Chapter 163: Eighteenth Episode: Chapter 9 (2/2)

In the afternoon, Oscar finally woke up from his nap. He looked at the clean bed, bright window and the washing up water that was placed on the table. Oscar used the salt water that had lemon leaves in it to wash his mouth. At this time, he realized something terrifying.

”D*mn it! What is it with this weather? It was fine this afternoon!” The Prince pointed to the sky to the lady of the Baron family. That bright blue had turned into pieces of dark clouds.

”It's rainy season. It's about to rain!” The young Baroness said as she placed the ironed uniform on the bed of the Prince. Then, she looked out the window in worry. ”Hopefully the rain will pass soon...”

However, the reality was that the rain, which was just like a waterfall, kept falling until the 24th day. Even on the night of the 25th, there was still no sign of stopping.

The Baron stayed in his mansion. Not only did the rain slow down the Prince's schedule, but it had possibly ruined a nearby bridge and the riverbank of Vansi River.

”If that is the case... Your Highness! You are not going anywhere!” Baron Feria looked at the Prince apologetically. ”Grandory is a big town compared to before. Under the rocks are all citizens. The flood in Year 671 washed everything away. What you see now is the remaining town.”

Oscar nodded in understanding, ”No wonder it was all ruins under the rocks. I even thought a war had broken out here before!”

The Baron sighed, ”It was the same as war. Maybe even worse than war. You have not seen a true flood before.”

Oscar was finally worried. ”Will there be a problem?”

”Of course!” The Baron looked at the storm outside of the window, ”It's been four days. The water level in the river must be increasing at an incredible rate. If the riverbank is destroyed, the town downstream will be in deep trouble!”

”This rain will provide many conveniences for us!” The head of Military Intelligence Bureau Baron Messier suddenly mumbled softly to the Marshal, ”This way, we can safely go through the border defense area of the Faran!”

Oscar frowned, ”Leave it! I don't want to send my warriors to God of Light with the flood.”

”Then what should we do? Wait here?”

Oscar did not say anything. He felt that something would surely happen here.

As expected, in the early morning of the 25th, the priest of the church rang the alarm. The clock tower released a heavy yet urgent rumbling. The whole town was immediately lighted up. The men from every family climbed out of their bed. They wore their rain gears and took all sorts of tools to the empty place outside of the church.

Together with the priest was a Second Lieutenant of the Guards. This Second Lieutenant came from the station opposite of the river. He announced the order as given by the station officer and requested all young and strong men to report to the riverbank.

The Prince who just fell asleep was awoken by the confusion in the mansion. He saw that his warriors had already made preparations to move out.

”What is this? Are you guys abandoning me?”

The warriors laughed when they saw the Prince who was wearing his bear pajamas, ”Resisting the flood! Head! We are going to resist the flood. There is a hole at the riverbank. The situation is dangerous!”

Oscar said 'Ola', ”Then what are you waiting for? We are the Guards of the Empire!”

Just like that... Just when it was about dawn, the First Special Combat Brigade of the Military Intelligence Bureau and the First Cannon Division of the Guards left behind the weapons which never left their side and brought bags of sand and rocks towards the Vansi River.

The dark sky was still crying, and the river water overflowed onto the riverbank. The bridge that connected the two sides had already been drowned by the river. A huge amount of water flowed from the upstream and crashed mud and broken woods onto the bridge. The bridge seemed to be trembling. Sometimes, it would let out a few heavy rumblings.

There was water from the sky and on the ground, and smoke and cold fog around the area could be seen. The men kept walking around the riverbank. These men's upper body was naked and the heavy sandbags bent their spine. The icy cold water was attacking their body.

The men would not admit defeat. The outcome of this would determine the survival of numerous ten thousands of citizens in the downstream area. Soldiers, farmers, nobles, and businessmen truly united when they were faced with a natural disaster. They helped each other and cheered for each other. They used their thin body to defend against the flood.

The joining of the Special Combat Brigade and Cannon Division immediately stabilized the situation. The Warriors maintained the excellent tradition of the Guards. They listened to the advice of the local and built a new flood-resisting fence at the riverbank. Then, the warriors added anything that could stop the flood into the fence.

Amongst the panic at the riverbank, the military rhyme of the Guards was sounded. Countless voices became the iron wall made of rhythms under the sky.

The station official had not seen such a terrible downpour in many years. However, luckily there was a strong army nearby, or he would have no idea how he could deal with the rising water level.

This old official pulled at the arm of a warrior, ”Who is your commander? I want to treat him with liquor when the weather turns nice!”

