Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Northern Alliance

“The morning sun rises in the east. As the snow melts, in those far northern reaches, the Northern Bear begins to awaken…” In the spacious VIP lounge, Mingchuan and his companions, accompanied by Major General Kosov and his military band, sang together the national anthem of the Northern Union, “Unite, Northern Bear.”

“Haha, what we’re most famous for in the Northern Union is our beer and barbecue!” After the song, Major General Kosov downed a large glass of vodka in one gulp, his right hand clutching some indeterminate piece of roasted meat, waving it about like a drunken samurai. Kevin, who had clearly been forced to drink more than his fill, had already lost all sense, mumbling the two unfamiliar words, “vodka” and “barbecue.”

As for Billy the Lynx and the majority of the two squads, almost every last one of them was in a half-dazed, half-drunken state by now. Among them, only Mingchuan, Wenxin, and Katyusha remained sober—though even Wenxin, who had never drunk before, was starting to look a little tipsy herself.

“Mingchuan, can you stop drinking? It’s not good for your health…” Wenxin pleaded.

“Wenxin, here even the most ordinary drink contains some alcohol,” Mingchuan replied, observing her growing flush. He knew well that the very air here was thick with the vapor of spirits; with every breath, she was taking in alcohol, if only indirectly.

“Oh, this is only twenty-six-year-old vodka. The alcohol content isn’t particularly high…” Katyusha, nearby, interjected in Russian with a hint of sarcasm. Mingchuan turned to her, smiling as she held a bottle of spirits.

“This isn’t your usual sixty-proof—it’s ninety. Since we’re here, it wouldn’t be right not to drink. But aren’t you from the Northern Union yourself? Do you even like this kind of liquor?”

“I don’t like it. But someone else does… though I doubt that person would deign to touch something so weak these days.” Seemingly indifferent to the drink itself, Katyusha strolled over and sat down beside Mingchuan with a casual air.

“Hey, you two! What are you even talking about…” Wenxin, already thoroughly drunk, slurred her words, her head spinning now.

“It’s nothing… Oh! Actually, I quite enjoy pineapple beer. Though it’s only 3.8 percent, the flavor is really quite good.”

“Pineapple beer… you…” Katyusha seemed to recall something at the mention, but before she could finish her thought, Wenxin collapsed into Mingchuan’s arms, sound asleep. Mingchuan, not at all surprised, gazed down at her with a gentle, satisfied look.

“Forgive me, everyone—my girlfriend seems to have fallen asleep. If you don’t mind, I’ll see her out…” Mingchuan gently brushed the hair from Wenxin’s forehead as she slept peacefully.

“Uh, Sergeant, could you help take her back…?” someone started to ask.

“No need, I still remember the way…” Mingchuan replied, and with that, he scooped Wenxin up in his arms. Katyusha rose as well.

“Then Mingchuan, please let me come with you…”

“If you want to follow, I don’t mind,” Mingchuan answered, unconcerned whether anyone accompanied him or not. With Katyusha at his side, he made his way back to the plane.

“Hey, Mingchuan, can I ask you something?” Katyusha spoke up as Mingchuan laid Wenxin down in the cabin.

“Oh? What is it?”

“What exactly is your relationship with Cole? I overheard your conversation with Kosov…”

At this, Mingchuan seemed a little surprised, but he quietly produced a tablet.

“Sorry, there’s no relationship between us.”

“That’s…” But even as Mingchuan spoke, Katyusha recognized the familiar device and seemed to understand something.

“I see. Don’t worry, I won’t say a word…”

Some time later, the ten who had gotten drunk—including Prosecutor Kevin—were escorted back one by one by Northern Union personnel. With only Mingchuan and Katyusha still sober, Major General Kosov himself came to the plane to bid farewell to the so-called “Cole.”

“Major Mingchuan, it has been an honor to meet you. You remind me very much of a young man I once knew—both of you are outstanding. I hope that when we next meet, you will already be among the top ranks of the Allied Kingdom’s military.”

At this final moment, Major General Kosov grasped Mingchuan’s hand. One was a general of the Northern Union, the other, outwardly a major of the Allied Kingdom but in truth part of its very core. Who could have guessed that, when they met again, things would have changed so much…

“Yes, indeed, Major General Kosov. I wish you continued success in arms. And may that young man from long ago have grown up by now!”

“Farewell!” With that, the hatch closed, and a U-47 soared into the sky, vanishing among the clouds.

—Author’s Note—

I was supposed to return to school this afternoon, but there was a minor mishap, so I’ll be heading back tomorrow. That means I should be able to update one more time.