Chapter 18 - Juroku

Night. The caravan fell asleep, and the mercenaries who remained to guard the common sleep, stepped aside and began discussing interesting things under the light of the stars.

...

–Takehito-san, do you really want to..." the girl said in a trembling voice

"I don't want anything, Talia. We must, for the sake of the Revolution, for the sake of a bright future, for the sake of our comrades, prevent these children from falling into the clutches of the Empire. – Takehito shook his head sternly, under the light of the moon – If they become the hounds of the Prime Minister, not only will countless of our comrades die, but the revolution itself will be under huge question.

The voice was given by Shin –N-but they are still children, commander…

– They are not children! – Takehito said sternly, waving his hand – They are monsters, monsters, warriors, murderers, but not children. Have you seen their power? It is no longer inferior to ours, if not superior. How old are they, huh? How strong will they be when they grow up in the hands of the Empire? Besides, did you hear that girl? They don't care who they kill, as long as rivers of blood flow and battles never stop.

– But they are not yet in the hands of the Empire…

"But they're going to join the army. And they will definitely join, believe me, there are no idiots sitting in the Empire to miss such talents. We have to put an end to it right now. Takehito said decisively in a stern tone

The weak voice of Mickey, the girl whom Ryuu helped, rang out – Are we going to judge children for alleged, future, crimes? And this one, even though they helped us? Then how are we better than the same Honesta? Then how are we better than this beast as prime minister?

Takehito shifted his stern gaze to the weak girl who was leaning on her brother to stand on her feet – Are you ready to take responsibility?

– What? – Mickey was surprised

– Responsibility. We can now destroy a huge threat that will most likely hang over the revolutionaries and militias. Are you ready to take responsibility for the brothers and sisters they killed in the future?

Mickey froze. The burden of responsibility is too great, but... – I'm... ready.

Takehito froze.

– I'm ready to take responsibility. – I bit Mickey's lips until they bled

Shin was immediately worried – Sister…

– How wonderful. You are ready to sacrifice thousands of your comrades. Boldly. Takehito spoke sternly. In his mind, Mickey was already dead. – However, I am not ready to take such responsibility on myself and risk my comrades like that. And while I am the commander of this detachment, you will eliminate this threat hanging over the revolutionaries.

Shin and Mickey hung their heads, not daring to answer the commander, much less look into his eyes.

The mercenaries stood in silence for several minutes…

"They're sleeping now. Takehito said calmly and coldly, "At first I wanted to entrust this mission to one of you, but now I understand that it's better to take everything into my own hands. I only ask you to monitor the situation in the camp. The caravaneers shouldn't know where their rescuers have gone, okay?

The squad nodded silently.

...

Takehito slowly and carefully climbed into the cart. - "Sleep soundly. Go away quietly in your sleep."

The moonlight slightly illuminated his path.

In this moonlight he saw Esdes sleeping. – "When he sleeps, he's like an angel, but people would know what lurks inside this angel..."

Then Takehito looked at the couch next to him. It was empty.

– "Where's the boy?!" – Takehito exclaimed in shock to himself, feeling his heart lose its rhythm – "This won't do, we need to retreat."

He only managed to turn around towards the exit, only to see Ryuu behind him – Are you looking for something, Takehito?

– Oh, yes, yes, I was looking for it. The mercenary commander was saying, smiling nervously

Ryuu tilted his head to the side and slyly squinted – And what?

– Uh-uh... - Takehito tried to come up with something, but Ryuu was not destined to hear a few stupid excuses from him

Falcata's blade flashed for a moment in the moonlight.

Takehito froze, and then abruptly grabbed his neck, his eyes bulging, looking at Ryuu with fear.

A cut appeared on the neck, through which blood flowed. Next, Takehito's head began to fall.

With a slap, the head fell and rolled on the floorboards of the cart, splattering everything with blood.

Then, with a pop, the body of the mercenary fell, showing Esdes behind him that she was standing with a grin and holding the falcata she already loved. "Didn't I tell you he was coming for us?" I clearly felt the threat and fear from him that evening.

Ryuu rolled his eyes – Do you think if you noticed it, then I won't notice?

– Tc. – the girl clicked and headed for the exit

Suddenly Ryuu grabbed her hand – What are you going to do? he frowned

– The massacre. Esdes said calmly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

- what?

– They attacked us first. They didn't appreciate our help. We have to respond. Esdes shrugged her shoulders

– No, we're leaving Esdes. Ryuu shook his head.

He, with the help of the Imperial Zone, knew that only the deceased Takehito really wanted to eliminate them. And then the guy was partly right, because they really are going to become a real scourge for revolutionaries, and in theory it was provoked by Esdes.

