I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 431

"So, how's everyone been doing lately?"

"Nothing much. The days of not being able to take off our gear and just collapsing on the floor are long gone. If you hadn't come, everyone would probably have stayed sprawled out for another week."

At that, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

It wasn’t wrong, of course, and I clearly remembered all of that. There were plenty of times in the past when we couldn’t wash for a week. That even happened in the middle of New York's Central Park HQ, where the plumbing was perfectly fine. Just counting how many times I got the call to deploy while washing my hair, I’d probably hit over thirty.

As the situation in New York gradually stabilized, those circumstances slowly faded away, but the memory of those times still lingered in the minds of many who worked at HQ. The culture of taking any spare time to rest was solidified around that period.

The current state of the Dagger team, sprawled out on the floor for half the day, almost to the point of "Are these people really special forces?" was part of that. I guess you could say they were in the process of quickly recovering their exhausted physical and mental strength.

"Well, I guess the medal ceremony was skipped, huh? I took a quick look at the e-calendar earlier, and I saw there was a presidential speech about Artemis' removal the day before... though I suppose no one actually went."

"We can just watch the recording later, it’s fine."

That was a very typical response from them.

But even though they said that, they weren’t actually resting all the time. After a decent break, they had to return to the front lines. Well, when I say "front lines," it wasn’t like before, when we were running around behind enemy lines or in the front, leading sabotage and bombing runs.

In short... as I mentioned before, it was about training the new recruits. After this war, there were more deer roaming around New York than people. Of course, that didn’t mean there were more deer; it was actually the opposite.

I heard that even now, those over a certain age who still live at Central Park HQ are combining both theory and practical combat training at least twice a week. It was said that the combat forces were so understrength that it had to come to this.

Until now, Dagger, the all-purpose problem solver, had just been smashing through any obstacles in front of them, but we couldn’t keep jumping into that hellfire forever...

The time was nearing when we’d need another Dagger, not us.

Anyway, I digress.

Seeing them resting so comfortably, I felt like I shouldn’t interrupt, so I added:

"Then, should I come back in a few days?"

"Not a chance."

"Because of Shark’s big mouth, it looks like we’re heading to Florida after all."

"Hmm, so you’re saying we don’t need to give the youngest, who killed over ten thousand people, a bit of comfort... I respect that, it's an opinion."

"Fuck, when did I say that!?"

Lorentina, the linguistic magician, has once again reduced a member of the Dagger team to trash.

Chester, who had been lying on the floor like a dead rat, suddenly shot up, yelling loudly. Then, as if on cue, Marcus, who had been waiting for this moment, began throwing anything he could at Chester. Leftover pizza and popcorn flew through the air, and even his lover, Rapier, gave a thumbs-down.

As a result, Marcus was half covered in grime, and Logan opened his mouth as he watched the scene.

"You're lucky you're a soldier."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"If you weren't a soldier, you'd either be a legendary stand-up comedian or a second Hitler."

"Sharks can’t grow mustaches, so I prefer the former."

I wasn’t sure if they were joking, but in the middle of all this, Jin and Rain, who had no idea who a stand-up comedian or Hitler was, were asking around what kind of conversation this was. It was truly a bewildering comedy.

Seeing this, Owens sighed and turned on the hologram. I wondered what he was doing, but then I saw that he was checking the weather in Florida. Since it was the end of July, there was thankfully little concern about an unexpected hurricane. Usually, storms hit the south between August and November.

One by one, a few people began looking at the screen intently and then threw in their comments.

"Are we leaving today?"

"If it’s Florida, it must be under General Spencer’s jurisdiction. I remember a big hurricane hit there last year, so I hope it’s not completely wrecked."

"Miami is about 1700 kilometers away, so we could just take a transport plane."

"I didn’t think I’d end up wearing the swimsuit I bought for my girlfriend... Ugh!"

"Just wear whatever, don’t bother with that. Damn it."

For the rare moment, Logan blushed and shut down Lorentina’s teasing.

Everyone turned to look. Behind Jin and Rain, who still didn’t quite understand what a swimsuit was, the others cautiously eyed Logan. Naturally, it wasn’t long before Logan’s sharp rebuke echoed through the room.

