[Aaron Side Story Episode 13]
2. A sword waiting to be pulled out (7)
Bian started to explain the detailed operation plan, pointing to the planner here and there.
“First of all, it is the number of colleagues. A total of twenty-four people, among them a senior gladiator…”
The number of Kaineil gang is 24 people.
The man furrowed his eyebrows.
lack.
‘It can’t be helped.’
If even one person betrays you, you will be killed.
If you didn’t believe it, you wouldn’t have been able to pull it in.
can’t tell anyone
Here in the arena, there is plenty of trash to trample on for yourself.
In that respect, the number twenty-four belonged to many axes.
The man remembered the figure of Cainil.
Are you a person with a reputation?
He attracted that many people to work with a high risk of death.
“First, on the day of the operation…”
Bian continued his explanation.
Before the morning of the day, raid the arsenal, arm yourself, and escape the arena.
Then head south along the city’s main road and fight the guards guarding the gates.
Finally, it induces refugees to escape.
The plan is grandiose yet delicate.
when to raise an uprising. Where to meet and how to behave. What to do with battle formations. Action guidelines are specified in detail, such as who will assume what role.
‘Save people?’
There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with the schedule.
It is too detailed to be tuned to deceive him.
The date and time of the celebration is two days later at dawn.
The meeting place is different depending on the location of the members’ lodgings, and there are even several manuals written according to the number of cases.
‘Are you serious?’
But… the power is insufficient.
The plan was grandiose, but the limit was clear with twenty-four members.
That’s probably why they hanged themselves.
‘still.’
The man narrowed his eyes.
Even if he joined, there was a part that was lacking.
“That is all!”
Bian finished the explanation.
The man glanced at the young man.
An immature appearance that is more than a boy and less than an adult.
“…”
Silence continues for a while.
Bian looked up at the man anxiously.
“Anything you want to ask…”
“I’ll ask you one thing.”
Did you feel that the man’s tone had sprouted thorns?
Bian slowed down.
“Do you think the plan will work?”
“…yes.”
“It will fail.”
“Can I ask why…?”
Bian lowered his head.
‘Reason.’
It doesn’t matter if you let me know
The man opened his mouth.
The number one reason why plans fail.
First of all, the number twenty-four is too many.
No matter how much you pick and choose, the traitor is hiding.
Even if you don’t have it right now, if the situation gets worse, you will do bad things to live.
On the surface, it is said that they discuss humanity and honor and fight to save others.
Words can be done by anyone.
Faced with the fear of death, trivial oaths are bound to fly away.
Will Cainil be able to convince them to join the dangerous battlefield?
There is a second reason why plans fail even if they succeed out of the odds.
There is no option to defeat the army blocking the south gate with the number twenty-four.
The city has a population of 10,000.
Lifting the blockade of the city with less than half a dozen?
“It might be possible in a little while. But that doesn’t work. Reinforcements will keep coming. In the meantime, can you evacuate the city’s personnel?”
Hundreds of people can’t escape right away just by opening the way.
It should last at least a few hours.
But can the twenty-four keep fighting against the reinforcements that keep pouring in?
Even if there were men in the group, it was impossible.
There was a limit of physical strength even for a man.
“Even if refugees escape, it is a problem. How far can they run away? The pursuit team will surely come.”
Two conditions are necessary for the significance of this plan to be established.
First, unlock the south gate until enough people can escape.
Second, to protect those refugees from the pursuers.
Without the protection of armed groups, refugees would be quickly killed by pursuers in the city.
Then the plan becomes meaningless.
Unblocking and protection.
Are these two things possible with the number twenty-four?
“I think we should increase the number of colleagues…”
“It wouldn’t be.”
If the rumors are dragged in, there is a risk that the plan itself will be ruined due to the informant.
It would be nice to see twenty-four people as the limit.
“So tell me.”
“yes?”
“Hey? to hide.”
“…”
“I won’t ask twice. If you hesitate to answer again, there is no cooperation from me.”
