Chapter 227 : Chapter 227
Chapter 227
The gathered lineup was incredible.
From Eight-Impact General Zeronimus, clockwise, were the 8th Legion's Chief of Staff, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, the 15th Legion Commander, the 16th Legion Commander, the Ro-Garos Magi-Soldier Corps Commander, and the 33rd Legion Commander.
That was why I felt complicated.
‘Pathetic…….’
These incredible figures were still engaged in a heated debate about the taste of East-Erta's lamb chops.
The 15th Legion Commander said they had to be paired with red wine, while the 16th Legion Commander insisted on good-quality beer.
The two legion commanders, who were already rivals, looked ready to draw their swords at any moment.
‘Only a week left until the war, and this is the crap they're babbling about… It's disgusting…….’
There were many reasons for my complicated feelings.
I, Nana, had lost my position as one of the Ten Great Generals of the Empire and been demoted to 11th Legion Commander for harming the Empire due to a mission failure, and it had only been three months since my grandfather, Niko Nereyades, lost his life, and yet here I was, forced to listen to a stupid debate about lamb chops.
I had been fiddling with a metal rod the whole time, and without realizing it, I bent it in half.
Annoyance surged.
Since I had already bent it in half, I folded it two more times, making it completely round.
With my physical strength, it wasn't even a difficult task.
In the end, I let out a sigh.
“…Eyu…….”
“Hmm?”
Eight-Impact General Zeronimus did not miss the small sigh.
I realized my mistake and my face stiffened.
Zeronimus started to smile smugly, as if he'd caught me.
“What did you just say, Legion Commander Nana?”
“…I didn't say anything.”
“Didn't you sigh?”
“I don't know why you're asking when you already know.”
“You.”
Zeronimus jutted his chin arrogantly.
“Do you think your attitude right now is correct?”
“…What's wrong with my attitude?”
“I'm asking if that's the attitude one should have when addressing a superior.”
Deep wrinkles formed between my eyebrows.
I was angry, but I couldn't dare show it.
“It seems you still think you're the Nine Streams General? Your commander right now is unequivocally me, Zeronimus!”
“…I know.”
“I'm saying it because your attitude doesn't show you know at all!”
Zeronimus snapped.
He got angry even though he had no reason to be.
His intention was to crush my spirit.
I knew his intention, but I had no choice but to take it.
My pride was wounded, and the displeasure was intense.
“How can you be so shameless after losing the Ancient Weapon ‘Sinew of the Great Sea’ to the mere West? If it were me, I wouldn't even be able to lift my head! His Majesty is truly too merciful. Even if there's a connection from your school days, to think he'd keep such an incompetent little girl……”
“…….”
“Looking at it this way, the Whale of Hobel Bay is just an empty reputation. He couldn't even raise his granddaughter any better than this.”
Bbaddeuk, a sound was made.
It was the sound of me grinding my teeth.
I felt a gritty texture in my mouth.
I had ground my teeth so hard that the tops of my molars had turned to powder and were swirling in my mouth.
……. The men, excluding Zeronimus, glanced at me nervously.
Even if I am demoted now, I am still Nana Nereyades.
My bare fists that beat down Magical Beasts and my belligerent personality are things no one in the military could not know.
Seeing the frightened men, Zeronimus snorted.
“Grinding your teeth quite loudly. Is that some sign of protest?”
“…How could that be, General.”
“If you have a complaint, speak up anytime. I will personally deliver it to His Majesty.”
“…I said, I don't have any.”
I, Nana Nereyades, desperately suppressed my anger.
From the moment the name 'Whale of Hobel Bay' came from Zeronimus's mouth, my anger flared up as if lit on fire.
If I followed my heart, I wanted to strike Zeronimus down right this instant, and I had the strength to do it, but I could not.
‘…Was it like this, Grandfather Niko…….’
I had many responsibilities on my shoulders, and there were many things I had inherited from my grandfather Niko, so I had to endure.
I suddenly wondered if the life of the man named Niko had been like this.
Did he have strength, but because what he had to protect was greater, did he just suppress his own heart again and again?
Even though it was so painful and difficult, did Niko live like that?
Even without hearing it, I felt like I knew the answer.
