◈ 112. [Side Story] Old soldier (2)
“Jupiter.”
Reina approached and calmly opened her mouth.
“Calm down for now.”
“Do I look calm now?! Why did the headquarters issue such an order without properly checking whether this is a military base or not!”
“The guerrillas of the Camilla Kingdom army are vicious. It’s hiding in every town.”
Reina shook her head slightly.
“And we don’t have time to tell whether they’re guerrillas or innocent villagers.”
“what?”
“It’s already been half a year since the war with Camilla Kingdom started. it’s winter soon Command is feeling the strain just by maintaining the front lines… … . It doesn’t have to be over soon.”
“so… … ?”
Jupiter murmured dejectedly.
“So, if there is any doubt that they are guerrillas, they do not check and indiscriminately… … Burn everything?”
Reina nodded.
“Because it works.”
“efficiency?! Is this efficient?! Yes, it is efficient! It’s very efficient in terms of massacring civilians!”
“Jupiter… … .”
Reina let out a sigh.
“Do you know how many countries our Magic Troops have erased from the map?”
“… … .”
“How many civilians do you think were swept away and killed in the process?”
“that… … Only if it is unavoidable… … .”
“Of the enemy military bases you have burned in the last 20 years, how many ‘real military bases’ do you think are there?”
Jupiter’s whole body stiffened.
only found out now The truth of what you’ve been doing in your past life.
Reina scolded, brushing her hair back in annoyance.
“You’ve been doing well so far, so why are you F*cking saying ‘now’, seriously! Stop making people tired!”
“Oops.”
Jupiter covered his hand with his mouth,
“Oooh!”
Vomited.
Tears and mucus mixed with gastric juices poured out in a mess.
‘why.’
In the meantime, I wouldn’t even think of doubting my whole life.
Just as ordered, the magic was bombarded. He got paid after frying and burning people.
I felt proud of my work. She was proud as each of her medals stretched across her chest.
I felt the joy of being able to contribute to the glorious advancement of the Empire.
Everything was shit.
“You said it earlier. This is a war these days. It’s our job to pour magic from a distance without leaving a scar on the spot. Intelligent and gentle.”
Reina mumbled bitterly.
“But if you look closely, this is reality.”
“… … .”
“Meanwhile you… … I was just ignoring you from afar.”
It was then.
Aaaang-
A child crying was heard in the distance.
“?!”
Suddenly, Jupiter raised his head and hurriedly ran towards it.
There was a small temple in the corner of the village. The cries were coming from there.
The entrance to the temple had been burnt down.
And a little girl lay under a tree that was on fire.
“wait a minute! I’ll get you out!”
Jupiter whimpered and uncovered the burning wooden girders. And she took out the child.
The left side of the child’s face and body were severely burned, and the pulse was fading.
Jupiter peered into the child’s face, who had already lost consciousness, and carefully took him into his arms.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I’m sorry… … .”
Then a voice came from inside the temple.
“Hey, are you a rescue team?”
Surprised Jupiter looked inside, and there were survivors inside the temple.
An old priest and bloody children were watching Jupiter with terrified eyes.
“Suddenly, the heavenly punishment came down, and I thought we were all dead… … .”
“… … .”
“You came to save me. Thank you thank you!”
An old priest was about to come out of the temple with the children. Jupiter hastily raised his hand.
“no! Don’t come out!”
“yes?”
“You can’t come out! Hide inside, please!”
However, it was too late.
——————
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Soldiers following Jupiter found the survivors.
“I am a survivor! There are survivors here!”
Reina, who followed a step later, clicked her tongue.
“You’re damn lucky to survive that level of magic bombardment.”
Then, Reina tilted her head.
“No, is that bad?”
“Raina, please… … !”
Jupiter tried to ask for something, but Rayna didn’t listen and ordered the soldiers.
“Bring it all out.”
“yep! pull it out!”
The rushing soldiers grabbed the priest and children and threw them out of the temple.
Priests and children screamed and knelt in the clearing in front of the temple.
Reina took out a new pack of cigarettes from her bosom, opened the package, put a cigarette in her mouth, and slowly lit a match.
“Whoa… … .”
Reina let out a long puff of smoke and looked around the entire village.
“Is the search over? Are these all survivors?”
“That’s right. There are no other survivors in town.”
“Are you sure you searched all over?”
“We’re checking if the building has a basement, but it’s a village on a rocky mountain. There will be no other escape.”
“okay. That’s it.”
Reina approached the priest. The old priest was trembling as he cradled his children and put his hands together.
“Are you a priest?”
“Yeah, yes. Have mercy. Children are not guilty of anything. Please save at least the children.”
“You can live or die depending on what you answer. Please answer well.”
Reina smoked another cigarette and asked.
“Where is the army of Camilla Kingdom that you hid in this village?”
“There is not a single soldier in this town… … All the young people were conscripted in the old days, and none of them ever returned. Really. Trust me.”
“Really?”
“I swear to God, it is true.”
“Right.”
Tuhak-!
The next moment, the wind bullet fired from Reina’s fingertips pierced the priest’s chest right in the middle.
“sorry. Because the god of your country is different from the god of our country. I won’t believe you even if I swear.”
Immediately, the dead priest fell to the floor, and the children screamed.
Raina silently turned her fingertips toward those children.
“Should I even do something like this… … .”
