Pig Hunt, Part II
Chester and Monia walked along the shore. Leaving the sandy beach behind, they navigated a coastline cluttered with sharp, jagged rocks.
"Watch your step so you don't get hurt. Wet rocks are slippery."
"I will."
As they picked their way across the rocks, they were searching for large seashells that could double as plates. The ones they had gathered before had been swept away during the storm, so they needed replacements.
To be frank, boiling anything in a single metal cup was an absolute chore. Because it could only hold a tiny amount, they had to cook in multiple batches, which dragged their mealtimes out forever. On top of that, since it only made enough for one person at a time, preparing meals for both Chester and Monia took twice as long. Having a few large shells would make cooking far easier than using the cup, allowing them to finish their meals much faster. That was the driving force behind their search.
"See anything over there?"
"...Just some weeds."
"Ah, those. I saw them too. Wonder if they're edible?"
"Who knows... They're slimy and feel awful to the touch."
"Don't go touching things you don't recognize, kiddo."
"Yes, sir."
Despite their diligent search, however, suitable shells were hard to find.
"Excuse me, but what kind of creature is this?"
"Huh? Beats me."
"Is there actually something you don't know, Chester?"
"What, do you think I'm some all-knowing sage? If I don't know, I don't know. I'm completely out of my depth when it comes to foreign flora and fauna, not to mention the ocean... Is this some kind of snail?"
"What is a snail?"
"If it's a snail, it should be edible."
"I have no idea what it is, but hearing that makes me absolutely detest it."
Monia promptly flipped back the rock she had lifted. The snail-like creature vanished beneath it.
"Ah."
"Do you have any idea how horrified I was when you peeled back that bark and made me eat grubs the other day?"
"You'll get used to eating them eventually."
"What a dreadful thought!"
"Heh."
Monia shivered at Chester's knowing chuckle.
After wandering the shoreline for a while longer, the two returned to the Beach Villa to rest in its shade.
"My skin stings."
"Rub some coconut on it."
At Chester's suggestion, Monia picked up a halved coconut, scraped out the flesh with a stone knife, and began applying it to her skin.
"I never knew the sun could actually burn your skin like this."
"It's not just a tan. That's a sunburn—essentially a mild burn."
"Are you alright, Chester?"
Monia looked at him. Chester, who was still wearing nothing but his vest, had a nape and shoulders that were flushed a deep, angry red.
"I'm fine. I've worked under the blazing sun since I was a kid. This is nothing."
"Still..."
Monia scraped out a bit more coconut flesh and began gently rubbing it onto Chester's shoulders.
"..."
Chester didn't push her away, quietly letting her tend to him. To think a highborn noblewoman, who had spent her entire life being served by others, was doing something for someone else out of pure goodwill.
People really do change under the right circumstances.
While Chester was lost in thought, Monia's eyes subtly drifted over his physique as she massaged the coconut flesh into his broad, chiseled shoulders and well-defined trapezius muscles.
Though Monia herself was entirely unaware, there was a slightly mischievous, almost devious glint in her eyes. It was the sort of curiosity akin to a young boy who had just discovered the existence of adult magazines and was secretly peeking at them behind his parents' backs.
After their brief respite, the two headed back into the forest to secure their food for the day.
"By the way, now that we've built a shelter, what do we do next?"
"There's plenty to do. First, we need to scout the forest to map out any potential dangers."
"Right."
"And then, we improve our living conditions."
"Pardon? Our living conditions?"
"Yeah. I'm planning to craft a proper, high-quality knife next."
Chester turned to Monia.
"So, you should start thinking about it too."
"Think about what?"
"What you want to do."
What I want to do? Monia paused in her tracks. What I want to do...
What do I want to do on this island?
When prompted to think of what she wanted, the very first thing that crossed her mind was revenge. But that was impossible right now. Revenge would have to wait until they escaped this place. So, what did she want now?
Monia pondered. Her pastimes had always been simple: shopping for exquisite dresses and jewelry, enjoying elegant tea times with delectable pastries, appreciating fine art, and attending the opera. That had been her entire world.
But now? Her current "hobby" was rationing their precious, dwindling supply of smoked pork as sparingly as possible. It was feeling a deep sense of pride whenever she checked the fish traps and saw a fresh catch. It was going to bed with a profound sense of accomplishment, looking forward to what tomorrow would bring.
It was a stark contrast to her once static, predictable existence—a life of raw, vibrant survival. Every single day felt incredibly fulfilling.
As she reflected on this, her gaze fell upon the bow resting in Chester's basket.
"Teach me how to shoot a bow."
She spoke the words aloud.