Because I know what kind of man Niko was.
‘…You, for all that long time, this kind of life…….’
I, Nana, had already resolved to accept the fact that I was Niko's granddaughter.
If so, my life too must resemble Niko's life.
Thinking that, I suppressed my anger and smiled.
A thick vein bulged on my forehead, but my mouth was clearly in the shape of a smile.
That appearance was, on the contrary, so terrifying that the men broke out in a cold sweat.
‘…Enduring? That Nana Nereyades, in this situation?’
‘What a bloodthirsty smile…….’
‘Fellow Legion Commander, my ass. I'm still scared of her……. If by some chance she's reinstated… Ugh, I can't afford to be on her bad side…….’
Zeronimus also crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.
My aura was too fierce to ignore.
Even if demoted, I am Nana, once one of the Ten Great Generals of the Empire.
Zeronimus muttered, realizing anew that my skill was not beneath his own.
“…Hmph, your spirit is good.”
“General Zeronimus.”
I said.
“May I dare offer a word of counsel?”
“Go ahead, Legion Commander Nana.”
I bowed my head deeply.
I had already decided to kill my own feelings, so there was no hesitation in bowing my head.
“…This was lacking in me, I suffered a great defeat on the Bururade Peninsula.”
“I already know.”
“But I was not lacking in preparations. Therefore, you must not be careless, General.”
It wasn't even that long ago.
I, Nana Nereyades, had cooperated with the Intelligence Bureau, prepared a horde of eighty thousand fishmen, and personally infiltrated the heart of the West disguised as a handmaiden.
But I failed.
“Not careless?”
Zeronimus spat out.
“Then what on earth do we have to worry about?”
“The West will have anticipated our advance and prepared their defense line. The resistance will not be trivial……”
“Even if those bastards have prepared, is it something to worry about?”
He tipped his head as if to say, look at the lineup gathered here.
“Look! The soldiers of the 15th, 16th, and 33rd Legions number 38,000! At sea, the 11th Legion will provide support, and the Ro-Garos Magi-Soldier Corps has brought 130 giant-form magi-soldiers. And above all, I, Zeronimus, will stand at the vanguard with the elite of the 8th Legion.”
An unconcealable pride was felt in every single word from the Eight-Impact General.
“Hurry up and say it. Do we have to worry about something like the West's prepared defense line? Please, tell me what we should be worrying about!”
“…One person.”
“One person?”
“That's right, just one person…….”
I muttered.
“…He, that one bastard, ruined everything. If it wasn't for him……”
“Ha!!!”
Zeronimus shouted, exasperated.
“That bastard called Shion of Merion! It seems you still think your own failure is because of that one guy!”
“…It's the truth, General.”
“There's a limit to excuses! It's embarrassing that you were once a fellow Ten Great General of the Empire!”
Zeronimus, who was already hot-tempered, pointed his finger and sprayed spittle.
“The West's level is obvious, so how could someone like that exist! Are you saying he's the White Lord who became a wreck in the old days, or Obro Denoebang? No, even if it were the White Lord, he couldn't stop this military force alone!”
“…….”
“You were simply lacking! Your preparations were lacking, your will was lacking, and your ability was lacking! That's why you were defeated! How long are you going to make ridiculous excuses!”
I bit my lip.
Zeronimus had no intention of listening to me.
Regardless of the content, I realized anew that he just wanted to insult and ignore me.
I just felt sorry for the Imperial soldiers who had such a commander.
“……My apologies, General. It seems I made a mistake.”
“So you do know.”
Zeronimus's lips curled up.
“Be careful in the future, Legion Commander Nana. Worrying by yourself is one thing, but if you lower the morale of others, I will deal with you by military law.”
“…Yes, I will keep that in mind.”
“Tsk.”
The Eight-Impact General clicked his tongue and stood up.
“Let's end today's meeting here. My mood is completely ruined, this won't do.”
The men followed behind the Eight-Impact General, chattering.
General, I have some good red wine, please let me treat you.
General, please don't worry so much.
General, what you say is right, General, everything will work out fine.
As Zeronimus left the barracks, he muttered, as if intending to be heard.
