Chapter 312: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (30)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 312: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (30)
Generals in Earth Federation Army uniforms and Federation councilors in sharp suits were seated around a circular table.
In the center of the table, a hologram of Adele Licencia and the man guarding her played on a loop.
Breaking the heavy silence, a general asked in a low voice.
“…That guard sticking to Adele Licencia’s side. Who the hell is he?”
His sharp gaze glinted from between deep-set wrinkles.
A military official quickly answered.
“He is Lieutenant Jin Seo-yun, who was commissioned not long ago.”
At that, one of the councilors cleared his throat and shot back sharply.
“I’m sure I told you to assign someone suitable, didn’t I?”
The military official hesitated for a moment before forcing an excuse.
“Well… considering his training records—insubordination, acting on his own authority—we judged that those tendencies were more likely to create friction with Adele Licencia.”
Another general continued in a heavy tone.
“The original intent was that he would naturally cause conflict… and neglect his duties as a guard, but…”
The silence spreading through the conference room grew colder.
An elderly councilor stared at the hologram, let out a silent breath, and then spoke.
“But look at that now. The two of them… they’ve become far too close.”
The military official, sweating, continued.
“…They grew close much faster than we anticipated. In the beginning, there were no signs of this at all.”
“That’s not all.”
Another councilor added in a sharp voice.
“Jin Seo-yun. His skills are also far greater than we thought. Do you know what the analysts said after seeing this footage? They said it was like watching Colonel Sheryl Mortimer.”
“…So in the end, we’ve placed an uncontrollable monster right next to Adele Licencia.”
One of the councilors clicked his tongue.
“The problem is that our entire plan has gone off the rails.”
Another councilor tapped his fingers nervously.
“From the start… wasn’t the assessment that while he was skilled, he was also a troublemaker we could control?”
The military official’s voice trailed off.
“…That is correct. However, the variables were far greater than we predicted.”
A heavy silence fell over the conference room once more.
On the hologram screen, the scene of Adele Licencia smiling gently at Jin Seo-yun repeated endlessly.
The chairman, who had been quiet, slowly clasped his fingers and spoke.
“…Eliminating him directly would be too risky, I presume.”
“Yes. If we try to eliminate him now, Adele Licencia will likely oppose us head-on. To her, Jin Seo-yun has become more than just a simple guard.”
Another figure interjected in a low voice.
“…How did things get so twisted?”
Their gazes were all in agreement. Uncomfortable, anxious, and above all, frustrated with an uncontrollable variable.
One councilor spoke up cautiously.
“Jin Seo-yun. We must separate him… from Licencia entirely.”
Another councilor immediately retorted.
“Do you think Adele Licencia will let him go quietly?”
A chilling silence once again filled the room. But soon, the chairman smiled slowly and whispered in a low voice.
“…Then we’ll have to create a situation where she has no choice but to let him go.”
One of the generals narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Specifically?”
He tapped the back of his hand lightly on the table.
“He is, after all, a soldier. If a legitimate order is given, his personal feelings are irrelevant.”
He slowly looked around before adding.
“We’ll have him forcibly reassigned to the front lines. I hear the 3rd Fleet has returned to Earth.”
A general nodded in agreement.
“That’s correct. They returned briefly for refitting, but due to the news of the Nemesis Colony attack and the annihilation of the 6th Fleet—”
He paused, letting out a heavy sigh.
“—it seems they will be redeployed to the front lines immediately.”
Another councilor tapped his fingers on the table and continued.
“Excellent. We’ll have Lieutenant Jin Seo-yun forcibly assigned to the 3rd Fleet under the pretext of reinforcing their forces.”
“We just need a suitable justification. Something like, ‘Due to the unfavorable war situation, outstanding pilots are being drafted to the front lines.’”
“…What about the Licencia Group?”
The military official spoke cautiously.
“If it’s an official military order, even the Licencia Group can’t object rashly. Adele Licencia herself might protest, but… she’ll be powerless against an official military operation order.”
“Good.”
The chairman leaned back leisurely and spoke in a heavy tone.
“We create physical distance between him and Adele Licencia. After that… we simply let the battlefield wear him down naturally.”
He tapped the table with his fingertips as he continued.
“And then, we can eliminate Adele Licencia once and for all.”
The gazes of those around him crossed. The chairman added quietly, but firmly.
“Currently, while Chairman Leon Risensia nominally exists within the Licencia Group… in reality, we must assume Adele Licencia has complete control over management rights.”
“…”
“Leon Risensia doesn’t even make public appearances. The one running the group on the ground, the one coordinating diplomacy with the Federation—it’s all Adele Licencia.”
“Meaning, if Adele disappears—”
Another councilor carefully interjected.
“—the Licencia Group will rapidly fracture.”
The chairman smiled.
“Correct. It will collapse from within, without us even having to lift a finger.”
At his words, a few of the councilors smiled.
On the hologram above the table, the image of Adele Licencia and Jin Seo-yun standing side-by-side continued to play in a slow loop.
*
For a while, peaceful days with Adele, Hina, and Su-hyeon continued.
One lazy afternoon.
I was leaning back on the sofa, breathing loosely. But that tranquility was completely shattered by an uninvited guest who arrived this morning.
