Chapter 64: I Am the Pure Love God of War

What on earth is going on?!

Kobayashi clutched his head and racked his brains in desperate remembrance.

He distinctly remembered preparing hot tea in his room last night and setting up a soundproofing barrier specifically to wait for Tatsumi to come looking for him.

"You've come."

"I've come."

"You shouldn't have come."

"I'm already here!"

That's right. For the sake of this classic line, he had even deliberately guided Tatsumi's dialogue to match his own.

And after that...

The hot-headed and impulsive Tatsumi had loudly demanded, "Kobayashi, why did you defect? Answer me!"

Are you some kind of ninja desperately trying to drag your runaway comrade back?

Kobayashi had a strong urge to retort, but he still uttered the words he had rehearsed multiple times, "I never joined Night Raid. It was all just wishful thinking on your part from beginning to end."

"Are you kidding me..."

Tatsumi clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth in visible anger.

Kobayashi gave a gentle smile and said, "Remember what I told you? Being an assassin cannot save the Imperial Capital, and the people pulling the strings behind Night Raid are no angels either."

"But you said everyone was a good person."

"That's precisely why I haven't exposed their intelligence to anyone, isn't it?"

"..."

Although deeply frustrated, Tatsumi couldn't find any reason to refute him. After all, the Imperial Capital currently had no warrants posted for the arrest of him, Leone, or Lubbock.

Kobayashi poured him a cup of tea and said, "To answer your previous question about why I joined the Jaegers... my answer is, for the sake of my ambition."

"Ambition?"

"That's right. Just like your goal and theirs, I also intend to overthrow the corrupt rule of the Empire. It's just that the methods we choose and the stand we represent are different, that's all."

Kobayashi's words plunged Tatsumi into deep thought.

Methods and standpoint.

This was the principle Kobayashi had taught him back during his time with Night Raid—that he didn't belong to either Night Raid or the Jaegers, but stood firmly on the side of the people.

—If you do that, you'll probably be despised by both sides.

You will bear infamy and never be able to redeem yourself, but compared to what you want to save, that is completely not worth mentioning!

"Could it be...?!’"

"That's right, just as you're thinking."

Kobayashi's smile was calm and gentle, yet the more so it was, the more shocked Tatsumi felt.

He actually intended to effect change from within.

"So, I am not your enemy, but your comrade... At least, a fellow traveler with the same aspirations and the same path."

"You mean we share the same goal?"

With his inner doubts resolved, Tatsumi finally let go of his lingering resentment, but at the same time, he was overcome with even deeper emotions.

"...Is doing this really worth it?"

"Tatsumi, let me tell you one more thing."

Kobayashi's expression turned serious, and he said with unwavering firmness, "No matter how bitter the road ahead may be, as long as the direction you're walking is correct, no matter how rugged and uneven it is, it brings you closer to happiness than standing still."

If Minegishi was a teacher of virtue, then Kobayashi was a mentor for life. Along the path of life, he had given him a great deal of help and constantly influenced him.

Tatsumi left. He remained deep in thought the entire time he walked away, looking as though he had gained profound enlightenment.

Kobayashi raised his cup and took a sip of the hot tea, a satisfied smile curving the corner of his mouth.

He hadn't lied, after all.

He had indeed joined the Jaegers for his ambition, to overthrow the Empire, and they truly were fellow travelers sharing the same ideals.

The only difference was that he hadn't mentioned having a third major faction backing him from behind the scenes.

Tatsumi, you had better make sure you relay the intelligence accurately to everyone in Night Raid. I'm counting on you.

With such thoughts in mind, he drifted into a blissful sleep.

...So what happened after that?

"Why is Esdeath in my bed?!"

"Lord Kobayashi, to correct you, you are not in your own bed, but in someone else's."

Rory's words made Kobayashi shudder involuntarily.

That lingering resentment was far too deep!

"Lady Rory, I wonder if you could explain to me why I ended up sleeping with General Esdeath?"

"Then allow me to explain."

Perhaps awakened by the commotion, Esdeath stirred from her slumber, stretching her well-proportioned curves while inadvertently exposing a large expanse of bare skin.

Kobayashi's mouth twitched.

