The Matter of Me Being Picked Up and Adopted by Talula Chapter 44

"Your Highness, have I taken the first step?"

After hanging up the intercom, Grand Duke Baikal cursed furiously in frustration.

"Damn mercenaries, I knew these people couldn't be trusted at all!! Forget it, I can activate Kazimierz City myself. The backup plan shows that the girl named Misha also has the activation key. It's time to find her and get rid of her."

Baikal hadn't expected Garson to be found and killed by W, and that the key to activating Kazimierz City was still in this mercenary's possession.

Grand Duke Baikal wasn't worried about Garson, who held the activation key to Kazimierz City, betraying him. After all, these fanatical Sarkaz had a thirst for battle and a bloodthirsty nature flowing through their veins; they craved war even more than he did.

But he hadn't expected Garson to be killed by W, to be killed by someone who should have already been dead.

Baikal arrived at the very top floor of the command tower and switched the intercom to Viscount Kerk, who was leading the Third Army Group.

"Kerk, forget about those Reunion scum. I need army support here, send some people over quickly, and help me contact the Enforcement Team. I need to find the address of a Kazimierz City citizen!"

"—Don't worry, someone will be there, but it might not be the person you want to see."

"That voice, you're the guard from the Rostov family from before!?"

Grand Duke Baikal's eyes widened, but before he could ask for details, the intercom was unilaterally hung up by the other party.

"So, that's it."

Orson crushed the intercom in one hand, while holding Viscount Kerk's head in the other.

Beside him, dozens of soldiers, holding various weapons and sweating profusely, looked at Orson. None of them knew the intentions of this young man who had suddenly descended from the sky and directly beheaded Viscount Kerk.

"..."

After a brief silence, Orson rewrapped the bandages around his neck to stop the bleeding and adjusted his virtual vocal cords.

"Listen, Third Army Group soldiers present! The mastermind of the rebellion has been apprehended by me, and you no longer need to engage in meaningless combat! The reason for this war itself was merely a rebellion orchestrated by Viscount Kerk and Grand Duke Baikal for their own selfish gains!"

"...Rebellion?" "Insurrection—what do you mean?"

Orson's words stunned the soldiers, and they all looked at the young man before them in confusion.

Thanks to Kerk's usual demeanor, none of these soldiers were fiercely loyal and willing to fight him unconditionally.

"What are you talking about? Which organization do you belong to?"

After a brief commotion, a somewhat weathered adjutant walked up to Orson and asked his identity with a frown.

"Organization? I, hmm, good question. We are the personal guard of the sole legal heir of Duke Koschei: Duchess Talula! And also a secret cleanup force approved by the Emperor! Our purpose is to judge, track, and eliminate all traitors who attempt to endanger the security of Ursus's territory under various pretexts!"

Orson hesitated for a few seconds before starting to fabricate on the spot. At the same time, because the parts about Koschei and Talula's identities were true, Orson spoke with unusual confidence, almost convincing himself.

"Viscount Kerk and Grand Duke Baikal, two old nobles colluded together. Grand Duke Baikal even illegally hired a large number of Sarkaz mercenaries, intending to launch a military coup. This is an obvious act of treason! And Viscount Kerk not only failed to report it but also used his position to involve the Third Army Group. Is there anyone here who still wants to protect these criminals!!"

Orson's words completely mesmerized the soldiers. Coupled with his manipulation of the virtual vocal cords to create a spirited, elder-brother-like tone, he completely bewildered the already confused soldiers.

"Make your choice. On one side are legitimate troops who have received the joint approval of Kazimierz City nobles, and on the other are traitors awaiting liquidation by the Enforcement Team. Have you decided which side you want to stand on!"

The secret to bragging is to be quick, accurate, and ruthless, not giving the other party a chance to react. Orson seized the initiative, turning the tables, and loudly questioned the soldiers who still hadn't figured out what was going on.

"...I have to say, you live up to your reputation from the interview where you said your specialty was stand-up comedy. You're quite the charmer."

Not far away, FrostNova, who could also hear Orson's booming voice, wiped her sweat and thought.

64. Epilogue (Part 1) (Bonus Chapter)

"No... my plan had no flaws, how could it have turned out like this—?!"

When Grand Duke Baikal came to his senses, he found himself surrounded, like prey cornered at the edge of a cliff.

