Chapter 837: Better to Join the Alliance

Chapter 837: Better to Join the Alliance

“Strange… not here?”

After half a minute of knocking with no reply, the man at the door was wondering if the person inside was absent. But the door quietly cracked open and the gun barrel pressed against the gap made him freeze on the spot.

Cold sweat burst out. The man quickly raised his hands to show he meant no harm, then cast a hurried glance toward the stairwell at the end of the corridor.

“Easy, easy… brother, I’m one of General Abusayef’s men.”

Pressing the Decurion pistol against his chest, the field veteran demanded expressionlessly.

“Where did you hear my name?”

The man spoke rapidly.

“Mr. Benoit sent a telegram… we roughly know the envoy here is called Pangolin—aren’t you that name?”

“Your name?”

“Anwar… you wouldn’t know me even if I told you.”

“Heh, how do you know I don’t know you?” Hearing that name, the field veteran gave a meaningful smile and slowly withdrew the gun barrel.

The man standing there was indeed Anwar, a Chiliarch under General Abusayef.

Under normal circumstances, it was unlikely that a senior officer would be sent for such a rendezvous. But for an organization founded less than a month ago, it made perfect sense.

After all, whether through deception or cultivation, building trusted confidants takes time.

For a bunch of monkeys playing king, anyone they could trust even a little was promoted to senior officer and kept close. When trouble arose, they couldn’t entrust it to those eager underlings scrambling for promotion, so naturally, these senior officers had to handle things personally.

Not only that, the choice of personnel for different tasks was also deliberate.

After all, meeting the Legion’s envoy before the Celestial King would be a death sentence if discovered.

Even within the same faction, Abusayef didn’t fully trust everyone. At this point, the only one he could rely on was Anwar, who had already submitted his “blood oath.”

With the blood debt of the church massacre, the path to defecting to the Legion was blocked, and joining the Alliance was equally impossible.

If it had been anyone else, the field veteran would have been on alert, suspecting a trap.

But since it was this fellow named Anwar, he could basically conclude that Abusayef genuinely wanted to talk to him.

And secretly, at that.

Looking at the bewildered Anwar, the field veteran wore a calm expression and asked knowingly.

“What do you want from me?”

“It’s not me looking for you, it’s you looking for the General… Why else would you stay at the North Gate instead of entering the city? Everyone knows this is where Abusayef’s men are stationed…” Anwar glanced again toward the end of the corridor and said nervously, “Can I come in to talk?”

He was afraid of being seen, and even more afraid that this Legion envoy might shoot him on the spot.

He still wasn’t sure whether the Legion knew about the 200 “lives” at the church and his involvement, nor did he know why General Abusayef suddenly wanted to meet the Legion’s envoy at this time. Of course, he couldn’t possibly know that this foreign envoy from the Legion was actually an Alliance mole.

He had taken a huge risk by letting the church survivors live, submitted a fake blood oath, barely earned Abusayef’s trust, and was getting closer to the heart of the conspiracy…

If he got a bullet now, it would be too unjust!

“…Wait for me at the door for two minutes.”

Without agreeing to let him in, the field veteran closed the door expressionlessly. After a moment, he let out a slow breath, then walked over to Penny, who was huddled in the corner.

Crouched in the blind spot of the room, Penny looked at him nervously and mouthed,

“…Who?”

The field veteran said seriously,

“One of General Abusayef’s men.”

Penny tensed.

“Has he found us?!”

Looking into her anxious eyes, the field veteran leaned close to her ear, lowering his voice to a whisper so the man outside couldn’t hear.

“He probably doesn’t know about you, but he’s definitely noticed me. This is his turf, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing… I was planning to meet him before the Alliance’s representative contacts Yanush, to find out why he betrayed Mr. Benoit, and then try to pull him back to our side.”

The low, magnetic voice made Penny’s earlobe tingle. But she was already pressed against the corner of the room, with nowhere else to hide, so she could only shrink her neck.

“Betray… Father?” Her soft, stammering voice wavered.

Perhaps due to nervousness, the field veteran felt her breath become uneven beside his ear.

And a little stifling.

But he had no time to observe Penny’s expression. In a very light, quick voice, he continued,

“…Yes, didn’t I tell you? Mr. Benoit planned an operation, but a stronger backer intervened, bribed his partner, and the whole plan spiraled out of control from the start.”

