Chapter 37
Delta was the first to speak.
“Please return to the military, Colonel Ender.”
“Who decides that?”
Ender opened his mouth in a low voice. Delta, who had been admiring Ender’s face, cleared his throat and sighed.
Ender’s face, which had casually muttered in informal speech, twisted slightly as if annoyed. It was because he had just heard the same thing in his call with the President.
The military still needed Ender and wanted to use the symbolism he possessed. Especially Dante Maxim, who was facing an election, needed Ender even more.
“You must know from my uncle. We need you, Colonel.”
Acting like he represents all of humanity, he sure talks well.
Anschel sneered inwardly, but didn’t bother to say it out loud. Angela seemed to feel the same way.
“What do you mean?”
“…Must I discuss classified information here?”
When Ender pretended not to know, Delta spoke with growing impatience. The Ender he met again was truly handsome and beautiful, but his eyes remained cold.
“We’re going to declare war on the northern merpeople soon.”
A bombshell statement dropped from Delta’s mouth. At those words, Anschel slammed the table and jumped to his feet.
“…It’s still before the presidential election! How dare you start a war at your own discretion.”
Delta’s eyebrows rose asymmetrically as he glared at Anschel who had suddenly intervened. He was talking about “classified” information. In such cases, an aide should pretend not to hear even with ears and not see even with eyes. But Anschel couldn’t hold back.
The President’s brazen behavior—using his son to start a war with merpeople and exploiting his own grieving over his family’s death—was infuriating enough, but now he was going to do something even worse?
It was sickening that the President, who had massacred innocent merpeople, was now declaring war against the victims again.
“My uncle’s campaign promise this time is war with the merpeople of the northern sea.”
“That… thing.”
Anschel was dumbfounded, but he knew how well it would be received. The sea routes would soon be opened. People were becoming wealthier, and technology had advanced enough to freely use the seas.
But if there were merpeople in the north, fear of using the sea would not easily subside. Because no one would know when the merpeople might attack humans.
And Dante Maxim was a man who knew how to cunningly exploit such mass psychology. His ability in particular was mind control. Dante’s voice would be heard more clearly than any other by the masses. A voice filled with desire, leading people’s anger and wanting to dominate the sea.
“I’ve listened to that old man’s pathetic orders enough. He’s not the boss anymore.”
Ender muttered slowly. While he spoke gently and sweetly when with Harriet, now he was speaking with vulgar curses mixed in.
Anschel was more accustomed to this, but Harriet and Angela were not, their eyes widening in surprise. Originally, Ender was never someone who spoke gently. Anschel, as an aide, knew this well.
In fact, Ender was a person of very few words. Only after coming here and being in front of Harriet did Anschel realize that Ender was such a talkative person. This was a moment when that Ender McGuire appeared somewhat human.
At Ender’s resolute words, Delta anxiously bit his lip. He was gazing at Ender, who would absolutely not come over to his side, as if licking him with his eyes. A look of intense desire briefly crossed his face before disappearing.
At that moment, Delta’s gaze briefly went to Ender, then turned to Harriet sitting beside him. Harriet was quietly drinking cocoa.
“…Is it because of that artificial merman?”
Ender’s eyebrows twitched. Anschel wanted to somehow shut that man’s mouth. Delta Maxim was trying to touch someone who should absolutely not be touched.
Even though Harriet knew they were talking about him, he just smiled slightly and continued drinking his cocoa.
“He’s a monster, he must certainly have anti-social feelings toward the military!!”
BANG!
Delta slammed the table. Delta Maxim’s ability was amplification. It was of no use in combat, but it was a very useful ability for President Dante.
Harriet shook his head slightly at the ringing sensation in his ears. Ender’s red eyes stared directly at Delta.
“Harriet has no…”
After spending time together, one could easily understand what Harriet was thinking. Harriet truly had no thoughts. He wasn’t someone who was angry at the military or burning with revenge. He was someone who didn’t even possess such passion.
Looking at Harriet sometimes felt like looking at an empty doll. It was truly remarkable that such a doll was developing a heart through his beloved junior, and it was lamentable that it happened to be that Ender.
“You experienced such a thing and didn’t develop any resentment!?”
Delta shouted again as if he had heard something absurd. He had been unable to watch Harriet’s experiment video to the end and had turned it off while retching.