This General Esdeath was far too uninhibited. Just like the devil-may-care Leone, did she really not mind other men seeing her body completely uncovered?

"Captain, would you mind explaining?"

"Because Kobayashi, you are far too alluring."

"...... Huh???"

"Because Kobayashi, you are far too alluring."

Thinking he hadn't heard clearly, Esdeath deliberately repeated herself.

However, what kind of explanation was that?

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"To put it simply, Kobayashi, your body emits a very alluring scent, and I couldn't help myself from making a move on you."

An alluring scent?

Something capable of attracting Esdeath must be extraordinary.

Ice? Water? Divine power?

Hiss—

Wait. He seemed to realize something.

Drawing a sharp breath, the visage of a certain idiot goddess involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

It was you!!!!!!

This situation was completely outside of his calculations! Why did she always cause trouble for him in such inexplicable ways?!

Damn it, Aqua!

"Then why are we in the Captain's bed?"

"Because my room's bed is rather large."

Are you Brother Jie!

In truth, aside from Esdeath's luxurious quarters, the other members had single beds that couldn't possibly fit two people.

"Lady Rory, why didn't you stop her?"

"Lord Kobayashi said not to block anyone regardless of who came in. Have you forgotten?"

That was something he said just to receive Tatsumi, alright!

Kobayashi desperately wanted to tell Rory right then and there, but at this moment, he absolutely could not let Esdeath find out that he had conversed with Tatsumi last night. He had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill in silence.

"By the way, Kobayashi, do you know why?"

Esdeath seemed genuinely curious.

"Even when we first met, I inexplicably felt a sense of closeness toward you. Normally, anyone who tries to strike up a conversation with me or bumps into me would be dragged straight to the torture chamber and thoroughly tormented."

"It's probably because of this."

Kobayashi lifted the blue crystal necklace around his neck.

It radiated a rich aura of water, making Esdeath understand why she had acted so out of character earlier. Furthermore, she instinctively felt that the necklace could bring her tremendous benefits.

"Alright! Kobayashi, hand it over to me."

"Huh?"

"In exchange, whatever I possess is yours to choose from. Take everything I have, and I won't care."

Although Esdeath frequently distributed her wealth to commoners and subordinates, the spoils of war she had accumulated through years of campaigning were still substantial. In her view, it should be more than enough to trade for the necklace.

Kobayashi fell into an internal dilemma.

What should he do? Should he give it to her?

If he handed the necklace over, her affection rating would probably skyrocket, and any clandestine operations he pulled later would likely be tolerated by her...

With trembling fingers, he reached out to pass the necklace over, but the very next second, he snatched it back with lightning speed.

"I'm sorry, I still can't trade it."

This necklace had saved him countless times, so it couldn't be exchanged.

Ah, absolutely not because of Aqua!

Definitely not!

"Is that so? Well, that's a real pity."

Seeing the exceptionally gentle smile bloom on Kobayashi's face, a strange, inexplicable flutter stirred deep within Esdeath's heart, prompting her to ask, "It seems this was given to you by someone very important."

Kobayashi smiled and replied, "It's a gift from a hopeless idiot, which is why I cherish it so much."

"I see."

For some reason, that gentle smile made Esdeath feel somewhat irritated.

Putting the matter of the necklace aside for the moment.

Kobayashi said with a solemn expression, "Captain, you must never share a bed with strange boys ever again!"

"Why? Sharing meals and sleeping quarters is just one way for superiors and subordinates to bond closely, isn't it?" Esdeath, with her military mindset, didn't care in the slightest.

"No, no, no. No matter how you look at it, it isn't! Besides, if Tatsumi finds out, he's going to be upset."

"Is that so?"

Esdeath cared a great deal about Tatsumi's opinion.

And what completely caught Kobayashi off guard was that, in order to verify this, she actually went and asked Tatsumi about it directly.

"It doesn't matter at all! I don't mind in the least!"

Tatsumi gave a thumbs-up and flashed a radiant, innocent smile. But in Kobayashi's eyes, that smile looked like nothing less than gloating schadenfreude.

You damn well do mind!

I am a warrior of pure love; I will never play the role of the green-hatted fool!