A War Hero With No Regrets – Chapter 36

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

 
The incident at the banquet hall was quickly wrapped up.

After a short while, First Lieutenant Edward personally sought out Lieutenant Colonel Drake Brown to apologize.

After all, it was an act of insubordination.

It was something Edward was capable of, as he was the one who had brazenly committed insubordination in his previous unit as well.

If it had been Karin Maven, she probably would have just trembled and tugged on Werner’s sleeve.

If that had been the case, Drake Brown would have backed off without further provocation.

But spilled water cannot be gathered back.

It can only be wiped away.

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant Colonel.”

“…”

However, it’s a different story if that action was motivated by the desire to protect his superior.

Moreover, if you think about it that way, didn’t Drake Brown also commit insubordination against Luthers several times?

He had talked back to a brigadier general as a lieutenant colonel, so honestly, he wasn’t blameless either.

In the end, Drake had no choice but to accept the apology with a disgruntled expression.

In the first place, there was no need to insult him to the point of mentioning Arwen Orka, was there?

From the first lieutenant’s perspective, it was a situation where his superior was being insulted right in front of his eyes, so it was understandable that he got heated.

Thinking that way, it wasn’t so bad in some ways.

Again, aside from whether Luthers was truly a respectable person or not.

The fact remained that he was a hero who led the war to victory and an outstanding commander.

‘He had always been good at gaining the loyalty of his subordinates.’

Just take the Graveyard, for example.

They were all like people arranged by God to save humanity.

‘It wasn’t like that from the beginning, though…’

Drake recalled his second lieutenant days when he had just transferred to the unit.

Even at a time when humanity was being destroyed by Titans every second, the damned military injustice showed no signs of disappearing.

At that time, when Drake Brown had no choice but to grind his teeth and slam his head on the ground.

“Ugh, ugh! Argh!”

“Hey, you bastard! This is insubordination! Assaulting a superior officer!! Ugh.”

“Isn’t it tiring to do this every time? Why are these bastards who aren’t even direct superiors causing trouble? Get up, Drake.”

Drake recalled the image of a second lieutenant single-handedly beating down his seniors with one hand.

Luthers Edan.

The former commander of the Graveyard was a thoroughly crazy bastard even back then.

How could he think of beating up his senior officers on the first day, even if they weren’t his direct superiors?

“What’s your name?”

“Luthers Edan. Feel free to call me Luthers, Drake Brown.”

“How did you know my name?”

“I happened to see the roster. There’s no way I could forget my only classmate.”

“Is that so? But what about these guys?”

Luthers Edan waved his hand as if it was nothing and said,

“They won’t even be able to say a word out of embarrassment. They’re just corpses without their pride. Let’s go for a drink.”

“Drink in this situation? Haha! Luthers, you skinny bastard, you’re really cool! Let’s go!”

Since when did they start clashing like this?

He was sure they often shared drinks together at the beginning.

“Look, Luthers… No matter what, this operation is a burden on the subordinates…”

“Captain Drake, it’s an order. And who told you to address me so casually? Strictly separate public and private matters during operations.”

“…Understood, Major.”

It was definitely since Luthers had been promoted to major through wartime special promotion for his combat achievements.

From the moment he reached field-grade rank, he had completely changed into a different person.

Perhaps the scars of war had twisted both himself and Luthers to such an extent.

The battlefield against the Titans was a place where ordinary people couldn’t endure while staying sane.

And (although Arwen would never admit it) it was Luthers Edan’s merciless decisiveness that was able to save everyone in the Graveyard.

Because he had to acknowledge his abilities, putting aside personal feelings.

No, what had Luthers Edan been fighting for in the first place?

Only for humanity’s victory.

Drake Brown recalled the story Luthers would share every time he drank during his company grade officer days.

That he could do anything for the sake of victory.

That was true.

A harsh reality where even Drake Brown, his closest friend and comrade, had become fed up and left him.

“Clearing a minefield? Because of this ridiculous order, two of my men lost their ankles! They’ve become cripples for life!”

“If it wasn’t for that, all of you would have been wiped out. Ankles can be replaced with prosthetics.”

“You damn…! You!!! Can you say the same thing to the subordinates who became crippled?!!”

“If it wasn’t for that, escaping the encirclement would have been impossible. I guarantee your battalion would have been annihilated, Lieutenant Colonel. Ankles can be replaced, but lives cannot.”

Smack!

It was the first time.

The punch Drake threw landed on Luthers Edan’s face.

Even when Luthers had talked about mental strength and enduring while being surrounded in the trenches, he hadn’t gotten this angry.

At least then, he hadn’t crossed the line.

But this time, wasn’t it different?

One couldn’t easily weigh the lives of others.

Even on the frontline of humanity’s survival, the Graveyard, sacrificing someone shouldn’t have been treated with just a few words and some paperwork.

But Luthers didn’t counter-attack.

He didn’t even let out a groan of pain.

Luthers Edan simply silently endured his punches.

Why did he show such an appearance?

Why did he have a sad look in his eyes even as he became bruised from being hit by him?

Drake Brown couldn’t understand it even now, a year after that incident.

But what if all of those were Luthers Edan’s extreme sacrifices?

What if he had simply killed himself to save the members of the Graveyard?

What if he had forcibly maintained the front lines even by joining hands with evil?

