Chapter 326: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (44)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 326: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (44)
Elena narrowed her eyes and asked sharply.
“How did you get your hands on a ship like this? You don’t seem like an ordinary pirate.”
Brol scoffed and shrugged.
“Ha, of course not. I wasn’t originally a pirate. I was a mercenary.”
“A mercenary?”
Elena’s gaze grew even sharper. At her words, Brol cleared his throat and trailed off.
“The details are a secret, lady. Don’t pry too much.”
“The fact that you can be so relaxed in a situation like this must mean you have some serious backing, right?”
Brol was silent for a moment before a slow smile spread across his face.
“Hmm… maybe. How else would someone like me survive, sailing a ship like this in an age like this?”
I watched their exchange quietly before cutting in.
“So, what you’re saying is this ship has a mysterious origin. I don’t know who you worked for, but don’t forget that you’re our captive now.”
“Whoa there, feels like that blade is digging in deeper.”
Brol chuckled heartily. I frowned.
“You seem a lot more relaxed than before.”
“Because it doesn’t look like you really intend to kill me. If there’s something you want, just say it. I’ll cooperate… to a reasonable extent.”
“And why should we trust you?”
“Trust me or don’t. The choice is yours.”
Just then, Elena looked at me and asked quietly.
“Lieutenant, what are your orders?”
A brief silence followed her question. My head was spinning. If I returned to the Federation now, would I really get what I wanted?
‘The Federation will just use me as a tool anyway. And the chances of seeing my women again are slim…’
I looked at Elena. She was watching me with an unwavering gaze.
“Major, what do you want to do?”
Elena answered without a hint of hesitation.
“We must return to the Federation, of course. Even if a civil war has started, I am still a soldier. And honestly… I have nowhere else to go.”
“In that case… what if I were to say I won’t be returning to the Federation?”
For the first time, she fell silent. Her eyebrows twitched subtly before she slowly opened her mouth.
“Are you saying you intend to desert?”
“Yes. I don’t have any strong attachment to the military, anyway.”
Elena’s eyes instantly turned cold. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her shoulders trembled slightly, and her quiet, low voice was laced with suppressed anger and disappointment.
“Lieutenant, did you… feel nothing about the deaths of our comrades?”
I met her gaze and didn’t look away.
“You saw what Arsenos did on Nemesis. They even killed civilians. The 3rd Fleet, our comrades… they were all slaughtered. But—”
“And what can we do about it? If we go back now, we’ll just be caught in the maelstrom of civil war and be thrown away like consumables, or die nameless on some front line.”
At my words, Elena shook her head firmly.
“No, Lieutenant. We are soldiers. It’s our duty to follow orders, carry out our missions… and if necessary, to make sacrifices.”
Her gaze grew sharper. Beneath her calm expression, a deep anger and sense of loss began to spread.
“Is this… because of Adele Licencia?”
I didn’t avoid her eyes.
“Yes.”
Elena drew a sharp breath. Her eyes, glaring at me in silence, were a vortex of suppressed emotions.
“…I don’t know what your connection to her is, Lieutenant. But this is an order. Prepare to return to Earth immediately.”
And in that moment, I saw it in her eyes.
Admiral Eisenhardt, the deceased commander of the 3rd Fleet. Her father. To avenge him, Elena intended to remain with the Federation.
I could understand. But I couldn’t accept it.
‘…Looks like verbal persuasion ends here.’
I moved without hesitation. In one swift motion, I snatched the pistol from her hand and, with the other, withdrew the knife I had pressed against Brol. Elena stared at me, stunned, but it was too late.
“Brol, escort the Major. Be respectful.”
Brol blinked, not quite grasping the situation, then burst out laughing in disbelief.
“Huh? What’s this, a mutiny?”
I shot him a quiet, murderous glare. An unspoken pressure filled the bridge, and Brol’s expression finally turned serious as he nodded.
“…Tch, fine. I’ll be respectful.”
Brol grumbled and gestured to his men with his chin. They carefully escorted Elena out. Until the very end, her eyes were fixed on the pistol in my hand before she finally turned her head away.
After she left, only Brol and I remained on the bridge. He plopped down in a chair, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Alright, now that it’s just us, how about we have an honest chat, friend?”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“Business, of course. You reek of money.”
His demeanor was no longer that of a pirate or a mercenary… but of a sly merchant.
“Business, huh. From your attitude, it doesn’t seem like you have any intention of resisting.”
“Ah, about that. In this line of work, surviving is what’s important. My gut tells me you’re not someone to be messed with. At the same time, it’s screaming that this is a huge opportunity.”
I considered Brol’s words for a moment before stating my demands.
“First, I need you to treat my comrade and repair my machine.”
Brol tapped the earpiece in his ear and grinned.
“The machine is tricky. The maintenance team just reported back. They said it’s beyond their ability to fix.”
“Then are there any other machines left?”
“There are. Just don’t expect much in terms of performance. We were supposed to get an A-Class unit, but those bastards just sent the ship and ran. So all we have are some C-Class units rolling around.”
I nodded. In this situation, just having a usable machine was a relief. And the man before me… I didn’t know who he was, but he was no ordinary mercenary.
“More importantly… I’m more curious about who’s backing you.”
Brol tilted his head, his smile never fading.
“That information is a bit pricey.”
“I’ll pay you later.”
At that, Brol’s smirk deepened.
