Races: Online

This was how that particular day went for some of them. Han found himself sweating hard—not only just because the furnace was at an all-time hotness and he was sitting a little bit too close to the fire, this was one of those moments where everything could make or break it.

Professor Owen Liddell had seized on the information like a mad detective—and while he may have not been the greatest detective who lost his parents at some random activity with his family—the man was dead set on getting the answers out from Han's lips.

"This can all be resolved if you simply care to explain what has happened," Professor Owen said. "Everyone else is focused on what those three 'fugitives' had done in the city and they were terrible… people died, Han. I'm not blaming you for it, but you know these people."

"I'm not responsible for their actions!" Han said. "I tried to stop them to the best of my ability—which isn't that much. But I did. If you can get a truth stone or some kind of Skill to detect my intentions, you'll see that I'm being honest."

"Let's say I believe you, I see no reason for you to side with other Races unless you're nothing but a Changeling and the real Han has already been long dead—but what happens next, Han? We can't mitigate the damage and deaths that have already occurred. I'd like to have you see this in a wider frame."

"Then… I think we as a whole need to get stronger." 

"Pardon?"

"When I met them—well, I didn't see them do much actual fighting, but they thrashed the first gate of the city. How can people here stand for that and not try to grow stronger? People should level up so it doesn't have to happen again. Kraelonia Academy came and intervened very late. All of us need to get stronger."

"Including you? A who-might-be-traitor Human?"

Han frowned at the title, but decided to pretend like he didn't hear that. He nodded and crossed his arms. "Yes. I need to get stronger."

"Hmm, I see." Professor Owen said with a calm expression on his face. 

It was already apparent to the man that Han changed Classes.

This was written in the back of his mind thanks to a Skill… and Owen actually wanted to congratulate Han for the Class Consolidation. But there were still other matters that needed attending over to.

Han already admitted that he saw them and knew them. He wanted to be stronger too—so did that mean that Han held no idea about them rescuing and delivering the princess? Owen was a little disappointed that his connection there was a faulty thread at most.

Or Han had nothing to offer to that.

But if these three individuals were the ones who saved and brought the princess home—the King was more likely to just give them a free pass. "Or he's getting blackmailed now." Owen Liddell frowned slightly.

"Huh?" Han looked up confused.

"It's nothing—you're free to go for now. If you can contact your friends again, then I'd like to have them pay for their crimes… but I doubt you'd do something like that. You'll be endangering yourself either way."

Sybeth stared at the Professor and waved a hand. "You're just letting him go after everything that happened—he knows people who killed other people!"

"Right now, their strength level is something… that needs to be determined before the city of Gloria can bring justice and return the favor." Owen Liddell frowned slightly. "Both Jeanne and I have already encountered them before and we were defeated easily."

Han remembered that it was Odele who was the reason for them sleeping asleep—but he wouldn't involve her. She was his…

The look on both Professor Owen and Sybeth's faces were clear frustration. He was being a callous person if he didn't feel anything about hearing after what everyone had been through. Did Han even have a heart or was he afraid that calling Odele out would lead him to miss out the opportunity to earn money?

"Money is… money." 

"What?" 

"Is he asking for a bribe? Is he trying to bribe his way out of here?" Sybeth half-glared at him. She was accosted at the fact that the young man she met was someone like Han. He seemed decent to her—but that evaporated at once at the revelation of what he's done.

Han hung his head and gritted his teeth. He needed to do the right thing—could he really do that? Odele wasn't actively involved either—it was just Tierra, Bleu and Lucia—but by standing around and not doing anything at all… she let them do whatever they wanted.

Han let them off too easily.

He couldn't do anything, nothing right at all—and the least he could do was… what? Even if Odele made them fall asleep, things were different. The people here might be high-leveled and strong… but they were going against Players.

Ones who received the invitation from the Creators to stay in this world.

They knew what was up more about this world than either Owen Liddell or even Old Man Joe could say—compared to the other Players, they were no doubt insignificant. The two could be easily killed and irrelevant. 

But was that really the truth?

