三个女人的秘密工作生活

Chapter 84: Imminent War

It didn't take long for Kayn and Gilbert to reach the Green Horn Village.

"Immediately close the gate and call more soldiers to this location right now!"

The Captain of the south gate approaches Gilbert and asked, "What's happening, sir Gilbert?"

"Hundreds of people from the Tenderfoot Village are approaching our Village as we speak. They have already killed some gatherers from our Village. So believe me, they are certainly not just passing by our Village or are here to talk peacefully," Gilbert responded solemnly.

"Understood!" The Captain of the south gate saluted before quickly leaving to organize his men.

After making sure that the south gate is closed and reinforcement is coming soon, Kayn and Gilbert immediately run to the Town Hall to report to Old Chief George.

…..

"So, what you are both telling me right now is that more than a hundred people from the Tenderfoot Village are approaching our Village right now from the direction of the Split Mountain?" Old Chief George wanted to confirm what he had just heard from Kayn and Gilbert.

Kayn and Gilbert nodded their heads at the same time.

"I have long already expected that a war between our two Villages would eventually come in the future. But I didn't expect that it would be this soon,"

The relationship between the Green Horn Village and the Tenderfoot Village has always been bad from the moment the latter was founded.

"Can I ask something?" Kayn raised his hand.

"What is it?"

"Why is the Tenderfoot Village waging war against your Village?"

"Does all war need a reason?" Gilbert interrupted.

"Do you seriously think people would just wake up one day and say, 'Hey! How about we start a war against the Green Horn Village?'," Kayn looked at Gilbert weirdly.

"Everything is possible," If this was in the past, Gilbert wouldn't think that such a thought process is possible. But ever since the 'Tower' came to Earth, all that humankind thought to be impossible has become possible.

"No," Old Chief George shook his head. "There's indeed a reason why the Tenderfoot Village is waging war right now,"

Hearing that, Kayn perked his ears to listen as Old Chief George started telling a story.

Although Gilbert is one of the loyal subordinates of Old Chief Geroge, unfortunately, he doesn't know the exact reason why. So, he listened closely as well.

Old Chief George has tried to establish peace with the Tenderfoot Village so that they can live in harmony with one of their neighboring Villages. But he has been rejected multiple times by them. There was even a time when he was taken hostage by some of their elders. Luckily, his men were able to rescue him before something bad happens to him.

It's not that there is any sort of bad blood going on between both the Chiefs that's why Old Chief Gilbert couldn't establish peace with them. The reason is simply that they have different ideologies about living in 'The Bridge'.

The Green Horn Village believes that they should find a way to cross to the door of the 'Tower' to get out of 'The Bridge' as this isn't their home and will never be their home.

On the contrary, the Tenderfoot Village wanted people to give up leaving 'The Bridge' as they can't see any hope of that happening.

Needless to say, the Tenderfoot Village has a good enough reason for why they believe their ideology is the correct one.

The majority of the people in 'The Bridge' follow the ideology of Old Chief George — leave 'The Bridge' and never think of this place as their home. And because of that, everyone continues to search for a way to cross the void to reach the door of the 'Tower'.

Unfortunately, as a result of that ideology, with each passing day many lives are lost in the pursuit of finding a bridge or any sort of solution to cross the void.

Seeing such a tragic event happening almost every single day, the Tenderfoot Village wants to prevent it from continuing and put an end to it.

The Tenderfoot Village tried the peaceful approach with their ideology numerous times. But they were rejected by almost every single Chief.

The reason?

It's because of their trust and belief in Old Chief George.

That's naturally to be expected considering that Old Chief George helped almost everyone in 'The Bridge', including the Chief of the Tenderfoot Village as well.

However, the Chief of the Tenderfoot Village just can't stand to witness a lot of people dying for nothing.

"Their deaths aren't really for nothing. Because all failed attempts allowed us to know more. He is simply against the fact that the path to escape 'The Bridge' is going to be paved with their sacrifices,"

"How strange,"

"Why?" Old Chief George turned to look at Kayn, and so was Gilbert.

