Ch.129Chapter 17. Desertion (7)

Virginia wanted to give her a chance.

Leticia was a perfect adjutant in many ways. She was someone who had proven with her entire being that “soldiers from Elza are lazy and indolent” was a complete prejudice.

And people, especially those who seem perfect to others, hide even deeper quagmires behind their facades. Whether people are good or bad, that’s the balance.

Even in the secret investigations, no major flaws were found. Suffering from frustration and a need for recognition? No soldier anywhere is free from such things. Heavy drinking? Not to the extent that it interfered with her duties.

Leticia began to change gradually after meeting a certain “man.”

Many people approach lonely soldiers, regardless of age or gender. From parasites trying to siphon military pensions to spies seeking valuable information.

A capable intelligence officer like Leticia was also a primary recruitment target for the Elza Liberation Corps. Virginia too had assumed that the man contacting Leticia was just some good-for-nothing.

‘Why is she falling so deeply for him?’

He seemed utterly unremarkable. All he did was bring good alcohol, exchange kind words and pleasant conversation at least once every two or three days if not daily, and always treat Leticia respectfully even as she sent increasingly daring photos.

Then, during the Cassandra arrest operation, Leticia crossed the line.

At first, Virginia didn’t know that the tights pervert was Leticia. It was only after more intensive investigation, deduction, and tracking subsequent activities that she realized.

The flexible movements, the penetrating insight that accurately pinpointed National Military Police deployments, even specific body parts captured in photos of the “real tights pervert.” All conditions matched Leticia perfectly.

‘Should I punish her? With what? Indecency? Breaking and entering?’

The grounds for punishing Leticia were weak. But the benefits of leaving her be were greater. Leticia’s bizarre activities had strengthened the National Military Police’s security operations and played a significant role in establishing the Civilian Defense Force.

Virginia wasn’t particularly concerned even when tights perverts began appearing one by one. It was just a minor inflammation. Like how the body becomes stronger when subjected to manageable stress rather than living in a greenhouse, they served exactly that purpose.

Leticia solved the paradoxical task of arresting herself by “establishing security so tight that nothing could get through, then breaking through that security herself.”

It was like playing chess against oneself. Even Virginia privately admired such cleverness.

But now the game was over.

The world is changing. Cities are closing their gates to each other. Subtle currents flow among the National Military Police commanders. Some are already sending supply dispatches to human non-protected zones, even to protected areas where hardly anyone lives.

Hampton hasn’t reached that point yet. As the largest city in the south-central region, it received relatively abundant supplies, and control remained strong thanks to Leticia’s enforcement. The lack of issues regarding sensitive matters like food rationing was thanks to Leticia.

But now was the time to move forward based on accumulated power. The moment Virginia had been waiting for. The voice she heard deep within after receiving her baptism by fire in Minsk in the Western State and being reborn in Elza.

A new order.

A new era.

For that, she needed Leticia. That’s why she gave her a nice apartment and a position befitting her abilities. Now Leticia held the third-highest position after General Minto, who had shed his uniform to become a politician, and Virginia, who had become the commander of the National Military Police.

But they couldn’t stay there. Virginia’s ambition was greater. So Leticia too needed to be in an even higher position.

For that, trivial games had to stop now. Just one person, just one person needed to die. Not even an innocent one. Just killing one tights pervert follower who had clearly committed criminal acts. This was the greatest mercy Virginia could think of and the strongest warning she could send to Leticia.

That’s what she thought.

Until a nearly naked man walked out of Leticia’s apartment corridor, yawning.

“Ah, Leti, you’re already up…”

His eyes met Virginia’s.

‘What?’

She definitely recognized those eyes from somewhere. But she couldn’t recall where. Broad shoulders. Well-balanced, nimble-looking muscles that weren’t excessive. And that quite substantial presence down below.

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t know we had a visitor!”

It was just for a moment. But like a flash leaving an afterimage, the man’s silhouette was vividly imprinted in her mind. Virginia turned her head and covered her face, as if embarrassment was her own to bear.

“W-who…?”

She peeked through her fingers. Leticia’s face was flushed red. She seemed to be fidgeting, not knowing what to do.

The man who had disappeared inside as if fleeing came back wearing a bathrobe. But he hadn’t tied the belt properly, so the inside was flapping open, easily visible.

