Chapter 889 Unmasking the Truth in the Shadows of War
"Are you sure of this?" The Irason commander asked Reign who nodded his head.
"We will go after the team, even if they spot us, we can withdraw without much trouble, I am certain of that."
"If we can find out where they're coming from, where they had made a temporary base for themselves, it will be easier for us later on, we won't have to worry about them constantly attacking us and fleeing, doing their best to find what tactic works best for taking us down." Reign said as Theron and the others nodded at the commander who sighed before nodding his head at them.
"Be careful, you have already seen the strength the enemy possesses, I don't want to lose you, you have already contributed greatly to the kingdom, and you deserve to be rewarded and to not risk your lives like this."
"But I know I cannot change your mind, but if you do not come back after 4 hours, I will notify the kingdom and have them send more people in order to defend this base and to try and search for you when it's possible."
"Thank you, commander, we will be back soon." Reign said as he and the others left the base, following the trail that the enemy team had left for them.
The trip took them about 40 minutes, and in the end, they were at the foot of a small mountain, which was where the trail stopped.
Suddenly, a person appeared in front of them, jumping down from behind a large rock and standing in front of them.
"Reign?"
"Mia?"
The two people spoke, and suddenly, they were able to see each other.
The 'man' that used a sword and controlled ice was truly in fact Mia, just one that was disguised by the system, it even went as far as changing her gender in the eyes of Reign and the others, just as it did with Reign who looked like a woman to Mia and her teammates.
"I had my doubts to be honest, even though you did things I was certain only you could, and fought just as you fought, seeing you as a woman really did make me doubt myself," Mia said as Reign chuckled.
"Well, if it's any consolation, you looked like a man to me and the others."
"The system went as far as doing all of that, why?" Mia asked as Reign shook his head.
Soon, the rest of Mia's team appeared as well, and they started talking to Reign's team, which finally made all of them lose their disguises and appear as they were to each other.
Over an hour ago, when Mia had stopped in front of Reign and whispered, she had said only a couple of words to him.
Doncaster.
Earth.
Heaven's Hooligans.
Ice Angels.
Tell the others, they might be the same as we are.
That was all she said, but that had been enough to make Reign understand what she was trying to convey.
If he wasn't truly Reign, then those words wouldn't mean a thing to him, and he would be confused by it, but since it was Reign, he immediately understood that the person who spoke to him was Mia and that she was telling him that it was her and that his teammates might know people in her team as well.
He decided to follow her as he saw her leave a small trail when she and her team were retreating, and he knew that she wanted them to meet up and talk.
As the members of both teams faced each other, the initial shock and surprise gradually gave way to a mix of emotions — confusion, disbelief, and finally, understanding.
Reign, now standing face to face with Mia, couldn't help but feel a strange mix of relief and amusement. "Well, I must say, the system certainly went to great lengths to keep us in the dark about each other's true identities."
"To think we almost killed each other." One of Mia's teammates, the dual-wielding bladesman said as he stared at Lumi who was giggling while staring at him.
"I see why you were pissed off when I called you a lady, sorry, it was a fair mistake, the system did make you look like a woman to us." The man told Reign who nodded his head with understanding.
"No problem."
Everybody started talking to one another.
The sniper from Mia's team, Isaac, was a friend of Solis, as was the mage that possessed undead energy called Osmos. The bladesman, Ugon, as well as the illusionist, Irina, knew Lumi well, the other swordsman of the team was friends with the mage Elara called Iastor, and Gideon and the other large warrior, Cosmo, were talking and laughing with one another.
The spearman, Ariol, was talking to Siabas, and Theron was conversing with the other mage of the team, called Venica.
As for Seraphina, she was talking to Nayle, the leader of Mia's team who wielded a scythe. She was also an elf, just like Seraphina.
Just as they were all talking to one another, a system notification suddenly rang.
[ Congratulations to the two teams, you have successfully uncovered each other's identities and made it possible to receive a hidden mission. ]
[ The hidden mission will give a great reward after completing it, and you will receive the reward after evolving and going back to your respective worlds. ]
[ Failing the hidden mission does not mean failing the evolution challenge, but there will be no other reward given to you. ]
[ Hidden mission has been activate: Broker a Peace Deal ]
[ The two kingdoms of Elais and Irason have been warring with one another for over 2 decades, your goal is to make the two kingdoms end the war and make peace with one another. ]
The moment the system notification rang out, a hush fell over the group as they absorbed the gravity of the revelation. Their initial shock turned into a shared understanding of the potential impact their collaboration could have on the ongoing conflict between Irason and Elais.
Nayle, the scythe-wielding leader, raised an eyebrow. "Peace? That's a tall order, one that is almost impossible, after all, you all know what the king of Irason has done."
"The king is adamant that he did not force himself on the princess of Elais, with both sides being so adamant about what had happened, peace truly seems impossible, huh?"
Reign, pondering the situation, looked at Nayle. "The system doesn't propose tasks that are easily achievable. This peace deal might be difficult, but if we can find a way to uncover the truth or at least create a foundation for dialogue, it could change the course of this war."
Nayle sighed, "Even if we try, the wounds run too deep. Both sides have lost loved ones, and the political situation is complicated. How can we convince them to make peace?"
Reign glanced at Seraphina, "I believe it's not just about convincing the leaders. People on both sides want an end to the bloodshed. If we can find a way to show them that there's a chance for peace, we might be able to make a difference."
Nayle shook her head at Reign's words.
"You were never in their position, I can tell, otherwise you wouldn't think like that."
"The people have lost their loved ones to the other kingdom's forces, do you really think they only want for peace, that none wish for revenge on those that had killed their husbands, their brothers, sisters, wives?"
Reign was about to speak again before stopping and shaking his head.
"So, you believe that peace is truly impossible?"
"No, the system would not give us an impossible task, which means brokering peace is something we can achieve, but we need to think of how to do so, and we need to be careful about it, if either of the two kingdoms find out that we are cooperating, they will mark us as their enemy, and neither one of our teams will be able to do a thing."
"I agree with what you have said, but I also believe we need to look at the one thing that can help us end the war, the one thing that started it." Theron suddenly spoke from the side as he glanced at them.
"First of all, we can communicate via the communication devices that I and Venica can make, only the two of us know the exact way to make them and the frequency, so it will be almost impossible for anyone to crack it and listen in on us."
"As for the way to end the war, I think that it all lies with the two kings, after all, if they decide to end the war, the nobles will follow, and the people will have to accept it."
"They might protest for a while, but they will accept it."
"So, the only way to end the war, is to make one of the two kings admit that he was wrong?" Reign asked Theron who shook his head.
"No, it is to find out exactly what happened twenty years ago."
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