63 – Pinecone (11)
Swoosh.
The axe flies. The bird that was flying close to the ground falls.
A loot obtained after a long time. Kiara put the bird impaled with the axe on her hip.
The nearby animals have long since dried up. Birds hardly come by either.
The reason was simple.
Because Harvest is plucking the life around.
“……”
A sharp sound is heard in her pointed ear. Perhaps because it came just barely beyond the border of caution.
Kiara stopped for a moment. She stared into the distance for a while before turning her footsteps.
The old man was right. It’s not good to go out there. Instinct warns of fear.
There are no emotions beneath the metal. It won’t stop even if you plead.
Execution.
The only way they survive.
Chiara walked towards the village. She took a few steps and unleashed her “Rushing Fangs.”
The air exploded. The hilt of her weapon vibrated against her swinging body.
Her skills gradually became clearer. The sound of the air exploding grew louder. Sometimes, she felt an indescribable sensation.
…Something… a feeling of crossing a line. And the moment she crossed it, a feeling that she could never go back.
But the more she felt that strange sensation, the more her weapon was getting in the way. Occasionally, she made strange noises when making forceful movements.
She could easily tear it apart if she made a mistake. She needed to be careful.
…Honestly.
If she had money, she wouldn’t have to worry about such things.
“…….”.
When she was a child, unable to open her eyes, the village chief said he found her. A child rescued from the battlefield.
Perhaps she was an abandoned child. Raised without a mother or father’s knowledge, but she never resented anyone.
The village chief treated her better than she expected.
She also loved her foster father more than anyone else.
“…….”.
Because she loved him.
Because she loved him more than anyone else, because she respected him, she wanted to walk the same path as him.
But her desire to become a mercenary was not only for that reason.
Since she noticed that her blood was mixed with the village chief’s cough, she began wielding an axe.
She had to grow up early. She had to move a little faster than others.
She didn’t want her beloved person to suffer. She wanted him to rest comfortably, even if it meant earning just a penny more.
It wasn’t a physical connection, but a connection of the heart.
To sustain that connection, simple hunting was not enough.
“A one-shot fortune? Then you should become a mercenary.”
“Well, there could be businesses or gambling, but it’s difficult to do that without knowing anything.”
“I heard that the village chief used to be a mercenary in the past… Anyway, Kiara. Won’t it be a bit too much for you to dream of that?”
Doubts pouring down and advice to just live as it is.
Kiara found it frustrating. At the same time, she wanted to become a proud daughter to her father.
Building the foundation step by step was difficult, but every day felt rewarding. She happened to have a natural inclination for it, and when she moved her body, she forgot how time passed.
Getting better.
Getting better.
Someday, I will become a respectable mercenary and support my father.
That’s what I thought. But…
The village chief’s condition worsened.
“I’m back.”
As soon as I opened the door, a faint smell of meat filled the air. Kiara sniffed the scent.
What could it be? Even though she always refrained from touching the frozen meat, claiming it should be saved.
“…….”
She glanced at the reclining village chief. It’s certain. The smell of meat clung to his clothes.
Kiara chuckled softly. Fortunately.
He regained enough strength to eat.
She opened the cupboard and took out a red potato. She sliced only one-fourth and put it in the water.
The remaining portion was repackaged. She wrapped it meticulously. The train she saw a while ago had been almost rebuilt, so…
Soon, she wouldn’t have any reason to leave this town.
Kiara stared blankly at the bubbling pot. She took out the boiled potato and cut it into small pieces.
She needed to eat slowly. If she ate too quickly just because she was hungry, she would feel even emptier.
Share it. Little by little.
Since she didn’t know exactly when she would leave this place, she had to make sure to save the uncle’s portion.
“…….”
A soft snoring sound came from the bed. Listening to that sound made her feel drowsy without realizing it.
However, Kiara stood up. After finishing even the water in which she boiled the red potatoes, she headed to the familiar empty plot.
As always, there was a man waiting there as if it were natural.
“You’re late.”
“I actually came out 20 minutes earlier.”
“You’re later than usual.”
The man stood up. Blonde hair. Fractured irises.
His fur stood on end as if he had a predator standing in front of him.
“Let’s go through the fundamentals. Stand up straight.”
“Yes!”
Kiara clenched her fist tightly.
