50 – Laboratory (5)
Penegrin Alto wiped away his tears and put away the broken doll.
“…I have witnessed your abnormal power. The destructive force is immeasurable. To measure it accurately, I should bring an explosive intensity measuring device. “
“You are going to bring it?”
“No. I won’t go that far. Machines are not enough; it must be done in a room with special equipment. Besides… right now, there doesn’t seem to be any data worth obtaining by doing that.”
Fenegrin Alto groped my body.
“Any abnormal reactions? What did you consume?”
“…Stamina?”
“It doesn’t seem simple… Hmmm… You said you used this power before, right? Was there nothing unusual then?”
“Except for exhaustion, there was nothing.”
“Well, it’s definitely not stamina.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“It’s my intuition.”
“……?”
Is he a clairvoyant?
Fenegrin Alto glanced at the computer.
“It will be a long process. I will check each and every one. Data doesn’t lie.”
. . .
Blanca stretched out her legs. A comfortable facility. Moreover, she was allowed to wander around except for some restricted areas.
The temporary accommodation was comfortable. It was as if she could feel the soft touch of cotton while jumping around the rooms. Blanca buried her face in the pillow.
Hmm.
Indeed, the quality of life is different.
“Can’t we just work here, Captain?”
“This place is where only specially qualified members of the guerrilla’s inside have their identity thoroughly verified. It’s a place filled with high-ranking officials. Impossible.”
“..Aren’t we elite in our own way as well?”
“Skills and credentials don’t matter. It mostly depends on your background.”
Tetis Libra took off her army boots. She wiggled her toes.
“…Drakan is running late.”
“Oh, what’s he up to? That guy always surprises us…”
“It must be necessary procedures.”
“I know. Hey, Blanca! Let’s go eat!”
“I’ll join you.”
“Drakan, when is he coming? Let’s eat first and then tell him how the food tastes. If he doesn’t come, we’ll go alone.”
“Woo, you faithless bastard! Die while eating.”
“There’s no loyalty in food! hahahahaha!”
Abbacus walked out briskly, while Blanca lay in bed quietly gazing at the ceiling.
“…Lieutenant?”
“What is it?”
“Do you ever feel powerless as well, Lieutenant?”
“…Powerless?”
“Just curious.”
From Blanca’s perspective, Tethys Libra was a person as steadfast as steel. No matter what happened, they would complete their tasks with a rigid personality.
It’s like a machine, of course, but it’s not a real machine.
Hmm.
Does someone like that also have concerns?
“Of course, they do.”
“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?”
“Of course not. How do you know what kind of machine I am?”
“Wasn’t it true?”
“…….”
“It’s a joke. A joke.”
Blanca chuckled dryly. Ah. When she closed her eyes, she thought of that time.
She was once self-proclaimed to be unbeatable by anyone in strength. But in reality, what was it like?
…That bastard.
Deckard Vain.
She had to use all her strength to break that one arm. And even then, she didn’t do it properly.
… Powerlessness.
At least it was an emotion that was distant from her. If it were betrayal, she could push the burden on elsewhere…
This f*cking weakness is entirely my fault, so I can’t do anything about it.
“…Lieutenant?”
“You have a lot of questions today.”
“Don’t you like it?”
“No. Ask a question.”
“There’s armor, right? Can that really pierce through bulletproof armor?”
“It might be possible with specially made bullets. But the production itself is difficult. It’s more like a small ballistic missile that requires complex technology to make. And it costs an enormous amount of money to produce.”
Tetis Liebra leaned against the wall.
“It’s not cost-effective. There aren’t many people trying to snipe armor that’s hard to see already. I heard it’s something only weirdos use. But personally, snipers could use it, and it could be quite powerful…”
“Could those bullets penetrate a Titan shield?”
“They could probably penetrate, but… even if they do, they wouldn’t cause much damage to the Titan itself. At most, it would only be breaking through the defense system.”
“…So ultimately, there are limitations to individual armament.”
Dekerde Bane still haunted his dreams. But he had never once imagined overcoming him.
Even now, thinking about it made his whole body shiver in a setting of intense cold.
Neither guns nor missiles were of any use. It felt as though if Dracan had turned against him as his enemy, he would feel something like that…
The powerlessness of that time. Shame.
He floundered, without achieving anything at all, and had no choice but to rely on others. This fact was what Blanca hated.
“…You see, sir.”
And then, what should I say?
He felt strange to see Dracan, even in a place like this, receiving special treatment.
Jealousy? No, it wasn’t that. He wasn’t that petty.
…But.
It felt like he was moving one step further away.
He didn’t like that.
“With guns there are limitations, you know.”
“…True.”
“Martial arts also have limitations.”
“That’s also true.”
“Just crouching behind is not in line with my temperament. I owe a life, so I want to repay it with my life.”
“……..”
“I want to be of help to Dracan. And even to you, sir… Even though I don’t like it, to that Avakusa fellow too.”
