Chapter 4
Mermaids, another form of humanity beneath the sea.
At first, the relationship between humans and mermaids wasn’t so bad.
As intelligent beings, they knew how to communicate with each other, and humans accepted mermaids as another race. Land and sea coexisted harmoniously, and both firmly believed that peace would continue.
But humans needed to dominate the sea at all costs.
Several hundred mermaids rose to the surface of the emerald-colored beautiful sea, like a scene from a fairy tale. They gracefully moved their beautiful blue fins with splendor.
With human upper bodies, they exuded a strange and mysterious atmosphere. When bubbles rose from the sea to envelop the mermaids, they sparkled as if adorned with jewels. Their pale, beautiful skin visible even underwater, along with their red cheeks and lips, made them beautiful creatures in themselves.
The expressions of these mermaids turned fierce and distorted. Soon, with the gestures of their hands and fins, the calm sea suddenly surged violently. Beyond the deep sea where the mermaids lived, human warships appeared carrying massive explosives.
The sea was the source of the mermaids’ power and also their home. It wasn’t easy for humans to achieve victory against mermaids in the middle of the ocean.
Most mermaids would flee to the deep sea, regroup, and then return to attack the human warships repeatedly. Massive waves and typhoons raged, and whirlpools formed underwater. Countless warships thus vanished, becoming sacrifices to the sea.
* * *
Soldiers could only watch helplessly as the waves surged, threatening to overturn even the massive warships. One hundred and twenty-five warships swayed as they were swept up by the waves all at once.
Mermaids who had emerged from the deep sea conversed with each other underwater and gestured toward something. Then, the sea, which had been turbulent as if a typhoon had struck, became very calm.
The mermaids desperately fled to the depths of the sea, leaving one by one. And those who couldn’t escape in time became terribly disfigured in an instant.
BOOM!!!
The sea’s surface exploded as if a bomb had fallen from the sky.
Then two black warships appeared imposingly among the damaged ships. They were enormous and threatening.
The black warships passing by silently had an eagle emblem imprinted on them. A soldier who had hit his head on a deck pillar and was bleeding managed to stand up and muttered.
“Ender’s unit…”
The black eagle, Ender’s trademark who soared through the sky and commanded the wind, roamed the sea proudly as if ready to devour the mermaids.
Around the passing warships, with a chilling explosion, the bodies of mermaids who couldn’t escape to the deep sea floated on the water. The sea, soaked in blood, was eerily quiet and chilling.
Anschel shook his head at the terrible sight. Then, standing on the slightly swaying deck, he held an officer’s uniform and saluted. Behind Anschel, many soldiers saluted, waiting for someone.
At that moment, someone descended from the sky. It was an incredibly light movement, not like someone stepping down stairs. A strong gust of wind blew as he landed on the floor. Anschel’s neat 2:8 parted hair became disheveled.
With light footsteps, as if he had completed his task, Ender received the outer garment from Anschel and draped it over his shoulder. Then he took something out of his pocket. Some might think it was a cigarette or a cigar, but it wasn’t.
What he took out was a photo. A palm-sized photo.
“Good work, sir.”
Anschel spoke, but Ender didn’t respond. He simply brushed his black hair back and put on his officer’s hat. Then he looked at the photo again and briefly kissed it.
Anschel had once seen his tongue gliding over the photo.
…To be honest, it made him uncomfortable.
“…Just wait a little longer, sunbae.”
Although he didn’t know what that photo was, it was clear that it was very precious to Ender. Once, when an officer tried to snatch that photo to look at it, he was beaten so severely that he could never serve in the military again.
Was it a photo of his fiancée? Or someone he loved?
But Ender had neither a lover nor a fiancée.
* * *
Clink.
Only the sound of ice cubes colliding broke the silence. A strange atmosphere filled the office, but Harriet didn’t notice and stared blankly at his glass.
“???”
Anschel’s expression was peculiar. He looked like someone facing a thug. No, he wore an expression as if he was witnessing someone being ravished by a thug. But there were no thugs here, nor any victims.
Harriet blinked as he looked down at his glass again.
In the past, Ender was so young and small, but now he had grown to be able to make such delicious coffee.
It felt like just yesterday when he would only accept candy from him, but so much time had passed. Well, now Ender was a hero beyond reproach, and Harriet was one of the useless personnel of the military, demoted to a rural village, spending his days whiling away time.
Harriet took another sip of coffee and, noticing Anschel staring at him intently, put his coffee cup down.
“…Would you like some?”
“No.”
