chapter 38
38 – Rebels (8)
“What?”
“I’m asking what you don’t like so much.”
The irritated tone vanished. Gobain growled.
“Isn’t it that I offer you a way to live? Why are you so uncooperative? Think about it. We are prisoners, and the only way to survive is to cooperate with the enemies.”
“Did you really get shot in the head?”
“Did the Resistance show any interest? Just in one day? Blancar, it’s been ten years. For over ten years, they promised to release us from our sentences if we cooperate.”
Gobain muttered.
“Is ten years the name of your neighbor’s dog? It would be better to join the rebels. Why? Because there will be some way to escape later. But if you escape from the Resistance, you’ll be shot.”
“You idiot. Even if we become prisoners like this, we’ll still have a warrant on us!”
“Why does that happen? Is there an army that labels prisoners as deserters? Not that I know of! We just need to pretend to be captured here! We won’t have to risk our lives in a dangerous battlefield!”
Blancar blinked.
What is this asshole talking about?
“Hey, f*cker… Did you think the rebels would just leave the Resistance alone…? They’ll just shoot us! You idiot!”
“Just show your abilities!”
“What abilities do you have?!”
“I am capable! I know a lot of information that others don’t! I… I am so capable that you don’t even know! “
Gobain sobbed. Blancar was taken aback.
Something feels like stepping on a landmine.
“The rebels must be different! They must have better training than those guys! So…!”
“You…”
Blancar quietly stepped back.
“You were a mercenary, right?”
“That’s right! I was a mercenary! Red Fox Mercenary Corps! I was proud to be a part of it!”
“Red Fox?”
It’s a mercenary group that I’ve heard of before. They were famous. Blancar frowned.
They had crossed paths in a family setting. Of course, she hadn’t actually seen his face.
She only saw the mercenaries from above the building as a guest.
But…
“You weren’t there, were you?”
“There it was!”
Gobain shouted, his expression crumbling.
“Damn it…damn it…I was always there…Red Fox flourished because of me…I was…part of it…”
“What on earth are you talking about now?”
“I…I was a proud member of the Red Fox mercenaries…damn it…my head…my head hurts…”
Gobain sobbed. The rebels stood up.
“Can’t you just stay still?!”
Angry, Gobain banged his head on the ground.
“Sorry, sorry…”
A shiver ran down their spine.
Blanca looked into Gobain’s eyes. Those were…
Not normal eyes. Eyes that seemed afflicted with mental illness.
“What the hell are you doing…?”
“R-Red Fox mercenaries…proud member…Gobain…I’m Gobain Bart…”
Gobain trembled.
“I am…I’m a Red Fox mercenary…”
A soldier yelled.
“Why won’t you shut up! Hey, you useless bastard! The entire Red Fox mercenary group got wiped out! You know you weren’t there! Why are you spouting nonsense?! I’ve seen enough of Red Fox!”
“Oh, I’m not dead…I’m here…”
“What kind of bullsh*t is this! Why do you keep bringing up stories about idiots who died in their sleep from a bomb explosion?!”
Blanca blinked.
“A bomb?”
Gobain’s trembling ceased.
In an instant, he lunged at the soldier.
“What the f*ck?!”
“Shut up!”
A scuffle broke out. Blanca glanced down at the rope around her wrist.
Should she cut it now?
As thoughts swirled in her mind, her body reacted belatedly. With a burst of strength, she swiftly cut the rope in half.
However, before that, gunshots rang out.
Taang!
The soldier’s body collapsed. The blood-stained Kobein sobbed.
“Those bastards… those bastards betrayed me… damn it… after screwing me over… they betrayed me…”
Struggling to stand, Kobein raised his gun and aimed at Blanca.
“Blanca.”
“I told you to calm down. You crazy bastard!”
“I… I am a member of the Red Fox Mercenary Corps…”
“I don’t give a damn about that! Damn it!”
“The leader said he would accept me… damn it… he definitely said he would accept me… I am part of the Red Fox Mercenary Corps… I did everything they ordered… My head hurts… he said he would accept me but… I did everything as commanded…”
Kobein tore at his own hair.
“I… I’m an exceptional mercenary. I have skills. I am the strongest. There’s nothing I don’t know. I’ve studied everything diligently. Like a rat… how much I served under that leader… how much information I extracted…!”
“This… this crazy bastard…”
“So, it’s not my fault, right? Answer me… damn it, woman! Answer me!”
Blanca swallowed hard. Kobein laughed.
“Ah, no. We’re friends, right? Isn’t that true now that we’re on the same side?”
“……”
“Let’s, let’s go together. Blanca. Let’s get out of here. I’ll help you. I have plenty of experience. I’ll help you. Let’s leave the rebels and go back. How, how about it?”
Moving back and forth like a pendulum…
A bundle of inferiority complex.