Faeran said he had been around here for such a long time and so had Jilanya and the others—centuries of gameplay before him. Han wasn't around for any of those times and yet the Humans before him and everyone else managed to survive until this day.

They did not need any 'leader' or 'ruler' as Jilanya had said. They were just like him who survived, fought and did their best to live—and here they were. Some might be terrible, people could be horrible and stab you in the back as Old Man Joe might have put it… but they were fighters too.

Even if he, Han Jing the 'Player' or 'Representative' of the Humans arrived late and the other Races forgot about peace and saw this world as conquest and theirs for the taking, each one of them was still here and alive.

Humanity was thriving, academies, a kingdom and even adventurers heroes.

"What's with the guy—he makes me nervous, Professor." Sybeth stared at Han who seemed lost in thought. The young man's brows were furrowed and his face contorted enough that she almost thought that he was melting from the heat. 

"—I think I can help you guys out," Han said.

Professor Owen Liddell crossed his arms and eyed him. "Hmm, what's on your mind, boy?" 

He stood up and started pacing on the floor. Han returned the look with a stiff smile, as he thought about it more, the more reluctant he became… but he shouldn't give up.

"If you guys want to avenge the fallen ones in the city—I'll do my best to have them come here and you guys can deal with them. But I think you really need to prepare hard for this—you guys have already lost once. Maybe twice, we couldn't have been properly protected by the barrier put up… but you know, maybe they can be brought to justice."

"We will see about it—"

"They have to be captured and be thrown in jail—no, executed for what they did." Sybeth strolled up to him and blocked his path. "If anything, you who have been in cohorts with them need to be whipped by several lashes in the back. You've betrayed your own people." 

Han stared at the young woman and slowly nodded. "Yes—well, no. I know I sound like a selfish asshole when I say this, but compared to you… I can process that there have been many people that died. It's terrible—so even if I think that it's a horrible idea trying to avenge them, if strong and powerful people like Professor Owen want to do it, then we should."

"What?" Sybeth looked at him startled. "You want a bloodbath—"

"I thought you were repulsed because I didn't seem to care." Han stared at her, but then looked away. "It's not fair or right for me to say this, I don't know anyone who died at all—but they didn't deserve to die like that."

"... these people knew what they were going into when they started their profession. Dying while trying to protect the city was a great honor," Sybeth said. She insisted on it with a huge glare and frowned at him.

"I don't think we look at this similarly," Han scratched his head. 

"It was a calling and a service to the people. They died… like flies, but you're trampling on their service to us by trying to incite another kind of battle here."

Han stared at her and knew she was envisioning something different indeed.

"When I first arrived at the city—the Guardsmen who welcomed us into the city seemed like your average people just trying to get through life."

"Of course, what are you expecting?" Sybeth stared at him. "They have friends and family. Loved ones that cared for them and wanted them to be okay."

"Well, uh.. there's no honor, sense of prestige in any of those actions. It's someone taking a job and trying to do it properly maybe—but they encountered a dangerous event that they weren't prepared for at all so why shouldn't we try to avenge them?"

"Because other people are going to get hurt—"

"I think it's dangerous too, but we could make preparations for it. Be prepared and smart, then even giants can be felled, right? We can do this. Not me specifically, but like Professor Owen and the others."

The sudden change in Han's tone made even the Professor curious.

Han looked really conflicted earlier, but now everything was laid down on the table. Whether these fugitives had anything to do with the Colossal Wyvern or not, even if they might have dined and met with King Indrugs Sargon—it didn't matter.

Owen Liddell wanted to make a rational decision and take Sybeth's more pacificistic stance to this and yet even if he did so… these other Races would still be out there. They were capable of nearly putting the city into shambles.

Whether they stay away or attack again, the City of Gloria needs to make a preemptive move against them for their own protection. It was for the sake of everyone else.

"As long as these people actually agree to show up, then we'll take them down."

"I'll make sure that happens, Professor." 

Owen needed to prepare and recruit more people to the cause. Reports spoke of fast-acting poison that made many drop dead with only Jeanne's healing aura that kept death at bay long enough for the Healer Treuse to do his work to save them.

Now it was going to be different.

Or at least, one hoped so.