"Don't celebrate too soon—the Borg aren't necessarily trustworthy either. We'd better seize some benefits while both sides are locked in fierce fighting. Otherwise, who knows, after the Borg deal with the Empire, they might turn their sights on us," someone in the Revolutionary Army said.
The Borg's reputation for going back on their word was notorious throughout the Zambutar region. But the other countries had no way around it.
Only the weak constantly prattle on about morality. In this era where the strong reign supreme, national strength is the greatest guarantee. Otherwise, all you can do is curse behind their backs—and no one even listens to that.
There were five countries in the Zambutar region, and Borg's strength surpassed the other four.
"This is indeed dangerous, but those Imperial fools aren't completely useless either. They won't be defeated in a short time. We need to plan carefully—ideally, we'll quickly capture a stronghold. That way, our negotiations with the Borg will go more smoothly," another person said.
The Revolutionary Army's main base was in the northern part of the Empire. Even before the Borg planned to wage war on the Basharan Empire, they had already been in contact with the Revolutionary Army. External attacks alone couldn't truly force the Basharan Empire to submit; they might even provoke fierce resistance across the entire Empire. So they needed an internal force to divert the hatred of the Basharan people.
The Revolutionary Army was exactly that kind of force.
As long as the conflict was shifted to the nobility, soon a portion of the populace wouldn't harbor so much hatred toward the Borg.
Those long oppressed by the nobility would rise up in rebellion, ultimately seeking to profit from the chaos.
Of course, as the Revolutionary Army, they also needed strong external pressure to trouble the Empire, making their own moves easier. So the two sides hit it off. But the terms of their cooperation were likely known only to the true higher-ups.
What everyone understood was that they needed to seize a stronghold as quickly as possible. That would give them leverage in negotiations with the Borg; otherwise, the two sides couldn't establish an equal relationship.
"When the time comes, the Borg might make things difficult for us under some pretext—and also those things they told us to find."
Whenever those things were mentioned, everyone was puzzled.
How could a powerful nation like Borg be drawn to such intangible, elusive items? Those ancient tools and ornaments were highly sought after by them, and they even secretly had the Revolutionary Army keep an eye out.
Only a small group near the northern border knew about this, as it wasn't something worth publicizing.
But in the Revolutionary Army's view, this bizarre behavior of the Borg was as unpredictable as their temperament.
"Forget about those things for now. They're said to be props needed to suppress some cult force within Borg territory. As long as they're dealing with something, that's good for us. Our top priority remains taking Ouro City and rescuing our comrades. Tatsumi, Daz, and the others are still suffering in prison. Every day we delay is another day of torment for them," someone in the crowd said.
"Hmph, sooner or later, I'll personally chop off that dog count's head and hang it on the city wall to vent my anger," the girl who had just returned from gathering intelligence said discontentedly.
"Trust us, that day will come."
Everyone nodded.
These past few days, everyone had been holding in a lot of anger, with no outlet to release it.
Now wasn't the time.
The Revolutionary Army's forces were too scattered to contend with Count Weigel's elite troops. Moreover, they'd heard that this young count had once made it into the most coveted headquarters of the Rietis Sky-Wing and become a member.
Though they didn't know his relationship with those girls, the witches of the Sky-Wing were famously formidable in the south. For all they knew, he might have many experts lurking by his side.
"Keep gathering intelligence. I refuse to believe this count can cover every angle. There's bound to be a place he can't watch over. Once we find it, we can act. For now, we all need to stay patient," the oldest-looking person in the group encouraged everyone.
In the following days, the Revolutionary Army continued their routine, frequently changing locations in nearby towns—sometimes in civilian houses, but more often in hotel rooms. They disguised themselves as passing travelers who happened to meet and chat.
To outsiders, it looked like one group of like-minded people encountering another.
In the current environment, it was something to envy.
Aside from the Revolutionary Army's affairs, the Empire's war gradually spread from the north to the south, becoming a hot topic of discussion over tea.
Though the Ouro region was far from the battlefield, it didn't dampen the patriotism of the Basharan Empire's citizens. Soon, the Count of Ouro City began calling on the citizens to actively join the fight to defend the nation, donating supplies in the family's name. He publicly emphasized that all donated money and goods from Ouro City would be sent to the Imperial capital with the city's troops three days later.
This meant Ouro City had decided to join the war.
Among many citizens, Count Weigel's patriotism was affirmed. In just these few days, many young people signed up at the garrison to head to the battlefield.
Even people from the towns and villages on the outskirts of Ouro City wanted to participate.
This included the Revolutionary Army members lurking nearby.
After confirming the news repeatedly, almost everyone this time agreed it was a golden opportunity.
"I heard Count Weigel will personally lead the supply convoy out of the city. This is our chance. Yesterday, a few of our brothers successfully infiltrated the recruitment ranks. That dog count slipped up at this moment—this is our opportunity."
"Exactly. Seize the supplies and try to kill Sean Weigel. Once he's dead, the whole Ouro City will fall into chaos. The rest will be ours for the taking," one person said.
"That Weigel guy is always cautious. Wouldn't he have elite troops with him?"
"Even if we can't kill him, it doesn't matter. We just need to grab these supplies and set up our own base in the nearby mountains. With our years of experience dealing with the Empire, we can hold out for a year or two easily. But he can't—these supplies are substantial. And the Empire will surely demand he gather more supplies again. He'll be caught in a dilemma, which might stir up public discontent. We just need to exploit that sentiment a little."
The others thought it was a good plan.
If that was the case...
Cuba tapped the cup on the table, held back for a moment, and finally said.
"Let's do it. Hit him. I refuse to believe a count can be that capable. Gather all the hidden brothers."