Melancholic Blue part 2
Voy shrugged, clearly agreeing with the sentiment.
He had gone as far as saying ‘If my name wasn’t there, I’d hold a grudge forever’ but Kou hadn’t taken the hint. Kou had to accept the scolding with humility.
Blue, meanwhile, remained silent, tears streaming from her beautiful eyes as she glared at Kou. Her quiet sorrow hit him harder than any words or anger could.
In Kou’s mind, Jenny and Blue were key figures in Metal Iris’ leadership, and he had wanted to avoid involving them in what he saw as a personal conflict mainly motivated by his anger. The real issue, though, was his narrow focus, he tended to focus too much on the people stationed in the Astraea.
It was no wonder that Blue, Jenny, and Barry were so angry.
At last, Kou understood the situation, but no words came to mind. In moments like this, he wished that inner voice would give him a push in the right direction.
Aimer sighed again and approached him. Leaning in close, she whispered something into his ear. Kou nodded, steeling himself before turning to face Blue.
「Blue, I’m sorry it took so long. Will you stay by my side?」
「…Couldn’t you have said those words without the help of a little girl…?」
Her voice was hoarse, thick with resentment.
「I’m sorry.」
「…This is the last time. If you do it again, I won’t forgive you. Next time, I’ll literally chew your cheeks off.」
「Understood.」
The tears finally stopped, but her gaze remained cold as ever.
「Don’t forget about me!」
「O-of course, Jenny! I want you to stay with me too!」
「Then say that first! Ugh, that makes me feel like I’m just an afterthought next to Blue!」
「You’re twisting my words!」
「Deal with it! You deserve it, you nitwit!」
「Wha—?!」
Jenny gave Kou a light flick to the forehead, laughing as if the tension had finally dissipated. Her laughter was contagious, and soon everyone joined in.
「Gah!」
Without a word, Blue followed up with a full-force flick to Kou’s forehead. The intense pain made him crouch instinctively, drawing even more laughter from the group.
Finally, Blue’s lips twisted into a faint smile.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Kou wandered restlessly around the combat command room, unable to calm down. The incident with Blue and Jenny had left him regretting how he had hurt the people who mattered most to him. It might be too late, but he still wanted to make amends.
「Kou, you’re restless.」
「I don’t know what I should do.」
Kou admitted, pacing back and forth across the room.
「I’ll tell you what to do, sit down in the commander’s chair.」
Aimer gestured toward the commander’s chair, the one she usually occupied.
「Sit there.」
「And do what?」
「Just sit. Take a commanding presence. You don’t even need to say anything.」
「Is that how it works?」
「Aimer has always done just that. You should try it, Kou.」
Astraea chimed in to encourage him.
「Alright.」
Kou replied, mustering his resolve. He walked over and sat down.
「But… blue hair and blue attire—is that really okay?」
Kou muttered, thinking it might be too flashy.
「It suits you perfectly, I’m even working on some wigs and outfits for you to wear on missions outside.」
Aki said, her tail wagging enthusiastically.
「It matches Blue’s look too, nya,」
Nyanta added with a sly grin.
「T-that’s…」
「What, you don’t like the idea?」
Blue’s voice came softly, but there was an edge to it.
「N-no, it’s not that…」
The women around him burst into laughter, clearly teasing him. It was obvious they were enjoying his flustered state. Realizing this might be a good moment, Kou decided to share his thoughts.
「I want to say something to everyone aboard this ship, and to those in Metal Iris and Ulysses. But… I can’t find the right words. It’s so different from earlier.」
He felt it was more like himself to struggle with words like this. Having been called out for his lack of communication, he now wanted to make up for it, even if just a little.
「All you need is one phrase. Something simple, like what you said to me: ‘Follow me.’」
Blue said gently.
「And no excuses beforehand, keep it as simple as possible.」
「O-okay. I’ll give it a try,」
Kou replied, steeling himself.
Taking a deep breath, he addressed the crew aboard Astraea and the members of Metal Iris and Ulysses through the communication system.
「Everyone, I want you to follow me.」
He said that sentence in a single breath, then cut the broadcast immediately. His face burned with embarrassment, but at least he’d done it.
「It was embarrassing.」
「Don’t act all embarrassed now.」
Jenny said, exasperated. She couldn’t believe this was the same person who had boldly faced off against the Mercenary Association Headquarters just earlier.
「This is all I could say.」
「Ah, but—well, honestly, it’s way better than rambling about money or logistics or whatever else. You did well I guess.」
Jenny reassured him with a firm nod.
「I see…」
Kou had no choice but to accept her approval.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「Did you hear what Kou just said? He wants us to follow him.」
「It would have been better if he had used a more clever approach, but the simplicity shows he means it. Besides, he’s already said everything we’ve been wanting to tell headquarters all this time. He’s done more than enough.」
Seizing on Kou’s broadcast, Kelly and Barry immediately opened a joint communication channel.
「To the members of Ulysses and its defense corps Metal Iris. You may have received some very enthusiastic invitations from the Mercenary Association Headquarters or their associated corporations recently.」
「Everyone knows what is this about, it’s about the war between the new organization Trireme, led by our Big Boss Kou, and the Mercenary Association Headquarters. We don’t plan to force anyone to transfer. Such a move would go against his principles.」
Barry picked up where Kelly left off, surprising everyone.
「Of course, money is important for survival, and we’re mercenaries. I’m not about to criticize anyone for working for money. So here’s the deal: Ulysses and Metal Iris are temporarily disbanded.」
Kelly, representing Ulysses, made the announcement, and the other Development Engineers nodded deeply in agreement.
「Kelly and I will join Trireme as individuals. Once there, we’ll reestablish Ulysses as a corporate entity and Metal Iris as its defense force. This time, it won’t be an underground force.」
「That’s how it is, participation is entirely voluntary. Make your own decisions freely. My opinion shouldn’t influence your choices. That’s all I’ve got to say!」
「Outis doesn’t want to drag us into a war he sees as personal. If you want to leave Metal Iris, team up with those you trust, and form a new underground force. Once we win, you can transfer your organization to Trireme, that’s fine too. Honestly, I don’t know much about the new system myself. To tell you the truth, it might not be all that different from the mercenary structure we’ve had. The movement of money and the expedition of IDs should be the same as before. Think of it as being two mercenary associations instead of one.」
Barry chuckled wryly, a rare glimpse of his unfiltered thoughts.
「But here’s the thing: I can’t stand the idea of someone swooping in to snatch away the P336 Fortress we defended or the R001 Orbital Elevator we reclaimed. And I’m even less thrilled about their treatment of the Artifact Consciousness. That’s why I’m moving over. That’s my piece.」
With that, the message neared its conclusion.
「The two organizations have already been dissolved. Transfer wherever you like. Asia has agreed to help facilitate this. You can complete the process at the management tower or from terminals on your ships. Take your time and think carefully.」
The A-rank Development Engineers had already completed their transfers to the new Ulysses within Trireme via their terminals. For them, the decision was straightforward.
As soon as the broadcast ended, many others rushed to their terminals to take action.
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