Chapter 50
Since I’ve come to town anyway, maybe I’ll have a look around. Anschel surveyed his surroundings. Shops were gradually opening here and there. Though there wasn’t anything specific he needed to buy, Anschel chose some candy, thinking of Angela and Ryan.
Perhaps because Harriet liked sweets, there were many snacks in the office, and Angela would secretly pilfer her superior’s treats. Ryan didn’t eat openly like Angela, but Anschel knew he ate them in secret.
As Anschel entered the market entrance after buying snacks for his cute subordinates, a little boy who recognized him pointed a finger.
“Hey! Mister!”
“……”
‘I guess I’m at the age where kids call me mister now.’
Anschel turned his head with a self-deprecating smile.
“I saw you on TV.”
…Fucking hell.
He almost cursed out loud. The reason he could stop the curse from escaping was that he couldn’t bring himself to say dirty words in front of a child. The little boy, who thought people on TV were famous, had a shaved head and was wearing a sleeveless shirt.
Anschel asked with an awkward smile.
“Hello, what’s your name?”
“Why do you want to know?”
What a cheeky little kid.
“I’m just curious.”
“My mom said that if a stranger asks for my name, I should first figure out where the nearest police station is.”
His parents certainly raised him well. Since it was correct, Anschel stroked his chin. He noticed people around him giving sidelong glances as they recognized him.
Well, after doing such crazy things on TV, it would be stranger if he hadn’t become famous.
“But I’m not a stranger since you saw me on TV, right?”
Anschel stroked the boy’s shaved head and spoke kindly. Perhaps his intention to appear as nice as possible worked, as the boy opened his mouth.
“My name is Jaemik.”
That’s quite an interesting name.
Anschel’s face turned pale at this thought. If Harriet had been here, it would have been the kind of humor he would have made. He would have laughed a lot if he had heard this thought.
No, no, I shouldn’t be influenced.
Anschel shook his head.
“Alright. Please give your parents a good word.”
Anschel took out a piece of candy from the package he had bought for Angela and Ryan and placed it on the little boy’s hand.
“What should I tell them?”
“Tell them to vote for me.”
He waved to the little boy who moved away humming a tune. The boy promised to deliver the message to his parents. He even got a stamp, so it should be trustworthy.
“…Huh?”
As he left the market, Anschel narrowed his eyes and hid behind a telephone pole. It was because he saw people with very familiar backs. A middle-aged man with a handsome beard and a man who looked quite vile.
The combination was so mismatched that it caught the eye. Anschel maintained distance and followed them while observing their demeanor.
‘That’s Commander Antonio, isn’t it?’
He was a dog of the Maxim family. Especially a close associate of Alcita Maxim. Anschel had witnessed this solid and heavy man crying with a runny nose at Alcita’s funeral.
However, instead of keeping the peace according to Alcita’s wishes, he chose revenge. Anschel recalled how much Dante Maxim trusted him.
He was a person with quite a good reputation, but Anschel didn’t like him. It was because of that vile aide he kept.
‘Why are they here…?’
Anschel followed the two with narrowed eyes. Why would a high-ranking soldier come to this rural area, where Ender had been demoted? Assassination? Attack?
No, Antonio was too conspicuous for that. There must be some other scheme.
Anschel kept his gaze fixed on the two and took out his phone, dialing Ender’s number with familiarity. This wasn’t Ender’s military number but his personal one. The military line could be hacked at any time, so a phone used for private matters was safer.
– Rrrring, rrrring.
The default ringtone continued. Anschel followed the two without losing sight of them, concealing his presence amidst passing people.
Fortunately, the two men didn’t seem to have noticed Anschel, even though his conversation with the little boy earlier must have been quite noisy. Getting closer to confirm in detail, it was indeed Commander Antonio.
– What.
His stalker superior, who seemed like he would die if he said even a single “hello,” answered the phone. Anschel looked towards the two, intending to report the current situation.
But strangely, Ender’s breathing sounded a bit rough. And there was also some odd water sound.
‘What is this guy doing?’
“Colonel, I’ve spotted Commander Antonio in town. I’m currently tailing him… but what are you doing right now?”
The crazy superior who observed his sunbae with a telescope answered.
– Masturbating.
Anschel dared to hang up on his superior’s call first.
‘What a lunatic.’
As Anschel worked as Ender’s aide, he had seen, heard, and experienced various situations. Most people’s desires towards Ender were directed at him. However, they couldn’t approach Ender directly, and most either set traps or expressed their desires through his aide, Anschel.
