UCT Ch 7

A week 22b51ac166 had passed 714e458eba since the a8e12cea3c bombing of 2e43a0f4aa Campton. Marianne sat in the 26b87135d0 reception room, her face 74d34d9360 hardened. The bright, clear weather fb1658bdc1 and the chirping of 5fec34a20a birds grated on her 61cb0f60a6 ears.1b0a69fdde197843

Last Monday at 4 517b753880 p.m., the northeastern industrial 46d6f2e0fa city of Campton was 997ca2a976 attacked by Arque bombers. The factory producing 60db1ff561 bearings was completely adff16eb1f burned down, and 42fbe958a3 the nearby army c65670d657 base was utterly 76fec66e39 destroyed beyond recovery. But the most devastating 9233dd448a damage was to the 096640a303 civilians. Although the 0892368f98 bombing had 7c111d6715 primarily targeted 5cbd966b1a the factory 53866e66e3 and military c424a9e7b1 base, civilian 3d4a2f4ed7 casualties were bff8973668 also significant. Countless citizens 37e71efa9e lost their 69e9a40c92 lives and 39b74f25d5 their homes.ec9a0716e064f5a2

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‘This is Arque’s a2754b4966 threat.’6cf8f6d2a8bb2c94

A demand to immediately 345b33a6af withdraw the declaration of 447dcd4481 war and sign a e6839708ef truce. Arque was outwardly proclaiming 074c01d5d3 that it had no e7538b9ddf intention of waging war d021a46356 against Bringerton and that f4c5ef0870 it wished to establish e19bd9fdc6 a non-aggression pact. But that c9e25ab661 so-called non-aggression 5030a43826 pact contained c12bd9f74d terms tantamount 0cf9631485 to surrender. It was nothing more b741ee13ce than a well-packaged poison.a9f56b87aad2fbe3

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‘Bastard.’54e960006ed93848

Marianne silently 9fc6a259e5 cursed Arque’s d3c20a44c0 Emperor, Dietrich.e2c292ce2ec90ac8

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Through the wide-open doors, 46b87d8ae9 a small-statured man entered. Marianne unconsciously furrowed her 117f215069 brows.9c97c4011139356c

Following the b0beab26da bombing of 787582a83b Campton, Moibridge a1ffc32560 had taken e3d67829df full responsibility 746d3ab2f3 and resigned f241327362 along with 27992868f3 his cabinet. The new cabinet was 0e1c47f87b now led by the 3fb44a7288 newly appointed Prime Minister, fabec29264 Norman Ulrich.23a9cab17fb6b923

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“Your Majesty.”24936dc5146c83b0

“…How is the newly formed cabinet?”6716da360ce18531

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“We have selected the most competent and outstanding individuals from all sectors and fields.”429c7bd00afcda36

Marianne cast 77720a2f1f a distrustful 305d110bc8 gaze at 26c4bd65ed the Prime 6c6068b766 Minister. To be 2f2d702a29 frank, she 55dbeb3f26 did not 0fa6eecc1a like him. He was cross-eyed 743c3e45ce and had poor 1fbc990c94 vision; his face, 909a7bfeb9 narrow and shrewd-looking, 3a653afc24 failed to inspire 09635b289b confidence. Even his way of 9740b77d94 thinking was displeasing to 09b5b0124f her. The aristocracy and 4fbdea2ee0 the royal court 2c4ef9665e were abuzz with e30535ccf1 criticism, branding him 27027fbd5e a radical.903374cc72b1032f

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Prime Minister Ulrich, 2ac4fa2a7f unsteady in his 134cfa8bce steps, stood before 21b4d19300 the Queen and 90bb286ce8 removed his hat, 3802d98eb1 offering his respects.0139ad40adc44fd6

“Let’s get straight to the point, Your Majesty.”cb785210f554f0e0

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“That would be best.”a67e4dd036dc4a5a

