Chapter 69: Atonement: Pales (XVIII)
Schneider sat in a shabby tavern in Tonga City drinking a glass of Umeshu made by a horned person with a gloomy expression. There was an empty bottle of wine beside him, and the wine in his hand had almost reached the bottom of the glass.
He was in a bad mood. It was hard for him to see the nonhumans torn to pieces like sheep by the vicious and hateful horned people or brought to their bloody altars to be sacrificed in brutal manners. They had never been able to figure out what the giant underground worms were that the surviving nonhumans described. General Muller, who oversaw the campaign, said that the nonhumans were lying and making excuses so that they would not have to wear the Earth Union army’s uniform as bait. However, Schneider didn’t think they had any reason to lie, especially when he asked Samuel privately. Samuel said that he saw it with his own eyes, huge worms as big as trains rushing out of underground caves and sucking people into their mouths. All they spit out were skeletons and bits of meat hanging on the bones.
Samuel wouldn’t lie to him.
When Schneider thought of the Omega, there was some sadness in his eyes. The first time he discovered Samuel’s real gender was a year after the Omega came to the Forbidden City. He had always thought that the former champion was a little strange, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly. Maybe it was because he lacked interest in other Omegas and always tried to get rid of his roommates.
Schneider himself was a rare intersex with hidden Omega characteristics. He had been in love three times since he entered adolescence. When he was in the army, he learned how to hide his identity. Sometimes, when he looked at Samuel, he instinctively felt that the other also had the never-ending fear of being found out in his gaze, although he feigned his strength. One day, he snuck out of the dormitory area at night and went to a corner that didn’t have any surveillance, waiting for a small UAV to slowly land in front of him that was carrying a box of inhibitors and alpha camouflaging inhibitors.
He remembered the frightened and fragile look in Samuel’s eyes when he caught him. At that moment, he saw the real him, the Omega him.
Of course, Schneider didn’t report him. On the contrary, he risked being dismissed or even found as intersex and assisted Samuel in lying repeatedly. He even helped him get in touch with his father to prepare adequate inhibitors for him and he stealthily replaced his medical documents every three years.
Samuel asked him many times why he wanted to help him so much, but he couldn’t say. Maybe it was compassion? Perhaps it was because of empathy?
However, he was not a sentimental person, especially in the past two years since he was transferred to the Forbidden City. He had seen too many ugly and complicated things, both inside and outside the city. He should have been numb.
Samuel was so strong that even ordinary Alphas didn’t maintain their usual wild auras in front of him. Sometimes, Schneider thought to himself that he was really envious of his sturdy muscles. He knew that Samuel didn’t need his pity, but he couldn’t help but want to help him. He gave him the green light and quietly contacted the purchasing department, recommended him to take part in missions with high points and relatively low mortality rates, and immediately transferred out anyone who grew suspicious of him.
Schneider felt that he was possessed to desire a nonhuman Omega who had possessed him like an Alpha. He tried to meet other Alphas or Omegas in nightclubs, trying to find someone else, but it didn’t work. He would get hard just by looking at Samuel’s pictures.
However, he also knew that Samuel attached great importance to the Beta named Ethan. That was probably the only one who hadn’t been driven out of his room for a year. Which part of that man who always seemed submissive and unremarkable, like a shadow, made Samuel look at him differently?
Was it because he is an unaggressive and weak Beta, so he was someone Samuel felt safe with?
Or was it because……he was slightly similar to…… Samuel’s previous Omega boyfriend from before he entered the Forbidden City?
Yes, he checked all the information on Samuel. He knew the address where he lived before he entered the city, the name of his Omega father, and that he had a secret lover who he had been in love with for many years, an Omega like him. He looked polite, wore a pair of glasses, and was a poor composer. It was a felony for Omegas to fall in love with one another. Their moral value points would be reduced by 30% if they were found out. Still, Samuel had been disguised as an Alpha with the help of his Omega father since his childhood, and all his data were marked as an Alpha in the gender column. Therefore, even when their relationship was discovered, it didn’t cause any big waves.
However, his lover had gotten with another Alpha one month after Samuel was sentenced to enter the Forbidden City. He guessed that Samuel should have known about it. Maybe his father had written to him when he used to drone to secretly deliver Alpha camouflaging inhibitors to him, but Samuel kept making trouble during that period, and his moral value points were even deducted until they were in the negatives.
Now, as he thought about it more, Ethan and that Omega seemed increasingly similar, especially with that submissive and gentle manner. However, his previous Omega lover’s appearance was more delicate and exquisite. Ethan, on the other hand, occasionally revealed darkness contained within his obedience.