Checking his wristwatch, Anschel narrowed his eyes and slowly got up.
The rat-like man beside Commander Antonio was Second Lieutenant Tammy Don. He was notorious as the most despicable kind in the military. Antonio’s reputation couldn’t be good with such an aide as Tammy.
Antonio himself was a solid and loyal soldier, so it was puzzling why he had taken in such an aide. But it was all Antonio’s choice not to dismiss him despite being able to, and the resulting reputation was his responsibility.
The two looked around as if searching for something. Anschel intuitively guessed what they wanted.
Who could be the figure they wanted to approach unofficially? Obviously, it was the hero Ender McGuire. Then, was their request for Ender reasonable? Of course not. They were clearly trying to approach Ender secretly like rats to ask for something they couldn’t officially do.
Quietly following the two while observing their movements, Anschel was having a hard time due to residents who recognized him and greeted him. His heart was pounding loudly.
Following the two who entered an alley, Anschel carefully stuck to the wall. He extended his head slightly to check inside the alley and cursed lowly.
The two had disappeared. They had noticed him. It was a natural result since both were veteran soldiers, and Anschel wasn’t skilled at tailing.
“Second Lieutenant Anschel Lee?”
Click-.
When Anschel fully entered the alley, a chilling sound came from behind. Feeling skeptical about falling into such an amateur trap, Anschel slowly exhaled.
Turning around, he saw the middle-aged man’s face. Wearing a rugged military uniform, his face was so dirty that Anschel wanted to snap at him to do something about that beard.
“It’s Lieutenant now.”
“When did you get promoted?”
“Along with Colonel Ender.”
Anschel Lee’s reputation within the military wasn’t bad. Some said he was just sucking up all the benefits by clinging to Ender McGuire, but from Anschel’s perspective, it was all nonsense. He wanted to shout for them to go suck on those benefits themselves.
Anschel had really worked hard by Ender’s side. After working without taking holidays, he had become tough-hearted, unfazed by most things.
Anschel raised both hands and turned his back. It wasn’t that he was afraid of the gun. Anschel’s ability was to summon a barrier thicker than bulletproof glass. Guns were one of the easiest weapons for Anschel to defend against.
“…Why are you here?”
The dog of the Maxim family, Antonio, was one of those who followed Alcita Maxim and was originally a man who greatly loved peace. However, after losing his master, he was now burning with revenge and was one of the strongest supporters of Dante Maxim’s will. Anschel felt strange, as if seeing his past self.
“This is fortunate. We were having trouble finding the base.”
“??”
“I’d like to meet Colonel Ender McGuire.”
“…Do you have an appointment?”
Anschel calmly surveyed the surroundings. There couldn’t be one. Since most of Ender’s schedules were managed by his aide Anschel, there was no appointment for his superior that he didn’t know about.
“Since it’s an unofficial matter, I suppose contacting through the aide now would work.”
Antonio said with a shrug. Anschel hesitated before taking out his phone. Damn. He had already reported the situation, but he prayed that this damn man would finish whatever he was doing while secretly watching his sunbae.
“…Unofficial?”
Anschel was dialing Ender’s number but raised his head at those words. Commander Antonio was a man quite famous within the military and close to the president. There was only one reason such a man would seek an unofficial meeting with Ender in a place like this.
“Is it war?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck!”
Anschel shouted a curse like a scream. He cursed in front of Antonio, whose rank was much higher than his, and trembled, looking like he wanted to grab his collar.
“War should be prohibited during the election period!”
“The Northern mermen attacked first.”
“That’s ridiculous!”
That meant the military hadn’t yet declared war on the Northern mermen. And it meant they had been so desperately defeated that they were seeking Ender’s help unofficially.
This was also something Anschel had heard to the point of nausea while working as Ender’s aide.
“If you just participate in this one battle…”
“You could achieve great merit…”
Although what they said to Ender McGuire varied slightly, the essence was the same. It was a plea for help because it was beyond their strength.
“Please go back. And come again after making an official visit request to Colonel Ender.”
Though Anschel spoke stiffly, he was sweating profusely, perhaps from tension.
Antonio didn’t dislike people like Anschel. Rather, he preferred such honest individuals. Like Alcita Maxim.
“You don’t seem to understand. Just an aide.”
“I’m now a presidential candidate.”
Though he hadn’t wanted it, at least he had something to put forward.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
