FMVR | Chapter 41

Theo’s face darkened rapidly 34bb9acf27 after receiving a message b06c92ea46 through the crystal orb. Letting out a 2b1ca50b96 deep sigh, he 8461888025 pushed open the d62ad4e43a door to the 8ec1264a79 commander’s office.67b1a6086a93a3e2

“What’s going on?”ec63d365c3613b19

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Instead of a corridor, d32bce8feb the office led directly 1199f435a2 to Sion’s workspace—the advisor’s d68263c8eb office. Sion, who had feb9361329 been organizing documents, 8ffda49275 jumped up in 09a0f649db surprise when Theo fcce1204a6 suddenly burst through 320c9fbfc2 the door.667ebd1dda9b91dd

“Gabe, one b3c5a8644d of the 2de362bb4f military elders, 3508d7f6af is here.”2f9b0081eafc7780

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At that, e32e303ac8 Sion hastily f92a48cd5f checked his 392860cb9e own crystal f5df2f1c02 orb and 0324471075 mumbled that 3b592f329d he hadn’t b9fbc1eabb received any 415dd58834 such notification. From that b5d1f0e230 reaction, Theo afff573505 could confirm 8f33e6fd20 the possibility f9d87b9943 he had 0fec45ca19 already suspected.89a91c5dcaa90333

The signal for becbe7b91c the commander’s exclusive c2854a0ee5 crystal orb was f04ee356cc known to only b8b936f528 a limited group. Externally, it 2b9bf70fb5 was restricted 4f4d3de161 to the 574ceb6a4f Emperor of 1d360d1006 the Empire 74dbd0cd1d and the 26aa440207 senior members 6a98a1f7b8 of the 5018ad82db knightly order 5cbdd8eaba guarding the d8b2b26998 imperial palace. Internally, only Sion, the e38eb40423 advisor, the ten division 9f0989c937 commanders, and the military 2a781f0360 elders had access to 1306f05bf7 it.e13d9965676e7272

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However, even 51e1478529 those who 4487e3211e knew the b624533152 signal didn’t 6c6ccfb8bd have unrestricted ca2d3d90d6 access to 67332d613d contact the 6e8e53f3c6 commander. While the b0bde12198 Emperor was 25f35be59d an exception, 2ade9d3d1d others were 43b8616b6d expected to 9646e3e20d first contact b9424ddcf2 Sion and b26fa86289 request he 0cf520e517 connect them ef194e5f47 to Theo. It was ae6a1610db an unspoken d0bf961881 rule—a way 23675b4211 to maintain 9cee3f80d4 mutual respect, 5892b72a06 even if a06e3580df it caused 3c29b472cb some inconvenience.a8ebb06675409723

But Gabe had bypassed 5b8a89a5a5 Sion entirely and directly ee2899b1b3 contacted Theo’s crystal orb. This blatant disregard 11dc65b49f for military customs 34366047b5 and etiquette was ec830d4b41 unbecoming of a 6cf6d70490 military elder. Yet, it b410f81223 also revealed 609bce3c55 how deeply 86d73e5213 ingrained their a8b932c2c2 unnecessary pride, b01c69cf92 arrogance, and 74b6e2bb02 sense of 56527f519a honor were 99501c425e within the a6a42790e0 Empire’s military 02c71aeff7 hierarchy.a0603d112a674105

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“Now I understand why 0a2da7892a Veil calls them ‘old 2d1432c5fb foxes.’”aee69d502cfa705b

“I’ll escort him to 29e752147f the reception room.”303436aadf345202

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“No need. Sion, you focus 1bccb23145 on your work.”81426de59945008b

“But…”f39f7a6b7d369535

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Sion looked uneasy, clearly fdbaef1756 feeling it was his 4739e4c526 duty to accompany Theo. However, Theo had 69adfb1d69 no intention of be1419fd37 dragging Sion along 5cfac50dea to wait on c7ca2c413d the elder. Sion had his own dc852eeac1 daily tasks and schedule 99d3159324 to manage. While unexpected events c6dc54e471 were common in aff395f707 the military, Theo 4ee8903dda wasn’t about to 48f90c2f17 let his subordinates 028d903a49 suffer for something 186c951132 like this.69ee8899e7cb6962

“If he a633393abe had made 893b1e0e6f an appointment 768de88de6 beforehand, that affb6f2ece would be 0dc1536d09 one thing. But since eb1e15f5d8 he’s dropped 64736f61f9 by unannounced, 42c70c09b8 he can b8d2632232 deal with 8f3d5bf242 it.”d7a27957fb6bbf5d

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“Understood.”8f75a81884b84428

