CHAPTER 16: REVOLUTION TALK
A few days later, Sanfred requested to speak with Najenda alone. He'd been reserved in his opinions ever since coming to this place, but now it was time for him to have this conversation. It was something that had been on his mind for a while. At least, now he had the respect of his comrades, enough so that he could dare to tackle this tough subject.
"Sit," Najenda said, motioning toward the couch.
Sanfred nodded, accepting the offer. He was dressed in a plane outfit today, instead of the usual flashy garb he'd been sticking to for his missions. Even so, today, he was all business.
"Is everything all right, Sanfred?" The General sat forward, giving her full attention. Considering the unorthodox past of this man, she wanted to make sure she fully-observed any details he was willing to share. In fact, it was something of a wonder that he managed to stay so secretive over the past two months.
"It's about your revolution," he said, ready to get into it, "And your entire organization. You have decided to take a very strong stand. And there are many harsh realities to come as a result."
"You think I am unaware?"
"You can only foresee so much," he clarified. "You and your assassins are incredible warriors, but you are going up against an entire nation. Ruled by a corrupt Emperor with a firm hold over his followers. They have tremendous resources, including some of the same ones that Night Raid has been putting to use. This will lead to vicious combat."
Najenda interlocked her fingers. "It is true. Eventually, the revolution will gain more steam. So much, that it will result in war."
"War is going to be savage."
"This is a savage world," she argued. "And as it stands now, the Empire is being overwhelmed with corruption. There are countless crimes and there is constant suffering. Innocent people are having their lives ended early, or else they are spending years in turmoil. So many wrongs can be attributed to this Empire. It must come to an end."
The entire time, Sanfred acted like he wasn't interested. And yet, his eyes were locked with Najenda's, as he was finally comfortable revealing his opinions. "These are great assassins. But they are still just people. Young ones. They've become comfortable with killing, to the point where it's become a risk."
"Being calculated killers is bad for professional assassins?" Najenda raised an eyebrow. "I cannot agree with your assessment. They have embraced what they do for a living."
"Their living is short-term," he suggested. "What about when it's time to put down their weapons? Will they even know how?"
"That's not what this is really about, is it?" Najenda smiled smugly. "You're thinking about a future with Mine, are you not? This is about her."
"Damned right it is," he said, catching the General off-guard when he didn't refute it. "Night Raid is a talented organization. But the more you stir the pot, the more enemies you gain. And until you encounter them, your enemies will have the element of surprise."
"I cannot guarantee that we will all survive. It is part of this revolution. People will die."
Even Sanfred found it hard to deny that. "Is this Empire really worth going up against, though? You could stand down, and let the revolution move along. None of you need to lead the charge."
"I never took you for a coward, Sanfred," Najenda said. Although she was normally respectful to her soldiers, she was being more aggressive this time, in response to Sanfred's accusations.
"I fear nothing," he countered. "But I have also respected the truth of life: There is no end to the killing. There is no end to the enemies. The revolution will come and go, and people will still be committing crimes. They'll still be hurting others, and they'll still be killing. Throwing lives away to try and stop the flow will prove to be a waste." With that, he sighed. "Fine, I admit it. I do have a fear. I fear facing death for a futile cause."
"You have never been one to embrace bold political ambitions. I get that." Najenda returned to her feet, shaking her head in disappointment. "But these warriors fighting alongside me have made their choices. They have all suffered in the past at the hands of the Empire. This is how they have chosen to defy the wrongs dealt against them. They are fighting back."
After hearing that, Sanfred couldn't resist a tiny grin as he nodded. "I suppose everyone here has the right to make their choice. I cannot tell any of you otherwise."
"Are you through with this job then?" Najenda crossed her arms.
"Absolutely not," he said firmly. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Why the opposition then?"
"I merely shared my thoughts," he said, his hands returning to his pockets. "I've made my vows. I won't break them."
"I apologize for accusing you of being a coward," Najenda said, looking him over closely. "And I thank you for sharing your thoughts. This is no small feat what we are doing. Feel free to speak with me anytime you have your doubts."
