Shadow Slave

Sunny had never seen a few words crush a man's spirit so thoroughly.

...Except for maybe himself, when Nephis had spoken his True Name and commanded him to leave her for dead on the Forgotten Shore.

The soldier managed to remain standing, but he looked like a marionette with its strings cut. All light was extinguished from his eyes. He remained motionless for a while, and then turned slightly, throwing a forlorn glance at the small, battered fleet behind him.

Sunny could imagine how he felt. After surviving the cataclysmic destruction of the siege capital, these people weathered untold horrors to make it this far alive. What had kept them going was probably the hope that salvation was drawing closer and closer. And now, when they almost reached the destination, that hope was cruelly crushed.

He sighed.

"It just happened a few days ago. The news would not have reached you. My people and I are the only ones who survived."

The soldier looked down, silent.

Eventually, he asked:

"If I may ask. What are your plans now, sir?"

Sunny looked at him with a deadpan expression.

"My orders are to proceed to the Erebus Field siege capital to rendezvous with another cohort of the First Irregular Company."

Suddenly, a tentative spark appeared in the soldier's eyes.

"Master Sunless, sir. Will you consider..."

Sunny knew what he was going to say. It was not that hard to guess.

...He wanted to laugh.

took a lot of self-control to remain outwardly calm. A

persevered for the last week without any Awakened to protect the handful of

not just any Master, but one of the most deadly ones in the First Army, accompanied by a cohort of absolute

wouldn't leave defenseless civilians

Surely...

Mount Erebus. The flimsy and damaged civilian transports, however... their ability to traverse the mountains was doubtful. At the very

would put its crew in

task several times harder, but also drastically increase the chance of his

why he wanted

impossible to get hundreds of civilians through the mountains alive.

either leave

his own words, and put his money where his mouth

good one. This one is

on his lips as he watched

he supposed to

he supposed to take responsibility for hundreds of refugees, at the expense of his soldiers and Professor Obel? Or follow cold logic and do what had to be done, abandoning them to

the right

smile appeared on his

a man of conviction do? Ah, a man of conviction would have probably

the start of it. Some people might have had an unwavering moral compass, but

what was the right thing

However...

even was such a thing - but he knew what he despised very well. Just a few days ago, he had sat on the roof of the Rhino, full of contempt for the bastards who could have saved countless lives in Antarctica,

the same by leaving the refugees to die in order to serve his

and perverted way of thinking