“No!”
“No!”
“No!”
Their resolve was firm and they were united. And so Karman and his men agreed to help.
“In any case, our future is tied with cooperating with the empire. I cannot make any promises regarding what the other branches will say, but this branch, or at least me personally, I will believe you.”
“…Indeed. Even if Zaza was connected to you, I do not see it as a betrayal. My decision is the same as yours after hearing your story. I will believe you, Michelle.”
All her doubts and fears were pushed aside momentarily. Sharma decided to put her faith in Michelle.
And Rindo seemed to have decided as well.
“So we’ve decided then! Well, I just have to follow master!”
After all, he’s the one that will take all the blame if we get in trouble! Ramiris thought.
There wasn’t any point in even hearing Beretta’s opinion, as he followed Ramiris.
And so they all promised to cooperate with Michelle.
The result of this was that Karman and his men would now work under Zaza.
Zaza had been a first lieutenant, which made him a superior to Karman in the chain of command.
As for Sharma and the others, they would leave this place and head to a new hiding place that Michelle had prepared.
While Michelle’s power was currently shutting them off from the surface, she would ultimately burn it all down and make a report about how she had killed all of the members of the resistance.
And under Michelle’s guidance, they decided on their future direction.
The only thing left was the role of Veldora and the others.
“It’s finally our turn. So, Michelle or whatever your name is. What do you want us to do? Should we go now and attack?”
“What! What the hell are you!? As if you would have a chance if you went and attacked now!!”
“Yes, Zaza is right. Even if General Michelle is your ally, the empire still has three others of the Machinery Four. And there are other officers as well. You don’t have a chance of winning!!”
“That’s right, Mister Veldora. I am an amateur when it comes to fighting, but it would be foolish to try and fight now. You must allow the investigation to continue so the enemy can be singled out!”
Veldora had volunteered enthusiastically, but Zaza, Karman and Rindo berated him.
As for Michelle, she wondered why Veldora seemed to love to fight so much. Or at least, her expression seemed to say so.
“Master. I don’t think this is the best timing to go all out like that…”
Even Ramiris moved frantically to stop him.
She felt that it would be very dangerous.
And Beretta…
He was good.
“The star of the show should appear at the very end, don’t you agree? It would be unwise to sell yourself so cheaply. That is what I think…”
“Hmm!?”
He was used to this, and so he knew what to say to get Veldora’s attention.
He did not need to rely on skills. One word could be enough to manipulate Veldora.
“At the very end, when you know the enemy well and that woman called Michelle is struggling in the battle. That is when you can swoop down and help them. That would be quite easy for you, wouldn’t it, Lord Veldora…?”
“I see. You have a good point, Beretta! So I can make an appearance at the end and take the spotlight, eh? That’s basic stuff!”
It was really all he thought about and usually failed at, but Veldora didn’t remember any of that now.
He decided to take Beretta’s advice and obey Michelle.
“Then, Veldora. I want you to escort these people as they relocate to their new home. There are many dangers on the surface, so they will need all the help they can get. And I am sure that you are capable of dealing with any situation.”
Michelle was the only one who had guessed at what Veldora was truly capable of.
And quite accurately as well. She believed that he was stronger than herself.
And that was why she gave him the most important task as a sign of respect.
They would fight once she had evidence. In other words, there was more than enough time to take the non-combatants to safety.
And so Veldora listened to Michelle’s request and agreed to go with Sharma on an escort mission.
Once that was settled, Sharma turned to Michelle.
“So, if we are to believe your words, it is possible that the Emperor was behind all of it…?”
“As for that, the investigation is still underway. However, as I said before, we do not have any proof yet. I don’t even want them to know that I have suspicions, which requires that we move cautiously. So I cannot give you an answer quickly…”
“I see… However, General Michelle. Is the emperor not your own father? What will you do if he really was responsible…?”
“What does it matter if he is my father? I will defeat evil. I cannot imagine hesitating in doing it.”
Michelle made this declaration with such a strong show of will, as if to cut through whatever fears and doubts Sharma and Zaza had.
She had carried this suspicion for decades. And she had decided that she would defeat the person behind it once she found out, no matter who it was.
However, Michelle was not sure if her father the emperor really was the man behind it all.
And she would not act until she was certain.
She would decide once she had evidence that she could really trust.
And in preparation for that moment, she wanted to unite the resistance.
—Lastly, she asked that they gather together volunteers for combat personnel. And then Michelle ended the meeting.