The Revolutionary Army's move south—Sean had never quite understood this.
If their goal was simply to assassinate a noble like him, why go through the trouble of coming all the way here when they could have done it in the north? Or was it because Oro City had just been established, and they believed its defenses were weak enough to exploit?
Either possibility seemed plausible.
So, the Revolutionary Army wanted to kill a count to boost their prestige?
That notion was somewhat ridiculous. They were already rebels—what prestige did they have to speak of? Many who joined the rebels either had no choice or harbored an irreconcilable blood feud with the nobility. Otherwise, ordinary citizens would hesitate even to join the Imperial capital's cause, let alone a revolutionary army lurking in the shadows.
Back at the count's estate, Sean still felt uneasy about the rebel situation, so he headed to the underground dungeon.
A day had passed, and the three captured rebels remained tied to the stakes.
In just twenty-four hours, his once-clean underground prison had become filthy, chaotic, and reeking.
Real-life prisoners weren't as comfortable as he'd imagined. Bound and nearly immobile, their bodies had long gone stiff. More importantly, they couldn't attend to personal needs.
They relieved themselves on the spot, turning the entire dungeon into a stinking mess.
Before coming, Aslant had warned him to avoid this place as much as possible. If Sean hadn't insisted, the man would have stopped him outright.
So this was why.
And according to Aslant, this was also one of the methods to prevent prisoner escapes: first, by giving them little food to sap their strength; second, by letting the foul environment wear down their will until they couldn't bear it.
In the Imperial general's teachings, many revolutionaries feared death but couldn't necessarily withstand mental torment.
An interesting general. If he had the chance, Sean would love to visit him.
Sitting outside the cell.
Sean looked at one prisoner whose health had dropped from 6,000 to 4,000. The status above their head showed "Stunned" and "Hallucinating." In a place like this, only such states could ease the mental pressure.
"A once-beautiful girl, now reduced to this. Isn't it a pity?" Sean spoke.
At this, the woman, whose limbs were stretched and tied to the stake, slowly lifted her head.
She glanced at Sean, then closed her eyes with a disdainful look.
No response. Perhaps she had no strength to speak.
All of them had been captured after battle, already wounded, and without food, they likely had little energy left.
"Still don't want to talk to me?" Sean pressed.
Again, no answer.
To keep them from meeting, Sean had ordered the three moved to separate cells. Without the encouragement of companions, an individual's will could be easily broken.
"It's fine. You don't want to talk, but I can. These past two days, your rebel group has given me a headache. I'm confused, so I wanted to ask you, but you won't open your mouths."
"Since you won't talk, I have no choice but to keep sending people to investigate. I posted a bounty at the Mercenary Guild for information on the rebels, with a very high reward. I've always believed that 'heavy rewards bring brave men,' and sure enough, I got news today."
At this, the silent woman stirred slightly.
Her body didn't move, but her mental state shifted.
The status above her head changed to "Listening" and even "Trying to Stay Calm."
Hmph.
Sean sneered inwardly.
These people were tough nuts. They wouldn't budge until he hit the key point.
"I got information from a mercenary group. They said they once saw several rebels on the inn street near the Mercenary Guild, and they even know where they're hiding." Sean didn't dare jinx it—if he couldn't catch those people, he wouldn't know how to face her in the dungeon next time.
But even as he said this, her attitude showed little change, so he continued.
"Oro City was just established. I've been busy expanding it recently, but just now, I suddenly received some news from the old city of Tacoma, about the aftermath of that incident. I was planning to use all my resources to investigate it, but then you showed up." Since this was a chat, Sean spoke casually.
She wouldn't talk, so he needed to find a breakthrough in this idle chatter.
Specifically, by watching for shifts in her emotions.
"If I remember correctly, I have no grudge against you. Why come all this way to assassinate me and disrupt my plans?" he asked again.
The woman, head still lowered, didn't answer, but Sean knew she was listening. As long as she listened, she understood.
"Heh."
Finally, the woman lifted her head, but her first word was a cold laugh.
"Are you nobles stupid? Why come here to complain to me?" Her voice was faint, but since they were close, Sean could hear clearly.
"If you hadn't done anything wrong, why would we target you? Aren't your deeds disgusting enough? I suggest you kill me now, because if I get out, I'll repay you a thousandfold!" Though weak, her final shout was unusually loud.
"Actually, I kind of pity you revolutionaries," Sean said suddenly.
This seemed to strike a nerve, as she finally looked him in the eye.
"You keep shouting about killing nobles, but look across the empire. The ones who most support the nobility are the very commoners you claim to protect. You're the outliers."
"They're just oppressed and can't fight back. Once the spark of resistance is lit, countless will join, and that will be the day you nobles fall," the woman insisted.
It seemed they would never see eye to eye.
"In my view, you have no real plan. Resistance is just an excuse to escape reality. What's the ultimate goal of the Revolutionary Army? Even you probably don't know. Let's change the subject. From the mercenaries, I learned about the people you left in the city. I even know a name. It's Ulysses, isn't it?"
When the name was spoken, she tried to stay calm, but the "Surprised" status above her head was undeniable.
"You won't be separated for long. You'll meet again soon. I'll send people to catch them and deal with you troublemakers once and for all."
Hearing this, the woman before him grew visibly anxious.
"Even if you kill us, other revolutionaries will come. You can never extinguish hope!"
"So you're set on Oro City?"
"Why? Because it's newly built and you think its defenses are weak? Or does killing an Imperial count give you more to report to those behind you?"