Earth: The Second

Conviction

Adma almost did not realize that he has taken the entire day to confront Udeka. When he finally leaves the city and returned to the outskirt, it’s already dusk, and people had started to go home from their work in the field. Coincidentally, he also met that Thomas, the oldest kid from the resistance.

Thomas is standing in the middle of the field when he realizes a person with a dark tattered mantle looking at him from distance. He quickly noticed that man is the same that Jerry brings to him yesterday. With clothes full of sweat and dirt from fieldwork, Thomas comes to Adma.

“You’re… From yesterday… What do you want?” while he certainly is upset after Adma rejects their offer, it’s not like he has a grudge for the man. Honestly, he still hopes that Adma would help their cause one way or another.

“I have met with Udeka today.”

“...You what?” doubtful, Thomas replying to Adma’s statement. “What… are you doing there…?” unconsciously, his fist is clenched. He thought that Adma has betrayed them and instead, working for the corrupt government.

Realizing that he is still not trusted by that kid, Adma calms him down. “Relax, I just asking the audience with that man for a moment. I push him to come and held a conversation with the people of the village, so he can hear what the village want.”

“Held… An audience…? Hearing our aspirations? Are you joking!?” turns out, this explanation still lifts Thomas’s anger.

He steps backward and creates distance with Adma. “I said it before that it’s no use to deal with him peacefully, aren’t you!? What if he brings mercenaries? Or soldiers again like before?” asked Thomas.

“I asked him personally, with what happened between us several hours ago, he probably won’t do that,” replied Adma.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Well, I managed to make him piss his pants off. Probably enough, don’t you think?” 

Thomas paused his word for a second when suddenly he burst with laughter.

“Hahahaha….!” Thomas letting out a laugh for three minutes. He can imagine how that fat-short man would look like when he is so afraid, and pissing his pants.

Meanwhile, Adma also smiled a little when looked at him. “I see that you’re not entirely against it after all,” while Thomas recovering from his laugh, he started to return to his sense.

“While it’s a shame that you’re not killing him. I guess you did breach into his house forcefully right? After all, Udeka is the type that always uses a middleman for his jobs,” asked Thomas.

“Yes. It takes a while since I have to face the Black Claws again.”

“What? And you win?” 

“For now, yes,” replied Adma, Thomas once again showed a dissatisfied look for the ‘for now’ part of Adma’s story. Probably, afraid that those people will appear again and m******e their village.

“Why... Don’t you just killed them? Like yesterday? When you killed two of their member?”

“It’s supposed to be the very last choice if discussion and compromise can not work to solve a conflict. In the end, I have to push myself in the direction I want. The one that pushes their resolution harder, is the one that will prevail. That is just my thought,” told Adma.

Thomas gives him a deep look as if showed that his question hasn’t been answered. So far, the man in front of him just saying ‘I don’t want to’ when he asked to kill. But the motive beneath is not always clear.

Adma let out a sigh, he then simplify his words. “Killing is bad, that is why I’m avoiding as much as possible.”

Thomas folds his hand and nod, “I understand, after all, Father and The Church have always told us to cherish life,” replied Thomas. But actually, he thinks that Adma’s way of thinking is rather weird, especially in front of people who struggle every day to live.

“Let’s back to the plan. Five days from now he will come to the plaza, and meet our delegation. We will hold the discussion over things that the villagers are not happy with the way Udeka’s govern.”

Thomas nodding.

“For this to succeed, we will need more than the resistance. We need the whole villages to support the cause,” asked Adma.

“But… Five days is a cramped period. For us to spread the words and unite the people of the village… Seems like impossible,” commented Thomas.

“You’ll never see until you actually did it right? Especially, we also need help from the adults. Let us ask for Father Risto’s help.” 

“Huh? Why?” asked Thomas. He did not see the priest as a figure that was strong enough for their fights against Udeka.

“To get the middleman of the people, and the government. We have to rely on the Father’s position as a member of The Church. To some extend, he has a little bit of influence from the outside, which probably would be respected more by both parties.”

“I understand. If something happened with him, that would mean an act of aggression toward the church,” added Thomas.

