The Smiling Death-Chapter 371: Last Dinner

It was another day.

Evening had already fallen over the village, and the sky outside had turned a deep shade of orange and purple as the sun slowly disappeared behind the distant hills.

Inside the large wooden canteen, the atmosphere was far livelier than usual.

Almost every villager was present.

Long wooden tables filled the hall, and people sat close to each other while eating their meals. The warm light from the hanging lanterns and wall torches illuminated the entire place, casting dancing shadows across the wooden walls.

Plates, bowls, and cups covered the tables. The smell of cooked meat, roasted vegetables, and fresh bread filled the air.

But what made the evening different was not the food. It was the mood.

Today was most likely the last night they would spend here peacefully. Because tomorrow... everything would change.

Tomorrow was the day they would attempt to fight and escape this cursed place.

Some of the villagers were excited. Some were determined. Others were afraid.

A few people sat quietly while eating, their faces filled with worry as they thought about the coming battle.

What if they failed? The thought lingered in many minds. If they failed... their deaths were almost certain.

Many people had already accepted that possibility. For some of them, this meal truly felt like their last dinner.

Either they would survive and finally escape this prison...

Or they would die here.

Because of that, instead of being gloomy, the atmosphere had strangely become louder than ever before.

People talked loudly. Some laughed. Some spoke excitedly about the battle. Others encouraged their companions.

It was as if everyone was trying to push away their fear for at least one night.

At one of the tables sat Amon and his group.

Amon, Scarlett, Julian, Katherine, Ethan, Oliver, and Stiffeny were sitting together while eating and talking.

Ethan looked especially excited. His eyes sparkled as he spoke enthusiastically.

"Tomorrow is finally the day," Ethan said while gripping his fork tightly. "We are really going to fight those monsters."

Julian sat beside him, quietly eating. Unlike Ethan’s excitement, Julian’s expression was serious and determined.

He wasn’t talking much. But the calm look in his eyes showed that he had already prepared himself mentally.

Across from them sat Katherine. She was eating slowly while occasionally glancing around the busy canteen.

Her brows were slightly furrowed. Even though she tried to remain calm, the worry on her face was visible.

Oliver, on the other hand, looked far more relaxed. He leaned back slightly in his chair while chewing casually.

"Honestly," Oliver said with a grin, "I can’t wait to leave this place. I am getting tired of seeing the same ugly walls every day."

Amon laughed lightly. He looked just as cheerful as always.

"Yeah," Amon said while smiling. "Tomorrow will be interesting."

His tone was relaxed, almost as if tomorrow were just another normal day.

Oliver chuckled. "You are way too calm about this."

Amon shrugged slightly. "What is the point of worrying? Either we get out or stay stuck here. Rather than worrying, let’s enjoy tonight."

He continued eating as if nothing serious was happening.

Stiffeny sat quietly beside them. She wasn’t really paying attention to the conversation. Instead, she was completely focused on eating her food.

Her plate was already half empty. Scarlett sat at the same table as well. Unlike the others, she remained silent.

Her amethyst eyes occasionally moved across the room as she quietly observed the people around her.

The loud voices. The forced laughter. The hidden fear behind some faces. She could feel it clearly.

"By the way, in which group are you guys?" Amon asked while looking at the others.

"Me and Katherine are in the group led by Roland." Julian replied.

"Well, me and Steffeny are in Nora’s group," Oliver responded.

Amon raised one brow. Then he turned and looked at the elf woman sitting at a table with Rei and others.

She had long maroon-colored hair. Her age looked around the late thirties. She still looked young since she was an elf.

"So it’s Nora... well, she’s really nice. Though she never attends any meetings since she hates them and would rather just listen to what the elders say."

Then Amon turned and looked at Scarlett.

"Scarlett, how about you? Are you excited for tomorrow or worried?"

"Nothing much. I know we will get out. I’m not worried."

"Oh, so you are excited," Amon said while grinning at her.

"It’s amazing how you two are in the same group," Steffeny said while observing the two of them.

Just this morning, the groups were decided. Each had 40 people.

Amon was with Scarlett. In the same group. Ethan was also in the same group as Amon and Scarlett.

"I am... a little nervous... can we really do it?" Katherine shared her feelings.

"Of course we will," Julian replied with confidence. His fist clenched, his eyes filled with determination.

"Yes, we will. We are all together in this. Don’t forget that," Ethan also encouraged her.

"We have strong people with us, so don’t worry. It might be our first battle... but we will survive."

"Come on! Look, we got Amon. He’s strong! I know we will survive this!" Oliver praised Amon for no reason.

But Amon didn’t feel offended. Rather, he smiled wider. He straightened his back and hit his chest with his fist.

"Of course. Why worry when Amon is here? I will handle everything."

His face was filled with overconfidence.

Seeing Amon’s confident face actually looked comical to them.

"Pfft—hahaha!" Katherine burst into laughter seeing his expression, as if he were going to be the hero who would save them.

Others joined her laughter. Even Scarlett was smiling while looking at Amon’s expression.

Just like that, everyone was preparing themselves in their own way.

Just then, a chair scraped loudly against the wooden floor.

Many people instinctively looked toward the front of the hall.

Roland had stood up. His tall figure immediately drew everyone’s attention.

The conversations slowly began to quiet down. Within moments, the entire canteen became silent.

Roland looked around the room at all the villagers.

His gaze was calm but firm. He took a slow breath before speaking.

"Everyone."

His deep voice echoed clearly throughout the canteen.

"This is most likely the last night we will spend here together like this."

The room became even quieter. Some people lowered their heads slightly. Others watched him carefully.

Roland continued. "Tomorrow... we will fight."

His words were simple. But their meaning carried great weight.

"For years we have been trapped in this place."

His gaze slowly moved across the room.

"We have suffered."

"We have lost people."

"We have lived every day wondering if we would ever leave this place. Between that... we learned to live here... to smile together again."

A few villagers clenched their fists. Some nodded silently.

Roland’s voice grew stronger. "But tomorrow... that changes."

He placed his hand firmly on the table beside him. "Tomorrow we fight for our freedom."

A faint spark appeared in many people’s eyes.

Roland continued speaking.

"We may succeed. Or we may fail."

He did not try to hide the truth. "But one thing is certain."

His voice became firm and powerful. "We will give everything we have." A few people straightened their backs.

Roland’s eyes sharpened.

"We are leaving this place."

His words echoed through the hall.

"No matter what it takes."

"For ourselves."

"For those who died before us. And for the future that was stolen from us." His final words came like a declaration. "We will escape this place."

For a moment, the hall remained silent.

Malphas, from the same table, nodded with satisfaction. Silvan leaned back against his chair. Kael smirked. Rei folded her arms under her chest.

Everyone agreed with Roland’s words. Then cheers erupted.

"Yeah!"

"We will fight!"

"Freedom!"

Many villagers raised their cups or slammed their hands on the tables.

The tension that had been building all evening finally exploded into loud excitement. Even those who had been afraid now shouted along with the others.

The noise quickly filled the entire canteen again. Roland slowly sat back down after finishing his speech.

The villagers returned to their meals. The talking and laughter continued. But this time, the energy in the room felt stronger.

More determined. At Amon’s table, Ethan grinned widely. "That was an amazing speech."

Julian nodded slightly.

"It was." Amon simply smiled as he continued eating.

Scarlett glanced quietly at him for a moment before looking away again. Outside, the night slowly grew darker.

And everyone knew the truth. This was their final night in this place. Because tomorrow...

The battle would begin.