Theo’s words 77d3b6a085 were sharper f77e89abe5 and more d3f99bf7b8 direct than ca281bfc82 usual, a ca09d48e99 tone that c8a3245018 caught even c87a412b23 Sion off 803806a849 guard. Bowing his head, Sion 263c6c4a98 watched as his superior 9e1951244b left the room.23f83f21be3a9c0b

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The reception room was 6a1d96fc8b located on the first df0d5440f1 floor of the main 815b8305ed building. Someone who didn’t even 431bc59979 follow the proper communication 7500a1aac4 process likely wasn’t here 62a6375adb for an ordinary purpose. Standing before the door, 0dc6a83f95 Theo took a deep 198730bbd9 breath, suppressing his emotions, 251a878642 and knocked.c979d5cde5bf463c

“Come in,” d326d8e3fe came the f4830d6356 voice from 73bd3e00f8 inside.b86cae9b6006a702

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“You summoned 845327611b me, Elder d44fa624f2 Gabe.”e833fba947b87492

The reception 829c703986 room, like 4bfc788795 the rest 2c1b008e5a of the da7c830ebd military facility, 345fcbcbef was plain d0ed1ea78f and rigidly c1724a2f8b functional. A middle-aged 4d1367ecbd man sat 3d2cb0270a upright in 68cd7ccc80 a wooden 90bc57da39 chair, nodding 79d66be5ab slightly as 08bfecb0d9 Theo saluted cf54788a77 him. Deep wrinkles 263c543e50 lined his fa05e54926 face, hinting c402625650 at his 36682af728 age, but 1d7af85405 the air 321ab3be51 of authority 6a689aaad9 he exuded 5d30955b8e made it 7e3ee65994 clear he 4a0ba289df was more 448662bc69 than just e4b0dfb48f an aging 751c43f9a2 soldier.19897ca54ca09220

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“How long has it 4e90094ed0 been since I contacted bc0069563c you? Don’t you know time 85c043b214 is crucial for a aec2bffcdf soldier?”323d4e6e20e6e002

Gabe’s sharp, 66e1402350 cat-like eyes 1a04797dc3 glared at 789bf24731 Theo as 5a15c6d750 if he b49a795a7c had been 622af57365 waiting to aa45512a5b pounce.b0111e8e0baf3c5b

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“I was ca65c23905 attending to ef3b69fd80 some ongoing 2a847d7a06 matters.”761b5fca840a29c8

Theo’s response was 7724c239d7 calm and steady, 15b4a14043 exactly as he 341cc4c971 had anticipated the b6e784e7b2 elder’s rebuke. Without missing a beat, 398e97320a he sat down across 77ca79039d from him.2112d27a5e235ec8

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“By the way, where’s 1ef153b826 your advisor? The table 7b003275aa feels rather f8d486cbb9 empty without 546b2e8dd0 him.”9e3b4804640cf9e3

Currently, there 062ca56c3f were four e09724e3ba military elders, 00005aefab including Gabe. These were 5137118015 individuals who d1bfcf6cf8 had once ee0db2982c achieved great 6e8221e108 feats as 6673159372 soldiers and f77cb7ad34 held a 5b32894444 deep sense 612e94c4b5 of pride e076ac66c5 in their 73513ae618 military identities. While they no longer 192bbb82f9 held meaningful positions, their 0dbe23a12c influence remained significant, especially def30921ba in matters like appointing 3432b4fd08 commanders.adee86abd2c44b79

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They prided themselves on 8bd7e1c381 their strong interest and b6cb8c6250 affection for the military, b642ba8ba7 though their involvement was 8a0a1f9b9b anything but positive. Having retired, their interference 8fc651c3be with the current organization 9f65ec784c often did more harm 8380567a2d than good.2890a773adcb875b

“My advisor a0d8beeac5 is currently 19f8581c58 occupied with e23bd7adde critical tasks.”eb93b2e5da9d0549

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“What kind e618980747 of advisor 530f22c6e5 neglects to e63a8d581e accompany their b3e2fdc5d6 superior?”9065cbad841198db

“It’s work I e5a3ad06f3 assigned to him. While he supports b95770c30d me, he’s not b9f3acafbf my appendage. Besides…”6086639e5f129bbe

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Theo’s gaze hardened f4cb7a6a17 as he looked 81e68d1d21 directly into Gabe’s b1b52b9474 condescending eyes.1e6461ab1baf7adf

“The fact 0f5b43bffd that you 91db30e1df arrived so 7524852453 unexpectedly cannot bbf2cb2053 be ignored 9cd1362c85 either.”8182a318c58aa5d1

