Countless petals cover the covered bridge, music plays in the fountain, and the dancer spins happily. The waiters shuttled lightly here, distributing drinks. The guests chatted and enjoyed hot food.
However, these are just glimpses, projected in the dark basement. The corridor was bottomless, and light leaked from the half-open door, making the room feel like an island in the sea.
The darkness and dense fog were no big deal, Kaampang thought, but the real depression came from the leader's demeanor. The room was crowded with civilians, but no one dared to look up into the leader's face. He didn't dare either. Even though Kaampang was a helper hand-picked by the chief to manage his subordinates. There were many candles lit in the room, but the figures made the light diffuse and unable to gather. Kaampang peered at the leader in the mirror through a beam of light. His expression was solemn and his body was as motionless as a sculpture.
The leader wears an eccentric outfit that bears no markings, accessories, buttons, or even style. He wore a short coat and leather trousers under his cloak, his belt had no buckles, and his boots were spotless. Kaampang has seen workers dress like this, and he has also seen fashions on notice boards that are so praised. The leader's appearance is also unremarkable. He has two straight eyebrows, a flat nose and a pair of sunken dark brown eyes. Maybe Kaampang and the leader had met each other in the market, passed each other in a cheap brothel, and fought for bread in front of the window of the relief station... But Kaampang didn't recognize him, he just thought he looked familiar.
Only when he leads people to destroy shops and attack motorcades, will the leader show extraordinary charm and appeal, making people unable to help but shout his slogans and creed, which turn into torrents and waves at his feet. Even Kaampang still doesn't know the leader's real name.
He remembered his mother's instructions when he went out: Don't get involved in fights, especially don't be encouraged to fight. He thought it was unlikely that he would be so stupid, so he didn't take it to heart. Now Kaampang followed the leader from the outermost shanty town to the red wall. He finally realized that not only was he being encouraged to do a "feat" that he had never dared to think of before, but he was about to do it. He broke into the Red Wall and gave his life for the civilians of San Carlos. He didn't understand why he was here.
"Time is too tight." Because of his position near the front, Kaampang heard the leader whisper. What are you nervous about? Is the opening time of the relief station coming soon?
Since their team toppled the statue of the city lord standing in the neighborhood garden, the relief station in the civilian area has been closed to everyone. The Church has no Knights of the Cross stationed in these faith-spreading chapels, so the priests inside either retreat within the red walls or simply strip off their robes and join their ranks. Not all priests are mystical beings. The leader didn't care at all about the fate of these clergy. He led the people to open the merchants' warehouses and squander the supplies. Kaampang was given a dried leg of lamb and barrels of red wine on the first day, and spices and honey on the second day. These things that only the elite can enjoy are far more than the hard bread at the aid station, but the leader does not seem to be satisfied.
As this team of vagrants, poor businessmen, refugees and down-and-out adventurers enjoyed the rich supplies of robbery, Kaampang soon received new orders. He led dozens of young men who were originally coolies toward the west of the city until he defeated the militiamen there who were stubbornly resisting. The leader formed a team of mystics to push the rebel front towards the Red Wall.
Ka'ampang didn't know what kind of results his team had achieved, but several refugee forces similar to theirs that had taken advantage of the chaos and their slogans had lost news one after another. He knew that the red wall door was always closed. In other words, the city defense patrol and the Public Security Bureau did not make any effective mobilization against their rebellion. Perhaps the Public Security Bureau believes that any measure is not as safe as defense.
All in all, the rebel victory continued from the very beginning until yesterday. Ka'ampang heard the news of the tower messenger's arrival, and the entire rebel organization was panicked. These people would run away if they heard any news. He despised them from the bottom of his heart, no different than mice. But rumors spread like a plague, seriously affecting the morale of the team. So the leader gathered all the "high-level officials" and asked them to go to the headquarters to wait for orders.
The headquarters sounds like a serious palace. After the lying rich people and speculators fled, they left behind a large number of properties outside the red wall that they could not take away. But the leader abandoned these magnificent houses and chose a dark basement as his command post. Ka'ampang praised his wise choice with a few mercenaries who could speak to him, but in his heart he just wanted to spend the night in a gorgeous villa. We should not be just rebels, he thought more than once. When the fat aristocrats in the red wall become the wretches on the gallows, this city will commemorate our heroic deeds.
"Time is too tight." The leader said again. He knitted his eyebrows and sounded like he was sighing.
The wedding banquet in the picture is reaching its climax. The young nobleman takes the beautiful bride in his arms and swears to protect her for the rest of his life. When Kaampang called everyone here, the leader was watching the projection. That might be "video," an emerging alchemical creation. It is said that the opera house is planning to cooperate with the factory to preserve the actors' performances in such mobile photos for sale.
