Ch.193Chapter 21. The Art of Deceiving Each Other (5)

* * * * *

It rained for several days. A bit late in the season to call it the monsoon rain.

The radio said that once this rain ends, the heat will properly subside, and autumn will be right around the corner. The four of us, having completely settled into the health center, busied ourselves with various tasks like cleaning guns, packing supplies, and doing laundry.

Running the generator vehicle attracts zombies’ attention, but this city is relatively safe since practically everyone—human or zombie—is infected with “my” Chro virus. Not that we’re leaving the health center’s front gate open with a welcome sign, though.

We keep ourselves busy organizing supplies, maintaining weapons, and taking inventory. Sometimes, for a change of pace, we each grab a beer from the refrigerator, and afterward, enjoy some alone time in our respective rooms. Like now.

War, huh.

When Virginia brought up the war, my first thought was, “Sure, go ahead and try.”

If my information is correct, Elza has no high-powered weapons whatsoever. No tanks, no fighter jets, not even bombers. They have some armored vehicles, but they’re outdated, and all their mortar shells are obsolete models. I can’t for the life of me understand what Virginia was thinking when she declared war.

What does Virginia gain from this?

Consolidating her power in domestic politics? Strike Minsk once and then cling to Römer to force their involvement? Elza is Römer’s puppet state. If Elza is attacked, Römer must automatically enter the war. Or perhaps she’s using it as some kind of negotiation card.

Negotiation? For what purpose?

The answers didn’t come easily, and I dashed back out of my room. In the hallway, I ran into Leticia, who was mumbling something. The moment our eyes met, she quickly lowered the mobile phone she’d been holding to her mouth.

“What? Weren’t you resting?”

Leticia asked me first.

“I had some things I wanted to think about. What about you? Were you on a call?”

“Oh, it’s nothing like that.”

Leticia took a step back, hiding her phone behind her. Her face was that of someone obviously playing innocent.

“What were you thinking about?”

Leticia tries to take the lead again. She shoved her phone deep into her back pocket. I naturally wrapped my arm around her waist. In contrast to her modest chest and large hips, her waist is surprisingly slender.

“What? Do you want to?”

Leticia’s lips whisper near my ear. I shook my head.

“I don’t have any condoms.”

“Huh?”

“Need to go to the pharmacy.”

“Oh.”

Leticia swallows hard. She seems disappointed, but there’s also a hint of something dangerous. A certain flow suggesting such things aren’t necessary. But getting her pregnant now would be even more dangerous.

“…There’s plenty we could do without that little rubber thing.”

“Not in the mood today.”

I ran my palm down her waist, then spread my fingers to grab a handful of her buttocks. She lost her balance and pressed her chest against my arm. Leticia pushed me against the wall while carefully gripping my wrist as I tried to reach for her phone.

“Want me to put it between your knees and give you a few taps?”

“Who were you talking to?”

“Really.”

Leticia stepped back as if she had no choice. After checking whether the other women’s doors were open, she quickly pulled me into her room. Strangely, I always felt a sense of dissonance entering her room. You’d expect her to be messy, but everything is arranged with military precision, as if expecting an inspection.

“You really want to know that badly?”

I nodded. Both Camilla and Cassandra had mentioned that she “talks to someone” on the phone. I tried not to harbor unnecessary suspicions, but now that I’d heard it myself, I couldn’t help being curious.

“Leticia. I won’t make this about trust. I think our… relationship has long since moved past that point. But you were clearly ‘talking’ on your phone and immediately stopped when I appeared. Beyond being suspicious, it’s just strange.”

Leticia didn’t answer. She just sat on the bed, pulling a blanket to cover herself.

“Our relationship. So, what kind of relationship do we have? Forget about the others. You and me. Just us two.”

What’s this? Why is Leticia suddenly questioning this? She’s never brought this up before. Given the atmosphere, saying “Aren’t we friends?” would probably earn me a slap.

I didn’t answer. I could see Leticia growing distressed.

“What is it then? Just sex partners?”

“Of course not! We like each other, don’t we?”

But that seemed insufficient to appease Leticia. She looked increasingly disappointed.

“Is that what you think I’m asking?”

“Then what?”

“I’m asking if you like me more than Camilla or Cassandra, if you prioritize me. And just so you know, if you say something like ‘you’re all precious to me,’ I’ll rearrange the hair on your head, armpits, and down below. All three are precious things, right?”

It seems a bit childish, but this is clearly an important issue for Leticia. What should I say?

“No.”

I answered boldly, like rolling dice. Now it’s time to see how they land. Leticia’s expression was peculiar.

