Chapter 46

“You think I’m a joke?”

As expected, Commander Dezeb was delighted.

When Erabelle submitted her request for overnight leave, he praised her—vehemently.

“You little... shit.”

It was the sort of praise that came wrapped in colorful language. But since this involved the 41st Division, she could hardly refuse.

Poor units like theirs, ignored by the Empire, had to survive on shady deals and backroom arrangements.

The local deity of Colony 80—Commander K himself—was far too fond of contraband cigarettes and beer to nobly starve in the name of justice.

“Heading out, huh?”

Corporal Jagon, whose popularity had soared since the wallet incident, greeted her with a knowing look. Why he was always hanging around the commander’s office remained a mystery.

Erabelle, who had been forced to share the blame without seeing a single credit of the money, currently felt no affection for him whatsoever.

“Yes. I have some personal business.”

As always, she answered politely before slipping out of the unit.

Unfortunately, she didn’t leave alone.

“...Why are you following me?”

The old downtown station reeked of oil. As they descended the creaking metal stairs from the fourth-floor shuttle platform, Erabelle glanced back at Majia, who was trailing behind her with a pale face.

“A-Are you okay?”

“Forget about me. Why are you following—”

Erabelle shook her head, then immediately regretted it. She clapped a hand over her mouth and leaned against the wall.

“...This is all the commander’s fault.”

Her stomach churned as she grumbled about her superior behind his back.

“But you volunteered to go out today...”

“Don’t you think the commander’s hair has been getting thinner lately?”

She clearly wasn’t listening.

“It looked pretty full to me.”

“Whatever. If you wish hard enough, the universe will make it happen.”

“...The universe makes people go bald?”

Why is he even talking?

Erabelle shot Majia a sharp look.

“W-What?”

“Why are you following me?”

“W-We haven’t really talked in a while, right? It’s been a month since your last leave, and I’ve been...”

Before he could finish, Erabelle answered an incoming call. She had been saddled with so many side assignments lately that she had no choice.

“Yes, are you asking about the wave readings? I already submitted the full report. Everything is within the safety threshold. Yes, sir. Understood.”

She ended the call quickly.

When she turned back, Majia let out a long sigh, his lips pursed in a sulk.

“Hmm? What is it?”

“Nothing.”

Must be his age. Mood swings.

Erabelle shook her head again, winced, and muttered,

“Well, since you’re already here... come on.”

They left the station and stepped onto a moderately busy shopping street.

Despite the number of people around, the street itself felt strangely quiet. The cold had that effect. Every breath dragged icy air across the back of your throat.

Downtown was roughly a forty-minute shuttle ride from the unit, and there was nothing impressive about it.

Erabelle was one of the grimy district’s most frequent visitors.

She got injured often, but the unit infirmary naturally prioritized higher-level combatants.

As always.

She threaded her way through smog-filled alleys before climbing the narrow stairs of a run-down building, so cramped that only one person could pass at a time.

“I-I don’t feel so good...”

Majia hesitated at the foot of the stairs.

To be fair, the place looked shady enough that no one would have been surprised to learn people had their organs harvested inside.

“You look fine. They say you only need one kidney anyway.”

“Lieutenant!”

Erabelle grinned as Majia recoiled in horror, then pushed open the creaking door and stepped inside.

The interior looked vaguely like a tiny hair salon.

“You again.”

“Miss me?”

“Ugh. What did you break this time?”

“Not me, for once.”

She exchanged a few quick words with the owner, then beckoned Majia over.

“Sit.”

“M-Me?”

“You said your fingers still hurt, right? They’re good at pain treatment here. First visit’s free. Skin grafts are cheaper here too, so if you’ve been thinking about it, now’s a good time.”

“Lieutenant...”

“Why do you look so touched?”

“This isn’t some... organ-trafficking place, is it?”

“Ma’am, could you go ahead and take one of his kidneys?”

The owner laughed as she turned away.

Erabelle left Majia in her care and sank into a cheap leather sofa.

...10:23 a.m. tomorrow.

A deal was going to take place here.

She had no idea how it would play out, but if—

No.

There’s no way I’m that unlucky. No chance.

Erabelle leaned back and pulled out her tablet, determined to chip away at her backlog while Majia received treatment.

“You keep injuring the same spot over and over. No wonder it still hurts even after it heals. I mean, you can’t exactly stop using your hands, so maybe try getting better protective gear.”