"Sure." With that, Sanfred gave a courteous bow, and then waited for Najenda to exit before he made his own leave.
Afterward, Sanfred went outside to train. He had his scimitar, and he was practicing a specific type of combat. There were going to be enemies with strange weapons, including Imperial Arms. That meant he needed to be ready for any kind of surprises that could appear. He also needed to find ways to fight while getting his foes to reveal their surprise tactics.
Later, Mine found him out there and walked over, armed with her own sword. "What's up?"
"Aye," he said with a grin. "Good afternoon, Rosa."
"Ready to spar with real swords?" she asked, smiling with excitement.
Strangely enough, Sanfred couldn't resist the invitation to get aggressive. "Show me what you've learned."
They got into it. Sanfred moved backwards, dodging in a variety of directions. Mine came forward, swinging her sword with speed and aggression. Along the way, Sanfred wasn't countering with any dangerous blows, but he wasn't going to just let Mine attack for free. Eventually, he used a swift thrust to not only block her sword swipe, but he put the sword inches away from her hair.
She glared at him. "You got lucky. Next time, I'll counter it."
"Show me, then."
They resumed. This time, Sanfred attacked more, and Mine grew more tense. She fought well but it was taking up lots of energy to do so. She had yet to master the ability of using efficient stamina.
Sanfred decided to point it out. "You haven't been practicing your steady breathing."
"It's too difficult," she argued.
"Not like you to sell yourself short so easily."
"I'm not selling. I'm buying!" Mine brought her sword forward with a thrust but used a feint. Instead, she threw herself in the air with a dropkick, catching Sanfred in the chest with both feet.
However, he essentially threw himself backwards, rolling on the ground and lifting with legs.
Mine realized that Sanfred had grabbed a hold of her ankles, and he tossed her over his back toward the ground behind. She had to release the sword so she could brace for the fall, which she did gracefully. In the end, she rolled with the motion and ended up back on her feet.
As soon as she spun back around, Sanfred was there with his scimitar pointed toward her chest. "Dead."
"Damn you," she said, shaking her head and smiling. "How the hell did you ever get so good at fighting?"
"I am average," he replied, returning his sword to his buckle.
"That's your funniest joke in a while," she countered, walking up to him. "You didn't learn all that from fighting bulls."
"The bulls taught me more than you would have expected." Sanfred eyed Mine's sword. "Retrieve it."
"Another round? I'm game." She fetched her sword and quickly returned to a fighting stance.
"The sword is not your weapon," he explained. "Instead, your weapon is your eyes."
"My eyes?" She tilted her head to the side. "I'm going to stare you to death?"
Sanfred just shook his head as he moved his body in specific motions. "You will use your eyes to watch your opponent. Each movement comes with indicators. In addition, you will see it so often that you will see two, three, four steps ahead. And when you respond, you will do so effortlessly."
With that, Sanfred took Mine's sword from her hands and tossed it off to the side. Although she pouted her lips impatiently, Sanfred brought his own sword back out and pointed it at her. "Watch me closely. Use effortless movements. Respond accordingly."
When he came forward, it was incredibly slow. Mine rolled her eyes as she danced to the left, dodging with ease. The next attack was slow as well. But the third had a slight increase in speed. From there on out, Sanfred picked up his speed. Somehow, he managed to take it up a single equal level each time. There was so much precision in his methods. Mine was dancing around to the point where she was panting loudly.
Finally, Sanfred landed a thrust to her shoulder, merely catching some of the fabric on her shirt.
"Dammit," she muttered.
"Again."
They ran through it again. It was like repeating the same dance constantly. Inexplicably, Sanfred memorized every attack he used and repeated them in the same order. After a few run-throughs, he caught Mine with the same shoulder thrust each time. On the fourth attempt, she was able to lower her shoulder just out of range. But then, Sanfred got the blade under her armpit on the other side. His accuracy was flawless, so that he didn't wound her by mistake.
