Chapter 36 35:
"The nato has gotten so far with that manuscript thanks to me," she said.
That mention only surprised Nouwlan, who looked at her as if she were even crazier. Was she saying that she was responsible for the deviated mentality of the nato Korr-add?
"Could it be your, ere?..."
"What?" she raised an eyebrow, before shaking her head, lifting her hands defensively. "No no, nothing you're thinking is what it seems. The nato truly has a certainly hilarious way of thinking. Besides that, I'm only a sort of support for his 'investigations,' or whatever he calls all the strange things he does."
"I, understand." Nouwlan decided not to delve further into the matter. In any case, both of them were already soaked in this.
The silence that followed was heavy, the kind that is felt in the bones. Nouwl-an stared at her, his dark eyes searching for some indication of a trap, although he knew there was none within that twisted way of being of Vexa-6.
"So then... How did you come to know about this?" Nouwl-an asked, his voice recovering some of its usual edge, pulling the notebook from the fold of his clothing.
The tension in his jaw revealed his interest and concern over the possible consequences of carrying this type of information, this book of anomalous thought.
Vexa, before the exaggerated actions of the nervous Nouwlan, could only shrug, a gesture that in any other Viltrumite would have been considered an unpleasant lack of decorum.
And which nevertheless, on the subordinate, seemed excessively natural, like breathing.
"Exactly what you heard, that is the only answer. The nato has been writing those things for cycles and I only noticed when I discovered him alone in the barracks during his free time. And of course I've read them too. Though I'm afraid not all of it because the boy is reserved even with me. But I know what he thinks. There are writings encrypted by himself, so I'm trying to decipher some of his writings, without much success for the moment." She said, before looking at Nouwlan with interest and shamelessness. "And apparently, you're starting to understand it, if the fact that you haven't gone for his head says anything."
Nouwlan clenched his fists at his sides, restraining himself only because of the book he had in hand from breaking it.
Honestly, he wanted to do something to her, punish her, establish the hierarchy, force her into a compromise to save their careers, but he restrained himself.
After all, there did not seem to be a need to do so, not to mention that he did not have the qualifications to force her into it. After all, she was far more powerful.
Before true power, rules were merely decorations and formalities that only worked if there was an agreement between both parties.
And Viltrumites hated making compromises, since they implied pacts, and pacts, once made, could not be broken under any circumstance.
"What do you want, sub-officer?" Nouwlan finally asked, opting for the shortest route, without beating around the bush, because he did not want to waste time going in circles with her, especially her, with how disturbed she seemed to behave almost all the time. A person like that could be completely unpredictable.
Vexa smiled.
"Relax, superior. First of all, I want you to understand that I haven't come to question your authority. We're both a team and all that, and you're above me and all the bureaucracy in between, blah blah blah." Her words came out completely carefree. Her hands joined behind her back before continuing.
"In my opinion, you could very well continue with what you were doing, you don't need to explain yourself. Anyway, I firmly think that all this management from our current ruler is being complete trash. Since when do you murder your advisors for opposing you, when to begin with, part of their function is to oppose any proposal that may be counterproductive for the empire?"
"Vexa!" Nouwlan roared at her, completely alarmed. This woman was completely deranged, saying these things, which were a complete display of rebellion.
Vexa raised her hands defensively once again.
"Alright alright, I'll shut up, I'll shut up." She said, completely unconcerned. Nouwlan observed her with narrowed eyes, he wanted to yell at her and slap her, hit her and reprimand her for her heretical words. But he did not dare do it.
He did not dare because, did he even have the qualifications, the power, to subdue a class 6 mutant? Not even in dreams, the distance between the two was such that it was simply embarrassing to even think about it.
More importantly, and more dangerous even, was the dangerous sensation, the premonition, the thought that she, ironically, was right.
But she, just like him, were only soldiers, nothing more. Their functions were to execute orders and bring glory to the empire, increase the wealth of their race and proclaim their might and power throughout the galaxies.
The management of the empire, whether good or bad, belonged only to the emperor and those close to him, no one else.
Vexa smiled at Nouwlan's bitter gaze.
"What? Am I wrong?" she asked.
"The empire's affairs do not concern us, Vexa, only..." Nouwlan tried to respond, but she interrupted him disdainfully.
"Yeah yeah, whatever, don't repeat the garbage they drilled into us as recruits. Our only function is to obey orders, never question the disastrous, clumsy and corrupt management of the empire. Even if it were ruinously administered, deplorably incompetent and pathetically closed to all progress, that should never concern us. We are only meant to execute what is assigned, limit ourselves to the affairs proper to a soldier, nothing more. We already know all that."
Both remained silent for a few moments, before Vexa sighed, deciding to explain.
"I was only passing through here to deal with some matters regarding practical training. The one that was suspended until the next day, according to your own order. As you can see, the day still isn't over, and I wanted to confirm the details to deal with tomorrow before the children return to the plain, to inform them that they will not be taken to the extreme like in today's case." She said, the latter with annoyance toward Nouwlan.
The young man averted his gaze, not wanting to look this girl in the eyes. He was already in her sights, much to his displeasure, and it was certain there was a high possibility that she would take revenge on him in the future.
Nodding, Nouwlan spoke to her.
"There was no need to enter my quarters for that," he said, crossing his arms over his chest in a gesture that intended authority, but which Vexa completely ignored.
"You're right, there was no need to do this," she admitted, without flinching. "But since I'm here, and since I've seen what I've seen, I wanted to ask you for something." She added.
Nouwl-an's silence was his only response.