Episode 9: Shackles of Judgnt / Chapter 157: Awl (1)
TL: emptycube / ED: Oer
Fla-Rain stood in front of the thirteen towering stone plates. She did her best to not bend her back and tremble her legs and the tips of her eyes as she raised her head slightly.
Although she looked exhausted, she looked dignified like a queen.
{Did you find the location of the monsters’ queen?}
“Although we found a few possible locations-“
{Did you find it?}
“We didn’t find it.”
{So you failed your mission.}
Fla-Hell spoke coldly.
Only two out of the thirteen Exalted Wings comnted, Fla-Hell and Fla-Thorn. The other stone plates remained silent as graves.
{While an incredible number of highest-ranked and high-ranked warriors died in battle... You failed your mission, you say...?}
Fla-Thorn’s words followed a rhythm like a song, slowing and popping at certain words, as she criticized Fla-Rain.
Fla-Rain bit her lips.
“... I am strongly aware of this fact.”
‘Strongly aware.’ Fla-Rain was truly pained by it.
This reconnaissance mission was, in reality, a mission leading to death, yet those warriors followed her to that place while smiling. They always considered themselves as her subordinates.
After Fla-Sky died in battle, the Fla Wing Tribe abolished the monarchy.
Fla-Rain was no longer a princess, and following this, she wasn’t able to have subordinates. Yet, there were still people who followed her. Fla-Rain had avoided them in case they would experience disadvantages because of her... Which was why she didn’t even properly know their nas and faces...
‘Fools. Without receiving anything... You all went so far to protect this stupid woman...’
Fla-Rain mumbled inwardly.
The warriors had readily laid down their lives for her, yet only a hundred survived out of thousand. That was all. The rest had died because she was weak.
She could make an excuse. ‘From the start, the Exalted Wings gave an impossible mission!’ She could resent them. However, she didn’t.
‘Even if I did... It’s my responsibility for acting within their expectations.’
Yes, it was her fault. However, if she lowered her head in front of them and submitted because of this, it was clear that this would be an even greater fault.
Fla-Rain clenched her fist tightly as she stiffly raised her head.
“But! I cannot accept your words that I failed my mission. During the expedition over a few months, we confird the total area of the monsters’ universe, its topography, and three possible locations for the monsters’ queen. Not only that, we confird that the monsters’ forces are greater than we expected, including newly discovered ones. Of course, because of my incompetence, countless warriors... died in battle... However, we did not fail our mission. They did not die for a failed mission!”
Blaze. Blaaze!
Each and every ti she opened her mouth to speak a word, her hair would blaze white.
Her flas, which usually gave off a bright yellow and orangish light, was gradually turning white. After her hair, her eyebrows, then her eyes, soon even her skin swayed with white flas; they rippled around her like wings.
Looking at her appearance, a stone plate, who had been maintaining his silence, replied.
{... Princess. Was there so progress?}
Before Fla-Rain could reply, Fla-Thorn shouted coldly.
{Exalted Wing Fla-Fog. Whether in the alliance or our tribe, there is no ‘princess’ position!}
{...}
In reality, everyone called Fla-Rain ‘princess’, even Fla-Thorn. However, no one could argue if the ‘rules’ were brought up. Fla-Fog quietly backed down and his stone plate beca silent.
Then, another stone plate joined in.
{I too believe that the princess... No, Fla-Rain’s mission wasn’t a failure.}
{Exalted Wing Fla-Ember!}
Fla-Thorn raised her voice.
Unlike Fla-Fog, Fla-Ember didn’t back down and shouted.
{...!}
{...?}
That mont, various indescribable thoughts raged between them. In a single second, vast amounts of information regarding the history of the alliance and the Fla Wing Tribe went back and forth between Fla-Fog and Fla-Thorn’s stone plates. An extrely quick dispute created from their transcendent cognitive skills and the alliance’s technology.
It was an intense argunt.
In the end-
{Enough-!}
Whoosh!
Fla-Hell’s stone plate rang loudly and shattered the frantic flood of thoughts. As the chairman of the Brain and the pri minister of the Fla Wing Tribe, when Fla-Hell acted, Fla-Thorn and Fla-Fog tightly shut their mouths.
Even within in this commotion, Fla-Rain stood proudly, blazing with white flas.
Fla-Hell spoke.
{Fla-Rain.}
“Yes, Exalted Wing Fla-Hell.”
{The mission was finding the precise location of the monsters’ location, and you failed to do so. Then is the mission a failure or a success?}
Fla-Hell’s voice was courteous yet cold.
“However, we found three possible locations.”
When Fla-Rain argued, an enormous hologram appeared above her head. It was the map of the monsters’ universe she had brought. There were three red dots on it. They were the possible candidates for the queen’s location.
{I acknowledge that. So was it a success?}
“...”
Fla-Rain didn’t say a word. She wasn’t even taken aback. She simply proudly gazed at Fla-Hell’s stone plate.
In the end, Fla-Hell gave up on waiting for her answer and said.
{You were only partly successful. Too many warriors died compared to the results you obtained.}
He was scolding her, pointing out that they died because of her. These words were clearly ant to strike her.
However, Fla-Rain didn’t bite her lips. She simply blinked, blazing with white flas as if asking, ‘So what is it that you want from ?’
Seeing her like this, Fla-Hell realized that there was no use provoking her anymore. She was tougher than before and more resolute than ever.
‘She’s definitely changed... I don’t know if she’s truly advanced further. However... It’s too late.’
