### Chapter Sixty-Nine: Bathing in Fire (Part One)
“It shouldn’t… be possible, right…?”
A skinny man with a head wrapped in black cloth said beside him. Hearing this, Strong Man Mond glared with bloodshot eyes. “How can it not be!?”
He angrily shouted at the man, “Those knights! The reason they’re being so stealthy and chose this place, this time to show up, is because they’ve brought too many of them! Why bring so many? They just want to make sure none of us can escape! They think we’re all remnants of the Gate of Truth, wanting us all to d*e here!”
“But we’re innocent…” The skinny man tried to argue back, but his words came out stuttered, and he probably felt his own lack of conviction. “We’ve done nothing wrong. Those holy practitioners… no matter how unreasonable they are, they wouldn’t really massacre innocent people, right…?”
“Who says you’re innocent! Who can prove your innocence!?”
Strong Man Mond tightened his grip on the kn*fe instinctively and scoffed, ignoring the skinny man. He turned to look at the grim-faced Old Man Robert. “Mayor! Don’t forget that over twenty years ago, how did Ailna’s mother d*e? Who was responsible! How many people who lived in the Mosande Basin were just like her! They were ordinary folks, unarmed, powerless! East Continent wild dogs in the eyes of the false believers!”
“Were those people innocent or not? What did they do wrong!? But what was the end result? Whether they submitted or begged for mercy, didn’t they all d*e there!!?”
“But—”
“They are heretics! They’re different…”
“How do you know they’re all heretics? Have you seen them!? Did the false believers confirm it one by one!?”
“Is this what time it is, and you still cling to false hopes?”
“Cowards—”
“Who are you calling a coward!”
Nearby men began shouting at each other, and Old Mayor Robert remained silent beside them. Seeing this, Strong Man Mond barked, “Enough shouting!”
His thunderous voice attracted the attention of even more people from a distance. A child in a woman’s arms cried even louder, but aside from that wailing, everyone suddenly fell silent.
“What is this place? This is our hometown!” Strong Man Mond stepped onto the stairs of the earthen building, his anger palpable, his voice firm, veins bulging on his forehead. “This is where we have lived and thrived for generations! I’m a Mase person; you all are Mase people too! Your parents, wives, children! They’re all Mase people, from Meiser Town!”
“Our ancestors were insulted and enslaved. We were forced to flee here! Driven away for how many years, how many generations! We’ve always been afraid to go out, afraid to see the outside world! Is this the kind of life we deserve? No! It shouldn’t have been like this hundreds of years ago! We shouldn’t be running away, because the more we run, the more those false believers will think we’re weak, and the more they will bully us!”
“Shut up, Mond, say a little less!”
Hearing his passionate speech, Old Mayor Robert could no longer hold back. His face turned red with rage as he rushed over, pointing his finger angrily. “What do you want to do! You brat, what are you trying to accomplish! Those knights might not even be here to take our lives; maybe there’s still room for negotiation! Are you trying to drag everyone into your reckless d*ath wish! Cough cough—”
“There’s no room for negotiation!”
Against Old Man Robert’s furious face, Strong Man Mond did not back down, glaring back. “Mayor! They’re closing in on us now, bringing so many knights! If they’re not here to k*ll us, are they here to visit!? Have you gone senile!!?”
“What did you just say, you— cough cough cough…”
The old man choked on that “senile” comment, clutching his chest while bending over to cough violently. He waved his hands, wanting to say more, but realized no one was willing to listen anymore.
“We have been oppressed and exploited for hundreds of years, retreating again and again, with nowhere left to retreat, but now they want to push us even further!”
Strong Man Mond held up his kn*fe. “Clang, clang,” he struck the kn*fe against his chest, gathering everyone’s attention on him. “This is our hometown, our land! My wife, children, your parents, wives, and daughters! When those knights come, they won’t have anywhere to run! Are you willing to drop your weapons and bet your whole family’s lives on the mercy of those false believers!?”
“I would never do that—”
The man’s face was like that of a wolf, and more and more people began to gather around. He raised his kn*fe over his head and shouted, “I will resist! Even if it means d*ath, I want to tell them, to tell those false believers, we are not so easy to bully! The Mase people are not sheep to be slaughtered by anyone! When the threat rolls in, we will resist!”
He stepped down from the stairs, brandishing his kn*fe through the crowd. “Whoever isn’t afraid of d*ath, come with me! Let’s confront those honored guests from the Western Continent—”
“ROAR!!!!!!!!!!”
A familiar battle cry echoed through the small town, filled with overwhelming murderous intent. Bright long knives were raised from the dirt road, torches reignited, and men began to surge westward. In the dim light, children cried out openly, and women wept softly in the wind.
“Don’t go! Don’t be reckless! Come back! Come back…”
The old mayor was frantic, running forward to stop them, but was shoved back, nearly falling. Little Girl Betty hugged his leg, crying loudly.
That cry became unsettling.
Should I… stop them?
“Honored Young Lady!”
“Honored Young Lady—”
In the chaos, some people also gathered around me, shadows flickering in the light. I could barely see their faces, only hearing the buzzing, like flies, with excited or humble chatter.
“Please, go with the warriors… help them stop those false believers…”
“Please save us…”
“We’ve lost everything; we have nothing left to give those knights…”
“Mayor, you advise them again, try to convince them! They are going to their deaths—”
A few veiled women ran over, crying as they knelt next to the disoriented Old Man Robert and begged him. The old man looked helpless, and then someone pulled him aside, glancing at me and leaning in to whisper a few words.
“The knights might be here looking for this heir…”
Every whispered word reached my ears clearly.
“Or we might think of a way… a way… You see, there’s still Lotus Seed Grass in the warehouse… we could use that… make her dazed, then hand her over…”
“Nonsense…”
The old mayor immediately scolded in a low voice.
But for a brief moment, a flicker of uncertainty passed over his face.
I absorbed everything in.
Then, I lowered my head and chuckled coldly.
“… Heh.”
Humans…
“Sister! Sister—”
Crying, Little Girl Betty suddenly ran over, shaking my hand. “Sister, I’m scared, really scared… let’s go… Mommy said we should hide, you, you should come with us… those knights… there seem to be so many of them… come with Betty…”
“… No.”
I shook off the little girl’s hand, looking down at her with gentle eyes. “Sister will… be back soon.”
After saying that, I stepped toward the west side of the town.
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted from the front of the road.
“Eh…”
“Who are you…”
“Ailna…”
“Miss Ailna…”
The chaotic voices quickly quieted, and someone’s astonished cry seemed to amplify in my ears: “You are, Miss Ailna!”
… Huh?!
I suddenly looked up.
In my sight, in the dust-swirling road ahead, beneath the deep night, a wavering firelight illuminated a slender figure, tightly wrapped in a cloak.
She was walking towards us from the distance, her tattered cloak stained with bl**d. Flowing silver hair spilled out from her hood. It seemed she was wearing nothing beneath the cloak, and a pair of dirty but strikingly beautiful long legs peeked out from beneath, as she walked slowly through the parting crowd towards us.
“… Ailna.”
I immediately recognized her.
