—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Werner Grimm never rested.
Once he set a goal, he ran towards it until he achieved it.
It didn’t matter how long it took or how hard it was.
Because he had infinite opportunities left.
Of course, it wasn’t just because of the opportunities.
It was because he had tenacity that he transcended even thirty-nine deaths and ultimately exterminated the Titans.
So this time too, he would do the same.
Even if he had to risk his life, he would do his best and face it head-on.
Because the fifth cycle, when he had let go of everything and lived a life of escape, was the last one that left only regrets.
Even if he had to turn back time and face the women he had pushed away again.
Even if he had to push them away again, be hated, and continue his lonely fight against the Titans.
The next cycle would be faster, more certain, and achieve a more perfect peace than this cycle.
“Haha, congratulations on your reinstatement, Brigadier General. As expected, the black uniform suits you well.”
A man with scars crisscrossing his face laughed loudly.
The frivolous movement of him brushing his own shoulders was an added bonus.
Don Matheus.
He was the one in charge of the “organization” among the cornerstones who had been helping Luthers Edan from the shadows.
He was a ruthless and cruel man who could twist the necks of a few subordinates on the spot if things went wrong.
However, even after his identity had been laundered once as Werner Grimm, the director of the Strategic Security Agency, he was one of the few who still followed him.
Repay favors several times over, and repay enemies dozens of times over.
That was the creed of Matheus.
Werner waved his hand at him, who was smiling beside him.
No matter what Matheus thought of him, to Werner, Matheus was merely a cooperative relationship.
It wasn’t that he was trying to preach some shabby morality, but the lingering unpleasantness and self-loathing in a corner of his heart weren’t something that could be easily washed away.
As long as the cornerstones, including Matheus, were “felons”, Werner had no intention of forgiving or trusting them.
That was the reason why those who claimed to be of one position and one personality changed into docile lambs in front of Werner.
Because he was someone who could bury everything they had built in the mud and turn it into ashes with a single gesture.
Fear, awe, and overwhelming power were the truth and the law that fulfilled the rules of the underworld.
In other words, if he showed weakness, they would immediately rush behind his back and bite his neck.
Didn’t even Matheus, who was dangling in front of his eyes, betray him cleanly in the thirteenth cycle?
So Werner never trusted the cornerstones.
It sounded ridiculous to say that he didn’t trust the cornerstones that supported the weight of the entire building, but still.
“And I’ve prepared everything you requested. The company that supplies ingredients to the underground armory has some connections with us.”
Matheus added, handing over a car key from his pocket.
“I’ve also prepared a separate food manager’s uniform, so you can just get in the car and enter comfortably. It’s a white pickup truck. The license plate is CX3432. It’s parked in the ground parking lot here.”
“Thanks, in return, I’ll make sure to handle the part you mentioned.”
“Oh, thank you. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to sleep peacefully tonight.”
The condition Don Matheus had set for cooperating was the destruction of a rival organization that currently had a tight grip on the underworld of the capital, Hoenbaren.
They were the ones who had swallowed everything that originally belonged to Matheus while he was being purged by the President.
“But there are no exceptions. What I provide ends right here. The rest is up to your skills.”
“Is there any need to ask? There’s no one else but a former war hero and the current director of the Strategic Security Agency backing me. That alone is more than enough.”
The location and organizational structure of the opposing organization.
The appropriate weapon procurement necessary for that.
Finally, an appropriate bribe was fed to the police in exchange for a promise of non-interference.
Money was overflowing anyway.
What could be obtained with future knowledge was not limited to war.
As much as he was deeply involved in the underworld, just the scale of the underground funds accumulated under Luthers Edan’s name was enough to rival the Empire’s tycoons.
There was nothing better than that to make the fat-bellied, stupid senior commanders and the unnecessarily heavy-bottomed pigs of the government move.
Now that the war was over, such money naturally began to be used as activity funds to support the operations of the Strategic Security Agency.
Of course, it was also used to care for the many comrades and subordinates he couldn’t save until the end.
Anyway, the seasoning was all added.
It was entirely up to Matheus to move directly.
“Anyway, be careful. I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but anyone can see that you’re messing with something dangerous.”
“Yeah, then go back.”
Matheus lightly nodded his head and left the room.
Werner fiddled with the car key Matheus had handed him for a moment, then closed his eyes tightly.
“Charlotte… and Lea…”
What they had tried to inform him of, even as they left the military.
He had to see it clearly with his own eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Could it be… really…?”
Even though she was seeing it with her own eyes, it was hard for Arwen to accept it readily.
“As you can see, the financial ledger of our Disabled Veterans Association is clean. There are still victims suffering because of those damn bastards, so we should at least take care of this much.”
