Chapter 7

The face that appeared through the door was one Luke knew all too well.

It was Fael, a long-standing member of the Special Unit, who had served as long as Luke himself. With an anxious expression, he stepped hesitantly into view before everyone in the conference room.

But Luke was the only one visibly shaken by the sudden arrival. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Theo, Mile, and the other captains remained calm, as if they had already been expecting this.

“You brought in a soldier from another unit without even informing his captain? I’ve never seen such a case before.”

“My apologies for that. But the matter at hand is far too serious.”

Mile shrugged his shoulders in a showy manner toward Luke, who had let out a derisive laugh. His face, however, showed not a shred of regret.

“Besides, Soldier Fael is a rather important party to this case.”

A party to the case? Luke turned his gaze to Fael. At that, the young man flinched and quickly lowered his head, avoiding Luke’s eyes. Well, Luke could already guess where this was going.

“Soldier Fael, then tell us in full detail what you know about this incident.”

“That is… um… well…”

Fael fidgeted nervously, darting glances around. It was only natural; being summoned before captains hailed as the pillars of the Imperial Army was enough to cow anyone. And knowing Fael as Luke did, the young man had never possessed the bold temperament of a proper soldier.

“What are you doing! Speak up already!”

Mile barked sharply.

“You should know better than anyone here how busy these captains are.”

Winnie added his own harsh voice alongside Mile, driving Fael into a corner. Luke’s brow twitched at the sight. How dare they shout at a soldier from his unit?

The louder their voices rang out, the more Fael shrank, until sweat began to pour down his face. When the other captains joined in, the cycle only worsened. His lips turned pale, and he looked utterly pitiful.

At last, unable to watch any longer, Luke let out a short sigh and slammed the table with his palm.

“This is why I always say there isn’t a single soldier in the Special Unit that I actually like.”

The room gradually fell silent at his words.

“Mile, did you say that soldier was an important witness? Too bad, but you’re mistaken. His nerves are shot. At this rate, even by lights-out in the dormitories, you won’t have your answer.”

Wouldn’t it be better to dismiss him? Luke leaned back, resting his chin in his hand with a leisurely smile. The eyes turned on him brimmed with contempt.

To them, he must have looked like a man trying to brush off the situation by discarding a key witness; yet another sign that he was behind it all.

But Luke spoke this way only to teach his foolish subordinate one simple truth: even worms will squirm when stepped on. Whatever Fael’s purpose or circumstances in being here, if he didn’t give the answers they wanted, the fallout would be terrible for him as a mere soldier.

“You should’ve brought someone sharper. You chose the wrong man.”

Luke locked eyes with Fael, deliberately filling his gaze with disdain and scorn.

“Th-the truth is…”

Fael swallowed hard and opened his mouth.

“Captain Luke ordered me to do all of this!”

Clenching his fists, Fael shouted at the top of his lungs. So, the provocation had worked. And now Luke also understood why Fael had been dragged here as a witness.

“Captain Luke instructed me to steal communication crystals every time I stood guard! And he told me to falsify the entries in the logs as well!”

So, he can speak so well after all. Luke almost laughed, despite the fact that things were quickly turning against him.

“Is that true? Captain Luke, why would you order such things?”

Mile’s lips curled so high with glee it seemed they might reach the heavens. With a face overflowing with delight, he interrogated Fael further.

“He said… that he would sell them off to powerful nobles… and secure strong backing for himself…”

Well, so that’s the story they’re spinning.

“You heard him, didn’t you, Captain Luke?”

Mile turned his head, eyes locking with Luke’s.

“Of course, I heard. My ears work perfectly well.”

“And even now, you maintain that brazen attitude?”

To be frank, yes, this situation was against him. It was thanks to the image of Luke already deeply ingrained within the Imperial Army: the man who would use any means necessary to seize the position of Commander-in-Chief, the rival of the protagonist Theo.

