Chapter 251 Dialogue
The professor was startled by her and subconsciously grasped the armrest of the sofa. Azuka glanced at him, and then Fina suddenly found herself unable to move again.
In order to save people, they tried to tie down Orendel's army - of course they failed. Fina, despite everyone's obstruction, volunteered to lead the pursuers away, while Brother Sabul escaped with the survivors.
Fina didn't understand what else she had to offer that could attract the attention of this mysterious big shot, except for venting her anger. However, as long as he had something to ask for, it meant there was still room for maneuver.
So, this overly thin girl, who was clearly sixteen but still looked only about thirteen or fourteen, knelt stiffly on the ground, revealing a flattering smile that was uglier than crying: "Or what do you want me to do? Just tell me my brother's whereabouts, and you can do whatever you want..."
“…Stand up.”
She saw the black-haired man rub his brows, and Fina felt that she could move again - somehow, she subconsciously obeyed the other party's orders.
"Lift your head and straighten your back." Those smoky gray eyes clearly reflected her extremely embarrassed appearance. "Put away that expression and wipe away your tears. I'll give you a minute to calm down."
Fina stood there, touching her face blankly - it was cold to the touch. She then realized that she might have been too excited to hear the news that her brother was still alive, and she had cried without knowing when.
"I'm ready," she whispered awkwardly.
"Very well," he asked calmly, "would you like to sit down?"
Fina secretly glanced at the person behind the black-haired young man, bit her lip and shook her head slightly.
"Then stand up and talk." The black-haired young man nodded. His voice was cold and calm, but it gradually calmed the girl's emotions. "Next, I will ask questions and you answer them. After you finish answering my questions, you will meet your brother."
James Wood stumbled through the streets, his body stripped of flesh from the torture, leaving dirty, bloody footprints on the bricks with every step. He didn't believe those people would really let him go, but he had neither the energy nor the time to dwell on his fate - he was desperately rushing towards the tower.
Catch them all in one swoop, catch them all in one swoop… The arrogant voice of the fat pig kept echoing in his ears until it turned into a huge buzzing sound.
Fina, Fina, silly girl...
When he reached the tower, the area was under martial law, surrounded by armed soldiers. Through the cracks in the cordon, he saw the dead lying on the ground, familiar faces—James Wood realized with a painful yet fortunate touch that, despite their familiarity, they were not Fina or Sabur. Hiding in a corner, he listened to passersby whisper about a group of people who had escaped and the soldiers still pursuing them.
Just as he was about to leave, a cold voice sounded from behind him: "James Wood?"
It was an unusually elegant and arrogant way of speaking that didn't fit in with the streets of Orendel. Wood's pupils shrank violently, and he slowly turned around: behind him, a tall and slender man had appeared. His back was straight, his face solemn, and he had an air of superiority that he hated, even more powerful than any noble he had ever seen.
Wood had seen a bit of the world over the years. He had once seen a great noble from the royal city from afar. His accent was almost identical to this man's - yes, even the look in his eyes, which was like looking at a stink bug, with a mixture of cold indifference and contempt mixed with disgust and disdain, was exactly the same.
He slowly put his hands behind his back and clenched the sharp stone he picked up while escaping: "...I am, what's the matter with you?
"If you want to see your sister," Yialos said expressionlessly, "come with me."
What the hell! The Knight Commander suppressed the urge to twitch his lips. He couldn't understand how the rebel leader could order him, a captive, around so easily. And yet, for the sake of his subsequent plans, he had no choice but to obey his orders...
He didn't want to look at the crumbling rebel again, nor did he care about the other party's sudden change of expression. He turned around and left without looking back, regardless of whether the other party followed him or not.
Jophiel Yialos always harbored a strange and complex feeling towards the leader of the People's Party, a mixture of sincere respect as a defeated opponent. But such a foolhardy, cruel and ignorant mob? They were not worthy of his attention.
It was only then that Wood realized the other man had lost an arm. He hesitated for a moment, then finally gritted his teeth and chased after him.
...No matter what these big shots want, he just wants to find Fina now.
James Wood anxiously followed the man through the streets and alleys. He had expected to enter some secret club or aristocratic mansion, but his destination was an inn that looked completely normal. The proprietress even came forward to greet the guests enthusiastically.
