Chapter 1374
They are all pitiful people
Hilda was also a pitiful person.
In the world where she was discovered, codenamed Rondo, she was known as Norma.
Unable to use the power of mana, they are regarded as monsters by society, feared and hated by their relatives, captured, numbered, and sent to the battlefield, used as expendable resources.
She was forced to leave her mother at a young age and grew up in a place like Alzenar, where she faced nothing but dragons and death every day, and dared not even sleep too soundly in her dreams.
Of course, all of this was a lie.
The claim that Norma is a "monster who rejects the world and is antisocial" is a complete fabrication and hoax from beginning to end.
Those girls who cannot use mana are simply normal humans with ancient genes. Their abilities are essentially to interfere with and destroy mana, not to be cursed.
And the originator of the lie...
He is currently being rigorously interrogated in a small, dark room to extract more useful information.
Ambriel, the man who created the world of Mana and spread the rumors about Norma, is currently locked in the deepest chamber of the TPC.
Three shifts of interrogators take turns entering the room every day, using all sorts of psychological tactics and technical means to pry secrets about mana technology, dragons, and dimensional weapons out of him.
Hilda closed her eyes.
Feeling the warmth coming from above her head, her shoulders trembled slightly, and her eyes reddened.
"...Touch it a little longer."
Her voice was soft and nasal, as if she were pleading or whining.
Cui Ming didn't speak, but pressed his palm down even more gently than before.
"……Thank you."
Hilda said in a low voice, a slight smile finally appearing on her lips.
That smile was faint, like a tender bud that had finally sprouted in the cold winter, fragile yet real.
Cui Ming looked at her, his gaze devoid of any pity, only one of equal and quiet companionship.
"Let's go eat. The cafeteria has steak today."
He withdrew his hand, his tone returning to its usual calm and steady manner.
Hilda paused for a moment, then laughed and reached out to rub her hair.
"...Okay, I'll have two servings."
She turned and ran towards the cafeteria, her red hair bouncing behind her like a burning flame.
Cui Ming stood there, watching the figure disappear around the corner, then turned and walked towards the solitary confinement room.
He wanted to see how much more the liar had been exposed today.
In fact, it wasn't just Hilda who came; almost all of the Norma came.
They crossed over from the other side of the EDF world and appeared in the living area of the TPC base, gathering in twos and threes, with a lazy and contented atmosphere in the air.
Of course, they came with a mission.
Seed Project.
This was confirmed by the higher-ups at EDF in the EDF world.
To put it bluntly, it's about getting them pregnant with Cui Ming's child.
This plan was no secret within EDF, and had even spread among the Norma members.
As mentioned before, Choi Myung wanted to delay this plan as much as possible.
After all, who knows if Norma is willing?
He worried that such a purposeful arrangement would turn these newly freed girls back into tools.
But the Norma people are saying, "Such a good thing?!"
From the day the plan was announced, their reaction was not resistance, but rather almost fanatical anticipation.
Yes, the Norma really like Cui Ming.
After all, it really makes you feel safe.
During their time in Alzenar, they faced endless battles and death, the constant fear of being torn apart by dragons, and long, dark nights where they never had a peaceful night's sleep.
Here, beside Cui Ming, they experienced for the first time what it meant to be safe and secure. Moreover, when facing non-hostile units, Cui Ming's people were the calm type.
He wouldn't discriminate against them because they were from another world, wouldn't treat them differently because they were Norma, and wouldn't be wary of them because they had killed dragons in the past.
He simply stood there calmly, like a silent mountain, a solid wall, a sea that would never stir up a storm.
For Norma and others who lack a sense of security.
That was far too dangerous.
They were abandoned by society from a young age, treated as monsters, deprived of their dignity as human beings, numbered, expelled, and sent to the battlefield as cannon fodder.
In their world, the option of being treated gently has never existed.
It wasn't until they met Cui Ming that they realized someone could protect them so quietly, without needing words or promises, simply by existing silently, which was enough to dispel all their fear.
So the current situation is that Norma and the EDF leadership have reached an agreement!
The two sides reached an unprecedented understanding: on one side was a girl eager to be accepted, and on the other was an organization hoping to strengthen its combat power; their goals were completely aligned.
The first and second batches have already been completed.
The third batch is in line.
But so far, she has not been able to conceive.
Cui Ming had no choice but to accept that the plan would continue.
Cui Ming arrived at the cafeteria.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting dappled shadows on the metal dining table. The air was filled with the aroma of miso soup and tonkatsu (fried pork cutlet), and the employees sat in small groups, chatting quietly.
He carried his tray, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before settling on a figure in the corner.
She was a somewhat awkward silver-haired girl.
Chris.
The heavy artilleryman from Para-mail Squadron 1 was a girl who looked somewhat gloomy and carried a negative aura. She huddled in the most secluded corner of the mess hall, leaning against the wall, as if trying to embed herself in the shadows. Her silver-white hair covered half of her face, and the one eye that was visible was lowered, staring at the plate in front of her, but she didn't touch her chopsticks for a long time.
She often hid behind Hilda and Rosalie, living a life unnoticed by others.
This was true in Alzenal, and it was true in EDF. She was used to hiding herself behind others, used to letting the more dazzling people attract all the attention, used to observing from the sidelines without being observed herself.
Cui Ming carried the tray over and sat down next to her.
The sound of the chair being moved made Chris shudder. She subconsciously looked up and saw it was Cui Ming. Her shoulders relaxed slightly.
Then, she subconsciously moved closer to Cui Ming.
The movement was so subtle that it was almost imperceptible; the body simply tilted slightly, like a plant drawn to the light, unconsciously moving closer to the heat source.
Cui Ming didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently placed his hand on her head.
His palm was large and warm, with a reassuring temperature, as it slowly moved down her silvery-white hair.
Chris closed her eyes in relief.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and the tight lines at the corners of her mouth gradually softened, like a fledgling bird that had finally found its nest.
"Don't worry, although the monsters here are quite scary, their density is low, much better than EDF."
Cui Ming's voice was low and calm, as if he were stating a simple fact.
"Um……"
Chris responded softly, her voice so soft it sounded like she was talking to herself.
She lowered her head, finally picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat the food in front of her in small bites.
Chris felt incredibly safe and secure right now...
That long-lost sense of security seeping from the very marrow of her bones almost made her want to drown in it.
In her terrible world, where every day was a battle and every night was an alarm, she had never had such a peaceful afternoon.
Here, beside this man, she could finally stop hiding, stop being on guard, and finally just eat a meal in peace.
Sunlight fell on her silver hair, giving it a soft sheen.
Cui Ming withdrew his hand and continued eating the food on his plate without saying anything more. (End of Chapter)