36 – Rebels (6)
“I, I…”
“Forget it.”
Once again, a cold breeze passed by, preventing the girl from speaking. She blocked her mouth and waited for it to pass.
There are many. Just dozens passing by alone.
There is no cover, and no one to help turn their vision. The only weapons are damp firearms and a revolver, both uncertain to fire properly…
Even if they attacked one by one, what would happen if they were discovered later? If they were seriously pursued, they could find themselves in a difficult situation.
…For now.
Let’s gather information.
“She said she works at a bakery.”
“…”
“Why would she be involved in procuring rations for the rebels?”
The girl hesitated, unable to answer.
“This, this is… because of a condition…”
“A condition?”
“Someone like me… isn’t easily accepted anywhere. So… I have to do this kind of work…”
“Oh really?”
It’s not incomprehensible. I saw the scars engraved on her body.
But regardless of that, she and I were in opposing positions.
I am a member of the resistance, and she belongs to the rebel faction opposing the resistance.
“…Depending on the situation.”
There are no lies mixed in.
“I have to kill you.”
“……”
She flinched. Well, this threat should be enough.
“Cooperate with me. My goal is to retrieve the Titan blueprints that the rebels have stolen.”
“…Will you kill everyone?”
“If there’s no other way. But if I can retrieve them…”
I don’t have any pride in being part of the resistance.
I’m just a soldier struggling to survive.
There’s no need to unnecessarily shed blood.
“You don’t have to kill them.”
She blinked her eyes. After contemplating for a moment, she nodded slightly.
“Ah, please don’t… kill anyone.”
“Why?”
“They… most of them are people who have lost their place to go. They didn’t pick up guns willingly. W-well, not all of them, but… still, most of them joined just to survive.”
“That’s the same for everyone.”
Unfortunately, the situation isn’t lenient enough to indulge in sentimentality.
“I feel the same way. So start explaining. What about the internal forces? How many soldiers are there? Do they know the location of the Titan blueprints?”
“……”
The girl nodded softly.
“I don’t know much about the Titan blueprints… but I saw a thick briefcase. It’s being transported very carefully, as if it’s extremely important…”
. . .
“Trust, Blanca.”
“Huh?”
“You know. We’re the same family. Family doesn’t betray each other, right?”
“What is it?”
It was an unpleasant conversation.
But it didn’t feel bad.
“You’re such a fool.”
“…Huh?!”
Something hit my head. Blanca looked up.
My whole body feels cold. I’m wearing only my underwear.
The back of my head hurts. It’s shaking my field of vision. Blanca tried to move her hand.
But she couldn’t move properly, as if caught on something. Handcuffs? Or ropes?
My whole body is bound. Blanca looked up.
There’s someone in front of me.
Something emitting a disturbing smell.
“You woke up.”
“…You have a beautiful body, even when seen again.”
“If I just touch you a little…”
“Get your hands off. You brat.”
“Who is this brat? A new recruit?”
“If the fact that you touched a captive is revealed, Echidna will kill you.”
“Don’t you know how terrifying our Lady is?”
Sounds of conversation are heard. They’re not alone. Blanca spits out the water in her mouth.
Blurred vision gradually becomes clear.
Different uniforms. Different weapons.
…Rebels.
They are the ones who were chasing us. Unlike those armed civilians, they are fully armed.
Clearly well-trained regular army soldiers. There was no sign of the rope loosening when I slightly moved my hands.
The man who was polishing his dagger in front opened his mouth.
“Name.”
“f*ck off.”
Puff!
His jaw clenched. Blanka spat out a mouthful of dried blood.
The man asked again.
“Name.”
“f*ck off.”
Puff!
A combat boot dug into his abdomen. He couldn’t catch his breath for a moment.
The man asked again.
“Name.”
“Fuc…k…o…ff…”
“Tch.”
The man raised a dagger. Someone jumped out from among the rebel group.
Blanka chuckled. Dekerd Vain.
So he turned against us as an enemy.
“Dekerd Vain.”
“What?”
“Torturing her won’t yield much knowledge. I have already told you everything I know.”
“…….?”
The one called Dekerd Vain toyed with the tip of the dagger.
“So?”
“How about taking her as a hostage?”
“Why should I do that?”
“As you know… we value hostages…”
Clank!
“Ugh?!”
Gobain was pushed against the wall. Dekerd Vain whispered.
“Don’t get carried away, old man. I don’t trust you. Remember that I can separate your head from your body at any time.”
“I… und…er…st…an…d…”
“Don’t cross the line. You’re nothing but a prisoner to us. Just someone who will catch bullets in case of an emergency.”
“Hmm…”
He clenched his throat tightly.
Dekurd Bane’s voice trembled.
“Know your place.”
Thunk!
Gobain, who had fallen to the floor, coughed weakly. Dekurd Bane turned abruptly to Blanca.
As if suggesting that he should finish what he was doing, he tightened his grip on the dagger. In that moment, as he took a step closer…
The radio crackled.
“Intruders confirmed! Multiple enemy forces have been sighted! Re-reinforcements… aaahhhhh!!!”
