In the lounge of the luxury RV, Isla knelt by the central coffee table. A pricey tea set sat in front of her. "The tea and the water are from the Ice Regint. I’m just borrowing soone else’s offering."
Dressed in a white gown, hair pinned up neatly, she moved with quiet grace as she prepared tea for Magnus. After a series of skilled motions, she picked up a cup, brought it close, gently blew on it with her lips, and offered it to him.
"Thanks," Magnus said, taking the cup politely. He took a sip - his first ti trying gongfu tea. The taste? Felt the sa as the stuff you’d get waiting in a street diner. Tea’s tea, right?
Setting the cup down, Magnus got to the point. "So, what did you call here for? No need to dress it up. Just say it."
"Commander Magnus..." Isla sat up, the faint smile dropping from her face. She sank onto the couch again, her look dimming. "This might be the last ti I ever speak with you like this. Starting tomorrow, I want to be a real soldier."
Magnus frowned, puzzled. "Why? You’re not doing badly right now."
"Not badly, no... but how long will that last?" Isla let out a deep breath. "Sooner or later, people are going to have opinions about , and you’ll be caught in the middle. You’ll try to ease out gently... So, I’d rather step off myself than wait for that."
Magnus didn’t speak. He raised the tea again and finished it in silence.
Isla went on, "I’ve thought about it these past few days. If I want to stay on this RV, there’s only one path left..."
"What path?" Magnus asked.
"The only one I’ve got," she laughed at herself. "Getting pregnant. Becoming a mother. Raising your child here. That’s the only reason I’d be allowed to stick around."
Magnus blinked, stunned. That wasn’t what he expected to hear.
Isla reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small blue bottle. "This was Flick’s idea. She said I should just slip this into your tea."
"You put it in?" Magnus’s face changed instantly.
"Do I look that cheap?" Isla eyed him teasingly. "Even if I didn’t spike your drink, would you really refuse if I did?"
Magnus looked a little awkward. She tossed the blue bottle over. "Relax, it’s yours. Flick said it probably belonged to the original owner of the RV. Maybe it was ant for ."
Magnus caught it. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Keep it. You don’t want soone using it on you, do you?" Isla’s smile returned, softer this ti. "Think about it. If soone drugged you in your sleep, and this RV’s filled with dozens of female teammates - what do you think would happen?"
Magnus’s face tensed again.
"Flick told it’s from Shinkoku. Just that tiny bottle costs 1.2 million yen. That’s seventy-thousand in our money. You can imagine how strong it is."
Magnus’s heart kicked into overdrive. He shoved the blue bottle deep into his inside pocket. If Victoria ever got hold of this stuff... he might not even make it out in one piece."Alright." Isla let out a long breath and stood up from the couch, her voice sounding lighter. "I’ve given it to you. No more second-guessing."
"Second-guessing?" Magnus rose too, eyebrows slightly raised as he looked at her.
"Yeah," Isla murmured, her wide eyes staring off, dazed. "When life’s good... who wouldn’t want it to stay that way? Kids, peace, a real future..."
She paused, dazed for a few seconds, then turned to him. "If you’ve got a mont later, I want you to take outside."
"Outside? Where to?"
"Out there. I want to see those giant centipedes with my own eyes."
*****
Call it her last bit of privilege as a star - Magnus stayed with Isla beyond the bunker walls for over two hours that afternoon. In that ti, she broke down repeatedly, cried her lungs out, and nearly collapsed from despair.
She regretted it bitterly. Why hadn’t she spiked his tea with that little blue vial? Why’d she have to face those disgusting creatures herself?
But by the end, sothing inside her hardened. She dulled to the fear, managed to kill three centipedes on her own. That was when Magnus finally gave a small nod.
At the sa ti, Magnus also used the opportunity to test the Nature Crystal. He lit up a piece of Sacred Wood and struck it at a centipede and a spider. Blue fire flared instantly, devouring them. They turned to ash in two seconds flat. The effect was beyond impressive.
Back at the bunker, Magnus found Liana. "Liana, think you can move her into our vehicle?"
"She wants to switch over now?" Liana looked surprised, glancing at Isla, whose tear-streaked face still held a trace of resolve.
"Yeah," Isla answered firmly. "I’ve made up my mind. I want to fight with everyone else."
"Alright... I’ll make it happen." Liana took one last look at her, thoughtful, then headed off quickly.
That sa night, Isla moved into the bunk vehicle. Liana gave her a bottom bunk - a small favor. It sat across from Emily’s. It was also ant to spare her from getting sward by the other girls.
The next morning, the entire team was ready to roll. Every vehicle was fueled up, and the front windshields reinforced with transparent steel.
At midday, Liana flagged Magnus down. "Co with for a sec."
They stepped outside, and Magnus followed her to the vehicles. His eyes widened as she proudly pointed.
Every one of the 30-plus vehicles had been modified. On top, Liana had her team weld thick steel plates around the edges, forming a box-like structure. Climbing up, Magnus saw the tops could open - storage space.
"Well?" Liana grinned.
"Smart move," Magnus said admiringly. "Sturdy enough? What’re you planning to pack in there?"
"Mainly building materials, bundles of firewood, spare tires..."
He nodded. It was a clever way to save space - each vehicle now like a mini cargo truck. Liana was finally in her elent. Last life, when she and Emily had been on the frontlines, they’d done... okay. But now? She was proving herself invaluable.
By nightfall, out of 263 team vehicles, Liana had modified 167. That was good enough for her. She called for the team to eat - they’d have their final dinner inside the bunker.
Tomorrow at dawn, they’d move out - destination: Ashbrook Town.
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