Chapter 133: Switching sides

"Did you just figure it out?"

"Yes. A tank must be able to detect the signs of an attack before anyone else."

Brigid, the female warrior. Her worth in the database was 1.13 million coins.

Possessing a talent for "protecting allies" that surpassed anyone else’s, she had already noticed Yuna’s change of heart.

She was merely pretending not to know.

"Why didn’t you do anything?"

"Brigid has protected me all this time. I couldn’t repay such kindness by becoming an enemy."

"Your brother really likes Yuna, doesn’t he?"

"..."

Yuna’s cheeks flushed red.

"I’d like it if he did... We’ve actually been out of sync for quite some time."

"I’m envious. I’m an only child, so I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a dependable older brother."

"I’m sorry for having those ill feelings, Brigid."

"There is no need to apologize. We’re more family than friends."

Family. The warmth of the word filled their hearts.

"I’m glad it was just role play, Yuna."

"Really?"

"What would have happened if it hadn’t been a situational play?"

As Brigid walked ahead, she spoke these words with heavy meaning.

"If Yuna’s brother might truly die if she didn’t betray him, then Yuna would have had to harm me, right?"

"...."

It was an incredibly astute observation.

Though not all high-level dungeons impose rules in the form of power struggles,

There could be a horrifying situation where one would have to let someone dear to them die to save a sibling’s life.

"Ah, I’m sorry. It’s just a habit of mine."

"It’s alright. I’ve grown somewhat used to it."

Brigid always had the habit of contemplating the worst possible scenarios.

This was the secret to maintaining her composure during trying times.

"Follow the carriage!"

"Yes! Chief of Staff, Brigid!"

Yuna and Brigid, leading dozens of Imperial Army NPCs and a prisoner carriage, moved towards the main force.

The fierce battle between Necromancer Kibele and Climbing Master Hilaria was still raging within the main unit.

Other academy students were also fighting valiantly, but these two were the most conspicuous.

The two fought with divine fervor through an unstable terrain akin to a chain bridge.

Brigid drew her massive shield, pressing it firmly against her body, and exhaled deeply.

"Secure the sniping position, Yuna. I’ll protect you no matter who comes."

"I’m sorry, Brigid."

"Yuna?"

Yuna halted, wearing a sad expression.

Sensing a different atmosphere, Brigid grew tense.

She couldn’t help but feel uneasy, having witnessed the power of her comrade Yuna up close until now.

"Have you decided to go to your family?"

"I won’t harm Brigid. We’re allies."

"I’m not so vulnerable as to be defeated by a holding-back attack. What will you do?"

If Yuna betrays her, Brigid has only one course of action.

To prevent Yuna’s sniping from piercing Kibele, the very heart of the Imperial Army’s main force,

She has no choice but to desperately restrain herself here.

An intense energy circulated between the two.

"What if this wasn’t a staged drama?" Brigid asked.

"Yes."

"I know someone who would brave any danger for their sibling. I’m going to set that person free from now on."

"...?"

Yuna aimed her bow at the wheel of the well-running prisoner carriage and sent it flying with a single shot. As the carriage tilted to one side, the hastily covered tent fell open, revealing a hooded female student within.

"Who...? There was no one like an academy student here!"

Brigid’s confusion was only momentary. The female student pushed her hood back, unveiling her radiant blonde hair and striking red eyes. **Cleo** grinned as she locked eyes with Yuna.

"Yuna. I’ve been patient for so long. I..."

"You did well."

Yuna then turned to Brigid.

"Didn’t you notice? During the first round’s ’Operation to Capture the Rebels’, I secretly allowed Cleo to sneak in."

"You let the rebels in? You’ve been betraying the Imperial Army like a spy since then!?"

"Ha, what a pathetic thought."

Cleo shone brightly, standing out among the damp and dejected captive NPCs.

"I was originally unaffiliated, you know? From the very beginning, I killed both rebels and imperial soldiers alike as soon as the opportunity arose."

Unaffiliated.

Cleo was chaos personified, belonging to no one side. There were occasional academy students of this kind.

In a dungeon where the discipline of dividing forces and battling against one another was enforced, there was a person who declared, "No? I won’t be part of any faction."

This individual possessed an extreme spirit of defiance. For them, teamwork was never an option from the start.

