Chapter 5
“Why is Ender in this rural village?”
“I think it’s because of our captain.”
“Captain?”
Ryan tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand. He couldn’t comprehend how the captain would know someone like Ender McGuire.
Angela looked around as if she were about to share classified information, then gestured for Ryan to come closer. Ryan unconsciously leaned his ear toward her, and Angela whispered.
“Well… Ender called the captain ‘senior.'”
“The captain??”
“I heard it clearly. He suddenly appeared, called him senior, and took him away.”
Given that Harriet couldn’t use one of his legs, he wasn’t much help with work, but working while conversing with someone was different from working alone. Angela shed tears saying she had to organize that vast field by herself.
With Angela’s superhuman strength, she could have finished 10,000 square meters of rice field in just two hours. Anyway, Ryan was startled, his blue eyes opening wide.
He couldn’t even imagine what kind of relationship they might have, given Harriet’s unexpected connection. Since Ender had called him senior, it meant he had been Harriet’s junior somewhere, but it was difficult to deduce that connection.
It was truly a strange combination—a hero who caused a stir throughout the country paired with a powerless soldier relegated to the countryside.
Ender was an elite among elites who graduated from an academy that Ryan and Angela couldn’t even imagine. He graduated from the S-class at the Central National Academy operated by the military.
“Could the captain be from there too?”
“But… the captain is just an ordinary person without abilities.”
Angela sighed.
“The captain is also an academy graduate in his own right.”
“…”
Even so, the combination with Ender was still unexpected.
Harriet had never used any ability since coming here. The two of them deduced that he either had no ability at all or it was too weak or too inappropriate to show others. Anyway, they had simply concluded that it wasn’t an ability the military needed.
“Have you ever seen the captain use his ability?”
“No.”
Ryan shook his head with a disgruntled expression. He couldn’t know something that Angela, who had been stationed here longer, didn’t know.
Harriet was too weak to be considered an ability user, and his physical condition wasn’t very good either. He always looked tired and lethargic. He was dull and selfless, fitting in with the peaceful background of this place.
Especially at dawn, he was a person whose presence became even more faint. Though his white hair and white irises were considered unusual, that was only when they first met him a few times. Now, he was like a dispersing background to them, like air.
Ryan anxiously looked at the office. If what Angela said was true, then the famous Ender McGuire was inside that shabby office. He desperately wanted to see him. In truth, who on land wasn’t his fan?
As the two were hesitating, unable to enter because of the barrier, the door suddenly burst open. Angela and Ryan, turning their heads toward the door, barely managed to stop themselves from screaming.
Behind Harriet, who was brushing back his snow-white hair as he emerged, something black appeared. It was a face they had seen countless times in TV, newspapers, magazines, and other mass media—a face with black hair and red eyes.
It really was Ender McGuire! He was wearing the officer’s uniform with a black eagle emblem that only the Ender Unit could wear.
“…”
Harriet, noticing Angela and Ryan who were blushing intensely and gaping like fish, limped toward them. Thanks to that, Ender also followed and approached the two.
His rank was Lieutenant Colonel; Angela and Ryan were mere sergeants. To the two who unconsciously stiffened and saluted, Harriet calmly opened his mouth.
“Angela, Ryan.”
“…Yes.”
“You may leave for the day.”
Harriet spoke, holding a cane embedded with a red gemstone.
He was truly their captain, maintaining his own pace until the end. Angela and Ryan nodded blankly, unable to respond. Their expressions showed they weren’t sure whether to be happy about leaving early or not.
As Harriet limped along, Ender extended his arm beside him.
“Let me support you.”
“Hmm, it’s okay.”
It was truly a friendly conversation.
“Ryan is a good guy.”
Ryan, who had been relegated to this place as soon as he became a soldier, was quite innocent and a good young man. He got along especially well with the village head.
The head had lost his eldest and second sons to the sea during the war years ago. He cherished and took care of Ryan, who was a soldier, young, and around the same age as his sons. Ryan, knowing this, was willingly being dragged along.
“Is that so?”
Ender smiled and spoke kindly to Harriet, who had started the conversation. Right now, Ender was supporting Harriet as they walked through the night streets. Harriet had refused to take a car since his home was not far from the base.
Ender’s question about how Harriet had been lately was asked out of curiosity about Harriet’s daily life, but Harriet talked about his subordinates instead.
“Angela is so small and cute, but her ability is superhuman strength. That’s why she’s receiving lots of love from the elders.”
“I see.”
Though he didn’t seem particularly interested, Ender responded with a smile each time.
He caught Harriet by the waist as he stumbled while limping. As the large hand rested on his waist, Harriet looked up and stared into Ender’s red eyes.
‘Ruby’ was still beautiful. Even on this dark mountain path, his red eyes were beautiful like jewels, shining brightly.
“Senior, let me support you after all.”
“…”
No, it’s not really necessary. Falling is an everyday occurrence anyway.
But before Harriet could refuse, Ender slipped his hands between Harriet’s knees and lifted him up. Harriet opened his eyes wide and flailed.
He lifted Harriet so effortlessly that it made Harriet wonder if Ender’s ability wasn’t ‘wind’ but superhuman strength. Despite appearing weak, Harriet’s weight was considerable.
“Ender, I weigh 70kg despite how I look.”
“Yes. Precisely 75.3kg.”
“…”
How did he know down to the decimal point…
Harriet thought that the instincts of a young man who had survived the battlefield shouldn’t be underestimated. Ender took large strides and arrived at Harriet’s house. Thanks to being carried by Ender, they arrived even faster than usual.
“You found my house quite well.”
Even though it was close, it was a dark mountain path with the sun setting, and there was a shortcut that wasn’t easily visible. Harriet had hesitated about whether to guide him, but Ender had found it very accurately.
In response to his words, Ender just smiled brightly. Harriet got out of Ender’s arms and limped to stand in front of the entrance, rummaging through his pockets for the key. Harriet glanced back and carefully spoke.
“It’s really messy…”
“That’s fine.”
“I didn’t even fold the bedding.”
“That sounds really good…”
“???”
Ender had occasionally acted in incomprehensible ways since he was young, and this cryptic remark was just like that.
Has he become even more nonchalant…?
Harriet turned the key and opened the door. Then he fumbled for the wall and turned on the lights. Fortunately, the inside of the house wasn’t that messy.
That was because Harriet’s house didn’t have many possessions to begin with. Except for the boxes of cocoa powder between the bookshelves, it was an ordinary house.
Preferring futons to beds, there was bedding on the floor that seemed not to have been folded since morning. Next to the bedding, a large water bottle was rolling around, and it seemed he hadn’t eaten dinner at home yesterday as only a couple of cups were sitting on the sink.
Though Ender offered to clean, there wasn’t much to touch. Thinking he should at least do the dishes himself, Harriet moved toward the sink when he heard something fall with a thud.
“???”
Turning his head, he saw Ender lying on the bedding with his face buried in the pillow.
“Ender?”
“Just a bit tired.”
He was breathing in and out, going “hoo, ha, hoo, ha.”
It must be uncomfortable to breathe with his face buried in the pillow…
Harriet frowned as he took off his outer garment. Before the clothes could fall to the floor, Ender caught them like a ghost. Then he squirmed as he took care of the outer garment.
Though the clothes would get wrinkled, Harriet didn’t mind his young junior taking care of them. With a slight, troubled smile, he walked to the sink to do the dishes.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
