Chapter 122

Earth, the core base of the 2nd Corps – Under Castle.

It is the stronghold and symbolic location of the terrestrial reclamation forces, taking the form of a fortified city. Unlike the future, this massive fortress, unrestricted by any constraints, was designed with a thorough emphasis on defense.

Worthy of its name as the “City Beneath the Ground,” it housed a variety of military and defense facilities underground.

Of course, since it was a military facility, it wasn’t as deep as the Ark, but the fortress that used the ground itself as a shield had a very sturdy defense.

“Hmm.”

At the center of Under Castle.

In the commander’s office of the underground headquarters, a middle-aged man smiled faintly.

Though the design of his military uniform was the same as the others, its color was purple, representing the 2nd Corps.

The man gave a swirl to the high-quality wine glass, which was oddly out of place for the battlefield, before bringing its contents to his lips.

“Hmm, the taste is good.”

“Thank you for the compliment! Then, please take good care of us in the future, Commander!”

The man, uninterested, merely nodded at the officer’s salute with a bribe in hand.

This man was none other than Bellen Lathias, the commander who led the Under Castle and the 2nd Corps.

After the young officer left the commander’s office, Bellen lifted his wine glass slightly.

“You know, the glass is empty.”

“…I’ll refill it for you.”

“Hmm.”

The female officer refilling the glass.

Bellen, staring at her with lustful eyes, reached out and began fondling her body.

“…”

Her face turning red, the female officer neither pushed his hand away nor raised her voice. Desperation could be seen in her expression as she clutched her breath while trying to pour the wine, a sense of resignation permeating her inability to defy his overwhelming power.

“Hmm.”

Her unmistakable reluctance.

Yet, the contradictory nature of the female officer disliking him but not resisting his touch brought satisfaction to Bellen. With vulgar satisfaction, he swallowed.

“Could you come to my place later, not too late?”

The female officer flinches at Bellen’s words.

The slight trembling of her body and the darkening of her expression.

“…You have to keep your promise.”

“Of course. Isn’t the promise to send your husband to the rear?”

His sly voice.

“…That’s correct.”

On the other hand, the female officer’s voice could be felt trying to suppress her emotion as much as possible.

“Hoohoohooh, isn’t support like that how things should be? With a bit of effort from you, everyone can benefit.”

The ugly hand burrowing into her clothes.

“…”

Desperately clamping her mouth as a final resistance.

But that action only fueled Bellen’s ugly desire.

While openly molesting the wife of a subordinate, Bellen felt not guilt but pleasure.

The origin of his twisted thoughts was his status.

Because Bellen was a king here.

The ruler of this fortress, Under Castle, an existence without an equal. No one could replace him.

Bellen indulged in such arrogance while lounging, then suddenly, the door of the commander’s office was loudly knocked.

“Uh, Commander!! Are you there?”

The female officer flinches at the voice of a subordinate from outside.

“Tsk.”

Although Bellen clicked his tongue, he did not withdraw his hand but turned his head toward the door and called out.

“What is it!!”

The irritated shout.

Ordinarily, subordinates would have acted intelligently, picking up on the irritation in his words. However, something was different this time.

“Something big has happened! You should look at the command room right now!”

“…”

Furrowing his brow at the urgent call.

“There’s no time, Commander!!”

“I understand, wait! Alright!!”

“Ah, Yes Commander!”

Finally withdrawing his hand from the female officer.

Fortunately escaping that touch, the female officer steps back while straightening her clothes.

“Tsk, just then.”

Rising abruptly from his chair, Bellen exits the commander’s office.

A lieutenant waiting at the door hastily salutes, but Bellen doesn’t acknowledge it.

Taking large strides, Bellen enters the command room.

As soon as he enters, all the soldiers were supposed to rise and salute him, but the soldiers and officers showed no reaction at all.

‘What is this?’

While frowning, thinking about the situation, Bellen’s eyes widened as if they were fish eyes.

“…What?”

A large screen at the front of the command room showed the surrounding landscape of the fortress.

The barren Earth contrasts sharply with the clear and blue sky.

Suddenly, a shadow crosses the sky.

Cooouuuhh—

The thunderous roar and intense heat emanating from the large engines.

The angular and linear hull was covered with gold plating, a symbol synonymous with the aliens.

It was the alien flagship.

In fact, dozens of such ships formed a proud fleet marching directly toward the fortress.

“Th, That’s…”

“Commander! Are you here!!”

The fortress commander finally notices Bellen.

Grasping the shoulder of the approaching fortress commander, Bellen raises his voice.

“S, Commander. What is that? Why are those alien bastards suddenly—”

Spouting words randomly in an unexpected situation, Bellen was at a loss for words.

“I don’t know either, but the first thing to do is to prepare the defense—”

At that moment, as the fortress commander was presenting his opinion,

[Ah, can you hear me?]

An unexpected voice resounds in the fortress command room.

A voice coming through the daily changing encrypted communication channel, which the aliens could never know.

“Huh?”

“This voice is—”

Since the owner of the voice was a well-known figure, some soldiers recognize and show puzzlement as another voice sounds.

[Director, anyway, everyone should be hearing this through the external sound system.]

[Is that so? Understood.]

A cough.

Then, Bellen’s voice resonates toward the stronghold of the 2nd Corps.

[To the soldiers and officers of the 2nd Corps. I am Ryeoju Erharknen, the principal of the No. 3 Ark Academy.]

She first introduced herself.

[To the soldiers and officers of the 2nd Corps, fear not. These ships were obtained in the last battle, and we are moving to Under Castle to confirm something with the 2nd Corps.]

As Ryeoju’s explanation unfolded, the tension that had been tightly bound loosened, and the fear and worry on the faces of the soldiers and officers melted away like snow.