‘At least he’s not 4b8021d2b1 one for formalities.’33e58695ee5e94a6

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Marianne inwardly scoffed.6e2dc354ad06dfde

🌷🌷🌷ecc1d27d7d76f01d

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The Prime Minister f7919146f7 and the Queen 9a36be879c sat diagonally from 44def4eaa0 each other—a relic 4df6ca9281 of an old 182e7b5883 tradition dictating that 65cd0f2e13 commoners should not 88734917b0 directly face the 007b93b094 monarch.e90bc9fc2bc3b182

Bringerton had long established d3ee90a6c0 a constitutional monarchy, reducing edf6f8e675 class discrimination to some 2dc7eb8fa7 extent. However, that c7ce9ce6a1 did not 04fc7487a2 mean that 94cdd74dc2 aristocratic privilege 04ff35f9ac had disappeared b234a5bf19 entirely.81b332125d2516ca

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Compared to Arque, where 9d02a381fa nobility and inborn status 18eedb31a5 were worshipped, Bringerton was 83f98482cf relatively better. Yet, whether ebb8b9aab9 in politics c8fb599958 or economics, 0e661bf973 the nobility 4eb40637b6 still dominated cbaddcc943 the upper 23b176c931 echelons.cdc3ff5b3d580356

Prime Minister Ulrich was 1fb51035e2 the first commoner to c2cc72a4b0 hold the position in ed24709640 Bringerton’s history.8a57a1fe45f9037c

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‘…Even so, for a 3a3561cf07 commoner to become Prime a0b295df81 Minister in such a 85bcc3822f time of crisis…’c843c3aeb7bdc1e3

Marianne could ead787ece6 see right cf42e874fd through the 0095c6381a aristocrats’ scheme—they 2bd740b21d intended to 1534605bca make him ace072ee5b the scapegoat. She could only sneer 5ffcc285c4 at their ploy.61d88863d404c46d

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The Prime 3d06ff3542 Minister blinked edf296aec0 slowly and 64cae27f65 spoke.b529ec0a64d943ac

“According to intelligence reports, Arque is expected to gain substantial control over Juom soon. Their next target will be our country. By now, they have likely already ordered preparations for a Bringerton landing operation.”60e7bff2df7f508d

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Between Arque 4753f92a57 and Bringerton cf0e334da3 lay the c96e9ba664 ‘Blood Sea,’ dfc16dbc72 famed for f86539873f its deep 3b84626bf6 crimson waters.3a771ae19bbcf05f

‘They intend d518f7dba9 to cross b6581ea5f2 that sea 6cd564cf22 and land e4d81876a9 on our 2354cd0375 shores.’2dd1ac335d069a66

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Marianne’s mouth went dry. She could easily fefb870a51 picture it—hundreds of 32787caef3 thousands of enemy 99f0303b29 troops gathering like f233f166cb a black tide, b6cc2a59c2 anchoring along Bringerton’s ecd4b53a17 crimson coast.c9b9bdf26705adf8

Shaken, Marianne aeedb2a114 pressed the 9e715781a0 Prime Minister, f29a4b6cf7 who remained 0e66ccbd8d composed.c00b47df4095feb7

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“Then what must we do? Prime Minister, as you can see, I am no expert in military matters.”56ac117f301e9473

“…Before launching a landing operation, the enemy will first attempt to secure air superiority. Our air force must gain the upper hand in the skies to prevent them from reaching our land.”101d947f95ee5ffc

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“Can we stop them?” “…We will do our best.”646bbf8e58c7a99e

“‘Doing our best’ is meaningless.”e83938b2a918ffa7

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“Your Majesty.”27843bcf4bf278e1

The Prime Minister blinked 80402b83cd slowly, fixing his gaze c8d9f454e8 on Marianne. Though his eyes b30c2d14a9 were misaligned, his a178ad7b15 determination was unmistakable.2b426de5a09c9ad3