Bian looked away.
A look of serious concern.
After a while, the young man nodded.
“All right. It’s amazing to see it all the way there.”
Bian said with a wry smile.
“Have you heard the rumors about the Liberation Army?”
“If it’s the Liberation Army, you mean the Human Liberation Army?”
“yes.”
I’ve heard of it.
It was quite popular at one time.
Somewhere there are armed groups whose goal is to liberate people.
The captain said he was an outstanding hero.
However, as stories of destruction swept through the city, rumors about the Liberation Army were buried.
“We are contacting the Liberation Army.”
Bian said in a serious voice.
“It’s hard to say it’s a proof, but there are things like this.”
Bian rummaged through her arms and pulled out a prefabricated pole wrapped in cloth.
After assembling the iron rod, the cloth was unwrapped to reveal its shape.
It was a flag or military standard.
“They said it was the mark of the Liberation Army.”
An eagle pattern is engraved on the white background military flag.
“Where did you get it?”
“I received it from the contact person of the Liberation Army. As evidence.”
“Your contact will be that old man.”
Bian nodded.
An old man who supplied books to the man.
I don’t know why, but he can get in and out of the arena.
It meant that the old man contacted the Liberation Army and the plan was established.
‘If there is an external reinforcement…’
The success rate of the plan goes up significantly.
If Cainil’s gang and the Liberation Army join together, they can induce evacuation as originally intended and faithfully protect them.
The existence of such a flag meant that the size of the Liberation Army was not the same as that of a bandit.
‘They informed me of the escape plan, but kept the fact that the Liberation Army was there until the end…’
I can understand that as well.
The story of the Liberation Army should be known only to a very small number of people in the party.
This is because the importance of information is different.
If the escape plan is leaked, it will be enough if only the gladiators are purged, but the situation escalates when the story of the liberation army is also known.
“Is it possible that it is a trap of the hundred nobles?”
“Low. It was prepared over several months. Although he checked carefully, he said he could not find any sign of the Hundred Nobles.”
“I guess.”
It’s not wrong.
The Hundred Nobles are strong in arms, but show difficulties in things such as schemes and conspiracies.
It was good to say that such things were culturally hated, saying that such things were made up by the weak.
“good night. As you said, if we get the cooperation of the Liberation Army, there is no possibility. Admit it’s not a dog death.”
“yes! The captain also said so. Prepare for death, but never mindless group suicide! You said that the goal is to escape and survive.”
Bian replied with a bright complexion.
It must be nice to have the captain acknowledged.
“There are a few things that only we know that are not on the schedule. I’ll tell you from now on…”
Bian started to explain to the man in a whisper after making sure no one was listening outside.
The man listened to the explanation with his eyes closed.
A car that was worth it anyway.
It might not be bad to mix with them.
The night deepened.
* * *
The light of the candle flickers.
A dimly lit room with no other light sources.
The old man was looking out the window.
The stars twinkled, but the moon was obscured by clouds.
The old man thought it was fortunate that there was no moonlight tonight.
If the moon had been bright, he would have had to reveal his ugly self.
“…”
The old man examined what he was holding in his hand.
That item is the standard of the Liberation Army.
It was received from the contact of the Liberation Army.
In addition, on the table, there were piles of items that announced the existence of the Liberation Army, such as a dagger with a crest engraved on it, a document with the size and composition of the Liberation Army, and the Liberation Declaration written by the captain of the Liberation Army.
The old man was a knight of a certain knights in the distant past, and
a special gladiator in the arena in a shorter past.
And now, he was allowed to survive by the king and was given a position in charge of managing the arena.
Of course, even if you are a manager, you are the lowest level manager.
He was in a position to bow down to the captain of the guard who was from a hundred noble families.
The only consolation is that you are not locked in an arena.
He was allowed out of the arena, although conditions were attached.
But there is no hope.
