Chapter 91: Deep Brotherly Love

“How were we supposed to know!”
“That’s a Progenitor’s bloodline trait.”
“How could commoners like us possibly come into contact with a secret like that!”

“Oh? Is that so?”
“I thought you all already knew.”

“If you’re not dead, then get up already!”
“What are you playing dead for!”
“You made me waste all those tears!”

“Eh? What?”
“Y-you actually cried for me?” Aibrune was shocked.
“A grown man like you…”

“N-nonsense!”
“Who cried!”
“You useless captain!”
“If you were still alive, you shouldn’t have made it look so real!”
“Your head was chopped off!”
“Who in their right mind would think you could survive that!”

“Ooh—?”
“So you care about me that much.”
“I’m so touched.”
“Come here, give me a hug!”

“Get lost!”
“You’re disgusting!”
“Stay away from me!”
“I never want to see you again!”

“Tsk tsk, a textbook tsundere.”

The originally heavy and oppressive atmosphere unknowingly became lighthearted and even a little rowdy.
The four grown men bantered, shoved, and even hugged each other, using this method to vent the immense pressure of the life-and-death crisis they had just faced.

The squad members all let out a long sigh of relief.

Although they didn’t spare each other with their words, in their hearts, they were all genuinely glad that Aibrune was alive.

“Captain, what do we do next?”
“That human named Sheffield is the one threatening the Staff Officer.”
“Should we continue fighting the humans?”

“No, there’s no need to completely obey that person.”
Aibrune shook his head.
“But speaking of which, you three knelt down pretty damn fast just now.”
“So lame!”

“That’s rich, coming from the captain who got taken out in one hit!”
“If we hadn’t knelt, we’d be dead by now!”
“We’re not nobles, we don’t have immortality!” a squad member retorted.
They didn’t have much of a choice.

Aibrune wasn’t actually blaming them.

If it were him, faced with such an absolute overwhelming force, he probably would have made the same choice.
When the weak face the strong who hold the power of life and death, there is almost no other path but to bow their heads.

Resist?
That would only lead to death.

“You three can go wherever you want next.”
“I’m going to find Tina.”
“If that human girl gets captured, Tina will have no one to protect her.”
“I have to go check on her.”

The squad members initially wanted to act surprised.

But then they suddenly realized that, at some point, they had already gotten used to their captain’s “sudden whims.”

It seemed he really was fond of that mechanical girl.

But Aibrune was a Bloodkin, while Tina was on the side that exterminated Bloodkin.
With such conflicting identities, could they really meet peacefully?
Perhaps Tina would ruthlessly activate her self-destruct, and the two of them would go to heaven together.

However… seeing the way the captain’s smile couldn’t be hidden whenever he mentioned Tina, perhaps as long as they could be together, going to heaven wasn’t such a bad thing…
‘Love-struck brains are so damn scary.’

In the end, the Rose Squad decided to temporarily stay out of the war between the Rose Legion and Tantan City.
Since the Staff Officer was being coerced, this was not the true will of the Legion.

Continuing to meddle now would only put them in more danger.

What’s more, with a powerhouse like Sheffield around, breaching Tantan City probably wouldn’t be a problem.
The presence or absence of small fries like them wouldn’t make much of a difference.

After a brief discussion, Aibrune decided to go find Tina, while the other three would provide cover from the rear in case they encountered enemies along the way.

“Alright, since the captain insists on going, I guess we have to follow.”

“Let’s be her guardians for once.”
“You’ve got to give it your all, Captain!”
“Even if she has a heart of steel, it can be melted if the temperature is high enough!”
“—But just how high would that temperature have to be…”

“I’ll protect you secretly from within three hundred meters.”
“You finally have a chance to get close to a battle-damaged loli, so don’t get overly excited and die on the spot…”
“If that happens, the captain’s position will be mine.”

The three squad members placed their hands on Aibrune’s shoulder in a silent understanding, as if transferring their strength, and also as if giving their final words of entrustment.

Aibrune looked at his brothers, a warmth spreading through his heart.

When all this was over, they would work part-time jobs and go on adventures together again next year.

He raised his head, the light rekindling in his eyes.

‘Hey! Enemy! — Our brotherhood is something you can never sever!’