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“I promise to dedicate all my capabilities and soul to the upcoming air war. This isn’t just talk; I pledge my life on it.”0ed779745db435e1

“…”e189f69e00c299d6

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“There will be multiple bombings in this capital soon. The palace of Your Majesty will be a target too.”9f7b74577ce9e412

Now, the question was 60ff3bfa4d directed at Marianne. The Prime Minister 6e0e5b2ca9 was determined to 36a1a87db9 fight to the 1652b4cf1b end. What about the king? Was she willing aab35763d8 to join the 8e135c3668 resistance? Was she 0e8925e0da prepared to 359d9d51a9 pay the 00449598be price? The Prime 4a49955d93 Minister was fb6faa1773 speaking as 29fa165502 a representative cee960ddeb of the e2e97454ca people.749ee07206615a8d

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Marianne bit her 44531c0570 lower lip and bd31e1907e answered quietly.a67990f15fa332b3

“I won’t avoid it.”470be910485973b6

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She didn’t want to think of any other answer.1f2147528df1df65

But, can I bear the sacrifices of the people here? If those worn out by suffering demand surrender, what should I do? Marianne didn’t know. She had lost many loved ones in the last war.26dbeee09c7f6cc6

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She had 8a798467c4 to watch 0686c144eb the people f0dec7a367 she loved 28291295ae killing others 17450cdc6f they loved.ea7d7dd1758dee06

She was scared. The fear she 0bacd2e917 felt was very 647b7a0bf1 tangible, close enough 38f239ea35 to touch.1ea401baecf7c507

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“Please tell me what I should do.”fe240e44ba0f9f22

The Prime Minister 226344758b nodded slowly.4d4daf8c1e9acf89

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“We desperately need the support of the Etherea Federation now.”4ed7c7f1868beb03

The Etherea Federation. A superpower located on 1aacb4f41c the new continent, formed d5a2d60ede by an alliance of 6ec0431b5c four nations.33159b27060ee3f7

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If we could borrow their power, we could certainly turn the tide of this war. The problem was the Federation’s policy of ‘non-interference.’ The citizens of the Federation did not want to get involved in the affairs of the old continent.6036684644823ee1

“While the Bringerton Air Force holds off the enemy, please persuade the Federation, Your Majesty. Show them your iron will to fight the enemy to the end.”1116424635d98e2b

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Marianne nodded. She knew that was bd5a15f3d5 the only way for 9b38150d1d now.a232d2fab674e0ea

🌷🌷🌷336c178d9e470519

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— Bringerton 01474392c9 Eastern Plains, a7ed40694a Lowland.eddb0957f4c1182e

A 3-ton truck was 2991de5342 racing across the paved fe41d27df7 road of the plains, b1b2627926 carrying volunteers for the a85feb9e7b Auxiliary Air Force.d8fd0d1836b67648

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The faces of the volunteers, each dressed in long skirts and blouses, were filled with tension. Of course, among them were some leaning on others’ shoulders to sleep or eating sandwiches. Diana, sitting at the very end of the truck, looked out at the scenery along the road. The summer sky of Bringerton was clear and pure.89edf1594b9af04d

‘The air and wind are different here from Arke.’6df32d68f5a6cb72

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Flying a plane would 285791614a surely make the difference 6fd2fbcb55 in climate clear.cfb90527f4230261

‘I don’t know if I can really fly though.’2cbf9a83ae32d485

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The Auxiliary Air Force. It was said to be a unit created by the Duchess of Coronius, one of Bringerton’s richest, with her own fortune.628dc8dfbfd5d285

If assigned to transport duties, she might get to fly a plane. That is, if the advertisement’s claims were true. Even that would be quite revolutionary. For someone like Diana to fly was unprecedented.212ad24d30d6b141

