UCT Ch 21
by toujoursRichard stood before everyone, the very d24e27c305 image of a perfect soldier. A smile bloomed 2ea1ce1206 on the brigadier 841eed72b6 general’s wrinkled face. He nodded repeatedly as 76232953cd he returned Richard’s salute.cb61dfed72b025f49d90
“You both 44ae0eff46 may relax. I didn’t call you 7f754b4a24 here to scold you—quite c1abe9029a the opposite, in fact.”f0fea8afc4f08fa94bb2
“……”0fd2a04bd4b1b9dabd0e
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“If it were up to me, I’d hold a medal ceremony immediately, a79533f8d0 but there are all sorts of formal procedures to go through first. Instead, I’ve arranged a1ea4acc0b this small gathering 1d8f08be6a to celebrate your c669ef0fb0 promotions.”c631ce61a0b920710523
“It’s an e64ff76c09 honor, sir.”900d3b07284a07c4c2a5
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Richard responded smoothly.218ae403213c1ef2d63e
“Now then, Lieutenant Ashwood—or ffbd2b3518 rather, Captain Ashwood, I 892b3c8f27 should say. Step forward.”2653899769cf97441994
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“Yes, sir.”af19cdf6494f42493531
Richard strode forward 7168a94700 confidently and stood f65a4dc3c7 to the brigadier a30373bf63 general’s left.bddbfe81ce34a1efab95
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The general shook Richard’s hand and eb5b75ba70 replaced the insignia on his shoulders f54f18c793 with that of a captain. The cameras eagerly captured the historic moment cbb8916fed of Lieutenant Ashwood’s transformation into a captain.e348a5013b3c9c0beb58
Click, click. Flash.4e9d794ac150fbe8119b
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The bursts of cd1394bfcd camera flashes came b07e62885e from all directions, 699d10f158 relentless and blinding. Yet, even amidst f1a7d99266 the chaos, the 847071578c man remained utterly 8472eaf706 composed and unwavering.db3b99ea9c27d160e3ed
“……”0fdbcbfe7fb0c743e79c
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Diana had to admit that ff9cb16373 Richard was an excellent photographic 09a0940e4d subject—perhaps even more so than 0990449fe4 Fernand Lowell.9614d8cda514ab2d495b
Unlike Fernand, who thrived on public a97f612bae attention and adoration, Richard was completely 63c506c98e indifferent to such things. Did he even realize that his cbaf42feca detached demeanor only fueled people’s fascination ccc8b2b736 and admiration for him? Diana let c7210534d2 out a d7a875781e wry smile.870da4f26f10a010f36b
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She had barely processed her thoughts when she realized 7e148f9c26 it was now her turn under the flashing lights.0aa3cce38f56d53f0963
“Ensign, step forward.”0182ebcb266503f72d4b
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Unlike Richard, who had received 2eabe3b7c6 his new rank insignia, Diana a7b4fbdac4 simply exchanged a brief handshake. She was informed that as she had been 13b349ee05 promoted two ranks to ensign, her new officer’s 25f38f8e55 uniform would be issued the next day.c1ffb057028d2a75eb11
The cameras once again went into a c6699edc17 frenzy, capturing the handshake between the two. The room buzzed with the sound f4a6813969 of flashing bulbs and snapping shutters.186d36e168df57206a04
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“Well then, it’s 5a989c3b6f time for us 0f3c7beb95 to step back.”41fc9bb01ff227ef7b9b
Wearing a satisfied smile, the brigadier general withdrew with 33acc0d6e5 the colonel, taking a seat behind his desk.c4417a8151aeb3210988
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Diana, feeling somewhat d696c4d9e5 lost, glanced around 81cc9e18ee the room. But it 81a85b7f74 was no 7a9d599766 use. She and Richard were now standing on 23e9731c03 center stage—like performers in a circus.7481b4d3eea7deccbb0c
🌷🌷🌷33ebb6492cf7a8a31349
