"Excuse me- What you mean by that?" I asked,
She looked at me with crossed arms before stating, "We want you to fight on behalf of our empire."
Her request caught me off guard. Fight for the empire? That was out of the question. It would hinder my freedom of movement and halt my quest to uncover the truth.
"I'm sorry, but I have to turn down your request. I have no interest in getting involved with your empire's predicament." I replied to her,
Her response was unexpected—a broad smile followed by soft laughter.
Perplexed, I questioned, "What so funny?"
"You are," she replied with a smirk.
"Excuse me?"
Amusement dancing in her eyes. "We're not asking you to join us. We're commanding you."
"Commanding me?- What are you talking about-" I demanded, my irritation rising.
"Ah! Someone seems to be needing an explanation! Let me tell you then-" she said, grinning as she settled into her seat.
"As you can see, we were impressed by your strength and teamwork during the battle with the Colossal Worm. Even our most skilled knights wouldn't dare face such a monster."
Anger flared within me. "So you're telling me that you just sit and watch us almost get ourselves killed back there?!"
She examined her claws before replying calmly, "Oh- don't take it too personally. I can't just let my men die just to save some adventurers. Have some decency, will you?"
"Decency?! We were dying out there hoping to get away from that monster while you just watching us! And you asking me to join you? Are you fucking joking, right now?" I shouted,
My voice rose in frustration, but she remained unfazed, her expression unchanged.
"Are you done?"
I locked eyes with her, my anger palpable, yet held my tongue. She could sense the intensity of my emotions. Finally, I spoke, my voice low and controlled,
"What gives you the audacity to presume you can command me to join your ranks?"
She responded with a calm demeanor, "Consider this: while the Devil remains our primary adversary, your kind has brought considerable strife upon us as well, particularly the Unmarked. Those individuals, endowed with powers by a higher authority, have inflicted terror upon us. As you're aware, the Unmarked are regarded as malevolent. And you know our stance on dealing with them—incarceration or death."
"I'm trying to be nice to you here. Although we found out you're an Unmarked Sinner, we haven't capture nor execute you yet. we've refrained from capturing or executing you. We see potential in you, a chance for redemption by aiding us in this conflict."
"Wait! You can't do that! Even though I'm an Unmarked Sinner, it doesn't mean I'm a bad guy!" I said,
She chuckled dismissively, "Oh, my dear, do you truly believe we care about such nuances? To us, Unmarked Sinners are adversaries, plain and simple."
"And if I refuse to join you?" I inquired, my apprehension mounting.
She flashed an innocent smile, her words dripping with menace, "Then both you and your companion will face execution for treason and abetting a renegade Sinner."
Suddenly, a squad of soldiers burst into the tent, their weapons trained on both Ellisa and me. Nyoko turned to me, her tone unwavering,
"So, what's your choice, Sinner?"
I couldn't endanger the lives of Ellisa and Ichijou. They were innocent bystanders in this conflict. With no other recourse, I relented,
"Okay, okay! Put your weapons away! I'll accept. I'll join your army."
Her face lit up with satisfaction as she rose from her seat, striding out of the tent, "Welcome to the 6th Battalion, Sinner."
Several hours had elapsed since the unsettling encounter. I was granted a brief respite before my impending duty as a soldier commenced the following day. Ichijou returned from the medical facility and was taken aback by the news.
"They asked you to what?!-" he exclaimed.
"I got no other choice. They involved both of you in this. I can't just say no." I explained.
"Does that mean we have to put our adventure on hold?" Ichijou sought confirmation.
"More or less," I replied somberly.
He sank onto one of the tent's beds, contemplating our predicament. "Well, we will find our way out of this. Besides, I don't think joining them is a bad idea either. We don't even know where to even start to learn the truth about Ruina,"
I sighed heavily, admitting, "That's the problem. I actually have a starting point. The Calling indicated that we could unveil the truth by ascending the Elmwick Mountains. Allegedly, there's an Ancient Ruins up there that might hold clues about Ruina."
Ichijou's interruption was swift. ""Hold on—Elmwick Mountains? That's quite a journey, mate. Do you realize how far away that is?"
Ellisa, who had been listening in, attempted to reassure us. "Oh, come on. It couldn't be that bad, right? We walked for miles to reach this place too."
Ichijou's irritation flared at her remark, prompting him to urge me to retrieve the map Han had provided.
Without hesitation, I retrieved the map from my bag and handed it over to Ichijou. He promptly spread it out on the table.
"Here's our current location," he began, indicating with his finger. Then, he shifted his attention to another continent on the map. "And here are the Elmwick Mountains, situated in Demon territory. Essentially, it's on the opposite side of the world."
He continued his explanation, his tone grave, "For us to go there will take weeks if not months! Even if we use the shortest route to get there, we must first go through Dwarven state and pass through the Elven continent!" His finger traced the arduous path on the map.