Blanca witnessed his sincerity. Perhaps this guy was the culprit who killed the Red Fox Mercenary Corps members with explosives. The leader there must have been a third-rate mercenary who lied and deceived.
There must have been manipulation of records. He probably came here being accused as a member of the Red Fox Mercenary Corps. Since he was one of the mercenary groups that made a deal with the rebels.
He shouldn’t be entrusted with any important tasks. To survive, she would probably have to nod her head right now…
“…f*ck it.”
The merman in front of her happened to be the type she despised the most.
Blanca growled.
“Did you think I would take scum like you back with me? You damn traitor!”
“…Damn it!!!”
Kobein let out a scream.
“I am not!!!!! The traitor!!!!!!! They betrayed me first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Now.
Blanca instantly tore the rope apart. In a split second, she deviated from the straight line of the shaking barrel.
Taang!
The bullet hit the wall. Blanca dug into the corner without hesitation.
“Damn it!!!”
The trigger pulled tightly. The human gun spat out fire.
The firing line that couldn’t overcome the recoil. Bullets almost rained down on the wall.
Shock.
Blanca felt a bullet piercing through her left shoulder. But just before that pain reached her brain, she grabbed Kobein’s arm.
There was no time to speak. She opened her mouth wide and ripped at his throat.
Tearing sound.
Blood spurted like a fountain. Kobein’s eyes widened. He groaned, clutching the floor.
“They… bastards… got me… first…”
His wriggling body froze.
“I… have… betrayed…”
His words trailed off. Blanca clenched her shoulders.
Two shots? No, three?
Blood surged endlessly. Her arm couldn’t move properly, so she couldn’t stop the bleeding either.
“…I’m screwed.”
Two lifeless bodies scattered around. She leaned against them as if sitting down.
Ah.
I hate it.
She glared fiercely at Kobein’s vacant eyes.
“Damn f*cking retard.”
She swung her head. Even watching the flowing brain matter didn’t calm her down.
The sensation of strength leaving her body. This kind of ending is truly f*cking awful…
No visible way to escape.
Even if I open the door, will I just get shot again?
“…f*cking hell.”
Ah.
Everything is a mess. I shouldn’t have accepted that damn proposition in the first place.
It was an absurd proposal to join the resistance instead of cancelling my execution. I already had doubts about it, but eventually accepted it anyway.
I wanted revenge. Against those traitors who put me here.
“Even if it’s you, survive and get out.”
Blanca pursed her lips. Then she turned her head quickly.
“…Thank you for saving me. Well, in the end, it turned out like this. Sorry for being so cold.”
“……. .”
“Since you’re annoying, just leave. I want to be aloneee!”
She forced herself up, facing a similar height.
The dragonkin sighed.
“Let’s go.”
“…Huh? Hey! I said I can’t help you?!”
“It’s fine, let’s go.”
“What does ‘fine’ mean?!”
“I have my own preferences too.”
Drakan stepped over the body of Gobain.
“Compared to someone like him, I prefer someone like you.”
“Well, uh…?”
“Let’s go. If you have a debt…”
The door opened.
“Settle it by moving.”
“Settle it by moving. Don’t whine.”
Blanca opened her eyes wide. That phrase just now…
“You…”
She looked like that person…
. . .
Blanca was holding on for now, but the situation was bad.
Fortunately, the sound of gunshots was blocked by the thick iron door, but that didn’t mean everything was easily resolved.
The base was still filled with soldiers. When she was alone, she somehow managed to sneak in, but…
How should she escape with her?
Blanca’s condition was not good. Her breath was becoming increasingly heavy.
Maybe I should have infiltrated rather than just observing from outside.
She hesitated because she couldn’t assess the situation inside, but this was the result.
“Did you burn everything?”
“This side is done! Let’s stop moving!”
“Go down to the underground and bring the prisoners! Use them as human shields!”
I could sense movement coming down the stairs. I tightly gripped the revolver.
Let’s give it a try.
The situation may be bad, but I don’t want to abandon someone who kept their word.
“You?!”
I locked eyes with the soldier standing on the stairs. He raised his gun before I raised the revolver, but…
BANG!!!!
Everything in front of me suddenly collapsed.
“What, what is this?!”
Blanca coughed. I squinted my eyes. Dust covering my whole body. Shattered fragments.
Someone emerged from the hole.
“Very, very, very, very, very impressive, sir!”
“Is it because of lack of spirit? Isn’t it, Abarusa?!”
The dust cleared. Tethys Libra and Abarusa, growling, appeared.
“…What is this?”
“Oh? Drakan! Captain! sh*t! It’s really here!”
“What?! Are you saying there are results to this crazy stunt?!”
The two of them, who broke through the wall, must have a story to tell.
Blanca blinked. She asked me hesitantly.
“Is your squad…crazy?”
“…Well.”
I chuckled.
“Like-minded people coming together. Including you.”
We unexpectedly reunited.
This is how a team should be.