The two who returned were added, and we all formulated a plan.
Nina, angered by the Centaurs’ lack of cooperation, began speaking loudly in the center of the settlement.
“Hey, aren’t you ashamed? The Kinnara race is offering to help, and it’s your companions who are captured! How can you even prepare to run away when your families might be killed?”
The Centaurs, who had been busily preparing, stopped what they were doing and stared intently at her. Sharin hastily pulled her arm.
“Calm down, saying something like that won’t solve anything.”
Nina, agitated, was breathing heavily. Just then, Tad, the current leader, appeared.
“Hmph, Kinnara? What can those chicken-hearted cowards do? They just sing and dance. We don’t need that now.”
“It was your fault from the start…!”
Before she could finish, Philiana and I pulled her back. However, what Nina was saying was valid. The root cause was Tad’s unplanned attack, and I was also frustrated that no one said anything about it. They probably believe in taking the path that allows more people to survive, even at the cost of some sacrifices.
Nina crossed her arms and plopped down on a log.
“Haaah, well, I guess we have no choice. Let’s come up with a plan ourselves. So, we’re splitting into two groups, right? But if we can’t open the door, it’s meaningless.”
Everyone nodded at Nina’s words. That was the biggest problem. We didn’t know how much ammunition they had, nor the strength of the Kinnara.
As we were at a standstill, Yola approached us.
“I’m sorry for getting you involved in this.”
“No, rather, how much rain does it rain here? It would be easier to handle if the gunpowder got wet.”
“It doesn’t rain much around here, at least not for the next few days.”
In that case, we would have to confront the guns head-on. We were out of time and couldn’t come up with any ideas. Magic might be effective, but we would lose in terms of range. Everyone looked at each other, but it seemed no one could think of anything, just like me.
I suddenly remembered Veronica. Wouldn’t she be able to sneak in at night, evading the guards? But she would be discovered when she tried to leave. The plan we had come up with had returned to square one.
We were completely stuck. This wasn’t just a matter of guns. We simply didn’t have enough people. If the Kinnara refused to help us, our chances of success would decrease even further. Cecilia was right; we might be wasting our time.
Then, a boy approached us as we remained in silence. He was around ten years old, with a still childish face. He looked around nervously.
“Um, do you perhaps need something from us?”
In response to my question, he buried his head and nodded.