“Then what is left, is just collecting our aspiration, especially gaining influence from the people who held the fieldworks at the outskirts,” by this, Adma meant the landlords where the villagers are working. If they can obtain their support, then it is safe to assume that the villagers have been united for the same cause.

“Let’s proceed to the first task. Meet me in the orphanage tonight, we might be able to discuss it with Father Risto,” asked Adma. 

***

After dinner had been served in the orphanage, Adma request Father Risto to meet with Thomas and Jerry in the food hall. All the kids have been taken to their beds, and some of them are already sleeping. Therefore, there are only four of them in the room.

Previously, Thomas had told their plan for Jerry, so they knew the main point of this meeting. But when Father Risto was asked to become the mediator between the villager and the government, his mouth just opened in surprise.

“No way! No way! No way! How come I did the role as important as that!” Father Risto clearly rejecting those ideas. He seems afraid of what will happen since what Udeka did months ago. “I’m very sorry, but you have seen what that man would do to get what he wanted.”

Father gives Thomas a meaningful look. He knew what his father is before the tragedy. Even the people that have either been caught or killed on the spot. He remembers every single one of them.

“I’m sorry, I just don’t want anyone to suffer again,” once more, he apologized that he could do nothing to save this village.

“Father, Everyone would keep suffering if Udeka still governs like he did today,” said Thomas. “You can see for yourself in the city. A quarter of their settlement is a slum, where everyone strives to survive every day. Eventually, our villages will be the same. We will be getting rid of our homes and fields, and the building will change the landscape. Eventually, even this orphanage will become a night district, only for the Duke’s pleasure,” 

Once again, Father Risto gives them a concerned look. He looked at Adma, and eventually, his expression started to change.

“Is this because of you, Adma? Did you push these children to overthrow the government and thirst for conquest instead?” Risto’s voice grew louder, and his expression grows fiercer. At this moment, he is just looking for a subject to blame.

In contrast to that, Adma still keeps his calm expression. He had prepared if someday, this orphanage would kick him out. 

“Stop it, father!” Jerry eventually joined the discussion. “This is our cause! No one pushed each other if they must join the resistance! Thomas’s father died of what he believes, and we prepared to do the same!”

“Oh, Jerry, don’t you understand what they will do to you?” pleaded the father. He covered his forehead with the palm of his hand. “With the noble’s obligation that Udeka has, it’s always up to his to interpret this situation as a rebellion, or uprising. When that has happened, it’s not the Udeka we fight against, but the whole Henriah Kingdom!” said Father, his mind is still fogged with Udeka’s attack in the past, and the possibility that it would happen again in the future.

Thomas not answering for a second, as if he thinking what he would reply. “But now, we have Adma,” answers Thomas.

Eventually, every eye in the room now looked straight to the cyborg. 

Damn, why me? Asked Adma to himself.

“Last time, all we have are just farming tools, and people with the passion to protect their home. But this time, we have Adma to protect us from Udeka’s dishonest plans! He able to beat down the Black Claws, and he even able to fight against the best knight in the kingdom!” shouted Jerry.

Adma bites his lip and glares at Thomas, he wanted to say that his testimony is exaggerating.

Again, Father looked at Adma deeply. Adma had prepared if Father wanted to curse or kick him out of the orphanage 

“Can you really protect us from the worst situation, Adma?” he asked.

“...Yes I can,” Adma replied clearly. He would manage to fight one-on-one. but fighting a whole army is another story.

“Teaching of The Sevens always told to protect and siding with the weak, especially, in times of oppression like this,” said Father Risto. “Deep in my heart, I want Udeka to go down myself since he clearly not fitting as a ruler. But because of the power he had, power from ourselves is not enough.”

Father then looked at Adma, this time, his eyes are full of determination. “Maybe you are the outside force that we have been waiting for,” replied Father.

Thomas’s and Jerry’s expressions grew brighter from his reaction.

“Father… is that mean?”

Father Risto is nodding. “I don’t know how much I would be able to conduct myself as a mediator. But if it’s for the cause of the villagers. I would do my best,” said Father Risto, who finally state his decision.