"Hey, do you have any idea what this is about? Why have they gathered us out here all of a sudden?"
"How should I know? I was just told to come over here, they said there's something they need to tell us."
"Could they be planning to turn on us? I heard rumors that they've been harboring dark motives all along."
"Have you completely lost your conscience? If it weren't for them, you'd still be rotting in the mines, and your only escape would be staring at a dark black wall!"
"Hey, you—!"
Across the vast clearing, arguments and speculation flared up instantly as the villagers voiced their unfiltered opinions. The clash of perspectives grew incredibly heated, even escalating to physical blows in a few corners. Before long, several men sustained minor injuries before the surrounding crowds rushed in to yank them apart.
As Talulah quietly observed the chaotic scene, the common folk remained entirely uncertain about what the young leader intended to say. However, none of them possessed the audacity to challenge her openly.
They were well aware that this sudden assembly was directly tied to the toxic rumors that had poisoned the settlement over the past week. To avoid provoking her wrath, the vocal dissenters collectively decided it was best to keep their heads down for the moment.
Even though Talulah had consistently maintained a warm, approachable demeanor during her tenure as leader, the populace knew the exact nature of the slander currently circulating through the tents—lies so vile that even the neutral villagers found them repulsive.
In private, many had quietly admitted to themselves that if such malicious fabrications had been aimed at their own names, they would have picked up axes to hack the provocateurs to pieces, showing no mercy whatsoever.
Burdened by their own guilty consciences, the assembly watched Talulah stand silently at the podium for several long moments. One by one, the villagers buried their chins into their collars like frightened quails, waiting for her to speak.
"It has been a long time since I addressed the entire community in this manner," Talulah announced, her voice ringing out across the clearing the moment the chatter began to subside. "I will forgo the usual pleasantries today. I am certain most of you can already deduce why I have called you here, so it is best we speak plainly."
Because they lacked any military megaphones or loudspeakers, and since there were no casters present who specialized in voice-amplification magic, the Draco had to rely on the time-honored method of throwing her voice to reach the edge of the crowd.
Fortunately, the settlement's population was still relatively modest. Had she been facing a gathering of several thousand souls, shouting into the wind would have done little more than shred her vocal cords, but under the current circumstances, it was their only option.
"Recently, following my announcement regarding our upcoming trek, a flurry of bizarre tales has taken root within our walls. Certain individuals have seized this moment to deliberately spread poison, defaming and slandering the very people who kept them alive!"
A fierce, burning anger flared deep within Talulah's gaze. The crowds below understood her meaning perfectly; a collective wave of shame washed through the front rows as dozens of men lowered their heads, unable to meet her eyes.
"I have no desire to stand here and demand names, nor will I force you to point fingers at the agitators. The primary ringleaders have already been apprehended, and I do not intend to pursue further punishment against the rest of the conspirators. However..."
The moment the word of leniency left her lips, a collective sigh of relief swept through the clearing. Had Talulah chosen to initiate a thorough purge, very few would have emerged unscathed. After all, a vast majority of the populace had suspected the rumors were entirely false, yet they had happily passed the stories along in secret anyway.
Among the hundreds standing in the snow, only a precious few had bothered to report the subversion to the leadership. The rest had simply listened in silence, tucking the malice away in their hearts while refusing to lift a finger to champion the truth.
"What breaks my spirit most is the profound lack of trust you have shown toward our vanguard," Talulah continued, her tone heavy with disappointment. "Every single person gathered here sought refuge in this valley because they faced cruelty and injustice in the outside world. I never imagined the bond between us would prove so incredibly fragile."
Her words cut deep, forcing many to look away in sheer embarrassment. To put it bluntly, the very women they had targeted in their whispers—Talulah, Jeanne, and the rest of the inner circle—were their literal saviors. Without their intervention, every civilian in the clearing would have frozen into a stiff corpse out on the wastes, leaving nothing but bones for the wild beasts to gnaw on.
"I explicitly promised that our departure would not mean abandoning those who wished to stay. Yet, while our fighters were sweating in the mountain chasms to ensure everyone could journey alongside us, we were stabbed in the back by the very people we considered our companions."
A dead, suffocating silence fell over the square. The loyal militants standing guard around the perimeter looked down at the civilians with deeply conflicted expressions. They were no longer certain how to view these people.
