【Interstellar Contract Magician】Ruyuanke

Chapter 539 [Empire] Difference

Compared to the silence of us cadets, the regular army seemed almost... "alive".

They are still busy, but the rhythm is full of life and even a little warmth.

During a break from getting my food, I leaned against a nearby iron bucket, holding my bland bowl of soup, and watched a group of soldiers in heavy uniforms gathered around a simple iron table. Some were banging their spoons on their iron bowls, making a noise; others were simply pressing their knees against their companions' waists, forcing them to "treat" me with a piece of flatbread; and still others were half-lying down, tilting their heads back to chug a frosty, low-quality alcoholic beverage, their throats shaking as they laughed heartily.

"Damn it, this kid A Zuo... is still thinking about that girl at the logistics station——"

"Ha! He's thinking about someone else. I'm thinking about that tall guy from the next company, right?"

"Don't expose his scars, hahahahaha——"

The laughter, accompanied by the heat, burst into the night, forming a sharp contrast with the cold and hard snow. It was not a wanton laugh, nor was it a lighthearted one, but it was very real.

Sadness has another form in them. It does not collapse at night, nor is it suppressed into thorns. Instead, it quietly and silently settles into their flesh and blood.

It was as if they had already understood that crying was useless, so they simply built a fire on the embers, joked a few words, and used laughter to protect the little body temperature they had left.

Qianmo was watching too.

We leaned against each other, no one spoke.

Those laughs were too far away, yet too close.

Like there's a road that no one can cross.

We are military academy students, reservists, and a group of people who have not had time to become numb.

And they are the people who already live in this ice and snow.

Their laughter was plain, penetrating the wind and snow.

We can't even learn to laugh, and can only breathe awkwardly in our own silence.

Perhaps, this is the difference between "soldiers" and "students".

It's not about combat effectiveness, nor about status.

It's something else.

I haven't seen Ye Lin for many days.

In the first few days, he would often appear beside the pile of corpses covered in snow, his face stern, examining each body wrapped in white cloth. Soldiers would always respectfully call him "General Xiaoye."

Now, there were fewer and fewer bodies on the snow. Perhaps the insect swarm had completely retreated, or perhaps all that could be carried back had been carried away. Ye Lin no longer appeared every day. That tall, upright figure was gone.

I didn't look for him on purpose, but occasionally when I passed by the corner where the mourning shed was set up, I would unconsciously take a few more glances.

His boot prints were no longer visible on the compacted snow, and the pile of bodies wrapped in white cloth had shrunk to a handful. The makeshift shed no longer carried the heavy smell of blood, only the cold wind shredding the remaining scent until it became thinner and colder.

"As I wish."

Qianmo's voice sounded nearby, but he spoke in a low voice as if he was afraid of disturbing something.

I said "hmm" and didn't look back.

He never actually asked about my relationship with Ye Lin, nor was he curious. But I could sense he was observing. Without malice or fuss.

Ye Lin...

I once yelled at him during a night of defending the capital, saying that I was the rogue mercenary, the kind of person he despised.

He said, "You shouldn't be there."

I said, "Then I want it."

At that time, he had the clean and indifferent look unique to soldiers, as if looking at me from across the boundary between life and death.

And now, he is "General Xiaoye", a person who I don't even know where to start if I want to get close to him.

Maybe, it’s because there are fewer bodies.

Perhaps it is because his mission has shifted to a deeper level that we cannot reach.

But I clearly felt that something had moved away from me.

Perhaps, because of this, I am not sure what I am "seeing".

Is it power? Is it distance? Or is it a future stained with blood in the snow?