Chapter 4

The Imperial Army compound was divided into four main sections.

The first was the main building, which housed the barracks, break rooms, duty rooms, and, most importantly, the office of the Commander-in-Chief. It was the section most frequently used by the soldiers.

The second was reserved for the storage and management of supplies and weaponry.

The third was the training grounds. These were further divided into indoor and outdoor facilities, where both official, integrated army drills and informal individual training sessions took place.

This area was quiet only twice a day: before dawn and again at midday. Even so, there were always a few who refused to neglect training, no matter the hour.

At 5:30 a.m., sharp blades cut through the air inside a private training hall. The harsh sound of sword strikes clashed with the otherwise tranquil morning.

Starting his day earlier than most, Theo, captain of the First Unit, trained with a precision and swiftness unmatched by anyone else, utterly absorbed, forgetting even the passage of time.

“Captain.”

A crisp voice called out. Philip Seimon, a soldier from the First Unit, approached with a salute.

“It’s nearly time for morning drills, sir.”

Theo nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel. Every time Philip watched, he was struck anew by the captain’s incredible routine.

Officially, the army held morning drills five times a week, unless circumstances prevented it. Yet Theo never skipped training, regardless of the schedule. Rain or snow, he was always out before dawn, sword in hand. Just the thought of such relentless practice sent shivers down Philip’s spine.

“What’s on the agenda today?”

“After the morning drills, sir, His Majesty has arranged for you to attend an opera performance this afternoon.”

At the word opera, Theo’s brow creased ever so slightly. The current emperor of the Heinen Empire, Cedric Roelard, carried an infamous nickname: the Opera Enthusiast. He was known not only for his obsession but also for his profound knowledge and genuine passion for the arts.

From time to time, it was his peculiar pleasure to summon the heads of noble families and high-ranking officials for a group outing to the opera. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] To Theo, such events were less hobby than affectation. The emperor would also invite several army officers to these performances, an act Theo found particularly distasteful.

Forcing soldiers, men of blood and steel, to sit through such performances was nothing more than arrogance, the emperor’s way of saying, “What I enjoy, you must enjoy as well.”

“Understood. I’ll see you at the training grounds, then.”

“Yes, sir!”

Theo accepted Philip’s salute, gathered his belongings, and left the training hall.

Once alone, Philip lowered his hand and walked toward a corner. He pulled out a medium-sized whiteboard, uncapped a marker, and began writing with practiced ease.

                                                                                               May, Dawn Training
Theo | Luke
14 | 15

With the eraser in his other hand, he wiped away Theo’s 14 and neatly changed it to 15, matching Luke’s number. Seeing the two finally equal, Philip couldn’t help but smile in quiet satisfaction.

“What’s this?”

“Gasp—! C-Captain…!”

Philip nearly collapsed when Theo’s voice came from behind him. Theo strode back in, casually retrieving the towel he had forgotten earlier.

“Left this behind,” he said, giving the towel a little wave. Then his eyes fell on the whiteboard behind Philip, bold letters and numbers standing plain for all to see.

“And what exactly is this?”

“Well, that is…”

“Philip Seimon.”

Theo’s voice dropped, heavy with authority. Philip sprang upright in alarm.

“It’s… it’s a record, sir! Of the days you and Captain Luke from the Special Unit trained at dawn. I’ve been keeping track!”

“And why would you do such a thing?”

Theo’s frown deepened. He was not unaware of the reputation he and Luke had within the army, but this… this was absurd. Whoever had ordered this nonsense, this time, he couldn’t just let it go.

“It was… Captain Luke’s command, sir. He ordered me to mark each time you trained.”

A dry, hollow sound slipped from Theo’s lips. He had wondered which fool would waste their time on something so pointless, only to discover it was none other than Luke himself.

“Utterly ridiculous.”

Theo shook his head in disbelief.

******

On a grand stage, a soprano’s aria soared. Her graceful gestures, the beautiful melodies, the pure voice — the audience sat enraptured. Even the emperor and the most powerful lords of the realm closed their eyes to savor the performance.

