Arc 4 Chapter 32 : Public Execution

[Balian POV]

When I opened my eyes, my vision was still blurry. The interrogator had spent the entire night torturing me without mercy. My head, hands, legs—every part of my body had been subjected to their cruelty in an attempt to force me to speak and reveal every piece of information they wanted.

They accused me of being a spy for the Empire.

However, what they did not know was that I was not an Imperial spy. I was merely someone who owed a debt of gratitude to another person and had done all of this to repay that debt.

The organization Boss Raul had created had given my younger brother and me a place to live. He had also saved us from the dangerous life of living on the streets, a life that had offered us no future.

Because of him, my younger brother could now even attend school and live a normal life like other children.

He no longer had to feel cold at night because he was sleeping on the streets with nothing but pieces of cardboard beneath him.

Back then, the two of us survived solely on the money I earned by stealing on the streets of the capital. We lived in the underground district of the Capital—a place for those who had no home at all.

At that time, Boss Raul had been walking through one of the quiet alleys of the capital.

Seeing a nobleman's child who looked rather naive, I tried to attack him.

However, he defeated me with ease.

Instead of reporting me to the authorities, Boss Raul offered me a job.

At first, I was merely assigned to gather information. But over time, Boss Raul offered me another task: becoming a spy within the Republic of Venetia, since I had originally come from there.

After falsifying my identity, I infiltrated the country's Military Logistics Department, where I remained until now.

For half a year, I had carried out my espionage activities in this country without encountering any problems.

But yesterday evening, the Military Police suddenly broke into my residence and dragged me to a cell inside the Avelino City Barracks.

They began questioning me about my connection to the Imperial Intelligence Unit, who had placed me inside the Military Logistics Department, and how I had communicated information to the forces led by Boss Raul in this region.

However, when I refused to answer and pretended to know nothing, they began subjecting me to various forms of torture until I lost consciousness.

And now, I had finally awakened again.

I had no idea how they had discovered that I was a spy, but this arrest seemed to be connected to the latest logistical shipment to Mazovia Forest.

— Brak!

Suddenly, the dungeon door opened, revealing two guards entering the room.

They opened my cell and dragged me to my feet.

"Get up, Aragon dog!" one of the guards ordered.

I tried to stand, but the injuries I had suffered from yesterday's torture left my body too weak.

I collapsed onto the floor again.

"Tch. Useless bastard!"

The two guards grabbed both of my arms and dragged me out of the dungeon.

The sunlight blinded me.

The guards then led me out of the barracks.

Once we reached the city streets, I saw citizens lining both sides of the road.

They all looked the same.

Expressions of disgust and anger were directed at me.

"Kill that spy!"

"Burn him alive!"

The two guards continued dragging me through the streets filled with furious citizens, as if I were some unforgivable sinner.

Not long afterward, we reached the city square.

Many citizens had gathered there as well.

They hurled curses at me, their words painful to hear.

Are they going to execute me publicly?

The two guards forced me to kneel in the middle of the city square before tying both my hands and feet.

— Plak! Plak! Plak!

"Die, trash!"

"Rot in hell!"

The citizens began throwing stones at me.

Blood once again covered my body.

I was even having trouble seeing my surroundings because one of the stones they threw had struck me directly in the eye.

"Please, calm down! Calm down!"

"The official sentence has not been given yet! Protect the prisoner!"

I heard the City Guards trying to restrain the enraged citizens.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

I suppose their anger was understandable.

Many of their family members had died in battle and never returned after the Empire declared war on their nation.

However, for some reason, the angry crowd suddenly fell silent.

I raised my head and looked forward.

The crowd parted, making way for a woman entering the city square.

Black hair as dark as the night.

Orange eyes like those of an intimidating lion.

She was Siena di Reginossa—the daughter of the President of the Republic of Venetia, and the woman known throughout this nation as The Miracle.

She casually walked toward me before looking directly into my eyes.

Seeing her reminded me of Boss Raul.

Although this woman was still young, she possessed an extraordinary range of abilities.

She had not only revolutionized the military of the Republic of Venetia, but also constantly proposed new innovations for the nation.

She was also trusted by the country's higher-ranking officials to handle important matters concerning the interests of the state.

Honestly, I believed this young woman's talent surpassed even that of Boss Raul at present.

"This is your final opportunity to avoid a public execution," the black-haired woman said to me. "If you cannot answer my questions, your execution will be carried out here immediately."

She then drew the firearm at her waist and pointed it directly at my head.

"How did your forces enter this territory, and how did you communicate with them?" the woman asked me.

Is this the end?

I looked up at the beautiful blue sky above me.

My twenty-three years of life felt as though they had passed in an instant.

There were still so many things I wanted to know.

I wanted to explore the world.

I wanted to discover new things in the place I called home.

Revan—my little brother...

Live peacefully from now on.

Don't look back at the past.

And become a better person than your older brother.

I looked back into the woman's eyes before answering her earlier question.

"I don't know anything about it."

I had no regrets whatsoever.

I would accept this fate with honor.

"Very well, then," the woman said without breaking eye contact with me. "I—Siena di Reginossa—hereby sentence you, Balian Nerontini, to death for betraying the state during a time of war."

— Bang!

After delivering the sentence, the woman shot me directly in the head.

