How To Be Misunderstood as a Villain in a Zombie Apocalypse

Chapter 20. Patriot (38)

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– Ellen Burrows. Former 284th National Military Police. Former member of the National Integration Force in the Elsa Midwest region. Currently under urgent arrest on charges of treason to the state.

Virginia Helford, commander of the South Central Region, received the President’s emergency order, rushed to the Midwest Regional Headquarters, and quickly arrested the leader of the rebellion.

Ellen Burrows confessed all of her sins in detail during her interrogation. The story was that there was indeed a group of fanatics of the Goddess of Hunger mixed into the National Military Police, and that they took advantage of the confusion to build a secret supply depot throughout Elsa.

Shortly after Virginia’s report was submitted to superiors, an emergency video conference was held chaired by the new Secretary of Defense, Rice Hoffman. It was a meeting attended by all regional commanders except for the Midwest region commander who was temporarily detained. Virginia, who was in charge of the briefing, continued to make shocking remarks.

– In the early days of the Cro virus outbreak, the death and disappearance rate of National Military Police officers was far higher than that of civilians, but the injury rate was low. Until now, it was known that members of the National Military Police made heroic sacrifices to protect civilians. However, the truth is that a group of fanatics who had previously infiltrated the military committed armed desertion.

Virginia’s remarks could have been taken as an insult to the entire National Military Police, depending on how you heard them. This is because it means that half of a country’s military has been incited by a cult.

– Keep your remarks to the level of nonsense!

– No matter how much you come from a noble Römer family, where is the bright blue baby? Uh, huh? Who are you!

It was at that time that an ‘anomaly’ occurred in video conferencing. The commanders of the northern and northeastern regions were pushed all the way to the rear.

Instead, their deputy appeared on the monitor screen. The uniform was neat, but the face was haggard, and the visible flesh showed traces of beatings and torture. Everyone who participated in that meeting was a member of the National Military Police, so even if you tried not to see it, it was impossible not to see it. Virginia continued her report calmly.

– These are staff from the northern and northeastern regions. They are members of a radical religious group and have deliberately ‘wasted’ combat power by carrying out wasteful operations. “They were influenced by Ellen Burrow’s ‘sincere persuasion’ and submitted a handwritten statement to me about the treasonous acts they had committed.”

It was said that it was for reporting purposes, but too much of the story was omitted. First of all, Ellen Burrows never ‘sincerely persuaded’ them.

Instead, those who had to watch Ellen Burrow ‘how she was interrogated’ from beginning to end at 1x speed were terrified and ‘stated’ their guilt.

Of course, Virginia did not use any vulgar methods. She simply had her subordinates remove all of Ellen’s clothes, lock her in a cage made of woven steel bars, attach the cage to a military truck with chains, and drag it 400 km.

During the first interrogation, Ellen ‘confessed to all sins and other sins she did not commit,’ and also confessed to ‘other executives with clear evidence of treason.’

It was a kind of judicial transaction, but the condition was that the long distance from Hampton to the capital was to be ‘transported’ via paved roads, not dirt roads or wastelands. Of course, being locked in a cage was the same.

“What the hell is going on? Commander Virginia?!”

– Sorry, Minister. It was impossible for a single commander to decide who to trust and who not to trust. So, I had no choice but to file a post-measures report.”

“Now… !”

Virginia is off the screen. A moment later, a restless young female military officer sat in front of the camera in Virginia’s place. She was the administrative assistant to the Minister of Defense.

“Adjutant Ilenia!”

The pretty officer just cried. Virginia stated off-screen.

– Mold was blooming even at the Ministry of Defense. Minister. So, after the Minister and Lieutenant Ilenia left together at a hotel in the capital last Friday night….

“Stop, that’s it!”

It seemed like the minister had even forgotten how to breathe. He just pointed his finger in the air.

It was only after that that I realized something eerie.

There was no report. Even though his administrative assistant was ‘captured’, no one reported to him.

Even though it was a confidential meeting, the minister frantically rang the call bell. He intended to lash out at the assembled officers and soldiers. However, those gathered just looked at the minister with a somewhat cold and cynical expression.

“Did you call me? Minister.”

“What did you guys do with Commander Virginia?”

“Jakdang? Well, I didn’t do that.”

Personnel Commander Scholz took a step forward. Even though he was in front of the minister, he was wearing a pistol. Only Scholz himself knew whether there were live bullets in it or whether the three bullets above the magazine were blank bullets.

“However, we deeply sympathize with Commander Virginia’s argument that the ‘military’ must act more proactively and take more initiative than it does now.”

“The National Military Police is Erza’s shield!”

“Minister. If a person’s arm loses strength, the shield will eventually fall to the ground. “No matter how strong a shield is, what’s the point if the person holding it is weak?”

