Chapter 56 – Subjugation
One.
“·······”
Karen looked at Netoru and Ceres and tried to manage her expression. But it wasn’t easy.
I usually try to gloss over it, saying it’s a cure, but
Karen wasn’t really dismissing it as just therapy. She knew very well that it was just her rationalization of herself.
······A kiss between a man and a woman.
Something that cannot be easily shown in front of others.
Especially for members of the same unit.
No matter how much Karen says it’s treatment, in the eyes of the troops, does it really look like treatment?
It can’t be.
Karen knew that, so it was a secret relationship that continued with a nervous feeling every time.
Thanks to this, even if she somehow tried not to imagine it, the image of Netoru and Ceres secretly kissing was clearly played in her head.
Is this how the unit members feel when they find out?
Ceres, who did not know the circumstances, corrected his expression belatedly and said as if he was making excuses.
“… Karen. That’s it. Netoru just wants to help me like yesterday because my legs are weak…”
Are you calling that an excuse? It is not persuasive to say that with a bright red face, as if the afterglow of the kiss that was just here still lingers.
Even so, Ceres was the owner of pure white skin that could be said to be pale. Thanks to that, the skin that was flushed with shame was so clear.
Besides, what was the figure quietly watching Netoru’s eyes?
No, he hadn’t done anything wrong in the first place, so why was he talking nonsense like he was guilty?
Anyway, Karen had to pretend she didn’t know as much as possible about what happened between the two of them inside.
It’s a relationship that has become awkward due to a quarrel that happened during the day. She hasn’t even properly reconciled with Ceres yet, but if she digs into things like this, she’ll only become poison. And she had no reason to.
Okay···. It’s just therapy…
It was just necessary.
So Karen said, she tried her best, giving her an awkward smile.
“···Ah. Is that so?”
“Yes. So there is nothing to worry about.”
…Nothing to worry about
That sounds kind of cold.
Is it because of the distance caused by what happened during the day?
It would be nice if this was an illusion, but somehow in a bittersweet feeling.
Karen turned her gaze to Netoru.
He was as calm as always.
If I had only seen that impudent face, I wouldn’t have known what the hell was going on inside.
So somehow, Karen hated that.
Did she even have to make a face like that on me.
She must have known that she would have been caught anyway.
It was at that time when Karen, who was slightly dissatisfied with the appearance of the four Toru, was looking for something to say while licking her lips.
Someone from under the genital cavalry said.
” . . . What are all three of you doing there?”
I looked down to see who it was, and it was Pera and Kyokyo. Kyokyo, her eyes met, said in a loud voice.
“Sister Karen! Commander-nim wants everyone to gather at the Aegis! He said he had an urgent meeting!”
“···Meeting.”
There is only one thing to urgently discuss here.
It must be about the death worm and the bugs it brought.
Then Netoru spoke from behind.
“Karen. I’m going to the Aegis first. I will follow Ceres while supporting him.”
Having said that, Netoru pulled Ceres by the waist before he knew it and was helping her.
It looked like a very good coupling partner.
“Now, wait a minute… When do you want me to help you…”
“Ceres. Don’t tick-tick so needlessly. In this case, just wait. I am your partner.”
“Ugh…”
Ceres lowered her head with a puzzled face, and Karen stared at them blankly for a moment.
Ceres, who for some reason kept an eye on this side,
And as usual, Netoru is kind without knowing.
It was a subtle sight that is difficult to describe.
However, Karen turned her back on her, unable to honestly express her complex and subtle feelings.
2.
A period called the humpback period. The internal forces of the kingdom of Phrangia were divided into royalists and republicans, causing fierce conflict.
The royalists naturally wanted to maintain a society centered around kings and aristocrats, as they had been for hundreds of years.
The Republicans wanted the Kingdom of Frangia to be reborn as a citizen-centered republic.
It demanded the maintenance of an absolute monarchy and aristocracy.
Of course, it was impossible for proper negotiations to proceed between the two forces fighting for each other’s interests.
So the end of negotiations soon led to war.
Thanks to this, a lot of blood was shed and the country was devastated.
Eventually, the kingdom’s situation became so bad that it had to worry about the intervention of external forces.
However, the fight between the two powers without concessions finally leaned to one side, and the end of the war with no promise was beginning to appear.
The sudden invasion of ‘bugs’ was enough to turn the whole game upside down at once.
The republicans, who were contemplating what kind of kingdom to build ahead of victory, collapsed in an instant, and the royalists, who were on the verge of being dragged before the guillotine, survived.
And as part of the current Headquarters, the senior commander in charge of Areas 36 through 39—Count Sibert was also part of the royalist aristocrats who were lucky enough to survive that day.
─···Tsk. Did that monster appear there too?
“·······”
As soon as I received a report on the death worm, I got a call from a higher unit right away. It was the first time Lien had ever seen the headquarters move so quickly.
Anyway, it’s good to have a quick response, so Lien stared at Count Sibert’s face floating in the air.
“Commander. Is this all about death worms? I certainly requested combat records from Area 47.”
—Commander Lien. That’s all the information we can give you right now. The rest is not data you can see from your location.