Kazimierz City's troops were pinned down by the Infected and Reunion members. The Sarkaz mercenaries he had hired were completely scattered and annihilated. Even the Third Army Group's branch units had been intercepted by some unknown means, and Viscount Kerk's life was likely forfeit.

—Right, Viscount Kerk! If I push all the blame onto him, I can avoid being investigated and executed...! All I need to do now is leave here, find a place to hide, and then push everything onto him!

Grand Duke Baikal seemed to have found a way to survive, but just as he was about to leave the top floor of the command tower, a blast of scorching heat directly blocked his path, forcing him to raise his hands to shield his eyes.

"You can see the border of Kazimierz City from here. The scenery isn't bad, is it?"

"...Daughter of Koschei!?"

Grand Duke Baikal saw Talula appear before him, his expression instantly turning to despair, then to rage.

"Your actions are meaningless! Leading those despised Infected, gathering those commoners who should have died in the wasteland—you think these actions are saving Ursus? You are gravely mistaken, you are only causing this country to decay completely! Ursus must continue through war, just as the late Emperor always did! This war machine only shines its most dazzling light when it battles!"

Grand Duke Baikal roared at Talula, but she merely sighed.

Baikal had interacted with Koschei before, so perhaps he had learned this sophistry from that immortal black serpent.

Even so, Grand Duke Baikal's sophistry lacked any sincerity. Koschei's theory of war stemmed from the constraints of his 2000 years of experience, while Grand Duke Baikal's was merely an excuse for his greed.

"Nonsense. War will only accelerate Ursus's demise. This country is already on the verge of collapse. A new war will only reopen old wounds on this land."

Talula looked towards Kazimierz City in the distance. Some areas still bore traces of scattered battles, but most places remained in a state of ordinary peace.

"Then what can you stop! You bastard—!"

Baikal drew the saber at his waist and wildly slashed at Talula.

"Perhaps nothing can be stopped, or perhaps, we can change everything."

Clang!

Although Talula's swordsmanship had always been lackluster, it was enough to defeat these warmongers who had never truly set foot on the battlefield.

Her greatsword swung, knocking the general and Baikal to the ground together.

"Unlike you, whose minds have been completely corrupted by past glory and power, we have chosen the future. Even though we don't know what lies at the end, we won't regret it."

Talula raised her greatsword, aiming it at Grand Duke Baikal's chest.

"Wait... wait a moment, young dragon— No, Talula, Duchess Talula!! I'll give you anything! My status, power, money... whatever you want, I'll give it all to you! Just let me go!!"

In that instant, Grand Duke Baikal completely lost the last shred of dignity he possessed as a noble, begging Talula for forgiveness like a stray dog.

"Disgusting."

Snap!

"Ahhh!!"

The greatsword fell, but it severed Baikal's hands. The high temperature simultaneously cauterized the wounds.

"I won't kill you, because this turmoil will end with your judgment. Besides, you're not worthy of dying by this sword."

Talula sheathed her greatsword at her waist, looking at the unconscious Grand Duke Baikal with disgust.

—It was over.

Talula sat on the edge of the command tower, silently gazing at Chernobyl. At the same time, Lumen's voice echoed from the city's broadcast.

[Citizens of Chernobyl, I am Natalia Andreyevna Rostova, heir to the Rostov family. In the past few hours, Chernobyl has been subjected to a rebellion led by Duke Baikal, but please rest assured, citizens, their plot has been thwarted.]

"It's over, soldiers. Do you still want to continue?"

In Central Park, the Shield Guards, who had heard the broadcast, stopped their attack and asked the bruised and battered Baikal faction soldiers in front of them.

[Grand Duke Baikal intended to seize Kazimierz City, not only for its internal interests but also to turn the city-state itself into a weapon, provoking a war between Yan Country and Ursus by infringing upon the territory of neighboring Lungmen.]

"Please don't move, your injuries are still very serious... Sasha?"

"I'm fine. Is this considered over?"

Near the commercial street, Mephistopheles wiped the sweat from his forehead, bandaging the wound of the injured person in front of him. Faust, standing beside him, quietly looked at the sky. This city was so familiar, yet felt so strange.

[We are aware that this rebellion was caused not only by the old nobility's yearning for war and past glory, but also by the new nobility—by our constant indifference and bystander attitude towards others.]

"Ha, well done, young lady. I've gained a little respect for you."

In the ruins of a safe house somewhere, W, who was collecting dog tags from fallen Sarkaz mercenaries, paused her work and looked towards the distant signal tower.