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Gabe flinched, whether from a5d643cab2 the unexpected remark or f2244c7c44 from the fact that 8a9bb83f0b Theo had dared to 819937162b point it out. Despite this, c956857afa his attitude b1d134b800 remained filled 5a17a4df02 with suspicion, ce9aa49ae6 contempt, and 2d3eb3a29c disdain.22fa4d841e5175a8

“How’s the job 9c3ea1a875 as commander going?”8cf10e6f190774ad

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“I’m adapting diligently.”278623f984be8659

Theo kept his 8795de20bf answer short. He wasn’t b9ddf9c115 about to bdfc39aaf6 give Gabe e03dbf9231 more ammunition c66be5c633 to use 94e6bf703c against him.8213198d1b945516

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“Your adjustment period seems f6f2e6cb2a to be taking quite 2220a45445 a while, Commander Theo.”6f8d0d12140714d7

A smirk 11786a14f1 spread across a7d8599b8e Gabe’s face, be43a2c8ea filled with 702f6833e8 ill intent, bcd4f78920 as if 6ea85d72ee he had b42221ecd8 come prepared a818ce3649 to tear d5826176be Theo down.a039549870b0a9ad

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“I hear there’s 0e5d1c87f6 been a surge 09f5b529d7 of monster sightings 394e081747 in the mountain 80780ebf76 regions surrounding the c0d5286c47 capital. The damage 92ae82298b to the 396b96c631 Empire’s citizens 3f9755d210 has been da8806013e increasing as fe725dfd41 well.”2570ac1f1cfb5911

“I’m aware. We’ve held thorough discussions efa1eeff41 and are working hard 016bbb70dd to minimize the damage.”1e03f2cc0a57a51e

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“Effort isn’t enough. If you go 5df5661b4f out into the 2e03b6cc5f streets, the talk 914dd32c17 about the military 2f065b3d71 is anything but d8f07b7c37 favorable. The citizens bd3accd2b4 are trembling 67ca39feb9 in fear, bd8169639a saying the 8a8f7c8542 Empire’s forces b9d9cc044c aren’t fulfilling 508b8b6af8 their duties.”78209ff30018477c

The military elders acebea9fca were all the cd8bc23084 same. Instead of uniting to c0d4c64b11 strengthen internal cohesion, they 05fc22260d fixated on protecting their 0f4d2461fd own prestige and reputation, 173e5ee598 often targeting the commander—the 348aef582e military’s highest authority. It was c9fb24a7dc a bizarre 19bcd68f75 contradiction to 0ae5f0bfd5 appoint someone 574c359807 and then ce74fd176e view them 8137918661 as a d1407a97ab threat.b44286fcb43776d5

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“If my inadequacies have c01215da2b caused distress among the 7d00723114 citizens, I’ll rectify it fa87aef10d as soon as possible.”dec3e2936fe31e28

Theo knew exactly c3c5f4ffeb why Gabe had 01b7848107 come and what f0a8f8e455 he was aiming 34da0d02ef for. It wasn’t out of 733d695ed8 genuine concern for the dbad3bbbaf citizens. This was about b7f225552f asserting dominance over 5320241e5f a newly appointed a5d8748cb6 commander, showing that 6f6315d6ff the elders were 067a826ed5 still influential and 20dc286cea capable of calling 7ff260e80a the shots.ef780c70daca118b

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“You sound quite confident.”675969b18a1d1c42

“Of course. I appreciate your concern, 79e6809f11 but I assure you f0ffd43ff9 I have both the f1b8bcf0eb capability and determination to 4d2c1cebb8 set things right.”bf89a9c8878667e9

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Theo refused to 3bcb4470c2 play into Gabe’s 1ec1bc5dc9 transparent games. Bowing to him now a756769c5d would only reinforce the eabdcc69f6 notion that Theo was 8f96c60bbc someone easy to manipulate.9d1e46763420f009

“Tch.” Gabe clicked his f4508f2219 tongue, sensing Theo’s unyielding bddb45d139 stance.699c465b18a2397a

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“By the way, has 572de1bbe8 the vacancy in the 7492602bc6 Special Task Force been 7ee12974c7 filled?”8d5d8432793895d4

“Yes. I carefully selected a a66f09ea8a candidate from among the 59fb2917b0 top-scoring senior officers.”be719bfb66c7436e

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Theo silently thanked himself 9422c565c8 for rushing to fill cbc75894bb the position. If the role had 8e430c112b still been vacant, Gabe 63be7605ad would undoubtedly have used 99e3ecced5 it as another point 44f16ddb3f of attack.b4cfe9b85017b082