”It's Marshal of Guards, Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette!” The warrior pointed to a silhouette in the rain. ”The one nailing the wooden support!”

”Wow! A Marshal?” The old official heard of the war story of this Marshal, but he could not relate the guy who was wearing his pajamas and soaking in water to the people's man of Titan.

Oscar was a 'human support' at the riverbank. His job was to stand in water and held tightly to the real wooden support. Then, he waited for the soldiers above him to knocked the wooden support firmly on the ground.

The Marshal was the same as every warrior. He shouted the slogan loudly. For every shout, he had to spit out the river water that was mixed with mud. The face of the Prince was flushed white by the rainwater. Only when he felt that his body was as heavy as lead did he allow a warrior to exchange with him.

The Marshal climbed up onto the riverbank. His warriors reached out their hands to him, but Oscar did not care. He went straight to the place where people filled up the bags of sand and organized the transportation of the bags. This was because he found the situation opposite of them was extremely urgent.

The hole at the opposite riverbank seemed to be expanding. The river water was flushing out of the hole, letting out a scary howl. Every citizen and soldiers of the Guards were filling sand and rocks at the hole. However, the rushing water immediately brought the sand and rocks to downstream. The people were fighting endlessly, yet the effect was in vain.

The Special Brigade warriors managed to find a sailboat that was more than 20 meters long out of nowhere. A whole unit of warriors pulled the boat to the hole at the riverbank like boat tracker. The immense energy of the water made them unable to move forward even a step. The water would not stop knocking on the boat. The rope holding tightly by the warriors held immense danger just like the line to light up the fire powder. An instant of relaxation would cause the whole unit to fall into the roaring water.

”We don't have enough man! Not enough man!” The captain of this unit shouted loudly to the generals at the station and the nearby citizens. Almost immediately, a tall guy dressed like a businessman called his team over. They held the rope tightly and pulled the boat following the slogan of the Special Brigade soldiers until the sailboat completely blocked the hole at the riverbank.

Staff Sergeant Ferdin, who once successfully stole a treasury, took up yet another extremely dangerous task. This 'white shark' jumped onto the sailboat and went straight for the base. Then, he used his sharp knife to slice a hole at the base. At last, he set up some fire powder there.

The people at the riverbank was waiting anxiously until a terrible rumbling exploded at the base of the boat. Ferdin finally appeared on the deck. He determinedly jumped at the moment of explosion and numerous warriors held him.

The boat quickly sank and the water that flowed onto the riverbank immediately became a small stream. The warriors and citizens once again jumped into the chest-deep river. They secured the wooden support and filled sand and rocks into the hole.

”The leader just now...” A warrior called his comrade.

”What?” This warrior raised his head as he carried the sandbag.

”That guy had injuries all over his body!”

”What is wrong with that?”

”That is due to the cannon! I swear! We killed so many criminals before. I have seen those scars a lot!”

The warrior threw the sandbags into the river, ”Don't talk about such unhappy things. No matter what, they are here to help! Moreover, aren't the criminals the same as us... We are all born from poor families. It's only that they stood on the wrong ground.”

The warrior who said this looked at the riverbank and the people rushing about here, fighting the flood. At last, he gave it thought and never talked about it again.

O'Neil Andrew Morisette finally got a cold. He had a headache and felt nauseous. This Marshal of Guards borrowed a rain gear from the nearby citizen, but he still stayed at the riverbank.

His warriors needed him here. The long riverbank was not any different from the frontlines.

Oscar thought carefully for a while. He finally realized the God of Light was indeed the scariest existence. The disaster created by this God was more terrifying than any enemy!

”Hey! Fatso!” Bagheeda Narov shouted suddenly in a loud voice, ”Don't look over there! I am talking about you! What are you staring at? Come over and help!”

Oscar hesitated for one second, not because he was not willing to help, but that he was sensitive to the word 'Fatso'. However, the Marshal of guards did not get angry. In the end, he still carried a huge rock with this sarcastic guy. The two of them kept moving the piles of rocks until a deafening cheer sounded at the riverbank.

It was because the rain was getting weaker.

Oscar and Bagheeda lied down on the wet grass. It was apparent that they were exhausted. The Marshal of Guards was exhausted because of his cold; the leader of Liberty Front was because of the recovery of his injury.

Bagheeda opened up an oilcloth package. He was ecstatic. It seemed the cigar inside it was not wet at all. Oscar was immediately in high spirit when he smelt the scent of the cigar. He came over hungrily.

Bagheeda was very generous. He first prepared one for the young man with bear pajamas. Then, he prepared one for himself. Two of them used the fire torch to light up their cigar, and inhaled at the same time. At last, they contentedly dried their limbs.

