Chapter 61 — The Weight of Inheritance

Nora exhaled sharply, rubbing her temple.「Get to your point already.」

RD chuckled, his tone slick with intent.「Well, as the youngest President of the United States of America, I find it… strange that you and JJ are both in charge of countries.」

Nora narrowed her eyes.「What are you getting at?」

RD scoffed.「America tried to replicate what JJ did with Militia. In some regions, it worked. In others—it failed.」He folded his arms confidently.「That’s where I come in.」

「Oh?」Nora replied dryly.「And what is this grand proposal of yours?」

RD smirked.「It’s simple, Madam President. Have him impregnate you.」

Silence fell.

Then Nora burst out laughing.「Me and JJ? Are you insane? We can’t even stand each other. I pass.」

RD didn’t laugh.「Even if I told you JJ’s body is separated from his soul—just like his heart is separated from his body?」

Nora’s laughter stopped instantly. She shut her laptop and lifted her gaze, eyes cold.

RD’s smirk widened.「Good. Now I’ve got your attention.」

Nora studied him carefully.「How. That shouldn’t be possible.」

「And yet he’s walking, talking, and breathing.」RD replied.

Nora tapped her finger against the desk.「What are you getting at?」

RD leaned forward.「When JJ said, ‘I am Militia, and Militia is me,’ he wasn’t exaggerating. That reactor in Militia’s capital—the one that isn’t nuclear?」He smiled thinly.「That is his soul.」

Realization struck Nora hard.「…So that blue orb. The one in the crater with him—when we killed him with a ten-thousand-man force…」She exhaled sharply.「How did I overlook that?」

RD shrugged.「Don’t worry. I only confirmed it today.」He chuckled.「Almost like JJ wanted us to figure it out.」

Nora’s voice lowered.「Is this information verified? And who else knows of this?」

「Yes. And to be precise—it’s only the two of us.」RD clicked his tongue.「No one can hack Militia’s cyber-networks since he created that Alice AI.」

Nora frowned.「So he’s openly challenging us?」

「Exactly.」RD stood up.「So, Madam President—will you accept it, or reject it?」He turned toward the door.「I’ll leave before you charge me with something.」

The door shut behind him.

Nora leaned back in her chair.【Tch… that damned JJ. What is he trying to gain from this?】

◽The Next Day◽(Thursday, 25 August 2050)

◽In Oslo◽

JJ sighed.「I should’ve delayed this trip another week.」

⟦C’mon, Dad, don’t beat yourself up.⟧Iris chimed, her projection flickering to life from a small hovering drone. ⟦And thanks for the new projection mode.⟧

JJ chuckled.「I couldn’t have you popping out of my phone all day.」He walked over and pulled the curtains open.「…Hmm.」

⟦So this is why Militia closed its borders after reclaiming part of the motherland?⟧ Iris asked.

「Yeah.」JJ’s expression hardened.「Mom always said—if they won’t build with you, they shouldn’t eat with you. This is what happens when people eat without building anything.」

⟦Older projections estimated Europe would be migrant-dominated by the 2060s.⟧

JJ scoffed, eyes distant.「After the war, they let in far more people than they should’ve.」He turned.「Alright, Iris. Let’s find Hedda Larsen.」

⟦I’ll map a route in a jiffy.⟧

「Good. Let’s go.」

◽Two Hours Later◽

JJ stood in front of a fortified house—boards, fences, barbed wire.「…Iris, are you sure this is the place?」

⟦Yes, Dad. This is Hedda’s house, she hasn't moved ever since the end of the war.⟧

JJ frowned.「Damn. For it to look this apocalyptic… I really underestimated the impact asylum seekers had on daily life here.」

A gun was suddenly aimed at him.

「You foreigner!」Aksel snarled.「Are you one of them?」

⟦Oh—Dad, that’s her son, Aksel.⟧ Iris chuckled. ⟦Seems he’s got you at gunpoint.⟧

JJ sighed.「I can see that.」He looked directly at Aksel.「Hedda Larsen. Your mother. Tell her one of the Twin Demons of the South—Maryson—is here to see her.」

「Leave!」

JJ rolled his eyes.「Aksel Larsen.」His voice sharpened.「Guns aren’t for threats. If you’re going to pull the trigger, don’t miss.」

「You asked for it!」

The gun fired. JJ vanished—and reappeared behind Aksel, locking him in a chokehold.

「Told you not to miss.」JJ added with a smirk.

Aksel confused.【How did he dodge a bullet…? Who is he?!】JJ dropped him to the ground.「W-What are you?」

JJ smiled faintly.「Someone Aunt Hedda treated like a nephew—after we stopped trying to kill each other during the Third World War.」He offered a hand.「Come on. Let’s go inside.」

「So… you really are Maryson?」

JJ blinked.「If you have to ask, I’m guessing there were fakes before me.」

「A lot of them.」

◽Inside the House◽

Emil stared at JJ warily.「Aksel, hvem er denne mannen?」(Aksel, who is this man?)

「Han er Maryson som mor snakket om. Den ekte Maryson.」(He’s the Maryson Mother spoke of. The real Maryson.)

Emil’s eyes narrowed.「Og hva gjør deg så sikker på at han er ‘Maryson’?」

(And what makes you so sure he is the ‘Maryson’ she spoke of?)

Aksel snapped back.「Jeg skjøt ham. Han unngikk kulen. Han kalte mor ‘Tante Hedda’. Hvor mange av de falske gjorde det? Ingen.」(I shot him. He dodged the bullet. He called Mother ‘Aunt Hedda.’ How many fakes did that? None.)

JJ shifted awkwardly.「Uh… if this is a bad time, I can come back another day.」

「Don’t worry about it.」Aksel said.「My father’s just overly suspicious of people claiming to be you.」His voice darkened.「But it’s crazy he doesn’t have that same energy for the people who hurt Ingrid.」

Emil sighed.「What do you want me to do? Go out and kill them?」

「Yes!」Aksel snapped.「That’s what you’re supposed to do to people who hurt your daughter! But no—you just sit here and do nothing!」

「AKSEL!」

JJ stepped in calmly.「No—he has a point. As a father of two daughters, anyone who threatened them is either dead or in prison. Preferably one where I have friends.」He turned to Aksel.

「But you still can’t speak to your father like that.」

Aksel’s fury cooled into something sharper.「You don’t understand anything. Everything bad that happened to our family happened because my ‘father’ allowed it to happen with his liberal ideas.」

JJ froze.「…What?」