Chapter 124 - 124: Constitution, Conversation, Con...
The Prisoners that were in their houses all came out as they felt the ground tremble. They have not really experienced an earthquake before in the Pit, and so the looks of fear on their face could be seen clearly.
There's also the slight fear of the Locals. What if that rumbling was from them marching their army inside the Wall? They do not even know how many there are, but seeing as they have more than a thousand years of history and a thousand years to populate this place, there should be almost more than hundreds of thousands of them. Even a million if they weren't in the constant threat of the monsters from the Portal.
As far as the Prisoner population knows, the only person alive today that has gone to the other side of the Wall was Boss. She was also known to be the oldest resident of the Pit now. Some have come and gone, and yet she was still here.
"What… what was that!?"
Some of the Prisoners have started to panic as they left their houses one by one.
"Are we under attack!?"
"I knew we shouldn't have messed with the Locals!"
"What if… what if they have decided to get rid of us!?"
"Where is Boss!? Shouldn't she take responsibility for killing the Locals!?"
"You called for me?"
The panicked whispers and clamoring in the air instantly stopped as Boss' words entered the people's ears. They quickly shut their mouth as they looked to the side, afraid that Boss might single them out.
"Nothing to worry about, people," Boss clapped her hands, causing some of the Prisoners to flinch, "Reed has already checked the Wall, everything is fine."
The Prisoners all dispersed to the side even before Boss finished with her words. One prisoner, however, approached her.
"People are at their wits, Latanya."
The man held a different aura from most of the Prisoners. For one, he was fully clothed, and two, his face was too clean and kempt, with his dark brown hair even slicked back.
"Oh, Rick. You need something?"
The man was Rick, the leader of the East side.
"People are starting to whisper and gossip. Is it really the right decision to antagonize and keep the Locals here?" Rick said as he looked towards the disheveled locals.
"What do you think?" Boss, however, only said a few words before walking away, not even bothering to glance at Rick.
"Hm…" Rick could only furrow his eyebrows as he watched Boss' back slowly disappearing into the distance. He was about to head back to his own house, but before he could do so, a voice slithered into his ears.
"Really… what are you so afraid of, Dick?"
"...Grant."
Rick's frown grew even worse as he looked at the man that whispered into his ears. It was a red-haired man. And even though he looked skinny, the sharpness of his muscles could still be seen clearly. His most noticeable feature, however, was the piercings that filled his face and torso.
"We will protect your people, Dick." Grant licked his lips as he stared directly at Rick's eyes, "Just give us the women on your side."
Hearing Grant's words, Rick only let out a tiny scoff, "This again? Do you really think we have a chance against the Locals? Why do you think Boss doesn't try to rally us up to destroy the Wall?"
"Pft, who cares. I am more interested in the little fish that came in yesterday anyway. Where is he?" Grant squinted as his eyes scanned the Eastern side of the Encampment, "I heard he spent the night on your side."
"If the boy is indeed on our side, then that's that. Unlike you, Grant, we do not coerce or force anyone to live on our side."
"Oho, is that so?"
With both leaders talking to each other, the Prisoners on both sides started to once again gather up as the pressure in the air was starting to build up. Their stares, ready to maw one another.
"This… could be dangerous?"
The Locals, who were currently caught in the middle of both sides, could not help but slightly fidget. If the two sides were to start a brawl, they would surely be involved in the fight.
"Let them," Eugene whispered, "If they start destroying each other, then we can escape during the panic."
"Heh. These people are nothing but barbari--"
"!!!"
Before one of Eugene's men could finish his words, he felt something warm splashed on his face. It was a very familiar feeling, one that he had experienced not too long ago in this very same spot.
"D… Dave?" Eugene was about to turn his head towards his now silent men, but before he could do so, he felt a thud on his leg.
He slowly looked towards the thud, only to see something that shouldn't be there. He then looked towards Dave, and something that should be there was not. Eugene could only blink numerous times as a fountain of blood showered onto his face.
"W… what?"
Eugene then returned his focus on the Prisoners as he heard a whistling noise ringing in his ears. And there, he saw Grant with his arm stretched towards them. And there was what seemed like a disc of dirt floating in front of his palm. It was spinning at a high speed, creating a whistling noise as it did so.