The reason was simple. Logan just didn’t want to wear those kinds of cheap swimsuits that anyone would think of.

"Aren’t you getting used to this by now?"

"Shut the hell up."

"So, what about the youngest?"

"Well, that’s..."

Gazes exchanged.

Of course, this situation couldn’t be taken literally. If you think about who Lorentina is, she wasn’t wearing the swimsuit because she wanted to, but because she was looking for an opportunity to interrogate, ‘Why am I wearing it and you’re not?’

Moreover, even if she wore it, she wouldn’t care at all. I heard she was originally the "my way" type, but after turning into a woman, she became a complete bundle of eccentricities.

Someone who would sacrifice herself to create an opportunity for others is truly a terrifying person.

A few minutes passed. After Lorentina's swimsuit debacle was successfully quashed, the plan moved forward step by step.

It wasn’t that difficult to get there. Since the rail network wasn’t fully restored, there were transport planes taking off and landing dozens of times a day at the available airports, so finding a flight to Miami wasn’t too hard – the travel problem was easily solved.

Normally, leaving the task force's assigned area to go elsewhere would require a pretty thorough report and a reasonable excuse, but... after decapitating Artemis and safely returning just a few days ago, who would still need such formalities?

And so, a very simple majority vote took place.

"Who wants to join the youngest on the Miami beach?"

Naturally, no one refused.

It was the moment the team, which hadn’t gone on a single trip together in over five years, finally began their journey.

“…How should I report this?”

Task Force Dagger - Request for Regional Visit.
Reason: Leisure activities and travel due to the recruitment of new personnel and the return of existing ones.

The world truly was strange.

“Well, the atmosphere here is... surprisingly peaceful.”

“It couldn’t be otherwise. Unlike Big Apple, the flames of war have long been extinguished here.”

Miami, Doral.

In other words, this was the very place where the United States Southern Command was based. After about four hours of flying, Team Dagger arrived in Miami around 3 PM, and to greet them was none other than... General Howard Ridgeway Spencer. He was the man with four stars on his shoulders and the commander of the United States Southern Command.

Now, if you were to ask why such a person personally invited us, we had to dig a little into the past to find the answer. To put it very roughly, while this guy was on the front lines commanding his troops, his command vehicle was hit, and at that moment, we had saved him... something like that.

Anyway, the reason he personally welcomed us wasn’t a big deal.

It was simply because he had time.

“As you can see, the southern US is quieter than you might think. Of course, if I say this, the lower-ranking folks in Houston, San Antonio, and Phoenix will be up in arms, but here, aside from troop distribution, there’s not much to do. So much so that half of the officially listed troops here are out on support assignments elsewhere.”

“Haha, is that so?”

“Thanks to you folks. Since the Chariot operation, the number of scum trying to sneak into the country via Cuba and makeshift boats has dropped significantly. There are still a few trying to sneak in, but for the most part, they’re just feeding the fish in the Gulf of Mexico.”

He said this while activating a holographic screen to show us.

With a whirring sound, something on the screen started moving. It was a massive cannon. Well, to be honest, calling it just a cannon didn’t do it justice. It was more like a railgun, capable of launching projectiles at hypersonic speeds, with the same range as a short-range ballistic missile.

Far in the distance, something exploded. Of course, it wasn’t visible, but there was no need to pay much attention. It seemed to be a type of... boat interception system. Likely intended to send any would-be immigrants trying to cross into the US to their final destination.

“…Well, I suppose the busiest people here are the Coast Guard, who operate that thing. The reason I showed it to you wasn’t for anything in particular, just to say you can relax and enjoy yourselves without any worries.”

“Wow.”

“If you need anything, just let the supply officer know, and they’ll find it for you in no time. It might take 30 seconds, though. Even though there are no more tourists crowding the beaches, the soldiers stationed around here each have their own private beach or camping spot to enjoy.”

Haha.

Of course, just because the people here were resting comfortably, I didn’t really think much about it. After the Great War ended, many of the US military personnel were rotated, and those still working in the tough spots would eventually be assigned to places like Chicago, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Florida in about a year.

The commonality of the places I just mentioned was that they were either relatively untouched by the war or had recovered their former state quickly.

