Chapter 146 - 146: One Of Them!
"If you insist on raping the women and harming the children-- Then yes...
...I am on the side of the Locals."
Silence blanketed the air as the Prisoners started looking at each other, not even a whisper coming out of their mouths as they tried to figure out what Boss just said.
Did they hear that right? Boss was siding with the Locals? Was this some kind of sick joke?
Wasn't she the one who indiscriminately killed the Locals that invaded their Encampment? Wasn't she the one that pressured and threatened them that if they wanted their men back, they would exchange them for food?
So why is she protecting them now? Is it really just because of the women and children?
Of course, most of them knew how protective Boss was of women, even as to set a rule just protecting them back in the Encampment… But the Locals are different, they are an enemy.
"Y… you hypocrite! Why are you protecting them now!"
With that scream, the bouts of shout from the Prisoners once again started to echo through the air. In response, Boss no longer tried to stop them. Instead, she glanced at the Locals behind her before whispering.
"...There's a place different from this Village," she muttered, "We just call them the City."
"...We?"
"A city? What city?"
With Boss' words slowly whispering into their ears, confusion once again swept their minds.
"You can do whatever you want there, but not here."
"What are you saying!?"
"There's a much larger place than this Village," Boss continued her words; her voice not even rising a single bit, "You were right to fear the Locals, there are thousands of them, armies. But there are also treasures there that are more than you can ever imagine…
...I can lead you there, just promise me that you will not harm the children. I do not care about the women there."
"W… what?" The Prisoners could only look at each other with Boss' words that were becoming more and more confusing with each breath.
"These people… have nothing to do with our… with your suffering," Boss let out a sorrowful and wry sigh, "They… are victims themselves. Victims of the City."
"How do you know these things!?"
"That's right! You're just making these things up!"
"Even if it was true, we don't care about the City! You think us fools!? If there really are thousands of them there, even more reason to just stay here!"
"Let's just attack them!"
"Yes! Take what we can! Kill! Kill them all!"
Hearing their unending screams that cried for bloodshed once again lingering in the air, Boss could only drop her shoulders in defeat. She was tired of trying to stop them.
The Prisoners all became excited as they saw Boss' long and loud sigh reached their ears. Finally, they all thought. It was time for carnage.
However, their smiles quickly faded as Boss did not walk back towards them. Instead, she went the other way, walking towards the Village of the Locals.
"W… what is she doing?"
"Is… is she going ahead? That's unfair! She was saying all that… but in the end, she just wanted to get the first blood!"
"Gahaha! As expected of Boss!"
"Go, Boss! We will strike on your command!"
The Prisoners all started to cheer as they watch as Boss walked towards the Locals, not even a hint of fear in her steps; in fact, there was not even a slight worry or hesitation in it.
Reed could not help but squint his eyes due to this fact. Something was wrong, he thought. It was not only him that held a similar expression, Rick, the leader of the east side have also noticed that something was wrong from the start.
The Locals quickly put up their guard as they noticed the leader of the Prisoners approaching them.
"Don't attack."
Eugene, however, raised his hand and gestured to them to lower their weapons.
"...Where's your Chief?" Boss stood directly in front of Eugene, not even minding that she was within reach of the enemy as she looked inside the Village casually.
"...Dead. I am the Chief now," Eugene let out a long and sorrowful breath.
Hearing Eugene's words, Boss could not help but look at him from head to toe. "...Dead? But he seemed healthy the last I saw him."
Boss let out a sigh of her own as she placed her hand on her chin. The huge explosion, the Gap, the guards leaving the Wall unattended… Surely, Eugene was not stupid enough to plan a coup against the old Chief?
No, there was not any point in that in the first place, he gains nothing by doing so.
"Tell me everything that happened here once all of this is over," she then patted Eugene on the shoulder. The Locals that were near them slightly flinched, but when they saw Eugene not moving or defending himself at all, only confusion was released from them.
"Sorry, but I will have to relinquish you of your duty."
"W… what?" Eugene stuttered.
"You're not ready to lead yet, boy." Boss shook her head as she slowly turned around, "From now on…
...I will be acting as this Village's Chief once again."
"What!?"
Those who were near enough to hear their conversation could not help but be even more confused. Chief? Just what exactly is this Prisoner saying? Has she gone mad? However, before any more questions could be thrown out, Boss' loud voice drowned their thoughts.
"Listen up, you tools!"
Boss roared, facing the Prisoners once more. "60 years ago, I was thrown into the Encampment!"
"...60 years? Boss was alive then?"
"She does have Healing skills, no surprise."
The Prisoners once again looked at each other as they whispered amongst themselves. They then looked at the oldest looking Prisoner they could find and asked him, "Is this true!?"
The oldest-looking prisoner, however, could only shake his head.
"...I just got here," he said.
Alas, the oldest-looking Prisoner was actually one of the newest ones, thrown at the same time as Gerald just a few hours ago.
"But I wasn't thrown from the Portal!" Boss continued with her speech, "I was thrown from the Wall by the people from the City!"
"What… what is she trying to say?" One of the Prisoners stuttered as he took a nervous gulp.
In truth, some of them already knew where Boss' words were heading. They could not, however, even begin to fathom the idea. But Boss' next words proved their greatest worry.
"The ones you call the Locals…
...I am one of them!"