Originally, Schneider had no idea about Ethan. However, when Ethan appeared on the third day of his estrus, Samuel had immediately thrown him aside, just like a husband who had been found cheating. Even though he was confused at that time, the hurt he felt at that moment was so clear that he developed strong jealousy towards Ethan. When he heard that Ethan died in the previous battle, he even secretly felt slightly happy.
He hated acting like an emotional Omega, obsessing over his personal gains and losses. He wanted to stop this hopeless madness. All this made him feel that his life was a little out of control.
Now, it seemed that Vasilev, in particular, was starting to suspect him. That Alpha was recently challenging his authority whenever he made a decision. He also asked why he didn’t go home and had left his car in the Forbidden City when he suddenly felt uncomfortable and disappeared for three days. Most importantly, he seemed to have seen Vasilev rummaging through Samuel’s medical records on one occasion.
He had to be careful at this time. Once Samuel’s secret could no longer be kept, he should be careful not to be dragged into the muddy water himself. This was the only way to protect himself. There was no need to destroy his own life for a one-night stand partner who didn’t care about his life at all, right?
“Sir, you don’t look very happy?”
A burst of irritability sprouted in Schneider’s heart. With a turn of his head, he saw the familiar gloomy man with gray hair.
“Vasilev.”
Gray Fur took off his police cap, freely sitting on the bar seat next to him before waving to the bartender and ordering a local beer. Schneider hurried to finish the last bit of wine.
“I heard that the two captured horned rebel chiefs confessed the coordinates of several rebel tribes’ strongholds. We’ll probably be back soon,” Gray fur said, “But I’ve always found it a little strange. The confessions of those two men were too simple, and they always said that when their planet was full, all of the Earth Union’s army would be swallowed. Don’t you feel like it’s a trap?”
“That’s for the generals to think about. We just have to take care of our people.”
“Well, after the last battle, there is no one to be in charge of.” Gray Fur burst out laughing.
Schneider sighed and murmured, “In just a few days, nearly half of the people died. There are not many members of the military who get injured and die. It is estimated that the number of military deaths that will be broadcasted in the Union’s news will be amazing.”
“You sound discontent?”
“It’s just that……it’s not quite right.” Schneider ordered another bottle of Umeshu, and Gray Fur’s alcohol was also served to him.
“What’s not quite right? It’s better to let those scums die than to sacrifice the lives of our precious soldiers. The world would be better without one of those murderers, robbers, and rapists.”
“But……are we really different from them?” Schneider turned and stared into Gray Fur’s sharp eyes. “As far as I know, you’ve gotten involved with many Omegas in the Forbidden City, haven’t you? Did they voluntarily get involved with you?”
A violent expression flashed through Gray Fur’s eyes for a moment, but he repressed it very well until it was almost invisible. He just slightly bent his mouth and smiled somewhat coldly. “The Omegas in the city are not those innocent Omegas outside the city. Some of them are bitches who helped their secret lovers kill their Alphas, and some people directly betrayed their country and sold intelligence to foreign enemies.”
“Their past behavior has nothing to do with you. Why do you think it can be used as a reason for your behavior?”
“Because those motherfuckers who don’t have a moral bottom line are asking for it. Their behavior is incomparable to even beasts, so they deserve it. You’re too young. Although you have a sense of justice, giving extra kindness to these people will only make them climb all over you. It is also easy for the Forbidden City to lose its deterrence.”
Schneider frowned. He never liked Vasilev. Although Gray Fur was older than Schneider, had more experience in the Forbidden City than himself, and had always been friendly to him, he had a chilling dark side. Schneider knew that many people, like Vasilev, thought that it was just and moral to hurt the nonhumans because they had done evil things.
These people hated people who had nothing to do with themselves and were so happy that they could climax as they watched others fall from grace. In fact, these people made up the majority, and this was how most people felt.
Schneider didn’t know if he was one of those people, but he felt a little sad at the moment. Samuel was definitely more worthy of a free life than this man, but Samuel was in the Forbidden City, while Vasilev could walk freely in the sun.
“I can’t change the orders of the Forbidden City’s council, but I can’t agree with your behavior,” Schneider said frankly. He brushed the capsule he wore on his wrist before paying on the small screen next to the bar, standing up, and leaving.
However, he didn’t notice that Vasilev took out a small test tube from the back pocket of his trousers, gently scraping saliva from the cup Schneider had used moments ago into the vessel before sealing the test tube.
The author has something to say:
Suddenly found out that Jjwxc came out with a security system to avoid thieves……I’m thinking about learning how to use it……I haven’t done it before, because I’m too lazy ε==(づ′▽`)づ
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