Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 7 7: Someone’s Got to Bring You a Bicycle

"How… how could it be like this…"

Rose collapsed to the ground, her eyes empty.

"Liliweiss… has she been suffering all this ti… because of the pressure I put on her…?"

Charon stepped forward slowly, stopping behind her.

"I didn't really do much," he said calmly.

"I just told her she doesn't need to be so kind of saint. Being a selfish 'villain' isn't so bad, so long as she can break free from those chains."

Rose froze.

The night wind tousled her long hair as she processed his words.

After a long mont, her tense shoulders finally relaxed, as if a massive weight had been lifted.

"A… villain…"

Her shoulders trembled as large tears fell to the ground.

"As long as she wants to live… as long as she chooses to live… that's enough…"

"Even if she hates … it doesn't matter…"

"As long as she's alive… as long as she's alive…"

She lifted her head.

Her eyes were red and swollen, worse than before–

But the despair was gone.

"Thank you, Mr. Charon… thank you."

"You saved her… and… you saved too."

She slowly stood up and gave him a deep bow.

"Truly… thank you so much."

Charon simply waved it off and walked away, his figure gradually disappearing into the night.

Behind her glasses, her eyes, now filled with life, followed that dependable silhouette until it vanished completely.

"Charon… Mr. Charon…"

She bowed once more–

Then walked off in the opposite direction.

This ti, her steps were steady and firm.

As if she had finally found her path forward.

…

So ti later, in the library.

There was still no news about Liliweiss.

But Charon's task was already complete.

Until she officially beca a Nikke, there was no need for him to keep paying attention.

Two n in desperate need of studying sat across from each other, the table piled high with exam prep books.

"I seriously don't get it," Andrew muttered, lying on the table as he glanced at Charon.

"I'm a field guy, so struggling with this stuff makes sense… but why did you fail too?"

"Guess I just don't have talent for this either," Charon shrugged.

He wasn't a strategist.

He could handle being a frontline soldier just fine–

But commanding from the rear? That wasn't his thing.

Compared to him, Andrew was actually better suited for that role.

The guy had plenty in his head–

He just had a habit of ignoring standard answers and writing down whatever he would actually do.

From an academic standpoint?

That was pure heresy.

"What do you an you'd just go assassinate the Rapture Queen? Do you even know where she is?"

"And where exactly are you planning to get the weapons and forces capable of doing that?"

"And even if you did kill her, there's no proof the Raptures would disappear. What if they go berserk instead?"

Typical rogue-style thinking…

After studying for a while, Charon had already figured sothing out:

It didn't matter how well they perford.

When the ti ca–

They'd be sent to the front lines anyway.

This academy life wasn't really about knowledge.

It was about status.

They had to beco "formally trained."

Now that, he understood.

No need for all the grand excuses.

Both he and Andrew were well aware of it.

So on the surface, they caused trouble for the teaching staff in every possible way

While secretly absorbing hardcore military knowledge at high speed…

And then writing nonsense like 1 1=3 on exams.

Still, appearances mattered.

Two commander candidates studying seriously–

That alone motivated the other students.

So in that regard, they cooperated.

So things were best kept between them and the military.

As for the other students, soon to be sent to the battlefield–

They treated them well.

Just as they were writing–

A suppressed commotion suddenly spread through the quiet library.

Charon had no intention of paying attention.

But Andrew smirked and nudged him.

"She's here for you."

"Huh?"

Charon turned around.

Jet-black hair.

Snow-white skin.

Delicate, picture-perfect features.

The exhaustion and fragility from yesterday were gone.

Rose still carried a faint lancholic aura.

But she was no longer the broken girl from before.

Just as Charon had thought.

With a bit of care, she beca strikingly beautiful.

…Though did she really need to stand out that much?

"Mr. Charon… is this seat taken?"

Her voice was calr now, with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

"Go ahead…"

"Andrew, it's been a while."

Rose sat beside Charon, casually taking out a tablet.

A military-grade one, clearly not for entertainnt.

"Uh… Senior Rose… if possible, please don't dig into my buddy's data…" Andrew forced out a nervous smile.

"Of course," Rose smiled sweetly, brushing her hair behind her ear.

"I would never casually expose Mr. Charon's information. On the contrary—I've already encrypted it. No one will be able to access it now."

…So you already looked through it, huh.

Andrew wisely chose not to say that out loud.

"Ahem… let introduce her," he whispered to Charon.

"This is Senior Rose, the ace hacker of the Air Force Won's Academy. An electronic warfare specialist. She's currently researching the Raptures… right?"

Rose nodded lightly.

"Wait, then why not the cybersecurity academy?" Charon asked.

Wouldn't that suit her better?

Andrew opened his mouth.

Then glanced at Rose and imdiately shut up.

Charon had never seen him this intimidated before.

"You see, Mr. Charon…" Rose said softly,

"I've always admired her."

She didn't say the na.

But Charon knew.

Liliweiss.

"I wanted to see the sa skies as her. Reach the sa heights."

"So I trained my body, studied everything needed to pilot aircraft… and transferred into the Air Force academy."

"But…"

No need to continue.

Charon already knew what happened next.

"I know I'm probably not suited for that path anymore," she said calmly.

"So I plan to return to cybersecurity."

"And also…"

She looked at him.

"I'm curious about you."

Andrew's eyes lit up, but he quickly lowered his head, shoulders shaking.

Just laugh already, you idiot.

Ignoring him, Charon raised an eyebrow.

"If you're here out of gratitude, don't bother. You don't owe anything."

"I'm not here just to repay you."

Rose smiled faintly, a trace of mischief in her voice.

"I'm here to keep an eye on you."

"In case… one day, you end up trapped in that empty little town too…"

She smiled.

"Soone's got to bring you a bicycle, right?"

Charon let out a helpless laugh.

…So the two of them had already talked.