Restart Again: Volume 2 by Adam Scott (hardest books to read txt) 📕

word and inflection was perfectly measured. “I took advantage of your civil unrest and gave you the tools to overthrow your Council. Not for your own good, but for mine, and for—”

A rock flew up out of the crowd and bounced off of the Strategist’s oversized hat. “My brother died during that coup, you bastard!” shouted a man from the front row. “This was all for your damn mercenary group?!” He pulled a short sword from his hip and took a step forward, but he was immediately knocked to the ground by a man in Company armor. A ripple ran through the crowd behind them as Unbound and Company men began to form tight clusters opposite one another. The two men at the foot of the stage squared off, each holding their weapons at the ready.

“ENOUGH!” The command boomed across the plaza as Val slammed her shield against the stage for emphasis. Both of the men in the skirmish froze, slowly turning their heads to look up at her, and the crowd followed suit. “There will be no bloodshed today. This conflict is over.”

The Strategist straightened his hat and cleared his throat. “I will go with the King’s Shield to Yoria, where I will face punishment for my crimes. For this cooperation, the members of the Elta’sahn Company present in the city will be allowed safe passage back to our fleet, on the condition that they never return to Attetsia.”

Val continued the explanation. “Every member of the Unbound is granted clemency for any actions taken during the coup. A new Council will be elected through a general election, taking into consideration your grievances that initially sparked this conflict. Any citizens displaced or otherwise adversely affected by the Company’s presence will be given monetary compensation by the Golden Throne, under my supervision.” The last detail took me by surprise; I had a difficult time believing that Virram would support the idea, but the promise of reparations made it much more likely that the Attetsian rebels would agree with our plan.

The Unbound soldier at the front of the crowd considered her points for a tense moment, then returned his weapon to his belt. “He belongs to us,” he shouted, pointing up at the Strategist. “We should be the ones to decide his fate, not Kaldan. He did this to us, not to you.”

“For the sake of Attetsia, he must stand trial,” Val responded diplomatically. “A full interrogation is the only way to reveal the true extent of his crimes, both committed and planned. While I plan to give a full account of what I have found here, it will not be enough proof to both punish him accordingly and appropriately aid the restoration of your home.” Her voice lost a bit of harshness. “I understand your desire for...immediate justice, but we must put aside our personal feelings for the sake of the greater good.”

“And what do you know of the greater good?!” There was a commotion at the center of the crowd as a new voice shouted out at us. Although I couldn’t make out the face of the man heading towards the stage, a garish orange hat in the same style as the Strategist’s was clearly visible through the gathering.

“I didn’t know he was going to be here,” the Strategist whispered angrily, looking back at us. “This complicates things.”

“Complicates things how?” I whispered back to him. “Who is he?”

His eyes took on a faraway quality as he sighed and shook his head. I looked back to the crowd and found that the hat had reached the front of the stage. The man beneath it was young, seeming at most in his early twenties, with platinum blonde hair that was styled in the same fashion as the Strategist’s ponytail and goatee. Apart from a belt of five daggers worn across his chest, the young man’s apparel was also a direct copy of the Strategist’s, albeit of a far inferior quality to the beautiful fabrics of the Company leader. His bright green eyes were full of fury as he pulled out a fencing saber and pointed it towards Val. “By order of First Tactician Jeremiah Eltann, you are to release this man at once!”

Val looked between the young man and the Strategist with a puzzled expression. “I cannot do that.”

“Jeremiah, please,” the Strategist said with a forced smile, “now is not the time—”

“Now is precisely the time!” Jeremiah interrupted forcefully. “It is clear your words can’t be taken at face value given your circumstances. You’ve been forced to agree with this plan against your will! There is no other explanation!” He looked to the men around him and pumped his fist vigorously in the air. “Men of the Elta’sahn Company! We can free our leader if we band together. Only then can we continue to carry out his will!”

I nearly laughed out loud at the proclamation. What a fantastic failure to read the situation. If this kid thinks he’s the next Strategist in the making, he’s got a rude awakening ahead of him.

His nearby allies made no move to assist him with the bold strategy, and instead exchanged unsure glances with each other. The lack of support only seemed to strengthen the First Tactician’s resolve. “I will show you all the strength of the Company myself,” he announced, taking a bold step towards the stage.

“If you really value your dear leader’s life, you’ll stop where you are, drop your weapons, and repent profusely,” I spoke down to him, stepping up to the edge of the platform. “Follow your orders, kid. This works best for everyone if you just go home alive, with your tail between your legs.” Judging by the range of annoyed and angry faces on the closest Company men, Jeremiah’s dramatic outbursts were a common occurrence.

“How dare you speak to me like that! You wouldn’t make such threats if you had any wits about you,” he spat. “Perhaps if you drop your weapons and repent, I’ll let you keep your tongue.