In an instant, mana gathered at the fingertips and fired.
And Jupiter got in the way of flying magic. Gathering mana in a hurry, he spreads a shield.
Tuhak-!
“Kuk!”
Blood gushed out of Jupiter’s left eye, where the wind bullet had missed. Jupiter gritted his teeth and endured the pain.
Reina muttered as she chewed on her cigarette.
“It sucks, really.”
“Please, Reina.”
Jupiter growled, the left side of his face wet with blood.
“Let’s say it was because there might be guerrillas who burned the village. however… … These kids are really just civilians.”
“… … .”
“Why are you trying to kill me! Have you killed so many people that your head is gone?”
“Jupiter.”
Holding a cigarette in her hand, Reina pressed her forehead as if in trouble.
“Who is the commander of this war?”
“what? yeah… … .”
Jupiter gave a timid answer.
“You’re gone.”
“okay. His Majesty came out of his parents’ house. And His Majesty?”
“… … You are completely flawless.”
“I know. Your Majesty makes no mistakes.”
Reina let out a long sigh.
“The headquarters has determined that this village is an enemy military base.”
“… … .”
“By the way, what? It turned out that it was an innocent village, and that the command’s judgment was wrong. Are you going to report that you mistook civilians for enemies and slaughtered them?”
Only then did Jupiter know why Reina was trying to kill the survivors as well.
“Your Majesty made a mistake, are you trying to leave a stain on His Majesty’s command!”
“ah… … .”
“If not. Wouldn’t it be right to burn all the enemy groups here?”
“… … .”
“So please, don’t make a lot of people tired anymore, get out of the way quickly. I’m not doing this because I like it.”
At Reina’s fingertips, the wind’s magic gathered again.
Jupiter, who was looking there, slowly lowered his head.
Still holding the burnt girl in her arms, she exhaled thinly.
“… … Kut.”
Jupiter’s teeth clenched. She let out a suppressed voice.
“… … I will leave.”
“what?”
“I will leave a stain on Your Majesty’s command.”
“… … .”
“I will formally protest to my superiors. I’ll report back to Command that their judgment was wrong and that it was a civilian-only village that we burned.”
Jupiter’s eyes flashed with blue poisonous air.
“I will testify that His Majesty’s command was wrong.”
Reina, who had been stiff because it was absurd, laughed dejectedly.
“Crazy bitch.”
“Why would you kill me too?”
Jupiter glanced at the soldiers and knights surrounding him.
“Then the magic corps soldiers who witnessed all this, and the heavy knights. You will have to kill them all.”
“… … .”
“Can’t you?”
More than anything.
Because the two of them were close friends.
Jupiter believed Reina would not be able to shoot him. And it was true.
“… … .”
Reina slowly lowered her finger.
Her face was as cold as ice.
“Do what you like, Jupiter. Whether you protest, sprinkle dung on Your Majesty, or save the children of the enemy country you just splashed. do as you please.”
With the hem of her uniform coat fluttering, Reina turned around.
“By the way, I will have to take off that military uniform soon. You’ll have to throw away everything you’ve built up in your life.”
“… … .”
“If you pretend to be clean now and shake off hypocrisy, nothing will change. You stupid friend.”
After looking back at Jupiter for the last time, Reina finally looked forward again and walked away.
“It was like being together, let’s not see each other again.”
that buck that buck
Jupiter stared blankly at the sight of a colleague with whom he shared the joys and sorrows of 20 years moving away.
When I turned around while holding the child in my arms, I saw the survivors covered in blood and soot.
From now on, it was a new life she had to take responsibility for.
***
Jupiter formally rebelled against the command.
This was the first official civilian massacre recorded in Everblack Imperial military records.
And this remained the only mistake made by the Imperial Army Command in the operation to occupy Camilla Kingdom.
It became a clear stain on the operation directly commanded by the emperor.
Since then, the Imperial Magic Corps has not been put into guerrilla cleaning operations.
When the Magic Corps’ bombardment ceased, the operation was delayed much longer than the Command’s expected end of the war.
It took several more years to wipe out all the guerrilla forces of Camilla Kingdom even after occupying the kingdom.
And it didn’t take long for Jupiter to be kicked out of the Magic Troops and relegated to the provinces.
***
one month after the operation.
Jupiter’s new job was to guard a small coastal town on the Eastern Front.
Strictly speaking, there was no Eastern Front in the Empire.
There was only the sea to the east, and there were no other countries across the strait.
The guards had fewer than five men under them.
It was an obvious relegation. The ranks were also downgraded.
But it didn’t matter.
He built a house at the mouth of the village overlooking the sea by giving away all his life savings.
Carpenters came and started working busily.
Looking at the house with the pillars going up, Jupiter turned around.
“here… … We live together.”
“… … .”
The children who had been burnt all over their bodies and whose limbs had been burned looked up at Jupiter with empty eyes.
A girl with burns on her left side was standing in front of the children.
The child was staring at Jupiter with clear eyes.
A violent mixture of guilt and the desire to escape stirred up Jupiter’s stomach.
But Jupiter, who struggled to overcome it, squatted in front of the children and made eye contact with them.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t properly introduced myself. My name is Jupiter.”
Jupiter smiled as he lost his left eye and wore a cheap eyepatch.
“You want to call me Grandma from now on?”
