Chapter 17

At the sound of a voice coming from afar, both men instinctively turned their gaze in the same direction. And to their surprise, standing there was a face both familiar and unexpected.

“Captain Leo?”

“I wasn’t sure when I saw you from a distance, but it really is the two of you, isn’t it?”

Leo Luit; captain of the Empire’s Seventh Division, and once mentioned alongside Luke and Theo as a candidate for the next Supreme Commander. Unlike the other two, with their steady demeanor, Leo’s dazzling blond hair and even more striking features had earned him a reputation throughout the Imperial Army for his free-spirited nature.

“Why are you here? Did you take leave?”

Theo asked as though genuinely curious, while Leo pulled a face of exaggerated disappointment.

“Theo, aren’t you just a little too uninterested in me?”

“Did you resolve your family matter?”

“Oh, as expected, Luke knows.”

The Luit Marquisate, nearly as renowned as the Redrick Dukedom within the Empire. The family had produced countless soldiers of remarkable achievement, and no fewer than two of its members had once served as Supreme Commander.

The household, however, was filled to the brim with narrow-minded elders, and whenever Leo received a summons from them, he would vanish for a while to deal with it. That must have been the reason he hadn’t been present at Luke’s trial.

“How do you know about that?”

“It would be strange not to. If Captain Leo of the Seventh Division suddenly disappears, everyone knows he’s gone to the estate. The only one in the entire army who wouldn’t get that is you, Theo.”

At Luke’s words, Leo burst into laughter, agreeing wholeheartedly.

“Exactly. My family’s full of old tigers. But what about the two of you? What are you doing here together? It’s such a refreshing sight; I’d like an explanation.”

Naturally, passing civilians wouldn’t recognize them, but anyone who had even once been part of the Imperial Army would surely find it strange to see Luke and Theo side by side. The two men known to be locked in constant rivalry for the position of commander, standing shoulder to shoulder amid sweet scents and quaint streets? It was bound to raise eyebrows.

“To put it simply…”

Luke gave him a rough summary of the situation; that Theo had been appointed as his monitor during his suspension, and since he had business outside today, Theo had come along. Of course, the real reason, his secret plan to make Theo bored of him, remained unspoken.

“Oh, I see. I knew something was off. The two of you, always growling at each other in the division, suddenly standing together as though on a date.”

“That’s too much.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

Luke and Theo spoke at the same time, with nearly identical expressions of disapproval.

“Well then, since it’s come to this, why not let me join you?”

“Don’t you need to return to the army soon?”

Theo’s tone carried a trace of caution, but Luke, too busy sampling another piece of chocolate, didn’t even notice.

“Well, yes, but so what? It’s not as though the Empire will collapse just because I return a little late.”

“Leo, it would be better if you refrained from such remarks in public.”

“See? You’re as scary as ever, Theo. Captain Luke, you don’t mind if I tag along, do you?”

Luke hesitated for a moment. After all, his goal today was to tire Theo out; and if this free-spirited, loud-mouthed man joined them, the mission might be achieved even faster. Besides, he was running out of things to do anyway.

“Fine.”

At his brief answer, Theo shot Luke a sharp glare, but Luke only shrugged as if to say, ‘What does it matter?’

“Then how about I take you both to a place I recommend?”

“And where is that?”

“There’s a restaurant I frequent on Second Street. Their stew is the best.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Luke nodded casually and followed behind Leo. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] The two seemed to hit it off so well that Theo let out a quiet sigh. For some reason, Luke’s thoughtless decision irritated him more than he cared to admit. Still, he followed after them dutifully.

Tall and broad-shouldered, both Theo and Leo drew attention even among soldiers. And while Luke was shorter in comparison, he was by no means small; his commanding presence was enough to make passersby glance at the trio as they walked.

The hastily formed party made their way to the restaurant Leo had spoken of. The building looked old, bearing the marks of long history, yet the interior told another story altogether; elegant décor and the mouth-watering aroma of food. Supposedly, even members of the imperial family frequented the place. Leo’s recommendation, it seemed, had not been misplaced, for the food was excellent.

