Right before departure, one issue still hadn’t been resolved: how to handle the newly rescued recruits.Before that conversation could happen, Benjamin and Tyrone were speaking with serious expressions.Their conversation was going in circles, and discussions like that rarely ended well.“Tyrone, isn’t that just an excuse?” Benjamin asked with a sigh, and Tyrone’s expression wavered.“Could be.”“We can’t spare any troops in the current situation. We’re in the middle of an operation. It’s better to try to persuade the commander directly.”“I want you to persuade him.”“As you said, there might be survivors at other defense bases. But we can’t be certain.”“Howard, if the commander and Miss Eli hadn’t come to our unit, do you think things would have been any different?”Tyrone’s sharp question cut through the tension. Benjamin brushed his face and replied:“…It wouldn’t have been different.”Even just this conversation made it clear why Tyrone had been deep in thought for so long.“Rallying surviving troops…”“We were only able to regroup thanks to someone’s help. We can’t forget that.”Tyrone’s opinion seemed reasonable on the surface, but Benjamin’s expression remained unchanged.“I could understand if that were the only reason. But I want to ask—is that really the only reason?”No, his words seemed a bit sharper this time.“I won’t deny there might be another reason.”“But asking to pull troops for personal reasons isn’t like you.”“Then what would be like me?”“….”“I won’t lie and say there’s no personal interest. But that’s not the main reason.”“Then what is it?”“Because I don’t think this is enough. With this number of troops, we can do nothing. We need to gather all the remaining forces.”Eavesdropping on their conversation unintentionally, it was clear they were having a serious discussion.‘Quite an interesting conversation,’ I thought.Even as I approached, neither noticed me. When I finally came closer, they hastily ended their conversation.“Continue if you wish.”“Commander.”“Commander.”“Seems I accidentally eavesdropped.”“No, it’s fine.”“You were having a detailed discussion. May I join in?”“That is…”“Of course.”Unlike Tyrone, Benjamin answered immediately.“Tyrone, are you okay with this?”“Yes.”A faint sigh, and in his eyes, a trace of mixed emotions.“Tyrone.”“Yes?”“I hear you’re trying to rally surviving soldiers.”“That’s correct.”Tyrone made an effort to steady his wavering gaze. Was this really the right path, in his mind?“How will you do it?”“In the 7th Defense Army’s area, there are the 8th and 9th Defense Armies—infantry and engineer units that support the armored units.”“Hmm.”He raised a finger toward the hangar.“There are also unmanned drones there. If we scout with the drones and find a safe route… we might be able to gather any remaining troops from the other two bases.”“Are you sure there are survivors?”Tyrone swallowed hard, then quietly insisted:“It’s still necessary.”The statement carried more weight than any explanation, and his last words were heavy:“If there’s even the slightest chance, we do it. That’s comradeship.”As soon as he finished speaking, Benjamin’s cold voice cut in.“Tyrone.”Eyes as cold as his voice. It didn’t take long to realize he was worried.“Snap out of it. You can’t be certain your siblings are alive.”Just that one sentence twisted Tyrone’s previously stone-like face.“Howard.”“You’re willing to send comrades to their deaths for the sake of siblings who served in the 9th Defense Army?”“……”“Tyrone, the lives dependent on your choices aren’t as light as your siblings’.”In the end, Tyrone couldn’t respond, and a faint bitterness lingered.“Commander, I apologize. I couldn’t help speaking up out of frustration.”“I’ll have a brief conversation with Tyrone.”“Understood. After all, the decision is ultimately yours…”Benjamin brushed past, and my attention turned to Tyrone.“Tyrone.”“Yes.”“The real reason you want to rally the remaining troops—can you tell me?”“As I said, it’s necessary.”“Then why didn’t you respond when the Chief of Staff asked?”Looking at Tyrone, all I felt was sincerity. Despite holding his convictions, he didn’t deny the emotions beneath. Perhaps that was why I was paying close attention.“Before I was assigned to the 5th Defense Army, I was part of the 9th.”“……”“Coming from the slums, the Defense Army was the only way to survive properly.”“I see.”“I heard that the siblings I grew up with enlisted after me. And seeing the new recruits reminded me of them… so I didn’t deny it. Because I can’t deny it.”He looked into my eyes and calmly continued:“Howard’s words weren’t wrong. Just consider it a slip of the tongue.”Had he reconciled with himself? He tried to stand, but I instinctively stopped him.