At Osian's words, the executives' gazes turned hostile. It was inevitable. He had driven a wedge right to their faces, saying they didn't even reach the toes of the enemy they hated.
Having blatantly wounded their pride, the Liberation Army executives who had come this far must have felt considerable anger. They had pride in having fought well up until now. But Osian was confident.
"You must be thinking the same thing."
Because none other than Lukai knew that fact very well too.
"Right. With our military strength, we can't face the corporations. It's woefully insufficient."
"We filled that insufficient part with numbers, using public opinion and agitation. But even so, there would be limits."
If the opponent were just one mediocre corporation, it wouldn't matter. But looking at how they're moving now, it's definitely not just one.
'At least several mid-tier or higher companies have joined forces. Perhaps even major corporations might be involved in this.'
With some city government officials who received money from them joining in, it's questionable whether this can even be called a fight. There's only one reason the Liberation Army can remain like this.
"The series of rumors spreading now are highly likely being deliberately inflated by the corporations. If this atmosphere continues, the city government won't be able to sit idle either."
"So in other words, we need to make a choice before trouble breaks out."
"We've gathered many people in District 44, so we can buy some time. But that too will soon have its limits. Well, you seem to know this without me saying it."
Osian stood up from his seat.
"It doesn't matter if you attack me here. Nothing would change anyway. Thinking about what's to come, it might be better to end it cleanly here. Before seeing something ugly."
"This bastard really!"
The most impulsive pierced woman drew her weapon. Osian stared intently at her and said.
"If you think I'm making simple threats, feel free to attack me. But remember this one thing."
A pressure that couldn't be felt when they fought on the Sky Island last time pressed down on the pierced woman. Though she had crossed countless battlefields with Lukai, the moment she met Osian's eyes, her breath was cut short.
"If you're going to come at me from now on, do it with the intent to kill. If not, come prepared to die."
Before they knew it, the entire space was crushed under the momentum Osian was emitting. The other executives unconsciously hesitated and stepped back.
The only one maintaining his position was Lukai, sitting across from Osian. In the heavy atmosphere, Lukai opened his mouth.
"I'll listen to your advice with gratitude."
When he stood up, the atmosphere was immediately released. Osian had deliberately withdrawn his momentum.
"Since you're a guest I specially invited, it would be wrong to just send you away. I also need to prove what I said, so let me show you around the hideout."
There was no opposition. Since Lukai had decided, they would follow. Osian quietly watched the back of Lukai walking ahead. He could feel Greta tightly gripping his sleeve from beside him.
"Let's go too."
"Ah, yes."
The Liberation Army's hideout didn't use just one building in District 44. They had torn down the walls of tightly packed buildings, using multiple houses as one location.
This was possible because there was virtually no gap between the buildings. Of course, carelessly tearing down walls could cause buildings to collapse, but there seemed to be a construction expert among them, as there were no signs of such issues.
Inside the hideout, Liberation Army members were busily moving around and working. They greeted Lukai with respectful gazes, then sent slightly wary looks when they spotted Osian and Greta.
"It seems many civilians are mixed in too."
Some of the faces he saw appeared to be people unrelated to the Liberation Army. Like the religious people Osian had initially tried to ambush, for example.
"All Liberation Army members were once civilians. Of course, I know that's not what you meant. You're talking about people who drifted in."
Drifted in. There couldn't be a more appropriate expression.
"Wouldn't that create many security problems?"
"We don't worry about such things. If we can help, we help. That's all there is to it."
"So you're willing to take any risk for that sake."
Osian looked at the people. They were sharing the food they had received as supplies. The sight of them yielding to each other over a single piece of common bread was even heartwarming.
Lukai opened a door and went outside. Following him, the maze-like complex appearance of District 44 came into view.
How long had they walked following him? One side of the view suddenly opened up, revealing a railing overlooking District 44.
Vermillion paint was splattered throughout the district that looked like a child had randomly stacked LEGO blocks. In the darkness, people could be seen lighting lanterns and bonfires among themselves. Osian's transcendent eyesight examined their expressions in detail.
Normally, when people occupied space like this, conflicts with newcomers would arise, but that wasn't the case. The existing people welcomed the newcomers and willingly yielded their spots to them.
"Isn't it fascinating?"
Lukai gazed at that scene. His eyes, which had been cold until now, were shining warmly. That wasn't just because they held the city's lights.
"Those who are poorer and hungrier than anyone else willingly make sacrifices for others."
The people gathered here were those who had only been taken from. They should be filled with resentment, yet they were showing camaraderie toward each other.
This was because Lukai, the central figure of the Liberation Army, existed.
"These are people who wouldn't have gathered without you. If they had met in a place like this, they would have been wary of each other. It's just forced altruism."
"I won't deny that either. I know well that not everyone poor is good. But I don't think that's bad. This is a possibility. Even if it's through others, we've proven that we can still understand and help each other."
Even Osian couldn't deny that. He could tell just by looking at Greta, who had been following closely behind him.
In the district she called a cesspit, she had been pickpocketing for a long time. That wasn't simply to survive alone.
'It was to feed her younger siblings.'
Even if they were called siblings, they probably weren't real blood siblings. Greta had personally gathered children who were all abandoned by their parents or had lost their parents.
