Chapter 365: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (82)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 365: Blazing Flames of the Battlefield[R-18] (82)
After the Federation Army discovered our location, we were hunted with barely a moment to breathe.
The end of one battle was just the beginning of the next. With no supplies and no time for maintenance, it was a grueling war of attrition that drained us dry.
If it hadn't been for me, they wouldn't have lasted a day.
Having finally shaken the Federation's pursuit, we immediately tried to reconnect with the neutral nations we had contacted before. It was Adele's judgment that we couldn't afford to waste any more time.
And now, sitting across from us were the five leaders representing each of the neutral nations.
The conference room was steeped in silence. The oldest and most influential among them, the leader of the Asian neutral bloc, was the first to speak.
“Adele Licencia. We have decided to support you.”
As he finished, the leaders seated next to him nodded in succession.
“The Federation, Arsenos… they have both shed too much blood. Now, even they are caught in a madness that prevents them from stopping this war, and they seek to destroy the world.”
“I agree with that sentiment. But even with all of us gathered here, I am concerned about whether we can truly stand against the Federation.”
Another leader cautiously added his thoughts.
“I share that concern. Our technology, our forces, our resources—they are all severely lacking. Do you truly have a solution to turn this situation around?”
At those words, Adele quietly raised her head. After a moment of silence, her gaze slowly swept over the five leaders across the table, one by one.
“I do.”
Adele slowly stood up.
“The resources we have are few. Our forces and supplies are woefully insufficient compared to the Federation or Arsenos.”
As she spoke, she walked to the display in the center of the conference room. When she operated the terminal, a series of sophisticated 3D schematics unfolded.
“But… that doesn't mean we are lacking in technology.”
The display began to showcase a new generation of mobile weapons, battleship designs, next-generation cores, and modular weapon systems.
“Most of the technology Leon Risensia provided to the Federation is a five-year-old version. Even with upgrades, that is an absurdly short amount of time.”
She then pulled up a file from the very end of the screen and added.
“I… possess all the technologies that surpass them.”
In an instant, the leaders’ expressions changed. This wasn't an exaggeration; the specifications of the next-generation technology were being clearly and visually proven before their eyes.
“We are not simply fighting. We have weapons that can change the game, strategic assets that can dominate the battlefield, and above all… the truth that will overturn the Federation's lies.”
She added one last thing.
“I am not proposing a reckless gamble. This is not a fight with a low chance of success. I am offering you a choice with a real chance of victory.”
At her words, one of the five asked cautiously.
“……Are you saying you will share these with us?”
Adele gave a slight nod.
“Yes. However, I will not share all of our technology unconditionally.”
Instantly, the leaders’ faces hardened.
“What we will share are the core technologies necessary for a joint front. However, key unit drive cores and strategic-class weapon systems will only be provided to allies whose trust has been verified.”
Then she added her final words.
“And there is another power that will aid us.”
One of the leaders leaned forward slightly and asked.
“……Can you elaborate?”
Adele turned her head and spoke quietly.
“Elena.”
At the call, Elena, who had been standing beside Adele, rose silently. Dressed in a neat uniform, she walked to the screen, operated the terminal, and lifted her head to face the front.
“I am Major Elena Eisenhardt, formerly of the Earth Federation.”
At the mention of that name, some of the leaders’ eyes widened.
“……Eisenhardt. That’s a famous military family.”
“That is correct.”
Elena gave a short nod.
“And my uncle, Lieutenant General Walter Eisenhardt, is the current commander of the Federation Ground Forces.”
The screen changed, displaying a recent map of the Federation Ground Forces' deployment and highlighting the power vacuum left by their departure.
“With the recent large-scale withdrawal of troops, the Federation's internal defense lines have been weakened to the point of collapse. Using this opportunity, my uncle, Lieutenant General Walter Eisenhardt, along with several other high-ranking generals… are preparing for an internal coup d'état.”
As Elena finished speaking, a ripple of shock spread through the conference room. The gazes of the neutral leaders intertwined with complex emotions.
“The Federation will be split in half again… No, this time it could splinter into many factions.”
With that, the leaders fell into deep thought, each lost in their own calculations.
Finally, one of them revealed his true intentions.
“In that case…”
He glanced around cautiously before speaking.
“Who do you think should be the symbol of this new alliance, its representative?”
As he finished, a strange silence enveloped the room. No one could easily continue.
It was the very question that both Adele and Elena had worried about most before the meeting.
Just then, the leader of the Asian neutral bloc stood up and spoke.
“I believe Adele Licencia is the right person.”
“Hmm… about that.”
“No matter how you look at it, isn't she just a young woman in her early twenties? To place her in a position of leadership, wouldn't she lack the experience and political sense?”
Just as a murmur was about to spread, the Asian leader shouted firmly.
“Quiet!”
The room fell silent in an instant. He slowly turned his head to look at the leader who had raised the objection and began to speak.