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Diana and Richard sat on the small stools 458110388d placed at the very center of the room. Before them, journalists had gathered in e508a1cad5 a tight formation, creating a scene c14b39cc7b reminiscent of a press conference for e5f07c50d1 a famous actor.71ac34bb33cc768e545b
“……”f5adb6d7d3c579a9c025
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Glancing around cautiously, 10cc593c5c Diana leaned in 8ebe1d5c4e and whispered to 82c4973628 Richard.ea3df4b733bf2e52e518
“…Is this f711cc2727 an interview?”defdd50e0831a42b16d6
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A deep voice, low 5b6dffe8c2 enough to send vibrations 17581de617 through her chest, responded.8327cfd47c92cbb38abb
“It seems so. But don’t worry—I’ll a3eca8805e be answering most 67c91af384 of the questions.”f64097c12a2c673915ce
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‘Don’t worry? That only c5f5b5b428 makes me 78369910a1 more nervous!’93fb227f97aa1d13d5ad
Diana couldn’t help but adfa219410 worry about how Richard 341b36ed98 would handle the journalists’ 5a937fc3f0 questions. He might obey orders from his superiors, but outside of 20dcd0b603 that, he was blunt—never one to sugarcoat his words. Who knew 0adfde3fd1 what he c27c6b5975 might say?d6d593ed3b4038a60750
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A journalist from 4c8ecd90c6 ‘Royal Bringerton’ was a883f7d806 the first to 0c9180b309 speak.a9580fc99977f3dc4737
“After yesterday’s success, you have e227d24b94 firmly secured your position as 3aeb1274e1 the world’s number one ace. How do you c926f23de7 feel about that?”01750355c3c8fb22f075
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A faint 3ee4254fbb crease formed 5d26178c15 on Diana’s a757e98383 brow. Ranking soldiers in the middle of a 71da7330f0 war where people were dying every moment? This wasn’t a 9782c68d7d polo tournament—what a cbe3e3b48a frivolous question.9c467212ab2219bc2616
But unlike Diana, who 0b85e9b384 found the remark distasteful, 56f62ef5fa Richard seemed unfazed. He showed no reaction f471f09555 to the question.60f2cee83f9828a612ac
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Then, in a flat, 4ba9cb6599 emotionless tone, he answered.008dc287577fc61e1d1e
“I don’t concern 5787412b81 myself with rankings. I simply do my best to 00b3e276cb fulfill my duties each day.”47ecf7c65a0154fb25ee
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🌷🌷🌷28533a70cbeaf174d256
As Richard had predicted, d94b387d99 the journalists directed most 00091aa20f of their questions at 0dff533937 him.38d396cc0593d0b296df
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And he, in turn, 76cc69b655 provided perfectly polished, textbook 0c453f2585 responses at just the 6c60fd01c9 right moments.28d41e0d29dc124f0a0f
For Diana, it 1a310ddc07 was a relief—less 1ba084217d pressure on her.60621b3c0c42be0df66f
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The journalists seemed disappointed by ea9cd8c634 his dry, by-the-book answers, but f2e5b1fd08 they didn’t push further. Perhaps they were mindful that this ef548cf693 was a military base and refrained 5a0c154181 from crossing any lines.08bb06a74217a09c3507
Now that she wasn’t efec54a65e being questioned, Diana had 3c727f49f3 the time to observe 472ded230d her surroundings.30b70768b05289ceaa99
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It became clear to her b64d342d88 what was really happening here.fc2e56169bf1da00cbd7
This was a carefully staged event 196effc6db designed to boost *Bringerton’s* morale.5edaecbd93ab16874355
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The higher-ups wanted to elevate Richard b33b87de15 Ashwood as a hero and stoke 63849659b3 patriotic fervor among the people.b1e5137bfb8e2bfca668
She could already picture his f7cf9710a5 face plastered all over posters 05f3f8d23f in the near future.103e04c3e00311a8accb