Even in the novel, if Theo was the man who pursued justice and virtue, Luke was closer to a pragmatist; one who would forsake justice if it meant gaining an advantage for himself and his army.

And hadn’t he, at the opera, flaunted his connection with Duke Raiden right before the other soldiers? He had done it partly to provoke Theo, but the others, Mile included, had witnessed it. That wasn’t the only time either; Luke had often mingled with nobles. He had his reasons, but this was hardly the time to explain them one by one.

In short, to these people, Luke was exactly the sort who would bribe and flatter nobles to secure himself a sturdy backing. At least, in their eyes.

“Sorry, but I know nothing about this.”

Still, Luke had no intention of admitting to something he hadn’t done. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] He wasn’t entirely without suspicions, but first the incident itself had to be unraveled. To that end, he needed to buy time, no matter what.

“Why, you—!”

Mile looked ready to explode with rage when Theo, who had been quietly watching Luke all along, raised his hand.

“Since Captain Luke, the accused, has denied it, pressing the matter further here will only waste time. Besides, this is a regular meeting hall, not an interrogation chamber.”

At Theo’s firm words, Mile and the others faltered.

“It would be better to appoint an investigator for this case, form a separate inquiry, and continue the questioning there.”

“That’s a fine idea, Theo.”

Mile clapped his hands with a vile grin.

“In that case, I’ll appoint the investigat—”

“I’ll take charge of the investigation myself.”

What? Luke stared blankly at Theo, caught off guard. And he wasn’t the only one stunned.

“But Theo… you already have your hands full. It’d be better to delegate this to me—”

Mile stammered in his fluster, clearly unprepared for this.

“No. I’ll handle it.”

What the hell is he doing? He should just leave this to Mile or anyone else and keep pushing forward toward his ending! That way, I could finally stop this damned villain’s role. If anything, as his rival, this setback should be something he uses to surge ahead.

But of course, Luke couldn’t say that aloud.

“I’ll be in your care, Captain Luke.”

“And I in yours.”

Luke forced a smile onto his lips. Why did this protagonist have to be so infuriatingly uncooperative?

******

Once out of the conference hall, Fael immediately slipped into a corner of the corridor where no one was around and collapsed onto the floor.

“Hah…”

His heart still pounded violently, and his hands trembled. The atmosphere in that hall filled with captains had been something altogether different. Crouched in the shadows, he wiped the sweat from his palms, trying to steady his breathing.

After several minutes, he slowly rose to his feet and slipped out through the back door of headquarters. Circling around the building, he came upon a wide, empty clearing with not a single structure in sight.

It was a mana preservation zone; an area within headquarters where ambient mana was relatively concentrated. Militarily, it was an important space. Warp magic, requiring both speed and precision, was always conducted here. It was also used for basic training in magical techniques by the soldiers.

Entering the zone cautiously, Fael scanned his surroundings. Once he was sure no one was there, he pressed his palm into the air and released a trickle of mana. At once, the faint outline of someone hidden began to shimmer into view before him.

A concealment barrier. Such magic could hide the caster’s presence, and though its use was technically forbidden within Imperial Headquarters, there were a few who could ignore such rules with ease.

“You’re here?”

A captain-level officer.

“Yes, sir.”

Fael hurriedly ran over and saluted. Standing there with a look of deep irritation was none other than Mile Kailos. When Fael instinctively glanced around, Mile scolded him sharply, reminding him that no one outside could see them through the barrier, so he should stop fidgeting.

“Didn’t I tell you? Don’t stammer or hesitate when giving testimony.”

“M-my apologies, sir.”

Fael bent at a ninety-degree angle. Above him, Mile let out an exasperated sigh.

“But sir, what’s going to happen to Captain Luke now…?”

“What do you think will happen? Even if Theo stepped in, our plan won’t change. So, Fael, you’d best keep yourself in line.”

Fael trembled like prey caught in a predator’s gaze.

“Unless, of course, you’d prefer the truth revealed—that you’re the real culprit behind the embezzlement.”