The Revolutionary Army Meeting

A large commotion quickly erupted within the headquarters of the Revolutionary Army as more members were drawn by the noise to investigate.

"What on earth is going on? Tim, what are you doing?"

A group of Revolutionary Army soldiers emerged from a nearby corridor, led by a higher-ranking officer. After surveying the scene, he quickly pieced together what had transpired. The chubby kid on the ground was notorious within the headquarters, known as a troublemaker and the leader of the other children.

"Come on, Tim, why are you getting worked up over a bunch of kids?"

Tim, the Revolutionary Army officer, remained silent for a moment before responding:

"...We joined the Revolutionary Army and fought for it because we wanted to build a new world of equality, so that our children wouldn't suffer the same oppression and discrimination we did under the Empire. But what am I seeing here? Bullying, discrimination, exclusion, and even the emergence of privilege! How is this any different from the Empire?!"

Hearing this, another officer who had been planning to pat Tim on the shoulder in a show of comfort stopped short, realizing that Tim was not joking. He hesitated before responding, thinking Tim might be overreacting, "Is it really that serious? They're just kids..."

"Even the mightiest dam can be destroyed by an anthill."

With that, Tim carefully picked up the small, pitiful girl named Mine, disregarding the dust on her. He then ordered his personal guards, "Take little Mine to our base in the Western Territories. The headquarters is no longer suitable for her..."

As he spoke, Tim glanced at the crying children on the ground, especially the chubby ringleader. His eyes showed no pity; instead, the boy's ugly behavior reminded Tim of the spoiled noble brats of the Empire.

It was alarming to see the Revolutionary Army, which aimed to overthrow the Empire, beginning to display the very same toxic traits as the Empire's aristocracy.

"Why are you all gathering here so late at night? Is there something urgent?"

A calm and authoritative voice suddenly rang out.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Tim and the other officer, named Bull, immediately saluted. "Leader."

After listening to the account of what had happened, the leader of the Revolutionary Army spoke softly, "Alright, Bull, Tim, let's put this matter to rest. Now, tell me why you've both come rushing here so late—is there urgent intelligence?"

Tim collected himself, putting aside his emotions as he prepared to discuss the pressing issue at hand. "Leader, we have important news!"

Hearing the emphasis on "important," the Revolutionary Army leader knew this was no trivial matter. "Let's go to the meeting room. Summon all department heads."

"Yes, Leader."

...

In the central meeting room of the castle, Tim relayed the latest intelligence to his fellow revolutionaries.

"What? All our intelligence agents have been wiped out? There must be some mistake—how could this happen?" Bull, another high-ranking member of the Revolutionary Army, shot up from his seat in shock.

"Yes, our disguise strategy has been exposed by the Empire. All the newly established intelligence lines have been destroyed," Tim said gravely.

"But... how could that be?"

Sensing Bull's alarm, the leader asked, "Bull, have you received any other information?"

"Yesterday, one of our outposts reported receiving two agents from the intelligence division. They were severely injured... but the question is, are they survivors, or have they already betrayed us?" Bull replied, full of doubt.

"We'll observe them for a while. For now, keep them under watch. If there are any signs of betrayal, deal with them immediately!" the leader of the Revolutionary Army said coldly.

Turning back to Tim, the leader asked, "Are you certain it was Selene who discovered us?"

"Almost certainly. We were using one of Selene's subsidiary merchant companies as a cover. She has always had a policy of eradicating us. I knew this strategy wouldn't last forever, but I didn't expect it to be uncovered so quickly."

"Ah... I thought Budo would be our greatest enemy, but now it seems the Empire has produced another threat in Selene. Our allies in the Southwest were nearly wiped out by her, and this does not bode well for us."

The leader's face was clouded with concern. Given Selene's formidable strength—arguably even greater than Budo's—and her willingness to leave the Imperial Capital to pursue threats, he wasn't sure how they could overcome her.

"Leader, regarding Selene, I believe we need to perform another divination."

Someone in the room suggested a tactic that had helped the Revolutionary Army survive many crises in the past.

The Revolutionary Army possessed an Imperial Arm capable of divination, which had guided them through numerous dangers. It had even led them to recruit many of their strongest fighters.

However, divination was a delicate matter, even with the aid of an Imperial Arm. It exacted a heavy toll on the user, and both the person and the Arm required significant time to recover after each use. If forced, the user could suffer severe physical damage, and the Arm itself could be damaged.

Despite these drawbacks, the Divination Teigu remained one of the Revolutionary Army's greatest assets.

"Proceed with the divination."

...

Meanwhile, after two days spent searching every habitable area in the southern mountains with Esdeath, Selene finally arrived at their destination—a large, hidden castle deep within the primeval forest.

Sensing the many life forces within the stronghold, Selene smiled warmly, "This is it—the headquarters of the Southern Revolutionary Army!"

"Oh... by the way, here." Selene handed Esdeath a diamond-shaped crystal.

Esdeath took the crystal and examined it closely. It was an equilateral diamond, about the length of a thumb, with a purple hue that shimmered with red light.

"Huh? What is this?" Esdeath asked, her face puzzled.

"It will protect you. As you are now, you're not quite ready for this level of battle... While you could join me, there's no need. You're my asset, and I'd be upset if you got hurt."

Placing her hand on Esdeath's small head, Selene spoke with deep meaning, "Watch closely. I hope one day you'll become my strength."

...

"Dire misfortune?!"

The Revolutionary Army's leaders exclaimed in shock as they stared at the results of the divination.

"How can this be? Since we acquired the Divination Teigu, we've never encountered a reading of dire misfortune..."

Despite the incredulous outcome, the leader chose to believe it. The Divination Teigu had saved the Revolutionary Army numerous times before. "It seems we need to adjust our plans for the coming years..."

Suddenly, the skies above the castle lit up with a bright flash, almost like a burst of lightning.

"What the—why is the sky lighting up at this hour?"

"What's that in the sky?"

"It looks like... a meteor?"