Chapter 104

Chapter 104

"Jupiter."

Startled by my voice, Jupiter turned around, her single eye widening.

"Your Highness! What brings you here?"

"I came to give you a bonus."

I threw a bag of gold coins to Jupiter and shrugged my shoulders.

"I had a bit of good luck today."

Jupiter whistled as she confirmed the contents of the bag.

"Isnt it too generous of you to give this much to an old woman who cant even work and just sits around?"

"Youve worked hard all this while, its no big deal."

"Thank you, Your Highness. May I buy you a drink in return?"

"Sure."

I didnt refuse and sat next to Jupiter. She showed a devilish grin.

"Its an honor to be able to pour a drink for Your Highness."

She poured whiskey into a fresh glass and handed it to me.

Jupiter lifted her glass and I followed suit.

Clink-

We clinked glasses and drank in silence.

"Your Highness..."

After quietly draining her glass and refilling it once,

Jupiter let out a long sigh.

"Ive been quite a burden to you, Your Highness, but I take pride in the fact that Ive been of considerable help in defending the front lines."

I nodded.

"You should be proud. Its true, after all."

"In that case, Your Highness... I know its impertinent of me, but... Would you listen to this old womans ramblings?"

"Ramblings?"

Jupiter filled her glass, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Im ashamed of myself, but I wonder how Ive lived my life to end up like this... I dont have a single friend around me to share a drink with."

"Is it because youre a wandering mercenary?"

"Wandering, right. Wandering..."

Jupiter savored the word wandering for a while.

I chuckled.

"Just let it all out."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

After taking a sip of whiskey, Jupiter slowly swallowed and opened her mouth.

"You probably guessed it, but its about my granddaughter."

"..."

"Even though its been 15 years, I remember it as if it happened yesterday."

There was a far-off look in Jupiters single eye.

"The moment I first met her..."

***

15 years ago.

The northern front of the Everblack Empire.

The magical corps of the 1st Division of the Imperial Army. The 2nd Units barrack.

Click. Click. Click.

Jupiter, who was struggling to light a wet matchstick, furrowed her brows.

Her vivid eyes, like bottled lightning, flashed with irritation.

"Darn, it just wont light."

Click. Click. Click.

"Damn it!"

Jupiter eventually threw the matchstick on the ground in annoyance and snapped her fingers.

Crash!

A bolt of lightning struck the dried tree next to her, setting it on fire.

"Hoo..."

Jupiter lit her cigarette with the fire.

"This is why I learned magic."

Jupiter exhaled a satisfied cloud of smoke, and then,

"Youve been told not to use magic in the camp, Jupiter."

The voice of a faultfinder came from the side.

As Jupiter frowned and glanced to the side, a middle-aged woman officer, her hair tied up tightly and in a neat uniform, plodded along towards her.

Captain Reina of the Empire Magic Corps Unit 1.

"What kind of insane magician lights a cigarette like that?" she grumbled.

Jupiter grinned slyly, a smirk spreading across her face. "Why, none other than yours truly, Captain Jupiter of the Empire Magic Corps Unit 2. This is how I light em."

"Bloody hell..." Muttering under her breath, Reina swished her hand, a gust of wind swooping in to extinguish the flame on the tree.

"Hand over some of your leftover cigarettes," Reina winked at Jupiter as she arrived beside her, a smirk playing on her lips. Jupiter, however, looked shocked.

"What am I, your supplier? Every time you see my face, you want a cigarette."

"Its been a month since the last cigarette supply arrived. Among the entire Magic Corps, youre the only one left with any decent cigarettes."

"Only because Ive been conserving them so well. Anyway, no way!"

Jupiter gave an order to the lieutenant.

"Contact headquarters. Ask them to confirm if its a military base."

"Roger that."

The lieutenant sent a message to the headquarters.

Shortly after, the message came back, and the lieutenant who had heard the response reported.

"According to headquarters, its definitely a military base."

"..."

"Camillas guerrilla tactics are notorious, often involving disguises as civilians. Headquarters believes that village has already been occupied by the guerrillas."

"I see..."

The lieutenant, who checked his pocket watch, nodded.

"There are 30 seconds left until 05:00 sharp. Ill count down to the start of the operation."

"..."

"30, 29, 28..."

As the countdown decreased, Jupiter, who was grimacing and staring north, glanced at Reyna, who already had magic concentrated in both hands.

Her eyes met his, and Reynas face lit up in a faint smile.

"Vacation in the South, you said?"

"..."

"So how about we finish this up quickly, Captain of the Second Squad?"

"10 seconds remaining till the operation begins! 10! 9! 8! 7!"

Listening to the count silently, Jupiter began to gather lightning in both hands when there were 5 seconds left.

Zap...!

Headquarters judgment was always accurate.

And this was the duty she had been performing all her life.

When given a command, you carry it out. Because thats what soldiers do.

Rumble...

Dark clouds gathered in the sky,

"3! 2! 1!"

The countdown ended.

Crack-boom!

Dozens of lightning bolts summoned by Jupiter rained down on the enemy base.

Buildings swept by the bright lightning crumbled, catching fire and burning up.

In an instant, everything turned into ashes.

Following that, a massive tornado summoned by Reyna erupted over the remaining debris.

***

"The operation is over. Both of you commanders have worked hard."

The lieutenant who confirmed the total destruction of the military base said.

"The medium cavalry division will now move in to clean up and investigate the enemy base. You two can return to the base."

"..."

Jupiter, who had been silently watching the enemy camp she had set ablaze, suddenly murmured.

"I want to go."

"What?"

"There, I need to see it myself."

A startled Reyna tried to stop her.

"The Magic Corps is prohibited from going on-site. We are strictly long-range bombardment specialists, you know that, so why are you doing this?"

"..."

"If you go unnecessarily and get ambushed by the enemys remnants, our troops combat power will drop significantly..."

"I want to go."

"Hey, Jupiter!"

Reyna tried to hold her back, but Jupiter was unstoppable. She was already running up the slope of the mountain.

"Hey, someone grab her."

Looking around at the surrounding soldiers, Reyna urgently shouted.

"Grab her! Quick!"

But who would dare to stop a magician?

Pushing through the soldiers trying to stop her, Jupiter ultimately entered the enemy base.

In the darkened, burned village, only the embers were left flickering. Everything was in ruins.

Jupiter carefully approached the charred bodies of people.

They were unarmed. Instead, they held dolls in their arms.

"...Its a child."

Jupiters legs started to tremble. She staggered through the devastated village.

There were hardly any soldiers, or even young mens bodies.

Bent old people and small children lay huddled together, turned into ash.

"Civilians...only civilians."

The realization of what she had done crawled up her spine, making her neck rigid.

"These damn bastards! There were no armed forces here!"

Jupiter screamed at the soldiers who belatedly followed her into the village.

"Everyone...everyone here was just old folks and children!"