Civil Servant in Romance Fantasy - Chapter 181

Chapter 181: The Red-blooded Dreamer (7)

In the beginning when the continent was formed, there were no higher or lower beings.

When humans appeared upon the continent, there were no rulers and no subjects.

As the empires of men were established, the first emperor was a commoner known as the ‘Red Blood’.

Therefore, red was the center of the world. Now was a time of chaos led by mutations, with the ‘blue’ mutation merely suppressing the ‘red’.

But someday, the red would rise again, and the world would return to its rightful course.

— It’s time.

And the moment to take that great step had come.

"Are you sure?"

— Yes, leader.

His firm nod carried a deep conviction, as if there was no turning back.

Robin, a mid-level officer, had been undercover at the academy for years in order to support comrade Eriko in spreading the right ideology.

It must be reliable if it was coming from comrade Robin. He had always been cautious, even opposing hasty proposals from other senior and mid-level officers to raid the academy until now.

— There have been no major events since the counter-offensive, so there was no need for them to maintain tight security anymore.

This meant that their concentrated forces had been scattered, making infiltration easier. It was a convincing argument, so I listened quietly.

Of course, ‘scattered’ was relative; this also meant that the academy's security remained tight. However, the fact alone that it had decreased held significance.

It would be convenient if there were a complete lapse in the academy’s security, but waiting for such luck wouldn’t create the waves we needed.

— And for the time being, I've been assigned to guard the west gate.

"You truly are remarkable, comrade Robin."

I smiled at the encouraging news.

Sending comrade Robin to infiltrate the academy was a risky gamble. After all, we were sending an important officer directly into enemy territory and were also risking losing his strategic input for an unknown period.

However, the gamble paid off. The path to the academy had been opened.

— I've also verified a safe route to provide us with stealth and cover.

Comrade Robin lifted the map, pinpointing the route from our hideout to the academy’s west gate.

'Excellent.'

Seeing his thorough preparation was satisfying. While adjustments might be needed depending on the situation and scale, having a structured plan facilitated operations.

— We can finalize our preparations in this forest.

After a lengthy explanation, comrade Robin pointed to a forest near the academy.

Indeed, it was an ideal location. It was spacious enough for our comrades to prepare and launch a direct assault on the academy.

"Great work, comrade Robin. Thanks to you, we are closer to our cause."

— You give me too much credit.

His humble nod was even more gratifying.

Comrades like him embodied our ideals. This was proof that we were on the right path and chosen by destiny.

"Let’s meet in person next time."

— Yes, leader. I’ll be waiting.

The next time we see each other wouldn’t be through this communication crystal anymore. I would be going directly to the academy to personally commend comrade Robin.

"Until the red wave drenches the land."

We exchanged a final salute before ending the communication, which boosted the comrades' morale and refocused them on the cause.

— Until the red wave drenches the land.

Even Robin’s face flushed with emotion, perhaps overwhelmed by the sentiment.

***

That slogan was so cheesy. Who came up with that?

"May the Empire’s light be with us."

Suddenly, the empire's official slogan popped into my mind. I guess we weren’t in a position to criticize others.

"It's finished."

I nodded absentmindedly to the murmured conversations of the members beside me.

The Executive Manager visited us every day as soon as we started stationing in the forest. It was overwhelmingly gratifying and something we should have been thankful for. Even though we should be the ones serving him, the Executive Manager always came with something for us.

Yes, every time. With both hands full.

"You guys barely eat during operations. Have some of this."

True to the Executive Manager’s words, we tended to skimp on meals during operations. Well, eating too much could hinder our activities.

Running too many operations had turned our light eating into a habit, but how could we refuse the Executive Manager’s generous offerings?

"That’s a lot."

"It could last a few days if we ration it, right?"

"The Executive Manager gave it, so don’t leave any and eat it all."

It was enough to last a few days, but it would be a waste if it spoiled. So, for that day, we ate beyond our stomach's capacity—

“This is today’s share."

We realized that something was wrong the next day.

Those who usually ate little had barely managed to eat it all in one day. And yet, the same amount arrived again.

"...."

"What do we do?"

Serious discussions ensued around the mounting food. Eating such an amount was manageable for a day, but two days in a row was too much. Besides, judging from the atmosphere, it would probably last for three or four days.

Should we leave it? But how dare we neglect the Executive Manager’s offerings?

Refuse it? Who would be so bold as to say that to the Executive Manager?

"Eat it."

In the end, there was only one answer. Starting with the Captain, we sat down one by one, feeling overwhelmed by the Executive Manager’s overflowing love.

And the next day—

"Everyone’s eating well. I hope the food isn’t running short for all of you?”

"No, we’re fine."

And the day after—

"It seemed like you might need more, so I brought extra today."

"Thank you."

We realized that our limit was about four days.

"...Does anyone want more?"

"It’d be good if the Captain set an example..."

Those who were force-feeding themselves started to quietly look away.

Even the Captain couldn’t say anything. She, who had been eating vigorously, was now chewing as slowly as possible.

'With good comes bad...'

It was our honor to be able to help the Executive Manager. However, this ordeal was far from pleasant.

And it seemed that everyone had finally had enough.

"It seems like they’ll be here soon."

At those words, all eyes turned sharply towards the Executive Manager.

"Since their leader and their senior officers are coming, we just need to deal with them all. Capture them alive if possible."

The Executive Manager added that it was okay to kill them and that we just shouldn’t let them escape, but that part honestly hardly registered.

The Red Wave was coming. Capturing them would end our mission. And while that sadly meant that we would have to part with the Executive Manager, it also meant that we would at least get some time to digest everything we ate.

'Damn them all.'

Come to think of it... this whole thing happened because of them. Their targeting of the Executive Manager’s location caused all this trouble.

My blood boiled. The rebels who forced us into this unwanted ordeal were truly detestable. The other members probably felt the same.

We would capture them all and hand them over to the 1st Manager. Let those bastards get a taste of /genesisforsaken