System's POV
chapter-182

After his late-night escapade, Thirteen slept and only woke up at around noon, with only Alina watching over him.

He didn't expect to sleep that long, but he had no regrets either. For him, being able to rest properly was a good sign, especially since he was still a growing boy.

Vassago and Poca were also inside the Inn and had just finished eating the nuts Alina had given them for lunch.

"Hungry, Zion?" Alina asked as soon as she noticed that the boy was awake.

"Very," Thirteen replied before doing a few stretches.

"I'll get you something to eat downstairs. What do you want?"

"A sandwich is fine."

"Understood."

After Alina left the room, Thirteen sat on the chair and rested his chin on the palm of his hand, looking at the two Pocopocos who were also looking at him.

"Vassago, have you memorized the voices of the City Lord, as well as the people stationed inside his residence?" Thirteen asked.

"I only managed to get half of them," Vassago replied. "Some of the servants didn't go out of the residence, so I didn't get to hear their voices, but I already memorized the voices of the City Lord and the guards."

Thirteen smirked. "Good job. That is more than enough. But if you have the opportunity to memorize the voices of the other servants, go for it as well."

"Understood." Vassago nodded. "Shall I go back to the City Lord's Residence and try my luck then?"

"Yes. But don't feel bad if you don't get the voices of the rest of the servants. We still have a few days, so there's no rush."

"Okay."

Thirteen then glanced outside of their window and looked at the bustling city.

He almost felt sorry that their peaceful life would suddenly change in a few days, but he knew that this was something that he had to do in order to give the Sumatran Kingdom a chance to avoid a major disaster.

"Vassago, am I a bad person?" Thirteen asked all of a sudden while still looking at the city outside the window.

"Yes, Master," Vassago replied in a heartbeat. "You are a bad person."

Tiona glared and hissed at the Pocopoco as if telling him that her Master was not a bad person.

Thirteen smiled and lightly patted the angry Tiona's head with a finger, calming her down.

"I would have doubted your words if you said that I was not a bad person," Thirteen stated. "So, what do you think, Poca? Since you already know that I'm a bad person, shouldn't you start distancing yourself from me?"

The seven-year-old then turned to look at the Pocopoco beside Vassago.

"As you can see, I intend to do more bad things in the future, and it will not just stop in this city," Thirteen said in a mischievous tone. "Pocopocos are righteous by nature, so you being with us might make you bad as well.

"Vassago didn't have a choice because the two of us made a deal, which left him no choice but to serve me for a few years in exchange for his freedom. You, on the other hand, are free to do whatever you like.

"However, I am only taking those who will help accomplish my goal on this journey. I am a very calculative person, you see. I like to be in control. Variables like you, who are outside of my control, make me uneasy. So, I'll give you until tomorrow to decide whether you will stay with us or not.

"If you choose to stay, know that you will have to listen to my orders, just like Vassago does. You cannot question me in any way because, like I said, I am a bad person who does bad things."

Thirteen eyed the Pocopoco to make sure that Poca understood what he was trying to tell her.

Poca nodded in understanding before saying the word "Okay," which meant that she would give the boy her answer when morning came.

"Good. That is all," Thirteen once again shifted his attention to the city outside of the window. "You may now go, Vassago. Also, give the city a good look from the sky. If you see anything of interest, report it to me when you return."

"Understood," Vassago replied before spreading his wings.

A moment later, he flew outside of the window, leaving Poca behind.

Poca hesitated before spreading her wings to follow Vassago. But, before she left the room, she said something to Thirteen, which made the boy smile.

"I like bad boys, too, you know?"

After saying those words, the Pocopoco flew out of the window to fly alongside Vassago and accompany him on his mission.

If Poca agreed to work with Thirteen, the exchange of messages between him, the General, as well as Cristopher and Rianna, would become faster.

Tiona, who was now left alone with her Master, nudged her head on his cheek, asking to be spoiled.

The boy chuckled and rubbed her head until she was satisfied.

A few minutes later, Alina entered the room with a platter of food in her hand.

"Master, I overheard people in the Tavern talking about the festival that will start in a few days," Alina reported.

"The Harvest Festival, right?" Thirteen smiled faintly.

"Yes," Alina replied. "The Harvest Festival that you plan to ruin."

The Tigerkin had a conflicted look on her face because this was a tradition among the Tigerkins, especially after a good Harvest.

People would eat, drink, and make merry, for this was an annual event and a very important one for their people.

Thirteen planned to execute his plan on the day of the festival to make it more memorable.

He didn't pick the date at random.

No. He picked it exactly because it was a significant event for the Tigerkins.

On this day, all of them would witness something tragic, which would shake them to their very core.

"Alina, you're too kind," Thirteen said as he moved the plate of food towards him. "Even now, I can see in your eyes that you want me to think of other ways to keep this war from happening without endangering the livelihood of others.

"But desperate times call for desperate measures. You might not believe it, but this is truly the most peaceful way that I can think of to resolve this issue. Sure, it might inconvenience the Sumatran Kingdom for a few days, but your Kingdom has enough food to make up for the losses that your people will suffer due to the loss of your surplus of wheat and meat.

"Without food and weapons, your armies cannot march into war. So we need to eliminate the supply to ensure that we can minimize the losses that your people will suffer in the future. Don't worry. I won't ask for your forgiveness or anything.

"Since I have taken this path, I will see it through until the end. Feel free to stay here and close your eyes if you wish, but don't stop me. Don't try to stop me."

After saying these words, Thirteen started to eat the food that Alina had brought to him.

Even though his guard didn't say anything, he understood that she was opposed to what they planned to do.

But, she still followed him for a reason, and that was to see with her own eyes whether the seven-year-old was telling the truth or not.

If he were lying to them, Alina would not hesitate or feel guilty about taking his life, in exchange for the hardship that her people would face in his hands.