As Luke had expected, Leo launched into endless chatter the moment they sat down. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Watching Theo’s expression grow steadily more strained, Luke felt a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

“It’s nearly evening. We should head back.”

“Aw, come on. I still have mountains of things to talk about.”

“Even after talking for two hours straight?”

Theo looked at him as though staring at some inhuman creature, and Luke nearly burst into laughter. Turning his head to glance outside, he realized the sun was already dipping low on the horizon. Time had passed far more quickly than he’d thought. Despite having come out without a purpose, he found himself realizing he’d actually enjoyed the day.

“Luke, I’m heading back.”

“Ah, alright.”

Still, thanks to Leo, his project to wear down Theo’s patience had been a success; good enough for now.

Dragging along Leo, who was protesting like a child, the three of them made their way back toward headquarters.

“Thief!”

Just as they were walking, a woman’s scream rang out in the distance, followed by a stir among the crowd.

“A pickpocket?”

“Someone, catch him!”

“He’s coming this way!”

Through the throng of people, a man was dashing forward in a panic, clutching a bag that looked absurdly out of place in his hands. His face was twisted in desperation.

“Out of the way!”

He barreled straight toward them, shouting, waving his arm. Luke let out a long sigh of annoyance and raised his hand. Around his clenched fist, magic flared, crackling like electricity.

He was preparing to strike when suddenly his collar was yanked back hard, sending him stumbling.

“Huh?”

Theo had grabbed him and flung him backward before Luke could react. Without hesitation, Theo surged forward in his place, seizing the thief by the wrist and slamming him onto the ground.

The man let out a scream of pain as he struggled, the stolen bag tumbling beside him. A small crowd quickly gathered around. Leo, apparently uninterested in getting involved, simply clapped from a safe distance.

Theo calmly removed the leather strap from his coat and bound the thief’s hands, then returned the stolen bag to its owner.

“Hey, what was that?”

Luke dusted himself off, irritation written on his face. Why had he been thrown aside like the thief himself?

“Luke, you were about to use magic to subdue him, weren’t you?”

“And what if I was?”

“This is a crowded street full of civilians. If you had unleashed that here, people could have been caught in it.”

Luke glanced at the surrounding crowd. True, there were plenty of people nearby.

“You think I can’t control my own magic?”

“And the thief is nothing but an ordinary man. Your blow could have crippled him.”

“You’re actually worried about a thief who just stole from someone?”

“I’m saying don’t act unnecessarily.”

Luke understood, in a way, but it still felt unfair. After all, the end result would have been the same.

“Saint Theo, at it again.”

“Even as a soldier, you’re not permitted to act recklessly. When will you learn that?”

Luke narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Theo hoisted the struggling thief onto his shoulder.

“I’ll hand him over to the nearest guard post. The two of you can return to headquarters first.”

With that, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving a faintly tense silence in his wake. Leo shuffled closer to Luke.

“Well then, shall we go, Luke?”

“Yeah.”

With a sulky look still lingering on his face, Luke walked beside him. The setting sun was casting the Empire’s streets in crimson light.

“As expected,” Leo said suddenly as they left Ludrein Square and walked down a quieter street.

“What is?”

“You and Theo. You really are rivals. The two of you couldn’t be more mismatched.”

“…”

“Well, considering you’re both vying for the title of Supreme Commander, I suppose that’s only natural.”

Leo grinned foolishly, but Luke found no desire to laugh, nor even to answer.

“Still, I’ll cheer for you both. As long as it’s not me, I couldn’t care less. That position sounds like a hassle.”

Yes; he and Theo were rivals, recognized by all. Competitors for the highest seat. And the one destined to take it was Theo, the protagonist. His own role was to be the rival, the villain, pushing Theo forward toward his happy ending.

He had never once forgotten that, nor intended to. And yet, today, something felt a little different. Perhaps it was because he had spent the entire day, outside, alongside Theo.

“You’re right, Leo.”

“Hm?”

“That’s the relationship that suits us best; him and me.”

Perhaps his suspension had left him a little careless. In any case, he felt it was time to end his little game of “Project: Annoy Theo.”