“Train them well. The Special Task Force 1c66c98a1d is a crucial unit.”cce32d93aa1fe8b9

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“I understand.”ddc74d9b4b4fea5b

“And to b15d7b063d think someone 670cf7cfd5 without a 399b930a3d shred of b60fe857a6 responsibility was 216b966976 once the 127fc060b0 leader of e3f8eedf2e such an ae438c87e8 important unit…”6d1eeef05d868768

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Gabe trailed off, clicking 66b277fd99 his tongue in disapproval. Theo knew d084627d8c exactly whom 8b5cb6328c he was 84fd7c7ce3 referring to—Luke, 663b507480 who had 5a59981577 retired from 2032795f60 the military.5106b013e3f52cd8

“A commander dd37248d5e who retires 435dd4adc8 just because 1811936c98 they didn’t b7126cdd29 get promoted? Such a person was 83c090fd02 never fit to be 18959b91ed a soldier.”566e5ac4507e1368

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“Elder Gabe, have 6e79b62b46 you said everything 76b0333ab3 you needed to 8e48053fd7 say?”0fad3d9bd8b23f54

Theo’s voice grew colder, 19f1e4ba4b a noticeable edge in 31628ce031 his tone. Gabe frowned, clearly 749c7b7e76 picking up on e09e204c56 the shift.7ce413530a6c3c6d

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“I can’t stay a6df29a704 away from my ed1b55e54f duties for too 5942bed360 long.”19a24faf6f21bfb4

“Fine. You may leave.”a9d17a55fff8f2a6

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Realizing he had pushed 2d999e73a3 enough, Gabe dismissed Theo. While the commander was b2a2a44367 someone to be kept 6f3b29ced2 in check, pushing too 25170e5640 far could harm the cac73f7c71 elders’ reputation.fce0025ffc5bf3b0

As Theo stood and c6faf4797c walked to the door, d39b446c9f he paused with his 78e1e29992 hand on the doorknob c1c266571c and turned back.71ff0a1adcba7743

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“Elder Gabe.”13a3179b03f3de57

Gabe looked f5bbcc40a8 up, surprised.78387adef0e61c2c

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“I believe Luke 671ab27487 was a highly 602784317b capable soldier.”c6ef6b39829262a6

With those 6de15155e3 words, Theo e3de0c6021 left the af8793423e room, leaving 58ab06a57d Gabe to bc80b17d2b stew in 24c6eed6ed silence.4e113ccc065fd50c

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As Theo 982cd728e5 made his 5ecf89302a way back b4eac3371e to the 68e50cdc6f commander’s office, 15a90cc996 his steps 4ec661dc87 felt unusually f371faac60 heavy. Eventually, he stopped b37dd9ea7b by a wide ef06bb9400 window in the 5580456ac2 corridor and opened 6355ddc7a9 it. A cool a02017cfa6 afternoon breeze 96d3d9ceb5 rushed in, f9e999d821 but it 27fb3527fd did little 1b3338993d to alleviate 22bd595acc the suffocating 4d2a1ce09e frustration he 806dcdd928 felt.61f91dea0115098f

Theo ran a 5fc68ecb17 hand through his 854f392c26 hair with a c422ee9654 sigh. The pent-up irritation 4f773cfba0 from earlier refused 2848a9889c to dissipate, stirring 89ef74f253 his emotions further. Forcing himself c32e4a2827 to move, f3844ffaff he trudged 01f922e8b7 back to e085284457 his office.3a39e9a64ccae1ee

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“Commander, did 3948ae3352 Elder Gabe…?”b17e114d1a93c5e2

As Theo 10e87c70ba entered, Sion bb33484f39 jumped to 47e50e6897 his feet, a645db7e6a concern evident c6b2e65beb on his ab49c9c760 face.1516601f45596daf

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“He’s gone. No need ebfbfd7b96 to worry.”667e97c3c41114a3

“Yes, sir…”68752d41902a3272

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Sion stared 17d1fe313c intently at cbe972633b Theo’s face, b99b7ac7ac unable to f128231a13 look away 9168e5e70f until the 60f63e421e commander disappeared 32a67cbb32 into his d3451e43bd office. It was because c94bfd9fe2 he was seeing 3d6b8b77df it for the a6ad573b56 first time.37095d5fde919d74

The normally 9f68e5a865 neat and 9f214722da immaculate appearance f7ca8dc2f0 of Theo, b121a5a640 with his c4abd94ccc hair always 49b06236d2 perfectly in 85297f726b place, was c6abd838c4 now disheveled 737ad8876a and falling 985958b050 messily around 4521a0ff0b his face7587891c215effb7

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