Counterfeit Hero

July 25, 2063. The Western Alliance and Brody government held a press conference, announcing that on July 28, they would put the former Leray President Hamilton on trial.

Fifteen hours after this press conference, which was heavily promoted by media from Western Alliance countries and filled with lively questions, Hamilton committed suicide in prison, at the age of 57. He decisively used death to refuse stepping into the enemy’s courtroom.

”You can’t make me bow my head in your court, follow your manipulation. You must be very disappointed!” This was the sentence he wrote on the wall with a pen, undoubtedly a loud slap in the face to the Western Alliance and Brody.

Upon receiving the news of Hamilton’s death, the Fei Alliance Joint Congress immediately halted its ongoing meeting and passed a resolution. The Fei Alliance Joint Flag was lowered to half-mast, mourning for this politician who valiantly resisted invasion for the Leray Federation.

As the Fei Alliance Joint Flag in front of the Fei Alliance Parliament Building at Intrepid Square in Feiyang Capital, Hydefield was lowered, each Fei Alliance member country also announced the lowering of their national flag to half-mast in mourning for Hamilton. Lowering the national flag for a foreign leader was unprecedented in the history of many countries.

The Supreme Commander of Fei Alliance Joint Army, President of Feiyang Republic Francis; Fei Alliance’s July rotating chair, Tatania Freedom Alliance’s joint head Tang Zhenhai; Supreme Commander of Feiyang United Army Hastings each delivered speeches. They praised Hamilton’s outstanding contribution to resisting the Western Alliance’s invasion and affirmed the position and role of Leray Federation within the Fei Alliance. They vowed that all Fei Alliance member countries would spare no effort to win this war, restoring to Hamilton in heaven a complete, prosperous, and free Leray Federation.

Immediately, a rally to mourn Hamilton was held at Intrepid Square right across the Fei Alliance Parliament Building. In the July sunshine, when Leray Exile Government President Flavio took the podium, the entire world seemed to fall silent.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered at Intrepid Square, and other citizens from various countries watching the live broadcast, remained silent.

For most of them, the name Hamilton was unfamiliar. He wasn’t their president. If it were peacetime, they might catch a glimpse of the news by chance, pay some attention, and then soon forget.

But now, this war has tightly linked this person to them.

A president of an ally nation was captured and committed suicide!

Every individual felt bewildered, shocked, and saddened.

Leray Federation, this insignificant small country within the Fei Alliance, left them with very few impressions. Even though this war started with Leray, they felt unfamiliar with this distant country. Leray’s war of national defense seemed like something from another world, another era.

It wasn’t until today, four years later, that they felt the war’s impact on their lives.

But that was merely focusing their attention on their own country’s war situation. About Leray’s countless ruins, countless displaced people, and the Leray people’s life and resistance, they knew nothing.

Flavio stood before Hamilton’s portrait, after several deep breaths, his voice slowly echoed through the amplifier: ”He is standing right behind me. I can still feel his gaze and his smile.”

”Compared to my praise and mourning for him, I know even more what he wanted to say... So let me, along with him, tell you about a war you know nothing of.”

Flavio’s voice reverberated over the square through the broadcast system. Through the trembling voice, people could distinctly feel the suppressed anger and sadness at the heart of this pale, haggard old man on the screen.

”As everyone knows, Leray has been fighting a war for four years. Yet few know the specific figures of this ongoing war.” Flavio raised a list in his hand: ”I’ve always wanted to forget this list, but the data, like knives, are carved in my heart. Let me tell you what’s written on this list.”

”Let me tell you, over four years, Leray has one thousand and twenty-six towns and cities turned into ruins. Let me tell you, Leray has six hundred and fifty million homeless people! Let me tell you, nearly two hundred million people in Leray died in the war, and let me tell you, we have nearly thirty million Leray Warriors sacrificed on the battlefield!”

The old man’s powerful voice grew louder with each sentence. Many people were shocked and covered their mouths.

The data made them shiver.

”Sympathetic?” Flavio held his head high and said: ”No! Do not shed tears for us! We do not need sympathy! We are proud of our country, our nation! This is the price Leray people paid for freedom, for territorial integrity, and for resisting invasion! We never regret!”

”No one can understand the hardships and cruelty of this war.” Flavio’s gaze turned to the clear sky. In front of him, the broad main road in the center of the square stretched far into the distance, already packed with people. His voice, as if reaching the heavens: ”Our president, leading seventeen billion Leray people, resisted Gazalin, resisted Desic, resisted Suss, resisted Jiepeng! Even though their combined military strength is sixteen times ours...”