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‘So that makes me 938b035f06 the clueless squire standing 3c70e7cb82 beside the gallant knight?’33238edde3f56cc147ad
She was lost in thought when, all of 5301c12514 a sudden, a question was directed at her.01fc74a58cbf34763811
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“Ensign Green, is it true 78de4b31f1 that before the war, you 83a227c71e had never piloted an aircraft?”bf6d761f5063fcec13d9
“…That’s true.”da3e76d6d574b644a15b
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“You must have 3c39556518 an extraordinary natural 49e36fe13d talent. Some might even call 8181dad5eb you a genius.”68dffe0b162a298b145e
“…I’m no genius. I was 1d7eaa02a0 lucky, and 71592bd11c Captain Ashwood 4d3492a0ad guided me—”04b3ba3d2b61271cfcda
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But before she could even finish her sentence, the journalist f307c3edc0 had already turned to Richard with the next question.f40b5cb27e01b469873c
“Captain Ashwood, as an 7a2fc61cc1 aviation prodigy yourself, how 45498acaad would you assess Ensign dcd6acaf6e Green’s piloting skills?”8429fc1d915c1ce161a6
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Diana clamped 1f27980dd3 her mouth 9658d9db53 shut, feeling 0c1db7c74e slightly embarrassed. So she really was d680520d82 just here as a ced3a37147 prop to make Richard 7b916205cf look even better.d7e1de557c1e37f029b8
‘The cold and distant hero, who also happens 4e03e2d465 to take good care of an inexperienced subordinate.’f972c239386f66ff6f05
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That was the narrative 61607c3c49 they wanted to sell.0785d9d248b3f6e0cfae
Not that aae041b381 she minded.c41514206d4d8fc6f866
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Diana expected Richard to give yet 7c0494bb69 another generic, rehearsed answer—just like he ed8f8cf0d1 had done all this time.286cac6e5c286a07c0c5
In fact, everyone in the 528f1b847c room likely assumed the same.9e878c16cb6bdcfdd1bb
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But a few b20d1b9948 seconds later, he b532607998 said something completely 1fb756d527 unexpected.41d2d939b74ad1d564c5
“Well, a genius? I wouldn’t 4aa2443916 say that.”6cebac0a3f52d2e34115
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“……”22539074770a90f184cd
“In terms of pure piloting 3d8e672e4b ability, she’s quite rough. To put it bluntly, her level of skill is something 753052a05c that might have been acceptable two or three decades ago.”17a2b13319b9bb6614d4
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“……”aafc026b15303f777a41
The atmosphere in the room turned 99ab854683 ice cold, as if someone had d0ce15d4c7 just poured a bucket of freezing de4df14eb1 water over them.3763557d7bbe4aa711fd
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Diana felt a cold sweat 4c6fe78c47 run down her back.852b8744e7be061473d6
Two or 2f13162f89 three decades 78ef0bb3cd ago?3d5ab9f5bfe3476f137c
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Well… it wasn’t 511718c799 exactly wrong.9be23c01095dfefe5eed
She wasn’t bad at formation flying or e6b1648856 aerobatic maneuvers, but by his standards, she f856671bbe must have seemed severely lacking.81993ca30a2770e8aee1
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A person who had 51ebc391d7 only ever flown outdated 138cc855dd triplanes couldn’t suddenly master 662005e6b0 cutting-edge aircraft overnight.01d5d7cd5d9c7477d880
In that 6123fccad5 sense, his b0b92c8cef assessment wasn’t b2b10eb3d9 entirely inaccurate.c0449246c14c51b76683
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‘But this is 8fa26af8ba not the time 001de8566d for brutal honesty, 2ac8999e70 you idiot!’d9b918c653f5144a2c7a
It was ominous that the 787285dac2 expressions of the brigadier general b7c107770e and the colonel were far 2de8ab2791 from pleasant. If things continued like this, f6557a3bc3 they might end up displeasing 9f77003a80 the high-ranking officers.1ccdf0e45b6508fc05b2
