is disrupted by the bishop's laboured breaths and the rustling of leaves beneath his hurried footsteps.
He zigzags through the forest, heart racing with fear and anxiety, trying to lose me.
However, he looks back to see me strolling towards him despite him bolting at much as his legs could take. My eyes send chills down his spine. His mind raced with thoughts of prayers for forgiveness.
Weariness seeps into his very frail physique.
"Huff...please!... Leave me alone!... Huff huff huff..."
Something eerie feels off. The bishop stops to catch his breath when he no longer senses my presence. I am nowhere to be seen.
"Huff huff huff...*Cough* *Cough*...Huff huff huff huff..."
He stumbles through a bush and pushes himself forward.
"Is the cat and rat chase over?" I say, appearing behind the bishop.
"AHH!!" He falls back from shock.
While frantically shuffling his body, he tries to get away from me on the ground until his back hits a tree.
My palpable hostility permeates the air despite my silence. My eyes focused on the bishop, glaring and sending overwhelming suffocation as if many hands are holding his body in place.
"I-I...am sorry...I was simply following orders." The bishop says.
...