"Hey give me a mug of ale?"
"One silver coin"
"WHAT THE!!!"
Joel could hear so many frustrations and angry conversations among the customers in the tavern.
Even though Joel was sitting in the tavern, he could see no one is drinking or having anything as King's tax made everything unaffordable to citizens.
"I heard there's a king rising in the outer lands is that true?"
"I've heard that too but not sure it's true or not"
During Gael's cruel regime Don gave Joel and some others to spread the rumors about a king rising in the outer lands as Joel and others spread the rumors across the kingdom and turned it into a hot topic to gossip.
As Gael's punishments to ministers and high tax rates made the lives of citizens hard, a group of people formed a resistance group in the shadows to take out the king. Joel was now going to meet them after a vigorous searching for their hideout.
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"Your Highness our spies reported the Korrinth princess is not at all happy that you fried her pigeon"
The fatty reported to Gael. The fatty's face was apple red and his belly was covered in bandages because of Gael's punishment to the fatty when the fatty came a minute later to the king's court.
The punishment was to cut out a big chunk of meat from fatty's belly so that he could run faster and not be late to the court. In this two months after Gael took the form of King Hedor, Gael had to ponder his mind about new cruel punishments to his ministers and new ways to make the people's lives miserable before leading them to a better life, the rule under his lord Don.
"Of course she would be mad but I don't care what else?" Gael asked as the fatty started to shiver in fear.
"Your Highness there...we heard there's a group of resistance forming in the kingdom against you"
"What!?" Gael acted like he was shocked and surprised but he already heard about the resistance from Joel and secretly providing them the support to the uprising against him.
"Your Highness our spies know the location of their next meeting if you give the orders we can annihilate them once and for all"
Now hearing the fatty Gael was truly surprised at the effectiveness of the spy group of Emir.
"Resistance huh? Send our men to capture those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds I will kill them myself self oh no I'm going to torture them first hahaha" Gael's evil laugh echoed through the hall as the fatty almost wet his pants in fear.
"No what are you waiting for? all of you get lost" Gael waved his hand and dismissed the ministers while walking towards his chamber.
"Joel the resistance group's hideout have found out by the spies get them out of there it will be a good chance for you to infiltrate them"
"I'm almost there" Joel's voice reached Gael's ears through the Khal.
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"Is everyone here? Loren give out those bread to our brothers and sisters" Warren said looking towards a young woman.
Since two months ago Warren was a soldier in Emir's army however he chose to leave the army when he saw the miserable lives of his fellow citizens. He knew King Hedor was a cruel man and the tax rates he imposed on his citizens were higher than the other kingdoms as the citizens couldn't have any servings because of that.
However, two months ago the King announced the new tax rates and few rules that nearly destroyed many livelihoods of the citizens and now everyone in the kingdom barely has something to eat because of the laws and new tax rates.
Seeing the people's sad suffering faces Warren gathered a group of young men and women to form a resistance against the king. Surprisingly a small group he started now became a group of fifty people and someone started to fund his group from the shadows. Because of the benefactor, Warren could provide food to his group and people in the Emir.
"Thank our benefactor brothers and sisters without them we couldn't have made it this far"
"We thank our Benefactor" the group chorused.
"You all know why are we gathered here right? You know why we are eating a piece of bread like it's the most delicious thing while there are starving children out there? You know how many people are forced to close their business because of the new laws and taxes? '' Warren asked as the group slowly nodded their heads.
"There is only one reason to all of this KING HEDOR" just as Warren said the name he could see his brothers and sisters trembling in anger.
"Last two months he made our lives h.e.l.l while he was sitting in his palace and living his kingly life without even bothering to see our people" Warren didn't have to repeat the prices and horrible things the King had done because they already knew everything. Warren wanted everyone to think on their own before fully committing to abolish King Hedor's regime.
"Until now we only helped our people, held meetings in dark alleys, even tried to ambush the wagons going to the palace but do you think it's enough? DO YOU THINK ITS ENOUGH!!!" Warren's shout echoed throughout the darkroom.
"NO, IT'S NOT!!" Everyone standing in the room has been affected by the King's laws and tax rates some of them even lost their lands and stores so they didn't need a push to see what the king has been doing to their lives.
"Good because from now on we are going to oppose the king publicly"
The moment these words came out of Warren's mouth the whole room went deadly silent as one could even hear pin drop sound.
"Brother but?" Loren asked in a husky voice standing beside Warren.
"Look around us if it's not for the mysterious benefactor we couldn't even have afforded a loaf of bread and how long do you plan to depend on them? It's time we push forward or we will be starved to death what's your choice ?"
While Warren was looking at the group he suddenly heard someone thumping the door as Warren unsheathed his sword. Warren slowly stepped forward while a couple of men took out their weapons and started to follow Warren as Loren got ready to lead the group out through the backdoor.
"Who is there?" Warren tried to calmly ask the figure who is thumping the door on the other side.
"Open up the soldiers discovered this place they are on their way to here"
Warren's heart skipped a beat when he heard the voice and he turned to see the frightened look on the men following him.
"I think you are mistaken we are a simple family we don't have anything to hide" Warren couldn't just simply open the door and admit what he was doing.
"So your simple family needs nearly fifty loaves of bread huh? " as Warren heard the voice a piece of paper slid onto him through the crack under the door.
Seeing the paper Warren signaled one of the men to take it and when the man laid eyes on the paper his eyes went wide in surprise.
"Warren take a look"
The man showed the paper to Warren as again Warren's heart skipped a beat because the paper had a list of items the benefactor sent to them until now.
"You don't have much time I know you are planning to revolt against the king and I can help you besides it's also my employer is the one sent all the items to you" there were many thoughts running in Warren's head like if the other person is telling the truth he should open the door but if he was a soldier they would have been already surrounded.
Seeing that he had no choice but to open the door Warren's grip on his sword tightened. He knew if he started to send the group out by the back door they would be captured the moment they step outside because surrounding the enemy's place before entering is the basic tactic of an army.
Finally, Warren decided to slowly open the door and when the door opened he saw a blonde hair youth standing before him and n.o.body else behind him.
"Come on we don't have much time, the soldiers are already on their way quick follow me I know a safe place" the blonde-haired youth urged Warren and his group but Warren couldn't help but hesitate a bit even though the youth said he was employed by their benefactor.
"If you hesitate now you all are going to be captured, King Hedor's spies are already surrounded the place you have nowhere to escape without my help" while saying the youth signaled Warren towards a street merchant across the road. The merchant looked no different than the ordinary merchant but when Warren looked carefully he saw the iron boots under the merchant's robe which was not worn by an ordinary merchant.
"You see come on follow me" seeing the merchant Warren started to believe the youth as he nodded towards his group to follow him.
"Quickly come this way" even though Warren's group had nearly fifty people the youth lead them through the maze of alleyways without anyone following them.
Eventually, after navigating through the alleyway Warren's group reached an empty building in the city's outskirts.
"We are safe here " Warren heard the youth.
"Who are you? How do you know all this?" Loren asked as she stepped forward to stand beside Warren.
"I'm Joel and I was sent to help you by the same person who was helping you all these time" the blonde youth was indeed Joel and because he was a spy and along with the fact that he practically grew up running around the dark alleys he knew the layout of the city like his backhand.
"So who is helping us? When can we meet him or her?" Loren asked.
"You will meet them soon but before that, we need to stop KIng Hedor's rule once and for all"