“Deal. We had a falling out anyway since those guys didn’t keep their promise. I’ll hand over the info.”
He placed his hand on a terminal and began operating it. Soon, he pulled a small external device from his belt and plugged it into a port. A red light blinked inside the device, and a screen appeared, showing data being loaded.
A few minutes later, he tossed the palm-sized device to me. I caught it and carefully placed it in an inner pocket.
“I’ve put the relevant data on there. You can check it later.”
“Thanks.”
Brol leaned back in his chair, tapping a panel with his finger.
“So, where are you headed?”
I narrowed my eyes and said.
“What’s the closest place from here?”
Brol stared at the screen for a long time before muttering.
“The Arsenos outer sector, Planet Eratus.”
“Eratus…? Never heard of it. What kind of place is it?”
“Nothing special. It used to be an underwater colony, the whole planet is covered by ocean. It was originally developed for deep-sea mining, but it’s been abandoned for quite a while now since management was cut off. It’s off the official routes, so control is lax. A perfect place to hide.”
“Sounds optimal for a pirate base.”
Brol let out a short laugh.
“Yep. It’s good enough for someone like me to use as a hideout, so you get the picture, right?”
I thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Let’s head there for now. I’ll monitor the situation from there for a while.”
“Okay, coordinates locked in.”
He snapped the terminal shut and turned to me.
“You’d be wise to keep your mouth shut and be careful there.”
With practiced hands, Brol set the ship’s course. The vessel’s hull slowly began to turn, gliding through the vastness of space.
*
“……”
On the holographic satellite feed displaying the ruins of Nemesis, debris and corpses floated like ghosts, drifting aimlessly. A silence so profound it seemed to swallow even the sound of breathing filled the bridge.
Adele stared at the screen without a word, a storm of complex emotions swirling in her eyes.
Standing beside her, Hina and Su-hyeon also kept their lips sealed, silently watching the horrific scene.
“They blew up the entire Nemesis and launched a surprise attack from the rear,” Sheryl commented analytically.
“How… how can you say that at a time like this?” Hina shouted, her voice filled with rage, but Sheryl merely shrugged.
Adele quietly closed her eyes, then opened them again. In a calm but cold voice, she gave an order.
“Bring in the prisoners.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Su-hyeon nodded and sent the communication. A moment later, Oh Hyun, Lisa, and Mason were brought to the bridge, their hands bound.
Adele gestured toward the screen. Slowly, but firmly, she spoke.
“Do you… see that?”
Lisa, turning her gaze, smirked.
“What about it?”
Adele shook her head. Her tone was calm, but her words were heavy with emotion.
“That… is Nemesis. This is what your military did. It’s true there was a military base there. But there were also many civilians!”
Lisa frowned and muttered.
“…That’s Nemesis?”
Adele zoomed in on the screen. Amidst the shattered structures, a single doll floated in the vacuum of space. The body of a small child who had been clutching it came into view. The child’s face was charred black, its eyes closed.
Lisa’s lips tightened. Mason turned his head away.
Hina gritted her teeth and interjected.
“It was the same with Elbaite. Thousands died. If Oppa hadn’t been there then… we would have suffered the same fate.”
A sudden silence fell at her words. It was broken by Oh Hyun.
“…They reaped what they sowed.”
Adele’s eyes snapped toward him.
“What did you say?”
“You people did the same to us.”
“So… you think that justifies a massacre?!”
At Adele’s cry, Oh Hyun laughed cynically.
“You started it. The Earth Federation was the one that constantly oppressed us, trying to crush us with military force… and at the center of it all was your Licencia Group.”
Oh Hyun’s voice was cold and low.
“You’re the same kind of bitch.”
—Smack!
The sound of a palm striking Oh Hyun’s cheek echoed through the bridge. Blood trickled from his lip.
Oh Hyun twisted his lips into a sneer and continued.
“Adele Licencia. Do you have any idea how many people have died thanks to the weapons you created? Not just the Earth Federation. Arsenos, civilian armed forces… they’re all dying by the technology you created. You don’t even have the right to be sad.”
At his words, Adele’s fingertips trembled. In her wavering eyes, long-suppressed emotions began to stir.
Just as she was about to say something—
—Smack!
This time, Su-hyeon stepped forward and slapped Oh Hyun across the face.
“Shut your mouth.”
“Does the truth make you that uncomfortable? Licencia preached peace while distributing weapons behind the scenes. You’re the hypocrites.”
Adele let out a quiet breath and turned her gaze back to the screen. The child’s body clutching the doll, the shattered colony, the destroyed residential areas. The thousands of lives that had been inside.
“Yes. You’re right. I… I bear responsibility, too.”
Her voice was low, but firm.
“But that doesn’t justify killing children. That’s not revenge. It’s a massacre.”
When she finished, silence filled the space.
“…It seems talking won’t solve anything right now. Su-hyeon.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Take the prisoners back to quarantine.”
Su-hyeon nodded and approached. Oh Hyun glared at Adele until the very end but said nothing more.
“Adele… do you think he’s alive…?” Hina asked quietly.
Adele couldn’t answer. She had no answer to give.
The wreckage of Nemesis, visible beyond her, looked like an endless graveyard.
Sheryl spoke up from the side.
“You’re not seriously thinking of searching this entire area, are you?”
“……”
“Hah… I knew it. The Earth Federation is after us, too. You know we don’t have time for this, right, my lady?”
“I know.”
Adele quietly closed her eyes.