During combative exchanges, they would often stand alone in peculiar places, exerting their utmost strength before eventually succumbing to madness.

Such a troublesome anomaly was right here.

"This is less like spying and more like..."

Yuna chuckled softly.

"An alliance of sisters for our beloved brother. Once it’s confirmed whether our brother is a rebel or an imperial soldier, I’ll inform you and have him dropped off at the most advantageous point."

"...So, then..."

Are you going to release Cleo here? Brigid tensed up, acutely aware of Cleo’s formidable reputation. Cleo was a magician with A-class magical prowess, akin to Deherit, one of the current Imperial Army generals. If such an asymmetric force were to be unleashed here...

"So, Yuna."

With a cool demeanor, Cleo effortlessly tore apart the prisoner’s cell using a burst of her magical power and stepped outside.

The Imperial Army NPCs simultaneously aimed their spears at her, but she didn’t even blink.

"Which side does your brother belong to?"

"The rebels."

"Isn’t Yuna going with them?"

"I’ve already fired, haven’t I? I’ll take responsibility for this situation till the end."

Stretched out.

Cleo yawned and stretched.

"You’re so earnest, Yuna. You could just ignore that and go help your brother."

"...You keep calling him ’brother.’ Cleo, you’re adorable."

"Ah, umm! Brother! I’ll be on your side!"

"Cleo, it’s been a while since we had a battle like this. Don’t you think we should gather some PT?"

Yuna knew Cleo wouldn’t listen, but she tried anyway.

Cleo snorted, seemingly uninterested.

"Being on my brother’s side is the top priority. Even if I end up fighting, he’s a D-class. He can’t afford to get hurt anywhere, can he?"

Straight to her brother’s side.

Thrown out as an independent since the first round, the only thing she had pursued with 0 Pt was the safety of her brother’s arms.

"Did you see that? Brigid."

Yuna knew.

"I’m going to set free the fearless Cleo. That’s my choice."

"...Hmph."

Even the greatest Brigids in the world cannot outwit an A-class wizard.

The one thing tankers despise the most are wizards.

Magic, by its nature, is impossible to evade and will always land a hit. Additionally, its power is so great that if struck head-on, one’s nose is bound to break.

"Yuna is toying with the Imperial Army. I’ll be the one to save her brother."

"Fight on, Cleo!"

"Got it, understood?"

Cleo declared as she wrapped her body in red lightning, erasing the blizzard and snowfield with her own power.

"Step aside."

"...I can’t let you go. You’re planning to annihilate the Imperial Army."

"You know me well."

"Yuna intends to let it happen."

Yuna nodded. She had unleashed a ferocious beast devoted solely to her brother, so there was no need to dirty her own hands.

"Yes. This is for the best."

"For the best? We are the Imperial Army! We must find a way to stop this situation."

"Engaging in battle with dangerous independent criminals during an operation is a significant loss for the Imperial Army, Brigid."

Yuna once again emphasized that Cleo was an independent.

"If we do nothing, you and all the Imperial forces here will survive, but

if we obstruct Cleo’s path..."

"We’ll scorch them all."

"We shouldn’t risk fire and water alike. Let’s keep our distance. Earn a moderate amount of Pt while playing the Imperial Army’s game."

"...Ugh..."

Capturing rebels boosts the Imperial Army’s Pt.

But the current independent criminal, Cleo, who freely pursues her own game with 0 Pt... From the perspective of a player who excels in role-playing, she’s akin to a bomb that must be avoided.

Entering combat would lead to immense losses.

and even in victory, the rewards would be meager. A bomb with no real compensation.

Knowing that this bomb would eventually strike the Imperial Army’s headquarters, Brigid had no choice but to concede.

"I lost, Yuna."

"What loss? We won together!"

Yuna firmly grasped Brigid’s hand.

"Let’s let Cleo go and take a brief rest here, shall we? After all, we still have the third round to do together."

Yuna captivated those around her with a sweet and charming smile, as if to say, "We’re still companions, aren’t we? " Brigid, feeling as though she’d been beguiled by a cunning fox, unwittingly trudged out of the way.

"You’ve made a wise decision, Brigid."

"..."

The ability to shape such scenarios was extraordinary. Brigid realized that the most dreadful situation had befallen the Imperial Army. All of this was orchestrated by a girl with enigmatic raven hair and a beautiful, smiling face.