Chapter 23: Chapter 23

"Philip, don’t you think something’s off lately?"

“Pardon?”

Milo, a senior member of the 1st Division, approached Philip during a break in training. Philip had been resting, catching his breath, when Milo struck up the conversation.

“Doesn’t the Captain seem… a little strange?”

“Captain Theo, you mean?”

“Yeah.”

Their gazes naturally shifted to Theo, who was busy supervising a sparring session, even stepping in to duel some of the more active recruits.

“What exactly do you mean?”

“Well, how should I put it… It’s like he’s pushing himself harder than usual.”

“Hmm…”

Both men stared at Theo, their expressions mirroring each other’s contemplation. Now that Milo mentioned it, there was something noticeably different. Theo was always serious about training, but lately, his focus and intensity had gone up a notch. It almost seemed like he was exerting himself unnecessarily.

“Now that you mention it… He has been acting a bit odd.”

Philip, who often served as Theo’s aide and spent the most time with him, nodded in agreement. Milo’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

“Really?”

“Yes. Just the other day, during the captains’ training session—remember that? I was there, handling some tasks, and I saw him spar with Captain Luke.”

The captains’ training was a rare event where the division captains gathered to spar with one another. It wasn’t unusual for Theo and Luke to end up paired together—it had become almost a tradition. Besides, Luke’s suspension had ended about a month ago, so his participation wasn’t surprising.

“But honestly… it was something else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well… I don’t know if this is the right way to put it, but it felt like they were genuinely trying to kill each other.”

Philip shuddered as he recalled the scene. Captains rarely took sparring sessions too seriously. These training sessions were meant to test each other’s skills, observe attack patterns, and offer advice—not to determine a victor at all costs. If that had been the goal, the entire training ground would’ve been obliterated by now.

Normally, even when Theo and Luke sparred, they would only turn up the intensity slightly more than the other captains. But on that particular day, the sheer force of their magic, the clashing of their swords—it was on a completely different level.

“What?!”

Milo’s voice rose in shock, prompting Philip to wave his hands frantically in an attempt to downplay the situation.

“Oh, I just mean… they were both very serious about it, that’s all.”

“Well, I suppose they’re both competing to be the next Commander-in-Chief. No wonder things got a bit heated.”

“Probably so.”

The peace negotiations with Mambern had entered their final stages. With this agreement, the Heiner Empire’s prestige had reached new heights, while Mambern had fallen even further.

Everyone in the Imperial Army knew by now about Veil’s decision to step down as Commander-in-Chief once the matter with Mambern was resolved. The news had spread like wildfire, and it had left the ranks buzzing with speculation. After all, a change in leadership was no small thing. But the real cause of the unrest wasn’t just Veil’s retirement.

The real question was: who would become the next Commander-in-Chief?

The leading candidates were Theo and Luke, and most of the soldiers supported Theo. He was widely respected for his integrity and ability, leaving little to criticize. However, there were still some who speculated that Luke might take the position. His accomplishments as the captain of the Detached Force, coupled with his role in exposing the Harnus family’s corruption, made him a compelling contender.

That said, Theo’s significant contributions to the victory over Mambern had swayed the majority, leaving little doubt in the minds of most soldiers that he would be the next Commander-in-Chief.

“What about you? Who do you think it’ll be?”

“Me? Obviously, Captain Theo!” Philip exclaimed, practically recoiling in disbelief that Milo would even ask. A self-proclaimed Theo superfan, Philip’s loyalty was unwavering. Milo just laughed and nodded, clearly amused.

“Milo, Philip. Break time’s over.”

Theo’s booming voice rang out from a distance, prompting the two to scramble to their feet in a flurry.

***

A meeting room filled with division captains. Today was the day of the regular meeting, and under Theo’s direction, the discussion was lively and intense.

“Isn’t it a bit premature to withdraw troops from the Eastern Branch Headquarters?”

“But the peace treaty is already in its final stages. Keeping forces there is pointless now.”

The captains let out a collective sigh, watching yet another sharp clash between the two. It had become a routine occurrence.

“Didn’t we get blindsided last time because of that overconfidence?” Luke retorted sharply, striking at Theo’s pride.@@novelbin@@

“This is a formal agreement being processed according to proper diplomatic procedures. Such remarks are inappropriate in this setting.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious. We can withdraw the troops after the treaty is fully signed.”

“The prolonged deployment in the eastern region has exhausted our soldiers. It’s our responsibility to take that into account.”

It wasn’t unusual for Luke and Theo to butt heads during meetings. But today, the argument dragged on longer than usual, their gazes locked like swords clashing. Even the other captains, who often intervened to mediate, found no opening to interject.

“Furthermore, keeping an excessive number of troops in the Eastern Branch might be seen as a threat to the peace treaty.”

“The Empire has every right to take reasonable precautions.”

“Enough!”

Leo, who had been watching the exchange with growing frustration, slammed his hand on the table. Known for his carefree and laid-back personality, he had no qualms about interrupting.

“We get it. Both your points are valid. So why not just compromise?”

All eyes turned to Leo.

“Theo’s right—it’s not good to overdo it. But Luke also has a point—there’s no harm in being cautious. So let’s withdraw half the troops currently stationed in the east. Rotate the remaining soldiers on a three-shift schedule to ease their fatigue. Sound good?”

The two men fell silent, seemingly considering the proposal.

“You’re both smart enough to have come up with this yourselves if you weren’t so worked up. Let’s cool it, yeah?”

“…Fine. Let’s proceed with Leo’s proposal. Any objections?” Theo asked, his tone curt.

The captains slowly nodded in agreement. Thankfully, it was the last item on the agenda, and the meeting concluded without further conflict.

“As you all know, there will be a meeting presided over by Commander Veil in a week. Don’t be late,” Theo reminded them. Everyone nodded as they rose from their seats, fully aware of what the upcoming meeting signified: it would be Veil’s final assembly and the announcement of the Empire’s next Commander-in-Chief.

Luke was the first to leave the room, but Leo quickly caught up to him.

“Captain Luke, I’ve been curious—how’s your hand?”

Leo gestured toward Luke’s right hand, causing him to flinch. The wound was severe, worsened by the dark magic that had seeped into it, leaving the healing process frustratingly slow.

“It’s nothing. Just a small injury from the barracks.”

Luke’s vague excuse didn’t seem to interest Leo much, as he simply nodded without pressing further.

“Well, next week should finally put an end to your never-ending rivalry.”

Leo’s comment made Luke stop abruptly. He turned his gaze out the window, his expression unreadable.

“Soon, one of you will be the next Commander-in-Chief.”

“…Yeah.”

It was finally happening—the moment Luke had anticipated since realizing he’d been reincarnated into this world. The position would almost certainly go to Theo. No, it had to be Theo. While Luke was a skilled and accomplished soldier, the traditionalist council would never pick him. Even if Veil’s intentions were unclear, Luke knew Theo was far better suited for the role.

Once Theo assumed the position, Luke planned to leave the army entirely. He was done with this exhausting routine.

“Luke?”

“Ah, I’m coming.”

Still, a strange uneasiness gnawed at him, as though a thorn was lodged in his chest. It was a feeling he couldn’t shake, no matter how hard he tried. But as Luke resumed walking, he pushed aside the discomfort, burying it deep within himself.

No matter what, his mission hadn’t changed: see the story through to its happy ending and disappear quietly.

Time flew by, and at last, the moment Luke had long awaited arrived. During the general assembly, Commander Veil officially announced Theo Ledric as the next Commander-in-Chief.