"Then... if you don't mind, can I witness that loyalty myself?"
Upon hearing this, Number 11 froze. No one had ever said something like that to her before, or perhaps it was simply because the circumstances were different.
At that moment, she only felt a strange sense of confusion.
Witness?
Such missions were meant to be carried out in silence, destined to remain unknown, with only herself bearing the pain and struggle. The word felt foreign to her.
She had always acted out of duty, loyalty as a soldier, and honor. There had never been a reason for anyone else to see it.
But now, a reliable companion stood beside her, aware of her sacrifices. The feeling that brought was unexpectedly comforting.
Soldier 11's heart felt tangled with emotion, her heartbeat growing faster. Yet above all of it, one feeling rose clearly, something she could only describe as happiness.
[Ding! Target: Soldier 11 has increased her favorability toward the host by 20. Her current favorability is now 80. Additionally, 2000 Emotional Value has been obtained.]
[Current Emotional Value: 12800]
"Alright, then I will leave it to you, Emissary of the Red Moon," She said it with a faint smile forming on her lips.
"Why not just call me Proxy? Or my name, Wise."
Wise suggested it calmly. They had already met face to face, and if she truly wanted to discover his name, it would not have been difficult anyway.
"So that is your name? I see... Wise, I will remember it. Now, I will leave for today. Once the net tightens, the next operation will begin. Goodbye."
After that, Soldier 11 left right away. Whether it was just in her head or not, her steps felt lighter. Maybe the weight in her chest had finally loosened.
In the end, she did not dwell on it. All she knew was that she felt happy now, and that was more than enough.
Once Soldier 11 departed, Wise made his way back to the video store. Having already introduced himself properly, he believed there would be no need for another odd code name the next time they met.
However, turns out, that assumption was clearly wrong. A few days later, at their usual meeting spot, Wise encountered Soldier 11 again and, somehow, still ended up with a brand new code name.
"The operation is tonight. The spy has arranged a meeting between me and the rebel leader. You just need to guide me to the designated location in the Hollow," Soldier 11 said seriously.
"Understood. Your side is already preparing to close the net, correct?"
"Naturally. The Defense Force has already sent out elite units in secret. The rebels won't be getting away. Let's move now. Also… haha, good job."
Soldier 11 suddenly chuckled, making Wise look at her in confusion. It was the first time he'd ever seen her smile; she and Anby weren't exactly the smiling type.
"You smiled."
"Yeah. Because you weren't late tonight."
Wise froze for a second before understanding, then intentionally put on a regretful expression.
"Oh, then I kind of regret it now. I wish I hadn't been late before," he said, putting on a troubled look.
This time, Soldier 11 was the one caught off guard by Wise's words.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Nothing. It's just that you look beautiful when you smile. That's why I thought… if I hadn't been late back then, maybe I would've seen it more often."
"Hmph, you're quite the smooth talker. Showing up on time is just normal. I only praised you because you did better this time. And there's plenty that makes me happy: military success, promotions, the blood of traitors, super spicy ramen, and comrades I can work with for a long time..."
Soldier 11 stopped for a moment, then turned to Wise and spoke seriously.
"I look forward to working with you in the future, Hermit of the Crimson Eye. If you dare betray my trust with deception or excuses, I will execute you myself."
Those words stirred an uneasy feeling in Wise's heart, a trace of fear he could not quite suppress.
"Cough, o-of course not. It's already late, we should move."
"Mm."
Soldier 11 gave a short nod and said nothing further, taking Eous with her as she entered the designated Hollow once again.
But when they reached the spot, there was no rebel leader waiting for them. Instead, they were surrounded by a large number of rebel soldiers.
Not long after, Mr. Mole sent a distressed message, clearly shaken by having been fooled by the "fake" Phaethon.
Along with his grief came the pain of his idol being shattered. Wise's charming voice had clearly hit him harder than expected.
Now that his identity had been exposed, and with the Defense Force elites unable to pinpoint the location due to signal interference, Soldier 11 proposed staying behind to cover their retreat, allowing Wise to lead the others to her location.
Honestly, Wise's first thought was to just take out all the rebels himself. Even if the Bangboo body couldn't use its full power, pushing his charm to the limit might still work.
The worst result would be losing the fight, then the rebels doing whatever they wanted to Eous.
Setting that thought aside, such a result would render all their previous efforts meaningless, especially since the rebel leader had yet to reveal himself.
With no better option, Wise chose to trust Soldier 11 for now. After breaking through and escaping the interference zone, he managed to contact the Defense Force reinforcements with Fairy's assistance.
Then, amid the astonished remarks of Soldier 11's comrades, he fought his way back to support her.
The rebels were likely wondering how an ordinary Bangboo could possess such terrifying combat power, but the situation was far too tense to linger on those thoughts.
By the time the Defense Force support unit began advancing, Wise had already returned to Soldier 11's side.
"Wise? You came back! Were you able to contact my comrades?"
"Of course. Their end is already decided."
Standing behind Soldier 11, Wise waved his short arms lightly. His appearance was almost amusing, yet none of the surrounding rebels dared to underestimate him.
They had personally seen him break through their ranks, his actions swift and merciless.
Moments later, the Defense Force reinforcements arrived, and the rebels, completely overwhelmed, could only retreat in chaos.
"Damn it! Someone like this exists besides Phaethon! My faith is shaking again! No, I'm Phaethon's most loyal follower! But… ah!"
Chasing the rebels all the way while incidentally hearing praise from Mr. Mole, Wise wasn't sure whether he should feel grateful for that kind of support.
Soon after, the rebels made a decisive move, leaving part of their forces behind to cover the retreat while the rest escaped, preserving their remaining strength.