Kaelen woke up and quickly looked around. He saw about 200 villagers. Some wore red cloaks, others black, and some had none at all.At the center, a man with a blue cloak, clearly the leader, stood tall and said:
"Hahahaha! A Leonheart? We're going to make that lord kneel! We'll demand lower taxes and protection from the monsters. If he refuses—his seigneury will be destroyed by the Leonheart family!"
He seemed extremely pleased with this plan...
Until Kaelen started thinking.
"If I tell them I'm not actually a Leonheart, they won't give me anything. But if I keep pretending, I could die if I'm exposed..."
He took a deep breath, felt that luck was with him, and made his move.
"I'm not a Leonheart. I'm... a Rebel."
Silence.
Shocked faces. They thought he was lying—who would dare say such a thing?But deep down, they knew: only a madman would admit to being a Rebel.In this kingdom, the law is clear—three generations of anyone who proclaims rebellion must be executed.
Kaelen continued calmly:
"My goal is to overthrow the King... and the Holy Church."
(He had improvised that part—he figured that every medieval monarchy had three things: a King, a Church, and a people in pain.)
Then he asked with a serious voice:
"And you? What are you, exactly?"
The blue-cloaked leader opened his mouth…But no sound came out.
He was shocked. His throat clenched with fear.Eventually, he forced himself to speak:
"We're just peasants… Some of us can control basic magic, like any normal human. Others train with swords in their free time. All we want is a better life.Sure, maybe I'm crazy to even hope that… But don't call me a Rebel. We're just angry. That's all."
Kaelen replied coldly:
"You're funny. Dogs scared to bite their master. Scared to bark.Scared to rise up."
The villagers looked at each other.
Some whispered.
They said:
"He talks like a noble...""No… like a philosopher...""Maybe… a real leader?"
The truth hit them hard.
Their "leader" only led because he was the only one who could use wind and water magic. Nothing more.
The murmurs grew louder.
Until finally, even the blue-cloaked man heard it.
He clenched his fists. He was angry…But deep down, he felt a bit relieved—maybe now the burden could be shared.
Kaelen looked around.And deep inside… he was amused.
"My gamble paid off."