“Ah, not even that much? Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yeah. Because if I said otherwise, you wouldn’t get the satisfaction of stealing me away from Camilla and Cassandra. Right?”

After a moment of silence, Leticia burst into laughter. She laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth with her hand. She even shed a few tears.

“Was it that funny?”

Leticia patted the bed beside her. Thanks to her diligent cleaning, no dust rose. She’s a strange woman—wild in lifestyle but meticulous about cleanliness.

“Hmph. True. It is more fun being the thief. But you know what? There’s someone who watches you even more closely than I do.”

“Who?”

At my question, Leticia lowered her voice as if telling a ghost story.

“The scarier part is that the woman herself doesn’t know how to handle her own desires. So whenever she gets the chance, she tightly closes her mouth and her fingers…”

“Ahem.”

“Well, maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t. That’s just how it is, right?”

I ended up laughing too. Part of me wondered if I should slip out into the hallway at night.

* * * * *

Leticia agreed with me. ‘In the current state, Elza declaring all-out war on Minsk is suicidal.’ Quality of soldiers. Level of training. Armament status. Everything is lacking. The only things Elza has more of than Minsk are poverty, hungry people, and zombies.

“Ah, there’s one more thing. The Cybele Institute’s database on the Chro virus. But hasn’t the Minsk mercenary group already taken most of that?”

Leticia held up one finger. I gently straightened it back.

“Well, didn’t Virginia mention that they keep crossing the border and rummaging around? That could mean they haven’t found any meaningful data yet.”

“Virginia is a vicious woman. But she’s incredibly cunning and hides her intentions in layers. Even as her former adjutant, I find it hard to believe she’d start a war she can’t win.”

Reckless.

Virginia wouldn’t do something like this without a plan.

“Could she be aiming for Römer’s automatic involvement?”

Leticia shook her head at my question.

“That would be difficult. It’s true that if Elza gets involved in a war, Römer automatically joins, but Römer decides when to deploy troops. Even if they officially ‘join’ the war, if they don’t send soldiers, it’s essentially abandonment. And Virginia has an extremely bad relationship with her home country. That’s for certain. She’s too headstrong.”

At that moment, a possibility flashed through my mind.

“Hey, Leticia.”

“Yeah?”

“Your phone.”

“Again?”

“No, it’s not about that this time. I need to talk to Virginia.”

“About what?”

I’m not entirely sure yet. So I’m cautious. But there is one thing I’m certain of.

“Well, Virginia might actually be a patriot.”

“Ugh. Suddenly a patriot? She hates Römer.”

“No. To Elza.”

“Huh?”

Leticia pushed me away as if I was talking nonsense, but I grabbed her breast with one hand while taking her phone with the other. Even as she protested with a “Hey,” she subtly guided my hand deeper.

* * * * *

Virginia was mentally prepared when she answered the video call. The video quality wasn’t great, but she patiently raised her teacup.

But what she saw was her former adjutant’s chest and a hand gripping it.

“…Don’t you know it’s courtesy to show your face during a call, you lewd creature of Elza?”

– Ah, sorry!

A face did appear. The man she despised. A vile, cunning, vulgar man who seemed to do everything she hated. That man was looking down at the camera. The angle was from below his chin, tilted upward, showing even the insides of his nostrils. Virginia gritted her teeth.

“…How dare you look down on me? Remove that hideous thing!”

– But you’re ugly.

Sometimes, people are so shocked that they forget what to say, and their minds go blank. That’s what happened to Virginia.

“…What did you say?”

– You. Are. Ugly. Even from this angle, I think I’m prettier than you. It’s okay to look down on ugly people.

– Hey, that’s going too far.

Leticia’s voice could be heard. Virginia was seized by the urge to shoot the phone.

– Who’s talking about faces? I’m talking about hearts. Right, Virginia? You’re thinking only about starting a war by any means necessary.

“Ha. So you do know?”

– Yes.

The irritating man continued.

– But it won’t go as you planned.

“…What?”

Virginia’s lips twitched. She didn’t believe for a second that this lewd man had seen through her intentions. As always, she thought it was just another ploy to anger her. Therefore, Virginia was completely at ease.

“No. You don’t know. Die comfortably in the bombardment. You’ll meet a painful death caught between both armies.”

– Actually, no. I’m going to surrender to Minsk.

“Haha. As if someone like you could make any difference.”

– Then watch carefully.

Virginia remembered what she had said not long ago. This man became even more detestable to her.

– See what else I can do here besides physically comforting your former adjutant.