025
In principle, this shouldn’t be the case. I know that very well.
So I was more angry at myself than anyone else. I felt like the contradictions were tearing me apart. I wish there were two of me.
One is me, a loyal soldier of the Empire, and the other is me, who wants to help Ilay.
Those two aspects are also all mine. But there was a contradiction between those two roles. If I chose one, I had to give up the other.
I thought to myself, wrapping my head around my pounding head. I have to follow Ilay anyway. That was my conclusion.
‘If I go, I can save Ilay without making him a traitor.’
My plan was simple. I would kill Lillian Ramones as soon as I saw her. It didn’t matter if Ilay was watching!
‘Even if Ilay hates me, I can save his life.’
And as time passes and the feelings cool down, Ilay will understand. She won’t be as resentful as she was for killing Lillian. That’s what I think.
“… … Codelock, you will collect the prisoners here until the other platoon arrives. After we join you, I will leave the decision up to you.”
Codelock nodded at my command, but added:
“The platoon leader is an outstanding soldier. I will never forget today’s battle. He did extraordinary things as if they were normal. I was beyond impressed and astonished.”
I couldn’t laugh. There was a prickle to that compliment. I thought I knew what he meant.
“If you have something to say, go ahead.”
“But as a commander, you are flawed.”
I closed my eyes and opened them half-asleep.
“If I wasn’t the platoon leader, the damage would have been greater. I think you’ve earned enough merits, so what are you so dissatisfied with?”
Codelock sighed.
“Because the platoon leader has never commanded. He just uses his own skills to get through everything. One day… … .”
I stood up from my seat and laughed, interrupting Codelock’s words.
“The reason my methods were arbitrary was because you lacked strength. No one could match my skills. You would not understand my command and fighting style, and you would not be able to follow me. What difference would it make if a wolf fought with a puppy, compared to fighting alone? It is truly absurd to see those who were useless whining that they were not used.”
Codelock’s pupils slowly turned cloudy. The light in his eyes became black with anger and humiliation.
“There will come a day when even you, Captain, will need the help of those weaker than you. You can’t always be strong.”
“Then come back and laugh at me, Codelock. Say, ‘See, wasn’t I right?’”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Captain Luca. Then I’ll go carry out your order.”
Codelock tried to turn around. I also glanced in the direction where Ilay had disappeared and called out to Codelock.
“Codelock, but I will remember the advice of my first adjutant. If in the future I feel that my methods were wrong… … I will remember today’s advice and try to think differently.”
Codelock flinched, then opened his eyes wide. He smiled, one side of his lips twitching.
“I just realized that arrogance and flexibility can coexist. Good luck to you.”
I nodded and turned around.
* * *
I have to admit one thing.
It may be a bit cringey to say this, but Ilay is my friend. It’s more than just a classmate. Ilay is the first person I’ve ever had a deep relationship with on an equal footing.
‘Illai, you are wasting the Empire’s soldiers for your own personal purposes.’
I was following Ilay’s trail. I could see the bodies of Ilay’s platoon members here and there around every corner. Since I was focusing on speed, I couldn’t help but take damage.
‘Originally, they were people who didn’t need to die.’
Any other platoon would not risk their lives to pursue the rebels.
The suppression force surrounded the entire fortress. If we could just push them back a little, we would have done our job.
‘Even if we secure Lillian, how are we going to get her out?’
No matter how much I thought about it, no solution came to mind right away. Lillian had to die in the end.
‘I understand that you have feelings for the woman you liked. But we don’t have to die together.’
In my view, Ilay’s actions are tantamount to suicide. The guy is clearly on a rampage.
“I’m not in a position to talk about others either.”
It wouldn’t be wise to leave the platoon and chase after Ilay. I frowned and moved forward.
‘There was another clash here.’
I stared at the charred walls and bullet casings. I also saw the corpses of the nobles. It seemed as if they were holding unfamiliar guns to buy time.
‘Even nobles who are not soldiers are fighting with guns and dying. That shows how many rebels are coming.’
Aside from this passage, similar situations are likely to be occurring in many other underground areas of the fortress. A significant number of suppression forces will have entered residential areas and are in the process of eliminating rebels.
Creak, creak.
There was a small noise. I turned my head and stared at the source of the sound. There was a nobleman with only a severed head left, blinking. It seemed like he was wearing an extremely expensive life support device.
“Ugh, ugh! I, I surrender. I am of the Ramones family… .”
The nobleman was struggling to speak. He was barely conscious.
“Do you know where Lillian Ramones went?”
I lifted the nobleman’s head and asked.
“Lillian? Oh, direct, if it’s direct, then uh, I don’t know where she went, I don’t know.”
The nobleman’s pupils moved sideways for a split second. It was one of his lying habits.