Were they friends or enemies? Companions or parasites? The only thing the soldiers knew for certain was that a bitter, sickening weight had settled into their chests.
"Let me state this clearly once more: the main body of Reunion, under my direct command, is bound for the northern frontier. This migration is an essential step for our movement. We cannot afford to remain huddled in this frozen valley forever, and this decision is entirely unchangeable!"
Murmurs and quiet arguments erupted across the rows once more. Had it not been for the lingering guilt weighing down their spirits, several ambitious dissenters would have likely rushed the stage to demand answers.
By what right do you disrupt the quiet life we have built here?
"We also recognize that many of you harbor deep anxieties regarding the safety of this territory once our main force departs," Talulah shouted over the din. "Therefore, starting today, we are establishing a ten-day window. Anyone who harbors no desire to follow us may speak with me or the quartermasters. We will provide you with seeds, farming tools, and basic rations, and our guards will escort you to a region safely removed from the imperial patrol routes. We shall part ways in peace."
The moment the declaration left her lips, several ambitious men within the crowd immediately began nudging their neighbors, muttering eager promises of how they could forge a far more prosperous life on their own.
These petty schemers possessed a ravenous thirst for authority. Even though they were Infected outcasts wandering the rim of the world, their desire to grasp power had never truly faded; instead, it was now spilling out into the open for all to see.
They no longer bothered to veil their intentions. Since Talulah had given her word, it meant the vanguard would truly wash their hands of them, leaving them free to carve out their own small fiefdoms.
Standing atop the wooden platform, Talulah quietly observed the fractured assembly. She wanted to see exactly how these people—men and women she had bled alongside for the past six months—would choose when given total freedom.
She harbored no illusions of convincing everyone to follow her into the northern wastes, but she needed to know who would stand firm with her in times of crisis, and who would cut the ties the moment the path grew steep.
The reality unfolded right before her eyes. Before the vanguard had even packed a single wagon, small factions were already splintering off, whispering plans to establish a rival village down the valley. It was... a fascinating display of human nature.
She watched in absolute silence as a portion of the crowd slipped away toward their tents to begin hoarding what they could, while others gathered in tight circles to hold private council meetings of their own.
When the dust settled, only a fraction of the original assembly remained standing before the podium, their eyes shining with unyielding faith. The group that chose to stay numbered less than half of the village's original population.
Talulah looked down at the remaining loyalists. "Are you truly prepared to journey with us?"
"Of course we aren't leaving your side! Where else could we possibly go in this wasteland?" an elderly miner shouted, his words echoed by a chorus of agreement from those around him. "We would rather brave the northern storms by your side, Talulah. We know with every fiber of our being that you would never lead us into a trap."
Those who remained were predominantly the souls who had been rescued from the imperial labor camps during the earliest days of the uprising. They possessed a deep, fundamental understanding of Talulah's character, believing down to their bones that she was the only one who could guide them toward a genuine future.
"In that case, let those who wish to depart begin their preparations," Talulah announced, a profound wave of relief warming her chest as she addressed her loyal followers. The situation wasn't entirely as grim as she had feared; there were still plenty of good people willing to walk the hard road with her. "Once our provisions are secure, we will strike camp and march for the deep frontier. I give you my solemn vow: I will lay down my life to guarantee your safety."
Once the assembly officially concluded and the square began to clear, a seasoned vanguard soldier stepped up to the platform, his expression laced with bitter resentment.
"Lady Talulah, do we truly have to hand over our hard-earned supplies to those ungrateful wretches?" he asked, unable to swallow the injustice of the arrangement.
"We must," Talulah replied gently, turning to look at the departing crowds. "Without those basic provisions, they will not survive two months out in the winter barrens. Regardless of their betrayal, we shared a roof and broke bread together for half a year. We cannot allow ourselves to become as heartless as the empire we fight against."
The warrior offered a reluctant nod. Though his chest still burned with indignation, he couldn't deny the wisdom in her words. None of them truly wished to become monsters who left families to starve in the snow.
Furthermore, the truly precious assets—the heavy machinery, the rare medicines, and the strategic components—would remain locked safely within the vanguard's vaults. The grain and tools they were parting with would simply serve as a final, quiet farewell to those who chose a different path.