Chapter 63: Gamble

Retas

I opened my eyes. My dreams made me forget that I was still in a cell. It was ironic. I was never fond of dreams, yet now they felt like the only escape from mu situation. Not that I needed it. I planned to escape in reality too. But I had to find the right time.

"Ready to speak?" a voice asked.

I glanced up and saw a blond man who reminded me of Grand Commander Azik Zolstein, the grandfather of Commander Zepheria. Was he his doppelganger? Clearly, he was younger. Not that age differences between doppelgangers were much of a surprise.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He slid his hands into the green pockets of his pants. "I'm called many names around these parts. The second prince of the rebels, the man who spins the wheel of fortune, and hammer master, to name a few. But you can call me Arare."

His tone was light, almost jovial, but his eyes held a steely determination that told me he was not to be taken lightly.

"Arare," I echoed, testing the name on my tongue. "Your older siblings already tried to get me to talk. What makes you think that you can succeed where Arisa and Hiesno failed?"

He crossed his arms and smirked.

"Well, for starters, they don't have my charm," Arare replied, his smirk growing wider. "And secondly, they lack my... let's call it 'persuasive skills'."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "Persuasive skills?"

Arare's smirk turned into a full-blown grin. "Yes, Retas. Persuasive skills. You see, they tried to break you. I, on the other hand, am here to offer you a deal."

This piqued my interest. I leaned back against the cold stone wall of my cell. "Alright, Arare. I'm listening."

"The way I see it, you're not really one of them," he began, his tone serious now. "You're a soldier of Titanos, but you're not like Yusan."

I scoffed. "I already agreed to help you rebels defeat Yusan."

He hummed. "Right. Hmm. I might've bitten more than I can chew."

I sighed. This guy really was as absent minded as my old mentor.

"Are you always this forgetful?" I asked, my tone laced with exasperation.

Arare shrugged, the grin never leaving his face. "Only on days that end with 'y'."

I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. Despite my circumstances, his light-hearted demeanor was oddly comforting.

"Alright, Arare," I said, leaning my head back against the cold stone wall. "I need you to let me out. There's something that I need to do."

He crossed his arms. "I am forgetful, but not stupid. Why would I let you go? The time for our attack on Yusan isn't right yet."

"I thought we were attacking today."

"Sis thought about it some more and decided to push things back. Better safe than sorry she says." He chuckled. "If it were me, I would just take the gamble."

Gambling, huh?

---

Eight years ago

I shivered as I walked up the cold mountain with Zepheria and his grandpa.

"Cold, Ret?" the blond man asked, chuckling.

How could he be so cheerful in a situation like this?

"Of course I am," I grumbled, wrapping my arms tighter around myself. "Who wouldn't be in this weather?"

Azik laughed, his voice echoing through the crisp mountain air. "Oh, Retas. You have so much to learn."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Like how to enjoy freezing cold weather?"

"That's one thing," he replied with a nod. "But more importantly, how to find joy even in the most challenging situations."

I glanced at him, my brows furrowing. "And how do you do that?"

Azik merely smiled, his gaze focused on the path ahead. "By remembering that every challenge, no matter how difficult, is an opportunity for growth."

"Growth?" Zepheria asked, looking up at his grandpa.

Seriously, the two must've been a lot better at using fire ki as I was freezing to death here while they acted as if we were inside a warm cabin.

"Yes, growth," Azik said, his eyes twinkling with a sense of wisdom that I often found exasperating. "Every challenge you face is an opportunity for you to grow, to become stronger and better. It's all about perspective, Retas."

I scoffed at that, my arms crossed over my chest in an attempt to preserve warmth. "Well, right now, my perspective is that it's cold and I'm miserable."

Azik chuckled, his breath forming a small cloud in the frigid air. "That's one way to look at it. Or you could see it as a chance to toughen up and get used to harsh conditions. After all, life won't always be comfortable."

I glared at him, but said nothing. I knew he was right, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

As we continued our trek up the mountain, I couldn't help but think about his words. Every challenge is an opportunity for growth. It was a sentiment that was easy to dismiss when you were comfortable, but in the face of actual hardship, it held a certain weight.

I looked over at Zepheria, who was walking beside me. His face was flushed from the cold, but he was smiling, seemingly unfazed by the harsh conditions. It was clear that he had taken his grandpa's words to heart.

For the first time, I found myself wishing that I could be more like him. That I could see the world as he did, full of opportunities instead of obstacles. Maybe then, I wouldn't be so quick to give up.

I shook my head, dispelling the thought. That wasn't me. I wasn't Zepheria. But maybe, just maybe, I could learn to be a little bit more like him. To see the challenges I faced as opportunities for growth instead of obstacles to be avoided.

Maybe, in the end, that was the real lesson Azik was trying to teach us.

---

[Present]

I sighed. No, Azik spoke with wisdom. While Arare spoke with a sense of hot headedness. 

"That is something one can say if alone," I whispered. "But when leading an army, you cannot take chance. Not unless you don't care about the lives of your fellow soldiers.

He smiled. "That's why I'm thinking of attacking the main camp. But I also can't do it all alone. I need help. That's part of why I came to see you. To recruit you into my special operations unit!"

"Special operations?" I repeated, my interest piqued. "What does that entail?"

Arare leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's a small team. Just a handful of skilled fighters who can infiltrate enemy lines, gather intel, sabotage their operations, and get out without raising alarm. Kind of like a strike force."

I mulled over his words. It was risky, no doubt, but it was also the kind of challenge I thrived on. It was an opportunity for growth, just like Azik used to say.

"Alright," I said, meeting Arare's gaze. "I'll join your special operations unit. But on one condition."

Arare raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what's that?"

"I need to get out of here first," I said. "There's something I need to do."

Arare looked at me, his expression serious. "And what would that be?"

"I need to retrieve my mecha," I answered. "I crash landed on this planet thanks to that traitor, Yusan. My mecha, assuming it's still where I landed, needs repairs. I was thinking the trio from Retra could help."

Arare was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Sounds reasonable. We can use all the help we can get. Alright, Retas, we have a deal. I will get the trio to help us fix your mecha, in return, you will join my special unit."

I smirked slightly. "May your gamble on me pay off, Arare."

He chuckled. "I'm sure it will! Let me go get my big brother. He will release you!"

Hmph, guess he did know how to hedge his bets. No matter. As long as I could get my mecha restored, it would pay off. But I didn't want to fix it for its use as a weapon. I wanted to find out what caused it to malfunction in the first place. Then I could figure out who was Yusan's little helper.