Yes, her growth had always been swift and surprising, but it was too late. Fla-Hell didn’t feel any sense of danger from Fla-Rain. Instead, he pitied her. She had been the more precious girl in the great Fla Wing Tribe. Yet, her fate now rested in his hands. No matter how resolute she beca now... It was too late. In fact, because she beca so resolute, she might even despair even more from now on.
A long ti had passed since Fla-Sky died in battle, and the mont the Fla Wing Tribe abolished the monarchy, the course of the ga had already been decided.
Even Fla-Fog, who wanted to maintain his fidelity to Fla-Rain, couldn’t do anything in front of him for a long ti now. The only one who could protect her was herself. This was also her weakness.
It might have been more of a pain if she gave everything up and clung to him, but she always tried to protect herself with her own strength, making her easier to use.
Wasn’t it the case this ti? This princess volunteered to walk into hell, and she selected her troop according to the wishes of those who hoped to be her hands and feet. The more she tried to depend on herself, the more power she would lose.
Fla-Hell decided to make another announcent. While it didn’t equate to certain death, he assigned her a mission where it was highly likely she would die. For she wouldn’t be able to refuse this ti as well.
{Then I will give you the opportunity to fulfill the other half.}
Following Fla-Hell’s words, two of the red dots disappeared, leaving only one red dot remaining.
{According to High-ranked Warrior Choi Hyuk’s information, a Kahur Kabkun creating a demise-ranked monster is near that red dot. Search the red dot region and destroy that unborn demise-ranked monster.}
Blaze!
The mont she heard the words ‘demise-ranked monster’, Fla-Rain’s proudly blazing flas wavered. Seeing this, Fla-Hell said.
{Please avenge His Late Majesty Fla-Sky...}
Choi Hyuk had already wreaked havoc at that Kahur Kabkun. The monsters would obviously be prepared now. Him ordering her to enter that region and destroy the demise-ranked monster was the sa as telling her to step on a visible landmine.
However, Fla-Rain didn’t beco gloomy from this thought. This wasn’t the first ti anyways.
Only, Fla-Rain vacantly gazed up towards the sky. She might have been thinking about her father. Her eyes soon returned to their unwavering state as she stared at Fla-Hell’s stone plate.
She said,
“Please do this for certain. If I return victorious... Please arrange an event commorating my triumphant return. Don’t change your words after I finish doing everything you asked.”
{Your declaration just now could be considered as an insult to the ‘Brain’. Why not be careful of what you say?}
Dark-Sound cut in.
Fla-Rain sighed as she turned around.
“I, Fla-Rain, am the 28th ranked transcendental warrior in the alliance. I have only now returned from the war. Since it wasn’t loss or a victory, I plan to redeem my insufficient results. As I will provide the alliance with certain victory this ti, I expect a warm reception according to the alliance laws the day I return victorious. Then, due to being exhausted, I will go rest now.”
{...}
The Exalted Wings showed their agreent with their silence.
They had been able to push her because she had been cooperative all this ti. As the 28th ranked warrior in the alliance, she undoubtedly had the authority to request a break after returning from war. This was especially true considering she would soon step out onto the perilous battlefield again.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
On her way back down the Road of Glory, Fla-Rain discovered the flower petals on the floor. When she spread her hands, the petals gathered on top of her palm. Fla-Rain put them away in her pocket and began walking again.
With slightly lighter steps and clearer eyes, she resolved,
“If I return alive this ti....”
**
The colonization of the Laniakea and Shapley Superclusters was progressing smoothly. Since they had annihilated the Kahur Kabkuns of the Rotten Border and a large area, the monsters’ obstruction wasn’t fierce either.
Only, whenever they found traces of karmalings who had experienced a grueso extinction, they were montarily filled with mixed emotions as they thought, ‘They all died to be used as nutrition for the demise-ranked monster...’
It progressed smoothly with no hiccups. At this rate, it was only a matter of ti before they finished the mission given by Dark-Sound and Choi Hyuk would receive his large reward.
However, Choi Hyuk didn’t seem to be very motivated in colonizing. There were many instances when he stared blankly, lost in his thoughts.
“Leader, what are you thinking about?”
When Lee Jinhee asked,
“Huh? Uh... The demise-ranked monster.”
Choi Hyuk would either reply like this or mumble to himself,
“... Isn’t she going to contact ?”
Looking at him like this, the artillery captain Handke tilted his head, saying, “Hmmm.... If he wasn’t the leader, then these definitely are the actions of a boy falling in love for the first ti... This would be true if it wasn’t the leader...”
Then a day ca when Choi Hyuk, who acted like soone with a screw loose, regained his vigor.
It was the day Chu Youngjin contacted him again.
Choi Hyuk abruptly shouted,
“What? A subjugative expedition has already been ford? Without ? Then what about ?”
{Ah... Yes, they already left for battle.}
“Already?”
Facing Choi Hyuk’s admonition, Chu Youngjin said as though there was nothing he could do about it.
{This was originally a secret. The troop that I’m a mber of obtained this information because they are very inford for so reason... But I hear about it right away since I’m a new recruit.}
“Ah... But I wanted to slice it...”
As if disheartened, Choi Hyuk stretched his legs and burrowed himself into the sofa. Seeing this, Handke mumbled, ‘He’s in love alright. In love with fighting.’ It seed like Choi Hyuk couldn’t forget the thrilling sensation he felt when he faced the demise-ranked monster.
While Choi Hyuk was wallowing in his disappointnt, Chu Youngjin, who had been paused for a mont, added so more information.
{Apparently, the princess is the leader of the subjugative expedition again.}
“... What?”
Choi Hyuk’s eyes shined viciously.
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