34 – Rebel (4)
“You…”
Tethys Libra sends a burdened glance. Blanca snorts.
“Young bastard buttered up…pissing me off. Completely.”
He’s about to stand up at any moment. But someone stopped him.
An unexpected person.
“Huh, it wasn’t a provocation.”
Kovein lifted the white flag, laughing insidiously.
“Great. If you have the ability, it wouldn’t be bad to follow the command.”
“…….”
“How about this instead? If there comes a moment that appears risky or precarious, let’s discuss it then. Right? That seems better than bringing death upon oneself with unnecessary pride?”
What a nuisance.
Tethys Libra spoke as if he was out of the question. A typical captain’s double-crossing.
Tethys Libra had never faced this situation before, and his facial expression showed he didn’t know how to handle it. On top of this, Blanca joined the majority’s side.
“That’s a good idea! Isn’t it right? If experienced mercenaries advise us on tactics… It’s good news. Isn’t it, Captain?”
“……”
“Hey. You’re being too hard. Do not do that and let’s sleep. Anyway, I just proposed the new plan, relax your face. Stop gazing at that calf. Are you going to eat it?”
“Stop nagging.”
“You’re the one nagging…”
The truck happened to stop. Blanca jumped out.
She whirled around and bowed.
“My dream is to survive and retire. Do you understand? Let’s return alive. Please.”
She said fluidly.
“The mistrust of the new captain is the same for everyone. I know how dangerous it is for a guy intoxicated with rank to spout nonsense.”
Two undecided.
One gullible person.
One target to be wary of.
Blanca completed the calculations in her head. The reason she was able to survive with the Parmiere Family was right here.
Blanca was not particularly adept at calculations or knowledge. But she was quicker than anyone else at catching on.
The ability to bet on the side that seemed more likely.
Loyalty?
Do what you want.
Trust?
If they only play tricks amongst themselves, there’s no need to worry.
But for everything to work perfectly, there must be skill at the base.
Avakusa.
A dimwit who only looks strong.
Drakan.
An arrogant thug who only cares about his appearance.
Tetis Lebra.
A foolish platoon leader who doesn’t know how to handle anyone, and can’t even properly threaten.
And finally…
“Is there something on my face?”
“No?”
An inscrutable raccoon.
Blanca instinctively realized. Even though he seemed at first glance to be on the same side, the most untrustworthy person was the merman right in front of her.
Whitened hair and eyes that revealed nothing of what he was thinking. At first, he looked friendly but then seemed like he was trying to steal control in an instant.
What he said was not entirely wrong. The platoon leader wouldn’t know much about tactics. It would be much better to follow the lead of the seasoned mercenaries if they obey orders.
…But what if that’s not the case? How could anyone believe the words of someone who doesn’t even reveal what mercenary group he is with?
“Hmm.”
In the end, there’s no one to trust but oneself. Blanca confirmed that fact once again.
Be careful.
Because people are beings that can never be trusted.
. . .
“Enter.”
Abakusa entered. His entry posture was near-perfect, as if he had been practicing for several months.
Compared to him, Blanc and Gobain seemed somewhat amateurish. It could be expected since they didn’t receive professional training…
Gobain.
Isn’t it strange that a skilled mercenary like him isn’t on alert…?
“Scream!”
“Lie down! Raise your hands high enough to be seen!”
The civilians screamed. For now, I focused on the situation in front of me.
What needed to be done was to search each tightly-packed building one by one.
Once we confirmed unarmed individuals, we sent them outside. Then, the police officers inside the gathered festival worked together.
Identity checks and additional weapon searches.
The unusual cooperation between the military and the police meant that the situation was that serious. Blanc grumbled.
“How valuable must the stolen goods be?”
“Just concentrate on the task at hand.”
“You horny bastard. Can’t you keep your mouth shut?”
Abakusa and Blanc.
The role of mediating between the constantly quarreling pair should have been carried out by the squad leader. However, Tetis Libra couldn’t step forward hastily.
“Alright. Let’s stop and move out.”
At the crucial moment, Kobein took over what the squad leader should have done continuously. He smoothly gave appropriate instructions and mediation.
… How should I say it?
Unlike his entering actions, he was skillful at handling people. He tidied up the situation to the point where Tetis Libra’s absence was barely noticeable.
Although not an outstanding mercenary, he was definitely experienced.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Lie down!”
The situation progressed smoothly. We finished searching five houses in an hour. Three buildings remained.
Abakusa stood in front of a closed door. He warned, but there was no response.
Abakusa took out a multipurpose locking device borrowed from the police. He fiddled with it in front of the door for a few minutes.
“Abakusa?”
“This… it’s really stiff… exceptionally stiff…”
Abakusa, who was panting heavily, looked up.
“Something is blocking the way inside…”
“…What?”
Without hesitation, Blanc pulled her hair.
“How dare you?! You crazy…!”
Bang!
The window shattered.
“Fire!”
“Kill them all!!!”
Bullets rained down. I immediately pressed myself against the wall.
Glass shards flew everywhere. I instantly tackled Avakusa. A bullet-ridden door panel was torn off entirely.
Tethys Libra pulled something from her waist.
“Grenade throw!”
Kwaahhhhh!!!
A deafening explosion swept through the room in an instant. Kobein staggered and covered his shoulder.
“Ugh…!”
Did a bullet just hit him during the gunfire?
I cleared away the debris of the remaining door.
“Avakusa!”
“On it!”
We entered immediately. Following the tactical manual, we perfectly secured our designated areas.
“There are two inside! One on the left wall!”
“Aim and shoot!”