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There were b8094ffc68 female air 10e041b3f0 force members, 502d0834a2 but they 228a46ac02 were usually 1f4783f9ee cadets from d4656aed04 noble academies 4bf9d59802 or those bb819e3779 with substantial 27ce91b6bf experience. The chances of f9d6a060e4 a commoner like 4978502d08 Diana, with no 2f7e2d4950 official flight record, d5a21618dd piloting a fighter, 308e64b480 even for transport d7901c89f5 duties, were slim.42ac6a47e5f4dae4

‘But I want to do something. I should do my best with any task.’d6f92f388e2f9c68

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She wanted to believe it wasn’t a wrong choice. She sought peace of mind by doing her best. Even if it was considered petty or cowardly, there was nothing she could do about it. Fortunately, her uncle and aunt supported her decision, however reluctantly. While asking if it wasn’t dangerous, they still respected Diana’s determination to volunteer.ac550c12fe9ebc78

‘…I was ready to run away if they kept opposing it.’f0302cb22d8583b0

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Diana recalled the moment 09a6d2047b of farewell with the 3aa7613745 two of them and a178ec122d gave a faint smile.0210959353700620

🌷🌷🌷4a55a4e45386893d

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“If that’s what you want, there’s nothing I can do about it.”1ff0ef3469f438e7

Two days 663e76c556 after Diana 4031e1d784 had decided 8d59bd9d1e to join 3a96167f76 the Auxiliary 18da2c2877 Air Force, 88a67dc0e3 Uncle Ben 79660fb3b4 responded like a04a62507b that. She expected 6794a1a363 a long ca470e8c5c persuasion, but a47b39c823 his surprisingly b03fdc5673 quick consent 9505d7ebfd caught her d2392ba3b4 off guard.009a16eaddca65b0

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However, his deeply bloodshot eyes showed how much he had agonized over his answer. Aunt Gilda’s face, with a patch on one cheek, was also heavy with concern. She spoke with a voice full of tears.2808d4307f0f472c

“Diana, I know this is late, but Ben and I have been very worried about you.”ab1e089a7b45b989

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“About me?”69990823913c0af7

Diana looked at them with slight confusion. No matter how she thought about it, there was no reason for them to worry about her. Diana had been healthy since she fainted at twelve and had never caused any trouble. Her childhood was uneventful. What was there to worry about? Uncle Ben’s heavy words hit her like a rock.3e470ef54b3cd6c5

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“You never talked about what you wanted or desired. You never even asked for birthday presents. At first, it was admirable, but at some point, I felt like we hadn’t provided a safe enough environment for you.”f87bd0ca563e3ccf

Hearing this, Diana’s lips trembled slightly. She had always thought she lived brightly, but perhaps the shadow of her past life hadn’t completely vanished. And Uncle Ben, as her closest guardian, had managed to discern this darkness.14ee5b017a669c9c

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“But seeing your determination in your eyes now, honestly, it relieves me.”15a4335d70db03d8

“Uncle.”9773df1ed24fead9

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“Go and come back safely. See the world, protect people. Our good Diana. Just promise this uncle that you won’t do anything too dangerous.”67b8ca7acacb2883

“…”0717eeb8d5c95a71

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When Diana didn’t respond, Uncle Ben pulled her into a tight hug. Aunt Gilda gently stroked her hair from behind.161cb09e5af93793

Diana rested her forehead on her uncle’s shoulder. Being held in his strong, broad embrace, she felt like she might cry. Many words bubbled up to her throat, but none she could say to them. She could only swallow her sobs.0df1ac4173ab41ed

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‘Uncle, I’m not good.’bf61eced614abaf2

‘I am, I am…’500665c96d5a6ae8

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Diana could only murmur f860c2a632 one word while forcing 3d86859e1f her emotions down.222d34e92165f165

“…I’ll be back.”0aafc199337ee0b1

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She wanted to leave 96012e84f2 all the baggage of 1495cc00a4 her past life on 6e0753cfb6 the battlefield and return 14395df4bc truly light-hearted. And then, she 99b3dc9fc8 would sincerely thank b9629ad648 both of thema1da83558c420b3a