The Hero In The Military academy Suit - CH 04

Chapter 04

Waking Up to an Apocalypse Ending

I thought about it a lot, but in the end, I just decided to simplify things.

Some settings in my novel had changed, and when faced with these changes, it felt like a benefit for someone who had transmigrated into the story.

Anyway, to the main point:

Russell Ashigreen is a late-blooming, powerful character destined to become a king.

How could I possibly include such a character in my story?

If I wanted to represent passionate battle scenes, They would have to be long, and a character who gains exponential strength simply by effort would not work.

As a beginner writer, it was hard to make use of this character without some kind of penalty.

Still, it was far better to being the main character who grows and develops, a third-rate extra, or the enemy.

Russell is a character who, like an all-knowing writer, understands the states of other characters.

He was the only Easter egg, or Genius Ex Machina, the only one capable of adding a new twist to a damaged world. However, he was pushed out of the attention due to his extremely lazy attitude.

If readers’ unanswered hopes guided me here, it’s possible that becoming Russell Ashigreen was more than a coincidence.

What could I do now? At the moment, all I could do was sleep on the cold prison floor, which felt bad enough to give me frozen shoulders despite being 18 years old.

After spending a whole day feeling the cold seep into my joints, I was finally taken out of the cell.

“Chief guard, the order is to bring the prisoner to the interrogation room.”

The one who had imprisoned me handed the guard the official document, then soldiers grabbed me on either side.

I waved my hand, dismissing the position windows of the extras that appeared, and had been taken along by the two muscular men accompanying me.

I tried jumping a few times, recalling memories of holding my parents’ hands as a child, but it just made me feel more pathetic, so I stopped.

“Get in.”

My hands were still bound in cuffs.

I waited once again in a small room with just two chairs and a table.

It felt like I was back in reserve army training, waiting around endlessly.

Just as I was getting sick of it, the interrogation room door creaked open, and a man stepped inside.

At that moment, I felt a strange emotion mixed with admiration.

It was a feeling close to joy.

The man came closer, standing against the corridor light.

Jet-black hair tied in a ponytail, piercing golden eyes, and a long sword that seemed bigger than half his body.

I recognized him instantly.

“Biltred Daiern.”

In the original story, he was a hero who helped the protagonist, Ras, but eventually betrayed him after becoming disillusioned with the repetitive world.

In the game, he was a character specialized in grinding with his powerful area-of-effect skills.

I’d grown pretty attached to this character, having used him for a long time.

Seeing this character in real life, who I had only seen on screen, was quite unreal.

“In fan fiction, this guy was simply a capable general, nothing more or less.

“There is no special betrayal or heroic actions.”

I remembered noting him down as Russell Ashigreen’s sponsor in my setting book.

If he actually turns out like that in real life, then it means not only the public storylines but also the background notes might be brought to life in this world.”

“Nice to meet you.”

It was a brief greeting, but his intense gaze from that typically expressionless face made me flinch.

He’s one of the clear strongest in this world.

I probably don’t even compare, having neither trained nor properly adapted to this body.

Biltred sat across from me and spoke in a calm voice.

“Name.”

After a moment of thought, I replied just as calmly and politely.

There is no need for a the sword in my revolution, or rather, my transmigrated life.

Of course, there’s no event where Biltred chops off Russell’s head.

“Russell. Russell Ashigreen.”

In response, Biltred silently flipped through the documents he was holding.

He was probably trying to recall his memory.

After a moment of silence, he slowly looked at me again.

“When did you start working with the demons?”

“Wait a minute.

I quickly waved my hands, pretending to be surprised.

In this world, the word “demon” was a death sentence.

Anyone labeled as a minion, underling, or follower of the demon would never survive.

They’d be locked in this massive royal underground prison until their last breath, basically self-quarantining and social distancing for life.

“I’m not a demon or anything like that.”

“Can you prove it?”

I kept quiet, thinking hard, then came up with a good idea.

“Screw the demon. Demons are trash. They deserve to be torn apart and fed to dogs.”

“…”

A moment of silence.

I wondered if I had gone too far, speaking so harshly in front of the general.

“That’s quite a joke.”

“I’m serious. I just don’t have a better way to prove it.”

“It’s not an issue to be taken lightly, but I admit it was refreshing to hear.”

“Right?”

Biltred chuckled, and I smiled back.

“Why and how did you get into the shelter?”

“Well, I just wanted to see the demon’s face.”

This was part of the character’s official history.

In reality, Russell had invaded the shelter to spit on the sealed demon statue after a certain incident.

