The next day.
In the central square of Oroc City, soldiers had already gathered early, surrounded by curious citizens wondering why the city guard had suddenly appeared here. But when the soldiers hoisted two covered bodies from a carriage and suspended them in the middle of the square, many realized something must have happened the night before!
The Bashalan Empire had such a custom: those who committed grave crimes would be brought before the people for judgment. But judging by the current scene, those two criminals were already dead!
Joseph hung the two bodies in the center of the square and bellowed in his deep, resonant voice.
"These two, along with their accomplices, attacked the Earl's mansion last night and were slain by the Earl's guard. The others have been thrown into the dungeon. At this very moment, when our Oroc City is rising anew and the people's lives are growing happier, these shameless thieves dared to challenge authority. They are like filthy rats in a sewer, trying to bring stench to our lives!"
Joseph unleashed a barrage of condemnation, while the soldiers around kept a sharp eye on the crowd for any unusual movements.
More and more people gathered in the square, many just there for the spectacle.
Of course, some would comment and point fingers, but ultimately, matters unrelated to their own lives were just entertainment—nothing to dwell on. As for the few excitable ones, they joined the soldiers and the planted agitators in shouting.
The only ones truly angered and aggrieved were the fellow rebels.
Joseph continued to vilify the prisoners on the platform, but in a corner of the crowd, a well-dressed gentleman in a tall hat clenched his fists tightly.
Wearing white gloves, few could see how hard he was gripping.
"Ulysses,"
A woman beside him pressed down on his fist.
"Not here. The area nearby isn't safe," she said warily, scanning the crowd.
"But—"
"I know. I've known since the day I joined the Revolutionary Army," the woman's voice choked slightly.
"Right now, the most important thing is to stay calm. Don't fall for the Imperial Army's tricks. We need to find a way to rescue our captured comrades. Rest assured, sooner or later, the Earl of Oroc City will pay for his actions!" she said firmly.
He looked at the bodies of his comrades hanging in the center of the square, then at the highest point bearing the emblem of the Vigil family.
The two...
He cast a meaningful glance, then led his companion away from the crowd.
Meanwhile, in the Earl's mansion, outside Shawn's study, before the massive sand table map.
Shawn stared at the thousands of small green dots surrounding an area!
So many people—it was hard to pinpoint the enemy's location at a glance.
But after waiting a while, he suddenly noticed three deep red dots gradually moving away from the crowd.
Finally appeared!
His weary body suddenly perked up. He stood, leaned in closer, and crouched down to carefully examine the route these people were taking.
From the central square, all the way north, they kept going...
Past the Mercenary Guild headquarters, heading toward the northernmost area. He remembered that was where outsiders often stayed—near the Mercenary Guild, the area with the most inns in Oroc City.
Since foreign mercenary groups frequently lodged there, it was a relatively chaotic place.
So that's where it was. No wonder it was so hard to find!
Shawn stood up and headed toward the mansion's basement.
The underground prison of the Earl's mansion.
When he first learned of this place, Shawn had thought it might rarely be used—after all, what fool would dare directly assault the Earl's mansion? But now, it seemed he had been too optimistic.
In less than a few months, such people had actually appeared. The three captured last night were locked up here.
The newly built facility was decent enough—aside from a slight peculiar smell, it wasn't dark, damp, or crawling with insects.
The three were chained in separate cells, but close enough to see each other.
All had their heads down, looking half-dead.
When Shawn descended, the soldiers' greetings barely got the three to glance his way.
"Still alive, I see! I know you're not that easy to kill. As rebels, aren't you supposed to have backbone?" Shawn said to them.
No one replied. No one even looked up.
The status above their heads all showed silence! But Shawn could tell they were listening!
"Don't feel like talking? No problem. I told you yesterday, I have plenty of time to wait you out. And even if you keep your mouths shut, it won't help. I know you still have comrades in Oroc City. Even if you don't talk, I'll find them," Shawn said.
Only then did the one closest to him lift his head slightly. His face was covered in dust, but when he saw Shawn, his anger was unmistakable.
"You'll never find them, not in a lifetime."
"Don't be so sure," Shawn said, looking at him. He even remembered his name.
Tatsumi.
A deceased female rebel member had once called him that.
"I'll find your people eventually. As for you, I hope you'll tell me about the rebels—why you came to my city, why you chose me as your target, and what your plans are afterward. If I'm satisfied, I might even consider letting you go."
Shawn never thought he'd one day say lines like the villains from the TV shows he used to watch.
But that didn't make him a villain. The rebels were already dissatisfied with the empire's nobles. If he didn't strike first, he'd just be waiting to be slaughtered.
As a lord, he naturally faced more enemies.
"Dream on!" The only woman among the three suddenly looked up and said.
Shawn wasn't fazed. He continued.
"Let me remind you again: I have time, but not necessarily patience. I'm already busy building Oroc City, plus plenty of leftover issues from Takoma City. So my patience is limited. Think it over. Sometimes betrayal doesn't mean losing your faith—freedom is the highest faith. Even among your comrades, not all are good people, are they?"
Shawn leaned in close to her.
These sudden rebels were such a hassle. He'd known of their existence for a while but never actually encountered them. Yet they had to show up now, just when he should be investigating the missing statue from old Takoma City and the whereabouts of the Necronomicon. And he couldn't ignore them—they'd plant a seed of disaster in his city.
"Don't you dare slander us with your words! We are far nobler than you profit-driven nobles. You only suck the people's blood and plunder their wealth!"
It was the girl again.
Every time he heard such rhetoric, Shawn sighed inwardly. The two classes truly couldn't communicate.
He walked up to her, gently lifted her chin. It was the short-haired female ranger who had burst into his room last night. Looking closely, her facial features were decent, and her figure, bound by chains, was passable. But her thinking was too rigid.
"What... what are you trying to do!"