“…It’s just a battle record, isn’t it? Right now, we have to fight the Death Worm right now, so why are you reluctant to reveal it like this?”
—This is the command’s policy.
“·······”
What kind of nonsense is this again? Do you think that evasiveness, saying it is the command’s policy, would be a valid reason?
Lien tried to raise his voice, but bit his mouth tightly.
Instead, he thinks of reasons himself.
It’s just a battle record. But why is the headquarters so reluctant to disclose it?
It was not difficult to infer the answer based on what Rien had seen and experienced so far.
If you usually try to hide it like this, it’s for one reason.
That’s right, the nobles of the royalist faction… It was when there was information that was not good for them. For example, a defeat that was so fatal that it should not be reported to the outside world.
Although it was the royalists who won in the revolutionary period, their current position in the kingdom was not perfect.
They were still imperfect.
During the revolution, citizens did not stand up for nothing. All of these were the result of accumulated dissatisfaction with the long-standing unequal social system. So, there is no way that such things will disappear just because the aristocrats won the internal fight.
So even though the republicans were swept away, the embers were still left throughout the kingdom.
Citizens still do not trust the royalist nobles.
It’s just that I’m forced to follow the circumstances.
It is a situation where monsters invade from outside the country every day. At a time like this, there is no way you can afford to use your strength in an internal fight. Death was coming right before my eyes.
And the nobles used it exquisitely,
Even though it was defeated once, it was for this reason that the Republican faction, which was supported by the citizens, collapsed powerlessly in the end.
However, even if the Republican faction collapsed, we cannot be relieved. The nobles had seen too well what the citizens were doing in desperation. You don’t know when and where the second Republicans will come out again.
So, unlike before, they tried to control public opinion. To some extent, it is beginning to see the eyes of the citizens.
That’s why they emphasize their competence as much as possible and try to hide their incompetence.
That’s why the headquarters was strict about information control.
In a way, it could be said that they were trying to consolidate their position, which had been shaken by the current war, as much as possible.
And in the future, when this crisis is over, I might proudly say. They said they won because of it.
This is the result of nobles leading stupid citizens.
It was obviously cowardly and insidious, but Rien didn’t have the strength to rebuke it. It’s hard to handle what’s right in front of you.
So Lien said while suppressing her emotions.
“…Then what about my request for assistance?”
-Don’t worry too much about that. I’ve already requested cooperation from the other commanders in Area 39. Oh, and if you ever need anything else, let me know now. I will do my best to accommodate your request.
···Accommodate the request as much as possible. Should I say thank you so much for saying that now?
Anyway, good.
Rien brought up the stories that had been ignored the other day. In any case, it was said that they would respond positively to this side’s request, so I had to get everything I could get as much as possible.
3.
After returning to his unit, Rien summoned his troops without even having time to rest. It was to talk about the death worm observed this time.
As the corps members gathered, Rien used magic to realize the image of the death worm observed through the Aegis as a 3D hologram,
It was explained in a sincere way so that the members of the unit who could not see the Death Worm with their own eyes could easily understand it.
In addition, as if he had obtained additional information from the headquarters, he also told me one by one small details about the Death Worm.
Unfortunately, most of it wasn’t meaningful information, but there were a few things to salvage.
According to Lien, at least until now, there seems to be no record of using firearms in ‘Death Worm’. Of course, even if he didn’t have a weapon armed, his body itself was no different from a powerful weapon.
Still, it was fortunate that he was not a guy who fired shells and bullets at random.
‘… Now the question is when the monster will move.’
Fortunately, the Death Worm hasn’t shown much movement since it first appeared. It was the same with the other bugs that came up to the ground using the underground passage he created.
I don’t know if it’s waiting for additional troops or if it has some other special purpose.
According to Lien, from now on, the 393rd unit will wait for reinforcements by procrastinating as much time as possible. In other words, it was the sound of avoiding a fight as much as possible and watching the situation.
So, it was very fortunate for this side that the Death Worm stayed still.
…Of course, I don’t know how long he’ll stay still.
In fact, if he rushed recklessly into the city in the rear, it would be impossible for him to avoid a fight. At least at that time, Unit 393 had to fight for the sake of tens of thousands of citizens, whether they lived or died.
I wish it wouldn’t happen…
While negative thoughts continue to prevail over positive ones,
Lien, who created the meeting, said she had something to talk to only the two of them, and slowly opened her mouth.
“How are you two feeling? It must have been too much for today’s battle.”
“I am okay.”
After answering that, Netoru looked at Ceres. Ceres hesitated somewhere, but when he met eyes with Netoru, he flinched and nodded his head.
“···Yes. I am fine too.”
“I’m glad…”
In fact, Ceres had one overhit,
Lien, who did not know the exact situation, stroked her chest as if she was sincerely relieved, and continued.
“I think you already guessed why I called the two of them separately.”
“Isn’t it because we have a role we want to entrust separately in relation to Death Worm?”
“Yes. You’re right. First of all, Netoru and Ceres can be said to be the best in the current unit. That’s why I’m asking just in case…”
Rien glanced at Ceres, then turned back to Netoru.
“Have you ever used a venereal weapon, Netoru?”
