novelraw Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Sss, hoo-.
The heavy smoke of the cigar lingered in his mouth before eventually being exhaled.
The smoke scattered into the air, breaking apart faintly like heat haze, and the grayish plume that reached the ceiling of the conference room wavered.
“Hoou.”
Lieutenant General Regchap finally let out a light sigh, as if he could breathe easier now.
Then, jutting his chin so that the thick flesh shook, he spoke.
“Sit. You smoke?”
“Yes.”
“Then have one. Don’t mind me. There’s a reason people say blood ties, school ties, regional ties, and smoking ties.”
“I won’t refuse.”
It was a welcome thing to hear.
He had been desperately craving nicotine with the wave of military-days PTSD that had been creeping up on him anyway.
He slid a hand into his clothes, took out the black cigarettes he always smoked, and put one in his mouth.
At that, Lieutenant General Regchap, who had been holding his cigar for quite some time, grinned and added a remark.
“Black Star. It’s harsh for the price and really divides tastes, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen one.”
There had been something bothering him for a while.
Indeed, there was a strange sense of familiarity in the lieutenant general’s sly voice.
As Jin Crow was about to say something in response to that odd impression, the lieutenant general, as if getting down to business now, tapped the ashy end of his cigar into the ashtray and spoke.
“This time, the order is to pull out.”
“Yes?”
However, from Jin Crow’s perspective, those words were hard to accept.
After all the trouble it took to get here, he was being told to pull out?
Just as his expression was about to stiffen unconsciously.
“Ah, dear. You didn’t know?”
Lieutenant General Regchap examined his reaction instead, tilted his head slightly, then let out a small chuckle and added,
“I’m Rosen too.”
“……!”
A momentary silence hovered between the two.
But only briefly. Jin Crow slowly put the cigarette to his lips, lit it, and asked him back,
“What’s the reason?”
It was a concise question.
There was no obvious reason for the Rosen side to withdraw from this matter.
Yet his doubt could not help but be resolved by Lieutenant General Regchap’s explanation that followed.
“It’s to placate the small and mid-sized factions. You know this too, don’t you? After the Galactic War ended a few years ago and military expenditures were reduced, the ones that took the biggest hit were the small and mid-sized factions.”
In truth, calling them small and mid-sized factions was misleading—the large factions simply had abnormally large influence.
A ‘faction’ wasn’t something that came together just because someone decided to make one. There had to be interests to divide and relationships of mutual benefit that couldn’t easily be betrayed for it to function properly.
Naturally, that meant the small and mid-sized factions were also forces of no small size, based on several planets.
Thus, even the large factions had to make concessions when necessary, unless they could wipe them out all at once.
Only then could the balance of power be maintained.
“Rermal Planet is already close to beyond recovery. Even for large factions like us, it’s awkward to swallow whole but a waste to throw away. In that case, wouldn’t it be right to use it according to its utility?”
Because of that, the large factions, including Rosen and the Kukenhauzen family, also had to give when it was time to give.
And this was the result.
They would funnel the various manpower and resources that were byproducts of Rermal Planet to the small and mid-sized factions, and once the distribution was finished, withdraw cleanly.
“In other words…….”
Having heard that much, Jin Crow flicked away the half-burned ash of his cigarette once, then looked at Lieutenant General Regchap and spoke.
Just like people who couldn’t even gauge their own future.
“It’s politics.”
It was a single line spoken while suppressing the irritation that surged up, his face masked into neutrality.
Lieutenant General Regchap nodded in response with an utterly unperturbed expression reminiscent of a well-fed pig.
“That’s one way to put it.”
At that moment, no further conversation was necessary.
Unlike the top-tier special service academies that maintained a total cadet count of around five to six thousand, planetary defense special service academies did not have a fixed enrollment cap.
In truth, there was no real need for one.
They were always short-handed.
In a way, it was only natural.
Those with bright futures and outstanding talent had many options, but for supersoldiers of middling ability, freelance mercenary work or joining a PMC was a more attractive choice than becoming an officer bound to ten years of mandatory service.
Because of that, most planetary defense special service academies had no more than two thousand cadets at most.
Perhaps thanks to that.
Or perhaps because of it.