My body went limp and collapsed onto the ground.

My vision began to fade...

The only thing I could hear was the cheers of the citizens celebrating my death...

Boss Raul...

Thank you for saving me and my little brother back then...

And good luck in this war...

[Raul POV]

Birds were flying toward us from the north.

That meant they were fleeing from something coming from that direction.

"Have those two thousand troops finally gotten close?" I muttered curiously.

Yesterday morning, we had ambushed the caravan according to the information I had received from Balian—the spy I had placed inside the Republic of Venetia's Military Logistics Department.

It was true that the logistical supplies we found in the caravan were fewer than usual.

However, contrary to what Balian had told us, the soldiers escorting the caravan were not numerous at all.

There were only one hundred of them.

For some reason, I had a bad feeling after successfully attacking that caravan.

"Captain Raul!"

Someone called out to me from below.

I saw Piers, Tom, and Vista had just returned from their reconnaissance mission around the forest.

I jumped down and landed in front of the three of them before asking about the results of their mission.

"Did you find anything?" I asked them.

"About two thousand troops have begun entering the forest, Captain! What should we do?" Piers asked anxiously.

"Don't worry. We've already set up traps around this area, haven't we? Besides, I have a strategy to wipe out those two thousand troops if they dare pursue us," I replied.

I then ordered everyone present to listen as I prepared to explain our next tactic for dealing with the two thousand soldiers entering the forest.

"Listen to me, everyone," I said to all the troops under my command. "Piers and the others have reported that two thousand soldiers are entering this forest in search of us. However, we have already made all the preparations necessary for this battle. If we execute my plan correctly, we will be able to defeat them."

I began explaining my plan to everyone.

First, once the enemy forces entered the outer perimeter of our Operation Base, we would ambush them and use the resulting panic to whittle down their numbers little by little.

Second, Scarlett would begin setting the forest ablaze while we gradually retreated toward the Montana Mountains.

At that point, the enemy would have only two choices: leave the forest or follow us toward the mountains.

Third, if the enemy followed us into the mountains, I would activate the artifact gifted to us by the Dwarves to summon rain and bury their forces alive beneath a landslide.

However, this would only work if we managed to lure the enemy to the location where the landslide would occur.

"If enemy forces continue arriving even after these three stages, you will retreat and enter the Dwarven labyrinth to return to the Margraviate of Cataluna."

Now that our position had been discovered, it would be more difficult for us to continue operating in this region.

After disrupting the logistical shipments to the Royal Draconian Army three times, I believed it would be enough to force them to withdraw from the Margraviate of Cataluna because of their lack of supplies.

"Does anyone have any questions?"

Everyone fell silent in response.

"Then, one hundred and eighty men will prepare to ambush the enemy forces, while the remaining thirteen will wait at the landslide point," I ordered.

After giving instructions to all the members, I took out an artifact shaped like an Aladdin's lamp and handed it to one of the members who would be waiting at the landslide point.

"Barney, once you see everyone leave the forest, rub Mana into this artifact," I instructed one of the members of the disciplinary committee under my command. "This artifact will release rain clouds into the sky and cause heavy rainfall a few minutes later."

"Understood, Captain Raul."

After the thirteen men departed, I led the remaining one hundred and eighty men to prepare for the ambush against the two thousand troops approaching our position.

[Siena POV]

After executing the spy, I spoke with Colonel Riggani—the military commander responsible for defending this region.

Previously, he had sent two thousand troops to hunt down the Imperial forces roaming the area.

"Colonel, how is the search for the enemy forces in this region progressing?" I asked him.

"Major Siena, the last information I received from the commander leading the mission was that they had discovered traces of the Imperial forces in a forest near Ostia Village," the Colonel replied. "I believe they will enter the forest today to search for the enemy forces hiding there."

The forest near Ostia Village, huh?

If we hurried, I believed we could reach the area around noon.

"What have you learned so far about dealing with the Imperial forces operating in this region, Colonel?"

"According to eyewitnesses, their forces possess fire and earth-elemental mages," the Colonel answered while holding his chin. "They also have a fairly capable archery unit."

Fire Magic?

For some reason, I had a bad feeling about the troops currently entering that forest to search for our enemies.

"Thank you for the information, Colonel. I'll immediately bring my Unit to assist the troops there."

After speaking with Colonel Riggani, I headed toward the field inside the Avelino City Barracks.

The troops under my command were already waiting there for my orders to begin moving.

When I arrived, I saw two hundred soldiers standing in perfect formation.

Among those two hundred troops were fifty members of the Cavalier Squad whom I had personally trained to be capable of fighting the magical knights possessed by other nations.

"Listen carefully, everyone. Our mission this time is to assist the Avelino regional forces in eliminating the Imperial troops causing trouble in this area," I said to all of them. "The enemy's location has been detected, and they are estimated to number between one hundred and fifty and two hundred soldiers. Do not underestimate the enemy simply because they are fewer in number than us. Remain vigilant and do not do anything that you have not been ordered to do. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Captain!"

"Yes, Captain!"

They answered in unison.

"Good. Now move out immediately and show them the strength of the Tigrenata Battalion!"

Everyone began moving in orderly formation as they sang a song to raise their spirits.

Ghost of Cataluna...

We will meet very soon.