The sun was setting, the lingering red light burning like fire.
Okam Empire, capital city Monsell, inside the Royal City…
Within an interrogation room in the Inquisition Headquarters…
“Ah!!!”
The screams were accompanied by the harsh crack of the whip, mingling with the sharp slap of the steel rods. The man hanging there was beaten until his skin was torn and bleeding.
“Will you talk or not!? Tell me or not!?”
The inquisitor responsible for the interrogation growled viciously.
Looking at the middle-aged man barely clinging to life, he grabbed a container of saltwater nearby and splashed it over him.
The clear water burst over his head, then dripped down the flayed skin and open wounds.
The sting of cold water and salt, combined with the pain from the injuries, immediately snapped the man back to consciousness.
“Ah!!”
Another round of continuous screams followed.
“It hurts, it hurts so much! Stop, please, don’t hit me anymore!”
Seeing the inquisitor raise the iron whip again, the middle-aged man hurriedly begged for mercy.
“Stop hitting you? Fine, then just confess honestly. When did your son join the rebel faction? What role did he play? And what intelligence does he hold?”
“Sir, I don’t know! I really don’t know! Who would know what that traitor Bakel has done? By the way, where is he now?”
“Bakel? He’s probably with the rebels right now. Do you know attacking an Imperial Princess is a capital offense!? And you still dare to shield him? I advise you to confess quickly, or else…”
A chilling, mocking laugh echoed, but the thief’s father only wailed and begged for mercy.
“I don’t know, I really don’t know, sir! Spare me, please! Or just let me go, I’ll find Bakel myself and ask him clearly!”
“No need to trouble yourself. Since you don’t want to talk, then spend the rest of your life in this room… As for Bakel, he will pay for his deeds.”
Refusing to relent, the inquisitor picked up a red-hot branding iron from the nearby burning stove.
Fear made the man tremble uncontrollably, while his tormentor watched with morbid delight, bringing the glowing iron closer and closer.
“No! No! What are you doing? Don’t—don’t do this!”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a wonderful sight. Do you know that a person’s abdominal muscles only tremble like a sieve when truly terrified? Just like you are now…”
“No!!! Ahhh!!!”
Outside the interrogation room, several Inquisition officials sat with furrowed brows.
Listening to the screams and the faint scent of roasting flesh in the air, one sighed, “Looks like we won’t get anything out of him.”
“We didn’t expect much from that old man anyway… Now it depends on the Second Princess’s side! His Majesty is pressing hard; we must find the culprit.”
“Even if it’s a scapegoat… it has to look genuine!”
***
At the same time, on the outskirts of Monsell, deep within the mountain village stronghold…
Outside, troops were constantly shifting positions. The Elves, having resolutely refused to join the plan, were isolated.
Nearly a hundred human soldiers surrounded the few thatched huts, citing the need to prevent the Elves from leaking any information.
Until the operation was complete, none of them were allowed to leave.
“This is outrageous!”
A male Elf’s magic surged within him. He even reached for his Magic Bow on his back, ready to fiercely attack the soldiers guarding them.
But a companion beside him stopped him.
“Calm down. Now is not the time to act.”
“But just stand by and watch them surround us like cattle?”
The man seethed with anger.
“We are Elves! Not animals, and certainly not humans! We should have left this morning!”
Hearing this, his companion sighed, “You’re too impulsive. If we had left this morning, we would have been completely surrounded and wiped out by now.”
“Making a decision takes courage, but it also requires careful preparation and planning. Acting on impulse will only lead to death.”
“Wait it out. They are going to carry out the assault. Soon, only a few of us will be left in this stronghold. That will be the moment we strike back.”
After all, although the Storm Revolutionary Army combined with the Glorious Restoration Church had a considerable number of forces, they couldn’t spare too many to watch over the Elves.
This is the Empire’s territory, swarming with Imperial troops. If the rebels couldn’t capture Velyss in half a day, the surrounding forces would rush in.
Then escape would be impossible.
So, to ensure the operation’s swift completion, the rebels would leave only a small number behind to guard them.
That would be the moment for the Elves to break through and fight back.
But that also meant they would have to find another way to get the Water of the Sacred Tree.
Still, as long as they lived, there was hope. Dead, and there was no chance.
Everyone understood this.
As the rebel forces outside prepared relentlessly, the noise grew louder, eventually reaching a peak before the crowds began dispersing beyond the stronghold.
“What’s going on? Their numbers… don’t seem right.”
The man’s glare remained sharp. Though rash in appearance, he was no fool.
Calculating slightly, he was shocked to find that more than two thousand people had passed through the stronghold in the past few hours.
“How do they have so many!?”
Worry crept over him as he watched the humans distributing weapons from afar, splitting into squads of hundreds, with their leaders repeatedly issuing orders.
His brow furrowed tighter and tighter.
His companion, sensing something unusual after the reminder, said, “You keep watching here. I’ll go find Karo Mama.”
Inside the hut, the Elf robed in star-cloth was still praying.
Hands clasped in devotion, she faced the direction of the Elf King’s court.
Her delicate frame trembled slightly, radiating a faint aura of the Elf King God’s blessing, mingling with rippling magic, making her appear holy and mysterious.
Star Seer Jenfini Debby was continuously communicating with the Elf King God, praying for further visions of the future.
Winnie Kanasha and Karo Mama stood anxiously behind her, eyes full of worry.
The male Elf who entered caught this scene just then.
“How did you get in? Didn’t I order no interruptions without permission?”
Karo Mama softly scolded.
The Elf hurriedly explained, “It’s like this, Karo Mama. Our people found something strange that could affect our plans.”
Upon hearing this, Winnie and Karo Mama exchanged glances, then stepped outside with the male Elf.
He pointed toward the rebels outside—tiny as ants but densely packed, steadily marching beyond the stronghold.
“Their numbers are too large. According to our earlier intelligence, the rebels arriving in Monsell, plus the Glorious Restoration Church’s forces, were only around a thousand…”
“But now…”
Karo Mama frowned deeply, staring at the humans for several minutes before a cold sweat rolled down her forehead.
“It seems they have other bases hidden from us, and their numbers are considerable. Or they’ve exposed their full strength for this assault.”
“Just from their numbers, I’d estimate more than two thousand five hundred, maybe even more…”
“Wh—” Winnie couldn’t believe it. “How could they have so many?”
At that moment, a cold voice came from behind: “Because someone within the Empire is helping them…”
They turned to see the trembling Star Seer Jenfini, pale-faced, quietly speaking.
Winnie quickly stepped forward to support her. “Jenfini, have you finished praying?”
“Mm, I have reconnected with the Elf King God. The King God has delivered new instructions…”
“What are they!?”
Winnie asked anxiously.
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