-Break-
Φ “Hey, Willow.”
“Hiya Jerry.”
“What are you doing here on the 7th floor? I thought you were working on food today.”
“Wow, I am surprised you know my schedule.”
“Well, I plan to climb the ladder here, so I have to push myself to get there, so I can help mother.”
“What a great goal. Answering your question, the reason I came down here was because I was worried about all you guys here. This floor is unstable, and I don’t want any of you hurt.”
Rubbing my hand on his head, I say, “What a good boy you are.”
“Stop it,” he tells me playfully.
“But you don’t need to worry about me, since look at what I got.”
“Isn’t that the strange voice machine you guys use?”
“It’s called a kaidenwa. Well, this device must be strange to someone who grew up in a forest.”
“If I remember correctly, you speak into it, and others hear.”
“Yes, but only if they have one with a similar signal, and you need to use spirit energy to power it,” it feels sort of weird explaining how to use technology to one of the Magnolia decedents, but on the other hand, it is fulfilling.
“When can I get one of these.”
“It takes a good bit of spirit energy to use, so only people with sufficient amounts can, and I was able to raise mine to reach it.”
“That’s amazing.”
Proudly I say, “I know it is, with my spirit energy this high that I could take on entire villages. I bet I could even beat the warriors from your village.”
“I bet you could. But can I ask you something.”
As I am about to respond, I get a call from my communicator, “Give me a second, Willow.”
The voice says, “Hourly check-in, is everything going fine.”
“There have been no problems.”
“Good to hear that will be all.”
Cutting off the line, I look over to Willow, who screams, “SEQUOIA!” And mere seconds after that, the heel of his foot is at my chin, and everything turns black.
Φ After knocking Jerry out, I look around and see that the guards stationed on this floor have been knocked out or are currently struggling with the slaves, but as we all start to ganging up on them we are eventually able to knock them all out.
Next was taking down the prisoners loyal to Morgan, which wasn’t hard because they always worked themselves to the bone.
With a sigh of relief, I head over to the people from my village, including Buloke, who are currently on this floor and give them hugs. “I wanted to do this forever ago.”
“You’ve done a good job, Willow. This plan would have never worked without you.”
“We’re all going to leave, thanks to you.”
“Thanks so much, Willow.”
All their thanks make tears well up in my eyes, but this isn’t the time for that. “Let’s get moving. We only have an hour to make it out.”
As everyone starts moving, I say to the rest of the prisoners, “Those of you who weren’t part of the plan, if you want to leave, come with us, and If you are scared for the hostages, I plan to get them as well. I cannot guarantee it will work, but your life only has two options: come now or rot in this jail forever. We won’t wait up.
Some of them rise and start to follow us, the ones who don’t are knocked unconscious before we leave. As we all run away, I look at the slaves loyal to Morgan and stop for a moment. These people were all probably like me and had their minds broken by her. It isn’t their fault that they lost hope in this situation, so I want to help them. But right now, with how fragile this plan is, I can’t, so I continue to run off with a painful feeling in my chest.
There are seven levels to the mine; each has a sleeping area for prisoners connected to the lunch area. So, by heading to the lunch area, it is possible to reach each floor. Though the top floor, the one leading to the exit, can only be called by going through the lift on the second floor, it is a security measure. It makes it so that there is only one way to the top floor, so as long as many people guard that place, no one can leave.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
That is how it is usually, but due to the party tonight, there are only five people up there, with just one to my knowledge able to use spirit arts, and as long as I can get a sneak attack on him, I should be able to knock him out. The rest are pushovers who we should also be able to handle.
So now all I have to do is follow the plan, take the people from the 7th floor to the lunch area, go to the 6th floor, sneak up on the guard who uses spirit arts to launch a sneak attack, and then tell all the prisoners on my side to fight.
We will then escape the mines with some of the crystals, which we will use for two goals. One is to make an explosion near the ballroom. Due to this, all the guards will go protect the high-ranking guests, which will then give me a chance to get the kids out.
Then we will blow a hole in the walls around the city with the rest and then take the back route out of Basileia. I heard it is hazardous, but if we take the primary way, we will be caught in no time. This is our only option; I have been hiding food away over the last few days, so at least we won’t starve immediately.
The only issue with my plan is time. Everyone is malnourished and bound in chains. I don’t know if we will be fast enough to get out in time. That’s why we have no time to waste.
So, as we arrive in the lunch area, which I have already captured, I run to the 6th floor and say, “If any guards come, pretend like you are eating then knock them out like the rest.”
-Break-
Φ “Mother, your looking stunning today.”
“Thank you for that, Porto. With all the backhanded comments I am about to receive, I needed that,” I say as I ready my hair.
