I. The Secret of the Orcs
As Arthur journeyed toward the Western Kingdom, he avoided the main trade routes, sticking instead to the ancient smuggling paths. One afternoon, while passing near a desolate inn close to the territories ceded to the Orcs under the new treaty, he stopped. Two massive Orc merchants stood outside, tethering their horses.
Arthur concealed himself behind a dense thicket and used his D-Class mana to sharpen his senses, focusing on their voices. Their conversation was crude and arrogant.
"How long do you think this treaty will last, Grannok?" one Orc asked.
The other—likely a kinsman of the War-Leader Grannok—chuckled darkly. "Our King said we must promise these foolish humans the illusion of sleep for a while longer. While they are busy paying reparations, our smiths are completing a massive shipment of new mana-nullifying armor. Three months. Maybe four at most."
"And then?"
"Then? While those fools sleep in peace, we reclaim our ancestral lands. We will pillage every defenseless village in our path. The Human King is an idiot. He has no army left to stop us. In four months, the war begins anew!"
Arthur's heart turned to ice. The Human Kingdom was drowning in the complacency of peace. The Elves had signed a crippling treaty. But the Orcs' plan was simple: upend the entire order. If this happened, Barren Town and Arthur's family would once again face the threat of slaughter.
II. Revolution Instead of Academy
There, hidden in the brush, Arthur experienced a moment of absolute clarity. Going to the Ancient Magic Academy might increase his personal power, but it wouldn't save the world. The war exploding in four months would once again render his D-Class strength insufficient.
Arthur gripped the D-Class mana crystal in his hand.
The Crown does not protect the peasants. The Orcs will pillage the commoners. The Elves are preoccupied with their own ruin. So, who will protect the people?
The answer was simple: Only the people themselves.
Arthur made his decision. Instead of going to the Academy, he would turn this coming insurrection into an opportunity. Everyone who had been wronged or exploited in the Human Kingdom—the peasants of Barren Town, the farmers of other impoverished hamlets, even the F and E-Class soldiers abandoned by the Crown—could be his army.
A new vision flashed in Arthur's mind: to establish a fair state within the Human Kingdom, belonging neither to the nobles nor the Elves.
III. A Message to Anna and First Steps
Arthur immediately put his plan into motion. Instead of heading for the Western Kingdom, he turned toward the nearest and poorest peasant settlement—a place politically ignored. There, he would sow the seeds of rebellion.
However, for this revolutionary plan, he needed Anna's help. She was in the Capital and had access to a portion of the Elven military intelligence and resources.
He used a specialized, coded messenger pigeon he had acquired in the Dwarven Kingdom. His message was brief, written in terms only an Elven commander would understand, bypassing Faerondil's spies:
Anna. The enemy strikes in four cycles. Target: The People. Regardless of rank. The plan has changed. Instead of the Academy, I am founding a new land. Help me. Meet me at the Human Kingdom's weakest point, Blackwood Town. — Seal.
Arthur took a deep breath after releasing the bird. He had entered a path from which there was no return. He was no longer just a fugitive; he was a revolutionary leader in the making.
In the shadows of the borderlands, Arthur began his work to build a state for the peasants and the oppressed. His first task: to win the trust of the people and find secret allies willing to aid their cause.
IV. The Gathering of the Secret Army
One month after receiving Arthur's message, two different worlds collided in the depths of an abandoned mine near Blackwood Town.
In that month, Arthur had convinced nearly all the villagers to unite against the Orc threat and liberate themselves from noble exploitation. Their mana was weak, but their fury and hope were boundless. At midnight, Arthur welcomed Anna. She arrived with 300 loyal Elven soldiers, cloaked in dark military mantles. These were the most disciplined and elite warriors, bound to Anna by honor and shared scars from the battlefield.
Anna smiled as she saw the razor-sharp resolve in Arthur's eyes. "Did you gather the entire village, Arthur? With your D-Class power, you've become a D-Class orator."
"Their power is frail, Anna," Arthur replied. "But they are ready. Their mana might be F-Class, but their conviction is A-Class."
Anna placed a hand on his shoulder. "My 300 soldiers have high mana. But your army knows exactly why they are fighting. That is priceless."
V. Introduction of the Agents
In the hidden headquarters, Arthur introduced Anna to his two most critical new allies.
First was Elia. A tall Elven woman with a cold, calculating expression. Her attire was simple, but her eyes betrayed the intellect of a high-ranking noble.
"Commander Anna, I am Elia. A former advisor to the Queen. I have documented Faerondil's political manipulations, and I will now provide you with logistics and intelligence."
Anna raised an eyebrow. "The spy inside Faerondil's Palace... thank you for your trust, Elia."
Second was Aston. A man with cropped hair and a hardened face, wearing the tattered remains of a Human Army uniform.
"Aston," Arthur introduced him. "A former Captain. He saw firsthand the cruelty inflicted upon peasants by noble commanders. He believes the system must change. He will provide us with troop movements and garrison locations."
Aston nodded curtly. "I fight for justice, Commander. And this boy..." He looked at Arthur. "...sees this pile of mud as the only clean place left in this Kingdom."
VI. The Two-Month Plan: Ignition
The council began in the flickering shadows of the mine. Anna confirmed the Orcs' plan to strike in four months, but noted the Alliance only had a two-month window to prepare the foundation.
"As Arthur said, we have no time for the Academy," Anna stated. "Our goal is to prevent the Human Army from attacking us when the Orcs arrive. The only way is to distract the Crown and show them a massive Civil Uprising is underway."
The plan was twofold:
Arthur's Mission (Two Months): Using intelligence from Elia and Aston, Arthur would incite rebellion in at least three neighboring villages. He would use his D-Class strength to spread the legend of the "Shadow Guardian" and instill hope.
Anna's Mission (Two Months): Anna and her 300 Elves would transform these peasant groups into a trained guerrilla force. She would also conduct small-scale sabotages at the borders to keep Faerondil and the Human Commanders distracted.
Arthur looked at the marked villages on the map. This wasn't just a military operation; it was a war of propaganda.
"We need a name," Arthur said, his gaze locking with Anna's. "A flag, a whisper... a name that represents the power of the people above nobles and crowns."
Anna thought for a moment. "So be it. This falls under the patronage of neither the Human nor Elven Kingdoms. This is the People's Shield Movement."
Arthur nodded. In that underground mine, the People's Shield was officially born. Their goal: to turn desperate peasants into an army within two months and seize their own destiny in the coming war.