Chapter 75
“…Which district was Harriet-nim born in?”
“I don’t remember, but I think it was District 01.”
Harriet answered as he took the document from Anschel. Being from an orphanage, Harriet couldn’t possibly remember which district he was born in, but Anschel had asked out of courtesy.
“So you were born in the American territory.”
“Hmm. But I’m not certain. The orphanage wasn’t exactly efficient.”
Harriet’s orphanage was a national institution, operating with the solid sponsorship of Alcita Maxim. It provided better treatment than other private orphanages, and Harriet lived with sponsorship that was not abundant but sufficient for food, clothing, and other necessities.
Of course, after Alcita’s death, all the children in the orphanage were either dragged to research facilities or sold elsewhere, but until then, they had been treated quite well.
“Under the president, who is the enemy of all districts, there are 120 committee chairpersons in charge of each district, and below them, approximately twelve thousand representatives. Among them, though the Peace Committee was established recently, it has the largest number of members and enjoys public support.”
Harriet knew this too, as he had learned it at the academy. Anschel stroked his chin with a serious expression while watching the TV screen.
“Why do you think Jayden Olden, the Peace Committee Chairman, officially announced that he had betrayed Dante Maxim and sided with us?”
Harriet smiled slightly, as if troubled by the question. Yesterday, or rather early this morning after midnight, in the dark night, Jayden Olden had grabbed Harriet’s shoulders with tearful eyes and cried messily.
The middle-aged man over fifty seemed unashamed as he sniffled for a long time, then raised his head. In his eyes, he clearly saw the young boy with brilliant golden hair like Alcita’s, looking confused and unable to recognize his own emotions, which made him wail even more.
In truth, Harriet didn’t think Jayden Olden had done anything wrong. There was no reason for him to cry. Especially since Harriet had learned through Jayden that Alcita had intended to adopt him.
But Jayden cried for a long time without letting go of Harriet, then placed his hand on his chest as if making a pledge.
“I will stake everything I have to set you free.”
In the morning after daybreak, Jayden immediately held a press conference and declared his full support for candidate Anschel Lee in the upcoming election next week.
It was quite dramatic. His casual attitude had completely changed—from just joining hands but not officially boarding Anschel’s ship that was more likely to sink, to using each other to attack President Dante.
“Now if I’m not elected president, Jayden will be killed. The Peace Committee will be scattered. Jayden has officially announced his support for me, shouldering all these risk factors.”
“I see.”
Harriet smiled slightly and followed Anschel’s gaze to the news screen showing Jayden. To a casual observer, Harriet’s troubled smile might appear to indicate shock at Jayden’s actions, but to Anschel, who prided himself on knowing Harriet fairly well by now, it looked completely different.
Harriet wasn’t thinking about anything. About Jayden Olden risking his life because of him. Anschel became a little afraid of those empty white eyes.
By now, Jayden’s provocation would have worked exactly as intended on Dante. Dante had completed all preparations to wage war with the Northern Sea and was a president with only the public vote and handover remaining. Although he hadn’t yet signed, the sea above was still essentially his.
“…Harriet-nim, I… I’m not confident.”
Anschel said, flipping through papers nervously. He bit his lip anxiously while organizing documents. Anschel knew well that he was weak-hearted and not cut out for greatness. He had trembled like a fool even when facing the enemy who killed his parents, and when he saw Harriet subjected to unspeakable experiments, all he could do was tremble and vomit.
Suddenly shouldering the lives of Jayden Olden and the rest of the Peace Committee, he was so scared he could hardly breathe.
“I’m afraid… I, I’m not fit to be president. If, if by some miracle I become president. Then… does one word from me end the war??”
Dante Maxim’s sins cannot be completely washed away by anything. More than half of the merperson race has died, and the sea has been dyed with blood.
Today’s children and youth were born during wartime and grew up hearing about war every day. In a society where someone dies every day, it was impossible to understand the value of life.
Anschel still hadn’t found the answer to how he should pacify this militaristic dictatorship that knows no peace. He thought dozens of times a day that perhaps Ender McGuire would be the ideal president.
After all, he was a beautiful and wonderful leader whom the entire nation knew and followed.