Hans Rockfell, whom she had visited to obtain information related to Charlotte Evergreen’s wanted notice.
The very next day after hearing about Luthers Edan from him, Arwen urgently changed her schedule and visited the Disabled Veterans Association.
It was to verify the truth of the rumors.
It was Luthers Edan, whose pension had already been cut off long ago.
She had personally deprived him of all of it with her own hands.
But where did he get the money to provide financial support to dozens of injured people from the Graveyard?
“Certainly, the finances are… clean.”
“Right?”
The man missing one ear laughed heartily.
Because he was also a disabled veteran, he was keeping the foundation transparent more than anyone else.
“But it’s well-run thanks to General Luthers Edan. Honestly, we disabled veterans are the ones the country doesn’t even want to take responsibility for.”
“…That’s right. That’s why I’m also personally helping other people.”
“As expected of the commander and deputy commander. Both of you are so kind.”
Arwen was single anyway.
The country directly provided her with accommodation, and a vehicle was also assigned to her along with a driver.
She wasn’t the type to indulge in luxury items or other things either.
But she had reached the rank of brigadier general before the age of thirty, and her position was the head of the Inspection Department, which had great prestige.
Naturally, she had to have extra wealth.
So she was also doing her best in various ways to help others.
At least she had to be someone who wasn’t embarrassed in front of her injured colleagues.
“…Um, I’m sorry, but if it’s not rude, did Commander Luthers Edan give any separate instructions?”
“Instructions, you mean?”
“Uh, it’s just that it’s been too long since I’ve contacted him. I was wondering how he’s doing.”
“I don’t know about his recent situation, but he always sends a fixed amount accurately every month to the same account. If he’s retired, wouldn’t he be working at a decent defense industry company?”
Defense industry company.
It was a plausible story.
A war hero.
Moreover, a young war hero who had made an overwhelming contribution to the war.
From the perspective of the defense companies that had sprung up like mushrooms in the Empire after the war with the Titans, he would have been a desirable talent they would have wanted to bring in even at a high price.
It was natural.
Future military downsizing was a planned scenario, and if that happened, only companies that maintained a closer relationship with the military would survive.
But the Luthers she knew wouldn’t do that.
He found everything troublesome and disliked change.
Didn’t he almost run away from the Graveyard?
Without even a proper farewell.
Without even a proper explanation or words of gratitude.
Even as he pushed aside the desire to end things with a smile, given the time they had spent together.
Why did she come to dislike Luthers?
It was because of his hypocrisy.
She knew.
She knew she was an old-fashioned woman.
She had no tact and only emphasized unnecessary principles.
But that was something she couldn’t help.
How easily could a person’s personality or values change?
She had no intention of abandoning the mindset she had when she voluntarily enlisted in the military.
Of course, to avoid forcing it on others, she took the lead herself.
To show that it could be done even with a woman’s body, she always took the lead and inspired courage in her comrades.
That was Arwen Orka.
But her superior, Luthers Edan, was hypocritical from beginning to end.
He claimed to save people but drove them to their deaths.
He committed illegal acts, saying it was unavoidable.
He rejected, trampled on, and pushed away her heart that had tried to embrace even him.
Yes, not everyone would accept kindness as kindness.
But shouldn’t they at least acknowledge the effort?
Why did he blurt out harsh words, saying why was she doing such things and to throw away the useless things?
He not only left the gift she had given him under the shelf the whole time but even lost it.
He even disparaged her for questioning his illegal acts, telling her to shut up if she knew nothing.
What was right?
What was he so good at?
But the only reason Arwen had reached out to Luthers until the end was because of one thing.
It was because the way he sometimes looked at her kept coming to mind.
He looked like a patient with paranoid symptoms.
Although he was originally cold-blooded in his commands, his eyes never left the people.
But there were many cases where that gaze was particularly focused on her.
-Get your mind straight!! You almost died just now!!
He saved her every time she was in danger.
When she returned safely, he showed genuine joy, then soon displayed his usual expressionless face as if nothing had happened.
And one day, when she was seriously injured.
She couldn’t forget the sad look in his eyes that he had shown at that time.
Even Arwen, whose feelings towards Luthers had already worsened as much as possible, felt her heart ache for no reason at that very gaze.
She had thought, ‘So you had such emotions too’.
In the end, Arwen had reached a certain conclusion.
“…It was 38 Neudink, right?”
She turned the car and headed to the last place Luthers Edan had gone.
She wanted to meet him and talk.
…Perhaps.
She might even hear about Charlotte and Lea.
She could only hope that she hadn’t prejudged him until now.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