"The Chief of the Tenderfoot Village is against paving the path with sacrifices, but he is waging war?"

"That was the previous Chief. The current Chief, albeit has the same ideology as his predecessor about not leaving 'The Bridge', his method of achieving it is by establishing a dictatorship,"

"You can't blame him though, since his predecessor met with an untimely death during one of the gatherings he attended,"

"It's not like it was one of you that killed his predecessor, right?"

"Of course, not!"

"There's actually another infamous group in 'The Bridge' aside from those that belong in the Villages and Towns. These people wreak havoc wherever they go as they believe in what they so-called freedom," Gilbert explained.

"All that they are doing is nothing more but anarchy,"

"So, it was those people that had killed his predecessor? Then shouldn't he be waging war on them and not on your Village?" Kayn felt confused.

"Because only by uniting everyone would we be able to fight against those people? Believe me, they are insanely strong. Not to mention, they would use whatever means possible to achieve victory," Gilbert responded.

"I don't see any unity with waging war,"

"Unity is the result of war. As much as I hate to admit it, you can never achieve peace without war," Old Chief George cut off Kayn and Gilbert's bantering.

"Let's not waste any more time," Old Chief George looked at Gilbert, "Gilbert, make sure that Kayn is safe and away from harm. Do whatever measures you have to keep him away from danger,"

"Yes, Old Chief George,"

"Now, leave! I'll have to make preparations to greet our uninvited guest,"

With that being said, Kayn and Gilbert left the Town Hall.

"You're curious about something, aren't you?" Gilbert could already guess based on Kayn's look that he is thinking about something.

"I just don't understand why would a person who has an ideology to stop having meaningless sacrifices start a war," Kayn still isn't satisfied with the information he got from Old Chief George.

"Unless the new Chief of the Tenderfoot Village is a member of that Anarchy group you are talking about,"

While saying that, Kayn glimpses at Natas, waiting for the latter to tell him any information about the anarchy group in 'The Bridge'.

"I barely pay attention to anything outside the 'Tower', and that includes 'The Bridge'," Natas shook his head to express that he is also clueless about what's exactly happening right now.

"They are called the Assembly of Freedom," Gilbert almost forgot to tell Kayn. "And I can't help but agree with your assumption,"

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Since Natas is useless right now, Kayn has no choice but to do something himself.

"Do you plan on finding out the truth?" Gilbert expressed his thoughts.

"Are you in?"

"You bet I am in!" Gilbert felt ecstatic. Although Old Chief George has ordered him to keep Kayn away from danger, that obviously isn't going to work with the latter. If he forces Kayn to stay in the Green Horn Inn to keep him safe, he'd probably escape without him noticing. So, rather than facing that situation, he'd just come wherever Kayn wants to go.

Instead of going to the Green Horn Inn, Gilbert lead Kayn to the direction of the west gate.

However, before they can reach the west gate, Gilbert suddenly pulled Kayn to enter a store right beside them.

"What are we doing here?" Kayn became curious.

"Just wait here," Gilbert instructed Kayn before approaching the counter.

Gilbert talked to the man at the counter for a few minutes before he returned to Kayn.

"Follow me,"

The man at the counter started leading the way to the back of his shop.

After a few minutes of walking, the man opened a door that was disguised as a wall.

"You know what to do,"

"Thank you. And here," Gilbert tosses a coin to the man.

The man quickly caught the coin before closing the door.

Once that was done, Gilbert proceeded to lead Kayn in a specific direction.

Kayn could already guess where they are going, "I didn't expect that there's a secret path to enter and exit the Green Horn Village,"

"It's not really a path,"

"What is it then?"

"A sewer," Gilbert muttered as he opened a metal lid leading to the sewer.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Kayn hit his face with the palm of his hand. Sewers are always the best path to take when one wants to get in and out of a city without anyone noticing. That's because they always lead to an exit.

"Get in,"

"Okay…" Kayn could only helplessly comply since they don't have any other choice but to use the sewer to leave the Green Horn Village.