Hmm?
The rattling sound of a horse-drawn carriage echoed in his ears.
Kazuma slowly began to stir, eyelids heavy. His vision was still blurry, and he felt a constant shaking, as if he were lying on something that jolted with every bump in the road.
As his sight cleared, he looked around in confusion.
There were two people seated in front of him, and another off to his side.
It took a moment to realize. He was in a wagon, drawn by a horse. His hands were tied tightly in front of him.
Before he could gather his thoughts, one of the men in front barked at him in a harsh, unfriendly tone.
"Hey, you! Finally awake?"
Where am I? Kazuma wondered, still dazed and trying to piece things together.
"You mute or something? Whatever," the first man grumbled, glaring at Kazuma with open annoyance.
Kazuma could only sit there, heart pounding, confused as the carriage rattled onward.
He slowly realized that everyone's hands were tied, not just his own. He looked around more carefully.
Up front, one man was handling the reins, steering the horse. Two others rode alongside the wagon, mounted on horseback. One to the left, one to the right. He spotted three more riders in the rear and three at the very front, all armored and carrying swords at their waists.
Then Kazuma noticed another wagon trailing behind them. About five people rode in the back, all dressed in matching armor, just like the man who'd first spoken to him.
The rude man at the front turned to the person next to him and spoke again.
"Oi, you."
"What?!" the second man snapped, clearly annoyed. "Damn all of you. Because of you rebels, I got caught too. The Imperial was peaceful until you lot came along. If they hadn't been hunting for you, I'd have already been on my way to Jarem Town by now."
Kazuma listened in silence, trying to make sense of who these people were.
The second man turned to Kazuma, frustration clear in his voice.
"You! You and I shouldn't even be here. It's these rebels the Imperial army wants, not us."
Before he could say more, the first man cut him off.
"You, me and all of us. We're brothers in bind now."
The second man clenched his teeth, scowling at the first.
"We're not brothers! I'm not with the rebels like you, and definitely not like this piece of shit in front of me!"
The first man snapped back, eyes fierce.
"Watch your tongue when you speak to the real True King."
Before the second man could retort, the soldier handling the reins shot a glare over his shoulder and barked.
"Shut up back there, you shitty criminals!"
The whole wagon fell into tense silence, only the rattling wheels and distant hoofbeats filling the air.
The second man's eyes widened in shock at the mention of "True King."
"Y… you… You mean this is Loth De Gurmuin? The leader of the rebels? The nobleman who rules the Gurmuin region?"
Kazuma watched the man tremble, noting the sudden stutter in his voice. Why is he so scared of this guy?
The second man turned toward Kazuma, panic growing in his eyes.
"Shit, shit, shit! That means you and I are in real trouble! If he's here… we're not going to any prison!"
Kazuma's heart began to pound as he tried to make sense of the situation, suddenly realizing that things were far more dangerous than he thought.
The second man clutched his head with his bound hands, trembling visibly.
"This means we're going to die," he whispered, panic lacing his voice.
He looked at Kazuma, desperation in his eyes.
"We're going to be beheaded because of them! We're not even rebels…"
His words faded into frantic mumbling. "This isn't happening… This can't be happening. I… I have family…"
The first man only chuckled, arrogant and unfazed.
"Face your death with some bravery."
"It's you rebels the Imperial want! Me and him!! We're not even part of your group, you piece of shit!" the second man snapped, glaring at the first.
Before he could say another word, one of the soldiers rode up alongside the wagon and struck the second man on the head with the flat of his sheathed sword.
"I said shut up! You criminals should keep your mouths closed, especially you damn rebels!"
The second man winced in pain, falling silent. The air grew thick with fear and resentment as the wagon continued its rough journey down the road.
( End Of Chapter )