"...Why?" Was the only word that came out of Eugene's mouth.
"Goods do not talk," Grant replied as the floating disc in front of him started to disperse and drop to the ground.
Eugene wanted to rebuke and say more, but he was afraid that if he were to talk, then these barbarians might decide to kill all of them. In truth, he could probably escape if he wished so. But his men would probably be mauled before they could even reach the Wall.
"...I think Boss won't like it that you killed one of our hostages," Rick let out a sigh as he looked at the dead Local Scout.
"Pft, you've known Boss the longest here and you still don't know here," Grant stuck out his tongue and cackled, "All of these are just theatrics for her, Dick. The food only comes second."
"Let's go! Let's leave these cocksuckers on their own!" Grant burst out in laughter as he beckoned his group to return to their side of the Encampment.
Rick's people wanted to rush them, but Rick stopped them before they could do so. "It's not worth it. All of you should go back to your homes and rest, you might need your strength later if something goes wrong."
The Locals could only watch as the crowd once again dispersed. They thought for sure that a brawl was going to happen, but the only thing that resulted from it was another loss of life from their side.
"W… where are you taking him!?"
Solomon, who has been quietly guarding the Locals, suddenly picked up Dave's beheaded body off the ground. He then tossed it in the air, playing with it like it was some sort of doll.
Their comrade's blood once again showered over them as he was flung into the air repeatedly.
"When… when are they coming!?"
Eugene's remaining two men started to dread for their lives. Even Eugene himself was starting to lose hope, he was afraid that if they spent another day inside the Wall, then none of them would be returning alive.
But finally, after a few more hours, their hope arrived, bringing in carriages filled with food with them.
"Welcome, welcome to our humble abode!" Boss greeted the caravan with a smile on her face, "Although I am afraid you have brought more than we can trade for. You see, one of your people has escaped."
The Locals who arrived could not help but look at each other. They clearly see a gigantic man playing with the body of what could only be one of their Scouts. But since the tensions were high and they were currently not in their territory, they do not dare speak. There's also the fact that their chief himself has come with them.
"Latanya, what are you doing now?" An old man with a beard almost reaching his chest approached Boss, his bald head almost reflecting the rays of the setting sun. "I thought we were in an understanding that you will no longer cause any trouble."
Hearing the Local Chief's words, the smile on Boss' face quickly disappeared, "You say that after you send people here… to get one of our own?"
"One of your own?" The Local Chief grunted, "A child clearly does not belong in this… place."
"The boy… doesn't belong in this place? Pft…" Boss quickly burst out in laughter, "I will have you know that the boy you seek is a ruthless--"
"Chief!"
Before Boss could finish her words, Eugene stood up and interrupted them.
"Eugene, can't you see we are talking!?" The Local Chief's roars echoed throughout the entire Encampment.
"P… please, Chief." Eugene gulped as he still continued to speak, "The boy… I have talked to the boy. I promised to rescue him and his mother! If we give more food, maybe these barbarians will allow us to take them! Please! I do not want my men's deaths to be in vain…
...We need to get the boy out of this place!"
Boss could not help but frown as he heard Eugene's words. Van… talked to him? With the small time she spent with Van, she already knew that something was not right with him. Just what… is that small boy planning now?
"...Fine," The Local Chief let out a long and deep sigh as he looked directly at Eugene's eyes, "What do you want for the boy and his mother?" He then said to Boss.
"...Double of the amount of food you brought now."
Even though this was an unexpected development, Boss still took this chance to extort more food from the Locals.
"You'll have them."
Surprisingly, the Local Chief agreed without even the slightest of hesitation. He sent some of his men back to the Wall, returning after 3 hours with even more food.
The smiles on the Prisoners' faces could not be hidden as they stared at the sizable bounty in front of them. With this amount, they wouldn't even have to struggle for more than half a year.
"T… thank you, Chief!" Eugene and his men bowed their heads towards their chief.
"Hm…" The Local Chief nodded in response, "Where is this boy now, I wish to see him."
"Uh… there he is!"
As soon as the Local Chief said his words, Van showed himself. However, something was amiss.
"!!!"
Van… was covered in blood. His hands trembling, his feet barely standing by themselves.
"My… my mother…
...is dead."