episode_0021

Maintaining public order in the frontier is easy yet dangerous.

Due to the sparse population, the frequency of incidents is low, but near the city, one could encounter various dangerous creatures rarely seen elsewhere, making it perilous.

However, Libreville is different. Due to outsiders from the south converging on Libreville, the sole gateway to Merbia’s other populations, all sorts of incidents occur frequently, most of them not easy, as mentioned earlier. Additionally, various dangerous creatures that are hard to find near cities appear frequently: Elenis, mutant monsters, well-armed raiders comparable to most armies, and more.

In other words, it is a challenging and dangerous place.

I didn’t come to a tough place like Libreville due to any demotion. It is common for rookie commanders of public security forces to be assigned to tough places like Libreville. The Manchester military concluded that sending individuals to challenging locations from the beginning could foster significant growth.

Still, Libreville wasn’t unbearable. Unlike other remote villages, the infrastructure was well established. There were no issues with eating and relaxing after work.

“That darn woman….”

If it weren’t for the witch, my stress levels would have significantly decreased.

If the Manchester Council and courts hadn’t hastily enacted magic-related laws three months ago when I took office, they would have arrested me immediately. By now, I’d probably be rotting in Shawshank Prison.

“Captain David.”

My assistant, Corporal Lizbeth, approached holding a stack of documents pinned together. She was dressed similarly to me in military attire.

“I’ve completed organizing the documents as you requested.”

“Good. I might head home soon myself….”

I rose from my office chair.

Lizbeth, who was at least two heads shorter than me, looked up at me with her gunmetal gray eyes.

“Everyone except those on night duty left quite some time ago.”

“Well, considering we worked two hours past 6, that’s understandable. Ugh….”

I stretched and yawned.

“Thank you for waiting again today.”

Lizbeth nodded slightly in gratitude.

“We live together, so waiting is natural.”

My residence was Room 104 of a two-story villa built by Manchester for the convenience of military personnel. While primarily occupied by officers and non-commissioned officers, members of the public security force also resided there.

Lizbeth lived in the same room as me. The reason being….

“Of course, we’re sisters.”

Lizbeth was my stepsister, not related by blood. She was the daughter of my mother’s remarried husband.

“There’s no rule saying sisters must live together.”

I put on my military uniform hanging on the stand. I couldn’t stroll around in just a short-sleeved running shirt.

“Are you heading straight home? I’m meeting a friend for drinks at ‘The Weeping Banshee.’”

“Oh. Please don’t drink too much and cause trouble again.”

“Aw, come on.”

“You said the same last time and ended up in a brawl with the militia at the tavern….”

We, the sisters, stepped outside the public security building. Unlike other military facilities near Libreville, the headquarters of the public security force was located in the heart of the city.

“Shall I pick up some drinks from The Weeping Banshee?”

“It’s fine. Oh, on your way back, could you stop by the general store and get some iron knick-knacks?”

“Can’t you buy those yourself? It’s quite a hassle to carry them all the way back home.”

“The general store is in the opposite direction from our house. Please, sis.”

“Ah, you only call me ‘sis’ at times like this. Fine, I’ll ask the shopkeeper for help.”

With that, we headed off in opposite directions. The elder sister towards the pub, the younger sister towards the cozy home.

Wearing her mother’s skin, it headed towards the living house.

*

I unlocked the door with the house key and stepped inside. The shoe rack with shoes and slippers, along with a wilting flower in a pot, greeted me.

“Is Isabelle home?”

I took off my military boots and changed into gray slippers.

“Isabelle?”

The villa consisted of a hallway connecting the entrance and living room, a combined living room and kitchen, two bedrooms with fitting furniture like wardrobes and dressers, and a bathroom. The shower and bathtub were separately located within the villa.

“Is she sleeping…?”

I went straight into the bedroom. My guess was correct.

Isabelle was asleep on my bed, covered with a blanket, hugging a pink teddy bear.

Physically appearing to be a five-year-old child with corresponding cognitive abilities, Isabelle was actually much older than us.

“Mmm….”

Sensing my presence, Isabelle slowly opened her eyes. Her black eyes met mine.

“Hana unnie….”

Wearing black leather gloves (ordered by Lizbeth herself from a clothing store for children to prevent Isabelle from injuring her face when rubbing her eyes bare-handed), Isabelle rubbed her eyes with one hand while holding the teddy bear, then emerged from the bed.

“Why are you so late today…?”

“I was waiting until Lizbeth unnie finished her work.”

“I see….”

Isabelle replied in a drowsy voice, as if not fully awake. The blue halo floating above her head seemed to flicker, perhaps mirroring her grogginess.

Isabelle always woke up after sleeping for 12 hours in this state.

“Did you brush your teeth?”

“Yes…. I brushed them diligently. Isabelle doesn’t want to suffer from cavities….”

Saying this, Isabelle yawned.

When brushing her teeth, Isabelle didn’t use regular toothbrushes and toothpaste meant for humans, as they weren’t suitable for removing grease marks and metal bits stuck between the steel teeth that had been modified mechanically in her facial area.

Isabelle’s toothbrush was made of stiff industrial bristles, and she used bleach instead of toothpaste.

