Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Theo, after addressing urgent matters at hand, set off for Kyleum, where the Western Division was located. He chose not to bring any companions. Sion, as his aide, was well-versed in the Commander-in-Chief's duties, so Theo instructed him to remain at his post to handle any unforeseen situations.

Typically, military protocol dictated that when the Commander-in-Chief was absent, the Captain of the 1st Division assumed temporary command. Roena, who succeeded Theo in that role, was one of the most reliable officers in the army. Theo had only needed to provide her with a brief summary before leaving headquarters without issue.

“The square is quite lively,” Theo remarked.

“It’s because of the festival,” replied the soldier who had come to greet him from the Western Division. With an awkward smile, the soldier began enthusiastically recounting the festival's history, claiming it was one of the most famous in the region. Clearly, the soldier hadn’t expected to be tasked with guiding the Commander-in-Chief, as evidenced by the beads of sweat rolling down his face.

“We’re almost there,” the soldier added.@@novelbin@@

As they walked further in, the bustling atmosphere gradually gave way to quiet. In the distance, the familiar Imperial Army flag could be seen fluttering. The purple emblem of the Empire swayed under the clear blue sky.

“Attention!”

Upon entering the division grounds, a loud voice boomed from inside.

“Salute the Commander-in-Chief!”

Following the lead of Kalon Wild, the Western Division’s commander, the soldiers snapped to attention and raised their hands in a synchronized salute. Theo came to a halt and returned the gesture. As soon as he lowered his hand, the soldiers brought theirs down in unison, as if connected by a single thread.

“I thought I mentioned this wasn’t necessary,” Theo said.

“With all due respect, it is,” Kalon replied, adding that it wouldn’t be right to greet the army’s leader without proper formality.

“Let’s head inside, then,” Theo said.

As he took the lead, the formation parted cleanly down the middle, allowing him to pass through and enter the building.

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve met like this,” Theo remarked as he sat down in Kalon’s office. Despite the close connection between the division and headquarters as part of the same army, their responsibilities over different territories meant they rarely interacted unless it was a time of national crisis.

“Yes, indeed. How have you been, Commander-in-Chief?” Kalon inquired.

“Same as usual.”

At that moment, the soldier who had guided Theo earlier entered cautiously, placing a tray of tea on the table. The refreshing aroma suggested it was a simple mint tea, but the taste was exceptionally smooth. The subtle sweetness added to its appeal, making it a surprisingly captivating drink.

“How is it?” Kalon asked.

“It’s good. This isn’t your standard herbal tea, is it?” Theo replied.

“These tea leaves are exclusive to Kyleum. They come from the Swendy flower, which is notoriously difficult to cultivate. It’s rare to find, but recent harvests have been more successful,” Kalon explained.

Theo nodded slowly as he watched the heart-shaped petals floating and blending into the tea.

“Well, let’s get straight to the point,” Theo said, setting his cup down.

Kalon took a seat across from him and nodded in agreement.

“I received reports that the number of high-level monster exterminations in the Western Division has decreased. At the same time, I’ve also heard rumors.”

“Are you referring to the peculiar mercenary?” Kalon asked cautiously, as though he had already guessed the subject. While it was information Theo had initially dismissed as hearsay from merchants, the fact that Kalon brought it up suggested there was more substance to the story.

“I’d like to hear the details about this mercenary,” Theo said.

“The first sighting occurred during a high-level monster extermination near a village within Herba’s territory,” Kalon began in a steady voice. He explained that when the monster—known for emitting corrosive substances—appeared, the division had prepared for deployment. However, by the time they arrived, the monster had already been dealt with. Assuming the mercenary responsible would come forward to claim the bounty, they left the matter alone. Strangely, the mercenary never appeared.

“Since then, there have been four similar incidents,” Kalon continued.

In each case, high-level monsters were detected, but when the soldiers arrived, they found only the corpses. There was no sign of the person responsible. After repeated occurrences, it was clear this was no coincidence but a deliberate pattern.

“No one has claimed the bounty for any of these five exterminations,” Kalon added.

“An invisible mercenary…” Theo murmured, stroking his chin. It was highly unusual. Most mercenaries sought the military’s substantial bounties for high-level monster exterminations. Many even risked their lives attempting to slay monsters beyond their capabilities, often paying the ultimate price. For someone to forgo such rewards was undeniably strange.

Though it seemed questionable whether this issue warranted Theo’s personal attention—the mercenary hadn’t committed any crimes, and eliminating high-level monsters was beneficial to both the Empire and its army—their peculiar actions were hard to overlook.