Penny’s eyes widened, her chest heaving.

“Who… who was that backer?”

“The Southern Legion is the prime suspect. The Eastern Legion and the civil officials clearly don’t want war.”

“Uncle Ross?! How is that possible!”

“Do you think a Chiliarch would be qualified to meddle in such matters? He’s likely a pawn, maybe even deliberately chosen as one… Of course, that’s just my speculation. Don’t treat speculation as a lead in your report. I’ll tell you when I have new information.”

The field veteran spoke abstractly.

Because there was neither time to explain clearly nor was it appropriate for her to know everything.

For some reason, this time Penny didn’t press further. She just obediently murmured, “Mm.”

Satisfied with her reaction, he continued rapidly,

“Now listen carefully to what I’m about to say. Stay here, no matter what, don’t leave the room. Don’t open the door for anyone. Pretend you’re not here. If I’m not back by midnight, go to the hotel on this note… I’ll write down the address and room number for you.”

“Remember! Take the main road, avoid the firelight, don’t go into alleys! The room key is hidden under the flowerpot directly opposite the guest room. You’ll know when you get there.”

With that, the field veteran quickly scribbled an address on a sticky note, tore it off, and worried Penny might not find it, he pulled out a map and circled the hotel’s location.

The infrastructure in Sky Capital was terrible. The so-called map only showed a few main roads, a few abstract landmarks, and large circled blocks.

As for the naturally formed side roads, they couldn’t possibly be marked on the map.

Far Sight’s four brothers had used drones to take aerial photos of Sky Capital, but he didn’t even have a VM, so he couldn’t borrow them. He had to make do with the locals’ map.

Looking at the map and address handed to her by Pangolin, Penny stared at him in surprise.

“This is…”

“Another room I rented on the outskirts. Inside is a folding PU-9 submachine gun and 200 rounds… You can think of it as a safe house, just in case.”

“When?” Penny’s eyes widened with even greater astonishment.

This guy had never left her sight.

How had he managed to rent a room without her knowing?!

“…I have my ways.”

The field veteran brushed off the topic with an inscrutable expression.

There was no way to explain this.

He couldn't possibly say he'd asked someone on the forum to help him open it, could he?

Anyway, the mission had ample funds—money from Benoit, plus money from the administrator—so he didn't mind the expense. Better to be cautious in everything.

Having given all his instructions, he was about to leave when Penny suddenly grabbed his hand.

He turned back and saw those bright eyes, full of seriousness, fixed on him with unwavering attention.

That look was exactly the same as when he had seen him off that darkest night, and when Corway had entrusted him with a heavy responsibility.

He never thought he'd end up as comrades-in-arms with a journalist.

"...You must come back."

The war veteran nodded slightly.

"Mm, I promise."

That was the one thing he didn't need to worry about.

He couldn't be killed.

...

At the military camp north of Tiandu, a bright campfire burned slowly, with soldiers carrying rifles patrolling nearby.

In a tent on the edge of the camp, "Lion King" Abusek held a golden lion in his hand, his rough index finger tracing its smooth contours.

This was one of Witch Camel's collectibles.

Earlier, Yanush had turned the Tiandu palace upside down, finding many treasures Witch Camel hadn't had time to take, and had rewarded most of them to his subordinates.

It had to be said, Yanush was indeed generous to his own people—he never hogged everything for himself.

Clearly, that man had his sights set high; only someone with the whole world in his eyes would disregard the treasures before him.

Following a leader who rewarded and punished so clearly wasn't such a bad thing.

But unfortunately, he didn't like picking up what others had left behind.

He placed the golden lion gently on the table and looked at the two men standing at the tent entrance.

One was his trusted aide Anwo; the other, cloaked, was presumably the legion's envoy.

Looking at his trusted man, General Abusek spoke in a gentle tone.

"Go keep watch outside for me."

"Yes, sir."

Anwo saluted, turned, and walked out of the tent, pulling down the flap for the two of them.

"Please, make yourself at ease, sir."

Hearing Abusek's voice, the war veteran pulled back the hood of his cloak and walked straight over to sit in front of him.

"There's only this one chair here."

At this amusing reply, Abusek laughed heartily and said in a teasing tone.