The cadets of the Rermal Planet defense special service academy were able to evacuate to Atla Colony with relatively high priority immediately after the incident occurred.
However, that didn’t mean it had only positive effects on the cadets.
“…….”
“…….”
The military district of Atla Colony.
The atmosphere in the building where the cadets stayed when they came out for training was, quite literally, chaos itself.
It was hardly strange.
The number of Rermal Planet refugees who had died or gone missing in this incident was beyond counting.
It was faster to count the survivors instead.
“……Must be nice. We lost our whole families and now we’re about to be dragged to another planet.”
“Hey, your voice is too loud.”
“What, am I wrong?”
However, that wasn’t the only reason.
“What did you just say, senior?”
“What, you want a fight?”
The mood among the cadets themselves was no better.
The cadets weren’t idiots either.
The refugees outside still clung to the hope of reclaiming their planet, but it was already an obvious fact that, realistically, it would be difficult.
If so, the cadets’ futures would also split starkly.
Either they would go to a top-tier special service academy.
Or they would scatter to nearby planets along with the refugees.
“Hey, must be nice for you guys. Huh? I heard instructors from the top-tier special service academies already came. Go on and eat well, live well!”
It could be said that conflict arising was practically inevitable.
It wasn’t just attachment to their planet—existing feelings of inferiority and a sense of victimhood piled on, making it closer to a natural division into sides.
“Haa, seriously, what’s wrong with you? Stop it!”
“Break it up! Break it up!”
The already sharp atmosphere hardened in an instant, and before long, some cadets were even grabbing each other by the collars.
It wasn’t that there were no instructors.
However, even the instructors who were nearby could not easily stop the cadets.
……How could he not understand how they felt.
Moreover, the instructors themselves were no better off.
In order to evacuate the cadets safely, most of the combat department instructors had gone out to support the Defense Force and ultimately never returned, leaving only a handful of instructors behind.
Beep! Beeeep!
In the end, it was the Defense Force, who arrived a step too late, that took charge of bringing the situation under control.
“What do you think you’re doing right now!”
“Disperse! Disperse!”
As some special service officers in black uniforms shouted among the Defense Force in brown uniforms, the atmosphere among the cadets—who had been on the verge of an all-out brawl—finally settled down somewhat.
Step, step-.
Soon, the heavy sound of military boots echoed through the cafeteria as silence fell, and before long, a woman walked in and swept her gaze over the cadets.
“Salute. Have you arrived, Captain.”
All of the Defense Force personnel who had intervened rendered a salute in unison to the woman in the black uniform.
She accepted it naturally, then looked over the cadets and let out a small sigh.
“……What a mess.”
The emotion contained in that quietly muttered remark was nothing but thinly veiled disdain, yet no one present dared to refute her.
That was only natural.
After all, standing before them was none other than ‘Captain Satra.’
“Instructor Rotten.”
“……Yes, Captain.”
Satra called for the highest-ranking instructor.
At once, Instructor Rotten approached her and bowed his head apologetically.
In truth, it was absurd.
It wasn’t as though a mere special service captain was issuing orders to an academy instructor—who was commissioned at the rank of major or above—but rather, it looked like she was reprimanding him.
“It’s already chaotic enough. Get the cadets under control.”
“My apologies.”
Even though it was such a peculiar sight that the cadets might have voiced their discomfort, even they did not seem to mind.
Naturally so.
She had the ‘qualifications’ for it.
Just then.
“Captain.”
A sergeant standing behind her looked toward the rear and whispered something into Captain Satra’s ear.
“……I’ll leave it at that. Then.”
As if avoiding an awkward encounter, she turned her body and began walking out of the cafeteria.
But perhaps it was later than she had expected.
Or perhaps their steps had been just a bit faster.
The Defense Force, led by Captain Satra, ran into a group of people approaching the moment they stepped outside the cafeteria.
“Oh? What’s with this atmosphere?”
Their lineup was quite flashy.
No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say it was anything but ordinary.
“What’s this, blocking the way?”
Three men in black uniforms.
Setting aside the fact that one wore a smiling face, another a surly expression, and the third a blank one, there was also a girl among them who looked about the age of a lower-grade elementary school student.