“Can you prove your identity? What’s your hometown?”

“Izera, a village in the southern forest.”

“What were your parents’ occupations?”

“My father was a hunter. My mother was a common housewife.”

Biltred looked fascinating by my answer.

“Your physical abilities are quite impressive for a hunter’s son.

I heard you killed an Ancara with a single blow.

Were you a beast hunter?”

“I smashed its head with a rock. So, technically, I did have a weapon.”

I really need to fix this habit of speaking like I’m on a broadcast.

I avoided giving definitive answers and answered indirectly.

He seemed satisfied with my answers and smiled brightly.

“That’s interesting.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s strange. I’m sure it’s the first time we’ve met. Your name is unfamiliar. So why are you happy to see me?”

“…”

I realized I had slipped up.

I thought I had kept my expression neutral, but it seems my happiness had shown on my face.

“I want to ask how you know me, but there’s something I need to confirm first.”

Biltred listened to a soldier whispering in his ear, then gave me a sharp look again.

“Russell Ashigreen. Born in Izera, a village in the southern forest. Father was Karlson Ashigreen, who died in a follow-up battle after the Demon War. Mother was Senia Ashigreen, who suffered from a curse by a demon and passed away six months ago. After her funeral, you wandered and were about to join a training camp before going missing.”

“…”

“Were you evading military training? That’s a serious crime.”

“…It was a pure accident. I didn’t receive my admission papers.”

Well, it’s my own setting, but hearing it again, it’s such a sad backstory.

I nodded, impressed by Biltred’s remarkable level of knowledge.

“Ashigreen… I thought the name sounded familiar. You’re Carlson’s child.”

“Do you know my father?”

“Of course. He was a brave warrior.”

Only then did I let out a sigh of relief. The fact that Biltred knew Russell’s identity meant, according to the official story, that Biltred would be my guardian.

It was then.

In an instant, I felt a strong presence and reflexively jumped back.

A gust of wind followed, and the front of my clothes fluttered.

Biltred retrieved his sword, which he had drawn without me noticing, and smiled, amused.

“Wow, that was close.”

I almost wet my pants

Dodging that attack was 100% thanks to this body.

My body reacted immediately.

Long live the hunting clan!

And also, my level 3 bladder.

“To dodge purely by instinct, without any battle suit… You must really be Carlson’s son.”

“Did you attack me just to test my identity?”

Biltred nodded.

“And if you had killed your friend’s son?”

“I’d have mourned the unfortunate loss of a comrade who failed at raising his child.”

This crazy personality of his…

I definitely need to get out of here soon.

I gave Biltred a sharp look, signaling that I wanted to wrap up the identity check and be sent off without any more nonsense.

But he remained calm, speaking in his usual composed manner.

“After the war 20 years ago, we’ve been stuck in a never-ending, frustrating battle with the demons and their minions. Some tried to avoid suspicion by having a sham marriage and even having children to place them in the city. Others joined the military, rose through the ranks, and ultimately betrayed us.”

I kept silent as I listened to Biltred’s words.

“Friends? Parents? Children? When I think of the efforts they went through to deceive us and betray humanity, bloodline alone is not enough to prove that you’re not one of them.”

“As I’ve said before, I’m not a demon.”

“Being Carlson’s son doesn’t mean you’re automatically off the suspect list.”

I was about to lose my patience.

I couldn’t bring myself to speak that thought aloud.

Was something wrong? Was there an action I’ve taken that could have caused a butterfly effect?

“But…”

Biltred stared at my face with a contemplative expression.

Complex emotions flitted across his face before he calmed down.

“I’ll extend one mercy, for the son of my fallen comrade. This is a tribute to your father, a hero who bravely fought and won, saving many lives but choosing sacrifice over glory. If you are indeed a demon’s follower, make sure you never get caught.”

“Does that mean…?”

“You’re released. Russell Ashigreen. However, you’ll be under surveillance for some time, so be careful with your conduct.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Despite his formal words, the fact that such a strict general as Biltred was releasing a suspected demon meant he was fully backing me.

Now that he had recognized me as the son of his comrade, he would continue to watch over Russell and eventually guide him to the Hero Academy as my guardian.

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Since he was a friend of my father’s, I could call him “Uncle.”

After all, it’s a tradition in our culture to ask for a little pocket money after receiving such words of wisdom from an uncle.

“By the way, since you’re the son of my old friend, would you consider giving me some pocket money?”

Biltred’s face twisted at my final words.

Now, get to work.

Do your job as my guardian, buddy.