Trouble (2)

"Those who are willing to follow Nolan stand beside me. Those who oppose him stand beside Fox and... prepare to die." Alfred spoke coldly.

The jaws dropped off everyone present. However, the shock lasted for no more than a few seconds as everyone quickly came to themselves.

"Ahahahahah..."

Most of the beggars took it as a joke and burst into laughter. But there were a few who took Alfred's words seriously. Those who took his words seriously were the ones who supported Fox.

"You think I am joking?" Alfred spoke again. The coldness in his voice was indescribable. It was a coldness that only a person who has witnessed and committed several murders could have.

The laughter died down.

"Brother Alfred, don't you think what you are saying is a little too unrealistic? What do you think you and that little brat who thinks he is our Boss can do?" Fox said arrogantly.

Alfred shook his head. "I'll repeat again. Those who are on Nolan's side stand beside me. Those who are on Fox's side stand beside him."

"Sigh!" Alfred let out a deep sigh. "Alright. Since we were still brothers till yesterday, I will give you some hints to decide and to see what is the right decision.

Now, let me ask you? Do you think Nolan came here alone?"

Shock appeared again on the beggars' faces as they quietly waited to hear the answer. However, the answer never came.

"I won't answer you. I mean, not now. I will answer you after you make the decision. Whether you stand with Boss Nolan or against him."

"Alfred, tell us the answer!"

"You must finish what you started!"

The beggars immediately started shouting in protest. After all, the hint Alfred gave made it even harder for them to decide. What if Nolan really didn't come alone, and the moment they sided with Fox, dozens of people with weapons would come down the mountain and slaughter them? But what if Nolan did come alone? They must protest and force Alfred to give them the answer before deciding.

However, no matter how much they shouted, it was no use. Alfred already achieved what he wanted. He planted the seeds of doubt.

"I'll give you a minute to decide," Alfred said with a slight, almost unnoticeable devilish smile.

"What do we do?"

"What to do? Of course side with Boss Fox. Alfred is obviously bluffing."

"But what if Nolan didn't come alone?"

Chatter immediately arose between the beggars, and soon, panic spread through the atmosphere. As time passed, the beggars felt like a rope was tightening around their necks.

"Ahh! Fuck it!" A man shouted, rubbing the back of his head as he walked over to Alfred's side.

Seeing all this, Fox felt his head spinning. He couldn't help but question himself. Why did he want to become their Boss? Could not he have just accepted Nolan as their Boss? Why did he have to go against him? He regretted ever going against Nolan. However, it was too late now.

No matter how he looks at it, he would die if Nolan didn't come alone.

"Ten...Nine..." Alfred started counting.

As the counting started, more and more beggars came to Alfred's side. In the end, most of the beggars were on Alfred's side, and only about eleven beggars, of which all men, stood beside Fox.

"Now, now!" Alfred spoke with a cold smirk. "Looks like you decided to die."

The hearts of the beggars who chose Fox's side sank. They instantly regretted their decision.

"You see! I told you we should choose their side! But you kept on convincing me that Alfred was bluffing!" One of the beggars beside Fox shouted angrily.

"It was your decision to choose this side!" Another beggar replied.

A small quarrel occurred between the beggars on Fox's side. But Fox didn't mind it. Actually, he didn't notice it. He was only physically present while in his mind only one scene kept repeating. The scene of a hundred soldiers coming down the mountain and slaughtering him.

"Hahahah!" Laughter came from somewhere where the bonfire's light couldn't reach.

The quarreling of the beggars who chose Fox's side stopped, and together with the beggars beside Alfred, they looked around, searching for the source of the laughter.

"You are so stupid." The voice rang out again, but this time it was closer, and everyone could determine the direction the voice was coming from. It was coming from the direction of the second bonfire, from the darkness between the first bonfire and the second bonfire.

Everyone's breathing slowed as the footstep of the person closed. The light of the bonfire slowly revealed the person.

It was Nolan.

However, even though it was Nolan, no one dared to speak.

"So it's you?" Nolan spoke to Fox. However, Fox didn't react. "Don't worry, I came alone." He added.

As he heard this, Fox came to himself. But not only him. A lot of beggars who stood beside Alfred became daring again.

"You colluded with him to trick us!" A beggar shouted towards Alfred.

"Yes, you tricked us!"

"How..."

Soon many beggars started shouting, supporting the beggar who shouted first.

"Trick you? Hahahahaha!" Nolan laughed, while Alfred kept quiet the whole time since Nolan appeared. "We never tricked you. You tricked yourself! You see, the imagination is a good servant but a bad master."

"You tricker. You will regret this." A beggar on Alfred's side shouted.

"Oh, really? Am I a trickster? Then please recall, when did Alfred say I was not alone?" Nolan shouted, but no one replied. "Let me tell you, never. He never said I was not alone. He just asked you whether you think I came alone or not. You yourself speculated I didn't come alone.

When did he confirm I didn't come alone? When you chose the side, he just said to those on the opposite side that they chose to die! Now tell me, did I trick you"

No one replied. They just realized what he said was right. Alfred never said nor confirmed that Nolan didn't come alone.

"Also. This is the result of your stupidity. Have you asked yourself, when did you tell Alfred about the plan to betray me? Yesterday, right?" Nolan asked angrily. He was so angry because they were so stupid and incapable of thinking with their own head. Instead, they relied on someone else. First Alfred, then Nolan, and Now Fox. But what happens if the plan fails? Then their leader was at fault.

"So what?" A beggar shouted.