“Hmm… I think you’ll do well.”
“……”
“Ender wouldn’t have brought you along without thinking.”
Harriet’s flat delivery made one question whether he was truly interested in the situation, but strangely, it inspired trust.
Anschel stroked the back of his neck and spread out the materials across the table. Sitting across from Anschel, Harriet’s eyes were languidly drooping as if he were sleepy. Harriet’s body, basking in the sunlight pouring through the window, looked as if it might oxidize and disappear.
Just then, through the window, they could see some unruly youths playing outside. Anschel opened the old window in alarm and shouted.
“Ah, Angela!! What is that?”
“Huh? This??”
Anschel was dumbfounded at the sight of a giant robot head that went thud and rolled across the ground. Why was a robot head whizzing past the window, as if this were some sci-fi military base? The thing, which made thumping sounds whenever it hit the ground, was about as wide as Angela herself.
Angela was casually playing with the robot head, which no ordinary person could lift, swinging it lightly with one hand, then turned to look at Ryan. Ryan, who usually patrolled every morning with the village chief, was today playing and giggling with Angela in the office yard, accompanied by a tiger.
“This is something Ryan made and left behind.”
“Ryan?”
Ryan nodded awkwardly while stroking his freckled cheeks. Angela frowned deeply, growling.
“That deserter bastard.”
“Deserter…”
From her deeply frowning face, it was clear that Angela didn’t particularly like this deserter person.
“A child who handles machines very well… probably got demoted and sent here after causing trouble in the military.”
Harriet, enjoying his sunbath, answered softly from the side. He was smiling as if looking at something cute, staring intently at Angela and Ryan.
While it was clear this person wasn’t in his right mind, deserting because he was bored, Anschel wondered what reason he had for being demoted from the military.
Anschel decided to find out about this guy today as he closed the window.
“Be careful while playing.”
“Yes.”
Although it was work hours and Angela was a soldier, there wasn’t much to do here anyway. It’s better for her to play like that than cause trouble.
“Surely there isn’t a separate body for that thing, right?”
“He was trying to build one, but he probably deserted before he could finish it.”
“…My childhood dream was piloting a robot. That’s interesting.”
Anschel gazed at the robot head Angela was playing with in the yard, his expression troubled.
“……”
After investigating during lunch time, Anschel found that this deserter was even crazier than he had thought. He had a bad feeling about someone who deserted because they were bored, but he never imagined someone like this.
“He converted a warship into a submarine because he was bored? He even hacked the main system to play with it?”
“Hmm… I heard there was quite a commotion.”
This wasn’t just a commotion; it was the crazy act of someone who wanted to be executed.
[Name: Koryoin
District: District 18 (Hangwon)
Age: 22]
“Koryoin probably invented the autonomous warship’s main system too. That’s why they couldn’t execute him and instead demoted him and sent him here. How bored must he have been in this countryside after handling machines every day.”
“……”
Anschel thought, with a pale face, that it was fortunate this guy had deserted. The more he looked, the more he realized this was someone he couldn’t manage with his level of authority. Before coming here, the guy had almost daily updated records that would deserve execution a hundred times over.
Anschel even expressed admiration when he read about how the guy had hacked the security system of the Pantenium Premium Building where Dante Maxim lived and shut down all the air conditioners during summer.
Just don’t come back.
From Anschel’s perspective, having already consumed almost an entire bottle of 100-tablet stomach medicine he had bought earlier, he was actually grateful this madman had deserted. The current worries about the presidential election preparations, the Northern Sea war, and Ender McGuire’s lack of communication were making his stomach hurt even more.
As Anschel spoke like he was grumbling, Harriet very naturally patted his head and replied.
“I talked with him last night.”
“…With Colonel Ender?”
“Yes. Through video call.”
Whatever they did during the video call, seeing Harriet nod with slightly reddened cheeks made Anschel’s stomach and abdomen hurt. Though the doctor had warned him several times about his neurogenic hypersensitivity, the world and his surroundings wouldn’t leave Anschel in peace.
Quietly searching for stomach medicine, Anschel checked the time while clearing away lunch.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