The handcuffs began to rattle.
“Mr. Drakan…”
“What?”
“Never mind.”
He’s a cool person.
She swallowed those words, embarrassed.
“I’ll work harder!”
…
“That leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste. Just so you know.”
“Thank you, Sergeant.”
Inside the dimly lit barracks.
Tetis Libra looked down at the wine in his glass. Neatly arranged dishes lay before him.
They might not be luxurious goods, but they were still not the kind of food to be set out and eaten when struggling with provisions, like now.
With this amount, they could easily feed one or two of the civilians who were currently starving.
No matter how it ended, this…
“You seem lost in thought.”
“…”
“Is it because of what I said earlier?”
Tetis Libra tilted his drink without saying a word. In front of him, Battalion Commander Edan Valf spread tuna on a cracker and put it into his mouth.
The sound of chewing. Scraps fell to the floor.
“It’s only natural for someone to yearn for excess. So it is for you, Libra. What are your ambitions?”
“To become an honorable resistance force.”
“Honorable… I wonder what honor means to a noble like yourself?”
“Protecting and guarding the weak.”
“Excellent.”
He put a small piece of meat into his mouth.
“…This meat is quite tough. But it’s good that we can eat it, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“But it tastes bitter. Too bitter.”
Edan Valf wiped his mouth.
“Libra, what’s in the train?”
“Various minerals and military supplies. It also contains hard-to-obtain Titan fuel extracted from the mines.”
“Titan fuel is precious, isn’t it? If you just take a look at some of it, it’s worth several times the amount of taxes paid by civilians. The same goes for trains loaded with gold nuggets.”
“…….”
“Still hesitating, Libra? I’ll ask you. What is the weakling that the dignitary spoke of? Are there also ‘criminals’ included?”
A difficult question to answer.
“What if it’s a villager who cooperated with the murderers who killed an innocent tax inspector?”
…An even more difficult question to answer.
Tetis Libra kept silent. Edan Valf tilted his glass.
“The world is confusing. But there are things you shouldn’t do, no matter how confused it is. Taxes? You can deceive them. Tax evasion is not a deadly sin either. But should we cover up the incident of killing a tax inspector who tried to silence all of that…?”
“…I think a more detailed investigation is needed.”
“The dignitary is right. Rotten Miller may have lied. Investigation is necessary. But how can we investigate in a situation like this?”
The sound of the alcohol passing down the throat.
A frustrating sigh.
“We don’t have enough space to find evidence. We need to escape from here as soon as possible instead. Harvest has not retreated despite being quiet. They must be watching us from somewhere in those bushes.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“……”
“It doesn’t matter whether Pinecone’s civilians evade taxes or steal supplies. But I’m not so generous as to let them get away with killing the tax inspector who came here and trying to dispose of his body while dragging Harvest along without knowing.”
It wasn’t a wrong statement.
…But.
What crime did the children who couldn’t voice their opinions commit?
“At least the children who can’t say anything…”
“If you try to save one, the other two will follow. It’s better to leave everything to the backup unit.”
“When will the backup unit arrive?”
“That’s a decision for the command office.”
“But if they starve to death before they arrive…”
“This is a small village. If they committed a crime, they should pay for it. Don’t waver, Libra. I respect the values of the dignitary, but it’s not always right. There is no such thing as true justice in the world. We just make our own choices.”
Edan Valf emptied his glass.
“My choice now is heavier than anyone else here.”
“The resistance army is a society of classes. It is divided only by class and reputation. It doesn’t matter if the officer is competent. Any incompetent commander can handle an officer. As long as the class is high.”
“…Do you want to stubbornly resist the officer’s decision? Then, nurture your ambition. Rise to the top. If you don’t want to just obey orders like now, go to the position where you can insist on your own will. But…”
Edan Valp raised his hand.
“There will be limitations under Besmoff Liten.”
“Why are you suddenly saying that?”
“He is like a snake. He imitates the good resistance army, but he’s more dangerous than anyone. I know. I know what kind of man he is.”
“That’s a look of disbelief. Yes. That’s what it is. But my advice is sincere. If you are under Besmoff Liten, you will become a donkey that collapses from exhaustion just looking for the sweet carrots. Even if you go all the way, you won’t be able to bite the carrot in front of you.”
