Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: White Crow Unit ― Erika (2)
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Erika Braithner ended up continuing her activities alone.
It was quite lonely and solitary, but she had no choice if she wanted to forget the suffocating emptiness that felt like it could kill her.
Unable to entrust it to a print shop, she hand-copied inflammatory slogans every night like cramming for an exam, stuffed a small bundle of flyers into the secret pocket of her bag, and wandered the streets of Lüdelheim, waiting for the right moment to scatter them.
Of course, it wasn't easy.
If she always scattered them in the same area, suspects would naturally narrow down, so she scouted suitable spots in different districts each time.
She also made sure to have an excuse in case she ran into someone she knew and sparked suspicion like, "Why is she there?"
Things like getting new clothes tailored or visiting the museum.
The place where she could wander most comfortably without raising suspicion was, of course, the campus.
Lüdelheim Comprehensive University had an enormous campus, filled not just with students but also outsiders coming for various reasons, so no one batted an eye if she strolled around all day pretending to take a walk.
That's why today, too, she used her free period between classes to scour every corner of the school, searching for spots that hadn't gotten flyers yet...
At first, she thought it was someone else.
With eyes that looked like he'd pulled three all-nighters, perpetually gloomy and exhausted, disheveled hair sticking out, a small frame, and a pallid complexion that seemed ready to collapse at any moment.
Erika initially mistook him for a grad student being squeezed by their advisor, but after a few steps, she whipped her head around and stared piercingly at the bench in front of the humanities building.
It really was him. The person who seemed the most out of place on this campus was casually sitting there, eating a sandwich.
"Ha."
A disbelieving scoff escaped her lips.
'Coincidence?'
If not, why would Lucas Redan be sitting in front of her lecture hall?
It made no sense.
Erika held her head high and walked past him. But the moment she stiffened at the rustling sound, someone grabbed her shoulder from behind.
"Erika Braithner, fourth-year political science major in humanities, right? Want to join our club?"
"...Club?"
Caught off guard, she reflexively questioned, and Lucas curled up the corner of his mouth.
"We're recruiting new members right now. I've just been waiting for a chance to recruit you."
What kind of nonsense was this? Erika shot him a cold glare.
"Keep quiet. And don't talk to me."
"The club name is White Crow—"
"Quiet!"
Erika instinctively reached out and clamped her hand over his mouth. She glanced around sidelong, but no one was paying attention to them.
Relief washed over her even as her energy drained. Seeing Lucas smirking with his eyes while her hand muffled his mouth only fueled her rising anger.
"Follow me."
With no idea what crazy thing he might do if left alone, she pulled her hand away and started walking.
After all, wasn't he the madman who'd shot an Ossel officer and then leaped into a lion's den alone?
"Should've done that from the start."
Lucas muttered as he followed behind her.
Erika headed to the church at the farthest corner of the school grounds.
Following the alley behind it led to a secretive spot shrouded in shadows, overgrown with weeds and littered with a broken statue left abandoned.
Most students didn't even know it existed—a place rarely visited, save occasionally by couples. Even those avoided it now, spooked by the tale of a man who'd hanged himself there.
Erika, utterly unperturbed by such ghost stories, often came here to clear her head.
She glanced up at the grotesque statue and crossed her arms tightly. It was deep into autumn, and the shaded nook already carried a chill.
"Why'd you come here?"
Lucas chuckled at her icy expression. He casually perched on a rotting log that had toppled over and looked up at her.
"To see you."
"So why?!"
"To ask you to come back."
She hadn't expected him to be so upfront about it, leaving Erika momentarily speechless.
"...I'm not coming back."
"I know."
Lucas nodded nonchalantly. It was absurd.
"Then why bother coming? And shouldn't you be at work right now?"
"Took a few days off. No work anyway, and my colleagues are thrilled not to see me."
She didn't care about his detailed circumstances, but his bluntness was somewhat surprising.
"Anyway, I don't even want to see your face right now. As long as you're there, I'm not coming back."
Her sharp barb didn't faze him; he just grinned broadly.
"I know that too. Hmm, guess I should head out now. I'll be back for lunch tomorrow, so see you then."
He grunted with effort, coughed lightly, and stood up.
"What? No need for—"
"Suit yourself."
Lucas left matter-of-factly. Left behind, Erika sneered in exasperation.
"What a jerk."
Her contemptuous mutter echoed in the dark, gloomy yard.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ She really thought he was a jerk.
And that thought lingered. She stayed irritated all day.
Even as she wandered aimlessly after lectures like usual, even reluctantly heading home to read in her study.
I mean, who goes around with that utterly useless expression, says their piece, and just breezes off?
Whether from Lucas's personal perspective or representing the White Crow Unit, she'd assumed he came because she was useful, but his cool demeanor shook her certainty.
Maybe he was just testing the waters.
'What does it matter?'
She shook her head in annoyance.
She'd never see him again anyway.
The next day, at the same time, the same bench in front of the humanities lecture hall.
