UCT Ch 16

The shadow in the bushes leaped out in front of Fernan. Startled by the sudden intrusion, the man stumbled backward.

“Who are you!”

What appeared before him was neither a cat nor a rabbit. The identity of the shadow was none other than a boy.

He was a boy with pitch-black hair and deep blue eyes, reaching up to Fernan’s waist. He looked up at Fernan.

The boy was eerily beautiful. Fernan felt dizzy, wondering if he was seeing a fairy or a ghost.

Gulp. Fernan’s Adam’s apple moved up and down.

The boy was only wearing pants, his upper body bare. Only after taking a step closer did the upper body hidden in the shadows come into view.

“…”

At the gruesome sight before him, Fernan’s breath stopped for a moment.

The boy’s small, thin body was covered in scars. They were clearly not from accidents but inflicted by someone deliberately.

Blood was seeping from unhealed wounds, and where there were no scars, there were bruises. Moreover, his limbs were as thin as dry twigs, suggesting he hadn’t eaten properly for a long time.

Fernan frowned at the horrific sight, wondering why he hadn’t noticed immediately.

‘That boy might die soon.’

The boy’s identity didn’t matter at that moment. It was something to figure out after saving him.

Fernan quickly approached the boy and knelt on one knee.

“Are you okay?”

That was the first thing he said to the boy.

🌷🌷🌷

Diana woke up before the reveille sounded. Her whole body was soaked from the sweat of sleep. She wanted to shower quickly.

Moreover, dreaming about the day she first met Tersion had left her morning in disarray.

Diana groaned, pressing her dry eyelids with the back of her hand. Beyond her closed eyelids, the boy’s face, as cold as a crescent moon, came to mind.

Tersion Achaemenion.

At that time, I thought he was either a stray child who had wandered into the palace or a victim of abuse by some bad nobleman. It was only after bringing him to the mansion that I learned he was Dietrich’s hidden son.

A secret prince known only to a select few, the product and evidence of the emperor’s sin.

The boy seemed to have suffered countless mental and physical abuses. Although he managed to speak a few days after being brought in, his first words broke Fernan’s heart.

‘Don’t abandon me.’

Diana suppressed the gloomy thoughts that kept surfacing in her mind.

‘There’s no need to think about this now.’

She didn’t want to start an important day with sadness. Past lives should stay in the past, and Diana Green should live her own life.

🌷🌷🌷

5 AM. Although it would be another two hours before dawn, the base was bustling with mechanics and engineers repairing the facilities.

All pilots of the Saturn Brigade were gathered in the open space at the center of the base, listening to the morning briefing. Their faces were filled with sleepiness and fatigue, but it couldn’t be helped.

Jackfield, being the frontline base, had to start the day earlier than others.

Unlike the pilots who were on the verge of collapsing from sleepiness, the face of the brigade commander on the podium was filled with determination.

He delivered a speech in an oratorical tone to the pilots, who were dozing off like sick chickens.

“Soldiers. It’s been a month since Arke invaded Bringerton’s airspace. But they still haven’t achieved their desired goal. That is, to break the spirit of us in Bringerton.”

His words contained some truth. Arke’s continuous bombing was intended to spread fear within Bringerton society and force capitulation. However, Diana thought there must be another reason behind Arke’s relentless, intermittent attacks.

That reason was…

‘To kill as many Bringerton pilots as possible.’

By continuously attacking, they aimed to wear down and exhaust Bringerton’s pilots. That was their hidden true intent.

Once Bringerton ran out of competent pilots, the sky would belong to Arke, making their landing operation much easier.

Whether it was surrender or being invaded, both scenarios were undeniably bleak.

Diana’s eyes darkened.

Even without knowing the full details, she felt this despair; how must Marianne feel? Her head must be about to explode. It must be hard and painful for her.

So, all Diana could do was to do her best in the position she was currently in.

As Diana steeled her resolve for the day, the briefing ended. The brigade commander gave the order to wait at their “designated locations” and stepped down from the podium.

Diana asked Owen, who was dozing beside her.

“Where is the designated location?”

Then, a chilling voice from behind answered instead of Owen.

“Anywhere you can launch within one minute is fine.”

