Chapter 6

The soldier who had come running in search of Luke was panting so hard he could barely catch his breath. Had the meeting already begun?

No, that couldn’t be. Meetings were always held at their appointed time, and Luke was usually the first to arrive, often earlier than the other commanders, to skim through the documents scheduled for discussion that day.

But the soldier who had come to fetch him looked not only flustered but also troubled. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Standing here questioning him would only waste time; it was better to go and see for himself.

“…Let’s go.”

Luke took the lead, an uneasy feeling settling in his chest. Since the day he had awakened in this body, unwelcome stares and whispered rumors had always followed him; but this felt different.

There was a heavier undercurrent this time. Without delay, he strode into the headquarters building.

Unless something unusual was afoot, commanders’ meetings were always held on the third floor.

There were two types: the regular meeting of the unit commanders, and the larger assembly presided over by the Commander-in-Chief, held once a month.

Typically, proposals and issues raised during the regular meetings were summarized and forwarded to Commander Veil, who reviewed them and then placed them on the agenda for the general assembly.

Luke ascended the stairs swiftly and stopped before the conference room door. That unpleasant premonition crawled up from his feet and wound around his entire body. Taking a steadying breath, he pushed the door wide open.

“…”

Every gaze inside turned to him. Ten seats in total, nine of them occupied. The only empty chair was his own.

“…Has the meeting time changed?”

He had left early, yet every commander was already here, waiting. It was the same as if they were announcing, something has happened.

“Take your seat, Captain Luke.”

The voice came from one side. Luke walked in slowly and sat down in his place, the first seat on the right, directly across from Theo.

“…Let us begin.”

Theo, who had been staring intently at him, shifted his eyes to the papers before him. A faint tension laced the air. As the commander of the First Division, Theo usually presided over these meetings.

“Wait, Captain Theo. Don’t drag this out. Let’s get straight to the point.”

The interruption came from Captain Mile Kaelus of the Third Division.

“Captain Luke, unfortunately the meeting time hasn’t changed. The reason we gathered early today is because of an incident within the army.”

“An incident? I’ve heard nothing of it.”

“Of course not. None of us knew until dawn this morning.”

“Then explain it clearly.”

Luke frowned, and Mile gave a mocking laugh. He pushed a stack of papers to the center of the table and jerked his chin toward Luke—read it for yourself.

The cover read: Inventory Log of Military Supplies and Weapons.

Luke was already familiar with it. The Imperial Army handled a wide range of equipment; from basic swords and arrows to more specialized arms like gunpowder weapons.

And above all, the Mage Corps dealt extensively with enchanted tools crafted from processed mana stones, so-called “magitech devices.” Their arsenal was vast: weapons infused with mana, portable warp circles, communication artifacts capable of sending messages across great distances. The list went on.

To keep strict control, each division rotated responsibility. Selected soldiers verified the stock against set numbers, logged the results, and kept watch over the storage facilities. Guard duty at the warehouses was part of this responsibility.

Luke flipped open the log. Item after item was neatly recorded, dates lined up with no discrepancies. Except… certain dates were marked in red at regular intervals.

“You mean to say those marked dates spark no suspicion?” Mile asked, his tone still dripping with insolence.

“…Not particularly.”

“There are limits even to shamelessness.”

This time, Captain Seth Yullin of the Fifth Division spoke.

“Those days marked in red were when your detachment was on watch duty.”

“And what of it? Are you saying that standing guard itself was a crime?”

Luke shut the log with a careless snap, his tone indifferent. Yet now he had a sense of what this unpleasant feeling was about.

“Standing guard isn’t the problem,” said Captain Winnie Peridlin of the Fourth Division, someone who was usually silent at these meetings. Today, she was unusually talkative.

“The problem is that only on the days your detachment was on duty, the numbers don’t match. How do you explain that?”

“…Are you sure they were counted correctly?”

Luke recalled the commotion he’d seen that morning, soldiers murmuring about lists and tallies outside the storage. It had to be this.

“They were checked multiple times.”

The voice was heavy, coming from the head of the table. Luke turned to see Theo staring at him with dark, unyielding eyes.

“The missing items are communication devices. And on the days your detachment stood guard, the records show evidence of tampering. Captain Luke, do you have anything to say?”

Theo’s gaze bore into him relentlessly. The other commanders’ eyes followed suit, their stares painting Luke unmistakably as the villain.

“Ah. So you’re saying I ordered my men to smuggle out military supplies?”

“In the past, it wasn’t uncommon,” Theo countered swiftly, refusing to let Luke’s eyes escape his own.

“Weapons and equipment meant for the army were stolen and sold off to foreign nations.”

What he said was true. The Heinenn Empire, with its advanced magitech, had grown both militarily and domestically powerful, shaking the continent with its might.

Their mines produced high-quality mana stones, and skilled scholars turned them into brilliant devices. Smugglers often targeted these tools, and sometimes even Imperial citizens and officials colluded with them.

One of the largest smuggling rings in history had been led by a high-ranking officer; a scandal that once rocked the Empire to its core. It was the reason why guards were rotated and logs so carefully kept.

“The items missing are just communication tools. Other nations already have their own versions. If I were truly a spy, wouldn’t I have stolen something more impressive?”

“I don’t suspect you of being a spy,” Theo replied evenly.

“Your loyalty to the Empire is beyond question. But… if you had intended to curry favor with certain nobles by handing over those items, then what?”

Their eyes clashed in the air, sparks flying invisibly between them. Mile and the others itched to interject, but the tension between the two men was so fierce that none dared interrupt.

“The army’s communication tools are far superior to civilian versions,” Theo continued.

“They are built with rare minerals, infused with deep reserves of mana, and designed to withstand the strain of war. Only soldiers of the Imperial Army can wield them.”

“So you’re saying I tried to buy the nobles’ favor by handing over stolen supplies?”

“…You’ve always desired to rise higher than anyone else, haven’t you?”

Luke nearly laughed. ‘That was the reason I pushed you toward the Commander-in-Chief’s seat in the first place. I only ever wanted to give the protagonist his perfect ending. And now look where it’s gotten me; entangled in this absurd mess.’

‘So, this is what it feels like to be the villain for real.’

In that case, he might as well act the part.

“Do you even have proof?” Luke smirked, his lips curling in mockery.

“The records were tampered with only on the days your men were on duty. Isn’t that suspicious enough?”

Theo’s brow furrowed slightly, a rare crack in his otherwise flawless expression.

“Proof, you say?”

At that moment, Mile, who had been waiting like a hyena, slammed the table and rose to his feet.

“Captain Luke, I hope you don’t regret those words.”

Luke narrowed his eyes at him. What’s with this arrogance now?

“Bring them in!” Mile barked toward the door.

The conference room doors creaked open. Someone stepped inside.

And it was someone Luke had never expected to see.