We unleashed a torrent of bullets, impartially hitting the staggering enemies.
Spraying blood. Blanc, who couldn’t keep up, stood awkwardly in the middle.
I immediately shot at her abdomen.
“Thunk?!”
“Don’t obstruct, just go inside!”
The bathroom door broke down. Blanc tumbled inside. I double-checked the interior.
The corridor is long. And narrow. Almost too cramped to use the gun. I immediately slung the rifle over my shoulder and gripped the sidearm revolver.
“Avakusa! Cover me!”
“Hey! Leave it to me!”
He held a flashlight in one hand. Tethys Libra threw another grenade.
Screams erupted from the previously quiet interior. I immediately kicked open the door to the room.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The internal rebellion was swiftly suppressed. Rebel soldiers with bullets embedded in them fell to the ground.
Tethys Libra shouted,
“Save one of them! Drakan!”
“Yes!”
I know. It’s about that much.
The rebel who received a shoulder blow struggled to get up from the ground. Without hesitation, I twisted his arm behind his back.
Crack!
“aaahhh!”
“Clear!”
“Blanca! Follow me! Secure the rest of the rooms!”
Blanca cursed and followed Tethys Libra into the room.
Gunshots reverberated.
“Clear!”
We checked three more rooms, but there were no more enemies. Perhaps it was because this was our first indoor combat.
“…Phew.”
It was a peculiar feeling. It wasn’t about killing people.
A sensation wriggled in my bloodstream. Maybe it was the sensation of being on a battlefield where life and death crossed paths.
My heart raced. It felt like crossing a line, a foreboding sensation.
It was just like during training. Something in the midst of bloodshed…
“Drakan?”
“It’s nothing.”
I shut off my consciousness for now.
There were more obstacles than I expected. The cramped space posed moments of danger.
“G-guh… g-guuh…”
“Shut up.”
I grabbed him by the hair and then disarmed him. Avakusa grimaced.
“Hey, Drakan.”
“What?”
“These bastards are armed… They have human weapons.”
“What?”
Even in the military, it’s hard to get hold of human weapons, and now some rebels are carrying them?
I checked the weapons. Avakusa’s words were not wrong. All the weapons, even those of the deceased, were human-made.
Tetis Libra, stained with blood, walked into the room.
“Captain.”
“…I know.”
She grabbed the rebel by the hair.
“Tell me your affiliation and objective. Where is the blueprint of the Titan?”
“I… I…”
Crack.
One of his fingers snapped.
“I’ll… I’ll tell you! Just tell me!”
Trembling, the soldier confessed. There were still remaining rebels and it seems they escaped through an underground passage.
Following his words, we pushed aside the furniture, and there it was, a long passage connected to the city’s sewer system.
“Gobain, are you injured?”
Gobain lowered his hand.
There were no injuries.
“I must have been mistaken. That’s good.”
“…That guy, no matter how you look at it…”
“Enough.”
Tetis Libra raised her hand. She handed over the rebel to the police officer who had followed along.
“Command, this is Owl. Confirmed the escaped rebels. I’ll track them down.”
“…Track them down? We don’t know how many enemies there are.”
“Blanca, keep your mouth shut and follow me.”
Tetis Libra shouldered her gun and placed her foot on the descending ladder.
“If we’re going to track them, then we’ll track them. I’m the captain.”
A resolute voice. However, unlike before, Blanca didn’t utter a single word of complaint.
Itches my head. It seemed like I had realized something through the recent fighting.
“…Epidemic.”
I climbed up the ladder as well.
A sticky sound came out. It’s a sewer…
Where could those guys be going?
. . .
Besmoph Litton watched the intense meeting from the sidelines.
“I’ve said it many times! How precious that blueprint is!”
“Did you expect something like this to happen during the escort?”
“Agh! Tsk! That’s why I couldn’t get a promotion.”
“Ah! Please! Hyungnim!”
The inside is a mess. Besmoph Litton tilted the water. There was a reason he hurriedly sent the undercover soldiers away.
A mistake that would lead to big trouble if heard by higher-ups. He had to make the incident of stealing the Titan blueprint disappear. That’s why he didn’t quickly contact the police acquaintances.
He had to bury it somehow. As quietly as possible.
That was the commander’s order.
“Shut up. All of you.”
The commander opened his mouth. The battalion commanders who had been chattering closed their mouths.
“Recover it quietly no matter what. Arcane Bolt, how is the progress?”
“I will check it immediately.”
The battalion commander, Arcane Bolt, returned with information.
“We are currently tracking. Fortunately, we seem to have found a clue to the rebels.”
“Deploy more troops. We must handle it as quietly as possible. If a single stain appears on my record…”
The commander said quietly.
“All soldiers here should remove their uniforms.”
“……”
“……”
Besmoph Litton laughed inwardly. Aha. He’s criticizing his subordinates for not properly carrying out a simple escort mission… without blaming his own lack of abilities.
Indeed, the resistance is rotten. Besmoph Litton confirmed once again with his own eyes.
To turn a rotten place into a proper one, it takes someone who is not rotten to step forward.
“Commander.”
“What’s wrong?”
“The soldiers chasing me are my subordinates.”
“…You mean criminals?”
“Yes. But they can be trusted. Leave this to me. I’ll find a way, no matter what.”
“…”
The battalion commander looked at him intently.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Bessmof Litten nodded his head.
“I’m certain. No support is needed. Instead, I will deploy the troops from my nearby unit. If the command system gets complicated, things may escalate further.”
“If troops are nearby…”
“Armor user, Elliot Moot.”