“Until now, we have only watched quietly. Hiding under the name of neutrality, we’ve just been waiting to see which side would win.”
He raised a hand and tapped the table lightly.
“But Adele Licencia was different. She tried to change the world with conviction.”
His gaze slowly turned toward Adele.
“Experience? She is someone who has passed through more blood and despair than anyone else in this room. Politics is a problem for later. What we need now is someone who can make decisions and take responsibility.”
When he finished, a heavy silence descended upon the conference room.
In that silence, the other leaders slowly bowed their heads or began to nod slightly.
Just then, the Middle Eastern leader sitting on the left let out a smirk and threw in a comment.
“……For once, Ttong-hyeon is making sense.”
In that moment, the strangely suppressed atmosphere lightened, and a hint of laughter spread through the room.
The Asian leader, called Dong-hyun, cleared his throat once and retorted.
“How many times do I have to tell you? My name is Dong-hyun, not Ttong-hyeon.”
“Your name is hard to pronounce, Ttong-hyeon.”
After the light banter, the room grew quiet again. Then Fernando, the Eastern European leader who had spoken the least, said quietly.
“Very well. Then I… will support Adele Licencia as the representative of the new alliance.”
The remaining leaders nodded in turn.
“I as well.”
“No objections.”
“Thank you. I will be sure to repay your support with results.”
*
Now that the alliance was formed, there was no time to hesitate. We began to move immediately.
The first thing to deal with was the information sent by Captain Torno.
The data contained decisive proof that the Zero-Lux attack, which the Earth Federation had fabricated and announced was used by Arsenos, was in fact used by the Federation Army.
This information, to be announced in Adele Licencia's name, was the blade of revelation that would bring the Federation's castle of lies crumbling down in an instant.
Behind the stage where the speech was being prepared, Adele stood before a mirror in a formal suit.
Her pink hair was tied back neatly. Her expression was resolute and cold, different from her usual self.
Only I could see that the tips of her fingers were trembling ever so slightly.
I quietly approached Adele from behind and placed my hands on her shoulders.
“Relax.”
I said nothing more, simply resting my hands on her shoulders. Slowly, gently, I kneaded them as if to release the tension in her muscles. Her tightly knotted shoulders gradually began to loosen.
“Hah… thank you.”
Adele let out a small laugh, a breath that sounded almost like a moan. As if she had let go of some of her tension, the corners of her eyes softened.
“Your massages… every time I get one, it feels so good.”
“That’s why I give them to you so often.”
“That’s true, too.”
Adele chuckled softly, catching her breath as she checked the clock on the wall.
“It’s almost… time to start.”
I squeezed her shoulders one last time and said quietly.
“I’ll be watching from behind you. Don’t worry about what might happen. Just be yourself and speak what you believe.”
Adele nodded and smiled faintly.
“I will. Just hearing that gives me enough strength.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and took a step forward.
Her steps were quiet as she walked down the silent corridor toward the stage, but they carried more weight than ever before.
I followed her silently from behind.
*
The lights in the hall came on in sequence, and the flags of the allied nations were draped from the ceiling.
Hundreds of observers, reporters, and representatives from each country. Countless eyes were fixed on the stage.
And in the center of it all, Adele, dressed in a neat suit, walked out.
As she ascended, the five neutral nation leaders who were already there quietly rose from their seats.
The lights in the hall shone brightly on Adele.
Adele stood at the podium, in front of the microphone. Finally, she placed her fingers on it.
“……To the citizens of the neutral nations, Arsenos, and the Federation.”
“I was born into the Risensia family, and I am someone who has witnessed the sins of that family closer than anyone.”
Adele began by speaking of her family’s wrongdoings, and as her speech continued, the audience became completely focused on her.
“We have seen so much death. And without even knowing who caused it, we have pointed our guns at one another.”
The screen turned on. On the large hologram behind her, orbital footage from above Mars began to play.
“This footage… is the first truth I will reveal today.”
“The Federation announced it was a terrorist attack by Arsenos. However, in reality, it was used by the Federation Army.”
Simultaneously, communication logs and coordinate logs appeared like transparent panels. Finally, even the command authorization log left by a high-ranking Federation general was displayed.
“This attack obliterated eight civilian settlements on Mars. And… most of this footage has been destroyed, even within the Federation. The data you are seeing now was handed over by former Zeros Code member Captain Torno, who risked his life to do so.”
A stir began to ripple through the hall. Some of the neutral delegations looked at each other and began to take out their terminals, while reporters from media outlets shot up from their seats and started arranging their camera equipment.
She paused for a moment, quietly catching her breath and lowering her gaze.
Then, she raised her head again and looked straight ahead.
“The one who authorized the use of this weapon was none other than…”
For a moment, as if hesitating to speak the name, Adele closed her eyes.
“The former chairman of the Federation and Leon Risensia.”
In an instant, the hall erupted in noise.