“Our unit’s budget is a little...”

“Yeah, figures. Damn bastards. People are getting injured and dying out here, and the capital doesn’t give a damn because we’re in a disputed zone.”

The owner grumbled for a while, then suddenly blinked in surprise.

“This is the first time you’ve brought someone with you.”

Majia’s face turned bright red.

“Try a little harder, will you? One guest? That’s just sad.”

“If you raise the referral fee, maybe.”

Ten credits, and she expected effort too?

Maybe if it were fifteen.

Either way, Erabelle took the payment and headed outside.

Majia, suddenly sulking again, flinched and hurried after her.

“W-Where are you going now?”

“You’re going back to the unit.”

“What about you?”

“Hotel.”

“What are you going to do at a hotel?!”

“Work.”

Her tone plainly asked, Why are you even asking?

Majia stared at her, dumbfounded.

“What kind of work do you even do every single day?”

“Classified.”

“Oh, come on! Can’t you tell me something?!”

“I can barely breathe. Stop yapping. If you’re not going back, get yourself a room and sleep.”

Erabelle headed toward the hotel she had booked, while Majia trailed behind her, pouting like a scolded child.

Calling it a hotel was generous.

It was a shabby two-story building.

Just as she was about to head upstairs, Majia stopped her.

“W-Wait! You still need to eat dinner!”

“I will.”

She walked over to the vending machine in the lobby and bought a cheap chocolate bar and a bottle of soda.

“That’s dinner? Seriously?!”

“If it tastes good and fills me up, that’s enough. Stop nagging me, you little brat.”

“I’m twenty centimeters taller than you!”

God, he’s loud.

Erabelle scratched at her ear, collected the key from the front desk, and went up to her room.

She kicked off her shoes, collapsed onto the bed for a moment, then pulled out her sedative and fusion agent.

...

She swallowed the sedative and injected the fusion agent into the joint of her elbow.

Just then—

“Lieutenant, I’m outside!”

Majia’s voice came from the hallway.

Erabelle sighed.

“What now? Go to sleep.”

“I’m coming in.”

“No. I’m changing.”

She tugged her sleeve back down, put away the injector, and muttered halfheartedly.

“You done? Can I come in now?”

Majia’s voice wavered nervously.

“No, seriously, just go to bed—ugh. Why bother asking if you’re going to barge in anyway?”

God, my head. And I didn’t even lock the door.

“I need to tell you something...”

Majia stepped inside uninvited, looking wounded, his lips pushed into a pout.

“What? What is it?”

“You completely forgot, didn’t you? I knew you would.”

“Forgot what?”

“You said you’d give me an answer when you came back from leave.”

“An answer?”

What answer...?

“See?! I knew it! How could you actually forget something like that?! Seriously? I poured my heart out!”

“Oh... right.”

“I don’t believe you!”

Well, he’s not wrong...

“I said I like you...”

I screwed up.

Maybe she really should have taken him to the eye clinic.

Watching Majia’s face crumple almost made Erabelle feel guilty.

Dominance might be affected by signum level, but beauty was purely physical.

Erabelle was Level 2.

Majia, a sweet twenty-year-old who looked as though he might burst into tears at any moment, was actually a fairly handsome young man.

Why this kid, though?

After living on bases crawling with genuinely good-looking people, maybe his optic nerves had finally short-circuited.

Or maybe he’d taken shrapnel to the brain.

“Like I told you last time—I already have someone.”

“Why do you keep lying?! You don’t have anyone! You’ve never even been in a relationship!”

You little...

All right, it was true.

That didn’t mean it didn’t sting.

“Why the hell are you picking a fight in the middle of the night?!”

“I’m not! I’m confessing!!”

Even Majia seemed to realize how ridiculous that sounded, and his voice trailed off awkwardly.

“That’s enough! I don’t need this!”

“W-Why?! Do you think anyone else is going to fall for you besides me?!”

Oh, he’s definitely picking a fight.

If their physical levels weren’t two full tiers apart, she would have shut that mouth for good.

Special contract abilities sucked in every possible way.

“Even if there were—what would that have to do with you?”

“B-Because I like you!”

Majia shouted, his face flushed red with frustration.

Erabelle scoffed.

“Why would you like someone no one else does?”

She looked at him as if he had lost his mind.

“What, is this some kind of charity project?”