Re:START/If {Book 1.0}
Chapter 35: Reese and Rabe 2 of 5 (Part 03)

Five days passed after the annihilation of the first bandit headquarters, within that period more than half the goal of the bandit annihilation plan had been achieved. Bandit headquarters in the territory of Mylta city have been completely cleared, and the city government has begun to enter the territory of the neighboring city to carry out further extermination.

The plan really went very smoothly until all who followed it had goosebumps. The location, strategy, tactics, and even handling of the response of the bandits who began to be aware of the extermination was done very precisely. It was not like during the massive bandit cleanup done by the Landlords a few years ago that tended to be problematic.

For those who have also been involved in cleaning plans a few years ago clearly understand, what makes it so different as it is now. It was not because the number of bandits was less or they were off guard, but indeed because all the framework plans that the young man had put forward had absolutely no loopholes. Even for Lisia herself, it was quite shocking because of all what happened exactly as the young man in black hair described the night before departure.

After touring for more than five days in the city's Mylta region to slaughter the bandits, they rest on a village that becomes a transit point in the mountainous area of Rockfield. The Mylta municipality there filled up supplies, with transit time of about a day to continue the unfinished extermination.

The village had connections with Lisia and she had also ordered some supplies at the site before the plans took place. As the originator of the plan, Lisia guaranteed that the village could be trusted and would not divulge information despite being threatened by bandits. The soldiers who were indeed his subordinates believed that without hesitation. But for hunters and witches who didn't think that extermination was going to be a tough mission, they complained a little and showed some disbelief.

In the plan, they do not mean to slaughter all the bandits in Luke's territory. But only at the level until their group disbanded, scattered into small, disorganized looters and gradually cleared it up on other plans.

The main purpose of the plan was to open a trade route safely from the city of Mylta to Rockfield, and with it automatically the path to the city of Izta Maria which was in the center of Luke's territory would open. With the opening of the route, the trade route centered on the city of Lignum would be free for Mylta which was at the northwestern end of the Kingdom of Felixia.

Under the clear sky decorated with dim stars and colorful auroras, the atmosphere of the village located in the mountainous area was crowded. The white snow-covered fir trees were clearly visible thanks to the bright night sky, feeling so foreign to the young man with black hair sitting on one of the simple gazebos made of wood in the village hall.

Sitting with his feet hanging, he looked towards the sky and briefly smiled. The inner pressure or guilt of having killed so many people over the past five days was completely invisible to him. Fiola who was sitting next to the young man gave a slight cold glance, feeling that there was indeed something different about his master when compared to the mentality of most people.

“You .. is indeed strange. Before leaving, you said you never kill people, but during the attack on the bandit headquarters you look always relaxed. Don't you be the sadistic type?”

Odo's eyebrows twitched a little to hear that, the moment he was enjoying by looking at the disturbed aurora. Glancing flat, he asked back, “Why is that? Would I be better off hit or moody like those Miquator witches?”

Looking towards the several mages sitting together with the hunters and warriors on the gazebo near the bonfire lit in the middle of the town hall, Fiola slightly sighed fretfully. Looking up and staring flatly at the young man next to him, Huli Jing said, “Which way maybe you could be like that, if you could for sure it was very funny and I would be wide awake to see it.”

“Cruel, I can also be depressed, loh.”

“Masa?”

“Iya.”

A moment of night wind blew, bringing about a chill and making some people around the campfire shiver. In the village hall, there are more than six gazebus that are used to receive guests. The place has no lodging because it is located on the territorial border between the two cities and is rarely used for stops because of its location. Because of this, travelers or people who accidentally stop by will usually be given a bed on the gazebu around the village hall.

Indeed it felt impolite to let guests sleep outside, but the tribe that became the majority in the village had certain rules for treating guests. They are actually very friendly if they do not see the tradition of letting guests sleep outside, a clear proof of that is the dinner provided free of charge by the villagers even though it is fairly simple and makeshift.

While observing some of the villagers interacting with the soldiers, Odo breathed a sigh of relief from certain information from their conversation. Moving to look at the hunters and witches who were being spoken to by the women and elders of the village, Odo immediately knew that they were trying to comfort those who were moody.

“Hmm, so true this is a friendly village as Lisia said,” muttered Odo.

“What's up, Mister?”

“Yeah, it's just that I think this village is very friendly, yes.”

“The village is far away from political affairs and is located in the interior of the forest, it is natural that they behave like that. You know, even here still do not want to transact using money, loh.”

Odo was a little surprised, immediately turned his head and asked, “Keep Miss Lisia is using what to buy all those groceries? Even though it's game meat that tastes bad in winter like this, still pay, ‘kan?”

“So please, I don't know about that .... But, the village chief here said he used to be a former from the Mylta Branch Family. Well, it was during the Great War and for some reason they broke away and chose to stay in the forest like this, anyway.”

“Oh ..., there is still a relation as it turns out. Hmm, broad relations are very useful.”

In the midst of the conversation, Lisia who was sitting with the Chief Warrior moved from the spot, She approached Odo and Fiola. For a moment the black-haired youth was confused to see the Substitute Mayor standing before him and just stared deeply without speaking.

“What's up, Miss Lisia?” ask Odo.

“Can I sit?”

Fiola was sensitive with Lisia's grim look, immediately sliding and giving room for the red-haired woman sitting next to Odo. The young man glanced coldly at Lisia next to him, observing the woman who was not at all cold despite not wearing any winter clothes.

“What Miss Fiola and Mr Nigrum can also use temperature manipulation?”

The question coming out of Lisia sounded insignificant to Odo. Slightly squinting and sighing, he said, “Nona has seen I am very good at the use of fire magic, right? Don't ask something obvious .... Anyway, you came to me not to ask like that, ‘kan?”