"Archery? Sure, why not? Let's start by making a bow just for you."
Chester smiled, and Monia nodded back with a bright grin of her own.
"Yes!"
"And, well... if possible, I'd like to try my hand at farming too."
As they conversed, a small creature suddenly materialized in front of them. Startled, Monia instinctively ducked behind Chester, who immediately assessed the threat.
"...A pig?"
Perhaps equally startled by their sudden appearance, the pig froze, staring back at them in silence.
Chester quietly drew his bow from the basket and aimed it at the creature.
And then, the pig bolted.
It was a beautiful morning in the royal capital, bathed in the same brilliant sunshine as any other day.
The citizens were waking up, preparing to start their day.
Greengrocers unloaded fresh produce from carriages that had traveled long distances, stocking their shops with the day's wares.
Bakers dripped sweat as they vigorously kneaded dough for the morning rush.
In the industrial district, blacksmiths stoked their furnaces, resuming projects they had paused the night before or starting new ones.
An artist who had pulled an all-night session stared at the rising sun with heavy, dark-ringed eyes before promptly collapsing from exhaustion.
"Is it shift change already?"
"Tonight felt exceptionally long."
"Tell me about it."
While waiting for the next shift of guards, they spotted two men in armor carrying spears approaching from a distance and waved in relief.
"Hey, hurry up and relieve us."
"Yeah, I'm starving. What's on the breakfast menu today?"
"Hate to break it to you, but it's awful."
The guard approaching for the shift change grumbled about the morning fare.
"What?"
"Damn it, the least they could do is feed us something decent."
"No kidding."
Without warning, the approaching guards slit the throats of the two off-guard sentries.
"I'm sure whatever breakfast they serve in hell is far worse."
"I'd rather never find out."
They dragged the corpses and hid them inside a carriage prepared nearby. Inside the carriage lay the bodies of the actual guards who were supposed to have taken this shift.
Moments later, the body of an archer who had been stationed on the roof was dragged down and brought over.
Simultaneously, a rebel disguised as an archer scaled the roof, while the dead archer's body was loaded into the carriage.
The carriage loaded with corpses rattled away, heading out of the capital. The revolutionary army would dispose of them.
The remaining rebels, now disguised as guards, had only one task left. They all stared at the walls of the Academy before them, and the massive Academy building towering behind them.
Near the Academy stood the newly constructed mansion of Jordy and Tiara, completed in record time through the exploitation of immense labor and mystical materials. Of course, the price of that rushed construction was a severely compromised security detail around the Academy, allowing the revolutionary army to easily leak and gather intelligence.
"Stay sharp. We can't afford any mistakes today."
"Obviously."
Alongside the Royal Castle and the Duke's estate, the Academy was one of the three most luxurious and colossal structures in the capital.
Though the century-old Academy was an architectural masterpiece built with the finest techniques of its era, in the eyes of the revolutionaries, it was nothing more than a "pigsty" plastered with the blood, sweat, and tears of the common people.
It was no coincidence that today's operation to raid the Academy was codenamed "Pig Hunt."
Indeed, the very genesis of the revolutionary army lay in the forced eviction of residential districts to clear land for the Academy, coupled with the exorbitant taxes levied by the nobility to fund its construction.
And today, the revolutionaries would storm the very institution that had sparked their rebellion, attacking and kidnapping the noble children and the Prince.
Just as the rebels were about to launch their assault—
"There they are!"
"It's the rebels!"
Soldiers suddenly swarmed the area, launching a preemptive strike.
"...!"
The shift change was supposed to be the moment of maximum vulnerability, a window of lax security the rebels had meticulously planned to exploit. The sudden, coordinated ambush by the Royal Army threw them into disarray.
With their cover blown, the hidden reserve forces of the revolutionary army had no choice but to reveal themselves and fight back.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a massive explosion tore through one of the Academy's outer walls.
"What was that?!"
"What on earth...! Is that the legendary dragon's breath?!"
While the Royal Army panicked at the unfamiliar devastation, the revolutionaries knew exactly what it was. Their main force had deployed a new weapon smuggled in from abroad: "bombs."
The blast had breached the walls, paving the way for the main assault. Realizing the plan was still in motion, the hesitant rebels threw themselves into the fray with renewed vigor.
"For liberation and freedom!"
"For liberation and freedom!"
The revolutionary assault on the Academy. Codenamed: Operation Pig Hunt.
At the exact same time, while all eyes and ears in the capital were diverted toward the chaos at the Academy, the Duke's faction raised their banners in rebellion across the provinces.
It was the beginning of a long, bloody civil war—all triggered by the foolish love and thoughtless choices of just two people.