Ai healed the wounds while the rest of the three walked toward the dining room to plan what to do next. Layla and Rain were masters of the underworld, so they could spread rumors better than anyone.
In difficult times, hope can be a powerful weapon. If the people met a saint who looked the part and helped those in need, they would follow even if no one asked.
“Ascent will provide food, and Ai can distribute it,” said Arthur as he spread a map of the city. “The Copper District will be the best source of support, followed by the Silver. Then, on the execution day, the empire will open the three districts.”
“We can use that chance to smuggle our soldiers without them noticing, but we need to start now,” said Rain as she marked a gate for each district. “These gates don’t have Vice-commanders protecting them, so we can use this route. But, unfortunately, each of them is in a different corner.”
“As long as we get the soldiers into the city, then we don’t need to mobilize them until the day of the execution. Thus, we only need to get past the city gates through here, the southern gate.”
“How do you know this information?” asked Layla with confusion. “The city gates are guarded by the Knights Commander, who happens to be my brother. If we meet him, then we don’t stand a chance.”
Arthur and Rain exchanged glances, not knowing how to respond. It was challenging to involve this woman in their plans while keeping Lyle’s participation hidden. Thus, Arthur decided to ask the commander to tell her once he returned.
“Is he strong?” asked Rain, and Arthur listened with interest. Layla took a few moments to formulate an answer, but it was not one the two expected.
“No, he is not,” said Layla while staring at the map, and then she pointed at a particular building in the Copper District. “We used to live here with grandfather, but we weren’t the only children. Zonas Mantra trained orphans under his wings, and there were a dozen of us.”
“A dozen?” asked Arthur with surprise. He expected no other than Yurirl, Lyle, and Layla as foster brothers who studied the Mantra Swordsmanship. “And all of you studied the Mantra Style?”
p、A,nd A-n、o、ve,1 “How do you know about it?” asked Layla with a frown before shaking her head in realization. “You fought against Lyle and met Grandma Mo, so it’s no wonder you heard things. But, unfortunately, Lyle and another orphan were the only two who learned it.”
“Is it a difficult art to learn?”
“In essence, no, but it requires losing oneself in the sword. After the two started their training, they changed a bit, but we were still a loving family since it was the early stages. Those who practice it end up being cold-hearted with no other than logic governing their behaviors.”
It was something that Arthur was familiar with, and this might be the reason that Rain said he and Lyle were similar. However, in the end, Lyle never overcame his revenge, and Arthur never lost his wrath.
“You said there were a dozen of you, so what happened to the rest?” Rain asked the question that lingered in their minds. Layla froze as she stared at the map and then retracted her hand.
“All of them died, including the other kid who learned the Mantra Style,” said Layla with eyes that seemed lost. “The only reason that we survived that tragedy is because of Lyle. I owe him my life, but he changed.”
Rain didn’t ask how they died, and neither did Arthur. However, both knew it had something to do with the emperor since this incident made Lyle hellbent on revenge.
Layla was quiet for the rest of the discussion but agreed on a rough plan for the incoming days. Arthur only had one task now: to infiltrate the prison and pose as a guard. Then, he would recruit all the prisoners to fight with them on the execution day.
As the three were about to depart, several men rushed through the streets, causing a stir outside. After the three made sure that no one was outside, they left the safe house to see what was happening.
“There are new posters on the walls,” said Layla before she walked forward to see what they were. “This is… an Imperial Announcement.”
Arthur walked to read the poster himself, admiring how old-fashioned Ilios was, even when having proper technology to facilitate these things. As he read the announcement, his mind forgot about those things.
“The executions… are scheduled in three days,” read Arthur the announcement. “The emperor has delayed them until now, which means things have changed, and he has become confident. Osian will be there, it seems.”
“Can we make it in time?” muttered Rain with worry. “Our soldiers are too many to infiltrate the capital unnoticed. We need to find another way, Arthur.”
“Ascent will help with that,” said Arthur before he raised his hand and created three metallic objects out of nothing and inscribed runes on them. “These three will be how you communicate with me. As long as you touch them, then I would hear your words.”
“Are you going now?” asked Rain as she received two communication devices, one for Lyle and the other for her. The third went to Layla. “Is this necessary?”
“It is, not just because of Zonas, but because there is one more power here in Ilios that can become our allies… or enemies.”
The two women didn’t understand his words, and Arthur told them they would know in due time. He was referring to Mistletoe, who sought to free Ivy from the Light Prison.
Since Mistletoe visited the Mansell Gang and possibly met Erin Voldor, the two must have made a deal. At the moment, the band of thieves sought to free their comrade, Bear Mask Ivy.
If so, their disappearance during Gray’s execution might be due to other reasons. If Ivy was still in prison, Erin might have offered his help to free her without his father’s knowledge in exchange for something.
What did Erin Voldor want the most?
He wanted revenge on Arthur now that he knew he was alive. A man with a narrow mind wouldn’t let go of past events that humiliated him or quite possibly ruined his chances at the Holy Crown Trial.
Now that the world has entered the second phase of the trial, then it became necessary for Arthur to decrease the number of his enemies there. Once he again enters the trial to find a method to heal his mother, he would be alone against the seven families.
Arthur left the safe house after leaving Julia with instructions about what to do next and how to assist the rebellion in the next three days. Afterward, he went toward the nearby mountain range to find a flying mount.
It wasn’t easy to do so, but in the end, Arthur found the biggest mount and used his Art of Submission to control it. It was a giant wyvern with blue scales that made it hard to see in clear weather. After teleporting into its stomach, Arthur controlled it to fly high above the palace while protecting himself from the stomach acids.
The more he remained inside its belly, the more he admired Grandma Mo for going through this without runes. Arthur would have needed months to execute this plan if not for his countless runes and Art.
The monster flew above the capital for hours, and Arthur sat inside his stomach, browsing social media. It was a comical scene, but he had nothing to do. Since his phone operated on runes, it wasn’t obstructed by the monster.
It had been a while since he browsed the internet or even logged into his account. He was surprised to see over half a million messages in his account, all from people he had never heard about. It just clicked that he was using his real name on this account.
“I used this platform to find jobs, so I used my real name and address. Are these all requests for weapons or money?”
As he browsed through them, Arthur found that most were people seeking to use him. They explained their misfortunes and asked for him to transfer money to them. Others wanted to join Ascent, and a few chats were pinned at the top because they were from prominent people.
“I never heard of these people,” muttered Arthur before looking at their profiles. Guild masters, mercenaries, nobles, and even actresses. He never imagined an actress would send him messages expressing her love. Even TV programs sought to interview him, offering six-figure payments for an hour of his time. “The world turned upside down.”
It has just occurred to Arthur that he was isolated from the hustle and bustle of the world. On most of his days, he either pondered his next steps or executed them as if life was one big chess match.
