◈ Episode 284 Mercy in Steel (1)
The Liberation Army, who told the whole truth, was immediately arrested by the police called by Pasius.
Left behind, Ludger and Pasius pondered what the Liberation Army agent had just said.
“I knew there was something underground, but working with a warlock is quite a problem.”
“It didn’t seem like a lie. I didn’t know much about it because I didn’t have a high position there either, but I wonder where I just found out.”
“He said he was a Level 3 informant.”
“yes.”
Pasius nodded.
The Liberation Army agent said that as a third-class informant, the role was to inform the outside movement by moving secretly.
A kind of cutable tail.
So, I didn’t know that much.
Rudger thought it was very funny.
“They say they want a world where everyone is equal, but they actually rank each other and give them a difference.”
Pasius laughed bitterly at that.
“They are also the same people as the nobles they hated.”
“In a way, they are as equal as they hoped. Ironically.”
“But working with a warlock definitely crossed the line.”
“Maybe it was just that much power was not enough.”
“The Liberation Army is not that weak either. Because they also have executive-level figures.”
“But now, warlocks have been added to those executive-level figures.”
“That’s it.”
Even as Pasius said that, he was intent on keeping an eye on Ludger.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“yes? oh that’s… ….”
“Is it because of what the Liberation Army agent just said?”
Pasius recalled what the liberation army had just said.
He said that the Liberation Army was working with the warlocks to do something underground.
If I had just said that, I wouldn’t have cared too much.
The problem was the other information he spit out.
– Seseoorn! One of the three students is hiding our agent! I was originally going to contact him!
Those words of a liberation army agent shouting with a desperate face.
That fueled Pasius’s worries.
“Don’t worry too much about it. They are obviously trying to sway us by mixing lies on purpose.”
“You don’t have to force comfort. At first he was sincere. In such circumstances, he wasn’t a person with a brain that tricked us with false information.”
“…Mr. Rudger.”
“When I think about it, it was rather strange that there was none.”
Rudger said so and moved on.
Pasius also naturally followed him.
“…What are you going to do?”
“Student lives are at stake. We have to deal with it according to the situation.”
“Are you really okay?”
“I don’t understand the intent of your question.”
“Aren’t you a teacher?”
“It’s a superficial identity. You can change them anytime.”
“….”
When Ludger spoke so forcefully, even Pasius couldn’t argue further.
“All right. Then, finding that student will be the priority.”
“According to what they say, they are first-class intelligence agents. You must know a lot.”
It was when Rudger and Pasius came out on the big streets again.
“Miss Rudger!”
A familiar voice calling out upon discovering this side.
In the distance, Aidan was running toward Ludger.
“Aidan?”
Where did he leave his mentor, Caroline Monarch, and come alone?
Judging by the fact that I came here, it was not a coincidence.
‘Not even alone.’
Aidan’s best friend, Leo, who used to hang out often, was also with Aidan.
Did you come here to ask something?
Rudger thought so, then narrowed his eyes.
Aidan and Leo’s expressions were different from usual and serious.
Aidan’s expression, which had been clear until he left, was now full of urgency.
“Students are looking for me for a while.”
“yes. Please go.”
After asking Pasius for his pardon, Ludger approached Aidan.
Ludger stared at Leo and Aidan, who stopped and gasped in front of him.
“Aidan. Leo. what are you doing now? During the field trip period, I didn’t go with my mentor and went separately. And calling my name out loud like that on the street. Do you guys have no shame at all?”
Since the two students acted alone in a serious situation, Rudger couldn’t say anything good.
If it was the usual Aidan, he would have smiled awkwardly and said he was sorry.
But now it was different.
“That is…I feel like I should tell Mr. Rudger.”
“What do you mean?”
“It has to do with Leo.”
Ludger’s sharp gaze turned to Leo.
The normally calm guy was now terribly frightened.
He didn’t try to show off on the outside, but the way his clenched fists trembled was undoubtedly the same.
Rudger suddenly remembered what the Liberation Army agent had just said.
no way.
Rudger asked, trying to get rid of those anxious thoughts.
“Tell me what happened without leaving out a single detail.”
“Leo.”
Aidan called Leo’s name.
Leo hesitated to the end. It was because I wasn’t sure if I could speak.
Then a hand was placed on Leo’s shoulder.
Leo stared at Aidan without a word.
The moment he met those infinitely straight eyes, Leo was able to make a decision.
“That is….”
Leo honestly told Ludger everything.
* * *
About an hour ago.
Aidan looked at Leo and asked.
“are you okay?”
“you….”
Leo didn’t know what Aidan’s question meant.
So it was no joke. No, I was more angry than that.
“…Are you okay with me now? Do you ask because you don’t know what the situation is?”
“Leo….”
“I belong to the Liberation Army.”
Since he had nothing to hide since he had already been caught, Leo revealed his identity to Aidan.
“And in this operation, there was a massive terror attack and you were instructed to expose you directly to that threat. okay? The guy you believed to be your friend was actually a liar and an international terrorist.”
“Leo.”
“Don’t call me by that name!”
Leo groaned involuntarily.
Uncharacteristic of a Leo who never loses his cool in any situation.
In other words, Leo was pushed to the limit to the extent that he showed such an emotional appearance.
“What are you looking at like you’re worried! Now you should just run outside and report me! What happened to your hair?”
Leo’s voice was even mournful, as if he were releasing all his grievances.
“I cheated on you! Tacey and Iona too! entire! And yet you still consider me a friend!”
Leo rather wanted Aidan to curse coolly.
It would have been more comfortable if he had grabbed his collar and punched him, saying, “Why did you do that?”