“Are you trying to interfere with the relationship between me and the commander?”
Tetis Libra showed displeasure.
“No matter how high your rank is, I can’t just let it go.”
“Don’t be swayed by momentary emotions and look further, Libra. You don’t have to believe it right now. I have been under his command. He is a person who sacrifices any subordinate to rise for his own ambition. If you want, he will even trample you to climb up.”
“If you ever find something strange about him and start to worry, then remember me. Forget all the threatening remarks you made during this conversation. Find me and contact me. Then I will find a separate place for you outside the officer’s control.”
“What is this?”
“Libra. I consider the officer to be very important. I also think of the officer as an essential fish. There is a future for the officer, and personally…”
Edan Valp stroked his chin.
“I feel affectionately towards him, even rationally.”
“?”
Tetis Libra blinked his eyes. He asked again, thinking he heard wrong.
“Yes?”
“I am straightforward. I don’t hide. I am a bear rather than a snake. At least I don’t deceive the officer.”
“I will refuse your confession.”
“So be it. Well, I didn’t think it would work.”
“Then why…”
“When the time comes, the officer will recognize my charm.”
Edan Valp raised his glass.
“I just wanted the officer to acknowledge it. As a officer, or as a man.”
“I see. But I am not interested in either.”
“Perhaps, but I hope the officer understands my charm in time.”
“I just wanted the officer to acknowledge it. As an officer, or as a man.”
“I see. But I am not interested in either.”
“Your way of speaking is quite direct. Do you even have any feelings left?”
“The resistance force does not engage in romance. We simply dedicate our lives to the Federation.”
“Hmm…”
“Moreover, isn’t there a more important issue right in front of us, sir?”
Tetis Libra opened her mouth.
A deliberately avoided topic.
“…Do you really intend to leave all these civilians here and move the train?”
“There is neither space nor conditions to accommodate them. Only the resistance force will be on the move.”
“While waiting for the follow-up unit, they will starve to death.”
“As I said before, it’s cause and effect.”
“…I can’t agree with that.”
“These experiences we gain now will be helpful later…”
Edan Valf raised his glass. He filled Tetis Libra’s empty cup.
“For now, focus on learning, Libra.”
“…I don’t want to learn.”
“You can’t just live doing only what you want in this world.”
. . .
Ned Moore, the village chief of Pinecone Village, stood up from his seat.
The start of a day was simple. It involved checking the health of the villagers.
“Oh dear… Chief Moore…”
“My belly may stick to my backbone, but I can endure a few more days.”
“Can you ask the resistance force when the train repairs will be finished? I’m too scared to go myself…”
“Chief, Chief, when are we going to the city?”
After retiring from mercenary work, Ned settled in the small village of Pinecone.
Years had passed since then. Seasons changed countless times, and eventually, he rose to the position of chief.
Being a representative was a taxing position. It required taking care of everyone and paying attention to their needs.
But it wasn’t entirely bad.
In fact, he enjoyed the peace until harvest time arrived.
Ned gently ruffled the hair of the clinging siblings.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
She raised her daughter with all her heart and endured all sorts of hardships, but clearly Kiara is the only one who grew up.
However, the entire village is now just as precious and irreplaceable.
Ned Moore took a step and politely greeted the guard before speaking.
“I want to meet the commander.”
The dispatched soldiers looked up.
“No, sir. Please go away. Can’t you see we’re busy?”
“But…”
“When the train repairs are done, we’ll talk, so don’t worry and go back. It will only take longer if you stay.”
“……”
The train appeared fine on the surface.
Since it didn’t seem to have any problems, Ned Moore wanted to take a closer look. He stealthily approached the train, out of sight from the guards.
A hidden space known only to himself, having lived in this village for a long time. To others, it seemed like just a wall.
He entered that place. Even at close range, the train was clear. There were hardly any visible signs of damage.
Yet it was not over. Could there be some internal flaw? When will it ever…
“…Hey, did you hear? Lieutenant Rotten Miller is finishing the repairs tomorrow or so.”
“Tell the guys to pack their things. We’ll leave as soon as the repairs are done.”
“What about the civilians?”
“The captain already said.”
The soldier spoke. Ned Moore heard that last remark clearly.
“We’re the only ones leaving.”