"So what? How can you be this stupid? If you told him about the plan yesterday, how could he tell me? And If he couldn't tell me about your plan, why would I bring people with me? Why would I even let them spend the night on the top of the mountain? If I brought more people, they would be here.

You wouldn't have tricked yourself if you just had a little brain and asked yourself why would I bring people with me If I don't know your plan." Nolan paused for a while. "However, Alfred did say something true. Tonight, some of you will die."

As he said this, his sheathed sword appeared in his right hand.

"What do you think you are doing!" Fox shouted in fear as Nolan unsheathed his sword and dropped the sheath on the ground.

Swoosh!

He dashed forward towards Fox. Fox was stunned in fear. He could see Nolan with the sword in his hand closing to him, but he couldn't react.

It took Nolan a few seconds to reach Fox.

Swoop!

Fox's head flew off his body.

Splasshhh!

Blood splashed around. Just like that, a life faded away.

On the light of the fire, covered in blood, Nolan looked like a bloodthirsty monster.

Swoop!

Thwack!

Swoop!

Soon after, the heads of those who sided with Fox flew around, painting the ground red. However, Nolan didn't just stop at the beggars who chose Fox's side. He also beheaded some standing beside Alfred.

Twelve from Fox's side, including him, and eight more from Alfred's side. Twenty dead bodies in total.

A long silence followed, accompanied only by the crackling sound of the burning fire.

Everyone was too shocked to speak and couldn't believe their eyes. Many even fainted, but it was not surprising. After all, the sight of headless bodies surrounding them was too horrifying.

"Aghhhhhhhh!" A woman at most in her late forties screamed, after which she fainted.

The scream woke up everyone who still processed what just happened.

"M-Murderer!"

"HELP! Someone!"

"Aghh..."

As they came to themselves, they all screamed from the bottom of their lungs.

"What happened?!" A voice came from the distance, but no one seemed to care for it.

Soon after the voice, Kelton and Stephany appeared.

Their eyes immediately fell on Nolan, who was at the center of attention.

"Boss, didn't you go to sleep," Stephany asked with a gentle smile. However, as she closed to him, her smile was replaced by horror. She saw the headless bodies on the ground, which were hardly visible if one was not too close.

She took a few steps back. "Buaghh!"

As she stepped back, she couldn't hold it in anymore and vomited.

"Aghhh!" The screams of the people around continued.

However, what was surprising was that Kelton stood in silence, watching Nolan, who still held the bloody sword in his hand. He was indifferent to the dead bodies around. Clearly, it was not his first time witnessing a murder.

"Boss, why did you do this?" He asked quietly as he walked closer to Nolan and stood next to him.

"Are you not afraid of me?" Nolan asked, looking straight into Kelton's eyes.

"Boss," Kelton spoke gently as he took Nolan's sword away from his hand. "Compared to what I witnessed as a slave, the way you killed them is merciful."

"Merciful? What do you mean?!" A beggar shouted angrily.

"Shut up." Kelton turned to the beggar who shouted and pointed the sword at him. "While I was still in the cage, the slave trader beat slaves to death when he was angry and raped female slaves when he was happy. The way Boss Nolan killed them is simply merciful, painlessly."

Kelton then turned toward Nolan again and asked. "But Boss, why did you do it?"

"Kelton, when a tree has a hundred roots and a few roots are sick and threaten to kill the tree. What do you do?" Nolan asked.

"You cut them off. So you killed the people that threatened to destroy the group" Kelton already knew the answer, but he still asked. Just to be sure.

"Exactly." Nolan took the sword back from Kelton's hand. He walked forward. And for each step he took, the conscious beggars took a step back.

After he made a few steps, Nolan stopped. Bending down, he picked up the sheath of his sword and sheathed his sword.

"But Boss, how did you find they wanted to betray you? And how did you know who wanted to betray you? We just arrived. Could it be... When you and Alfred were talking, you came up with a plan?" Kelton asked the exact question every beggar present had in his head but didn't dare to ask.

Nolan smiled. "It's like this...

...

A few hours ago, when Nolan and Alfred talked.

"Alright, alright, it's enough. You just need to buy me a few days. With the mason I brought and the manpower we have, there would already be a few finished houses in a few days. When they see that if they follow me, they would not have to worry about a roof over their heads and food, many will change their mind. However..." Nolan spoke. "However, we must cut the rotten roots off."

"Boss, I think so too, but how do we find the rotten ones? We also need to consider the beggars who just blindly follow the others and don't have anything against us?"

"Listen well, Alfred. Since they told you to make your decision by tonight, tonight, they will definitely ask you your decision. You just need to ask them, do they think I came alone?

With this question, you would confuse them and probably mislead them into thinking that I am indeed not alone.

Next, just ask them to take a side. Those who want to be on my side to stand next to you and those who want to oppose me to stand on the opposite side. However, the key here is to say that those who oppose me will die." Nolan explained his plan.

With his hand on his chin, Alfred fell into deep thought.

After thinking for a minute or two, Alfred said: "Boss, this plan is great. With this plan, we could sort out the most rotten ones and the ones that just started rotting."

...

"That's all. I and Alfred made this plan just a few hours ago." Nolan finished explaining when he and Alfred made the plan

The beggars clenched their fists in anger. They all wanted to make an uproar but didn't dare.

The uncertainty was killing the beggars.

Feeling this, Nolan said: "I will go to bed."

After saying this, Nolan disappeared into the darkness.

Though they were angry that Nolan left as if nothing happened, they still let out a sigh of relief.

...

Nolan really did go into begging.

'System, can you wake me up at dawn?'

[The system will wake up the host at dawn]

Nolan closed his eyes, and after a while, he fell asleep.