Chapter 411: Sole Purpose (2/2)

This Fort was meant to represent the consolidation of much of Earth's power. How could a ragtag squad of rebels possibly take it down so easily?

It was only then that James remembered… the inner city had always been under an illusion cast by the Junior Governor Duke.

From the outside, it seemed like a normal doorway and gate… but was it?

James shivered as he grasped the situation. The walls on the outside were always a casual façade. Why would these nobles spend resources on protecting an outer city of peasants when they could pour all their resources into protecting an inner city built for themselves?

Now that James thought about it, other than Miles, no other nobles went to the wall. In fact, Miles could be considered to be the one with the greatest ability.

”… Dad, you're abandoning the Junior Governor Duke?”

James' father sneered. ”Do you think that he's a person we should still follow? Why? So that we can sink along with him?”

James didn't know how to respond.

He had lost the greatest friend he had ever had for the sake of pleasing Miles. Now they were abandoning him so easily? For some reason, this made his insides churn even more than that look Leonel had given him that last time they stood face to face…

He threw the game for Conrad, but now he was dead. He tried to betray Leonel for Miles, but now he might very well be dead as well. How many more sacrifices would he have to make? How many more of them would be just as meaningless?

”You've done good though, James.” James' father rose from his seat. ”That Miles contacted me about communicating with the Siegfried family. He wanted me to expose that the death of their son was related to the Brazinger family, correct?”

James nodded stiffly. He had reported this to his father the other day and it seemed that Miles contacted him not long later.

”You will go to the Siegfried family to represent the Bennett's. When the time comes, reveal to them that the one who did the deed was Leonel Morales.”

James froze.

He couldn't understand. What was the purpose of this?

”Wh –”

”Don't ask why, just do as I say.”

The sound of the bombardment felt like a low rumbling at their location. But, slowly but surely, the rumbling dampened and eventually, they couldn't hear anything at all. It was as though they had been completely cut off from the outside world.

James gripped his fists tightly, looking toward the ground as the voice of his father drifted to his ears once again.

”… The title of Governor Duke belongs to our family. Unfortunately, your great grandfather trusted the wrong people... Remember that the sole purpose of your existence is to lead a path toward the rebirth of this family.

”Go.”

…

In the outside world, the rumbling had obviously never stopped. While the inner city had regained a peaceful calmness, the cries of those without status continued to ring.

But, it was in that moment that a figure appeared before the crack in the steel wall, his irises flickering between a violet-red and a pale green.