Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

One by one, the soldiers began to drop their weapons, and those who thought of resisting dropped their weapons when Rain approached them before the countdown of the five minutes.

Truth be told, Rain wanted to kill some of them to make sure that they wouldn't spread lies when they returned, but he didn't want to back on his word, and that would only cause more problems as well, so it was better to avoid that.

Once their surrender was clear, Branden took Julie and some soldiers to see Orcis and Lorene. At the same time, Rain handcuffed all of the soldiers there. He also stored away all of their weapons and armor to resell them in the future.
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"I was thinking that it would be a better idea to take the prisoners back to the nearest city and ask for the lord there to pay for their freedom; we don't have to ask for a large sum," Roan explained. "That would make them return as soon as possible, show that we don't want to kill anyone needlessly and it will earn us some battle funds as well."

"I suppose that is the best option," Rain said while scratching his chin. "We can also give some hints that in the future, we can sell the food that we are producing and the items that we took for them. It is only a matter of time before food becomes a problem when fifty thousand soldiers are in a war beyond the borders."

Seadir observed the unfolding scene with a mix of awe and shock. The shock on his face was unmistakable, for he couldn't understand how Rain, after enduring such a near-death experience and the ensuing suffering, could still maintain his resolve not to indiscriminately slaughter his enemies.

It was a testament to Rain's strength of character and his unwavering determination to find a more measured path to justice.

Seadir couldn't help but admire Rain's restraint. He realized that Rain wasn't seeking wholesale vengeance or a mindless bloodbath. Instead, Rain had chosen in on a select few individuals whose actions had directly caused harm and sought closure through a more targeted approach.

It was a demonstration of Rain's unique perspective on revenge, one that sought to balance the scales without resorting to needless violence. It left Seadir both astonished and deeply contemplative.

Before long, Julie and the other soldiers returned with Branden. While they wanted to stay with Orcis and Lorene, they knew that they couldn't since it would be suspicious. In the end, they were told to return to the port town without knowing that soon Orcis and everyone were planning to take it back.

Unfortunately, such a thing will only be possible once they deal with the king and Joanis and all of Joanis' underlings that also belonged to great noble houses. The kingdom was going to ensure some turbulent periods since a lot of important people will have to die… the most troublesome of them all was the king, it was clear that they couldn't leave him alone after defeating him.

Their predicament was a tangled web of complexity. Killing the king, as tempting as it may have been, was a dangerous path. It could ignite a political firestorm, resulting in chaos and potentially harming Esmeralda. Even if the king had a son, the thirst for vengeance could linger for generations, creating a perpetual cycle of conflict.

On the other hand, if Esmeralda assumed the throne, many would still doubt her legitimacy. Branden's influence could cast a shadow over her reign, leaving people to believe that she was merely a puppet in his grand schemes. It was a difficult situation, a massive headache in every sense of the phrase.

Navigating this political minefield required finesse and careful planning. They needed to find a solution that allowed them to bring the culprits to justice while minimizing the risk of collateral damage. It was a daunting task, but they were determined to find a way out of this intricate puzzle.

"We are going to negotiate the release of the prisoners, we don't have many people to go with us," Rain said. "I suppose Dad, Branden and I will be enough."

"You still need healing, so I am going as well," Terra declared.

"All right, but first… I have to deal with that guy," Rain said and then returned to where he left the first special soldier that he defeated."

After taking out the guy from underground, Rain sent the earth sphere that kept him locked down upward, and then he eventually crushed the prisoner with it. This time, the enemy exploded instantly… the large sphere of energy appeared and then sent blasts of winds in all directions.

"I guess he exploded sooner because he didn't eat anything in several days and he got weaker to the point that his body wouldn't regenerate despite his abilities," Rain thought.

Eventually, Rain and the others left the area and then began to guide them toward the nearest town. They arrived at sunset and soon found guards moving to block their path in a hurry… they could only see four enemies, so they assumed that they could face them, even though they had two thousand prisoners behind them.

"Bring out your leader, we are here to negotiate the release of our prisoners," Rain raised his voice.

Rain was in a hurry to the point that he felt like demanding that the leader there were to come in half an hour, but Branden warned him that in situations like that, he should try to negotiate while standing on equal footing and respecting the other side… he had a point, even more so when they have to worry about their reputation.

In the end, the leader of the guards of the town approached alongside a group of twenty soldiers. He looked like a reasonable guy, but he was making a nervous expression that also showed that all that was a waste of time… he sure had a lot of expressions.