"B-but... are we really... going to betray them?" one of the two survivors muttered softly, sitting on the dirt-covered ground.
"..." The other man fell silent at those words.
...
A little over a month ago, though the Revolutionary Army had suffered heavy losses at Selene's hands, the harder she struck them, the more stubborn they became.
Now that Selene and her southern expeditionary army had returned to the Capital, the Revolutionaries saw an opportunity.
"We are the Revolutionary Army, fighting to overthrow the Empire's tyranny! How can we be cowed by that Imperial dog, Selene?!" one of their leaders had declared when assigning them their latest mission. Fired up by his speech, they swore to see it through.
By chance, they discovered that using the identity of merchants under Selene's influence allowed them easy access to the Empire's southern military garrisons. Once headquarters learned this, the Revolutionaries' intelligence operatives disguised themselves as Selene's affiliated traders and easily obtained classified military information from the southern command posts.
It was like discovering a goldmine. From then on, they kept repeating the trick—slipping into southern garrisons under the banner of Selene's name. With her authority shielding them, even the most corrupt officers didn't dare demand bribes from them anymore.
But as the saying goes—no horse runs forever without stumbling. Their repeated infiltrations eventually drew Sebas' attention, who then reported the irregularities in the southern merchant network to Selene.
Naturally, Selene wouldn't let such an affront go unanswered. Though she was too busy to personally handle the matter, she could still take action—
Close the gates... and release Esdeath!
And thus began the Revolutionaries' descent into hell.
A week ago, while attempting yet another intelligence-gathering mission, they encountered Selene's adjutant—Esdeath, the woman with icy blue eyes.
A born battle maniac, Esdeath's thirst for combat was insatiable. Serving as Selene's personal military adjutant was already frustrating enough, but being reassigned to oversee the prisoner camp recently had nearly driven her mad with boredom. The only reason she hadn't rebelled outright was because Selene's orders were absolute.
So when she learned that Selene had dispatched her to the southern provinces to "deal with rebel spies," Esdeath had been ecstatic. She mounted a tamed flying-type Danger Beast and flew directly from the Capital to the designated area.
There, at an Imperial garrison, she found these unlucky souls.
As someone with a long history of "dealing" with assassins, spies, and criminals, Esdeath recognized their suspicious behavior instantly—and without hesitation, she had them all arrested.
At first, the Revolutionary operatives had shown great defiance. Believing they were sacrificing themselves for the noble cause of "toppling Imperial tyranny," they convinced themselves that nothing could break their ideals or faith.
That illusion didn't last long.
Esdeath was a woman whose interrogation methods had earned even the respect of the Empire's most sadistic executioners. Her list of tortures included impalement, live burial, the knee-crushing stone press, burning, boiling, venomous flora, molten wax baths, and psychological torment.
No one knew what horrors these men had endured in those few days—what they saw, what they felt, how much pain they suffered. But in the end, only two of them survived.
Because they broke.
They lasted less than half a day before revealing everything—their identities, affiliations, and mission details.
They had expected to rot in some dark Imperial dungeon for the rest of their lives. But instead, the demon Esdeath released them—sending them back to serve as the Empire's spies within the Revolutionary Army.
"Hah... what's the point of overthinking it?" one of them murmured weakly. "We'll take things one step at a time... I'm tired of living like this—constantly terrified."
"After we report what we've learned... I plan to disappear."
One of the cloaked men spoke, then helped his companion to his feet. Though both were still unsteady, they seemed a bit stronger than before.
"Let's disappear together," he said quietly. "Leave the Empire forever. Call us deserters, call us cowards—I don't care anymore. I just want to get away. If I can live out my remaining days in peace, then so be it... and if death comes, then so be that too."
The other man hesitated, then frowned. "It's just... I doubt that woman, Esdeath, would let us go so easily. I think she did something to us—our bodies, maybe. Otherwise, why would she let us walk away without any restraint?"
The first man laughed bitterly. "Then so what? We've already escaped. If there's poison in our veins, let it kill us. I won't betray anyone again. And even if she did something, what—she'll stop us from killing ourselves?"
...
Meanwhile, atop a nearby mountain ridge.
Beep... beep... The faint sound of an alert echoed from a red, transparent screen.
Holding the thermal imaging detector that Selene had provided, Esdeath confirmed the number of life signs in the valley below—no more than twenty. Her expression fell into one of visible disappointment.
"So this is just a small Revolutionary Army outpost... how boring," she sighed.
Turning her head slightly, she asked in a playful tone, "Don't you agree?"
"Mmff—mmphh!!"
Kneeling at her feet, bound and gagged, the captured Revolutionary operative with his limbs broken could only make muffled, pitiful noises. His eyes burned with hatred.
"It's been days already," Esdeath said lazily, brushing a strand of icy-blue hair from her face. "Other than a few bribed peasants, all we've caught are weaklings like you—small fry who don't even know where your own bases are. You rats are really good at hiding."
She sighed with feigned weariness. "I'd love to go down there and slaughter them all myself... but patience brings better prey. Only true hunters wait—and only worthy prey can bring me real joy. You lot... you don't qualify."
Nearly a week had passed since her arrival in the southern province. Other than the initial rush of torturing prisoners, the rest of her time had turned into dull waiting—much like the days of hunting beasts in the frozen northern frontier of her youth.
Esdeath licked her lips, her bloodlust rising. "I don't like the way you're looking at me," she said coldly.
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, drew her blade, and a flash of steel ended the man's life.
As she wiped the blood from the blade onto the corpse, Esdeath muttered softly, "I wonder when the General will arrive..."
"I'm already here," came a calm voice from behind her.