Anyway, that was a tangent.

After a salute, before leaving, General Spencer added:

“Has it already been four years since the Florida defense battle?”

“Yes.”

“Then I suppose you’re finally getting your proper welcome party. It’s been a bit late, but I’m glad we can do it now. Time is limited, and more importantly… we almost lost it all, didn’t we?”

Ah.

Of course, before anyone from Team Dagger could even open their mouths, he had already left to take care of his own business. And only then did everyone look at me with a strange expression.

However, as luck would have it, as soon as we stepped outside, a logistics officer was waiting for us. His rank was Sergeant Major. Normally, there wouldn’t have been a big difference in rank, but this officer welcomed us politely, and then proceeded to load us onto a truck that looked like a giant golf cart.

The cart stopped in front of a rather large supply depot, and immediately, as if waiting, numerous iceboxes were moved out. Meanwhile, in the back, a bus large enough to carry about twelve people was approaching.

The officer then shared a map of Miami and recommended a few of the best places to spend time.

“I hope you all enjoy your break.”

“Thank you.”

Thus, despite being a bit of a mess, we were able to finally get going.

The bus that left the base silently passed through the city. Well, it wasn’t even much of a city. The buildings weren’t very tall, the roads were wide, and there were no cars passing by. It felt as though we were crossing a city where everyone had disappeared.

The driver, observing the scene, spoke up.

“Still, recently, more and more people have been returning to Miami. It’s much better compared to a few years ago.”

“That’s true. The last time I visited was four years ago.”

“How was it back then?”

“An absolute mess.”

That was a statement no one could deny.

The population of the United States had been reduced to a seventh of what it once was, and wherever you looked, the America that was once so full of people was no longer there. The air was noticeably clearer than before, and there were still remnants of collapsed buildings, roads under repair, and pristine beach waters welcoming us.

As we were taking all this in, a voice came from beside us.

“…I want to try that food, but I don’t have the function to consume food.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. But maybe one day it will be possible.”

“Ugh…”

At that, everyone burst into laughter.

Lorentina, watching the scene, spoke up.

“I said we should come back here once the war ends, but I didn’t think I’d bring two more young ones along.”

“Well, we did come, didn’t we?”

“…That’s true.”

As the sunlight poured down, she added:

“This day has finally come.”

Indeed.

I silently nodded, and the others had similar reactions. Their eyes, filled with nostalgia, gazed at the outside scene. The sun, still far from setting, the palm trees lining the road, and the clouds nowhere to be seen today.

It was only then that I truly felt the war had ended.

I guess the others were thinking the same. Perhaps they were. Eventually, the bus came to a stop in a well-maintained parking lot near the beach, and twelve people disembarked. The sand was white, and the water was incredibly clear.

The ground, surprisingly firm, welcomed us.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call the base. I might come back, but someone else might come in my place. Just keep that in mind.”

“Thank you. You’ve done a lot.”

“Not at all.”

Everyone got off, carrying numerous iceboxes and supplies, and piled them in the middle of the empty beach.

I turned to look around. For a beach trip, everyone was dressed in casual clothes. It wasn’t much—just short sleeves and shorts—but some people, without hesitation, discarded their shirts and proudly showed off their physiques. Naturally, no one had any excess fat on them.

Some weren’t overly muscular, but the definition of their bodies was clearly visible—actually, it was the majority. It would be faster to say that you couldn’t find anyone who didn’t look like that.

Watching this, Logan added:

“Must be damn comfortable. I should’ve been like that.”

“Well, what can you do?”

“That’s true, but…”

He glanced quickly.

Logan, rarely seen with such a bright smile, turned his head, and his gaze met Lorentina’s.

“Finally brought the youngest along, huh?”

“Of course. I keep my word.”

With a soft movement, Lorentina reached out and added:

“I wanted to show this scene. I thought I’d never be able to, but it seems that’s not the case.”

“…It’s an honor to see it.”

“Yeah. That’s the answer I was hoping for.”

With a slight pop, she took my hand and added:

“Now, let’s enjoy it.”

And of course, I didn’t refuse either.

It was the moment when the word "rest" finally arrived for Team Dagger.