The one-armed man stopped in front of a door. He knocked. "Come in," someone said. Wood felt the voice sounded familiar. But before he could come to his senses, a figure rushed over like a cannonball and hugged him tightly.
"Fina?!"
"—Brother!" His sister, who was both his father and mother and had been raised by him since childhood, burst into tears, her nose and tears streaming. Wood frantically hugged his sister, but hissed in pain when he touched the wound on her body.
Fina reacted quickly, letting go of her brother and wiping away her tears. Wood suddenly noticed his sister was wearing a new, clean dress. He immediately became alert, his expression becoming increasingly ferocious, and he pulled his sister behind him.
But when he saw an inexplicably familiar face, James Wood's expression suddenly froze.
"You, you are——"
The black-haired young man who had appeared on the viewing platform before was now sitting on the sofa in front of him, staring at him calmly with those unusually familiar, cold and sharp gray eyes behind his glasses.
"Mr. Nova?!"
Fina suddenly raised her head and heard an unusually familiar name from her brother's mouth.
University professor, newspaper editor, mastermind behind the Winter Trials and even the White Tower riots, imprisoned blasphemer... These identities seemed so distant and vague to those of them, who lived precariously in the mud of the Batalia Highlands, that they barely made a living. However, when discussing with his brother and the elder Saber brothers, his name would often come up.
In this world, some people support him, some oppose him. Some respect him, and some hate him. But in the Silver Iris Empire, and even across the entire Ambrose Continent, anyone who wants to change the status quo can't ignore him.
——That name is a blazing star hanging high in the sky.
"So that man on the train..." James Wood on the other side suddenly understood something. He couldn't be so slow to react now, considering he was able to build a loyal team from scratch.
...But how could the other party be mixed up with a noble?
"It's me too." The professor said calmly. He looked at the Knight Commander standing behind Wood. The other party looked at him silently for a while and slowly looked away.
The leader of the Land Freedom Party stood there, his chest heaving violently, his face flushed, then gradually turned pale. He held his sister's hand tightly and said word by word, "I owe you two lives."
"Whatever you want to do, including Fina's share," the man with a bandit-like air said in a deep voice, "As long as I can do it, I will do it without hesitation, even if it costs me my life."
"Why would I want your life?" The black-haired young man glanced at him expressionlessly. He even made a joke: "Your bounty is less than one-tenth of mine."
No one dared to laugh.
The professor looked away in boredom and said without warning, "General Catheran and Governor Batalia are dead."
Even though Wood had a premonition, his heart still sank. He hadn't recovered from the shock of the news when the other party continued, "The conflict between the peasants and the landowners has been thoroughly intensified. By the time Batalia's officials and nobles come to their senses, the remaining remnants of the Land Freedom Party will undoubtedly be caught in an endless cycle of suppression."
If we can’t deal with the People’s Party far away in Port Morris, can we not deal with the remnants of the party?
Those smoky gray eyes were so cold and penetrating, even though they didn't seem to be mocking him, they still stung painfully. "Given your current situation, with all due respect, you will all be hanged one after another, becoming expendable instruments to serve as a warning to others."
“…”
"If you want to survive, the Liberation Army is willing to provide all kinds of support." The other party spoke bluntly. "The condition is that you obey the Liberation Army's command and operate near the Batalha Heights."
Wood was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "...I can't agree immediately. I need to discuss it with others."
"Okay, I'll give you three days." The other party nodded and agreed very nicely.
"One more thing." The professor suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the girl who was pulled behind by Wood. "I want Fina Wood to go to Port Morris with me and take charge of the docking work between the two sides."
Seeing the drastic change in the expressions on the Wood siblings' faces, the black-haired young man twitched the corners of his mouth, what seemed to be an unformed smile - but no matter how you looked at it, it looked sinister: "If you want to understand it as a hostage, I don't care."
"She's just a girl. She hasn't seen the world and can't do such a big thing." Wood couldn't help but step forward and block his sister more tightly.
"No, you underestimate her. She is the most suitable candidate." The professor looked at Fina who was standing behind her brother, hesitant to speak, and shook his head without question.
During the previous questioning, the other party had shown to be well-informed about the internal affairs of the Land Freedom Party, and had cleverly and cautiously tried to conceal important information from him. Even though he could see through it at a glance, there were still many minor problems - but that was enough.
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