But Aidan just listened in silence.
That action rather broke Leo’s heart.
“ha. ha.”
Leo, who had been venting his anger for a long time, gasped for breath.
He didn’t even have the strength to do anything.
“…okay. like a sick What would I do if I saw this here? It’s over in the end.”
“It’s not over yet.”
At Aidan’s words, Leo stared at him, wondering what else this idiot was talking about.
“Leo. You tried not to follow the words of those liberation soldiers.”
“…what is that?”
“Sorry for overhearing. I know you were in a situation where you couldn’t help it. It’s only natural that the family is being held hostage. Even so, you tried to resist to the end.”
“What use is that? It’s already over!”
“There has been no terrorism yet. And you have the information to stop it.”
Leo met Aidan’s eyes.
Aidan’s eyes didn’t waver at all, as if these words weren’t simply meant to encourage him.
Aidan sincerely believed that he could stop it now.
“you….”
“You have to let me know.”
“To whom? Do you think you would believe anything we say as students in the first place?”
“You just have to tell someone who can trust us.”
“Who is that?”
“Miss Rudger.”
“….”
Leo’s expression darkened in an instant.
“it’s crazy? Ludgar Celish Do you think that man will believe us?”
“Why do you think not?”
“Because of his personality, he would rather catch me and put me in prison. Everyone who follows the principle of principle is like that!”
“no. Mr. Rudger won’t do that.”
“How do you know?”
“Then who else besides Mr. Rudger? Is there someone suitable?”
“….”
Even Leo couldn’t answer as he should.
Even if you inform a normal teacher, there is no guarantee that what he or she conveys will come true to others.
But with Rudger, it was different.
He had recently risen to fame at once in the Arcane Chamber, and the mentors who participated in this field trip were also paying attention.
“Leo. You have to decide.”
“…It’s already too late.”
“No, it’s not too late. You can turn it around depending on how you do it.”
“What can I do alone?”
“I will help you.”
Aidan answered without hesitation.
“what?”
“I will help.”
“…are you really crazy Don’t you know it’s dangerous for you to be involved with me? You could be arrested as an accomplice!”
“Then shouldn’t that be the case?”
“….”
Leo was speechless at Aidan’s cheeky words.
Leo, who had pursed his lips for a while, drooped his shoulders as if he had half given up.
But even so, he said with a faint smile on his lips.
“…Seriously, you’re the greatest idiot I’ve ever seen.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
* * *
Leo told Ludger the whole truth.
Everything about why he joined the Liberation Army and what they are trying to do in the capital.
To be honest, I think it’s crazy.
Even while talking to Rudger, there were several times when Leo wondered if it was okay to do this.
But in the end, everything was told.
After I finished the explanation, I felt a sense of relief that I couldn’t even say.
After hearing Leo’s words, Ludger stared at Leo in silence for a while.
That reticent gaze made Leo feel too heavy and afraid.
How long did the suffocating moment last?
Rudger opened his mouth.
“Leo. If that’s true, your family is being held hostage right now. My sister and my mother.”
The first words Rudger uttered were neither angry nor rebuking, but confirmation.
“…yes.”
“You had no choice but to obey their orders.”
“yes.”
“But that doesn’t make your actions go away. Actually, it is true that you stole information about Seorn from the inside out. Am I wrong?”
“…no. All right.”
Leo knew that making excuses would be useless anyway, so he humbly accepted the facts.
“Nevertheless, you came to me. To somehow break through this situation.”
“…yes.”
Leo remembered his family. Next, I drew friends I met in Seorn and recalled past memories.
Neither of them was too precious to give up.
But if you choose one, you have no choice but to let go of the other.
“Then I’ll have to save your family first.”
I thought so.
“yes?”
Leo asked back, not understanding for a moment.
“Why?”
“That is my family now….”
“I said I had to save him. Because he said he was being held hostage.”
“yes. It was. but…Why?”
Leo had no choice but to ask.
It is Leo’s family that is being held hostage. They are not Ludger’s family.
To be honest, Ludgar was not responsible for saving Leo’s family.
Still, he said he would save it.
“Leo. Who am I?”
“This is Mr. Rudger Celish.”
“okay. Is it so wrong for a teacher to help a student?”
“….”
Leo had already been unable to speak properly twice today.
What Rudger said was natural.
As a teacher, you help your students. Naturally. It was also the right thing to say.
But people didn’t do that.
Leo had no doubt that the man in front of him would do the same.
It is true that I have made great achievements, and I know that there is something special about other teachers.
Rudger also thought this part would be the same as the others.
“Leo.”
“…yes.”
“All you have to do is say thank you purely for this moment.”
Leo felt something rushing inside him and lowered his head.
You may have known the truth.
It was her own narrow-minded thinking that she thought no one would help.
I just didn’t want to admit it.
If you admit that there are people in this world who are stupidly nice or who are faithful to their roles, you will be wrong for laughing at everything up until now.
Isn’t that funny
You said that no one would help you, but in fact, you were desperately hoping for help.
Where could there be a more contradictory person than this?
rational and
Calm.
He had said that with his own mouth that he had to think through everything calculatedly.
Aren’t you ashamed to say that and be wrong?
They are really stupid people.
Aidan, who offers to help, or Rud, who says he will understand after hearing the situation.
To be with these idiots.
‘I’m really stupid too.’
And Leo didn’t hate being with such idiots that much.
Drop, drop.
Tears flowed from Leo, who lowered his head.
“Thank you very much.”
It was a boy who promised never to shed tears no matter what.
It was the first hot tear shed.