"This is where we store odds and ends—there's a table, a chair, and a teapot. It's not bad, you know. You didn't expect me to invite you into the command tent and have all the officers sit around for a heart-to-heart, did you?"

Mulling over these intriguing words, the war veteran looked at him with a half-smile.

"Aren't you going to explain yourself?"

"Explain what?"

"Three thousand lives," the war veteran said, staring into his eyes. "That's not what we agreed on."

"Heh... And what about Orissa, and the countless others like Orissa? Not to mention those Wolf Tribe cannon fodder sent to their deaths. Do you, as an outsider, also think we were born only fit to be slaves?"

Abusek picked up the boiling teapot and calmly poured himself and the pangolin sitting across from him a cup of the local specialty, Masu tea.

This tea had a licorice-like fragrance, bitter on the nose but sweet on the tongue. It was a cheap indulgence in the region, popular among both nobles and commoners, though the brewing method and spice amounts varied.

The war veteran had tried it once but could never stomach the strange taste of cough syrup mixed with ginger water.

In front of the pangolin, Abusek took a sip first, then looked at the silent man and continued.

"Mr. Pangolin, we're not like you wasteland wanderers. Our roots are here; we love this land deeply. In your eyes, those thousand pillars are stuck in our backs, but we know better than you that those thousand pillars are us... Can you understand?"

"I don't understand, and I'm not interested," the war veteran said, glancing at the cup of herbal-scented tea on the table. He leaned forward a few inches, staring straight into Abusek's eyes. "I want to know what you were thinking. Why did you betray Lord Benoit?"

"Betray?" Abusek let out a scornful laugh. "I'm not his subordinate. How can you call it betrayal?"

He paused, then added.

"And besides, don't tell me you're unaware of the civil officials' situation in the legion. You don't even have a direct command; you use the junk discarded by the four main legions. What future is there in cooperating with you?"

Though he didn't want to speak for the legion, the war veteran faithfully carried out his duty and said in a low voice.

"At least we don't want your land."

"Hah, do you even believe that yourselves?"

Abusek laughed loudly and continued.

"And even if you don't want it, others do. Before the empire fell, Witch Camel and your lot had already given away three of the thirteen provinces, plus Tiger Province and Leopard Province, which don't listen. How many more countries are you going to carve out of the Boro Province? Thirteen? That's what happens when you follow you civil officials! You say you don't want land, but you take more than anyone!"

The war veteran said patiently.

"You can't blame all of Witch Camel's problems on us. And Lord Benoit chose you because he hoped you could change the empire—"

"Give it a rest. What you want is a neutered dog. I know your kind."

Abusek curled his lip and went on.

"The Southern Legion isn't a good lot—they're the fiercest wolves—but I don't think following them is a bad thing. At least following them gets you meat; following you only gets you shit."

The war veteran said in a low voice.

"Besides overthrowing the empire, what other benefits did he promise you?"

Abusek answered without hesitation.

"Guns! Cannons! Ammunition! And the factories to make them! Only with those can we stand and negotiate with you on equal footing."

The war veteran asked.

"And the price? Since you're buying, it can't be cheap."

Abusek continued.

"Just Lion Province. Even if we didn't give it, it wouldn't make a difference—it's been in your hands all along."

The war veteran drew in a sharp breath and couldn't help saying.

"You're feeding the wolf your own flesh!"

Abusek chuckled, unmoved.

"Wrong! Trading one province for the peace of twelve—that's a curved path to salvation!"

What a curved path to salvation... Even a certain Mr. Wang would have to call that expert bullshit.

The war veteran shook his head.

He didn't want to criticize the man's naivety; as the legion's envoy, he had no standing to do so.

As an outsider, any grand principles he preached were nothing but empty talk, carrying not a shred of persuasion.

When a man is starving to the extreme, he will even eat dirt; a person at death's door won't balk at chewing either an elixir or arsenic.

He could only start from the facts, speaking patiently.

"...You think too highly of the Southern Legion. Those people are different from us; their ambitions will never be satisfied with just one state. They'll take Lion State first, and while you're locked in a bloody struggle with the Empire, they'll inch closer, demanding Ox State, Snake State, Dog State, Wolf State, Snake State..."

Abusek let out a cold sneer, dismissing the words without a second thought.

