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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Humans naturally possess a psychology of resistance.
The more people who followed someone, the more others would envy, be jealous, and try to undermine them.
In a way, Arwen Orka in this cycle had fallen into such a psychology.
If you’re so great, prove it, she had thought.
President Mikhail Bismarck controlled this through strong leadership and definite rewards.
Those who followed him received rewards.
Those who turned their backs on him were thrown to the bottom.
Cruelly.
Miserably.
This had happened to the previous Emperor, to the imperial faction who followed the Emperor to the end, to numerous war heroes, and to the President’s old connections who dared to harbor different thoughts.
Ashblinka was a facility created for this purpose.
After trampling not only on social position, accumulated status, and human relationships, but even on the dignity of life itself, people were executed.
For Mikhail, the carrot and stick approach had always been the correct answer.
It was a sense that only those who held power could understand.
This was why he had kept Luthers Edan, who held an unrivaled position among war heroes, under his command, even giving him the alias Werner Grimm.
Because he was useful.
If Luthers had tried anything foolish, Mikhail would have dealt with him according to plan, but he quite liked that listless and empty attitude.
Using a legendary war hero like a limb was beneficial enough just for that fact alone.
Covering up Arwen Orka’s accusations was part of the same logic.
He needed a pretext to easily replace Luthers when he became useless after being thoroughly used.
If it was revealed that Luthers Edan was Werner Grimm, couldn’t he just unleash the Inspection Department and deal with him?
However, that choice at the time had now come back to Mikhail as the worst possible outcome.
“Your Excellency…”
The broadcast kept streaming testimonies from those he had personally thrown into Ashblinka.
Who would have thought they would attack the detention camp first while rushing towards the capital?
“Damn it all!”
Bang!!
The President slammed his fist on the desk.
As an excellent politician, he knew.
In the end, the fight between rebel forces and government forces was decided by who held more troops and justification.
Even if you crushed them with overwhelming forces, if the rebels’ cause was just, it would become a ‘forceful suppression’.
A deep scar would be left on the President’s once ironclad authority.
Maintaining the regime would become several times harder than before, and who knew how many usurpers’ challenges he would face in the process.
The current situation was exactly like that.
The justification was gradually shifting, from him to the rebel forces.
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Arwen had a dream.
It was a pleasant dream.
A dream of her walking hand in hand with her beloved on a hill full of blooming cherry blossoms.
A soft warmth transmitted through their clasped hands, and he looked at her with a gentle smile.
“Arwen.”
A voice tickled her ear.
As she met his blue eyes that perfectly mirrored the high sky, and was about to close her eyes as their faces drew closer…
“Arwen Orka!!”
Splash!! Swoosh!!
Arwen opened her eyes to the shock of cold water hitting her entire body.
They had splashed cold water on her because she wouldn’t wake up.
Behind the soldier who had thrown the water stood Reinhard Himmler, the Chief of Military Police, looking down at her.
Ah.
Right, of course that couldn’t be real.
Perhaps she had just wanted to see his face one last time.
“His Excellency the President is asking for you.”
Reinhard Himmler said as he unlocked the handcuffs that had bound Arwen to the wall.
Even though the handcuffs restraining her hands were removed, Arwen simply collapsed on the floor.
Her body and mind were utterly exhausted.
“Your former superior has recklessly started a rebellion.”
Arwen let out a sigh of relief at Reinhard’s words.
So it was true.
She hadn’t known due to losing her sense of time.
As Charlotte had said, Luthers had clearly raised the flag of rebellion against the President.
It was good that she had escaped.
If he had seen her in such a miserable state after being captured, it would have left an indelible scar on his noble soul, no matter how many deaths he had endured.
“So today is finally the day for you to keep the promise you made.”
“I… understand.”
She answered.
The promise.
Originally, Arwen should have suffered as much as anyone else in Ashblinka.
But before she could be trampled by guards who were worse than beasts, she was urgently transferred from Ashblinka to the capital.
This happened just two days before Luthers liberated the camp.
It was because President Mikhail had taken great interest in one of her testimonies.
-…Charlotte said she saw something in the Oracle project.
-I’ll take charge of that project instead… Please, just relay this message to the President.
It was utterly ridiculous.
The woman who had been adamantly refusing to submit until just a day before had suddenly capitulated.
Perhaps it was because she had witnessed the woman in the cell across from her being pounced on by several guards.
Had she been broken?
How boring.
In truth, as the Chief of Military Police, Reinhard didn’t particularly care about the reason.
If anything, it worked out well.
The reason Reinhard had been particularly gentle with Arwen, even going so far as to summarily execute other guards, was entirely due to his twisted sexual desires.
He was bored of simply grabbing women and having his way with them.
Anyone could do that, couldn’t they?
Even those ugly and dim-witted fools could grab a passing woman and rape her, and in the end, it was all the same.
Reinhard Himmler wanted a more lingering, more dramatic stimulation.
Once this was over, he planned to take Arwen and comfort her himself.
Was there anything more fun and valuable than thoroughly destroying the expectations and trust built up just as someone who had been refusing to open their heart was about to accept those feelings?
“We don’t have time. Let’s move.”
Reinhard supported Arwen and helped her stand up.
He did all of this without realizing that it was actually all part of Arwen’s plan.
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[Shes probs gonna assassinate the president or somethin]
