General Debraz had been on edge ever since he found out what happened in Negal, though he still hadn't reported the incident to anyone. Propably for now, no one from Minister Hulston's side knew nothing about it, unless the General had informants around him.
He would propably recalled to Tirsit right after the press conference. Juan's job was to keep the man alive. Professor Reiner believed they would try to eliminate General Debraz before things became more complicated.
Considering the two-hour time difference with Symran, the news would start spreading between seven and eight o'clock.
Just as they guessed, around eight, a sudden commotion broke out inside the Thage military command center. Gunshots echoed one after another. Thinking they were under attack, some soldiers fired back, while others tried to flee the building. However, they couldn't get very far.
Soon, the corpses of Symarnese soldiers lined the corridors. These were the General's aides, men close to him.
But when they went to his office to find General Debraz, there was no sign of him.
...
"General Debraz was recalled to Tirsit this morning due to human trafficking and corruption allegations,blah blah... an investigation into the Ministry of Colonies is expected to be launched... blah blah... Youths from all over the country are gathering in Tirsit to protest," Walter read aloud, glancing over Arsh shoulder at the newspaper in his hands.
As they approached the station, Arsh folded the newspaper and put it in his bag. The train was really packed with young people. Arsh was surprised that the citizens of this country—which had been waging wars and exploiting others for decades—could feel this much outrage over the incident. Yet, seeing it also brought him a sense of relief.
When they arrived at the station, they woke Bera up. Although his wound was healing fast, just as Gilda had said, he had still lost a lot of blood and was tired.
They got off the train with the crowd and found Herman waiting for them. He had arrived earlier with a carriage since the station was too crowded. They needed to get Bera out of there quickly.
By the time they finally reached the manor, Professor Reiner immediately began treating Bera without saying a word. Only after that Arsh felt like everything finally calm down. As everyone sat quietly, it felt like the chaos of the last few days was finally over.
But deep down, he knew that wasn't true. This was just the calm before the storm.
"Juan is going to arive the next day. He'll bringing General Debraz. For now, his protection is our duty, just like Paul Smith... Parliament will convene tomorrow. If Senator Hill's proposal is accepted, we'll no longer continue as a secret organization but as an official one. Officially, our purpose will be to investigate the damage caused by the colonial wars and prevent things like human trafficking targeting the local populations. In the beginning, that was already how we secured the necessary funding anyway. On the surface, not much will change," Professor Reiner said.
"The three of you did a great job out there. Now get some rest. We'll discuss the details later," he added, standing up to leave.
But Arsh stopped him.
"Professor Reiner. Did any telegrams come while we were away? From that thief—the Ghost?"
"No, nothing... Could something have happened to him? No matter how skilled he is, the security over there seemed tight."
"I am not sure. I will try to find him."
Arsh closed his eyes and focused on Ezra's face. His face was clear in his mind this time, it was easy to remember unlike before.
"He's not nearby. I think he's still in Hals."
"What are you planning to do?" Reiner asked.
"Can I go find him?"
Professor Reiner thought it over for a moment, then nodded. "Be careful, things are chaotic out there. Wait until tomorrow."
"I will come with you," Bera said.
"Where do you think you're going? You could barely walk five minutes ago. I'll go with him," Walter cut in.
"There's no need. I think it's better if I go alone. He's not the type who likes showing his face to others," Arsh said.
"Are you sure?" Walter asked.
"Yes, don't worry."
After the conversation, Arsh headed to the house in the woods and went up to his room. Even though he hadn't told the others, he had sensed a problem while trying to find Ezra. There was no darkness surrounding the golden threads. It wasn't something like there was something dangerous. Yet, this wasn't about the golden threads; it was his own instinct. The moment that brief sense of peace faded, he felt that something was wrong.
Ezra should have returned by now. Arsh was certain he was alive. If Ezra wanted to run away from him, Arsh knew all the thief had to do was use his siuni. But that wasn't the case here. If he didn't return by tomorrow, Arsh would head to Hals. He didn't think Ezra was a bad guy. In fact, the thefts he pulled off made Arsh view him as good rather than evil. He didn't want Ezra to be in danger because of something he had requested.
Early the next morning, he left for the train station. Hals was only an hour away from Tirsit. But the streets grew more crowded as he approached the city center.
"The streets are packed because of the parliamentary meeting. You'd probably get there faster if you walked from here," the carriage driver said.
Arsh got off and continued on foot. By the time he reached the square in front of Parliament, it was already crowded. People were speaking passionately and handing out papers that read "End the War, End the Suffering."
A short while later, a loud voice spread across the square. A few men stepped onto a platform. When it was announced that a public statement would be made after the parliamentary meeting ended, the noise in the square slowly died down.
On the platform, Arsh spotted a familiar face. Matthew Tiffany was the first to speak, giving a speech similar to the statement he had given to the newspapers the day before. When he finished, he stepped aside for Senator Hill.
Arsh focused on listening to Senator Hill's speech. The Senator spoke about their deep sorrow regarding the recent events, explaining that the matter had been widely debated in Parliament and that official investigations had been launched based on the uncovered evidence. Ministry of Colonies and military officials had been summoned to testify. General Debraz had been recalled, though there was still no word from him. His family, however, had been placed under custody and brought from Negal to Tirsit.
As Arsh listened to him, he suddenly felt as though someone in the crowd was watching him. He looked around but couldn't see anyone. Pulling his cap a bit lower over his eyes, he decided to move away from the crowd. There were very few people who could recognize him, and he didn't want to get caught by one of them in such a stupid way.
As he tried to push his way out of the crowd and reach the edge of the square, he could still hear Senator Hill's voice.
A proposal had been submitted to Parliament to establish an official organization tasked with protecting the rights of colonial populations. The new organization would work with the Ministry of Colonies, the police force, and the military. Out of 408 members of Parliament, the proposal passed by a narrow margin of 205 to 203.
Now the FFSD was really an official organization.
And its name had changed as well: it was no longer Fight for Sunny Days, but the Foundation for Freedom, Solidarity and Dignity.