NOVEL WEB Chapter 329: Show not tell
"Don't tell me," Selene muttered once Makary reached out with his hand and pointed towards the lone hangar standing out in the open plaza.
If one looked closely enough, one could see the remaining marks of how this place once housed many more than just this single plane's garage. Yet, by now, only the one that Makary and I adopted as a transit point between the worlds was left.
And the space where the local garrison used to hold its heavy equipment now turned into nothing more but a wide drive-way for all sorts of trucks to come, drop their cargo at the reloading facility hastily constructed at the hangar's entrance and then do a u-turn to hurry up with another delivery.
Now, though, the lonesomeness of the hangar served to make it crystal clear what Makary was pointing at when giving his wife the directions.
"Did you guys dig out something? Last age bunker? Some prepper's location?" Selene inquired, casually driving up all the way to the side of the reloading facility before stopping the car at where it was most convenient rather than allowed or recommended.
"Hey!"
Selene's manoeuver quickly gathered the attention of the nearby soldiers.
"You can't park here!"
Selene didn't bother replying to the soldier. Instead, she simply killed the engine before opening the doors and walking out.
"She's quite a ha… she's in quite a hurry, isn't she?" I asked, stopping myself just because I teased Makary about his wife a little.
I could imagine how annoying it would be for someone to try to get to me through Fay and thus decided not to bother Makary by doing the exact same thing.
"Yeah, she can be quite a handful," Makary spoke before heaving a deep, exhausted sigh. "But to be frank," he looked over to the back of the car, giving me a small smirk, "it's one of the reasons why I married her."
Makary turned back and pushed the doors open, leaving the car and hurrying after his wife.
'Damn, that's one hell of a gap moe, isn't it?' I thought, watching how the man followed in his wife's steps.
A man who was in practical charge of the first colonization force the humanity of Earth deployed in several centuries. A man who held his ground against a nearly endless onslaught of imperial armies without even batting an eye…
And right now, the very same man was hurrying up to follow in the steps of a woman, like a teenage simp would rush to follow their high-school crush.
'Thinking about it, I used to be a kid like that, didn't I?' I thought, breathing a small sigh before following Makary's example and leaving the car myself before offering Fay a hand to help her get out too.
It wasn't as if she needed my help at all. The short moment when she stared down at my hand before raising her puzzled eyes to my face was the greatest proof of it.
And yet, the bright smile that grew on her lips once she realization struck her was more than enough of a reward for my efforts. Experience exclusive tales on empire
"Thank you," Fay beamed an even brighter smile as she supported herself on my hand and stepped out of the car, only to instantly drive her hands down my shoulder and then my arm, ultimately catching my hands between hers as she stuck herself to my side.
"Let's go," Fay hurried me up as her eyes moved towards the unorthodox pair rushing towards the hangar's entrance…
Or rather, towards Makary desperately trying to catch up with his wife while she was already fuming when the soldiers guarding the entrance blocked her from going through.
'So she doesn't really hold practical authority, huh?' I thought right as I made my first step. 'Interesting.'
The way in which Makary's soldiers didn't scramble to fulfill whatever his wife desired was quite telling of her position in the group. Yet, as curious of a topic as it was…. Through my bond with Fay, I could tell how her attention was fully captured by a different type of curiosity.
"Come on, hurry up!" Fay cheered me up in a half-voice as she even moved ahead and started to drag me after her. "Do you want to miss the face she makes when she realizes what's going on?"
Grinning from ear to ear, Fay pulled me ahead, bringing me to one of the two checkpoints that allowed people and wares to go in and out of the hangar. And thanks for the fuss Selene already kicked at the other checkpoint, by the time we casually went through the quick check and control, Makary was still busy apologizing to his own soldiers for the mess his wife made.
"All ready?" Selene smiled and asked when she saw the two of us, right as Madam rejoined the group by following through the same checkpoint as we did.
By now, Makary's wife has fully dropped her demanding and low-key entitled attitude, replacing it with the adventurous spirit brimming in her eyes.
'Wait, so it was all just an act? Or are her moods really that fickle?' I thought before inevitably turning my eyes over to Fay by my side.
Right now, she was wrapped tightly all over my arm, her eyes sparking as she awaited how the situation would develop. Contrary to Makary's wife, rather than kicking up a fuss whenever she went and causing trouble with every breath, she calmly stood by my side, reining her excitement not to start any problems.
'God, I really lucked out, did I?' I thought, squeezing Fay's hand a little bit, only to have her turn her head and throw me a curious look.
"Dear, I'm sorry, but you will have to be watching how things unfold from quite some distance away," Makary muttered while pulling out his hand with binoculars in it. "The meeting that we are about to have… It cannot have any interruptions."
Just like before, a mere instant was enough for Selene's demeanor to change. Yet, before she could explode and protest…
"Just let her see what we are talking about. We really shouldn't waste even more time here than we already did. And before we go in, where are the shovels and uniforms I've ordered?"
"Sir, they are ready on the other side, sir," instead of Makary, it was one of his soldiers who hastily approached our group and reported. "Also, Veiner stalled the event for now, but the princess is clearly starting to get anxious. From what our analysis tells, she might start to reconsider the honesty of our intentions if you guys don't show up soon."
This manner of speech… was nothing like I saw whenever Makary talked with his soldiers or even his officers. The soldier's laid-back attitude and casual wording surely made it easier to pass on the information quicker, but from the frown appearing on Selene's face, it was clear that there was something going on deeper than just what I could see on the surface.
"That's good, thanks." Makary nodded his head and grabbed his wife's hand, pulling her ahead before she could start another mess.
"Wait, the other side? Princess?" Selene started to hurriedly speak. "Dear, what the hell is going on?"
Leisurely strolling ahead, I casually passed by Makary and his wife, getting a few steps ahead of them only to turn my head over my shoulder and give Selene an amused look.
"Nothing much," I stated and shrugged my shoulders. "We are simply about to make a deal with the imperial princess of the local hegemon of another world we are colonizing."