An ordinary person would have died from shock during the experiment. Even if they survived, they would have been sharpening their knives inwardly, vowing revenge against the military.
But Harriet just lowered his eyebrows in a troubled manner and smiled slightly. Finally, Delta muttered quietly.
“This monster…”
The air, which had grown chilly, settled heavily. Harriet didn’t particularly seem angry. He was just sitting there, going with the flow.
Delta seemed to know about the experiments Harriet had undergone, which was a top-secret document that even Ender couldn’t access. And if those experiments were to become public knowledge, they were inhumane and horrific enough to turn the entire military upside down.
Still, Harriet wasn’t particularly angry about the experiments. As mentioned before, they were painful but bearable, and he liked that his pension came in regularly. Now he could roam both the sea and land, so he didn’t particularly have any complaints.
Ender merely supported his chin with his hand and curled up the corners of his mouth as if sneering. Both Delta and Harriet stared at him with pounding expressions. Harriet found Ender’s mischievous face fascinating, having never seen it before.
“That old man won’t become president next time.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Anschel is planning to run as a presidential candidate this time.”
Ender, sitting loosely, whispered as if singing. Simultaneously, Angela and Anschel’s expressions turned pale. Especially Anschel, who turned white with an expression like he was about to scream.
Delta also seemed surprised and lost his words for a moment. He laughed with a deflated sound, like someone who had witnessed a terrible joke.
“The presidential election isn’t child’s play, what are you saying…”
Anschel had no public recognition, and his only credential was being Ender McGuire’s aide. He wasn’t particularly talented, nor did he have star quality.
Most citizens probably didn’t even know who Anschel was. Moreover, he was too young to become president. Who would trust and entrust him as the head of a country? Even the young and immature Delta knew this.
Anschel stood up abruptly, then hesitated on the spot and looked down at Ender. Ender looked at Anschel while brushing his black hair with his fingers.
Ender wouldn’t have told Delta the plan out of madness or overconfidence. Ender was a much more cautious person than he appeared. Especially when it involved his sunbae.
Anschel really didn’t want to notice, but having been by his side for five years, he could naturally read his superior’s thoughts. Anschel, swallowing with a gulp, immediately realized that Ender had no intention of letting Delta in front of him live.
Ender gestured for Delta to come closer and lowered his head. Delta, thinking it was indeed a joke, leaned in and brought his ear to him.
Ender brought his lips to Delta’s ear so that his dirty words wouldn’t reach Harriet’s noble ears. Delta’s face turned red as Ender’s breath touched him. Then Ender’s sweet voice was heard.
“Say it again.”
“…?”
“You son of a bitch, I said say it again.”
Delta’s expression hardened, as if he still didn’t understand the situation. He lifted his blue eyes and blankly stared into Ender’s red eyes looking down at him. His saliva was involuntarily swallowed as the murderous intent in those eyes was enough to drain the strength from his legs.
Whether it was due to the hot weather or the murderous intent, cold sweat trickled down Delta’s temple. The sound of sweat dripping from his chin to the floor was heard loudly.
“…What.”
“Anschel!”
Ender shouted, calling his aide’s name. Anschel looked at Ender with a very pale expression and urgently raised both hands. In an instant, a huge barrier spread across Harriet’s military base.
Angela, with rounded eyes, rose hesitantly from the sofa to assess the situation. Only Harriet there smiled peacefully with furrowed eyes. He seemed slightly displeased that Ender had whispered into Delta’s ear as if sharing a secret.
Anschel’s soul screamed that there was no time for such jealousy in this situation. Anschel, with his face turned white, froze with his hands still raised. Anschel’s transparent barrier that filled the inside of the military base shook with a “thong-” sound.
“If… if you harm me, my uncle will…”
Delta also noticed that the situation was turning strange. Ender’s red eyes, filled with murderous intent, were flashing as if about to cut off Delta’s neck. The warm, foolish smile he had shown Harriet earlier was gone.
Yes, this is the real Ender McGuire. A beautiful beast.
Indeed, that pale man did not suit Ender. Even in the brutal atmosphere, Delta alone grinned.
“If I disappear from here or return injured, my uncle will have a justification to question you with all his might, Colonel. My uncle is a frightening person, Colonel.”
Otherwise, he couldn’t have been president for 20 years. Delta smiled prettily with a pale face.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