”Where are you from? Your accent is weird!” Bagheeda looked at his enemy funnily, but apparently, he did not know the person's identity.

”Ola... Half a Narcissus and half a Dulin!”

”Oh... From far away!” Bagheeda nodded, ”My house is just nearby. If the riverbank is finished, so is my home. Thank you for coming to help!”

Oscar shrugged, ”Protecting the country and our homes is the duty of a soldier, no? I don't think anyone would frown at this moment.”

”You are a soldier?” Bagheeda widened his eyes, ”But from your words just now, I already know you are a good one! This cigar is worth it!”

Oscar looked at his muddy bear pajamas, ”You can't see that I am a soldier?”

Bagheeda shook his head. He was suddenly interested in this guy, ”Are you from the nearby station?”

Oscar waved his hands, ”No, I am here with the foreign army unit!”

Bagheeda's expression suddenly became lonely. There was only one unit from other places here.

”You... I still don't know your name.”

Oscar quickly took the cigar off his mouth and reached out his hands to the leader of Titan's Liberty Front, ”O'Neil Andrew Morisette!”

Bagheeda looked unbelievably at the young soldier in front of him.

”Why? Is there something wrong?” Oscar was a little confused.

Bagheeda smiled bitterly. He looked into the person's clear eyes and the palm that was filled with mud. At last, the leader of the Liberty warriors shook the person's hand, ”Hello, nice to meet you. I am Bagheeda Narov. You must have heard of me before!”

Oscar did not seem surprised at this. He simply nodded, ”Yes, many captives speak of your name. They say you are a... Hmm... Teacher. And... A good man.”

Bagheeda stared at the face of the Marsha. He still could not believe this. He shook hands with O'Neil Andrew Morisette. This guy had even carried rocks with him for around an hour.

”You... Don't you want to call your people to capture me?”

Oscar looked at him, ”Please, Uncle, I can kill you by myself!”

Bagheeda simply smiled bitterly, ”I believe so. My warriors said you are a demon!”

Oscar shrugged, ”Didn't you see? I am like this. A normal soldier.”

Bagheeda shook his head, ”You are not normal at all!”

Oscar did not say a word. He looked at the citizens at the riverbank and the warriors walking about.

”Uncle, your house is nearby. You still have a base at the Faran border. Why do you think that I am here? So... I think you should not make me do more than I should.”

Bagheeda was a little confused, ”What do you want?”

Oscar pointed to the riverbank. He just thought of this, ”I am exhausted! I believe that you are too. So are your warriors! Let's cease fire!”

”Cease fire?” Bagheeda suddenly laughed, ”Do you know how many people were killed under your blade? And you are asking me to cease fire now?”

Oscar shook his head, ”I said this. Don't make me do more than I should. The lives in Southern Five Provinces are recovering. The anger at the businessmen circle has calmed down. Don't you think armed resistances have become a disturbing presence now?”

Bagheeda was silent. He could not answer that question. He imagined the poor community in Titan could get a life that was equal and free, but he was afraid of the great sacrifices and the loss of his family. He was contradicting himself. He enjoyed the pride of being loved by many but worried over the limited survival space and decreasing people. Maybe.... Armed resistance had truly become a disturbing matter.

”I can't answer you!” Bagheeda was very honest, ”You are a noble person. You have not experienced the survival pressure of the poor community. You don't understand the true reason behind our fighting and sacrifices.”

Oscar suddenly laughed, ”Haven't you put that survival pressure into the battlefield? Life on the battlefield is completely equal! Is this the true reason you talk about?”

Bagheeda let his cigar die and bowed to the Prince politely, ”If you are not stopping me, I am afraid I will excuse myself now!”

Oscar stood up. He did not shake his hands with the leader of the criminals anymore, ”I will be staying a little longer in Grandory. We can talk about this.”

Bagheeda did not reply. His figure that was filled with injuries slowly disappeared in the weak rain in the morning.

Until the end when it was the time for O'Neil Andrew Morisette and his warriors to leave Grandory, Bagheeda Narov had not visited him. However, the Military Intelligence Bureau at that time had received news from Faran. The criminals who were hiding in all discreet locations suddenly disappeared in one night as if they had never gathered there before.

Bagheeda Narov's name was still on the wanted list in the Empire's Ministry of Justice. However, after the farewell at Vansi River, no one had seen him ever since. His Titan Liberty Front and he were drowned in the sea of history, but his name would forever be remembered by the revolutionaries that longed for freedom.