Moreover, everyone following behind them was Military Police.
The only one wearing a navy-blue uniform signifying the Federal Army was Lieutenant Lee Hana, whose eyes darted about as she stood stiffly frozen.
“Th, that is.”
Of course, she too was stammering in confusion, so she wasn’t much help either.
Silence lingered between the two groups as they faced one another.
Eventually, it was Captain Satra who broke it.
“Are you instructors from the top-tier special service academies?”
“Can’t you tell at a gl— mmph!”
“S-sorry. Sorry.”
John, a Military Police officer from the Western Special Service Academy, hurriedly covered the mouth of the free-spirited Miller.
Naturally, the expressions of the Defense Force standing behind Captain Satra twisted in an instant, but when Instructor Hughes of the Eastern Special Service Academy opened his mouth next, the worst was avoided.
“My apologies. After being attacked in subspace, his long-standing ailment—rabies—flared up again. By the way, who might you be?”
“That’s unfortunate. I am Captain Satra, a special service officer of the Rermal Planet Defense Force.”
“Ah, I’ve heard about you.”
From behind, Miller’s eyes could be seen rolling back as he faintly shouted, ‘Who are you calling rabid!’, but since John—who was used to insubordination being an everyday occurrence—had him restrained, no one paid it any mind.
“In any case, Captain Satra, sorry for causing a disturbance. Haha.”
“I understand. Then.”
Thanks to that, Instructor Hughes and Captain Satra were able to end their exchange after brief pleasantries, maintaining an appropriate distance.
Instructor Hughes stepped slightly aside as if kindly telling them to pass, and Captain Satra rendered a salute before quickly moving away.
“Did she go?”
“She’s gone.”
Only then did John and the other Military Police from the Western Special Service Academy release Instructor Miller, whom they had been pressing down with their whole bodies, their faces worn out.
“You bastards……!”
“Alright, let’s go.”
“Hey!”
As always, Miller squawked loudly in protest, but unfortunately, there was no one who cared.
Especially Jin Crow, who furrowed his brow and quickened his pace.
It was too noisy.
Amid such thorough disregard, they headed into the cafeteria, and the now-quickly-cooled Miller followed after them, grumbling.
“Hm.”
“……Looks like what was coming finally arrived.”
Naturally, the cadets had also watched the earlier scene from afar, so there was no way they wouldn’t recognize who they were.
“Well then, cadets, nice to meet you.”
Had he anticipated their reaction?
Or did he simply enjoy being the center of attention?
Hughes calmly swept his gaze over the cadets once and spoke in a light, cheerful tone.
“I’m an instructor from the Eastern Special Service Academy. Hughes Chaint.”
After briefly introducing himself, he immediately turned his head to look at Miller.
Miller, perhaps embarrassed to go berserk in front of the cadets, cleared his throat—ahem—and then opened his mouth.
“Western Special Service Academy instructor. Miller Kampf. This instructor is—.”
“North. Judith.”
Before he could even finish his introduction, Judith’s sleepy, irritated voice overlapped him.
For a moment, Miller looked as though his temper flared, but perhaps he couldn’t quite bring himself to get angry at Judith, and he closed his mouth.
No, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he didn’t dare to get angry.
Thanks to that, just as the atmosphere eased a little, everyone’s gaze turned to the last remaining man.
“…….”
Disheveled black hair, unfocused black eyes.
Pale skin with deep, heavy dark circles beneath them.
A height exceeding 180 centimeters, and a gaunt, sharp face contrasted by the solid body that could be felt even beneath his coat.
Lastly, despite the distance, the heavy scent of tobacco and a faint trace of alcohol could still be sensed.
“Instructor from the Central Special Service Academy.”
As if unconcerned by the attention focused on him, he swept his gaze over the cadets once before finally parting his cracked lips.
“Jin Crow.”
The moment they heard that name, the cadets recalled a rumor that had recently been circulating within the Defense Force.
“Jin Crow?”
“Jin Crow, you mean…….”
A Quad Gear–level special service officer of the Red Hand.
And, in addition, Liberto, a Class-2 wanted criminal who had been one of the most vicious criminals in the nearby planetary system.
……The man who had killed him was standing right before their eyes.