[The new nobility, the old nobility, both are essentially destroying people's lives for profit. And those whose happiness has been taken away naturally choose to remain silent in times of true crisis, not attempting to interfere with anything.]

"Lyudmila, Misha?"

"I... I'm here..."

Inside Baikal Castle, Alina anxiously searched for Executioner, while JunJun lay awkwardly in a pit in the underground wine cellar, contemplating what excuse to make later.

[The arrogance flowing in our blood, that insignificant self-esteem, the prejudice against the Infected... these are the true culprits behind this war, and the fundamental reason for the suffering of countless people on this continent. Yet, they are also the "truth" deeply rooted in everyone's hearts.]

"Master Ai, stop stepping on Master Isaac!"

At the base of the signal tower, a group of engineering team members desperately pulled at Isaac, preventing him from stomping on the unfortunate fellow who was already foaming at the mouth.

[But even so, there are still a group of people in this world who do not care about their origins, do not care about their past, do not seek fame or self-esteem, but fight and resist only for those who suffer injustice.]

"Is it over... Dad?"

"Let's rest for a bit, Yelena."

On the desolate plains of Kazimierz City, FrostNova knelt on the ground, asking exhaustedly. Patriot stood silently in front of FrostNova, shielding her from the cold wind—just as they had when they first met.

[I cannot yet name these fighters, but I believe that one day, their existence will truly be accepted by all, and they will be able to change Ursus, change this land filled with turmoil and sorrow.]

Inside the signal tower, Lumen stood before the microphone, her eyes slightly closed.

"At least for now, I can tell you all that it's over."

After the broadcast, Lumen silently turned off the equipment. The pager beside her showed that the Speaker of Lungmen Guard Department and the Speaker of Saint Gallant Castle had received the information she had sent.

"It's not over yet, Miss Natalia."

Hegre, who had been standing beside Lumen since earlier, suddenly spoke.

"—Not over?"

"Yes, this is just the beginning. You may not realize what you and your companions have done."

"Is it serious?" Lumen glanced at the corpse of an Inner Guard pierced beside Hegre, her expression filled with worry as she asked.

"The old nobles of Ursus have never been defeated by a group of irregulars—no, never by a group of Infected. While the overt impact of this event may be suppressed by the higher-ups, no one can be certain how far this spark will spread."

Hegre frowned as he looked at the icon of Saint Gallant Castle, then seemed to notice something, his expression softening considerably.

"But at least for this moment, you can celebrate and cheer for your bravery and resolve, Miss Natalia."

"Thank you very much for your help, bringing... um, Old Man Hegre. We all thought you wouldn't get involved in this, but you still helped, and you brought those Infected with you."

Lumen bowed deeply to Hegre.

"Because that child Nain kept pestering me, saying I should go help that interesting crosstalk comedian brother. That's all there is to it."

Hegre ruffled Lumen's hair, offering a fleeting smile before preparing to leave the signal tower.

"These young people, they truly turned the gears of history."

Hegre thought of the youth known as "Silence." He suspected that Baikal would never understand how his own flawless plan could be utterly ruined by a complete "outsider."

If Orson hadn't helped Lumen, if Lumen hadn't trusted Orson, if the Head of the Rostov Family hadn't found Orson suspicious, if Orson hadn't approached Nain with his purest self, if the people of the Northern Territory hadn't raised their banners in defiance...

Countless "ifs" had connected events to this point, but this was no "miracle."

Or perhaps, it was the "miracle" that the youth had personally won.

As for the outsider's current situation—

"Hold still! While the title of Duke Talula is legitimate, the Emperor hasn't responded at all. We can't tell if anything you're saying is true!"

Inside the tent, soldiers who had finally regained their senses swarmed forward, tying Orson to a rack used for torture and awaiting further orders and disposition from the Third Army Group's general.

"Why does it feel like I'm always the one getting screwed over..."

Gagged, blindfolded, and bound tightly, Orson grumbled inwardly. Was he really playing the protagonist's role?

Chapter 1 - Reunion's Silence, Complete

65. Epilogue (Part 2) (End of this chapter) (Bonus Chapter 2)

"..."

In a single hospital room at Chernobyl People's Hospital, Orson lay on the bed with all four limbs wrapped in bandages and casts, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Orson, I made some congee for you earlier, prepared in the style of Yan Country... Um... I, I'll blow on it for you—"