“Of course…”

“Now that I think about it, there was a broadcast like this the last time?”

“I think I’ve heard that too.”

Warm-hearted conversation.

Bang.

The sudden sound disrupts the atmosphere.

The soldiers and officers of the command room all turn their gaze toward one place.

At the end of those gazes was the sight of Bellen furiously smashing the command console with an anxious expression.

The sweat droplets rolling down his neck and the two pupils that lose their focus and wildly shake.

“Something seems odd, why now…?”

Bellen mutters to himself, then the fortress commander approaches him.

“…Commander? Why are you doing that?”

“…”

No response from Bellen even to the fortress commander’s call.

Gently lowering his head, Bellen slowly lifts his face and points to the screen with his finger.

“…Intercept that.”

“Pardon?”

“Intercept! Intercept!”

“Commander!!?”

The fortress commander is shocked by Bellen’s loud screaming out of desperation.

“What are you saying? That fleet is led by Chancellor Ryeoju, they’re our allies—”

“It’s a lie! There’s no evidence other than words, right!?”

“But the transmission came through the encrypted communication channel, there’s no way the alien bastards could have known that!”

“Somewhere information leaked! That’s for sure!!”

Despite Bellen’s unreasonable argument, the fortress commander responds calmly.

“…Commander, I don’t know why you’re acting this way but please calm down—”

“Shut up!!”

Click.

Seeing that giving orders is futile, Bellen draws a pistol from his waistband.

The tense atmosphere of the command room freezes instantly in response to this action.

“…What exactly do you plan to do?”

Even though the gun is pointed at him, the fortress commander calmly responds without much change.

“Only intercept the enemy!”

“They are not the enemy, as I said!”

Bellen, shouting with great intensity, prompts a louder rebuke from the fortress commander.

You hesitate, then your face turns as red as fire.

“You brat…! While knowing I’m the commander of the 2nd Corps, how dare you defy my orders? Do you think you’ll survive this?”

Bellowing angrily, Bellen.

After pressing the button in his clothing, armed soldiers dressed in full-body reinforced exoskeletons burst into the command room.

The rifles were pointed at the soldiers and officers inside the command room.

“Do you understand!? Remain silent and follow my orders—”

The fortress commander exhales deeply.

“Look behind you.”

“…?”

Prompted by the fortress commander’s words, Bellen turns around.

As if to validate these words, the direction in which the rifles were pointed slowly moves and then comes together at one point.

“…Ah?”

The laser pointers filling Bellen’s body.

“What is this—”

“What are you doing with a dumbfounded expression as if the sky is falling?”

A cold voice.

“From the start, no one within this fortress sincerely followed your word. Were you unaware?”

“Kuh…!”

Bellen frowning at the sharp comment.

But there was nothing he could do.

“Isn’t it obvious who commands more trust when comparing you to Chancellor Ryeoju, just because of your rank as a corps commander?”

The fortress commander smirks.

“You!!”

Bellen points the pistol.

A gunshot echo in the command room.

“Urgh…! You bastards…”

Gripping his hand while falling to his knees, Bellen.

The fortress commander looks down coldly on Bellen and nods toward the completely armored soldiers.

Soldiers rushing to secure Bellen.

“Damn it, release me! Let me go!!”

Struggling while being dragged away, Bellen.

The fortress commander turns his head to the soldiers after dealing with the headache-inducing figure.

“Alright, guide Director and the entourage to the internal landing pad. Be sure to treat them with respect.”

“Yes, sir!”

Receiving the command, the soldiers send a transmission to the approaching fleet.

Standing calmly while watching the approaching fleet, the fortress commander raises his palm, and a small hologram appears.

A formal membership certificate for the Dark Fog Order.

The hologram disappears instantly as the commander clenches his fist.

The fortress commander silently stares at the screen with a faint smile unnoticed by anyone.

…

The shuttle descending on the fortress.

Inside were Chancellor Ryuje, Edu, and Nisia.

“Things are going incredibly easily, aren’t they?”

“That’s right.”

The Chancellor nods in agreement with the same thoughts I had.

“I thought my presence might reduce some resistance, but I didn’t expect it to be this minimal…”

Her bewildered expression.

However, I could roughly guess the reason.

“What, it’s probably due to the image Chancellor has built so far, right? Isn’t it a result of that?”

The power of one’s image is frightening.

And if that image is not ordinary but a hero who has saved countless people at crossroads where the world was at risk of ending?

There’d be no lack of goodwill, at the very least.

“That could be.”

The Chancellor agrees.

Having that conversation, the shuttle lands inside the fortress.

Instantly merging onto Chancellor’s back.

The warm sensation transmitted through my body.

“Welcome to Under Castle, Chancellor Ryuje!”

We are greeted by simultaneous salutes from the 2nd Corps soldiers stepping out of the shuttle.

After Chancellor acknowledges their salute, a man who seemed to be their commanding officer approaches.

The shining second lieutenant insignia on his chest.

“Welcome, Chancellor Ryuje. What brings you here?”

“I’d like to meet the commander of the 2nd Corps.”

“Ah…”

The second lieutenant stumbles awkwardly at Chancellor’s words.

“Hmm? Will it be difficult?”

“No, it’s nothing like that… ”

While trailing off, the lieutenant glances around and leans towards us.

“…T, The 2nd Corps commander is currently temporarily confined in the brig.”

“…What?”

Chancellor, startled, repeats the question.

While I, keeping my composure, am momentarily stunned by the surprise of being struck by something like a blow to the head just staring blankly at the lieutenant.

The corps commander in the brig? What on earth could’ve happened?

“…I’ll explain more while we’re on the way. Shall we go together?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

”