Instead of answering them directly, Emilia just motioned for Dixie to play the next clip.
This one wasn’t a high-definition video like the announcement from before, but an audio tape. The contents, however, were no less chilling to the captured soldiers.
”Mr. President, the thing about the implantation of explosives inside the soldiers going for mission Blue… can I suggest we go with some alternate method?”
The voice was unmistakably that of their general, and if they hadn’t known just how ruthless that man was, the soldiers would have almost thought he was pleading in their favor.
The chuckling voice of Red Dusk’s president only confirmed their thoughts. “I know you must think it’s too careless and unsafe, and I agree. But rest assured, I’m not stupid enough to rely on something that can be easily dug out by the soldiers themselves, no. This is just… to fool Tom.”
”Ah, that guy… I still don’t get why you have to send him out, to be honest. My men are more than capable of handling everything by themselves, and he’ll only hinder them, if anything.”
The president sighed. “I know, general, I know. He’s just too much of a thorn by my side, and I thought this was as good an opportunity as any to get rid of him. I’ve already made some preparations so that he will end up taking most of the blame for the incident, too. Isn’t that two birds with one stone?”
The general’s voice seemed hesitant. “The idea is good, Mr. President, but with Tom’s level of shrewdness and control over things here… I’m afraid it’ll be difficult to get rid of him so easily, why don’t we—”
A disdainful clicking of the tongue from the president interrupted the general. “We’ve known each other for how many years, general? Relax! Do I ever do things I’m not a hundred percent sure of? Look, what is this?”
It was naturally impossible for anyone to know what was being shown to the general using just the audio, but his gasping reaction seemed to indicate that it must be something quite amazing, at least.
The president chuckled. “It looks quite fantastical, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, it’s not really some magic liquid, and the fluorescence is just from a few radioactive compounds inside—”
The general panicked. “M-Mr. President—! If it’s not safe, you should put it away immediately!”
The president only sighed in exasperation. “Oh relax, will you? It’s not quite dangerous enough to kill us in just a few minutes, or even hours. That is… unless we drink it.”
The general gulped. “Y-You mean?”
The president’s grin was clear even from his voice. “That’s right. This thing was actually accidentally created by our nuclear research facility in the north, and can kill anyone who ingests it within fifteen days. But that’s not the most amazing thing about it.”
He chuckled. “What makes it really amazing is that during this ‘hibernation’ period, it won’t show any negative side-effects at all, except for making the people who took it a little more hot-tempered than usual.”
The president’s voice turned darker. “And even after death, it will leave behind no signs or symptoms. For all intents and purposes, it will look like the victims died of something akin to an extreme heatstroke!”
The general gulped. “W-What an amazing thing… can we mass produce it?”
The president sighed. “Unfortunately not. Just this one bottle cost us nearly ten billion dollars, and it’s only good enough for twenty people. On the plus side, however, it can easily be mixed with any drinks or food, being tasteless and odorless, and is also completely incurable, so it will never go to waste.”
”Amazing—!”
The recording cut off here, but the captured soldiers still found themselves reeling from the shock.
They had thought that they might still have a chance since the explosive devices were dug out by the ‘monster’ from earlier, and the empress was just a silly and childish little girl, after all… but that no longer seemed to be the case.
Their own president, the leader of the country they had spent their entire lives serving… wanted to leave them with no way out!
What infuriated them the most wasn’t that he wanted to make sure they died in case of capture, no, they already accepted that part of the mission readily. What really pissed them off was the fact that it didn’t even matter if they returned back safely after completing their mission.
Since the president made it clear that the ‘poison’ was without a cure, they would die regardless of the success of their mission, and regardless of whether they managed to return to the commonwealth or not.
Moreover, the president’s words in the recording, combined with the prompt actions taken against themselves and their families, made the captured soldiers have an even more terrifying thought.
If they planned to use their incompetent ‘captain’ Tom as a scapegoat from the start… wasn’t that the same for themselves and their families as well?!
”NO! I served the commonwealth for so many years, and this is how they repay me?!”
”I was fine giving up my life, but why implicate my wife and children!”
”My son!”
”I-I… m-my mom… I-I’m sorry… mom…”
Compared to their current despair, their previous desperation while wishing for death was really nothing much. After all, no matter how much physical pain was inflicted on their bodies, they could at least rest assured that their loved ones were safe and sound in their homes.
Now, however, it was as if someone had completely overturned their world, and directly thrown them to the deepest pits of hell.
Emilia smiled. “Don’t be so sad. Although I cannot save you from the incurable poison… it’s not impossible for me to help your families out.”
Her voice lowered, turning into a seductive whisper that sent the listener’s minds reeling in a daze. “After all… if I ask for the people related to my ‘murderers’ be handed over for ‘revenge’…I believe your president would be quite willing to compromise, don’t you think?”
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