A Change in My Top Priority
For the first time, I killed someone of my own will.
I, who had taken the lives of many pirates before, for the first time killed someone in front of me, with my own will and intent to kill.
Without realizing it, I was quietly shedding tears.
The man who had brought me here was crying too.
However, this wasn’t the end of it.
There were at least five more children here in similar situations.
“Can’t we save any of them?”
I asked the crying man with swollen eyes.
But he just silently shook his head.
For the children on life support, we could simply turn off the power, but there were others who weren’t.
For those children, we injected anesthesia to kill them without suffering.
They all quietly breathed their last.
Ma-kun, whom those young girls were looking for, must have been among them.
And I had killed that Ma-kun.
I wasn’t crying anymore.
Though my heart felt as dark and gloomy as if it had died, I continued killing the children as if it were a task.
Before I started, I had ordered the security officer who accompanied me, “Record everything. Me killing the children. I’ll accept proper punishment later.”
The security officer, too, was just watching me silently while crying.
When it was all over, I received a summons from Her Highness.
On the way, I returned to that room where the rescued children were gathered and looked for those girls.
I found them quickly.
The girls approached me.
“Mister, where’s Ma-kun? Where’s Ma-kun?”
I had a responsibility to tell them, as I had promised.
I crouched down in front of the girls, met the young one’s eyes, and quietly said,
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t save Ma-kun. He had been killed.”
The girls must have understood.
They didn’t start crying immediately upon hearing my words, but gradually tears began to overflow from their eyes.
I had simply conveyed the result to the girls matter-of-factly.
Moreover, I had told them a lie.
For them, it didn’t change the fact that Ma-kun had been killed.
But I, who was telling them, was different.
He wasn’t killed by pirates; I had killed him.
This lie was a filthy act to protect my weak heart.
I understood this myself.
One of the older sisters said in a small voice, “Thank you for looking for Ma-kun.”
However, even hearing that, nothing resonated in my heart.
Perhaps my heart had already died.
My heart must have become like a dry desert.
I bowed my head to her and headed towards Her Highness.
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In front of Her Highness in the central control room of the space colony, I reported everything I had just done without hiding anything.
Her Highness listened to my report quietly.
Finally, I said, “Everything was done based on my judgment. I’m prepared to accept any punishment. All responsibility lies with me alone.”
Saying this, I bowed my head before Her Highness.
Then Her Highness approached me and quietly said,
“I support your actions. All the actions you took were under my orders, and I acknowledge them all. Therefore, there will be no punishment from me. Belatedly, I will order the captain to protect civilians. All actions regarding this will be left entirely to the captain’s judgment. I’ll say it again, I will not punish you for your actions.”
Saying this, Her Highness gently embraced my lowered head to her chest and whispered in my ear,
“It’s not your responsibility. It’s all my responsibility. I’m sorry for putting you through this. This karma isn’t yours alone, I’ll bear it with you. I’ll bear this karma with you. No, please let me bear it with you.”
When I heard these words in Her Highness’s gentle voice, a change occurred in my completely broken heart.
Although I thought I couldn’t feel anything anymore, I felt as if something warm was enveloping my heart, like rain falling in a desert.
Before I knew it, I was crying out loud.
Tears fell uncontrollably onto the floor.
The security officer who had been by my side all along started crying too.
Her Highness must have cried as well.
I could feel Her Highness’s tears falling on my head.
At this moment, something happened in my heart.
Yes, a change occurred in my priorities.
Until now, [dying heroically in the line of duty] had been my top priority, but at this moment, that order changed, and a new feeling of [never letting such misfortune happen again] grew stronger, and [exterminating pirates who do such things] became my top priority for the first time.
I wonder if my life perspective changes every time I cry hard.
In a corner of my mind, I even thought about such trivial things.
Her Highness quietly moved away from me after waiting for me to stop crying.
After confirming that life had returned to my eyes, Her Highness gave another order.
“We will swiftly transport the people we’re currently protecting to the capital. As soon as the Royal Audit Department, which we’ve requested, arrives here, we’ll return to the capital. Until then, please have all the people under protection boarded on the [Shunmin].”
Her Highness ordered me with red eyes from crying.
I immediately took a salute position and accepted the order.
Later, I heard from the head of security that this incident had left quite a significant mark on Her Highness’s heart.
There was clear evidence that this wasn’t just a problem with pirates.
Her Highness felt great anxiety about the future of the kingdom and was vigorously dealing with the response when she ended up bearing the burden of my actions as well.
Yet, without letting her heart break, she was energetically carrying out her own work.
Perhaps I became devoted to Her Highness at this time.
From now on, I strongly vowed to devote all my efforts to cracking down on these filthy pirates for Her Highness and for the kingdom.
I returned to where the girls had been earlier and gave instructions at the scene until my voice was hoarse, protecting as many children as possible.
Among the children brought to this place, some were physically in danger, but I searched for those who needed treatment and handled them as carefully as possible.
I sought cooperation from the medical professionals I had met earlier near the life support equipment and those under protection, providing treatment to children who needed it while taking them to the [Shunmin].
The people we brought were housed in three multipurpose halls, separated by their conditions.
In any case, for children who needed treatment, we took measures to prevent any more deaths, such as letting them sleep in available cabin beds, while waiting for Her Highness’s instructions.
Without much delay, people from the Royal Audit Department arrived, accompanied by military personnel serving as royal guards.
Because the port here was small, when the reinforcements arrived, we had to go out with the two destroyer ships we had captured.
It seems we’ll have to take care of these destroyers until the end.
Soon, Her Highness came to the [Shunmin], which had been pushed out of the colony, using an internal combustion boat.
The investigators and riot police would continue their investigation in this colony, and I was to return to the capital with Her Highness.
With two space destroyer ships that could break down at any time, we couldn’t hope for high-speed travel.
We decided to return to the capital at near the destroyer’s spec limit of four space velocity.
Fortunately, during the investigation of the space colony, we found the route we had been looking for, so this time we could move along that route without the waste of having to return to a commercial route first.
Come to think of it, I had promised to explain to Mark and the others afterward, but I couldn’t even meet them.
I’ll explain properly when I see them next time.
However, I don’t know what to explain.
I suddenly remembered such trivial things on the way to the capital star [Diamond].
After all, I have nothing to do now.
When just returning to the capital, I really have nothing to do.
Because Excecutive Officer Sister Meyrica and Senior Karin are so capable, everything runs without even needing instructions.
Even for the protection of children, Kate is taking the initiative.
Come to think of it, most of the crew members here are from orphanages and are used to this kind of handling.
Kate must have been a caring older sister from an orphanage too.
She has some clumsy parts, but I felt for the first time that she had something in common with Sister Maki.
Also, Her Highness has brought those medical professionals from among those we captured this time, so we’re having them provide medical care.
Her Highness is now fully engaged in taking care of the protected children.
Regarding the corrupt nobles who could shake the existence of the kingdom, she completely left it to the palace’s audit department, but I don’t know what will happen.
I’m just watching as time slowly passes by.
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he’s completely left it to the palace’s audit department -> she’s completely left it to the palace’s audit department
Thanks for the treat.
fixed, thanks
Man, so he’s not suicidal anymore? Sigh~ I thought that idea was comedy genius.