Four Split Personalities

[What should we do now...]

Veronia subconsciously clenched her fists, realizing that she ultimately couldn’t avoid this reality. She then turned her head to look at Sin Knight, whose expression was unreadable: "Your Excellency, you mean..."

However, Sin Knight, who had never let them down throughout the day, disappointed them this time.

"I don’t know..."

After a long while, the young Noble wrapped tightly in his cloak let out a sigh.

Does he really not know?

Veronia and Varez didn’t think so, because even they, at least, knew one way to solve the problem.

"However... I can try to analyze it a bit..."

Seeing that neither had spoken, Sin Knight broke the silence first, speaking in his calm and gentle voice: "First, the geographical location of Resles Town is very close to the southern border of the Kondar territory. Even at the pace of an ordinary person, it would take no more than five hours to reach the rebel-controlled area we previously bypassed. If it’s a Ranger or a Thief, professional classes known for their speed, even if just of low rank, this time can be reduced to an hour and a half. Even for a Low-level Mage or a Knight, who are slower, it would take three hours."

Veronia and Varez silently nodded, dismissing the nearby warriors.

"Secondly, to my knowledge, to identify the strength of the opponent, such as to distinguish between ordinary people and Low Rank professionals, the most straightforward method requires High-level Arcane [True Insight] or the [Eye of Analysis] that only High-Level Druids can master. But among our group, the only high-level professionals are the two of you, a Knight and a Ranger, which is clearly impossible."

Struggle flashed in the serene and indifferent black eyes of Sin Knight, but he continued: "Third, compared to the rebels who are fully staffed and can rotate personnel at leisure, our group of just over four hundred people has been on the move at high intensity for a full half-day. Everyone needs to rest, and if we are to arrange Night Watchers, it will be no easy task to keep an eye on all two hundred and forty-three of them. And during this process, if even one person slips through..."

He didn’t continue, and neither Veronia nor Varez needed him to. It was clear to both of them that if the thousands of rebels just less than three hours away by the road got the news, the current group of over four hundred people would be as good as dead.

After the entire journey, even the two of them, with their High-Order Pinnacle strength, felt a trace of fatigue, let alone the majority of the ordinary warriors who were only of Middle Rank.

What should we do!?

Looking at the faces on the square, filled with fear, watching those people shiver in the cold wind, Veronia and Varez almost ground their teeth to pieces.

"We... We could maybe tie them up, let these people sleep on the square for a night, while sending the warriors in better condition to take turns keeping watch."

Veronia suggested, head lowered, her expression growing even more bleak, clearly feeling that her idea was quite naïve.

"Impossible."

As expected, Varez immediately shook his head as soon as she finished speaking: "One group to keep watch, one group to guard – we only have just over four hundred people, plus several dozen severely injured. And even if it could be arranged, how can you guarantee that the rebels mixed in won’t escape? Tie them up? Are you three years old? The only ones who will actually be tied up are the common people, those rebels, no matter how weak, would find escaping from a rope child’s play!"

Veronia fell silent; it was Sin Knight who softly interjected: "Although what you say makes sense, Varez, Veronia’s idea is not completely unfeasible. Even though there are a lot of people here, if the watchers can ensure that not a single detail is missed, the rebels mixed in might not be able to escape so easily. But... that’s just a possibility, can we really afford to take that risk right now?"

"We... Of course, we cannot afford it."

Veronia lowered her eyes, speaking softly: "I’m sorry, I was ill-considered."

"How about we interrogate them one by one, force them to confess?"

Varez had just refuted Veronia with sound arguments, yet he also thought of an idea, speaking gravely: "You and I can handle the interrogation; I have a rough idea of how to do that. Put simply, it’s questioning with shouting and scaring. Even if we can’t root out the rebels, it doesn’t matter, we can let the ordinary townspeople point them out. There are only so many people in this small town, even if they’re not that familiar with each other, as long as most people..."

"Most people?"

Veronia interrupted Varez with a frown, shaking her head: "Do you know how many rebels have infiltrated? Even if you can determine that there are at most two hundred people in this town, can you be sure that the number of rebels is the total number minus ’the number you feel’ there should be? What if you’re wrong? What if there’s a slip-up? What if the rebels create confusion? Just like with my idea before, it’s feasible, but it cannot guarantee absolute safety."

Varez clenched his fists, teeth gritted: "Then what if we leave now, and find another..."

"Will those people not send a message after we leave?"

Veronia sighed deeply, her countenance bitter as she said: "We’ve been seen, and since the other side has made arrangements in this small town, would other places be safe? Perhaps after we leave, the rebels don’t even need to run to Kondar territory; they just need to contact their nearby comrades. This is simply the worst plan."