The screams suddenly cut off. Dekurd Bane bit his tongue.
“Akain, Volt. Move towards the armory and relocate the remaining supplies. Can I trust you with it?”
“Of course, Captain.”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Pack quickly. Burn everything that can’t be carried. Remember, not a single piece of information should be left behind.”
Dekurd Bane scanned Blanca and Gobain.
“You two, it’s better for you to stay put. Unless you want to die.”
Clang.
The door closed. Except for one person, everyone had already left.
“Stay quiet.”
Only one soldier remained, looking somewhat bewildered. However, he held a gun in his hand.
It’s impossible to win while restrained.
Blanca exerted her strength.
This rope…
Seems like I could just tear it off with my hands.
But I probably only have one chance. Even if I manage to overpower this guard right now, what should I do next?
“…”
Let’s start by thinking. Though I’d rather not think too much…
At this point, there’s no other choice, right?
“…Blanca.”
Gobain, who is relatively free but still a prisoner like her, spoke up.
“Fortunately, both of them survived, didn’t they?”
“…You despicable bastard.”
“It was the best I could do. There was no other choice if we wanted to survive. Don’t you know that too? It’s better to live than to die. And sometimes, you have to sacrifice one side to achieve that.”
“Screw you.”
For a moment, I almost untied the rope and swung my fist at his head.
Endure.
Just endure.
“…You. Weren’t you a mercenary in the first place?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I can tell by the way you fight. You probably never fought for real, just flapping your mouth off.”
“…I’m a promising mercenary…”
“Bullsh*t. You’re a f*cking retard. I know your kind well. Like a cunning cat, always seeking an opportunity.”
Blanca spat.
“In reality, you’re just someone who can only switch sides. Do you understand that? f*ck. No one thinks of you as a crewmate. If there was even once in your life where you thought you were part of a crew, I’d take off your head with my own hands.”
“…Are you done talking?”
“I’m not done yet. You damn bastard. Did you insert a dick in your ear? Does it look like I’m finished saying what I have to say?”
“You talk too much.”
“That’s strange. Are you implying that a backstabbing bastard like you, who only talks big, has something to say?”
Blanca asked sincerely.
“You f*cker… Honestly, tell me, is your life a lie? Huh?”
“…This.”
Kobein’s forehead twitched.
“You f*cking b*tch.”
“Hah. Finally, you reveal your true colors, you dog.”
“Can’t you shut your mouth?!”
Slap!
His cheek turned red. Blanca stopped laughing.
“You f*cking bastard…”
There’s no strength left. It doesn’t even hurt
“Was everything on his body just a fashion muscle? Why is he so weak?”
“This…Motherf*cker…!”
“Ah. I’ve heard of it. Are you one of those? Seriously. People who artificially put implants in their bodies to build muscles…is that right?”
“Don’t mess with me?! I said don’t mess with me!”
Crack! Crack!
“This motherf*cker…the b*tch…”
No matter how much it’s a water muscle, the damage accumulates.
Blanca spat out blood-mixed saliva.
“Retarded bastard…”
But he never forgot his acrimony until the end.
“If I were you, I’d just bite my tongue and die. Got it?”
“This motherf*cker…!”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Hey. Don’t mess with me?”
The soldier who had been watching all along growled.
“Both of you shut up and sit in the corner. You. Are you Kobein? Keep quiet and look at the wall. If you don’t want a hole in your head.”
“……”
Kobein turned around. Blanca felt the many footsteps coming from outside the door.
“…….”
For now, he made up his mind.
When he leaves, he’ll definitely…
Bust this traitorous bastard’s head.
“Over a hundred…”
“Yes.”
Even though the numbers are high, there are so many. It’s not a fight to take head-on.
“The leader is a guy named Dekkad Vane…?”
“Yes. That’s right. A, a scary person. So we shouldn’t touch him at all.”
He’s a character I’ve never heard of before. Well, it’s natural not to know much about this side of the world…
“Is what’s known as a briefcase inside the rebel base?”
“Right, I don’t know for sure. I just… think it might be in Lord Decard’s room…”
“Hmm.”
“Do we really have to steal it…?”
“If we can.”
Should I sneak in? It might be possible to take the rebel’s clothes as they pass by, but what if my identity is exposed in enemy territory? And didn’t I hear that reinforcements from our side are coming?
“…”
Observing the situation…
“We need backup!”
“Move!”
“What’s in the weapons storage?!”
“A man and a woman! But…”
…?
“Their combat skills are no joke…!”
“But it’s just two of them?!”
“I don’t know! We only heard that the weapons storage was raided! Damn! We have to go check it out to find out something…!”
“Get running for now!”
Surely not them?
People poured in. The patrol had greatly reduced their numbers. I got up.
Whatever happened, it’s all coming together. If I complete my mission, it’s another means of survival…
“Let’s go.”
“W-what?”
“Guide them to the rebel base.”
I picked up the girl. This way is faster. It’s useful to hide our footsteps.
After a brief rest, it’s time to work properly.