"What's worst- we can't just get there on foot! There's a vast ocean in our way. And due to this war, any intercontinental mode of transportation is banned. Moreover, Demon territory isn't just any place we can walk right in! They're not fond of us humans!" He explained,
"Ohh..." Ellisa murmured in understanding.
"We have to go there no matter what, though. The longer we wait, the less probability we have to stop this war." I replied to Ichijou,
"Kiseki, listen to me. We can't go anywhere right now. We stuck here with these people. You were forced to join them. Let just keep our head low for a while and roll with whatever comes to us, okay?" Ichijou advised.
He was right. All we could do was bide our time and assess the situation. However, my disdain for the empire festered. I couldn't shake the feeling that we'd be regarded as expendable pawns in their game.
"Ah... guys! Let just get some rest for today. We all have been through a lot. I think we deserve to pause ourselves for a minute and think about all of this tomorrow." Ellisa proposed, stretching out on the bed.
"Fine. We will think about this situation later. I'm exhausted too right now." I concurred.
As exhaustion weighed heavily upon us, we retired to our beds. Ichijou and Ellisa succumbed to sleep almost instantly after settling in. But for me, despite my weariness, sleep eluded me. My mind buzzed with the events of the day, leaving me restless and unsettled.
The next day arrived in a blur, awakening us abruptly as a soldier entered our tent in the early hours.
"Rise and shine, cadet! Commander Nyoko requests your presence at her tent in thirty minutes!" he announced briskly.
"Wait- What- Who's there?!" Ellisa groaned, still half-asleep. "Oh my god- do we have to wake up this early every morning?!"
"Welcome to the army, Ellisa," Ichijou quipped sarcastically.
After hastily preparing ourselves, we made our way to Nyoko's tent as instructed. Outside, a line of soldiers flanked the entrance, some holding flagpoles adorned with the insignia of the 6th Battalion.
"That must be their emblem," I said to Ichijou and Ellisa.
We were promptly directed to stand at attention near the entrance. Moments later, Nyoko emerged, clad in full battle gear. She strode past us, taking her place at the center of the gathering. All around, soldiers snapped to attention, saluting their commander. Nyoko began her address.
"Good morning, brave soldiers. I'm pleased to see you've all assembled here intact, without anyone deserting," she remarked, her gaze lingering on me for a moment.
Shifting her attention to Ichijou, she continued, "And it's good to see you, Grandleader of Fearrun."
Ichijou met Nyoko's gaze evenly, replying, "Likewise, Commander Nyoko."
It became evident that Ichijou and Nyoko shared a history, likely stemming from Ichijou's previous role as a war leader in his kingdom.
"I never thought after disappearing for a year, you would be going around with an Unmarked Sinner. Did your failure really hurt you that bad?" She said to him,
Ichijou's silence spoke volumes, his expression betraying his simmering anger at her words. Nyoko pressed on with her speech.
"Today, we embark on a mission of utmost importance—one that could potentially shift the tide of this war," she declared, gesturing as one of her men unfurled a map behind her.
Something about that map seemed oddly familiar to me. Why did it strike a chord? Nyoko continued her briefing.
"As you can see, the Devil's army had conquered the western part of our neighboring kingdom, Osha, a few days ago. We are deeply sorry for the loss of one of their biggest city, Fairdrift. Last night, King of Osha declared his surrender and let our empire took over the lead. And by that, today we were tasked by our king to recapture that city for our military benefits."
Her announcement left me stunned. "Wait?! Hold on! You want us to go back in there? When we just left that place a few days ago?!"
"Is there an issue, Sinner?" Nyoko's question cut through the tension.
"There is. What makes you think we want to go back there!" I challenged.
"Allow me to elaborate further on the mission. Intelligence indicates that the Devil's army maintains a stronghold near Fairdrift, serving as a significant source of their military might. Reclaiming Fairdrift would allow us to position our forces closer to this stronghold. Strengthening our defenses in Fairdrift could pave the way for a strategic offensive against the Devil's forces, potentially securing our first victory in this thirty-year war," she explained.
I responded to her, "Then why do you need my friends and me to join you in this fight?! Look around! You have a whole army to fight alongside you."
"The reason behind that is because, at this moment, Fairdrift is under the supervision of one of the Great Devil's General known as Uglin. Ordinary soldiers like us stand no chance against that beast. No matter the number of attacks we throw at him, he's unbeatable. With your skill and extraordinary power bestowed by God, you're the only one who could have the slightest chance to defeat him." she answered,
"What nonsense are you spouting?! Let say if we fail to kill him, then what?" I challenged her, locking eyes with her.
Turning away, she replied coolly, "If that happens, you don't need to worry about punishment. Since Uglin is well known to be ruthless with his opponent. You guys will die in his hand nonetheless,"
Her words confirmed my suspicions. We were nothing more than expendable pawns in her eyes.
"We depart for Fairdrift this afternoon. Prepare yourselves accordingly. You are dismissed," she concluded, leaving no room for further debate.