Being able to slay high-level monsters so quickly, even before the military could arrive, suggested exceptional skill. In fact, within the Imperial Army, only someone like Luke could…

“…”

Theo raised the teacup to his lips, attempting to push aside the familiar face that had once again surfaced in his mind.

“Was there any eyewitness account of this individual?” he asked, the clink of the teacup against its saucer punctuating his question.

“There were no witnesses for the most recent four cases. However, there was one during the first extermination,” Kalon said, placing a piece of paper on the table in front of Theo. It was a hand-drawn portrait, showing a face with round eyes, freckles, and bangs covering the forehead—a remarkably ordinary appearance.

“Some villagers who encountered the high-level monster in that first incident received help from this faceless mercenary. This portrait is based on the testimony of one of them.”

Theo scanned the drawing carefully, but his eyes froze the moment they landed on the name written below.

Sebastian.

"…Is that the mercenary’s name?"

"Yes. It’s common for mercenaries to introduce themselves to the people they help or rescue, leaving an impression of their presence. That’s the name the man reportedly heard."

Theo’s brow furrowed deeply. He seemed to be lost in thought, and Kalon wisely remained silent for the moment.

Several months ago, there had been a monster sighting along the Hadmiller Shipping Route. The name of the person who killed that monster and then promptly disappeared after a report was filed by Hadmiller? Sebastian.

The coincidence could have been dismissed as a mere overlap; Sebastian was a fairly common name. However, it wasn’t just the name that overlapped. That man, too, had vanished without properly following procedures, just like this time. The memory of a cloaked figure’s back from that day emerged vividly in Theo’s mind.

The likelihood that it was the same person seemed high. There was no doubt that this was no ordinary situation.

As Theo was lost in thought, a knock came from the door.

"Come in," he said.

"Excuse me," came the response as Benjamin, Kalon’s right-hand man, entered. He was the same soldier who had guided Theo earlier and served the tea.

"What is it?" Kalon asked.

"My apologies for interrupting, sir. A report of a presumed low-level monster has come in…"

Benjamin hesitated, causing Theo to slowly raise his head.

"If a report came in, gather a unit and dispatch them. I’m in the middle of an important discussion with the Commander-in-Chief," Kalon said firmly.

Reports about low-level monsters didn’t usually require immediate attention, let alone an interruption like this.

"Well… it’s a bit unusual," Benjamin replied, sounding uneasy.

"Unusual how?"

"The reporter came in person… and brought the monster with them."

Benjamin’s words caused both Kalon and Theo to widen their eyes in surprise.

"I think you’d better take a look at this personally."

"Commander, if you’ll excuse me for a moment," Kalon said, bowing slightly to Theo. Theo, after a moment of consideration, stood as well.

"I’ll come too," he said.

Both Kalon and Benjamin seemed startled by this, but there was no one present who could argue against Theo’s decision. He followed them out of the room at a measured pace. Kalon’s office was on the second floor, while the areas accessible to civilians were concentrated on the first floor, as was standard in all military outposts.

Descending the stairs behind Benjamin, Theo caught snippets of a conversation coming from one of the rooms.

"So, I was walking through the forest when I stumbled upon it. It looked cute at first, so I thought it might be an animal, but no matter how I looked at it, something seemed… off," a voice said.

The person speaking, presumably the one who had reported the incident, was gesturing animatedly while speaking to a soldier seated across from them. From behind, their figure seemed oddly familiar to Theo.

Kalon entered the room first, prompting the soldier to jump to their feet upon seeing him. Theo stepped into the room shortly after, and the moment he entered, the reporter turned toward the door.

"…."

The two locked eyes, their gazes meeting in midair.

"…Phael?" Theo said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"C-Commander…" Phael stammered.

Standing before Theo was none other than Phael, dressed in civilian clothes instead of his military uniform. He shot to his feet, his eyes wide like a startled rabbit, his mouth agape, and his body frozen in place.

"What are you doing here?" Theo asked, his tone sharp.

The familiarity between the two caught the attention of both Kalon and Benjamin, who glanced between them in confusion.

"You know him?" Kalon asked.

"Yes. He’s a member of the Imperial Army’s administrative division," Theo explained.

At this, Phael’s face turned a ghastly shade of pale. The soldier who had been listening to Phael’s earlier explanation tilted his head in confusion.

"A soldier? But earlier, he told me he was just a tourist visiting for fun."

"Ah, well, that is…"

Phael gulped audibly, his Adam’s apple bobbing conspicuously. He started sweating profusely and fidgeting nervously, his entire demeanor screaming that he was hiding something.

Theo’s sharp gaze narrowed as he took a step closer.

"Phael, what’s going on?"