"I'm only offering you free accommodation and food, in return, you have to help us," Jenny said.
"I don't know, I think I need time to think about your offer," I replied.
"It's okay, I understand. So, what time will you go to the Academy?" Jenny asked.
"It seems like I won't be going to the Academy today," I answered.
"Why?"
"Yesterday, Victor told me to meet him this evening at the empty field outside the south wall," I explained.
"If that's the case, he must want to start training you soon," Jenny said.
"Training me?"
"Yes! Training you! I've been saying that all along, haven't I? You have this strange power because you're not from this world. I think Victor himself is intrigued by you," she explained.
"So, you've all been planning this from the beginning?" I asked.
"No, I was still looking for members because our power is not strong enough yet to overthrow that foolish king and his underlings. But for some reason, you seem to have caught the old man Victor's interest," she replied.
I myself was still amazed at myself. Could it be true that I really have a special power as Jennifer just said? Honestly, if that's true, I think this world will be truly exciting because I really have the same power as the characters in video games.
"So, do you want to tell me about your life in your original world?" Jenny asked.
After that, Jennifer sat in front of me, sipping the freshly brewed coffee, and listened to my story. I told her that my real name is Dario Turner, a 28-year-old employee at a private company who has always lived a monotonous life. Nothing has ever caught my attention, so I sought the pleasure I couldn't find in real life by playing video games.
Jennifer seemed very impressed when I described the various modes of transportation available there, such as cars, ships, and even airplanes. And what really caught her interest was when I told her that there are various forms of entertainment like comics, movies, and video games.
During my time in this world, I felt like the only form of entertainment was music, and it seemed that there was no technology or electronic devices here. Therefore, the system of sending letters still applies if you want to communicate with distant relatives.
We both chatted for quite a while, and before I knew it, it was already noon. As I was about to end the conversation, I noticed Jenny looking towards the door behind me. I turned around and saw that Reid and Max had just returned.
"Where have you two been? You suddenly ran off and left me," I asked them.
They both remained silent and ignored my question. I saw Reid and Max pulling chairs and sitting next to me.
"There's nothing left, Jen. We checked the entire village, everyone is dead," Max said to Jenny.
"No one survived at all?" Jenny asked Max.
"No, and they were all killed under strange circumstances," Max replied.
"Strange circumstances?" I asked.
My words caught their attention, and they both looked surprised as if they hadn't realized I was there.
"Hey, hey, is everything okay, Jen?" Reid asked.
"It's fine. I just offered him to join us, right, Oliv?" Jenny said to me.
"Uh, y-yes," I answered.
"Well, if he already knows, I'll keep it brief. Everyone in the village was killed without their eyeballs," Reid said, lighting his cigarette.
"Without their eyeballs?" Jenny asked.
"Yes, as if forcibly pulled out, and all the villagers died in the same way. They deliberately let Maria live with the intention of causing panic in the kingdom because an entire village was slaughtered overnight by the Chaos Legion," Reid explained.
"Then what's the situation there now?" Jenny asked Reid.
"It's being followed up by the royal soldiers. It seems they're going to cremate everyone in the village," Reid said.
"I guess they're going to cremate them all because they don't want the hassle of burying each body one by one. Besides, there's no benefit for them to do so. They also purposely sent soldiers there to avoid arousing suspicion among the general population, right?" Max added.
"Yeah, just as Max said, it's just a formality," Reid replied.
I remained silent, quietly listening to their conversation, gradually understanding that this kingdom seemed to care little about what befell its people. Their only desires were profit, power, and strength.
"What about the contents? Is it still the same as before?" Reid asked Jenny.
"Yes, the words are the same," Jenny replied.
"Should I get promoted so I can dig deeper for information?" Reid asked Jenny.
"Not for now, we're still not strong enough," Jenny answered.
I could only hear their discussion without uttering a word, as there was a lot of information I gathered from their conversation that I was unaware of the causes and consequences.
From their conversation, what I understood was the advantage of being a royal soldier, as Reid mentioned that the higher your rank, the more trusted you are by the kingdom. It wouldn't be surprising if you were given information that the public shouldn't know.
Furthermore, the letter left by the Chaos Legion aimed to create panic in this kingdom. I believe they deliberately wrote in the letter that the attack and massacre were carried out by them (the Chaos Legion) to incite panic among the people. They seized the opportunity of this panic to seek revenge.
However, the big question for all of us was why they wanted to seek revenge against this kingdom and what had King Leopold I done to provoke such heinous acts?
And what I realized at that moment was that this bar wasn't just a place for drinking or people gathering to vent their frustrations. On the contrary, this bar had a clear purpose. It housed those who sacrificed their lives for the people of Eldoria. It was a home for those who fought for justice for the people of Eldoria. No party, be it the people of Eldoria or the soldiers and families of the Eldorian kingdom, knew who they truly were.
Time passed quickly, and I remembered my agenda to meet Victor. I immediately went to the upper floor to freshen up and prepare to meet him. I began to understand why Victor had instructed me to meet him at the empty field outside the Eldorian kingdom because he was also one of the rebel members.
I quickly bid farewell to Jenny, Reid, and Max, who were still discussing their next plans. I ran along the streets that led to the main gate, where there were numerous Level 10 soldiers stationed to guard the areas surrounding the walls of Eldoria.
For ordinary people like me, entering and exiting the gate was a common occurrence. Many villages, mostly inhabited by farmers, fishermen, and livestock breeders, were intentionally located outside the kingdom walls to prevent waste from the livestock and pests caused by the farmers from polluting and disturbing the comfort of the people living inside the walls.
Ordinary people like them were allowed to freely enter and exit the kingdom walls because their agricultural produce and livestock products were sold in the main market located within the kingdom walls.
As I ran towards Victor's meeting spot, I couldn't help but think how unfair it was. The ordinary people who provided the food supply for the people inside the kingdom walls were left to work without any protection or security from the royal soldiers. They were simply left to live and survive in the outskirts of the kingdom, farming, raising livestock, and fishing solely for their own survival. It felt like they were treated like slaves, but they didn't receive any security privileges.
As I ran further towards the empty field where I had arranged to meet Victor, I arrived there and found no one. From what I remembered before coming here, it was supposed to be 3:15 PM in the afternoon. With the considerable distance I had covered, I should have been late and scolded for my tardiness. However, it seemed that Victor might also be running late.
Feeling exhausted from the run, I decided to sit for a moment next to a large tree in the field. Just as I settled myself on the ground, I suddenly saw Victor appear beside me.
I was startled as he appeared out of nowhere, without a sound or any movement, and I didn't sense his presence at all, much like a ghost suddenly appearing beside me.
As I got up and was about to greet him, I was taken aback when Victor abruptly pulled out the spear hanging on his back and attempted to stab me.
In reflex, I quickly dodged his thrust and kept my distance from him. I tried to ask him what was happening, what was the meaning behind his attempt to stab me, but Victor remained silent, offering no response. He stepped forward, closing the distance between us, with the intent of stabbing me again with his spear.