Chapter 107

Even if the company commander wasn't human, Erabelle wondered whether he could really afford to lose that much blood. He looked as though he might die. Camillia, however, seemed completely unconcerned.

"Stop worrying about that thing. I asked why you are here."

That thing? Was this unit really all right?

"He looks like he's dying."

Camillia clicked her tongue at Erabelle's continued concern and sent the company commander out of his own office.

"If you leave it alone, even as a First Divine Guard, you'll have to hibernate for at least three years. Go get treatment."

"......"

The company commander went without protest.

This unit was in fine shape.

After throwing the injured company commander out, the medical officer called someone. The management team, apparently.

"This is Camillia. Yes, the lieutenant has arrived. But is this really all right? Can you manage her like this?"

Hearing Camillia talk about managing her left Erabelle strangely dispirited. She was thinking she might drink herself senseless later when Camillia held out the phone.

"Take it. Go on."

Erabelle took the phone almost before she realized it. Someone was making a miserable sound on the other end.

Perhaps it was the surveillance team, not the management team. Aries Cedar was sniffling... Surely he wasn't actually crying again?

Cedar, who swore at everyone, seemed to have grown tearful over the past year or two. That was what happened at his age.

"Are you all right? What? No."

Aries Cedar sniffled again and asked if she was doing this on purpose.

"I received formal permission—"

The sobbing grew louder, and she couldn't bring herself to finish. She looked at Camillia as if to ask what was wrong with him, but Camillia was frowning at her as though she wanted to ask the very same thing.

What did I do...?

"Why do you insist on making life so hard for yourself? You could be comfortable in the warm capital. Why come all the way here? Is suffering a hobby of yours?"

Camillia kept scolding her, but the conflict zone wasn't what it used to be.

All the monster rifts had closed. The number of monsters left didn't seem to be falling, but things were at a standstill, and casualties had become rare.

Only a few months ago, rifts had been opening everywhere and the universe had seemed on the verge of destruction. The calm now felt almost unreal.

"What hardship?"

Camillia showed Erabelle to her new quarters herself.

They weren't bad. It was a single room, but it had a private bathroom, a small kitchen, and even a heating system. Compared with the poor conditions she'd endured before, it was excellent.

"Wow, when did the quarters get so nice? You wouldn't know, Lieutenant, but we used to burn coal here. Back then it was colder inside than out."

"Mm. Spare me the old stories."

Camillia snorted. She looked down at Erabelle for a moment, swallowed a sigh, and shook her head.

"You really do enjoy suffering. Unpack and get some rest. Someone from above will be here soon—"

She broke off with another incredulous laugh.

"He's here."

"Who's here?"

Erabelle got her answer when strands of black tentacles rose from the floor, tangling together.

Pale skin beneath a black hood. Hair as red as Camillia's.

Virgo.

Why is he here? No, how did he get here?

"Lieutenant, why are you here...?"

That's what I'd like to ask you.

"I had some work left unfinished, so I came to complete—"

"What? I asked why you're here."

"Well, my work—"

"Why? Why?"

He didn't seem to be listening.

"After what happened here, how could you come back? Why would you... why...?"

Muttering to himself, Virgo felt at his neck as though checking that his head was still attached.

"Go back to the capital. I'll take you there right—"

He abruptly closed his mouth. He stood motionless, as though he had frozen, then raised his head and looked at Camillia.

"The company commander?"

"We understand he's at the temple."

After that, both of them fell silent. They seemed to be communicating privately again, but Erabelle had no way of knowing what they were saying.

"......"

She waited quietly, then grew a little distracted.

She set down her backpack and, watching them both, began to unpack a few things. As their silence stretched on, she worked more steadily. She arranged her DVDs in order on the bottom shelf of the desk, shook out her clothes and hung them up, lined her socks and underwear neatly in separate drawers, and took out her toiletries.

By then, the two had finished their conversation and were staring at her with long faces.

"Lieutenant, why did you really come here?"

"As I said, I came to finish what I couldn't before. How are you here, Captain? Weren't you imprisoned?"

"...I'm not the one who was locked up."

He'd said he was going to a prison and wouldn't be out for six months. Apparently he'd slipped away on his own. Well, of course. The people under him were the ones who did the work.

"But when you say unfinished work, you don't mean putting an artificial spirit on that platform, do you?"

"That's exactly what I mean."

"......"

Virgo looked up and covered his face with his hands.

Erabelle would have liked to offer him something for his headache and earn a few points with her superior, but she didn't have any medicine. Dezeb had disposed of it all.

"Without the mass of the dead, that platform will be detected anyway."

"I've confirmed that the perception-disruption device Dezeb recently acquired works extremely well."

"......"

Virgo covered his face again. Erabelle wondered if he was crying too.

"When did you confirm that...?"

"When we were traveling in the Nover Federation. Some local thugs picked a fight with Dezeb."

"......"

"I'm certain it will be more than enough to conceal a platform."

"......"

He really did seem to be crying. It was unpleasant to watch, but fortunately he didn't keep it up for long.

"...All right. Yes, fine. The platform. Right.... If anything happens, you must contact me."

"Yes, I will."

"...You still have my number, don't you?"

Virgo eyed Erabelle suspiciously. Her answer had come out as promptly as if someone had pressed a button.

"You haven't contacted me once in °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° months. You do have it?"

"Yes, I have it."

Virgo covered his face again and turned away wearily. But Erabelle couldn't let him leave yet. If he went now, she had no idea when she would see him again.

"Wait!"

She hurriedly reached toward him as sticky, tar-like tentacles coiled around him.

Her fingertips didn't come close. Virgo had recoiled in alarm.

He'd moved even faster than the company commander avoiding the rag. She had never seen anyone at Chief level move properly before, but she felt she had now.

"What are you doing?"

Virgo's expression hardened.

"Don't touch me!"

He was treating her like some sort of sexual predator.

"......"

For a moment, Erabelle was speechless.

Of all people, him? If Dezeb had the worst sexual habits in the unit, Virgo was the most promiscuous. He used sex to satisfy every urge—anger, irritation, even the need to establish his place in the hierarchy.

And now he was treating her like a predator? Until recently, he had greeted her by asking if she wanted to get underneath him.

"What do you think you're doing? I'll scream! Don't ever do that again! H-how could you reach for another man?!"

"...My 10,000 cp."

"That doesn't mean you can have me. Don't even think about it!"

He shouted the words at a strangely low volume, his face deadly serious, then vanished.

"No..."

Erabelle felt deeply wronged.

"My money...."

Of course, the money hadn't been why she'd gone to Dezeb that day, but there was no reason to refuse money she'd been promised. Virgo had been the one to offer her 10,000 cp. It was bad enough that she still hadn't received it. And now, of all people, he had treated her like a predator....

She was so indignant that the back of her neck began to ache.

"My goodness. You really do have terrible taste, don't you?"

"......"

"As if Master weren't enough, you want him too?"

Erabelle gripped the back of her neck.

"No..."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"That's not what this is."

"My goodness. What is it with your taste?"

"No, I'm telling you, it's really not like that."

"Goodness. Goodness."

There was no getting through to her.

"No... Ah, forget that. Since you're here, Lieutenant, could you help me renew my identification tag? Lieutenant? Lieutenant...?"

"Unbelievable. What kind of taste is that?"

Clicking her tongue and shaking her head, Camillia hurried out of the room.