Chapter 43: | 043 | Aftermath Cleansing Operation
"I don't really consider myself as better than anyone else." Abraham softly smiled while gazing at the seemingly saddened dragoness. Perhaps her past was hindering her future, and maybe he could help her from it.
He understood being lost. Not knowing where you should go or where you should end up in this long yet short life. It wasn't until he was transmigrated after his death that Abraham found his calling.
And he didn't want his friend to die to find hers.
"Even I sometimes doubt my choices, whether they'll be the best for me or for those around me. But regardless of their results, I can only learn from them and move forward."
"You know… There are no bad choices in this world. One you might perceive as a bad choice might be a good one to the other. It all depends on the situation you find yourself in. And whether such a choice benefits you or not."
"Let me ask you a question, Laplace." Abraham stepped nearer to the dazed dragoness who looked at him with her golden irises akin to beautiful gems.
"Did you choose the best option for yourself? Emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally? Was it for something you believe in?" It was a simple and hard question. A complex yet straightforward one.
The golden irises of Laplace glimmered with radiance. Abraham's words seemed to give her some enlightenment about herself.
"It was the best, Abraham… Even if I went back in time, I would have done it again." Laplace responded to Abraham's questioning words with a soft smile.
"Then, there's no need to think much about it. What you did was for the best of yourself. It might be selfish, but that doesn't matter. You control your life, and it isn't for others to decide."
"There might be responsibilities and consequences to your choices. But you can tackle them knowing that you at the very least chose with your freedom."
"Others face consequences brought by the choices they picked through the thoughts of others. And who could they blame? The others who urged them? Or themselves for not having the courage to face responsibility."
"Regardless, there's no need to be saddened over your choice, Laplace. For they make us who we are."
Abraham stopped speaking as he might have gone too overly emotional with his short speech about choice and freedom. They were practically heading out of the topic.
"At any rate, be confident, Laplace. Regrets only make us bitter about what had already happened." He gently patted the white-haired lady's shoulders.
"I see… You're quite correct, Abraham. A dragon regretting their choice would be a laughing stock of the century." She lightly chuckled while turning her eyes to the warships cleaning up the mess of the Elder Leviathan's corpse.
"But it does make me wonder, Abraham… Why are you cleaning up the sea?" Laplace was a bit curious about Abraham's reasoning for the current undergoing operation.
"Well, it's not that complicated. The Elder Leviathan's body is a hazard to the sea and ourselves. Just to make sure nothing unexpected happens, we try to clean up our mess."
Abraham remembered many kaiju movies where former monsters get resurrected from the leftovers of their corpses. He didn't want some vengeful sea monster trying to eat the United Navy in the future.
"Besides, we are curious about how the flesh of this gargantuan sea monster works. Maybe there'll be some breakthrough in our scientific and biological research department."
How sea monsters work was always a topic in Abraham's mind. Their composition was important to study as it might give them some idea about how such massive weights could support themselves.
"That makes sense. I do sometimes wonder how something heavy could swim in the water." Laplace remarked, making Abraham raise an eyebrow at her.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She questioned as she was confused why Abraham was giving her the stare of judgment. Had she done something wrong?
"You have a gal to say that despite being a giant eastern dragon that could fly in the skies with ease," Abraham uttered with a tone of astonishment.
"What's wrong with that?" Laplace looked at him as if he was an idiot for saying such words to her. This made the middle-aged man doubt himself.
Were giant flying creatures natural in this world?
"Hahahaha, what's that face, Abraham? I can't believe you." Laplace chuckled while barely containing her tears from dripping out of her eyes.
Her chuckles echoing inside his mind made Abraham realize that he might have been tricked or perhaps bamboozled by the dragoness.
But before he could grind her head with his knuckles, Captain Lux stepped forward with a report at hand. He interrupted the two from their conversation with calm.
"Sir, the cleansing operation is near its completion. As per the order, the Ospreys sent to transport various vital parts of the Elder Leviathan are currently returning to the Port of Dawn."
"Remaining vital parts will either be carried by the UNS Guardian of the High Seas or destroyed into damnation for zero contamination." Captain Lux's report was concise.
Abraham nodded in understanding and thought about the report inside his head. The Ospreys, which was their only long-range transportation aircraft, was the primary part of the cleansing operation.
Because of their high load capacity and long-distance transport, they were the best aircraft for the job.
As to why they were directly sent to the Port of Dawn, it was merely because the UNS Guardian of the High Seas had no space to spare for the corpse parts of the Elder Leviathan.
"Thank you for the report, Captain Lux. Have you notified the Port of Dawn about the incoming transport of biological hazards ?" Abraham inquired.
Not telling the Port of Dawn that something might be heading their way was a recipe for disaster.
"I have already sent them a transmission about the incoming Ospreys. However, they did have a lot of questions about why the maritime security mission ended early and how we got Ospreys under our command."
Abraham chuckled for a bit after hearing about the questions the Port of Dawn had about him and the United Navy Armada. Well, it was understandable.
It would be somewhat strange if the fleet you sent to scout nearby sea regions returned in larger numbers.
"We'll explain what happened once we return," Abraham stated which made Captain Lux nod in agreement.
"Abraham, do you feel something?" Laplace gave a strange question to Abraham. He raised his eyebrows wondering what the dragoness meant, only for her to point in one direction.
"What are you trying to point at?" Abraham questioned as the gorgeous white-haired lady was pointing at the interiors of the USN Guardian of the High Seas.
Meanwhile, Captain Lux glanced at what Laplace was pointing at before realizing something important. He furrowed his eyebrows and commented to the two.
"Has the cargo area interested Lady Laplace?"
Understanding that the dragoness was pointing at the cargo area, Abraham had the same question in mind.
Laplace merely looked at them with her golden eyes before answering with an interested tone.
"I feel something calling for me in that direction,"
Abraham glanced at Captain Lux with a gaze of wanting to know what was in the cargo area.
"Hmm… That's the place where we are keeping some of the remains of the Elder Leviathan." Captain Lux remarked as the two stared at the old-white bearded old man at the same time.