The Undying Body and the prophet...
*Although both are rather annoying abilities, Joshua, after all, could see through the future. If he wasn’t sure he could kill you, would he really do this?*
Sure enough, under the worried gazes of the Rebels, middle-aged Joshua in the distance did not directly agree but spoke up with a demand.
"You can’t leave the bottles you’ve brought; you must take them all away!"
Banning Pioni seemed not to be enough, so with evident preparation, middle-aged Joshua continued his demands,
"As with the choices made countless times, next there’s a slightly old broom you can ride away on; that, too, must be handed over for them to take away, along with the pendant on your neck, a yellow-haired pup, and..."
Having refused middle-aged Joshua, Leon warned coldly,
"Don’t think you can deceive me. I’m very clear about what conditions I would agree to. Except for the thermos and that broom, I can’t hand over anything else."
"Hmph, a desperate struggle."
*Perhaps Joshua had already tried something similar in different futures and knew Leon would immediately clash with him to the death.* So middle-aged Joshua did not persist further but pointed towards the gate at the other end of the Secret Port.
"I’ve already opened the gate in advance. Once they go through it, they’ll reach the mountain at the other side of the Capital City. But don’t expect them to report back for you. I won’t leave such a stupid loophole. An Anomalous Object hangs on this gate that disrupts the mind, suppressing everyone who passes through it. Whether it’s them or what’s in the thermos, they certainly won’t have time to find someone to save you."
*Given time to prepare, a foresight ability was indeed quite advantageous.*
Following middle-aged Joshua’s ’command,’ Leon handed over the broom and thermos to the Rebels. After performing various tasks per the arrangements, Leon began to silently pray that the version of himself that Joshua saw in the future was aligned with his current plans.
According to the Intelligence gathered from the [Gate of the Other World], if the future was reached only a day or two ahead, Joshua could enter and exit repeatedly. But reaching a farther future came with significant Costs and Consumption, which made it impossible to open the gate continuously over a short period of time.
Therefore, the only way to fool this half-baked "prophet" was to cause a major stir, fake death for a short while, and bet that, with insufficient Intelligence, Joshua would see him "dead" and leave without reopening the gate to look further into the future.
As for whether it was possible to hide it completely...
One could say the likelihood was low.
*Looking at the [Immortal of Liquor] Badge on the panel and feeling the Connection with his heart’s Yang Xin and the horn’s Yang Jiao, Leon couldn’t help but feel a little relieved.*
*Given the current number of trump cards at his disposal, taking down so many Guard Troops was impossible, but escaping death was more than feasible. The probability of dying here was too low, so in Joshua’s envisioned future, his supposedly doomed self was likely just pretending.*
*After all, the area beneath the Boarding Tower was so open, devoid of even a single tree—let alone a passable door. By choosing a place without doors nearby so he couldn’t closely examine the "body," the likelihood of fooling him was remarkably high.*
*However, while Leon had confidence in saving himself, the Rebels lacked insight into his inner strategy.*
Having taken over the broom and thermos from Leon, they watched their newly appointed leader who, by opting to sacrifice himself for their safe retreat, directly chose self-sacrifice. Even the seemingly most seasoned Oliver’s eyes turned red, while Lucy and her sister, richer in emotion, bit their lips white, large teardrops rolling down their cheeks.
Regarding this new leader of questionable origin—a leader clearly mismatched with "little Baskin"—they naturally harbored suspicions, but having seen the path to the Future for the first time under Leon’s narrative, decided to temporarily follow behind Leon.
Nevertheless, after undergoing this ordeal and witnessing Leon’s choice to stay behind, walk into "certain death" with determination, and still be able to smile and comfort them, the Rebels’ initial doubts completely evaporated.
What pained them greatly was that this new leader of unflawed courage, wisdom, vision, and character was destined to sacrifice himself, falling prey to the plotting of their old leader, to prevent the outbreak of war.
The two leaders they had experienced, one young, warm, pure, and dazzling as a rising sun, and the other concealed, treacherous, unpresentable, with a soul rotting faster than his body.
*Now, the young and passionate soul was about to be killed by that scoundrel whose very soul was decayed,* due to his unwavering inner beliefs and integrity—a comparison so stark it tugged sharply at the hearts of the Rebels.
"You will always be our leader."
Oliver cast a cold glance toward middle-aged Joshua, saying nothing, just memorized the faces of both leaders before bowing deeply to Leon.
One after another, the remaining Rebels, either flushed with anger or brimming with hatred, gave Joshua a glare, then, one by one, stooped toward Leon, their faces full of genuine, deep sorrow.
*My goodness... Why did they make it resemble a farewell ceremony...*
Leon felt ill at ease with the Rebels’ overly solemn attitude but could not divulge his intention to fake his death. Therefore, he had to switch to [Master Performer] to politely return their bows.
However, with the Performance Master’s amplified emotional impact on his performance, he looked at them with tender yet resolute eyes. Not only did the Rebels’ grief deepen, even Joshua, who had pre-lived this scene, couldn’t help but glance sideways, his eyes revealing a hint of a complex expression.
*It’s a pity... but just like you, I too have no other choice.*
While Joshua sighed for the similar plight both of them faced, Leon suddenly turned his head toward him, asking calmly,
"Joshua, those inside the Sky Clipper..."
Middle-aged Joshua, having already "rehearsed" a few times and knowing what Leon wanted to say, interrupted before Leon could finish,
"The people inside the Sky Clipper don’t necessarily have to die. You can let them out for these guys to take away, but they must be kept captive. They can’t be allowed to make Contact with the Crolock Kingdom."
Leon, *brave and selfless, noble in character and willing to sacrifice, compassionate and loving*, nodded and even gave Joshua a smile before re-entering the Sky Clipper.
Once his figure vanished into the cabin, Joshua, under the hostile gazes of the Rebels, drew a small signal gun and fired a flare into the sky with a bang.
Under the flare’s crimson glare, Joshua urged coldly,
"For his sake, I won’t act against you traitors this time. But if the Guards arrive and you’re still here, don’t blame me if you get killed!"