Understanding Between

“You're that hero kid, the one who killed your own entire class.” Then his expression shifted instantly into a serious stare. “Like hell we would ever want to team up with someone like that. You would just kill us too.”

Can't say I didn't expect this, though the advantage here is that they don't believe in the mages either, which means that's the perfect way to make them question what I truly did.

Jumping off the elevated platform, Sorin went right next to the man. He threw his staff away into a corner and stared up at him due to his taller appearance. “Have you seen me kill anyone? You don't trust anything the mages do, but you seem to be fine with trusting them about me?”

“...” He didn't reply, almost nudging Sorin to continue.

Catching on, Sorin shifted his stance, putting his hand on his chin. “If you are aware that they are starving you out, that they keep you in line with an overwatch mage, that they treat you like nothing. Have you ever thought I have gone against that?”

“What you're saying is that they framed you because you decided to go against them. That would be possible. Especially considering the hope we had in you.”

“The hope in me.” Sorin dropped his shoulders, almost speechless.

The bald man nodded. “You were going to be a hero; we hoped you would bring this war to an end. Seeing you on that execution platform was almost as if my only flicker was being burned out.” He looked over at his coworkers as they all couldn't bear to look at the pair talking anymore.

“I just can't do it alone. This is our only chance. Once they get here before we get out, once this ends, they will lock you down even more. You will have worse conditions…”

Wait, I just realised, I accidentally messed up their entire lives. Even if they refuse, they will be more watched over. They will be kept under more control. It's not that they will be killed, but inherently I made their lives worse. I have to convince them even more now, or it's all to waste.

Sorin then took a deep breath. “I apologise, I have not realised that you might reject this. I will make your life worse even if you disagree. This place will be more guarded from now on.”

“That's right, and you only considered that now; you’re short-sighted in your planning.” The man's words hit Sorin exactly where they needed to for his expression to turn more grim.

He could only nod. “I know, I didn't think that through fully. It only occurred to me now, which is exactly why I want you all to join this cause even more. Leaving yourselves to waste now. But now you have the choice to turn that into life-saving work.”

“You have a point in that sense; we have so many supplies ready to be shipped up there. It seems a waste, at least a month's worth. If we were to do this, then what can you promise?” The man was still suspicious; he was at least seeing Sorin's good intentions; his face alone told them he really regretted this.

Sorin then calmed himself. “I want you to take all of this food in a carriage, go to the main street, and hand it out with me.”

The man nodded, seeing the vision "They won't shoot down a month's worth of supplies, but they will try to arrest us. What then?” The man seemed curious now.

“I will protect you personally. I will fight for you until you all run away safely. Then I will retreat.”

He then laughed, “And what stops you from running?”

“Because I also want to ask for one more thing.”

“Speak.” His stature instantly shifted; his hands went on his hips, almost comically.

Sorin didn't mind; however, he just wanted to put his point across. “Say that it was from me. Say that I will try my best for the common person, say that I will have given this as part of my plan.”

The refinery went silent; nobody uttered a word, but they all understood again what Sorin was trying to do, until a lady with short dark hair wearing a grey shirt and a green dress down to her knees spoke to him, “You're trying to rally everyone?”

“That's exactly what he's doing!” The bald man shouted across the refinery in amusement. “That is exactly what he wants, but I will be honest. I want that too. I have never since abandoned my sadness seeing the execution, but now once again I see a small shimmer of hope. So I do think this is worth it. I don't want to die with this guilt that only we eat good."

Sorin then walked over and picked up his staff. “I will reward you as much as I can once this is all over.”

The bald man's hands extended towards Sorin's shoulder, holding it down as he turned around to everyone. “Stop the production, put all the food on the carriage. Now!”

Everyone in the refinery got to work; storage supplies in the back started getting depleted in fast waves as people rushed back and forth putting all refined fresh bread supplies and refined ready-to-make grains onto carriages at the back of the refinery.

Sorin too began lifting with them as they all worked before coming back to the bald man who was overlooking. “I will stand on top of the carriage, so that they won't just hit me individually and won't dare to attack.”

“So be it, I promise on my own life too. I Ixul will follow through to the end.” He then rushed off to lift more bags, and within just a minute, the combined force of twenty people managed to load everything onto a carriage. An Akojo was also put to carry the carriage with its beastly power as the entire refinery was ready to set out.

Sorin stood on top of it. A symbol for all the other people in the other factories and refineries to look at as they were rolling out in absolute terror. They were going to feed the poor, and people seeing this all began to smile before going back to work in fear of being punished.

He was going to make this work, and he had to make it big, but the gates ahead were already locked down. With their enemy staring straight at him, the leading figure was a man with red hair wearing light grey robes; many men in the same robes posted beside him blocking the gate.