“How on earth did such a granddaughter come from Legion Commander Niko……”
***
I, Nana, walked along the coast.
The night was deep, and I was alone.
Gazing at the splashing waves, I, Nana Nereyades, slowly took off my clothes.
After taking off everything down to my shoes, dressed in short cloth clothes, I, Nana, strode unhesitatingly into the night sea.
“Ah…….”
I dashed fiercely across the sea's surface.
I didn't even feel like swimming, so with my clothes tucked under my arm, I just stretched out my legs with all my strength.
Amazingly, I didn't sink.
It was because my dashing was faster than sinking into the water.
“…Ah-Uwaaaaaah!!!”
My scream echoed across the night sea.
I, Nana Nereyades, vented my resentment with enough force to spit out my own uvula.
The fragments of pride have sharp edges.
To spit them out, it hurt as if my throat was being torn, but I couldn't keep them contained either.
“Zeronimus, that damned goody-two-shoes bastard who used to be so busy lowering his eyes in front of me……!!”
I ran across the sea.
I felt a little better, but it seemed I had to run for a good while longer.
I shouted at the top of my lungs the words filling my heart.
“How dare a bastard like him bring up my grandfather, how dare he-!!!”
“I can hear you, Legion Commander.”
Before I knew it, a man was following alongside me.
Of course, he wasn't dashing across the sea's surface like me; he was aboard the 11th Legion's fast boat, the ‘Cheongnalchi’.
“Please stop this and come aboard the boat. I have had a simple late-night snack prepared.”
“…Bukenos.”
“Yes, it is your Chief of Staff, Bukenos.”
At the man's waist was a hand-axe.
Fate is rarely not strange.
In my school days, there were three seniors I admired.
Ferbias, Amethus, Bukenos.
One became the Emperor, and one became an enemy.
And Bukenos had now become the Chief of Staff to me, Nana, who had inherited the 11th Legion.
“…This is embarrassing. I've shown you a shameful side, Chief of Staff Bukenos.”
“What's there to be embarrassed about?”
The 11th Legion's Chief of Staff Bukenos chuckled.
He spent over 10 years as the Chief of Staff for the Whale of Hobel Bay, Niko.
He could confidently say he knew Niko even better than me, his granddaughter.
“Legion Commander Niko also used to run across the sea shouting like that when he was angry.”
“…My grandfather did?”
“Yes. Do you know how loud that sound was? At first, I thought a cannon was being fired from somewhere.”
“I see……”
I touched my lips.
Bukenos smiled as he looked at me.
I was the Legion Commander Bukenos had to serve, but I was also his junior from school.
“Legion Commander Nana. You are human, Legion Commander. When you are insulted, you get angry, and when you get angry, you have to let it out.”
“It will continue to be like that in the future, won't it?”
“Of course. Because you will continue to be human. However, you will get used to it soon.”
Bukenos bowed his head deeply.
“Are you not the granddaughter of that Whale of Hobel Bay?”
“…….”
“From now on, please do not use honorifics with me. I am the Chief of Staff, and you are the Legion Commander.”
I raised my head.
I had been feeling complicated all this time.
After losing so much on the Bururade Peninsula, my heart had been nothing but heavy, but I liked this man named Bukenos.
To the point where I would have felt a flutter, if only he wasn't a married man with two kids.
“…Good, Bukenos. The war is one week away.”
“Yes, Legion Commander.”
“I'm giving an unofficial directive to the 11th Legion. Make sure there isn't a single soldier who doesn't know, even if we don't announce it publicly.”
I moved my lips.
“Tell everyone to protect themselves.”
Bukenos nodded.
“You met Shion of Merion, didn't you, Bukenos?”
“I also know his subordinate, the jade-eyed Amethus, Legion Commander.”
“Will they be defeated easily?”
“…There's no way.”
“Correct, Bukenos.”
I, Nana Nereyades, raised my head.
I had already shaken off my resentment and was looking towards tomorrow.
Even with my small frame, I looked dependable.
Despite carrying so much weight, I wasn't sagging, but was solid.
Bukenos saw the Whale of Hobel Bay overlap in my retreating figure, in my sturdy shoulders.
“…Something unimaginable is going to happen.”