Without needing to look back, she recognized it as Richard Ashwood’s voice, low and dry. The man who answered her question walked up and stood a few steps in front of her.

Had he gotten some rest last night? The dark circles under his eyes seemed a bit lighter. Because of this, his long, thick lower lashes were clearly visible.

Though he had an overall masculine appearance, when examined closely, his face could be described as delicate. Regardless, he was undeniably a rare handsome man, even compared to the many beautiful men and women in Arke’s social circles.

‘What good is that? He’s got a terrible personality.’

Suddenly, Richard tossed something into Diana’s palm. Upon catching it, she realized it was a pilot’s wristwatch.

A cheap mass-produced item with black leather and no manufacturer’s logo, yet it was essential for navigation and timekeeping.

Even such a rude and harsh man took care of his wingmen to some extent.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.”

Ashwood did not respond to Diana’s thanks. Instead, he abruptly asked her a question.

“Do you know how to navigate?”

“Yes.”

“Have you flown in formation before?”

“Just once, in a line…”

In fact, she was confident she could do both navigation and formation flying with her eyes closed, but for now, she had to pretend to be inexperienced.

The man’s lips twisted into a slight smirk.

“Right. There’s no need to get too hung up on the spacing between fighters. Just don’t get lost and follow well.”

His tone seemed to say, ‘I didn’t have high expectations for you anyway’, which once again pricked Diana’s pride.

Diana lowered her eyes, thinking to herself,

‘Let’s not get angry. Let’s not get angry.’

Since she hadn’t shown her skills, being ignored was natural. To avoid being openly embarrassed in front of everyone, she had to endure.

But, as if mocking her resolve, the man added another demeaning remark.

“You’re free to choose your waiting spot, but Sergeant, stay by your fighter. No one’s going to wait for you just because it’s your first time.”

Suppressing the words boiling inside her, Diana nodded obediently.

Richard glanced at her dismissively before walking past her to the other side.

Owen clicked his tongue and consoled Diana.

“Looks like you’ve already gotten on the lieutenant’s bad side on your first day. Bryce was the one talking behind his back, but it’s the Green Sergeant who’s suffering.”

“…I was just curious, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”

It seemed that Ashwood was being cold to her because of something overheard in the dining hall. Owen, not being a mind-reader, could only think that way.

🌷🌷🌷

The sky above the northern horizon, where dawn was just breaking, shimmered pink. The vast plains and low hills looked like a watercolor painting. However, the thought that hideous enemy machines would soon be flying over this scene made it far from purely beautiful.

Diana checked the fighter she was to fly.

Its condition was not as bad as expected. Though it showed signs of wear, there were no glaring defects.

It was a relief that there was no tradition of assigning old planes to rookies.

While inspecting, she watched the pilots waiting outside the hangar. Some lay on the grass or unfolded portable chairs to sunbathe, looking as leisurely as tourists on a vacation.

But Diana knew that contrary to appearances, their hearts must be heavy.

The fate of a fighter pilot is to oscillate between intense combat and a leisurely daily life.

However, constantly moving between battle and routine eventually leads to moments where one can’t be sure of anything. During the peaceful moments of rest, tension rises, and in the heat of battle, one might find calm.

Ultimately, they become unable to find rest anywhere.

She was no exception in her past life. Would it be different this time?

‘I’ll find out later.’

Pushing aside the gloomy thoughts, she focused on the fighter in front of her.

She checked the instrument panel and the wheels, securing her lifeline, the parachute, to the left wing for easy access into the cockpit.

Just a few more checks and the pre-flight inspection would be complete. As she was deeply absorbed, a long shadow fell beside her.

It was Richard. Despite telling her to stick by the fighter, it seemed he had his own things to check.

Diana tried her best not to be conscious of his presence. Fortunately, Owen’s and Bryce’s fighters were between them, but not as a perfect screen.

Through the silhouettes of the fighters, she caught a glimpse of his bare hands. Despite trying not to look, her eyes were inevitably drawn.

His hands, covered in oil and calluses, with prominent knuckles and long fingers, moved with a gentleness akin to petting a dog.

It looked like he was crafting a delicate watch or caressing petals.

For some reason, it was a sight she couldn’t easily look away from.