Takehito tried to kill them, so Ryuu was going to eliminate him himself, but to kill the rest of the mercenaries? No, it wasn't in his plans.

Besides, he was a little doubtful that his little sister would stop at mercenaries and not continue to frolic with the caravaneers, who are not in business at all. It won't be good if they just get hurt.

Esdes seriously frowned and pulled her hand away – Ryuu, I'm ready, sometimes, for your sake, to make small sacrifices, but now? When we were attacked in the darkness of the night to quietly kill? Kill your benefactors? They have to pay. Blood.

– Only Takehito wanted to kill us, there is no need to eliminate others. Ryuu said calmly, looking into his sister's eyes

– How do you know that, brother. Esdes replied, looking back into Ryuu's eyes with a little challenge

"You only sensed the killing intent from him, didn't you?"

– It doesn't change anything. Esdes frowned

Unexpectedly for her, Ryuu's face turned cold – Hmm, well, do what you want.

Esdes froze, and her brother calmly approached Takehito's still warm body, pulled out various papers from his bosom and headed towards the exit

– What does that mean? – the girl brought her eyebrows together

– It means exactly what I said. Do what you want. I take our backpacks and leave. I think you'll have no trouble tracking me down when you've had enough. – he said and got out of the cart

Esdes was left alone in silence with her thoughts.

The girl frowned with displeasure. After standing still for a while, she puffed out her cheeks and started kicking Takehito's corpse–"Stupid little brother, you have to obey your older sister, not the other way around!"

After letting off a little steam, Esdes exhaled and mumbled softly under her nose, slightly twisting her muzzle – Boo-boo, do what you want ... and you will hold such a grudge that I never dreamed of. He's about to stop cooking altogether, there's no need to talk about massage.

Having finished speaking, she got out of the cart and quietly followed Ryuu's footsteps.

...

Ten minutes later she came out into a small clearing. A fire was already burning there, two beds were laid out.

Ryuu sat quietly and stirred a delicious brew, the smell of which Esdes could smell on the way. - "Cooking. Again. Just like that, as if nothing had happened... something is not clean here."

The girl cautiously approached and sat down by the fire.

Sitting down, she began to look at her brother, who seemed to deliberately ignore her presence. - "You're burning... say something already..." - Esdes thought, feeling the oppressive silence and an unpleasant feeling that was spreading through her body

Finally Ryuu raised his head and gave her a lazy and disinterested look – Have you played enough? Now you can have a snack before going to bed. We are on duty as usual. Three hours you, three me.

Having said that, he put down the ladle with which he was stirring the soup in the pot and began to read the papers he had taken from Takehito.

Esdes suspiciously, cautiously poured herself some soup –"Everything is as usual. Incredibly delicious… However, this is his behavior… I can't stand it for so long..."

After sitting a little longer, Esdes said – I didn't do anything.

– Hmm? – Ryuu looked up, looking up from the papers

– "Don't pretend to be deaf, idiot, your hearing is worse than mine." – the girl thought discontentedly – I didn't touch anyone. Stop acting... like that.

– I'm behaving as usual, Esdes. – Ryuu smiled

- "The hell with it!" – the girl exclaimed mentally – What did you take for the papers from him?

– This? All sorts of stuff, almost nothing interesting, but I learned something. Takehito was the head of the Revolutionary army detachment. He came here on a mission, and his work for the caravan is just a cover. Here he had to find the lost, forty-seventh Teigu, Juroka, in one tomb.

– Teigu? Esdes ' eyes lit up

- Yes. – He nodded - A certain hero of Putra possessed Teigu and with the help of him defended his homeland when the Empire wanted to seize it. Funny, isn't it? The Empire's weapons were used against her, however, I think it was not the first time.

– Do you mean to say that Teigu is buried in the tomb of this hero, together with him?

- Yes.

– How stupid. Such weapons just disappear. – Esdes shook her head – Will we take him away?

- of course. – Ryuu smiled – Tomorrow we will conduct a reconnaissance of that place, I have a map here. – putting the papers in his backpack, he said – The opponents promise to be strong, so we will clean this tomb in several approaches.

– Great. Esdes grinned, clenching her fists in anticipation

– Yeah. – said Ryuu going to bed – Tomorrow will be an interesting day.

– That's for sure. Esdes narrowed her eyes

...

Two and a half hours later.

On a large dune, there was a blue-haired girl.

"So that's what you are, tomb. Esdes squinted, looking at a large stone structure in the sand – With this Teigu, I will become much stronger and then Ryuu will have to obey me.