The sound of military fire outside the minister’s office grew louder. Soldiers who were not even called by the minister were gathering. The minister remembered that they were people who often went on ‘business trips’ to the Hamptons or who used to seek ‘business cooperation’.

“What…” .”

The minister gasped. He approached Scholz and placed the microphone in front of him. On the screen, instead of Lieutenant Ilenia, there was Virginia with a cigarette in her mouth. The minister made a noise.

“What on earth do you want? Virginia.”

Virginia did not light cigarettes. However, he spoke with a cigarette between his lips.

– It is judged that a military-wide investigation is necessary. However, as the Crovirus crisis continues, we must not place a greater burden on the National Military Police, which is currently overloaded with work alone. Therefore, I recommend the establishment of a special investigation headquarters under the Minister’s direct control. I have written all the documents, so all you have to do is sign them.

A new draft was posted on the monitor in front of the Minister of National Defense. The Minister quickly scanned the contents. Every time I turned a page, my expression became more and more distorted.

“… Are you telling me to sign for this ‘thing’? This doesn’t make sense… Even when Römer directly controlled Erza, it wasn’t at this level! Now, ah. Okay. Römer Behaving like an aristocrat, isn’t it!”

– I am Erza’s soldier. No matter where you were born.

“I would never… !”

Virginia sent a gesture. Officers gathered around the Minister of National Defense. There was the sound of a loud struggle outside the minister’s office. But the sound gradually subsided. Inside the monitor, Virginia was tracing the cheek of her lovely lieutenant, Ilenia, with the back of her left hand.

– Now, Minister….

Ilenia sobbed. Virginia turned the flint of the lighter and lit a cigarette. At that moment, the minister made a decision.

“Virginia Helford, you are hereby suspended from all duties!”

Virginia nodded her head. Instead, he whispered quietly into the microphone.

– Virginia Halford, head of the Special Investigations Division, gives orders to officers in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Arrest Secretary Rice Hoffman immediately. Repeat. He is urgently arrested on charges of treason to the state.

Officers with triple batons rushed at the minister. In response to the minister not knowing her English even as her head bled from her beatings, Virginia removed her webcam from her monitor and flipped it over to her own screen.

『Virginia Halford was appointed as head of the Special Investigation Headquarters. Signed by Secretary of Defense Rice Hoffman. 』

– I understand that it has only been a short time since you became the new Minister of National Defense, but you have already handed over all the work to your secretary. Among them were some related to electronic signatures. It makes my job easier.

“Four years, you will die!”

– I think so too. So, I would like to give you the option to have a dignified end. I’ve selected about three newspaper headlines. Let’s pick one. The first is ‘Secretary Rice Hoffman turned into a zombie due to an acute Crovirus outbreak… ‘Disposal completed’. The second is ‘New Secretary of Defense Rice Hoffman’s love affair with his dedicated adjutant…’ .’ The last one is….

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The commotion has passed. The people on the video conference monitor were rigid. It was closer to anticipation than fear, and closer to itching than awkwardness.

– Officers of the National Military Police.

It was Virginia Helford who occupied the center of the screen.

– Tonight, we cut out one of Erza’s rotten roots. It was so deep that no one could know its depth, but it was real. I still can’t believe that a single pseudo-religion can damage a country’s military so much.

No one dared to answer. There was only sadness.

– But it’s not your fault. It is the work of incompetent people who have caused it to stagnate and rot. This would not have happened if it were a normal military or organization. Even if a religion is great, is it greater than the country? No matter how powerful the power of faith is, is it stronger than strict military discipline and order? No! No! Absolutely not!

– And yet it happened. Because religion is great? No! It’s because of the incompetent people, the lazy people, and the lousy politicians who allowed this crap to seep in!

Everyone saw Virginia suppressing her passion. Everyone was staring at her, her taut face standing upright. Finally she broke her silence.

– Dear patriots!

A cool and refreshing sensation passed through the officers from the top of their heads to their toes. It was something I had never heard before, not once since I joined the military. I was just hearing those words from an officer from a noble family from a foreign country.

– This army, this country, this world! Once, as we wish! Once we have been oppressed, trampled upon, and ignored according to our will! Don’t you want to see it bloom properly?

– I want to smoke it!

– Don’t you want to rebuild Elsa, which has been tainted by the hands of incompetent and corrupt old men, with our own hands?

– I want to try it!

– Be patriotic once! Don’t you want to do it right!

– I want to do it!

Virginia stood up. The camera carefully followed. The movement was uneasy, but the determination seemed to break through the clunky monitor screen.

– Let’s do it, patriotism!

A shout of determination covered the entire area of Erza. Everyone looked forward to Erza’s new future. Erza would become younger and healthier. Everyone was thinking the same thing except one, the woman from Römer.

‘…I need to meet that guy again.’