Reborn: The Female Monarch Is My Life’s Greatest Love - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Deliberate Targeting

Early the next morning, while Constant was still immersed in a nightmare of training alongside his Female Spouse, the assembly bell rang out.

Ten minutes later, all the privates had assembled in neat rows, ready for inspection by the Sergeant.

The reason they had been summoned an hour earlier than usual was to welcome Conrad Owen, the Administrative Assistant to the Adjutant of the Third Legion.

Standing in the middle of the formation, Constant felt the world swaying slightly. It took a sharp pinch on the arm from Bai—through his clothes—to snap him back to alertness.

Watching the inspection vehicle approach from a distance, Constant let out a long internal sigh. He was already beginning to feel a sense of dread regarding his upcoming leave.

When will I ever be able to make it so Nathanael can’t get out of bed the next morning?

At that thought, the gloom in Constant’s eyes deepened.

“Privates of the Zerg! I am Conrad Owen, Assistant to Adjutant Ward. During this legion assignment, I will be arranging your intensive training schedule. I hope that in the coming three months, you will be able to listen, see, and think!”

As Conrad spoke from the high platform, Constant caught a glimpse of Bai to his left. Bai’s eyes were practically sparkling as he gazed at the assistant; if that gaze were physical, the assistant would have been blinded by the sheer intensity of it.

Constant had assumed only Bai would show such adoration because Conrad belonged to the Third Legion, but as he surveyed the room, he realized nearly everyone’s face was filled with worship.

A second later, as if he had been waiting for the moment, Conrad pointed a finger directly at Constant in the formation. “Private in the twelfth row, third echelon! Step out!”

This deliberate action made Constant look knowingly at the young master of the Lester family nearby. The other was looking back at him, eyes full of gloating malice.

Sure enough, the enemy was using the fact that the assistant had once belonged to the Lester family to specifically target him.

“Ale Allex, reporting for instructions!”

Facing a superior significantly higher in rank, Constant jogged from the formation to the base of the platform. Looking up, he met Conrad’s authoritative gaze.

One had to admit, as a member of the Third Legion, Assistant Conrad carried an invisible pressure just by standing there. However, compared to the pressure of standing before his own Female Spouse at the sanitarium, this was well within Constant’s limit of endurance.

“Perhaps this is the first time you’ve seen me,” Conrad said, stepping out from behind the microphone to the edge of the platform, looking down at Constant. “Is that why you were busy observing your teammates while I was speaking?”

“Yes!” Constant replied. He knew that arguing would only play into the trap, so he might as well just admit it.

“Then you’d better get a good look at my face,” Conrad sneered. He took a few steps back with his hands behind his back. “Because for the next three months, you will see hell,” he whispered, looking directly at Constant.

The reality was exactly as Bai had predicted. Conrad tended to deliberately avoid the young master of the Nate family during training, but for Constant, who had no family background, it was a different story.

“You’re a piece of trash; you can’t even beat your own comrades.” “With that posture, you might as well go home.” “Too slow, Private Allex!” “Are you useless? Even a hybrid bug does better than you.”

From that day on, the mockery heaped upon Constant grew daily. Because of Conrad’s deliberate targeting, even the comrades who used to exchange pleasantries began to avoid him. They didn’t want to get saddled with extra training just for greeting a bug they only saw in passing—even if that bug had a face that made people stop and stare.

Constant could no longer remember the earlier targeted drills. He could only recall the thirty-kilometer forced march from three days ago, where his weight load was doubled.

During the five-hundred-meter obstacle course the day before yesterday, he ran it sixteen times—nearly twice as many as anyone else.

During yesterday’s underwater knot-untying, his rope had been tied into a dead knot, and powerful magnets were even added to his wrists, nearly causing him to drown.

Constant understood their intention: they wanted to drive him out. But he also understood that only this kind of training could trigger his latent potential. As a Master, he had to put in far more effort than a Female Bug to achieve the same results.

As long as he could get a little closer to Nal, Constant didn’t care how painful the training was. After the drowning incident yesterday, he lay on the ground gasping for air, staring at the ripples of light reflected on the ceiling from the water’s surface, and he couldn’t help but grin.

Terrified by the abnormal smile, Bai—who had just saved him—slapped him across the face. He was deathly afraid the drowning had turned his friend into an idiot. Constant was one of his few true friends.

“Next time, you can just ask how I am,” Constant muttered that night, holding an ice pack to his swollen cheek.

“Who cares that much about you?” Bai pouted. “I heard Conrad is doing this because Captain Gunther once did him a favor, so he’s teaming up with that Lester kid to mess with you.”

“They won’t be messing with me for long.” Since the drowning incident, Constant had become aware of the deployments around him. The hidden forces in the shadows had likely sent warnings to Conrad after that event. If the man didn’t take heed soon, he would likely be replaced.

But if the enemy had truly managed to reach into the internal affairs of the Third Legion, it meant Nathanael’s side wasn’t safe either. He didn’t want that…

The results of a month’s training spoke for themselves; one only had to look at his fully formed abs and serratus muscles in the mirror. He hadn’t even “actively” discovered his perfect physique… it was just that the bathroom mirror was so bright he couldn’t help but look.

Thrilled by the discovery, he had almost walked out of the bathroom ready to lift his shirt and show off to Bai, only to be kicked back into the shower by his friend and told to wash again.

On the afternoon the month’s training ended, Constant prepared to leave the center as usual to get ready for Nal’s return. Just as he reached the exit, Bai called out to him.

“Allex, speaking of which, I haven’t visited your place yet.” Bai ran up and slapped his shoulder, walking alongside him.

“I moved during my last leave because of some issues, and it’s not fully settled yet.” Given how excited Bai got just seeing an assistant to the adjutant, Constant didn’t dare imagine what his face would look like if he saw an actual Imperial Major General.

“Then why don’t you come to my place instead!” Bai sent his address to Constant’s light-brain and waved excitedly. “I’ll wait for you to come play.”

After Bai left with a smile, Constant looked down at the address: Unit 1405, 7th Floor, Building 3, Sea of Ungoro Apartments.

Constant froze in his tracks. 7th Floor, Building 3! And that room number… isn’t that right across from my front door?

!!!

Panic instantly flared within him. For the first time, he felt the Zerg world was incredibly small.

Did this mean Bai might run into his Nal one day? Although Nathanael’s name was famous throughout the Zerg world, high-level military information was kept private, so his photos hadn’t been leaked to the public.

However, Bai belonged to the Nate family—the “Glory of the Empire” that had produced the first sub-female Imperial Admiral. Constant couldn’t be sure if Bai would recognize him!

The journey home felt unusually short. After cautiously entering the apartment, Constant threw himself onto the sofa.

He stared at his light-brain for a moment, then opened the messaging app. After booking a restaurant, he sent the address to his Female Spouse, arranging to meet there.

[Constant]: Nal, I found a restaurant with great reviews recently.

A moment later, Nathanael replied.

[Nathanael]: What made you think of going to a restaurant today? [Constant]: We won’t have to wash dishes tonight. [Nathanael]: Alright.

After closing the app, Constant tossed his clothes into the washing machine and changed into a black peak-lapel suit. The double-breasted, cinched-waist style accentuated his handsome face, giving him the air of a dashing, wealthy playboy.

In his haste, Constant didn’t realize his outfit almost perfectly mirrored his look from the previous life. So, when Nathanael caught sight of Constant standing by the roadside from his car, his Master was already surrounded and blocked by a “flock of birds and butterflies.”

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Ward silently bit his lip. Even from where he sat, he could feel the murderous aura radiating from his Major General.