Even if it entered her mouth, Isabelle didn’t show any signs of discomfort. Her oral cavity was the only part of her face that had undergone mechanical modifications.

“Well done, Isabelle.”

I smiled and patted Isabelle’s head. She giggled innocently.

Seeing her smile tore at my heart.

“Hana unnie, why isn’t Lizbeth unnie back yet…?”

“Lizbeth unnie went out for a drink. She’ll bring food for Isabelle on her way back.”

Isabelle couldn’t digest ordinary foods like meat or vegetables; she vomited everything she ate.

Isabelle obtained nutrients by consuming metals like iron and grease.

“Isabelle doesn’t like Lizbeth unnie when she drinks… She smells bad….”

Isabelle yawned again.

“Hana unnie, can I go back to sleep…?”

I shook my head.

“No. You have to wash up before sleeping.”

“I don’t want to wash up….”

Contrary to her words, Isabelle picked up a plastic basket lying in a corner of the bedroom without hesitation. The basket contained items like brushes and detergent for laundry.

I took out clothes for myself and children’s clothes to dress Isabelle from the wardrobe, grabbing my toiletries left carelessly on the bathroom shelf with one hand.

“Let’s go.”

I opened the front door and stepped outside. Isabelle followed closely behind me.

We walked through the clean but somewhat bleak corridor painted in gray, reaching the shower room on the left side of the central staircase. Since the second floor was designated for women only, there was no chance of encountering men.

As I opened the shower room door, someone came out. It was a lieutenant serving in the 24th Infantry Division. Other than the fact that she was a year away from discharge, I knew nothing about her.

“Ah… At ease.”

The lieutenant switched the towel and toiletries from her right hand to her left and gave me a casual salute.

“At ease.”

Unable to return the salute as I held clothes and toiletries in both hands, I nodded in acknowledgment.

Isabel hid behind me, watching the lieutenant, who, after giving her a wary look, quickly walked to her quarters.

“….”

Still, she could be considered above average, if not in the top 1%. I had seen soldiers gather before, calling Isabel a monster. The division commander of the 24th Infantry Division once berated me, asking if he was still parading around with that trash, Isabel.

Leaving the lieutenant behind, we entered the changing room.

“Take off your clothes.”

“Hana unnie… You’re not mad at me, are you…?”

Seemingly thinking that the lieutenant’s dismissive behavior was because of her, Isabel nervously approached me, seeking reassurance.

“I’m not mad. Soldiers usually treat their superiors casually when it’s time to go home. It’s not Isabel’s fault.”

“…Okay…”

Isabel replied weakly and began undressing to enter the tub, down to her underwear.

“….”

Unlike other mechanical Elenises, Isabel had no flesh on her body. Her skin, muscles were gone, replaced entirely by mechanical bones, joints, and organs.

Instead of producing bodily secretions like sweat or waste (the organs responsible for such functions had been replaced by machinery and eliminated, which was fortunate for Isabel; otherwise, without being able to excrete waste, she would have slowly succumbed to its toxicity), Isabel’s mechanical organs emitted bluish substances that smelled like oily grime on the surface. They were easily wiped clean with a sponge soaked in detergent, much like washing a car.

I also undressed and prepared to enter the tub.

Upon entering, I instructed Isabel to sit on a plastic chair in the bath, and she complied.

Next, I turned on the shower, waiting for warm water to flow before Isabel picked up a cloth from the basket, sprinkled detergent on it, and rinsed it in the warm water.

“It’s warm…”

I scrubbed Isabel’s body with the soapy cloth. As I did, there was a faint sound of gears turning smoothly deep within her body.

“….”

I diligently lathered foam on Isabel’s back, making sure to get between the vertebrae where a faint glow emanated.

“….”

Rinsing Isabel, now covered in suds, with the shower, I found myself reminiscing about my mother after a long time.

When I was young, my mother used to bathe me and Lizbeth herself. Kindly, gently.

By the time I hit puberty, my mother had already turned into an Elenis. Not violent or aggressive, but devoid of intellect and age.

The mother known to us sisters was gone.

*

After a 30-minute bath, we returned to our quarters. Lizbeth hadn’t returned yet. She’d probably come back in the early morning. Just the thought of dealing with a hungover Lizbeth in the morning gives me a headache.

“Hana unnie…”

Isabel, dressed in pajamas adorned with moons and stars, speaks to me.

“Can Isabel go to sleeeep now…?”

Glancing at the clock on the wall, it was 9:30. A good child like Isabel should be asleep by now.

“Yeah.”

“Can Isabel sleep in Hana unnie’s bed…?”

Lisbeth detests Isabelle sleeping on her bed. While the visible reason was her aversion to the bedsheet getting stained with oil, it wasn’t the real cause. Lisbeth harbored a deep disgust towards Isabelle.

It was merely due to the cruel past where this Eilene once used to be a mother.

“Well then. Let’s sleep now. We need to rest early if we want to have fun tomorrow.”

“Yeah… I really like you, Hana unnie.”

Isabelle smiled at me. Like an innocent child. Like a child oblivious to the ways of the world. Like a child unaware of how harsh this world can be to oneself.

Seeing that smile, I felt something stifling and sorrowful boiling over in my chest.