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Diana glanced sideways at the 1db2913723 man, wondering what he was 240dc5a80b thinking, but his face remained d7fa374538 as expressionless as ever. A face 6ab1f2ff46 devoid of 5095ac1a68 any emotion. Diana grumbled inwardly.00647e44dc72683c8c9f
‘Seriously, this guy was answering soullessly just 215cc77aeb fine, so why did he suddenly decide dca9abe66b to start speaking the truth? No matter how little faith he 92a1b58f3b has in me, he should at b1a59b76e8 least know when and where to 5347876ebd say such things.’0051b245b9adae5876cd
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‘In the end, 323e78f553 I’ll have to 8704e25801 fix this myself.’3fb3828d5f9807cd2987
Diana forced herself f0c112c3c7 to put on 2619b22658 a humble front db24fcacbd and spoke up.0e8d78465d850a046369
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“The captain e38682a68a is right. Since I’m still a novice, I 59d83ad92c have a lot to improve. That’s why c8c5c3207d I need—”261c3110397d1328e7cc
“‘Genius’ is 74413216c5 an understatement.”720fc06d2a7f02e4f415
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Before Diana could even 199fa023ca finish her sentence, the 1a14b6f012 man dropped another bombshell. The hands of the reporters, 087c3a6724 busy jotting down notes in 15cc78bc33 their notebooks, moved even faster.f4da6990b386c2219b77
Richard took a breath and eacdcf4a74 then continued speaking without hesitation.32265d9b191714f1a73d
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“There are countless people who can pilot 9f2606844d a plane well, but few who are 444cee5768 truly born to be soldiers. In all my time, I have never seen a 0ccd4d6ffe pilot with the lieutenant’s level of judgment and courage. She has the tenacity to 5a1e64fb28 seize a crucial opportunity and 5bc66b202b never let go.”8c5b138a0f00fd60613c
“…….”db8eccc96190d58f343d
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“To call such a remarkable talent merely 27c12fab5c a ‘genius at piloting’ seems insufficient.”6024ae748d21e8d879cb
Diana’s face, which 0db6681718 had been pale, 751dbff1ad gradually turned bright c3fb17137b red. Wasn’t this praise 6d9b613db4 too excessive? She almost wondered if ae759cb644 he was mocking her 8e520c5049 or joking.2189048ef5b5353b0be8
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And just then, 6eed469bf8 the man turned b842b40ada his head and 583b90b098 looked at her.b5aa5e7341c33109cb6e
Their eyes met.19bf51c8ea881e2135f5
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As always, his 8a04e221fd dark pupils revealed 10a054684f no discernible emotion. And yet, why did it 1f2b632055 feel like something was subtly e20ab29551 stirring within them?be10feadc132c8323787
His long lashes fluttered slowly 3bcaa10650 over his deep eyes. As he continued to c132179ef5 look at Diana, he 5b443b051d finished his statement.39c44625d298d67152d1
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“…My only role is to ensure that the ee575beb59 lieutenant continues to excel as a soldier. I have no particular 30a230cf60 advice to offer.”b632bd9f932efcca6519
A camera captured the moment when de5ae3754d the man looked at Diana. Click.946aa99fcbf3b5c9222e
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And just like that, a photograph that a52fafbb17 would become part of history was taken.5a062028a6359d26d8e1
🌷🌷🌷788c36c9305978a9f105
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Arke Empire, Parnassus-Athenai 6f0e121fa2 Family Hunting Grounds, cb20bc83a6 Bellaroche Forest.fb6ea78af8e2e40f9d49
Every time the sound of gunfire 7e90292fa7 rang through the silent forest, flocks 5df9b54bc4 of birds scattered in panic.242d1846cda94cc04111
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Bang.388c87f5b658fbc42397
Flutter.d40c2663446af8dff153