Drake sighed and looked out the window.

“It’s complicated.”

There is no such thing as ‘impossible’ in this world.

Then, now that all wars have ended, what kind of person is Luthers Edan?

Is he a commander who was blinded by achievements and arbitrarily overworked his subordinates?

Or is he a victim of war who has accepted the end of the long war and is healing the wounds of his injured heart?

Ding—.
Ding—.

Just then, a clear bell sound announcing midnight was ringing.

Perhaps during this trip, it wouldn’t be bad to try to improve his relationship with him.

***

Contrary to the concerns of Lieutenant Colonel Drake Brown, the commander of the 808th Security Battalion, the post-war summit was proceeding normally.

Twenty years.

The President, who set foot in the Republic of Bostania after crossing the span of twenty years, performed the act of kissing the ground of the Republic at that very spot.

“Glory to humanity who overcame the Titans! On this day, we humans have once again become one!”

Indeed, he was the President.

Whenever he carried out the given schedule, he conveyed a very powerful message to the people of Bostania.

“I, Mikhail Bismarck, sincerely mourn the fallen heroes who crumbled for the defense of Bostania. It is because of their sacrifice that I am here today.

If the Republic had fallen, the burden on the Empire would have certainly increased. Perhaps the front lines would have collapsed. In other words, you, the people of Bostania, have also protected my homeland, the Empire, and my loved ones, together with us.”

“We humans must undoubtedly become one. We have faced an enemy that is far too powerful. On that day, 15 years ago, when the existence of Titans was first reported in ‘Borslava’! If we had not rejoiced in the misfortune of others and remained silent, this would not have happened!”

“Let us cleanly settle the past when we growled at each other and move forward towards a better future. I believe. We who have endured the fierce storm will become even stronger, and even if a force like the Titans appears again, we will be able to overcome it!”

It was an outstanding move among the leaders of the five nations.

Even the President of Bostania, where the summit was being held, had the spotlight stolen from him.

This was probably because President Mikhail Bismarck was preparing for the future one step ahead of the others.

He knew the power of public opinion better than anyone else.

A young and handsome appearance that stood out clearly compared to other leaders.

A dignified voice and a message full of appeal.

It was no wonder that the people of the Empire were captivated by the President.

Mikhail was captivating even the citizens of other countries, beyond borders.

But such things were not a concern for Werner Grimm and the people of the National Security Strategy Agency.

“It’s delicious!”

“Wow… This too! This is really delicious too!!”

The Republic of Bostania, which was called a melting pot of races where various ethnicities had gathered even before the Great War against the Titans.

There were numerous countries that had failed to overcome the invasion of the Titans that had swept the world and had been destroyed.

Naturally, the Republic of Bostania had become the last stronghold of their cultures.

And the cultural heritage they had developed.

It also included various foods that could not be found in the Empire.

Thanks to that, Second Lieutenant Karin Maven was literally filming a happy food trip.

“Karin, you have a bigger appetite than I thought.”

“Ah.”

At Edward’s pure admiration, Karin stiffened rigidly.

“No, no, no! Eat, eat! I meant it in a good way. It just doesn’t match your previous image…”

“I don’t want to eat anymore.”

“…I’m sorry!”

Werner Grimm smiled faintly as he watched the two of them.

The atmosphere was quite different from when they first arrived at Forbidden Lake Fortress.

Back then, everyone looked like they were living only because they couldn’t die, but now there was life in their eyes.

Were they gradually accepting that the war was over?

Because of that, Werner also felt his heart becoming more at ease.

Werner still hadn’t escaped from the past.

This was because of the vow he had engraved deep in his heart.

Peace obtained by trampling on the corpses of countless comrades and witnessing terrible sights.

He was still endlessly sacrificing himself in the present to protect their eternal peace.

But when he was with the people of the National Security Strategy Agency, he felt strangely stable.

Was it because they were people who carried the same wounds?

No, the most fundamental reason might be because the war was over.

Although there were still people he had to protect, it wasn’t a situation where he had to keep them in his arms.

Especially as the director of the National Security Strategy Agency, being able to grasp the domestic and foreign situations in advance was a great help in stabilizing his mind and body.

There were no more powerful enemies like the Titans.

Even if he himself didn’t face death, they would be able to overcome it on their own or with his secret help.

That’s what life was like.

As long as you don’t die, it’s fine.

As long as you don’t lose your life, you can look forward to the hope beyond it.

The forty cycles of regression were never in vain.

“Director!”

“Hmm?”

“What are you thinking so deeply about? It’s a rare free time we’ve been given.”

When he turned his head, he saw Karin smiling brightly at him.

An expression he couldn’t even have imagined just a few months ago.

It was beautiful.

Enough to make him forget the past for a moment.

Werner looked at her and awkwardly put a cigarette in his mouth.

“I was just thinking happy thoughts.”

No.

That’s just a futile hope.

You are destined to suffer forever.

Face reality, Luthers Edan.

They can never take your burden in your place, no matter what.

Fulfill your given duty.

Lamb of war. Carry that cross.

Beep-beep-beep—.

Hearing his own voice ringing endlessly, Werner raised his gun.

On the fourth day after arriving in the Republic of Bostania.

A suicide bomb attack occurred at a memorial park for the victims sacrificed to the Titans.

Werner Grimm was also there at that very moment.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