Chapter 341: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield [R-18] (59)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 341: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield [R-18] (59)
Brol managed to acquire a small shuttle from a nearby neutral colony.
“So, we just ride this thing and send a distress signal to the Federation forces?”
At my question, Brol nodded.
“That’s right. But… are you sure you’re okay with leaving the Requiem behind?”
I shook my head.
“The Requiem is too famous now. Not only did we fight the Arsenos forces… we’ve also engaged the Earth Federation military a few times.”
“Right, you did fight the Federation a couple of times…”
Just then, Carla spoke up cautiously.
“Honey… are you sure I don’t need to go with you?”
I looked at her and nodded.
“Yeah. It’ll only get more complicated with more people. You just wait with Brol and be ready to move at a moment’s notice.”
“Okay.”
Elena and I immediately boarded the small shuttle.
The interior was cramped and quiet. There were worn-out chairs, a single rescue bunk, and an old control panel.
Lillian gave the terminals and signal lines one last check.
“I’ve connected the shuttle’s signal to the Federation Relief Channel, Line 2. The emergency signal will activate automatically.”
“Got it.”
I replied curtly and sat in the pilot’s seat. Elena leaned quietly against the seat on the opposite side.
“Be careful, both of you.”
With those words, Lillian disembarked from the shuttle.
The entry hatch slowly closed. A small vibration ran through the hangar, and the shuttle began to tremble.
I placed my hand on the control panel and said, “Departing.”
The shuttle pushed off smoothly, beginning to balance itself between gravity and thrust.
Elena gazed out the window and murmured, “I never imagined I’d return to Earth like this.”
I glanced at her.
“Are you scared?”
She gave a small smile and shook her head.
“No.”
Side by side, we silently watched the universe beyond our view. The shuttle quietly picked up speed along its course, heading toward the Federation’s orbital zone on the automated route Lillian had set.
Soon, the distress signal activated automatically. A short while later—
[This is the Earth Federation Sector 2 Control Center. Distress signal received. State your affiliation and ID immediately.]
Elena took a quiet breath and responded.
“This is Major Elena Eisenhardt of the Earth Federation’s 3rd Fleet. ID Code: Alpha-One-Four-Seven-Echo.”
After a short inhale, Elena continued in a clear voice.
“We are survivors from the Nemesis sector. Our fuel and supplies have been depleted due to a prolonged stay. Requesting immediate approval for rescue.”
The communication cut out for a moment. Those few seconds felt unusually long.
[Identity confirmed. Major Elena Eisenhardt, ID code match complete.]
[Initiating rescue protocol as requested. You will be automatically guided to the nearest outpost, Bay-04 Landing Pad.]
[Immediately upon landing, you will disarm and follow quarantine procedures. Failure to comply will result in the immediate activation of military response protocols.]
Elena quietly turned her head to look at me.
“…The guidance signal is locked on.”
I gave a short nod. The shuttle began to move along the guided path.
*
Elena and I were quickly processed and transported to Earth. Then, we were separated in an instant.
I sat in the center of a small, stark white room, looking at a man with a major’s insignia sitting across from me.
He had been flipping through documents, but now he looked up at my face and spoke.
“Lieutenant Jin Seo-yun. I’ll ask again.”
It was the third time I’d heard the same words from the man in front of me, spoken in a familiar tone.
“Tell me everything, precisely, from what happened on Nemesis to your arrival here.”
I slowly nodded and began to speak.
“Understood. I was assigned to the 7th Mobile Fleet and deployed in the Nemesis Colony Recapture Operation—”
I continued my explanation, keeping it concise but hitting all the necessary key points. The colony’s self-destruction. The annihilation of the 3rd Fleet. My escape with Elena.
When I finished, he put down his pen and closed the file.
“Good. Your statement is mostly consistent with Major Eisenhardt’s.”
“…Then, when will the quarantine be lifted?”
He rested his arms on the desk, a faint smile on his lips.
“It should be over in a few hours. It’s just a procedural matter, so I hope you understand. Until then, amenities will be provided, so get some rest.”
“Understood.”
After he left, two soldiers came and escorted me. Elena was already waiting inside the room.
She was leisurely crossing her legs and sipping coffee. I walked over to her.
“You look pretty relaxed, Major.”
“Hehe. I guess they treat you well when you’re a major from a prominent family. I used to hate this kind of thing… but life is full of surprises.”
I chuckled lightly and moved closer to her.
“They put me through the wringer. This is so unfair.”
I sat down next to her and casually reached out my arm. I slipped my hand through an opening in her military uniform and silently squeezed her breast.
“Ah… so healing.”
“Hah… W-what are you doing, you idiot?”
“What’s wrong with a master wanting to touch his sow’s breasts?”
“Hey… don’t call me that here. What if someone hears you…”
Though she said that, Elena didn’t push my hand away. I squeezed playfully. The soft flesh filled my palm.
“Just for a little while. I had to repeat the same story for hours. I really need this.”
“…Do whatever you want.”
She mumbled, barely audible, and placed a tablet on her lap.
I slowly pushed my hand further inside. Beneath the uniform, I could feel the heavy firmness over her underwear. I gently caressed it, lightly pressing her nipple with my thumb.