Looking at Anschel, who firmly declined as if he absolutely didn’t want to drink it, Harriet had the leisurely thought that the man must dislike coffee.
“…Do you perhaps like cocoa?”
Anschel cautiously asked out of the blue.
“?? …Yes.”
Though I can’t eat much these days because of my health…
At that, Anschel’s expression changed as if he had realized something. There was also a look of disgust, but Harriet didn’t notice and tilted his glass.
He noticed Ender smiling contentedly beside him. To think that enough time had passed for the once prim and proper boy to be able to smile like that…
Harriet felt somewhat sentimental.
The day had grown hotter, and as a result, his body lacked moisture. After gulping down his drink, Harriet licked his lips and turned his gaze toward the refrigerator.
Ender promptly stood up and strode to the refrigerator as if he had been waiting for this. Then he took out one of Harriet’s exclusive tumblers.
It was like a ghostly intuition how he knew there were five or six tumblers for Harriet in the refrigerator. Ender handed the tumbler to Harriet with a cool smile.
“Sunbae, here’s water.”
“Thank you.”
Anschel was watching them while spilling the green tea he was drinking. The confidential documents he considered important were on the verge of being ruined.
Harriet blinked his white eyelashes and extended his hand.
“…Ah, thank you.”
Anschel hurriedly gathered the documents, as if he had finally come to his senses at Harriet’s gesture.
“We will proceed with the search for the southern mermaids.”
“Yes.”
Even though Harriet had jurisdiction over the region, there wasn’t much he could do. There were only five soldiers here, one of whom had deserted yesterday, and the captain, a 65-year-old grandfather, had retired last month. As a result, Harriet, the next in rank, was temporarily serving as captain.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
It was embarrassing to be thanked like that when he hadn’t really cooperated. He hesitated, wondering how to respond, but missed the timing. Anschel didn’t seem to be waiting for an answer anyway.
Anschel asked, watching Harriet gulp down the water after opening the tumbler lid.
“You drink water very frequently.”
“…It’s gotten hotter.”
“Yes…”
Still, it seems like you drink a lot…
As Harriet refreshingly drank an entire large tumbler, he briefly wondered how Ender knew the water container was in the refrigerator.
Probably just his intuition.
“The southern mermaids are aggressive and not of good disposition, so please be careful.”
Looking at the clock, it was almost sunset. Anschel, who seemed like he would burn with enthusiasm to go eradicate the southern mermaids right now, surprisingly concluded by saying he would contact them again tomorrow, then checked his wristwatch.
So does that mean he’s staying overnight today? Harriet looked at Ender. And as Anschel stood up, Ender spoke.
“Sunbae.”
“…Hmm?”
“Can I stay at your place tonight?”
He heard Anschel inhale sharply in front. Ender boldly asked if he could stay at his senior’s place with a shameless face.
Harriet hesitated and then shook his head. The place where he was staying was too shabby and narrow for Ender to spend the night. But Ender didn’t give up and smiled as he spoke again.
“It’s because I have nowhere to stay due to the sudden deployment.”
Anschel, who had instantly become an incompetent adjutant, barely held back from saying, “I’ve booked the best hotel in the nearest city!” He knew his life was precious.
Harriet, with his eyebrow ends slightly drooping, nodded as if he had no choice.
“It will be dirty.”
“It’s fine. I’ll clean for you.”
“Then, well…”
Anschel’s complexion turned pale again. He had the face of a detective facing a criminal.
At that time, Angela, who had finished cutting all the rice assigned for the day, was anxiously looking toward the office while hiding behind a tree. She wanted to enter but couldn’t due to something blocking her.
A transparent wall was blocking the area around the office, clearly the ability of Ender’s adjutant. Even when she punched with all her might, it didn’t budge, proving that he was indeed worthy of being ‘that’ Ender’s adjutant.
“Angela!”
It seemed Angela wasn’t the only one unable to enter due to the wall, as a familiar voice was heard. The one who appeared from behind sounded very perplexed.
“Ryan!”
Ryan had gone on patrol with the village chief this morning. He was a man with a cute face, having dark brown hair and many freckles. Despite his young and youthful appearance, he had a muscular body underneath like a weapon.
“What’s this? I can’t get inside.”
Tap tap.
Ryan knocked on the empty air.
“What?! Ender McGuire?!”
“Keep it down.”
Angela said, dropping all the farming tools on the ground. Ryan also shouted as if surprised. Well, it was natural since she had been extremely surprised too.
Ryan seemed to think she was joking and chuckled. But Angela was more serious than anyone.
Right now, the nation’s hero was inside that shabby and narrow office.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