Compared to the time when he ran horses and followed chivalry in his youth, he was living a life like a bug now.
A life that cannot die.
life to live.
There is no reward or pleasure there.
Anyone living in this city would be the same.
so.
I thought it was a miracle.
As in the age of chaos,
I thought that heroes who would open a new era of light had appeared.
The old man’s wish came true.
The old man saw a man with incredible talent.
I also saw another man who did not give up his humanity in an environment where he had to kill his colleagues.
Lastly, I also encountered the Liberation Army, which I thought would be a rumor.
The old man regarded this as some sort of revelation.
I thought it was the beginning of a destiny that would end the age of ghosts.
“It is clear. If a king had to appear to save mankind, he would be the only one.”
The man who introduced himself as an officer of the Liberation Army evaluated the general that way.
Meeting him was a minor coincidence.
I had miraculously met him while staggering through a back alley drunk.
At first, it was thought to be a trap of the Hundred Nobles.
So I checked my insides several times and did something that I would never pass over if there were a hundred nobles behind me.
That process alone took three months.
But it became clear.
There is nothing behind the man.
He is not a pawn of a hundred nobles.
It was truly a liberation army for mankind.
“I understand. ‘Cause you won’t believe it I will also wait for the time for trust.”
He smiled and passed over the old man’s tricks.
He also handed over various items from the Liberation Army, saying it was a token of trust.
The things of the Liberation Army were too detailed to be made up.
The old man came to believe in the reality of the Liberation Army.
The size of the Liberation Army was much larger than the old man thought.
If the diversion operation inside the arena is successful, it will not be impossible to save most of the people in the city.
The era of ghosts where humans suffer endlessly.
The myth that will end the darkness begins here again.
Thinking so, the old man couldn’t hide his excitement.
Based on this information, the old man persuaded the two gladiators he had marked out in advance.
Although one failed, the other succeeded.
His fighting talent was inferior to the man’s, but he had a strange charisma that attracted people around him.
It was a waste of talent to remain as a mere gladiator.
The gladiator by the name of Kainil had doubts at first, but eventually agreed to the ensuing persuasion.
An old man and a high-ranking gladiator named Cainil became one.
Behind the two, a mighty Liberation Army and the captain of the Liberation Army, who is said to be an unsalted hero, are waiting.
There was nothing to shy away from.
The plan was made quickly.
Most of the gladiators only knew themselves.
But there is always light among them.
Kainil recruited such people and made them his allies.
In the meantime, rumors of destruction came right ahead.
Rather, the old man regarded the rumor as an opportunity.
It was because high-ranking nobles, concerned about rumors of destruction, were engaged in internal strife in the city.
Their bond is not as strong as it used to be.
The king wants to stay in the city to keep his power.
However, the situation of other high-ranking officials is not the same.
The streets are stained with blood as the fighting between the two factions unfolds.
The only chance to fly the human flag was now.
Due to various circumstances, the security of the arena must have been weakened.
Kainil’s uprising plan, premised on the cooperation of the Liberation Army, was made that way.
‘He’s an excellent man.’
The old man smiled bitterly.
Reports were also up to him.
The acquisition of an unknown high-ranking gladiator that was considered impossible.
Although it was a temporary form rather than full cooperation, the man named Kainil managed to do it.
Giant this morning.
With Kainil and the unknown gladiator at the forefront, he breaks through the arena.
Subsequently, at the south gate, the liberation army and the weak who joined in evacuated and escaped from the city.
So,
in about three or four hours, the uprising will begin.
The great legend of the Liberation Army begins.
gulp.
The old man emptied the cup on the table at once.
The strong drink flowed as if it would burn the esophagus.
“Today.”
muttered the old man.
“Heh heh. It’s today. It’s today. The human era… will open again…”
The light of the candle flickers.
The old man was mad.
“Heh heh heh! Ha ha ha ha ha! liberation. We will be liberated!”
On the wrinkled old man’s cheek.
A single tear flowed down.