‘I can’t let this end like this.’“Hm!”Perhaps my strength was too much for him to resist. Tyrone let out a low sound of surprise.“I don’t think you’re covering the truth with excuses.”“……?!”What he was trying to do—gather the remaining defense forces—was indeed necessary.“That’s necessary.”“Commander… sir?”“Every trained soldier is valuable.”Though said casually, it left a mark on Tyrone’s expression.“If not now, it’ll be impossible to save them.”The last chance was now. If more time passed, there’d be no way.“The Chief of Staff might think I was just spinning a convenient story.”“Do you really think so?”“…Honestly, I don’t know. If I hadn’t seen it overlap, I might not have said anything.”“Honesty suits you.”Successfully gathering the remaining troops would be fortunate, but failure could mean death for Tyrone and his soldiers.Yet I thought positively for one reason: the chances of success seemed high.Was it because Tyrone was an outstanding survivor?No. Even as a notable figure, he held no title. Compared to [Underdog] Benjamin, [Bomba] Yevgeniya, or [Silent] Marilee, his importance in this world was lower.The reason I trusted him was Tyrone’s inner resolve. It made success seem more likely.‘He’ll tackle it with more urgency.’Yet it wouldn’t blind him to rational judgment.“If you weren’t confident in your decision, you wouldn’t be acting like this.”“…?”“I knew from the beginning that rallying the remaining troops was necessary. You’re simply carrying out orders.”“Commander…”“And how does that make you feel?”Tyrone seemed to be deep in thought and didn’t answer immediately. I waited patiently.When he finally spoke, he seemed pained:“Why do you go so far for this?”I couldn’t think of a proper answer, so I said instinctively:“A person about to face a major task shouldn’t be weighed down with such a heavy burden.””Yet his eyes changed significantly.“Have you concluded your conversation?”When I went to Benjamin, he went straight to the point, with a slightly bitter tone. Persuading the stubborn Benjamin didn’t seem easy. Of course, as the decision-maker, I could just order it, but that would undermine his position as Chief of Staff. Acting alone is sufficient for a lone-wolf approach; doing more risks creating divisions within the unit.I began cautiously:“Could you reconsider Tyrone’s suggestion?”He hesitated, then spoke:“You’ve decided to rally the remaining troops.”“For now.”“Hmm.”Did he need time to think? As I watched him stroke his jaw in thought, I prepared my next words.“Then it’s best to proceed that way.”Unexpectedly, he agreed immediately.“…?”I had expected resistance.“You weren’t against it before, were you?”“Yes.”“Then why the change?”“My main worries were the uncertainty and the potential gaps in operations caused by mobilizing troops.”He glanced around briefly.“If you had thought lack of troops would cause problems, would you have accepted his suggestion?”Hmm.If Tyrone’s troop mobilization caused issues, I could easily conclude:“No, in that case, I’d have overruled it.”“That’s why I respect your current choice.”“….”“Meaning you judged that such problems won’t occur.”So that was his reasoning. I realized Benjamin’s faith was greater than I’d expected.“Then I’ll follow too.”Yet between people, emotions also exist. I asked cautiously:“This question might be trivial, but do you feel resentful or disappointed?”“Well… rather than such feelings, I’m worried. A sort of concern…”“What kind of concern?”A complex emotion returned to his face.“Do you remember the illegal androids…”“……”“The ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) one that was beside me.”“Oh.”The Asian-looking android. I remembered—it hadn’t been that long.“Philip Kim… or Kim Philip, that was his name.”Benjamin gave a wry smile:“I still think of him sometimes. I considered him a friend.”There wasn’t much I could say. Having destroyed the android, any comment would feel hypocritical.Fortunately, that wasn’t the main story.“And Tyrone? Suppose the people he tries to save have already become monsters or are dead…”“Hm.”“Witnessing such devastation firsthand… even if he doesn’t collapse, he will be shaken.”“I see.”“Yes, that’s why I worry. A commander can’t falter at such a time.”A surprisingly human reason.“Why do you see it that way?”“Just… it’s nothing.”‘Tyrone’s siblings…’ I had just learned.Even if one considers themselves a veteran, it’s impossible to know the story of every survivor, especially family matters in a world where family is a fading concept. But seeing Benjamin, I realized there are still places where people live and care.‘This is a world with real people.’

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.