The leader remained silent, and the people had no choice but to enjoy the music together. Kaampang thought more. He didn't know how the leader should deal with the messenger from the Sky Tower, and the other party didn't seem to be thinking about it. Even Kaampang knew that his side had no chance of winning. He wanted to know if they were going to escape San Carlos and become bandits robbing the islands. This profession is better than begging and coolie, not to mention robbery and murder in his original life.
Fortunately, there is "recorded" sound that can cover up people's whispers. The adventurers had different postures and exchanged glances with each other. After several days of training, the soldiers waited boredly, too lazy to think about what to do next. The well-informed guys whispered among themselves. But still no one dared to look up at the leader, and no one was willing to ask about the situation. Kaampang's legs were sore from standing there, desperately looking for something to distract him.
Just when he was about to turn around, someone next to him touched Kaampang's arm. "What time?" Apparently, Kaampang was not the only one who noticed the leader's muttering.
"The duration of the banquet." He thought for a moment and only came up with this answer.
"What is he looking at?"
Of course it's a video that the noble Lord appreciates, you ignorant fool. "It's the scene of a wedding banquet inside the red wall. The leader sent his warriors inside the wall to collect intelligence and create chaos." But he didn't say that.
The person asking the question was silent for a few seconds. "What confusion? The assassination has failed."
Could it be that the failure and losses of the assassination operation had already spread? "This is none of your business." Kaampang felt wary of his question. Most of the people standing near him were adventurers and defected militiamen. Could it be that someone was not satisfied with his power and was planning to extend his hand?
"Where is the Nameless One?"
Ka'ampang couldn't help but look away. He hoped no one noticed the momentary contortion of horror on his face. If the other person hadn't been wearing the black cloak of the leader's guard, Kaampang would have probably whispered to him to shut up. Why did this guy mention those things?
Maybe the other party noticed his nervousness. "I don't want to keep them out while I'm guarding the door," he explained. "That's bad."
"They don't show up often." Kaampang didn't want to talk about the devil behind his back at all. Who knew if they had some evil magic that could hear him? He was opposed to the leader's idea of taking in demons from the beginning. The aristocratic officials were right about this, and those things were more likely to be burned to death. "Stop talking, you can't run into them. Don't tell anyone else either."
"There are very few unknown people in this city." The man said something strange.
Ka'an Pang doesn't quite understand. "Stop it," he warned. "The chief won't be happy to hear this."
"Why are you pressed for time?"
But the other party didn't seem to understand him. Kaampang made up his mind and pretended not to hear his question. The inexplicable guy may disappear after the next battle. A curious person usually dies quickly and is not worth his trouble.
The man didn't speak again.
But he spoke of the nameless. Kaampang couldn't control his divergent thinking. The nameless one is the devil. When he learned that the leader had accepted these people, Kaampang could not pretend that he did not care. His fear revived at night, more so than seeing his enemies transform into monsters under the influence of magic. I can go home and get away from this crazy business. He couldn't remember how many times he had this thought, but... the red wall was right in front of him, and his dream life was within reach. Kaampang was convinced almost instantly by the explanation that the demons had power and were their only bargaining chip against the mysterious leader.
However, this also caused uneasiness to spread among the team. Not just Kaampang, there were as many people as he imagined who had objections. Only a few of the outermost members showed indifference, and more chose to sneak away and then be captured to be used as supplements to the magic warriors.
"Quiet, everyone," the leader ordered. The voice brought Kaampang back to his senses. "Don't be so panicked. You are not rats in a fire, and your brains have not been cooked by witchcraft." There seemed to be calm confidence in his sarcasm.
Ca'ampang listened to his speech: "The messengers of Croita are invincible, everyone knows this. But please do not forget that we are not the guilty party. What really stains this city and defines our just cause is The rebellious and rioting officials and city lords whose mistakes led to today's situation. We are only fighting for our own power. We have the power to express our wishes to the tower and the entire mysterious pivot." It goes without saying what this refers to. . “Together we have strength.”
No matter how many adventurers work together, nothing can match the look of Chloe Messenger. Ka'ampang didn't dare to look up, and naturally he didn't dare to say what was in his heart. He saw the leader's guard who had communicated with him before standing silently beside him. Before the leader selects them and assigns them responsibilities, these people are just adventurers on the edge of the circle. Ka'ampang received the leader's promise about the mysterious ritual, and he also understood that not all mysterious creatures are of equal status.