“Heh heh. Hehehehehehe!”
old man regrets
I regretted it to death.
At that time, if I hadn’t followed the executive who was said to be a contact.
If you haven’t had any doubts.
I could have held out hope until the end.
It was a trivial question.
I was just curious.
What kind of place is the Secret Hideout of the Liberation Army?
You don’t even have to go inside.
It was enough to know the location.
It’s something I would never normally do.
The man also emphasized it several times.
If the old man learns the location of the hideout, there is a risk that the entire liberation army will be in danger if things go wrong.
The old man also agreed.
But the day before the giant.
By the time Cainil was discussing the plan after convincing the nameless gladiator, the old man was secretly behind the tangent.
It’s not really bad intentions.
After half a day, everything will be revealed anyway.
Now, the situation cannot be reversed.
So maybe this would be fine.
I am confident in hiding myself.
Although he is old, he has gone through a lot of training in the past.
The man who was a contact and an officer of the Liberation Army did not notice the old man.
The last place he headed was a narrow door leading to a certain basement.
He closed the door, but the wind was strong and the door opened slightly, probably because the facilities were old.
I wish I would have stopped there.
The old man was curious and approached the door.
A voice leaked through the open door.
“So what?”
“They also say that preparations are complete.”
“Good. let us prepare Flying the flag of liberation.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The old man felt strange.
Obviously, the contents of the conversation are exchanged between two people.
But it sounded like a single voice.
Eventually, the old man peeked through the crack in the door.
“Tell the North Army. When the operation begins, start marching.”
“Yes Captain!”
“It shows. It’s revenge. Revenge on the hundred nobles. I will kill you!”
“Yes chief! I will trust the captain!”
It
was an indescribably strange sight.
“We are… the Great Liberation Army!”
Obviously, there is only one person in the basement.
“Let’s show our strength! I will wipe it out!”
“good night!”
“Uh-huh, I’m looking forward to it!”
A man who identified himself as a tangent.
The man’s face twisted in convulsions.
Then the man’s tone changed.
“Check the strategy again.”
The man’s face convulsed again.
The tone has changed.
“Yes, I will check!”
“I will not tolerate even an inch of error in the operation!”
“Yes Captain!”
Every time a man’s facial muscles twist, his tone and tone change.
As if your personality changes.
like being someone else.
But old people can tell.
Even if you change the tone, you cannot change the voice.
All of the conversations so far had been that man’s self-talk.
Delusions and multiple personalities.
“….”
The interior of the basement is decorated with items related to the Liberation Army.
The objects and various plans and plans were surprisingly elaborate and detailed.
The old man was also fooled by it.
In retrospect, it was natural.
Because it was made of obsession mixed with madness.
After that.
The old man returned to his room without a word.
Then I realized a very simple fact.
The Liberation Army
did not exist from the beginning.
The truth of the rumor is the fantasy of humans who hoped for hope.
The old man…
believed the words of a mentally ill patient…
and led his comrades into a plan that could not succeed…
“Khahahaha!”
The old man was mad.
Are only men crazy?
no.
The old man was also mad.
There are obviously no hundred nobles behind the man.
But there was no liberation army.
If you think about it, there were a few strange parts.
The old man tried to ignore it.
because I wanted to believe
Because I didn’t want to deny the existence of the Liberation Army.
Ignoring various suspicious situations, I lived in my own world.
The result was this.
“Is it over? Is it over!”
If I noticed it a week sooner, I might be able to reverse it.
But the giant was this morning.
late.
The uprising begins in up to three hours.
“Hehehehehehe. Hahahaha!”
The old man laughed.
laughed while crying
admitted afterwards.
There are no kings or heroes in this world.
Her wish was just a fleeting illusion.
creak.
As the old man put his weight on it, the chair he climbed on made a groaning sound.
“…”
The old man kicked the chair that was supporting his weight.
Took.
After a while.
In the dark candlelight,
the decrepit body was added and swayed.