Chapter 71: Resolves

Going in and out of the town has only one path, so the chances of encountering each other are high. With Arnon's group coming out of the town, they were met with the exhausted Mr. Lagman, who ran as fast as he could. Reinforcement's effectiveness had worn out a while ago, thus forcing Mr. Lagman to suffer the excruciating pain of overdoing his wounded body.

"Huh? Did you guys leave someone behind alive again?" Arnon asked his men, drawing his sword against Mr. Lagman, who was obviously pale and out of breath.

Mr. Lagman gritted his teeth. He knew that Arnon and the others were the same men who pillaged their village, ransacking their houses and taking their women.

"Where is my wife and daughter?"

Despite his condition, Mr. Lagman still bears his fangs against the 0.01 odds of beating 20 experienced and skilled fighters.

"Bwahahaha! Is he for real? Doesn't he see the situation he is in?"

"Never laugh at a man's determination to save his family, Argus," reprimanded Gideon, fully respecting Mr. Lagman's bravery, coming alone in his worsening state.

Argus clicked his tongue, "I was not. It's just stupid thinking that he would be able to save his family. Not in that dying state."

"It's not stupid, Argus. I'm sure you would do the same for your loved ones. That is if you have one."

Argus sure does. For him, his fellow pillagers were his family. They might not be with each other for that long, but the bond they formed and the life-and-death situation that they shared will always be valued by all of them. They might seem like they do not care about each other but that's just how men show their affection to each other.

"If you're looking for your family, we sold them to the town's chief. He is a madman."

Arnon sounded like he wanted to tell more about the town's chief but quickly drew back the words that were at the tip of his tongue. Then, he put his sword back to its sheath attached to a belt that was wrapped around his waist.

"You're in no condition to fight. But if you will be insistent on saving your wife and daughter, feel free. The path will be yours to take."

At the subtle motion of Arnon's hand, the rest of his men made way for Mr. Lagman to pass.

Mr. Lagman, who was ready to throw hands and attack with his machete, warily moved forward as the pillagers watched his back disappear through the layers of trees surrounding the town, which act as a round bush to cover its location from outsiders.

If you look back, you would see that there is a dead end, but you just need to get closer to the surrounding trees to unveil its true purpose and the path beside it, which would lead to the discovery of the town.

"Do you think the kid we passed by earlier was his son?"

"He could be another woman's son or brother. Who knows?"

"We should have asked."

Now that they were done with the town, Arnon's group proceeded to go to their next destination to give back the cages they borrowed from a friend. More like rented because they could not possibly transport all the women just by forcing everyone to walk when they could probably transfer them via wheels.

Just like everyone else, Mr. Lagman was greeted by the foul smell that would stick up in your nose if you don't hold your breath and try to get out of the smell barrier to fend off outsiders.

But would it really push people away? No, the only reason why the town is as prosperous as the capital city of the country is because it was protected by the country itself. It is an indispensable town for the country that brings higher profit than most towns.

"Mika, Lui, wait for me. I'm coming to get you!"

***

Xenia was on the move at the other side of the town where he spotted a lone lady whose age was around 13 to 16, feeding koi fish in a large pond.

Birds were chirping, and the lady was singing among them. Her melodic voice matches the chirping tone of the tweeting birds resting on their nests and tree branches.

She had a glass container of fish food in her arm her legs were folded, and she was sitting on them beside the pond.

Slowly, behind the lady, Xenia was creeping on his toes. When she was in his range, his hand instantly covered the lady's mouth to prevent her from alerting the townspeople of Xenia's presence.

"Stop struggling, or I'll slit your throat," Xenia threatened the squirming lady with his handmade obsidian knife that was resting under her chin. "Try to scream, and you'll feel blood gushing out of your neck."

In the face of danger, once she was threatened with being killed, the lady stopped fighting against Xenia's grip and submitted herself. Only because she does not have a choice.

"You're getting yourself into trouble. They'll dismember you if the guards catch you."

"If," he put an emphasis on his first word, "I get caught. Why do you think I am taking you hostage?"

"No, no, you can't! They'll banish me! I can't afford to live in poverty!"

The lady opposed Xenia's idea, but does she really have a choice?

"Well, they won't if they don't know who helped me in the first place, right? And don't you think you don't have much choice here? I mean, you could live your days in poverty or here peacefully or don't live at all. The choice is yours."

If you don't have a clear look at Xenia's obsidian knife, you would think that it's just a toy or something to scare off someone. But once you learn how sharp and dangerous it is, you will want to back off.

"Tch! I just wanted to feed some fish, and now I'm being threatened. Everything about me is being threatened, my life, my status here, and the established position I built for myself."

Xenia let go of the lady. She turned to look at him upon noticing his hands.

"What? You're just a kid! You'll be dead meat!"

"Not unless I get them first."

"I heard about the new arrivals. Are you here for someone?"

Xenia nodded his head, standing beside her, carefully watching how the swarm of koi was swimming around the spot where the lady threw the fish food.

"My adoptive mother and sister. Where will I see them?"

"The factory, but it's heavily guarded because slaves often try to escape when given the opportunity. There-- they will become workers for the town's chief."

"What exactly are they making? Why do they have to be girls?"

"I'm not really sure myself, but they said that it's a delicate process, which requires the soft touch of women."

"But old women lost this trait, right? What kind of work do they do?"

"That's what's remaining a mystery for everyone. Only the chief and the workers inside know, but their lips are sealed tight."

The rustling of leaves alerted the lady's senses, thus immediately pulling Xenia away from the pond. They were near her empty house, so they went inside and further discussed the matter.

"Your parents are not home?"

Looking around, Xenia was mesmerized by the amount of valuable pieces of furniture and decorations just lying and hanging everywhere.

At the end of the hallway, a particular piece of painting caught Xenia's attention.

"Out in the outside world. Hmm, do you like it?"

"Faustino's famous masterpiece, Conglomerate of the Dead."

"Whoa... I'm surprised that you know something about it. It's my father's favorite piece. He said he made this when he participated in the war."

Her father is Faustino? But the textbooks never told about him having a daughter. I've read that he was born around this time, but I didn't know that he would be alive even before the emergence occurred! Moreover, history books never said anything about Faustino participating in any war.

Later on, several pieces of Faustino's painting will be discovered by historians, and they will connect his knowledge about the Radge. Apparently, the Conglomerate of the Dead is a dedicated piece for the fallen Warriors who fought against the unhinged fleet of Radge. It was the most accurate piece, concerning the history of Warriors and Radges, so it became his most famous painting.

"But your father is known for being a merchant, right? He trades clothes, jewelry, and even vintage and unique works of art."

"Huh? Just how did you know? Are you some kind of psychic?"

"It doesn't matter. What we should be talking about is how I'll be able to infiltrate the factory and save my family before something bad happens to them."

The more Xenia dives into the real world, the more he discovers the truth of the history he knows. Only a portion of his timeline's history was true while the truth of his country and the origin of the Warriors and Radges are being slowly unveiled.

What else is there to know? Is everything that we were told all lies? Did someone rewrite history? If so, what are they trying to hide?

~