Kwajik!
I put my finger in and pulled out the man’s eyeball, popping it open. The powder flowing out from inside the shattered eyeball was all tiny mechanical parts. It was a very expensive cybernetic eyeball.
“What, what are you doing! I said I was surrendering!”
But I didn’t hear the scream I expected. Thinking about it, I guess the pain sensation had been blocked since the neck was cut.
Physical torture had no significance to a full-body human being. What was important was the mind and brain inside the head.
Kiiing!
I extended my knife and cut the man’s temple in a circular motion. His head split open like a fruit, and a pink gel like brain juice flowed out.
Sloppy, sloppy.
I kicked the gel-like buffer away with my hand and grabbed the container containing the brain. As I applied force, the fixture creaked as if it were going to break.
Squeak!
It’s a pretty creepy sound. I like it.
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“Stop it! What are you doing! Ah, ugh, aaaah!”
A scream of terror escaped me. I looked up at the man, laughing.
“This is your last chance, Lady Nari. Where did Lillian Ramones go?”
I don’t have time. If the answer seems to drag on, I plan to kill you without mercy and move on. The nobleman in front of me must have felt that momentum.
“It must have gone down! Down!”
“Down? Are you kidding me? If we’re going to escape anyway, we’ll have to get to the surface somehow. There must be another escape route leading up there.”
“Me neither, I don’t know the details. Seriously, really. They don’t tell important things to people in the collateral line.”
The bastard’s mental state was not such that he could lie. It was safe to assume that what he was saying was true.
“Have you seen Ilay Kartika?”
I asked. The nobleman answered, draining the remaining artificial fluid with tears and snot.
“I saw it, I saw it. That guy is crazy! But we know each other, and even after hearing that we were surrendering, he… … .”
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to listen to you anymore.
Kwajik!
The metal container crumpled in my hand and my brain spurted out. Soon, a squishy, pink lump of meat crumpled and flowed out.
They are all targets of the purge anyway. The nobles who surrendered will eventually be tortured to death. It may be merciful to kill them like this now.
I wiped my dirty hands on my pants. I don’t usually feel guilty about killing, but today I felt particularly indifferent. I guess this is what a battlefield is like.
I continued to follow Ilay’s platoon. I heard they were going deeper, so there was no need to get lost. It was easy to choose a path even in the twisting passages.
And soon I heard gunshots and screams. The distance was close. Not far.
Yeah, I finally caught up with Ilay.
* * *
I always had one uneasiness while hanging out with Ilay.
What should I do if Ilay rebels against the Empire?
I can overlook the occasional deviations he exhibits. But what should I do if Ilay commits an act that is against the interests of the Empire, or even something that could be considered treason?
Now is the time to give the answer you’ve been putting off.
I followed the gunshots and the bodies into a large banquet hall. The long tables were large enough to seat dozens of people. But instead of a sumptuous banquet, there were bodies lying around.
In the center of the table, Ellie was seen standing as if she was about to give a speech.
“Ilay!”
I screamed. At the same time, Ilay’s fingers moved.
Ta-Ang!
Illei shot his adjutant. His adjutant fell backwards with a blank look in his eyes. There was a hole between his eyebrows that was so clear that the other side could be seen.
“… … I asked you to do that, so you ended up following me, Luca.”
Illei moved his lips and whispered my name. The corpses of Imperial soldiers were strewn around him. They were all members of Illei’s platoon.
You did it anyway, Illai.
At first, I was so shocked that I lost my emotions. But soon, anger like a volcano rose up from a corner of my heart.
All of Illei’s platoon members were loyal soldiers. They followed Illei’s unreasonable commands and orders without complaint.
Ilay killed those subordinates with his own hands, because of that one woman! That one!
Creak.
Only my right prosthetic eye moved independently. The Ramones family appeared on one side of the banquet room. As soon as the analysis was complete, their identities appeared on the retinal display.
‘The head of the Ramones family and his direct descendants.’
There were five of them. Hugo Ramones, his wife, two sons, and a daughter. The daughter’s name was Lillian Ramones. She looked back and forth between me and Ilay with an anxious look on her face.
The main culprits of the rebellion were three families. One of their leaders was there.
Ilay let out a long sigh. He stared at me. His eyes, as if frozen in ice, shone through his blood-soaked hair.
“Luka, Luca, Luca. This time, you won’t just let it go.”
Ilay muttered, dropping his right hand holding the pistol and drawing his sword with his left. The tip of his sword was pointed at me.
I suppressed the anger that was welling up in me. This was not an opponent I could win an emotional fight against. The words that came out of my mouth were surprisingly dry.
“… … I will judge you on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor and the people of the Empire.”
Repressed emotions are so cold that they make your front teeth tingle.
