The underground base.

Unlike all other days when the main hall was usually quiet, today- it was filled to the brim. Every high officials from the surrounding cities had rushed all the way here. Almost every Rebellion leaders of the city- from small squadron leaders to the ones whose beck and call could shift the whole organisation- joined the rally.

Acting leader Berkeley strode to and fro in his office. He was not alone in the room. On two of the crouches, sat the guests- Adrian and Irene. Both of them had their eyes fixed on the bald man.

The handsome young man who escorted them to the base on their first day was standing before the closed door.

“What will I do? What will I do?” The man muttered as he went back and forth. He stopped and turned to the young man. “Has any letters arrived yet?”

The youth smiled wryly. “We have sent a lightning falcon on its way. Even with its speed, it needs at least a day to go all the way to the holy city. It should not be even more than an hour since it reached its destination. It will take at least another day for the leader’s message to arrive here.”

“Fuck!” The man cursed as he began to pace around the room. “The crowd outside is a ticking time bomb. Only the leader can stop them now.”

“Why stop?” Irene asked. “Just let them free.”

The man stopped in his track. He glared right into the woman’s eyes. “Do you have any idea what you are saying? If we do that, a war is guaranteed. The negotiations- everything we have worked for the last few years- everything will burn down to cinders.”

“So, Tina died for nothing?” She asked nonchalantly.

The man’s face flinched. After a few seconds, he took in a deep breath. “No, what they did to Tina could never be forgiven. Besides, they have already sent a message that they are not guilty, and are even ready to compensate. Someone wants the negotiations to fall.”

“Heh.” Adrian snorted. “And you believed them? A whole body was ‘secretly’ hanged on the most guarded structure in the continent?”

“No. I-“

“Compensation? That’s the worth of that little girl?”

The man grimaced. He clenched his fists. “No. I-“

“So, it doesn’t matter as long as your plans with the Imperial family succeeds? It doesn’t matter if innocent girls are raped, killed and hanged naked on the properties of the nobles?” Adrian stood up. His voice grew louder and louder with every words he spoke.

The man’s fingertips dug into his palms. His whole body began to tremble. Moments later, it stopped. He took in a deep breath and looked at the scarred face of the young man. “Young man, I understand that the nobles wronged you. But you-“

“You understand?” Adrian took a step forward. “Was your whole family wiped out just because a young noble caught fancy of your sister?” He took another step forward. “Did you watch her crying her eyes out, screaming like a pig being slaughtered when a dirty animal ravaged her?” He took another step towards the man. Every one of his steps were stronger than the last. “Did you watch him get bored and begin to ‘paint’ on her skin?” The distance between him and the man got closer and closer.

“When she was done with her body, that beast turned to me.” Adrian touched the scarred side of his face. “If not that another noble carriage passing by, and for the beast to maintain his ‘Noblesse Oblige’ I would have been a dead man.” Adrian was only half a meter away from the man, his abyssal eyes looking directly into those of the bald man. They glinted.

“I-“

“You are sorry?” Adrian spat on the ground. “Are you different from that beast? Those nobles killed her and you are still thinking of allying with her killers.” He turned back and walked back to his seat.

The old man kept standing still on his spot. Blood almost seeped out from the holes on his palms. A few drops of tears escaped from his eyes.

Was he really not any different from those killers? After all, he was still thinking of allying with the ones who killed Tina. Even if the negotiations went on, would they stop their atrocities. Ultimately, would still remain as the stronger force.

Irene opened her mouth. “Do you think they will agree to your demands?”

He turned to her.

“If they really had the intentions to accept your demands, why would they do these to her?”

The little resistance he had in his mind disappeared. Yes, she was right. This was their ‘answer’ to the Rebellion’s demand.

The door creaked open. A young woman entered. “Sir, everyone’s waiting.”

The man wiped the tears off his face and left the room. Everyone followed.

Hundreds of people were standing inside the central hall, with a few sitting at the forefront. Opposite them, a desk was prepared. The vice leader, Jonathon Berkeley sat behind the desk.

Adrian and Irene were standing just behind him.

“Greetings, everyone.” The vice leader said, a sound magic circle amplifying his voice. “Yesterday, Tina… she was found dead, hanged at the front walls of the Citadel. Undoubtedly, it’s the Imperial family who did this wicked deed. I am sure her unexpected death struck many of your hearts. And many of you are worried that this event would affect our arrangements with the ruling family

“But through her death, they had sent us an answer- that they are not accepting any of our demands. Hence, we cannot live under the same sky.” His tone grew stronger. “They could have just rejected our demands. But no, decided to take away our most precious treasure- Tina.”

Everyone present clenched their fists and gritted their teeth.

Adrian secretly passed the scroll to the bald man, taking him by surprise. But he peered at the scroll and nodded before bringing it up.

He opened the scroll and raised it high, showing circular emblem to everyone. All present recognised the emblem at a glance. It belonged to the hero who sacrificed his life for the commoners, taking on tens of high level circlers and a few supreme level ones- letting all of his comrades escape from their compromised base.

All of their blood began to boil. Just how many sacrifices they should make before giving their children a safer life?

Acting leader Jonathon Berkeley stood up, raising the scroll higher.

“If they want war, we will give them war!”