He had considered this possibility, but it wasn't something to worry about now.

What they needed to do was grow stronger!

And grow stronger at any cost!

After all, if the Empire continued to weaken, it was only a matter of time before these states were taken one by one. Even if they didn't want to give them up, it wouldn't matter—no one would care about their voice.

Only when the Empire truly grew powerful could they gain the capital to contend with the various factions of the wasteland!

The Vlandians were not invincible; nothing in this world was ever truly unbeatable.

The war veteran knew that explaining further to him would be futile, so he took a stack of photos from his chest and gently placed them on the table.

"I know words are cheap... take a look at these."

Abusek glanced at the photos, his brow furrowing slightly at the sight of the cannons and heavy equipment.

"What is this?"

The war veteran continued.

"This is the Legion's equipment deployed at West Sailing Port. I snapped these when I passed by."

"Besides that, three regiments—I mean, thousand-man units—have already arrived at the port. Also, an airship and a ten-thousand-man unit are on the way."

"Clearly, they're ready to fully take over Lion State. But taking over Lion State doesn't require this much gear. Guess who they're meant for?"

The expression on Abusek's face stiffened slightly, though the stubbornness in his brow still read "none of my business."

"...The Celestial Army, I suppose. But it doesn't matter; we'll switch flags later and draw a clear line with Yanush—"

The war veteran shook his head.

"Too naive. No matter how you draw the line, whether they acknowledge it or not is just a word from them. Once you've worn each other down enough, that's when they'll start making more demands."

He paused, then added.

"But if you think this gear is meant for you, you're overthinking it. Even a third of it would be overkill for dealing with you. I'd say ninety percent of the rest is meant for the Alliance and the Corporation... or rather, to deter them."

"As for you, you're just a fire they've set. Once the weeds on this land are burned out, crushing you will be a matter of minutes."

At this point, the war veteran suddenly grinned with a hint of malice.

"You probably don't know this... but we actually cooperated with the Torch once. Only later, when the Torch got out of hand and threatened us, we just flicked our fingers and snuffed out their little flame."

His words struck Abusek's heart like a hammer, making his eyes blur for a moment.

But changing a person's perception is difficult, even impossible.

Like a victim of a scam, he still clung to his stubbornness, unwilling to believe the facts laid before him.

"...That's just your speculation."

The war veteran nodded slightly, rising from his chair.

"Then pray that a pack of wolves fiercer than you will keep their promise in the end."

"We lost this game. We shouldn't have handed our chips to a bunch of opportunists. But though we lost, the bet isn't over. If the Vlandians end up winning... that outcome wouldn't be unacceptable to the civil faction."

With that, he turned and walked toward the tent entrance. Only when he reached the door did Abusek suddenly call out to him.

"Wait, please wait!"

The war veteran stopped and turned around. The general stood up, sweat beading on his forehead, his face etched with struggle.

"...What should I do?"

He was finally afraid.

Or rather, he finally realized that the fire their ambitions had ignited was dragging them—and the entire Empire—into a bottomless abyss.

"The fire is already lit. We can't put it out with our strength alone—"

Abusek roared in fury and shame.

"Then what the hell should we do?! Did Bennott send you here just to mock me?!"

Seeing Abusek shouting, the war veteran raised his hands to calm him. Once his breathing steadied, he continued patiently.

"Let me finish... Our civil faction's strength alone isn't enough, and the Eastern Legion is too far away. But with the Alliance, it should be enough."

Abusek's mind buzzed, and he stood dumbfounded.

"...The Alliance?"

He forced the word out, mainly because he never expected such words from a Legion envoy.

The war veteran sighed, putting on a helpless expression.

"We're stuck too. We had everything planned, but no one expected to run into a bunch of madmen addicted to gambling. Now, to control the fire, we have to rely on our opponent's strength."

Abusek's expression turned awkward. He knew the madman the man referred to was himself and everyone in his faction.

Maybe, as he said, if they hadn't listened to the Southern Legion's temptation and gone all in, they wouldn't be backed into a corner like this.

"Just tell me what to do..."

The war veteran spoke patiently.

"The Alliance's ambassador is right in this city. They've probably already met Yanush... but I believe they're very, very dissatisfied with the current state of Celestial Capital—or rather, with Yanush himself."