Mine was frustrated, but she refused to quit. The entire time, she gradually increased in her success, even while being exhausted. They ran the drills for a long time, until at last Sanfred put his sword away and motioned for her to rest. Mine panted loudly, wondering how Sanfred had barely broken a sweat from the training. His 'efficient breathing' was clearly no myth, and it worked wonders for him.
"I'll practice your breathing techniques," she insisted. "You have my word."
"That is good." Sanfred tossed her a canister of water.
She smiled as she sniffed it first, then took a large swig.
When he noticed her, he released a single laugh. "Still think I'm handing you alcohol?"
"I still believe you'll trick me one day with it."
Despite the accusation, Sanfred didn't take offense. "I haven't touched ale in two months now. Thanks to you."
This was one part of their relationship that Mine didn't question. She demanded that he quit drinking while they were together. In a way, it was a selfish request, but Mine was adamant about it. It bothered her greatly seeing Sanfred drink because she believed it changed him. And that made her uncomfortable.
In the beginning, she thought he'd never agree to it, but surprisingly he did. That was one of the things that made her realize just how committed he was to being her boyfriend. That meant she had to find more ways to prove her commitment as well. After all, Sanfred never made any demands. He was too collected all the time, like nothing bothered him. It made her happy when she saw him get worked up over things that she did. It reminded her that he was passionate.
Before heading inside, Mine decided to inquire about something she noticed from before. "Hey Sanfred?"
He paused in his stride and turned back to her. "Yes?"
"Before we go back inside, I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Ah. Very well."
They walked off to a grassy hill that was a good distance from the compound. Mine took a seat down there, waiting calmly for Sanfred to sit as well. Once they were both down, Mine got into it. "I have a confession to make. I was spying on you when you spoke with Najenda."
"Whoa." Even after hearing the news, his face was unflinching.
"Yeah," Mine said, still processing all that she heard before. "Are you really just joining the revolution because you care about me?"
"What makes you think that?"
She squinted her eyes, not falling for his charm this time. "Look, Sanfred, it's okay if you don't have as much passion for this line of work as I do. After all, it was my idea for you to join us. But I want you to be honest with me. You at least owe me that."
"Certainly."
"What are you afraid of? Do you really think I'm going to die?"
He appeared almost unwilling to say it out loud… but he did nod.
"I'm not going to die," she insisted. "We're going to win this revolution."
"Your confidence is part of what draws me to you," he explained. "As well as your passion. But I still cannot help but be concerned for your future."
"You mean our future."
"Yes. Our future." Sanfred pointed out toward the Capital, off in the distance. "There is going to be a great war. Many lives will be lost. I don't want you to lose yours for this cause. Is it really that unbearable for me to express it so?"
She couldn't just outright deny his prediction. There were no guarantees in their business. "I'm willing to die for this revolution," she said anyway. "And you're right. That may happen. But after what I went through… and what the other members of this team went through… we are all committed to this war."
Sanfred looked down, trying to examine his own conscience. Could he even claim to have had such a tough upbringing? After all, the ultimate results of his childhood were a desire for alcohol, a thirst for combat, and a constant focus at keeping alive by avoiding big conflicts. What he lacked was the motivation to join a revolution.
"Mine…" He was now fighting back some deep emotions.
"Whoa," she said with a smile. She had never seen Sanfred look like this. "Tell me. I'm here. I'm listening."
"You cannot die, Rosa."
"You're really worried about me," she said, both smiling and tearing up a little. "Sanfred…"
Even though he was concealing his response well, Sanfred showed his blue eyes. They were glowing with blue flames. "I won't let you die. I swear it." With that, he turned over and gave a bow, planting his head on the grass. "I'll always protect you."
Mine wiped a few tears from her eyes and then reached for Sanfred's face. Once she had her hands on his cheeks, he slowly raised his head. She took a deep breath and decided now was as good a time as ever. "I love you."
"And I love you," he answered.
They kissed and both accepted their pact. Going forward, no matter what politics arose from the dust and debris, they would always have that moment. They had the power of their own words, and the freedom to declare what they believed. They had the opportunity to live it all out. And they got the chance to do it together.