“…I apologize, Commander. I should have informed you earlier. This is my… my…”

“Boyfriend.”

“Eck.”

A strange sound escaped her adjutant’s lips. Virginia couldn’t collect herself at all. Her head was spinning. She couldn’t understand why the man kept trying to sit on the sofa with his legs spread wide.

“That’s right. I am Leti’s… lover.”

“Eek!”

It’s him. The very man Leti had been so desperately in love with. Virginia’s reason recognized this. But her malfunctioning body simply wouldn’t work. Should she arrest him? On what grounds? Should she interrogate him? Based on what? Could he possibly be V?

Virginia was about to ask, “Haven’t we met somewhere before?” She would have asked if the man hadn’t raised his hand to caress Leti’s cheek and pull her toward him.

“What do you mean, Leti? We had a good time last night, didn’t we? Was I the only one who thought so?”

“N-no! No! That’s, that’s not what I meant, ah. How can you do this here! It’s embarrassing!”

“But love is wonderful. Only those who don’t know that are unfortunate.”

‘Stop it. I said stop.’ Virginia floundered. Even as she floundered, she watched, entranced, as their faces drew closer together. She also saw the man’s hand, which had been waving in the air, suddenly squeeze one side of Leticia’s large buttocks.

“Mmm, mmmm…”

“I-I’ll be going now! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Virginia stumbled out. She fled the apartment without even putting on her coat properly, just clutching it at her side. Her heart was pounding, and her face was burning red. But her cold reason kept searching and searching.

She definitely had seen him somewhere. Those eyes. Though she hadn’t seen his face properly, she definitely remembered those eyes. Yes. She had seen them in that car. Those eyes she had seen through the bulletproof glass of an illegally modified vehicle.

V’s eyes.

Virginia gritted her teeth and fumbled at her waist. It was a mistake. She had left her weapon behind since she only intended to warn Leticia. She had driven herself since it was supposed to be a secret meeting, and naturally had no pager.

So Virginia ran to her car.

“These damn lovers, I’ll round them all up.”

Leticia. How could Leticia do this to her? If someone was at home, shouldn’t she have mentioned it?

* * * * *

“Caesar. You.”

Leticia was dumbfounded. Because Caesar showed her what he had found in her dressing room. Tights. Smoke bombs. Whips. Handcuffs. All tools she had used during her nightly escapades.

“…Who exactly are you?”

“And who are you?”

Leticia shook her head. Everyone in Hampton, perhaps even nationwide, knew Virginia. She was exceptionally striking in appearance and unique. Since such a person had referred to her as “adjutant,” there was no hiding it.

“Leticia. Originally the adjutant of the National Military Police Intelligence Division. Now I’m handling so many temporary positions that I’m confused about what my actual job is. And… now that you know, stop waving that around!”

As she spoke, she moved quickly. She pushed aside Caesar, who was waving the tights around, and grabbed his gun. Impulsively, Leticia pointed the gun at Caesar.

“You. What exactly are you? I knew you were deceiving me. You said too many far-fetched things. You weren’t compromised by those women. You weren’t unable to escape either. Right?”

“Well, not exactly.”

The man who had been Caesar shrugged and put down the tights. He didn’t even reach for a weapon. He merely untied his bathrobe belt.

“Caesar is an alias. My real name is Johan.”

“Johan, what exactly are you doing with those two women, Cassandra and Camilla?”

“Developing a vaccine.”

“That’s ridiculous…”

Is it ridiculous? Leticia recalled the items Johan had requested from her one by one. They were all related to medicine or food supplies.

“Did you, did you deliberately approach me?”

“No. I just wanted to establish a contact in the black market. And you happened to be it. I certainly had no intention of toying with you. I only just learned that you’re in intelligence, and that you hold such a high position in Hampton. And.”

“And?”

“And I’ve now confirmed that you saved my life. That day, if you hadn’t worn these funny clothes and fired smoke bombs, all three of us would have died.”

“D-don’t come closer.”

Leticia tried to aim the gun. But it was futile. Johan pushed the gun toward his chest as he approached her. Despite holding the gun, it was Leticia who found herself backed against the wall.

“I’ll shoot.”

“Shoot.”

“I really will shoot!”

“In exchange, give me time to express my gratitude.”

Ah.

I’ve really gotten myself into trouble.

Leticia kissed him while still clutching the gun.