Elena appeared nonchalant, but the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
“Look at this. The news of our survival is already spreading.”
She showed me the tablet. Headlines like ‘Survivors of the 3rd Fleet’ and ‘Eldest Daughter of the Eisenhardt Family Returns Alive’ were displayed.
“That was fast.”
“We’ll probably receive special treatment. Thanks to my name, I’m sure…”
I smiled faintly. Then, I squeezed her breast one more time.
“Your breasts are as impressive as your name, Major.”
“……Pervert.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
I was passing the time, fondling her breasts, when I sensed a presence beyond the door.
I quietly withdrew my hand.
“Hm? You’re not touching me anymore?” Elena whispered.
“Someone’s coming.”
At my words, Elena’s eyes shot open, and she quickly straightened her uniform.
—Click.
The door opened, and a deep, resonant male voice filled the quarantine room.
“Elena!!”
Startled, Elena shot to her feet and saluted.
“Ah, Uncle.”
A middle-aged man with blond hair mixed with faint white strands, dressed in a military uniform, approached and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“I’m so glad you’re safe… When I first heard the news about you and your father, I was so…”
Elena briefly lowered her gaze. The ‘father’ her uncle mentioned—it was her own father.
Her eyes wavered slightly.
“…I’m fine.”
Her quiet reply was laced with suppressed emotion. Her way of holding back tears was always quiet and restrained.
He gently patted her shoulder.
“Still… I’m glad that at least you made it back alive.”
A brief silence followed. He slowly turned his head and looked at me.
“And you are?”
I rose from my seat and immediately saluted him.
“Sir. Lieutenant Jin Seo-yun.”
At that moment, Elena stepped forward and said quietly, “Uncle, if it weren’t for him… I wouldn’t be here right now.”
His eyes twitched almost imperceptibly.
“…So you’re the one who saved Elena.”
He nodded at me again.
“A pleasure to meet you. I am Walter Eisenhardt.”
His voice and demeanor clearly marked him as a high-ranking officer.
“I am currently the Corps Commander of the Ground Forces 3rd Division.”
As expected, he was no ordinary man. Elena’s father was the admiral of the 3rd Fleet. This man, her uncle, was the corps commander in charge of the Ground Forces’ core. It meant the entire family was deeply rooted in the military.
Walter turned his gaze back to Elena.
“Elena. When the report came in that your unit was annihilated… I thought the family’s last bloodline had been severed.”
“……”
Seeing Elena’s reaction, Walter sighed and said, “Hoo… this isn’t the time for such talk. I’ll get you two out of here. Come to my home. We can talk after you’ve had plenty of rest and time to recover.”
At his words, Elena quietly turned her head.
Her eyes met mine.
She was asking what I wanted to do.
‘Hmm, if we can get out of here quickly, there’s no reason not to.’
I gave a short nod.
“Understood, Uncle.”
After that, Elena and I followed Walter out.
‘As expected… power makes things convenient.’
We immediately boarded a military ceremonial vehicle that was on standby. During the ride, Elena spoke up cautiously.
“Uncle. What is the current situation in the Federation?”
At Elena’s careful question, Walter furrowed his brow and nodded.
“Don’t even ask. Besides the aftereffects of the civil war, the entire Federation has been swept up in madness since the Mars incident.”
“The civil war… wasn’t it resolved?”
“The organization has barely been restructured. The inside is still fragmented, with each faction just watching the others. On top of that, after the Mars incident, the Federation was like a ticking time bomb. And they-”
Walter took a short breath and turned his gaze out the window.
“They turned public attention away by making Adele Licencia the scapegoat.”
“Uncle… do you also believe she’s a traitor?”
Walter slowly turned his head to look at her.
“…I can’t say she isn’t.”
His tone was cold.
“It’s a fact that she attacked Federation facilities alongside Sheryl Mortimer and the colonial pilots.”
He paused for a moment, collected his breath, and continued.
“But… I know why she made that choice. It wasn’t a simple act of betrayal or treason.”
He briefly closed his eyes.
“She contacted our family once, a long time ago.”
Elena was silent for a moment before asking cautiously, “…What did you talk about?”
“She said she could no longer stand by and watch the world be consumed by the madness of war. So she proposed changing the Federation. For peace. To change the structure, to reorganize the system…”
Walter’s eyes narrowed. As he continued, his voice was tinged with fatigue.
“She genuinely wanted to change the world. But the ones who accepted her proposal were different.”
He shook his head.
“Those bastards had no interest in Adele’s ideals. They just needed her name, her funds, and her connections. They joined hands for their own gain… and in the end, they just used her.”
Elena was speechless for a long time. Then she spoke carefully.
“…So, Uncle… did you refuse her offer?”
Without taking his eyes off the view outside, Walter gave a short reply.
“In the end, that proposal… was just another war.”
His gaze was heavy.
“It was a proposal that would have split the Federation in two, and there was no way the colonial forces would have just stood by and watched.”
“So you refused.”
“…Yes. At the time, I believed it was the right thing to do.”
The conversation ended, and a short silence filled the car. Walter slowly clasped his fingers together and added in a low voice, “…But thinking about it now… perhaps I should have accepted that offer.”