An officer dispatched from the Earth Federation Army.
I scowled, glaring at him as he sat across from me.
“…Lieutenant, you don’t look too pleased.”
He gave a dry smile.
“I’m fine.”
I replied with a blank expression. The officer chuckled, then added nonchalantly.
“What do you mean, you’re fine? It’s written all over your rotten face.”
I didn’t answer.
I just crossed my arms and waited silently for him to continue. The officer’s smile vanished as he got to the point.
“Orders have come down. Lieutenant Jin Seo-yun is to be immediately incorporated into the 3rd Fleet’s forces and is scheduled for redeployment to the front.”
In an instant, my gaze turned cold.
“…The front?”
“This is an official military order. You are required to comply immediately.”
He skillfully placed a document on the table.
[Earth Federation Army Unified Command Order No. 77]
Emergency Personnel Deployment Order in Accordance with the 3rd Fleet’s Reinforcement Request.
My name was written on it. An order that was clean, smoothly written, and impossible to refuse.
Without taking my eyes off the document, I asked.
“…Why me, of all people?”
The officer shrugged.
“Selection of excellent personnel.”
He added in a business-like tone.
“A review of your combat records from Elbite resulted in a top rating for on-site combat responsiveness and survivability. And while it’s not yet official, the situation at the front has severely worsened.”
I narrowed my eyes, still looking down at the document. The officer continued in a low voice.
“The 6th Fleet has been annihilated. The Nemesis Colony has fallen to the colonial forces.”
“…”
“Most of the Earth Sphere’s forces are being urgently deployed to prevent the front line from collapsing. You are no exception.”
I let out a short breath and folded the document.
“…I don’t have the right to refuse, do I?”
The officer answered without batting an eyelash.
“Refuse, and you’ll be court-martialed.”
His tone was firm and dry. There was no room for negotiation.
I silently put the document in my pocket.
The officer added with a cold look.
“Be ready for departure in four days, by 09:00 hours.”
He walked out without a backward glance.
Only the rhythmic sound of his military boots echoing down the hall grew fainter.
I leaned back on the sofa and slowly exhaled.
A single line written in the document.
[Order to Deploy to the 3rd Fleet at the Front]
I slowly closed my eyes.
Looks like things are about to get busy.
It was a shame, but it seemed I’d have to part with the girls here.
…And the malice is perfectly clear.
It was then.
I heard the sound of a door opening quietly.
Adele came in. Her face was completely different from usual.
Her expression was cold, almost pale. A fury like thin ice coated her pink eyes.
She had spoken directly with the high-ranking general who had come with the officer I’d talked to.
She must have been talking about my deployment to the front. That’s why she’s angry.
I wasn’t wrong.
“…They dared to make me angry.”
Her voice was low and deep, filled with a rage that seemed to have been dredged up from a frozen abyss.
I asked casually.
“Are you angry?”
Adele didn’t hesitate in the slightest.
“Yes.”
“You’re cute when you’re angry, too.”
At my playful words, Adele bit her lip for a moment.
She seemed to be trying to suppress her anger, but she quickly composed herself.
She slowly approached me. When she was right in front of me, she said firmly.
“I’ll try to stop this.”
Her pink eyes pierced right through me.
“Because, Oppa… you can’t escape from me.”
It wasn’t a simple promise. It was a declaration.
I looked at her for a moment, then gave a silent nod.
…Honestly, I don’t think Adele can stop this one.
*
Two days later.
Adele came to me, her face deathly pale.
“…I couldn’t stop it in the end.”
Her hands were trembling. Her pink eyes were filled with despair and self-blame.
I gave a quiet smile and gently stroked her head.
“Well, it can’t be helped. Don’t be too upset.”
Adele bit her lip hard, then finally spoke, her voice choked with tears.
“I’m sorry…”
Her voice was trembling. Beside her, Hina’s eyes welled up with tears as she hung her head low.
She looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.
“Seo-yun Oppa… I don’t want this… I don’t want to be apart…”
Hina sobbed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
In a corner of the room, Kim Su-hyeon also stood with a heavy expression.
She tried to act impassive as usual, but her tightly clenched fists and stiff shoulders betrayed her emotions.
Kim Su-hyeon stood there primly in her maid uniform, but her gaze lacked its usual coolness.
She clearly felt it, too.
That soon, we would have to go our separate ways.
I slowly let out a breath. Then I said quietly.
“We’re not separating.”
All three of them looked at me at once. I smiled slowly and said.
“We’re just going to be apart for a little while.”
“…”
“And.”
I looked at each of them in turn. Then, with a nonchalant expression, I said.
“Until I get back, you’d better take good care of your pussies.”
At those words, Adele blinked for a moment, then bit her lip and nodded.
Hina, her face a mess of tears, glared at me and shouted.
“O-Oppa… how can you say something like that in a situation like this?!”
I chuckled softly at the sight of Hina shrieking through her sobs.
Just then, Kim Su-hyeon spoke quietly.
“…Master.”
Su-hyeon adjusted her maid uniform and bowed her head.
“I will take good care of my pussy. …Please, you must return safely.”
Her words were short and calm, but they were filled with heartfelt sincerity.