When no more zombies came out of the building, Sten finally turned around with a miserable expression.
"I'm sorry, Commander. You trusted me so much, and I let you down…"
Before she could finish, the muzzle of the submachine gun in her hands suddenly flashed. A sharp pain exploded in Lux's thigh.
Everyone froze.
"C-calm down. I won't force you to use a knife on zombies anymore."
Lux dashed forward and slammed the gun barrel into the ground. If Sten completely lost control, more than just him would be in danger.
"N-no, no, no, it wasn't me! I didn't pull the trigger! Damn it, it went off again!"
Sten said, her face pale.
HK416 rushed to Sten's side and aimed her gun at Sten's head. MDR swiftly removed the grenades from Sten's waist.
"You dared to hurt the Commander. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Confess. Who sent you? If you don't talk, I'll torture you until your mind collapses."
HK416 suppressed her frenzied killing intent and spoke in a terrifying voice.
"It really was an accidental discharge. I really didn't pull the trigger… Fine, 416, go ahead and shoot. I'm sorry, Commander. A Doll like me, who's useless and even hurt you, deserves to die. Thank you for taking care of me all this time."
Sten said in agony.
"Still trying to play the pity card? You think I won't shoot?"
HK416 grew even angrier. If not for wanting to find out which organization was targeting the Commander, she would have already killed Sten.
"Wait a moment, HK. The Sten MKII submachine gun is indeed notorious for accidental discharges. I think her fate should be decided by the Commander. You shouldn't overstep your authority."
UMP45 spoke up with her usual smile.
"Commander, should I kill her?"
HK416 immediately asked.
"I believe she didn't do it on purpose. It was probably an accidental discharge. Lower your gun."
Lux took the submachine gun from Sten's hands.
"45, come over and clear the chamber. Make sure it won't go off again. Lianne, AA-12, M22, stay alert. If any zombies run out, take them down."
"Rabbit? Are you calling me?"
M99 blinked.
"Who else would it be?"
"Roger! Leave it to me, sir! I won't let any zombies get near you, Commander!"
"But Commander, your leg is injured. She shot you."
HK416 reluctantly lowered her gun, shooting Sten a hateful glance. Unwilling as she was, she still chose to obey Lux's order.
"Then can you help stop the bleeding first? I don't want to bleed to death."
At Lux's reminder, HK416 rushed over, cut open his pant leg, and took out healing spray to treat the wound.
MDR quickly stripped all weapons from Sten.
Sten stood motionless before Lux, head lowered, her face deathly pale.
"Commander, how should she be dealt with?"
UMP45 walked over after removing the magazine and rounds, asking cheerfully.
"Since it was an accident, let it go. I wasn't hit anywhere vital—just grazed. But Sten, from now on you must never point a gun at your teammates. Even if you panic and lose control, you have to remember that."
Lux said through clenched teeth. Even though HK416's movements were gentle, he'd still been hit by a bullet, and the continuous pain kept surging into his head.
"I understand! Y-you're still willing to trust me?"
Sten raised her head, guilt written all over her face.
"Yes. I trust you."
Lux managed a strained smile and nodded.
There was no way Sten belonged to another faction. Guns were one thing, but Tactical Dolls weren't easy to manufacture. He had performed four Tactical Doll summons, and four of them had arrived. The possibility of Sten being sent by another force to assassinate him was essentially zero.
"Oh hoho, how generous. But what if it wasn't an accident?"
UMP45 asked.
"Then my head would've been blown off already. She was popping zombies' heads at a hundred meters earlier."
"And if she truly had killing intent, I would've sensed it and dodged. Yesterday, when I was targeted by a crossbow, I felt the danger. Just now, I didn't feel any danger from you. So this can only be bad luck—a misfire."
"And she has no reason to kill me. Cause leads to effect. Other than me asking her to use a knife in close combat, there was no conflict between us. If she was scared, I wouldn't have forced her. That means she had no reason to kill me at all."
Lux explained with a bitter smile.
"Hehe, I see. How nice. Sten, meeting a Commander who trusts you this much, shouldn't you be so moved that you devote yourself to him?"
UMP45 teased with a grin. At those words, HK416's hand tightened, and beads of sweat rolled down Lux's forehead.
"45, stop stirring things up. If you keep this up, I think I'll die from the pain."
Lux said shakily.
"Oh my, getting used to pain is how you survive better in this world, isn't it? You should train your pain tolerance, Commander. That way, you won't lose combat effectiveness because of pain. I'm doing this for your own good."
UMP45 said cheerfully.
"I-I'm just a fragile human. Don't think of me as that strong, okay? It hurts so much I want to cry."
"Oh? Do you want to act like a baby and cry to gain sympathy and affection?"
"That actually sounds pretty nice. Would you dote on me?"
Lux asked teasingly, curious how UMP45 would respond.
"It seems your understanding of this world isn't deep enough. Even Candice understands that crying doesn't solve problems. And you still don't get it? Looks like I need to train you properly, Commander."
UMP45's smile never changed, but Lux felt a chill down his spine.
"No, no, please spare me. My instincts are screaming danger. You're definitely plotting something terrible again."
"Commander, sorry for hurting you earlier. The wound isn't too serious. With proper rest, it should scab over in three to five days. Let's rest here in the grain warehouse for a bit. Fortunately, there aren't many zombies here."
HK416 reported seriously.
"Mm, thanks to you. 45, MDR, Sten, the three of you go clear out the zombies inside the building. You can open fire. Look for where they were living. Honestly, I want to lie down for a bit."
"Understood."
Sten picked up the gun UMP45 had placed on the ground and was the first to rush into the building.