“Mother, do you really want me to accompany you to this party? I am sure people will use the mask I wear to spite you somehow. I don’t want to add to your trouble.”
“Remove such thoughts from your head. You are important not only to me but to every worker. You’re like their big bother here, so don’t worry about such things. Your valuable, take that compliment with pride. It comes from a woman who deals with more money than most countries have.”
“Yes, I will, mother.”
“Now straighten up and accompany me proudly,” I say as Porto takes my arm and starts to walk me out of the room. But as we go on, a thought pops into my mind, “Why isn’t Tana here as well? I would’ve liked him to accompany me too.”
“Oh, Tana says he had something to take care of.”
“What a shame. I planned to introduce him to some people here since he will take over after I die.”
“I wish you wouldn’t talk like that.”
“Can an eighty-five-year-old woman not talk about her impending doom”
“I know it is inevitable, but I don’t like hearing about it.”
“Well, you need to grow up and get over that. Those same traits are why Tana is taking my position and not you. He is efficient and wouldn’t care about something silly like this.”
“Well, I am sorry for not being a machine.”
“Don’t worry about that. There are some things I can’t ask Tana but can ask you.”
Φ “Like what?”
“Well, do you think god would judge a person based on the lives they have taken or the lives they have saved.”
Mother looks deject as she says this, “I believe he would judge people based on the lives they have saved.”
Pinching my cheeks, Mother says, “That’s why I would ask you this type of question, Tana would say something like, God judges you by intent or that the afterlife doesn’t exist. That’s why even when Tanas the leader, make sure to be around him, you need to give some heart and soul to his cold-hearted logic. If you guys do that, I am sure that everything will be fine.”
Gripping her hand tightly, I say, “Well, you still seem to have lots of life let in you, so don’t think about death just yet.”
“Well, I guess you’re right.” Perking up, mother says, “Now let’s go talk with those inbred nobles and overweight merchants.”
-Break-
While doing some stretches before I get ready to sneak in, I suddenly feel a presence behind me and jump out of the way. Looking back at what I thought, I see Atalanta.
“Oh, Orb, you have improved.”
Feeling elated, I say, “I guess I have.”
“Not by much though,” I hear another voice say behind me. I jump away from it and see Maple.
“How did you do that.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
Irritated, I compose myself and say, “Maple, why are you here? You’re supposed to be waking up, Willow.”
“That’s because I am coming with you.”
“Maple, you know you are no longer needed for the plan, so just get Willow the 2nd ready to escape at a moment’s notice,” I say turning my back to her.
“Orb catch,” Atalanta says. She throws her giant golden bow at me. The utter weight of it forces me down on my back.
While struggling to get this off me, I say, “Get this off me right now.”
“You heard him, Maple.”
“What are you talking about? She can’t lift this,” but in mere moments, I would be surprised as she effortlessly picked up the bow and started juggling it.
“Ahh, looking at her brings tears to my eyes,” Atalanta says dramatically.
“What? How,” I say in shock.
“She has been working her butt off over these last few months. She even learned how to use spirit arts fully. So now she can lift my bow.”
So, spirit arts are necessary to lift that thing. Wait a second, “If you know how to use spirit arts, why didn’t you teach me.”
“You have next to no aptitude, so I decided to help her instead. It is that simple.” She says smugly.
While feeling insulted, Maple says, “So, Orb, let me come with you using this bow. I can cover for you. The arrows disappear quickly so I can help”.
Trying to find a way out, I say, “Then I will just take Atalanta with me.”
“No, can do. I can’t see as far as Maple. I won’t be of any help.”
“Then how will you guys know when I arrive with all the villagers? If Maple isn’t looking out, we won’t be prepared in time, and who will wake Willow up? He takes a lot of time to wake up.”
“Simply me and Maple will use these”, Atalanta says as she takes out the kaidenwa we confiscated from Sparrow.
“We couldn’t use these because they run on spirit energy, but I should be able to use it now with Atalanta, so that fixes our problem.”
As I start racking my brain for the reason for her to stay, she tells me. “Orb, I want to do this. I know you are worried for my safety, but I am worried about yours, so please understand how I feel.”
Atalanta whispers, “Look at the determination in her eyes. Only a monster would say no to her now,” into my ear.
Feeling defeated by these two girls, I say, “Fine; you can come. But you must promise me that you will be patient and stealthy.”
“I promise.”
So as Maple and I get everything we need ready and are about to head off, Atalanta says to us, “Remember this, it is the job of adults to think about complex things, so just rescue your friends because no matter what happens in there it is all none of your concern.”
I am about to make a snarky response, but she has a dead serious facial expression, so I say, “Right,” and with Maple on my back, we head off.