A lot had happened since I had grown closer to these people. I felt some hesitation in building relationships again, but I continued in the end.
I can't go through life as a loner without any companions, so I befriended them even though I knew... I am a slave outside just as I am a slave here.
They must know this too, having heard my story, but they didn't seem to care much for some reason.
I sighed as I looked out the same window. The operation would start in a few days, and I still felt like we could stay for another four months.
Are we really ready? I felt some doubt since I didn't know the full extent of my opponents' strength, but I decided to trust Gilbert in the end.
If the Morning star said that we are ready, I wouldn't doubt him.
I knew the basic principle of the plan, knew that our chances of success were over 60%, but I still felt anxious for some reason.
I felt like we had no chance, felt that I would need a small push of strength during the mission, and that I might end up using that...
"What are you thinking about?"
Lyra placed her hand on my shoulder and stood beside me to watch the street as well. I looked at her face for a moment.
Despite her obvious disfigurement, I had started to fail to see it lately. It wasn't that she had healed but something else...
A strange feeling.
"I'm feeling a bit anxious..." I shared my thoughts after a bit of hesitation, and I sensed her breathing get heavier.
"You're not the only one..." Her voice became strangely deep, and she nodded her scarred chin toward the others.
Asher, who usually had excess energy, was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Elara was tidying up the place instead of sleeping...
As for Gilbert...
***
I bid farewell to Lyra after another long conversation with her and climbed to the roof of the building I had lived in for the past few months.
Gilbert was staring at the ruined city, and I felt a strange aura around him.
A man with ambitions burning like fire, unable to wait for the water in this place to dry up so he could blaze strongly in the outside world again.
The rise of the Morning Star or his downfall... everything depended on the battle in a few days.
Gilbert leaned on the edge of the building's fence and looked at the large sword in his hand.
"Do you know what this is?"
As expected of him, he sensed the presence of an assassin like me immediately...
I glanced at the sword he was talking about and was somewhat shocked.
"How did you get that?!" It was Cassian's sword, a weapon I suspected was of high grade just by looking at it.
Did he take it when he captured him? But I don't think that's part of his job.
"This sword belonged to your friend. It's of the same grade as the sword I had before I got here."
A legendary sword... what a surprise...
A set of weapons whose creation is a mystery to all, indestructible weapons with a will of their own.
They're more like living beings than inanimate objects without thought, and they possess amazing abilities.
"This sword has five seals, only one of which is currently open. But I can't use it without special permission. I've tried to make it accept me over the past four months, but it has refused me every time without hesitation."
Thinking about how Cassian got such an item... Where did he find it? Did he take it with the help of some higher-ups? Or was it from the Mountain of Fog?
Thinking about it, something must have happened to him there, or else he wouldn't have survived and changed like that.
"Do you know how many legendary swords I've seen in my lifetime?" Gilbert paused for a moment, then continued.
"I've seen three legendary swords in my Whole life. It's a source of pride for me, as even some of the strongest haven't seen those miracles in their lifetime. Do you know how many of these swords rejected me?"
"Zero. None of them refused me except this one... it's special."
"..."
I couldn't respond. Did two swords accept him?
I hadn't even seen a legendary item before, while Gilbert, younger than me, had used two.
He's truly a prodigy...
Knowing this about him made all my previous fears disappear, and I began to trust him more and more.
With someone like him leading us, we would never lose...
***
I went down to the ground floor with a reassured heart and noticed Asher still deep in thoughts. I decided to go to him.
Since anxiety is contagious and could ruin the plan, I decided to try to ease his worries.
"How are you feeling?" I sat down next to him slowly and noticed his eyes turning towards me.
"What about you?" he spoke in a voice different from usual; he must be eager to meet his younger siblings outside...
"No matter the expected outcome, worrying will only make it worse."
Asher lowered his head a bit, taking some time to respond.
"I'm not as scared for myself as I am for what will happen if we fail. Reaching my mid-fifties is enough life for me anyway."
He paused for a moment, then continued.
"Both Elara and I, along with a squad of weaker warriors, will be at the frontline. We'll face at least 26 puppets of grade A and hundreds of lower-grade ones."
My eyes widened in shock, and I almost opened my mouth.
I vaguely knew that Asher and Elara were responsible for creating a distraction, but not to this extent...
In comparison, my role and Lyra's is much simpler. Our chance of surviving until the final part of the mission is high.
I understood his worry. I would be too if I were in his or Elara place.
"This battle is truly unfair, But knowing we only need to get one person out makes it seem easier... only one person.."
"What do you mean?" I immediately replied, having a vague understanding of what he meant.
"You and Gilbert said that there are nobles and kings imprisoned in the upper floors. Wouldn't just mentioning their names in the human nation gather a small army?"
My face darkened. This news might have been true if it had happened a few months ago, but not now.
Considering the main strength of this society, at least one royal family would need to intervene, and StarHold certainly won't do that for Cassian...
It's true that there is still a faction supporting him, but after Octavius' "disappearance," they won't be able to muster any real power.
Some noble families will certainly move, but they won't do much against this society.
It's not just about the overall strength; it's also about that mind control thing...
Bringing anyone below rank S- will simply make them change sides, while stronger people will have their minds significantly weakened.
Waging a full-scale war on the surface of this island requires a warrior with at least SS- strength. Anything less will only make the puppets society stronger.
It's really complicated. Asher's viewpoint isn't even close to being accurate, and someone who hasn't engaged with nobles before will never know their true nature.
Diana is likely to stop any rescue attempts anyway. Just getting a few warriors out of the human nation would be considered a huge miracle.
And for the Tri-Racial Council, reaching them would require support from an emperor or at least a royal family.
So, in one word, doing what Asher suggested is: "Impossible."
The situation is really bad...