“…….?”
“I want to become strong enough to meet Dekerde Bane again. Strong enough to bring down a Titan alone. I never want to… feel that powerless again.”
Tetis Liebra let out a hearty laugh.
“There is no creature that can defeat a Titan head-on.”
“…Ah. Seriously! This is serious!”
“I’m sorry. It just occurred to me suddenly. I thought if it’s Drakan… he might actually pull it off.”
“That monster guy.”
“…Even though he could have escaped alone, he stayed behind for us.”
A heavy silence fell. Blanca asked quietly.
“You like him?”
“What, what are you talking about?!”
“Well, you do. Like him.”
Tetis Libra cleared his throat.
“…There is no room for affection towards subordinates. Don’t blurt out embarrassing things.”
“Hmph…”
“But you do like him, right?”
“W-Well, it’s just admiration?! Just thinking he’s a strong guy—that’s all?!”
Really. That’s it. Well…
From a rational standpoint, he’s really cool…
Just that much! There are no emotions beyond that!
Love! It’s weird to have strange feelings towards a kid! It’s just superficial! He’s just a kid!
“Oh, anyway, that’s not the point, right? Isn’t that true?”
“Yeah, you’re right. We need to find a way to become stronger, right?”
“Yeah, like handling a Titan… or getting armor… things we want…”
Titan pilots are created through strict training. That side is probably completely impossible.
But if you have the money, you can wear armor. Personal armors, not military ones, can be obtained with simple procedures at their discretion.
“If we can wear armor, maybe we can compete with Drakan?”
“It’s possible.”
“Um… but they’re expensive… If we empty the safe, can we make enough?”
“Getting mass-produced armors also requires the proper channels. You could solve it with money, but… it would cost a lot. It’s expensive.”
“How much is your salary, platoon leader?”
“…250.”
“Excluding taxes?”
“It’s a 180 degrees turn.”
“Ugh, even if I die, I shouldn’t join the resistance.”
“Yeah, it goes up with years of service!”
“But it only goes up by a measly 10 or so every year. I know it.”
“Ugh, but soldiers are motivated by honor rather than money…”
“Don’t you know that honor follows money?”
“It’s a mercenary mindset!”
“It’s a back-alley mindset.”
Ah, armor…
I wonder if I can find that…
“Blanca, is the training we do every morning not enough?”
“I like it. The problem is that I can’t keep up. It feels like three of us are squabbling against one Dracan. I’m no dictator either.”
Blanca suddenly stood up.
“I want to look that guy in the eye face-to-face. On equal footing. I really hate just looking up at someone.”
“Hmm…”
“Do you feel the same way, squad leader?”
“…It’s not a good look for a superior to be jealous of a competent subordinate.”
Tetis Libra closed her eyes.
“But if you’re a commander, you should be more competent than your subordinates.”
“To be honest, are you jealous?”
“……. “
“You know, Squad Leader. How about negotiating with Fenegren Alto? Just ask him to give us three armors…”
“That’s never going to work.”
“…Sigh. I was just suggesting we give it a try.”
“Blanca.”
“Yes?”
Tetis Libra opened her previously closed eyes and glanced at Blanca.
A smile formed on her lips – a refreshing smile.
“When we first came here, you used to fawn over me.”
“Ugh. Why bring up the past? I thought everything was trash back then! I was on guard! Guarding!”
“Now I’m opening up my innermost thoughts like this…”
“Ah! Seriously! It’s cringe-worthy!”
“It’s all thanks to the competence of the boss.”
“You’re boasting about yourself, aren’t you?!”
“It’s a joke.”
Tetis Libra reached out her hand and gently stroked Blanka’s head.
“Don’t worry. We may be slow, but we are steadily moving forward. Someday, we’ll be able to stand by Drakan’s side.”
“…In a few decades?”
“At least before that, I think we’ll acquire at least one armor. Let’s find a way together. We’re a team, Blanka.”
A team…
Yes.
At least here, we won’t betray each other. That would never happen.
There won’t be a reason to betray or a situation that calls for betrayal.
From Noble mtl dot com
…Let’s believe in it for now.
“…The captain is really kind.”
“When I first came here with Avakusa, I heard he was a block of iron.”
“That’s still partially true, isn’t it?”
“Partially true?”
“I understand to some extent why he was so rigid. I thought practice and rules were the same. But it was Drakan who saved the boss from where the boss’s stern mindset led him. Even the boss…”
Tetis Libra quickly averted her gaze.
“We have the same sentiment. I don’t want to hold back the boss. He will become stronger. Somehow.”
Oh.
This is just…
“Romantic feelings?”
“No!”
Avakusa opened the door and stepped inside. His shoulders were slumped.
“It’s almost mealtime… An hour left, they said… But what are you talking about?”
Blanka and Tetis Libra exchanged swift glances.
Blanka smirked and raised her middle finger.
“Your turn.”
“You go to hell.”
“Yeah, you go to hell too.”