“Gods, I’m going to die of boredom.”

Only Luke sat slack-faced, barely suppressing a yawn. He hadn’t been able to refuse the Emperor’s summons, but the opera was even duller than he had feared. Add to that his exhaustion from dragging himself up like a zombie for dawn training every day, and he was struggling to stay conscious.

Still, as a rival, he had to contest Theo at every turn, in matters grand or petty alike. That was the only way to keep Theo sharp, the only way to push him further.

Luke tilted his head down slightly, peering at the back of Theo’s head in the row before him. While Luke’s neck bobbed with fatigue, Theo sat perfectly straight, utterly focused. Somehow, seeing that stiff posture forced Luke to steel himself as well.

At last, the performance ended, releasing Luke from what had felt like an endless torment. Thunderous applause erupted from the emperor and the nobles in the front rows. Luke clapped as hard as he could, though his heart wasn’t in it.

Five minutes more, and he would have collapsed.

As the emperor exited first and the audience began to disperse, Luke was preparing to slip away and catch some much-needed sleep when a middle-aged man approached.

“Captain Luke.”

Blinking away his drowsiness, Luke fixed a lively expression on his face and straightened.

“Duke Raiden, a pleasure to see you.”

This was Zion Raiden, head of House Raiden.

“I’ve heard rumors of your recent operation. They say you succeeded in a surprise attack single-handedly?”

Luke’s lips curved into the proud smile he had perfected. Any proper villain with ambition would seize such moments, eager to look impressive in the eyes of men like this duke, who carried both power and prestige.

“You flatter me, my lord.”

He could feel the sidelong stares of several soldiers who had accompanied him.

“Tell me, are you free afterward?”

“Today, my lord?”

“Yes. You see, my daughter has recently taken an unusual interest in military affairs. How about a drink together? I’ve acquired a rare tea from a foreign land.”

At that, a graceful young lady stepped forward, dipping her head politely toward Luke. He returned the gesture with a smile, though inside he longed to escape. He wanted nothing more than to return to headquarters and sleep. After all, he was losing rest constantly because of his role in prodding the protagonist forward.

“Ah, well, actually…”

He was about to offer an excuse when he felt a piercing gaze from beyond the duke’s shoulder. Theo, watching him intently.

A thought struck Luke like lightning. Wouldn’t it stir the protagonist’s competitive spirit to see him, the so-called rival, mingling with an influential duke and his daughter? Even if military rank was ultimately determined by skill, experience, and conduct, Theo could hardly ignore the sight of his rival currying favor with nobles.

“Well?” The duke prompted gently.

“In truth… I am a great lover of tea.”

Luke forced his tired eyes wide and smiled warmly. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Both the duke and his daughter brightened immediately.

“Excellent. Then let us go. I have a carriage prepared.”

Luke bowed slightly in acknowledgment, but not before flicking a sidelong glance at Theo.

‘Well, go on then. Do something. Stop me, woo the duke, strike up talk with the other lords. Anything at all.’

To his surprise, Theo began striding directly toward him. Luke’s eyes widened.

‘So, the protagonist really is stirred enough to act, huh?’

“Captain Luke.”

But instead of addressing the duke or his daughter, Theo spoke directly to him.

“…What?”

“You haven’t forgotten our sparring match this afternoon, have you?”

Sparring? Was that today? Luke rubbed his jaw, trying to remember. Maybe waking so early every day was starting to muddle his memory.

“I was rather looking forward to seeing if you could best me this time,” Theo added smoothly.

Luke’s eyebrow twitched. Yes, of course. If he truly wanted to provoke the protagonist, there was no better way than through sheer strength.

“Ah, right. So it was.”

Turning to the duke, Luke bowed again.

“My apologies, my lord. May I postpone our tea for another time? I seem to have forgotten an important duty as a soldier.”

Though the duke looked faintly displeased, Luke’s repeated apologies smoothed things over enough for him to take his leave. Exiting the opera house, he headed back toward headquarters, with Theo, oddly pensive, at his side.