Even while being stuck in a filthy place that could never be washed clean, she lived taking risks for others.
What a noble thing this was.
"Osian. I know about you. I've heard rumors, but I also looked into you after we met in District 1 that day."
"I'm honored. So how was it?"
"You're truly a man worthy of being called a hero, as people say. You're different from other manufactured heroes. I can tell. All your actions are the result of a good heart leading you."
Lukai said.
"The reason I brought you here despite my colleagues' opposition is for that reason. I knew what kind of person you were, and I believed in you. So I willingly brought you to our hideout and showed you this. That we're simply people who want to live."
The Liberation Army has nothing to do with heretics. Lukai proved this by showing it directly.
"I won't force my ideology on you. I've only shown you; judging what you've seen is entirely your responsibility."
"You must know what would happen if I made even a slightly malicious report about you all. Yet you're willing to entrust this entire situation to me?"
"Because I know you won't do that."
Lukai turned to look at Osian and said.
"And we won't just sit idle either. If corporations are trying to cause trouble, we'll have to prepare our own countermeasures. It doesn't suit our temperament to do nothing and just wait. We're also planning to filter out dangerous people coming from outside as much as possible."
"An admirable mindset."
Having done this much, there was no more reason to stay here.
"Let's go back."
"Huh? Huh. Are you leaving?"
Greta asked in confusion but Osian just left without answering.
Lukai didn't stop Osian and the two men only grew distant with their backs to each other. Greta looked at Lukai for a moment, then bowed her head before chasing after Osian.
"W-wait for me!"
It was late at night when Osian and Greta returned to the abandoned train station. Since all the children were asleep, Osian and Greta entered a different nearby train car. It was a space Greta had personally created for rest.
Entering inside, Osian saw books scattered on the floor. In a book with finger marks from recent reading, a prince on a white horse was drawn.
"……!"
Greta hurriedly moved to gather the books and shove them into a corner of the room. With a slightly reddened face, she asked.
"Did, did you see?"
Though she tried to act like the eldest sister to her younger siblings, she was still a child after all. Though she pretended to accept and adapt to cruel reality, it seemed she too secretly desired fairy tale romance. Osian chuckled and threw a money pouch toward Greta.
"Take it."
-Thud.
Greta reflexively caught the pouch Osian threw. Looking inside the pouch, her eyes widened. The amount was more than she had initially thought.
"Wh-why this?"
"Payment for the commission."
"It's too much. And I didn't really do anything. The Liberation Army's base too—you were practically taken there by them."
"Your help was great in letting me meet that Liberation Army. And don't worry about the amount. Think of it as a bonus."
"……If you put it that way, I won't refuse."
"It would be good not to show the money too openly. It's fine for now, but there are many people whose eyes turn at the sight of money."
"I know that much too. And giving this much……part of it is because you're sorry for telling me to wait, right?"
Osian smiled bitterly. He hadn't said it on purpose, but her intuition was sharp as a ghost's.
"I know how unreasonable a request it is to ask you to get them out right away."
"I don't intend to pretend not to know. It's just that I have things I need to do right now, so that takes priority. If I have time, I'll come get them right away."
"Brother is a fixer, so that seems possible. Well, I'm not one to talk since I'm the one asking……"
"When you do this job, you naturally become friends with various people and build connections. Among them are some of the richest people in the city."
Greta let out a small laugh. She thought Osian was lying to reassure her.
"Alright. I'll wait."
"Do you believe me?"
"That Liberation Army's Lukai said the same thing, didn't he? That he believed you wouldn't do that. I'm the same. I'll believe that brother will come back."
Believe. It was a word that couldn't be easily heard since coming to Tirna. This city, completely consumed by capitalism, didn't have pure trust between people.
Betrayal and lies would be daily occurrences. It wasn't because Greta was young and didn't know the ways of the world. She had worked hard to feed her younger siblings in this District 44.
She would have seen more bottom-dwelling lives than anyone and would know the dark side of humans. How difficult it must be to say she believes like this while knowing all that. Osian couldn't dare guess that courage.
"Take good care of the younger ones until I return."
"Don't worry. Who do you think I am?"
Greta smiled brightly and waved her hand.
"See you next time."
"Yeah. Next time."
Osian nodded to Greta, then took his steps. Leaving the abandoned train station, he headed toward the complex alleys of District 44.
Osian stopped his steps for a moment.
"Tell Gaien. From what I've confirmed, there are no heretics here."
At those words, a man crouching in a corner of the alley raised his head. Looking like a common vagrant of District 44, he had a bewildered expression. Osian continued without concern.
"Of course, I don't know what will happen later, but for now it should be fine. If you understand, move immediately."
The expression completely disappeared from the vagrant's face. He bowed his head to Osian.
"Understood. I'll convey that message."
"And please take care of the children at the train station. I received personal help there. I also made a promise."
"If Sir Osian says so, we'll assign a few of our people there."
"Thank you. Tell Gaien I'm grateful too."
Having finished his conversation with Zero Ground's informant, Osian pulled up his hood and put it over his head. Dawn was breaking beyond there.
Though it was a place filled only with despair, the sun still rose.
Even if that light couldn't reach all of District 44, at least may the places the light touched be warm.
May someone receive warm salvation, even just a little, in this light.