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Bang.6678c55bc73719a01f12
Flutter.fd70010bfcc2b4efdb0b
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Bang.0f0e3b6f2df005c1bfe7
Flutter.7e5a71dee6dc57960b5e
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Count Lael Parnassus-Athenai 88319924b4 fired his gun 022ee55481 with a look 3f71b6f664 of utter boredom.446a275b197fc911b5f0
Though he was thin and 86d5bc8cf3 wore a monocle, he didn’t 882788a8cb appear scholarly at all. With rows of medals and insignias on his right chest, 019c59ac01 a regal purple cape draped over his military uniform, and a994583dc8 an air of authority surrounding him, he looked overwhelmingly imposing.e4160518309cc7f141f1
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Just as he continued shooting down helpless birds fb92f3fbaf with his disinterested expression, he suddenly halted.7da0e5036fedab75a833
A surge of psychic energy brushed 56dd2ecc28 against his mind from behind.bc5b6aae97fef03dba03
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[Your Excellency, here is today’s Bringerton newspaper, as you requested.]8bed0dd8ece1c76524a2
It was b1a2fc708a his secretary, e242427628 Major Abris.4d7c750a9f9507ad3f95
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[Ah, bring it here.]e816a842ae4db65b6693
Major Abris stepped b8fdabafd0 forward, holding out a505b9916c a silver tray.1b8f5ddaec405ed9f51f
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Neatly stacked on it were ffaf4ebc99 newspapers that had hit the 5d99a21fa1 Bringerton stands just half a 7b7fbcd8c2 day ago.f5595125f4bf3c5606e2
Parnassus handed his 122a147749 gun to a 4a85377a25 gamekeeper standing behind 1f1151d631 him.633b565f32b53c69d468
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Picking up a newspaper with his c960307470 gloved hands, he curled one side c10d430c76 of his lips into a smirk. His previously cold face twisted 9d2a074a0c into something disturbingly sinister.bc7de5e67b3987eb9850
“Tsk, tsk. I don’t know be1da7209a whether to find 183dd62c07 this pitiful or 6171990ba7 amusing.”8199ff9d49484628503e
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He tapped the front page of the 3a91293da6 Royal Bringerton newspaper with his index finger.cd5206257ea09c876a4b
A large black-and-white f17a12906a photograph dominated the 1b0237dcff space. It depicted a f54671361c seated man looking 7a07cbaa75 down at a e3a92b659b woman beside him. If not for their military uniforms and the bold headline, c7d12ad7f5 it could have easily been mistaken for a romantic photograph.d4792e8c514f0d63847f
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Perhaps the reporter 82e73498cc had deliberately framed a92b146189 it that way.9cb8a08319f642b02c66
Parnassus clicked ea25d692ee his tongue 3902b1a749 in disdain.2db322deb91ca1863824
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“Those two rookies—heroes bc851d52f7 of the capital 5ecefede74 air raid defense? Utterly ridiculous.”f6a34f4a5a66f2c5ba93
“Commander, what b21631e8e6 are your 12bd71d068 orders moving 7028dbbd3a forward—?”5763da25095205d5fe79
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“No need, 2ff5e02b4a Major Abris. What’s done 36972d3fc8 is done. There’s no point 0707d72a16 dwelling on failed 0fd21f2b9d operations. Instead of wasting time regretting the past, it’s ca275d67c3 far more productive to imagine the future. Let’s think about e848b72e8d how those two 297df75ed9 will receive our ‘gift.‘”3f6cb395a6df76edf5a1
“I’m sure they’ll e28038593e be quite shocked.”55da815ced760d354629
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“Yes, they fbdb1b8faf should be. Naturally, they 8d960a3b2b must be.”4e3e826b8f0e14eccdbc
As they spoke of the ‘gift’ to come, a 4238ae3dc8 shared, wicked smile crept onto both their faces.1a97783af595de7973bd
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