Lucas was there, eating a sandwich exactly as before, without a hint of difference.
Erika paused briefly on her way to the student cafeteria after class but marched on resolutely.
The day after that, and the one after.
Lucas kept showing up in that spot.
When she returned to humanities after lunch for something, he'd finished his sandwich and was leisurely reading the newspaper.
She couldn't fathom his intentions.
He neither struck up conversations like the first day nor even nodded hello.
If his goal was just to annoy her, it was working.
It wasn't that she was obsessed, but his presence nagging at the edge of her vision was starting to grate.
It was impressive how he sat there like a doll, eating the same food day in, day out.
She wanted to demand why, but pride kept her ignoring him.
Days passed like that, and around the time exams loomed and things got hectic.
For the first time, Lucas didn't appear.
It was a day with few lectures, but she'd come early to study in an empty classroom. At the church bells signaling lunchtime, she glanced out the window—the bench was empty.
For a split second, Erika felt her heart drop.
'Why isn't he here today?'
He always ambled over from that path the moment lunch started and plopped down on the bench.
1 minute.
5 minutes.
10 minutes.
She stared at the bench as time ticked by, but no sign of Lucas.
A bad premonition welled up, making her increasingly anxious.
'Something didn't happen to the White Crow Unit, did it...?'
Like someone getting dragged off.
Erika's composed face twisted, her complexion turning as pale as Lucas's.
'No. He said they allied with Ossel.'
But the person who'd negotiated with Lucas was just one Ossel among many. Captain was a decent rank, but higher-ups abounded.
Erika impatiently swept her hair behind her ear, grabbed her bag, and stood.
If this was some joke to get her attention, she wouldn't forgive him. With that thought, she headed to the clearing behind the church.
The abandoned space where trampled grass yellowed underfoot.
No Lucas there either. Tension drained from Erika's shoulders.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ It was an ordinary morning, just like any other.
Who knew not having to go to work could bring such joy!
I cheerfully washed my face and took Collin for a walk. Oscar, who'd practically moved in by now, tagged along.
"How long are you planning to crash here? The living room sofa isn't uncomfortable?"
I chided him lightly as we strolled toward the park.
"Not at all. Super comfy. And I gave Mrs. Schmidt some money last week."
I'd seen him hand her an amount like boarding fees, insisting he felt bad. At least he had a conscience.
"Actually, thinking of ditching my current place and moving in."
"Don't even joke. House is cramped."
"There's a spare room. Never knew living with friends could be this fun!"
His sappy words sent a shiver down my spine. I scowled, and Oscar grinned cheekily.
"All thanks to you."
I regretted underestimating his affability. He genuinely saw me as a friend now.
Not a bad feeling, but a bit worrisome. What if we got too close?
We walked and ran intermittently with Collin. His stamina had improved a lot since he first came. Maybe because he ate better than original Lucas—some muscle was showing.
Overdoing it still triggered coughing fits and chest agony, though.
"Cough! Cough! Hack!"
"No wonder he was running so well."
Oscar patted my back.
"What the hell did you do to your body to end up like this?"
"Shut up. Born this way."
Oscar shrugged with a "yeah, right" look.
After calming down, I sipped the water I'd brought and rested. The energetic Oscar couldn't stay still, tapping trees along the way as he chatted.
"How's Erika?"
"Hates my guts. Stamps her face there every day, but won't even glance at me."
"Trouble. Confident you can convince her?"
"Honestly... yeah, I am."
I grinned, and Oscar's face lit up.
Making a girl who hates me like me.
Devilishly hard, but if it was just building human favorability—not romance—totally doable.
For a rigid type like Erika Braithner, the straightforward approach was best.
'Show my face often, help with tough stuff. That's it.'
Surprisingly, tons of people sucked at that.
Of course, my goal was higher. Get Erika back in the White Crow Unit and turn her into a stellar operative.
Sorry to the other members, but she was key personnel. The Unit desperately needed someone as sharp as her.
"Alright, shall we?"
Ten a.m.
Time to prepare to head out.
But then.
In the quiet house—everyone else at work, Mrs. Schmidt at the market—the phone rang shrilly.
The clear ring was just like old Earth phones. I hurried to the living room and picked up.
"Hello."
"Pardon, is this Lucas Redan's residence? A friend."
I couldn't help but chuckle at the voice.
Captain Johann Werner.
Faking cheer, but his signature chill seeped through the line.
"Speaking. What's up so suddenly?"
"Mailbox. Keep your promise."
His voice turned icy in an instant, spat the words curtly, and hung up.
"Heh."
Of all days, today. Just when I was about to try talking to Erika again.
No choice—I checked the mailbox by the front door. A plain letter addressed to me was inside. Definitely wasn't there an hour ago.
"Son of a...!"
Tearing open the envelope, curses flew from my mouth.
Johan had told me to let him use me like a dog in our deal, but I hadn't expected this.
"Me, do ad modeling? Is he insane?!"
The letter detailed a shooting location address. With a threat: miss the time, and you're nabbed.