Chapter 108

Chapter 108. Your Order Has Arrived!

Of course, it wasn’t like us superhumans could see the Status Window or anything.

So, I couldn’t just say, “Oh, okay,” and leave. I had to run my own little “tests” before heading out.

After turning the training ground into a complete mess during my “testing,” I watched as a bunch of unmanned drones popped out of nowhere to clean everything up.

Then, I decided to head back to the command center and check out the Quest Window, which was plastered with “high-level” quests.

But the moment I arrived at the command center…

“Ah, Commander!”

Jessica, who had come to the command center earlier instead of watching me “test” at the training ground, greeted me with her signature bunny ears wagging.

Sure, she always welcomed me when I entered the command center, but this time, she seemed even more cheerful than usual.

I asked her if something unusual had happened.

“What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“Yes! Marian caught the pirates who raided our Resource Warehouse and is on her way back now!”

“Oh…?”

“And she managed to capture most of the raiders alive!”

“Ohhh?”

“She said she’ll be back in about two hours and asked me to let you know.”

Her response filled me with immense satisfaction.

==========

About two hours and ten minutes after receiving the report from Jessica…

“So, these are the guys who dared to raid our Resource Warehouse?”

“You’re absolutely right, Oppa!”

Marian, beaming with pride and clearly seeking praise, stood before me.

I patted her head while glancing at the captives who seemed to be kneeling…

“Wait a second, where are their arms and legs?”

Turns out, they weren’t kneeling—they were just sitting because their legs had been cut off below the knees.

Not to mention, their arms weren’t tied behind their backs; most of them were severed at the shoulders.

Dozens of humans, elves, and some aliens I couldn’t even identify were lined up on the command center floor, all missing limbs…

I pointed at this bizarre group of limbless captives and asked Marian why she had brought them back like this.

To be precise, why she had “packaged” them in such a dismembered state.

“Marian, why are they in this condition?”

“Oh, you mean those trash bags?”

Marian glanced at the captives (?) for a moment before turning back to me with a proud expression.

“How about it? I brought them back nicely, right?!”

“…Hmm.”

“They put up way too much resistance, and some even tried to escape while I was bringing them back!”

“So you cut off their arms and legs?”

“Yes!”

Her aura practically screamed, “I did great, right? Praise me! Pet me!”

All I could do was pat her head and pinch her cheeks.

After showering her with praise, Marian began explaining why she had brought them back.

“At first, I was going to kill them all when I heard they dared to raid Oppa’s Resource Warehouse.”

The former pirates, now reduced to limbless worms, shuddered at her words, but neither Jessica nor any of the nearby pirate officers paid them any attention.

I decided to listen to Marian’s explanation.

“I see. But there must be a reason you didn’t kill them and brought them back instead.”

“Of course! After ripping out their captain’s spine, I thought about it and realized that dealing with them is ultimately your responsibility, Oppa.”

“My responsibility?”

“Yes. The resources they stole were yours, and the guards who lost their lives were under your command, right?”

I nodded in agreement, and Marian, pleased with herself, clapped her hands a couple of times before continuing.

“Anyway, it’s not like losing a few limbs means they can’t get new ones these days. I figured you’d find a use for them like this.”

“Hmm.”

“Or you could just execute them as punishment for the raid.”

“…Hmmm.”

The title “Pirate Empress” definitely wasn’t just for show.

When she’s by our side…

The vibe of the youngest superhuman was nowhere to be found, and Marian showed a cold and ruthless side.

Feeling a slight chill inside, I decided to make my intentions clear.

And upon hearing those words, a sudden choice event popped up in front of me.

—————————————-

<Event-Choice>

<The Issue of Dealing with the Captured Prisoners (?)!>

<Content: Pirate Empress Marian, though she may not be of much help to your grand ambitions (?), has successfully captured the pirate group that dared to plunder and steal resources from your base and flee.>

<She has presented them to you, having thoroughly dismembered their limbs to prevent any thoughts of escape or rebellion, as she always does.>

<She then posed a question to you about how to handle these individuals.>

<Choice 1: This doesn’t seem like the right time to discuss this, so let’s talk about it later when everyone is gathered. (Proceed with a follow-up event later)>

<Choice 2: I can’t let those who dared to plunder my resources live. (Execute all captured individuals)>

<Choice 3: Labor shall set them free. (Possible to build a forced labor camp, input captured NPCs to gain resources)>

—————————————-

‘A forced labor camp? Is this Aoji?’

Seeing such an interesting choice, I was about to immediately choose option 3.

But then I paused.

‘Wait a minute, this crappy game wouldn’t just give the player an unconditional advantage.’

Given that, like what I just experienced, the developers who throw in random events like pirates plundering others’ resource warehouses wouldn’t do something so benevolent.

With that thought, I went through a brief moment of anguish…

‘Hmm, if I’m agonizing over this, I probably don’t need to think about anything else right now.’

Realizing that agonizing over it was essentially the same as choosing option 1, I quickly selected option 1 and calmly opened my mouth to speak to Marian in front of me.

<Choice 1: This doesn’t seem like the right time to discuss this, so let’s talk about it later when everyone is gathered. (Proceed with a follow-up event later)>

“Alright, I understand your intentions, Marian.”

“Thank you for understanding, Oppa!”

“But for now, I’d like to discuss how to handle them properly once the others return.”

“Oh, is that so? Hmm… It’s true that it would be better to have experts from each field give their opinions directly.”

Hearing my words, Marian agreed that it made sense.

She said she would take care of them until Belial and our other superhuman senpais returned, and told me to call her if needed, before leaving the command center.

==========

And about three hours later.

After clearing today’s quests and returning, I told the five superhuman girls about Marian’s ‘gift.’

“Is that so? Why not just kill them all?”

“A forced labor camp is quite an interesting topic. If done well, it could be quite useful.”

“Or how about just reattaching their limbs and making them slaves~♡ It would be quite convenient if they could serve us♡”

“Pashtira, as a nun, you shouldn’t just chase after convenience.”

“Heehee.”

Everyone had different opinions, but regardless of the method, they all seemed quite positive.

And among them…

“Commander, if you give them to me, I think I can make them very useful for our base!”

Our mad scientist, Professor Gryanarr, with her unique purple glow in her eyes, looked incredibly happy.

As she looked at the grubs Marian brought, her face turned red and she smiled, seemingly the most excited of all.

I couldn’t help but wonder what on earth was making her so thrilled.