I’m a Rebel in Another World

Chapter 13: Changing Backers

Henwil naturally didn't know that Kavizé was still alive. The intense battle and the poor visibility in the snowstorm had caused him to overlook many details.

For instance, Kavizé was an exceptionally skilled ranger - how could he possibly come to chat with Henwil without first ensuring his enemies were finished?

Moreover, Kavizé knew exactly where each of his arrows had struck the enemies, so he certainly wouldn't forget that one cavalryman hadn't been hit in a vital spot.

Finally, and most importantly, that surviving cavalryman had only one chance to attack. Why would he shoot at Henwil?

He would only target the most critical threat - Kavizé. Only by killing him would that cavalryman have any chance of survival.

Therefore, Kavizé had deliberately caught the arrow before colliding with Henwil.

Everything had been carefully planned by Kavizé - he intended to fake his death and leave Henwil.

As for why he did this, on one hand he genuinely believed Henwil was promising talent, but more importantly, he had a mission to complete, and Henwil might prove to be a suitable choice.

Returning to Henwil's situation, he groped his way over a small hill in the darkness and finally reoriented himself by reading the wind direction.

Henwil chose not to take the main road, instead following a side path. Fortunately, he wasn't walking directly into the wind, which saved him considerable effort.However, Henwil knew he needed to quicken his pace. Otherwise, as the snow continued to fall heavier, traveling would become increasingly difficult.

Though there were some advantages to this situation.

After all, nature treated everyone equally - the pursuing Allied Forces cavalry would also have to face the gradually worsening weather.

Pushing forward as quickly as possible, Henwil discovered a man collapsed by the roadside about a kilometer from the hiding spot Kavizé had left behind.

The man wasn't dead yet and was in the process of removing his clothes.

Henwil recognized this as paradoxical undressing - a symptom of severe hypothermia where the body's temperature regulation system fails and the brain experiences hallucinations.

If left unattended, this man would soon succumb to hypothermia and freeze to death.

Henwil certainly didn't want to bother with this complication, but as he passed the man, he happened to see his face.

After hesitating for a moment, Henwil stopped and restrained the delirious Knight Fabio.

His protective talisman was gone now, and in this weather, he needed to find a city that could provide shelter, or he would freeze to death in the wilderness.

This Fabio was somewhat familiar to him. If he could save him, he might just gain a new protective talisman.

With this thought, Henwil used his dagger to prick Fabio's shoulder socket - where nerve clusters could deliver excruciating pain.

The pain brought Fabio back to consciousness, and Henwil immediately whispered, "Knight Fabio, put your clothes on! We need to move! Just two hundred meters more and we'll be safe!"

In reality, the hiding spot was nearly a kilometer away.

But Fabio's condition was poor - if he knew the true distance, he might lose all will to move.

The fatigue and numbness from hypothermia were rapidly destroying Fabio's resolve.

Hearing Henwil's words, his survival instinct kicked in, and he subconsciously complied.

"How much further? Are we there yet?"

"Almost! We're halfway there!"

"...I feel like we've already gone more than two hundred meters. What exactly is this salvation you mentioned?"

"Knight Fabio, trust me. This is a hiding spot prepared by Mr. Kavizé. As a scout ranger, he always maintains several hideouts for his reconnaissance missions."

"Damn it... I can't feel my legs anymore. Are they broken?"

"They're fine! They're still dragging you along! See that big rock up ahead? Right there! Hold on!"

"Now we're at the rock! Where's the hiding spot?!"

"Right behind the rock, under that large tree..."

Finally, about three hundred meters from the hiding spot, Fabio could no longer continue.

No matter how Henwil encouraged him, he couldn't get up again.

Reluctantly, Henwil laid him on his cloak, threaded his sheathed longsword through the cloak's shoulder area, and began dragging him forward.

Dragging a fully armored grown man through heavy snow for three hundred meters was an extremely difficult task for Henwil, who wasn't even eight years old yet.

Though Henwil was strong and his bones and muscles had been significantly strengthened under Kavizé's training, he was still not yet an adult.

Fortunately, the latter part of the journey was a gentle slope, allowing both of them to slide down.

By the time he cleared away the cover to reveal the cave entrance, Henwil's inner clothing was completely soaked with sweat.

But he couldn't stop to catch his breath outside. He first rushed in, lit the pre-prepared bonfire, then ran back out.

He stripped Fabio naked and vigorously rubbed his entire body with snow until it turned slightly red before dragging him into the cave.

After wrapping Fabio tightly in blankets, Henwil finally removed his own clothes.

He used the now-warmed water to wipe away his sweat, then changed into the dry clothes that had been left there previously.

After completing all this, Henwil gathered around the bonfire, took a sip of hot soup, and finally felt like he had come back to life.

After hastily eating something, Henwil didn't rest. He went out again to ensure the cover wouldn't reveal their firelight before returning to the cave with peace of mind.

Kavizé had already prepared this cave with two hidden ventilation shafts, so they didn't need to worry about suffocating here.

Watching the sparks dancing and swirling in the bonfire, Henwil frowned in thought.

Should he kill Fabio now and use his head to surrender to the Allied Forces?

No!

The Allied Forces had probably already captured many officers and nobles. If any of them had seen him with Kavizé...

Then his previous identity change for survival would become inexplicable.

Right now, he couldn't appear in situations where both the Allied Forces and their enemies were present.

But if he didn't take this opportunity to reach the Allied Forces, who knew when the next good chance would appear!

He couldn't stay with the enemy forever!

Yet Henwil had another concern - could the Allied Forces truly win this war?

If they lost, wouldn't he be like someone joining the reactionaries in '49?!

Sigh!

Why wasn't there a perfect solution!

He was like these sparks - drifting helplessly with the air currents. Would his final outcome be quietly extinguishing?

Or would he land somewhere else and ignite a new, roaring blaze?!

Henwil thought about many things - from his own future, to his mother and younger siblings' situation, to whether his father was still alive.

Gradually, Henwil leaned against the cave wall and fell into a deep sleep.

Several hours later, Henwil suddenly woke with a start, grabbed the short sword by his side, and immediately looked toward Fabio opposite him.

The guy still hadn't woken up. Henwil approached to check on him, confirmed he wasn't running a fever, then carefully opened the cave entrance. Outside, the accumulated snow was already a foot deep.

Dawn hadn't broken yet - it was probably around four o'clock.

Henwil added more firewood, stretched his stiff body, chose a comfortable position, and went back to sleep.