“Sorry ...”

Her mood feels a little awkward. Fiola tried not to get into the conversation, looked away and looked towards the sky pretending to enjoy the aurora scene even though he was not too fond of it.

“Master, why can you look relaxed despite doing something like that?” asked Lisia in a soft voice.

“Means killing bandits?”

“Iya ..”

For a moment Odo fell silent, thought about the answer carefully and said, “Hmm, I killed them out of necessity. As long as Miss knows, I kill not because I like, but because that is what I think is true.”

“But ...”Lisia looked at Odo, then replied, “It is possible that there are good bandits among them .... Not all of them want to be like that.” Although refuting, the red-haired woman lowered her face and began to doubt herself.

“Bandit is good, yes. If they were good, it would be impossible to be a bandit. Whatever the reason, forcibly seizing another right cannot be justified. After all, did Miss really pay attention to the residents of the city where Miss lives?”

“Of course I noticed them!” lisia said firmly while looking straight at the young man.

“Then, Miss must have known there were some unfortunate townspeople and not even recognized as citizens of Felixia Kingdom ..”

“It ...”

“Although in limitation and oppressed, they do not do vile acts such as looting or slaughtering a village ...”

“They are weak, where might dare to do just that.”

“True, absolutely right!” said Odo firmly. “They are weak and have no power ..., therefore Miss must protect them because Miss has power. Isn't it for the sake of such a thing Miss honing swordsmanship?”

Holding Lisia's hand and grasping it, the young man confirmed, “In reality, the difference between the soldiers and the bandits is very thin. Both have the power to force the ego, but things like loyalty, morals, values, attitude, and heart make a clear difference.”

“Tetap course .. it feels scary.” Odo clearly knew that the woman was trembling, the guilt was really making her spirit plummet and the confidence she had seen from her was gone nowhere. Raising her face and looking straight at Odo, Lisia said, “You know ..., in just these five days I killed over a hundred people .... The combat plans and tactics you suggested were indeed amazing, but seeing this existing result ... feels like a massacre!”

“Keep, Miss wants there to be a victim from Miss's subordinates so that it doesn't look like a massacre?”

“ ....!” Lisia was completely shocked to hear that, her eyes were wide open and doubt and fear disappeared in an instant. Replacing this, the impulse of obligation began to strengthen on him.

“No, right? Miss knows, this world is not as ideal as Miss thought ...”

Raising his hand from Lisia, Odo gazed towards the sky and observed the dim stars among the sparkles of the aurora. With a thin smile he wanted, he said, “In the world there is no really good person and at the same time no one is really evil. They each have their reasons, depending on how that view will change. I won't ask Miss to change that point of view, but please remember this  .... Try to look around Miss and widen the point of view, Miss will definitely be aware of the right choice.”

Lisia took a look at the sky, feeling a little amazed by the scenery and asked, “Do you know the right choice?”

“Not .., I don't know either. There might be a better option than this, but unfortunately what is available to me is only this.” Odo lowered his face, blinded his right palm and looked at it, then said, “Nona knows .., I also don't like killing people continuously for these five days .... I killed 277 men by magic and 12 twelve men by the sword, that's the number of bandits I killed in these five days. If coupled with the number of burned fire fence that I made it add a lot.”

“You ... considering the amount?” Lisia. He wanted to forget all the people he killed with his hands, but the young man remembered the number of people he killed.

“It's a shame my memory is so sharp. Although it did not want to, it was neatly stored in my head ...”.

Looking at the grim expression rarely seen on the young man, Lisia felt like a bad person who subconsciously wanted to see such an expression from him. A fleeting sense of relief was felt, making him smile thinly with a strange taste in mind.

After another small talk and a sense of doubt, Lisia moved away from the gazebu and stepped away. Just a few steps of his foot stopped, turned to look at Odo and said, “Oh, yes. Better sir not to get too close to Miss Fiola first, the soldiers say that you are cheating, you know.”

“Checking?” Odo was confused. But when he understood that it was related to a lie made some time ago, he slightly put on a flat gaze and glanced at Fiola. Not getting a response, the young man looked back at Lisia and said, “Alright.”

“Hmm, thank you, Mr.”

“Eh? For what ...?”

“Nothing, I just want to say it, Liebling ...”

Lisia turned around and went towards where the soldiers who had been watching from afar had been. Hearing the foreign word spoken by the woman, Odo seemed confused at first glance because he did not know the meaning. But when he turned to Fiola and saw that she looked unhappy, Odo's mouth closed tightly before he could ask.

“Dia .. turned out to be such a person, yes. Obviously I don't like the boy,” Fiola said.

“What's really why? Miss Lisia is polite and friendly, you know. Well, indeed sometimes he stares cynically, hell.”

“I hate people who don't know themselves .... Hate to.”

An annoyed face look on the woman's blackish brown sign. Stop sitting and tidying up her kimono, Fiola stood before Odo and said, “Remember your position, lest such feelings grow and create unnecessary conflict,” in a sarcasm tone.

“I get it, don't worry .... Anyway ...”

The last word was erased by the night wind, not conveyed clearly to him. With the woman's hair fluttering softly, the look of a surprised face was clearly visible to her who could understand the words even though she did not hear them completely. It was completely unexpected coming from a person like Odo, making a thin smile start to appear.

“You know, female jealousy is scary. Madam if you are jealous do not even hesitate to throw a spear of light to Mr. Dart ..”

“I know, more or less understand such a thing. But want how else, already already.”

“What's up, Gigolo base.”

“His cruelty, I'm not that kind of person, loh.”

The two of them smiled at each other, like a plot with a common sneaky purpose.