"Now would be a good time for someone to raise a more equal banner... The Alliance's demands aren't high. Just meeting the condition of abolishing slavery would be enough. As for resident participation in legislation and councils, that can come slowly."

Abusek stared at him in bewilderment, wondering why a Legion envoy knew so much about the Alliance in such detail.

If not for the telegram from Lord Bennott, he might have suspected this guy was an Alliance spy.

"...Raise another banner? What's the difference from what we were planning to do?!"

The war veteran rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Do you only listen to half of what people say? What about the part after raising another banner?"

"Or let me put it bluntly: you drag that fool Yanush down, exonerate the Sun and Moon clans, at least put on a show of correcting mistakes, and then immediately pivot to the Alliance... I know it sounds bad, but since you've already switched sides once, I doubt you'd mind being a turncoat thrice."

"Then, you stop the invasions of the three northern states, central Elephant State, and southern Snake State... Leave the occupied areas alone for now, but halt the ongoing invasions immediately! Then turn your guns outward, against the Southern Legion landing at West Sailing Port!"

"According to the agreement we've reached with the Alliance, they'll use their influence to prevent the warlords of Mammoth State, Golden Harbor Port, and Tiger and Leopard States from attacking you."

"At least until the Legion reduces its military presence in the East, you won't have to worry about being stabbed in the back by your own. And if the Southern Legion tears up the agreement and sends troops directly, the Alliance will take proportional countermeasures."

"After everything's over, whether you want to continue your civil war or sit down and negotiate with others, it's all up to you..."

"The Alliance still says the same thing: the survivors of the Boro Province should decide their own future. They don't intend to force you to follow their exact path... Of course, I don't like hearing their crap, but for you, it might not be a bad thing."

He paused, then added.

"As for us... honestly, we're a bit disheartened. Even if the old cooperation still stands, it'll probably take a different form."

The second half was said by Benoit, and it was probably from the heart.

Though Penny still blamed her father, the Veteran had to speak a few fair words for that old man who tried to turn the tide.

Compared to those warmongering Wilant madmen, that fellow was actually one of the few with a conscience, willing to break his own arm to hold back the Southern Legion.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the Legion's last error-correction mechanism.

At least, he understood when to cut losses.

Abu Saike stared wide-eyed at this man, as if looking at a madman even crazier than himself.

But—

After mulling it over in his mind, this did seem to be the only way out he had left.

He raised a trembling index finger to touch the bridge of his nose, then picked up the teacup from the table and downed the cold tea in one gulp.

Seeming finally calmed, he looked at the messenger called Pangolin and asked in a voice mixed with joy and worry.

"Then... what name shall we change to? How about the Brahmin Alliance?"

The Veteran replied without hesitation.

"You'd better discuss that with the Alliance people; I can't give you advice."

Abu Saike slapped his own forehead and nodded hastily.

"...Right, right, I need to talk to the Alliance's representative—how could I forget?"

As he spoke, he let out an embarrassed chuckle and rubbed his hands to ease the awkwardness.

"My memory... I almost forgot, you're the Legion's envoy; this matter still needs to be discussed with the Alliance's representative."

Hearing this, the Veteran's face darkened instantly.

"Are you questioning my loyalty to the Marshal?"

Seeing the other man's posture as if ready to duel, Abu Saike quickly apologized.

"I wouldn't dare! I didn't mean that, please don't misunderstand."

"Heh... Whatever you meant, I've said what I needed to say. Live or die, it's up to you."

The Veteran shot him a warning glare, then walked out of the tent under the escort of obsequious gazes.

Anwo, standing outside the tent smoking, saw Pangolin emerge from the door and promptly led him to the camp's side gate, clearing the way all the way.

After seeing Pangolin off, he hurried back to the tent where General Abu Saike was staying and couldn't help asking.

"Sir... what does the Legion mean?"

Abu Saike gave him an inscrutable look.

"...The waters here are too deep. Don't pry into what you shouldn't. I'll tell you what to do when the time comes."

Realizing he had been too impatient, Anwo quickly lowered his head.

"Yes!"

Not in the mood to lecture this fellow.

Abu Saike shifted his gaze from his trusted subordinate to the pitch-black night sky outside the tent, squinting slightly.

The skies of Tiandu...

It seemed they were about to change again.