Chapter 42

After telling Lucy about the dessert shop’s location, I left headquarters and hopped into a jeep, heading toward the military supply factory Lieutenant McCall had mentioned.

After about 30 minutes of driving, the driver gently pressed the brakes.

The jeep gradually slowed down and finally stopped at the entrance to the collapsed supply factory.

“We’ve arrived, Commander.”

I gave a quick nod to the driver, opened the door, and stepped out.

Passing through the half-destroyed main gate, I could see patrol personnel gathered not too far inside.

McCall and the soldiers chatting nearby turned their heads upon hearing our approach.

Spotting me, they quickly saluted.

“Commander! We’ve been waiting for you!”

I casually returned the salute as I approached.

“Where’s the research lab?”

“Ah. This way.”

Lieutenant McCall pointed toward the ground.

Turning my head, I saw an open steel door revealing stairs leading down to the underground.

“An underground base, huh? The Kingdom sure loves building stuff underground.”

“That’s right. Must be from their alliance with the United Nations—they act just like rats,” McCall joked.

The soldiers around him let out dry laughs.

I smirked faintly and glanced back at McCall.

“You’re cracking more jokes these days. But how thorough was your search?”

“We only did a basic situation assessment. No traps seem set, so feel free to look around. If you’d like, I can accompany you, Commander.”

“Nah. I’ll go alone. You stay here with the troops and guard the entrance.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, I descended the stairs into the underground.

As I went down, it grew darker, so I pulled out the flashlight I’d prepared in advance and flicked it on.

Click—

The light illuminated the path ahead.

At the bottom of the stairs stood another steel door, already wide open, probably left that way by McCall.

Cautiously stepping inside, I found myself on an epoxy-coated floor.

The shiny surface was lined with long tables and various experimental tools—flasks, microscopes, and other gadgets whose purposes even I couldn’t fully understand.

‘What kind of work were they doing here…?’

Trying to assess the situation, I noticed all samples or research materials seemed cleared out, leaving behind only the equipment.

Dust floated lazily in the air as I observed the room, eventually spotting an open automatic door.

Walking through, I entered a wide corridor.

On either side of the corridor were iron bars dividing sections that looked like cells, each containing a bed and tableware.

It had a prison-like structure, though no one was there now.

Judging by the open doors, they must have taken everyone away.

Taking a deep breath, I continued walking.

Because at the end of the corridor stood yet another steel door.

Reaching it, I grabbed the handle and pulled.

Creak—

The door hesitated before stopping halfway.

Regaining my composure, I yanked harder.

The steel door swung open, scattering ash everywhere.

“…Ash?”

Looking inside, I saw the floor covered in piles of ash.

“They burned something… and a lot of it.”

Most likely documents—papers containing the research facility’s records.

“But this is sloppy. There are signs they fled hastily.”

They probably built the underground base to hide their forbidden experiments from the world.

If that’s true, logically speaking, they should have properly disposed of the experimental equipment, beds, and tableware when evacuating.

That they didn’t implies they lacked time during their rushed retreat.

“They didn’t expect the Imperial Army to breach their supply lines and invade the city so quickly.”

The fact they torched valuable research data suggests they were under tight deadlines.

They likely fled without verifying whether the papers were fully incinerated.

Glancing around, I easily spotted unsold papers lying amidst the debris.

Though not intact, they were still legible enough to piece together what happened.

Picking up a few sheets, I brushed off the ash coating them.

The writing became visible:

“…Our ultimate goal is to develop cutting-edge combat weapons capable of turning the tide of war. By fusing magic and science, we aim to transform humans into weapons, which would not only thwart the Empire’s ambitions but also elevate the Kingdom to a superpower…”

Much of the text was scorched, making further reading impossible.

Flipping to the next page:

“…While most magics have fallen out of practical use, proven spells still exist. Magic-infusion and temporary physical enhancement are widely usable by soldiers, but specialized techniques such as optical camouflage or gravity field creation demand exceptional talent.”

Next page:

“…What if we could artificially induce talent? For example, if regular soldiers could possess strength equal to the Imperial Guard, how might that change things? This experiment began with infusing unidentified volunteers with high magical affinity with enhancement substances…”

Next page:

“…Ultimately, all attempts failed. Every volunteer exhibited abnormal magical reactions, suffering from vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, confusion, hallucinations, and self-harm. Their magical improvements were minimal, rendering them unusable in combat. Additionally, we questioned whether those enduring such torment would remain loyal…”

Next page:

“…According to recent intelligence from the Allied Nations, one successful subject exists. It’s currently unique, with magical capabilities far exceeding expectations. In tribute, our researchers named the upcoming project after said subject…”

Stopping at the last line, I narrowed my eyes sharply.

“…Lucy Project.”

The Lucy Project.

That name was unmistakably written at the bottom of the report.

*

After securing the report, I exited the lab and instructed Lieutenant McCall to keep its discovery classified.

Later, while patrolling nearby to gather my thoughts, I headed to the agreed-upon dessert shop to meet Lucy in the afternoon.

Walking in, soft classical music greeted my ears.

Admiring the Gothic-style interior, I noticed someone waving enthusiastically from a window-side table.

“It’s you, Captain!”

Turning, I saw Cadet Prien.

Oddly enough, Lucy sat beside her.

Curious, I approached and asked,

“Cadet Prien? Didn’t expect to find you here with my aide-de-camp.”

“I came for dessert and ran into Lieutenant Lucy. She mentioned you were coming, so we waited. Oh, by the way! I’ve already ordered everything, so just take a seat.”

“You ordered for me?”

“Yes. Lucy told me you sang about wanting éclairs, so I thought I’d save you some time.”

Not bad, I thought, nodding as I sat across from Prien.

Then I glanced at Lucy.

“…An experimental subject, huh? Lucy?”

In the game, her past remained undisclosed, so this was new information to me.

Moreover, no human weapons like Lucy appeared throughout the game—except for one in the enemy nation, who was simply exceptionally talented, not engineered.

This meant their cutting-edge weapon development project kept failing, even in the distant future.

“Still…”

How could Lucy, once an Allied Nation’s test subject, pledge loyalty to them?

Was there something I was missing?

Lost in thought, I stared at her until our eyes met.

Her red eyes glowed eerily today, almost unsettling.

“Captain? Is there something you wish to say?”

Scrambling for an excuse, I teased,

“Just admiring your beauty today, that’s all.”

Caught off-guard by my unexpected response, Lucy blinked a few times before slightly nodding.

“…Thank you.”

Relieved my cover held, I sighed internally—but then felt Prien’s gaze.

She was eyeing me suspiciously after my compliment to Lucy.

Just as I wondered why, a server approached with a tray.

“Excuse me, who ordered the éclair and coffee?”

“It’s me.”

Raising my hand, the server smiled and placed the items in front of me.

Next, she served mint chip ice cream to both Prien and Lucy.

Seeing this, Lucy froze momentarily before looking at the server.

“Uh, excuse me, I think there’s been a mistake.”

“That’s unlikely…” the server replied, confused.

But Prien interjected cheerfully,

“It’s correct. You can go now.”

Smiling brightly, Prien sent the server away, who awkwardly nodded and retreated.

Once the server was gone, Prien maintained her smile and explained,

“Lieutenant Lucy entrusted me with ordering. Since you didn’t specify anything special, I assumed you’d enjoy mint chip ice cream.”

Even so, shouldn’t you at least ask the person first?

Thinking this, I turned to Lucy—and instantly broke into a cold sweat.

“…”

She was glaring daggers at Prien, seemingly ready to kill.