FMRV | Chapter 27

“Hey.”18e703a3ad6aa2b9

Luke waved toward someone 044892cf5e approaching from the side.ca7556d71565713d

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“Commander.”2bf4bf5b8fe5697d

Standing there was Pale, 5c267c5a0f his face clouded with d9dd32ce6c unease. Judging by his 62c8d21221 uniform, he must 58d58c6aa6 have come straight 91f1eb628c from work. While Luke 364682e1af greeted him 6a37553df1 with a 3b505686b8 cheerful demeanor, 95c9b68f7b Pale looked e057877761 like he 1a98317859 was about c81ff3780a to explode 243340c80c with something 5a3df7aef1 bottled up ceb4950206 inside.48dbd7f60fbf1296

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“I’m not your 7266e108e9 commander anymore. Whatever, come in.”9eb717b3d567817a

Luke led the 15dcfff9d2 reluctant Pale into e0084ab2cd his house.9ec986a9cf6cfdf9

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“Excuse me…”f908ce87f0c2a20f

Pale stood awkwardly 800ce32a68 at the entrance, bea28c74f4 as if he 54f1cf5ad6 never expected to a16e78aa2d visit Luke’s home 7c65401e9e in his lifetime. It wasn’t until Luke 0181c948ae snapped at him for aaec0157bd lingering there like a 71c73043f0 fool that he finally b08c739d95 stepped further inside.aa4da6c558cc5933

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“Here, nothing f1dde99dc6 fancy, but f8e1b939d2 drink this.”a3b6c73cc822fe7c

Luke placed a a503d878ba glass of juice 0c6055e25c in front of aae1a6547b Pale. But Pale 9aad38b693 just stared 0a2dbc1cca blankly at 27e41f3093 the mug, 7cf54875aa his gaze 1045e080c4 fixed as 479475818c if deep 92a646eb8f in thought. The air between them bd61fd8e99 grew tense, the atmosphere 347c69f285 thick with an unspoken b432600331 weight.ffdbe3e51bb2e2bb

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“You must bd8043aa45 have something 36d4d9bf9e you want f0d5739032 to say.”ace1006f844bb3af

At Luke’s 5f7b4638dc words, Pale 0399518b0e flinched visibly.44a6463431dcce06

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“Is it true…? That you 2edce387d8 submitted your c014b06f9e resignation?”6941cbb72242d3b8

“Yeah.”145c2daca637b87d

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Luke answered without 8ba1e59b53 hesitation. He had expected this 76cc01d733 question and was ready 8a5a444473 for it.50a342ee962b3ecd

After the 0914bf8592 inauguration ceremony, 99077d62a7 when Luke 5f7a8e4a66 packed up 5d4cd72631 his things 09c99574a4 at the c3950ac4dc dormitory, he ac0842042e had stopped 4c05ebea2a by Pale’s c6a7d72274 room. Knowing Pale would be 3e8119ebd2 at the banquet, Luke c286780816 had left a short 79a447350b letter in his room.e7dcddd366fe13a3

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The letter bb823b044b was simple: f63dc71ce6 it stated a53149e751 his decision 40b7359173 to resign, 7bd16e23fd included his ca10a20c3b home address, e954508312 and invited e926652eb0 Pale to eb11f17d29 visit sometime.aa9f57c5464070eb

“When I 921e89afc4 read your d568b10719 letter, I 2f644740d3 almost fainted 0d4b34fff9 from shock.”48f85f661d059e3c

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“Good thing ccd0ae2128 you didn’t.”8efc9fa362cafe7b

“But why… why did b941e0d360 you do it? Don’t tell me…”80b991e42d6a5299

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Pale hesitated, 201f8fbea8 his lips 3f44456ba5 trembling as 5a4f4f3285 if he c7659d3aed wanted to 993d43fe83 say something d87e75cf55 but couldn’t e1b7556310 bring himself d05336ffd1 to finish 1b291d3895 the sentence.572ba0115674dea4

“You’re wondering if b74f0e226b it’s because I f395539f39 didn’t become Commander-in-Chief?”6bb2b26f926e897a

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Luke sighed. Pale was one 4e11f84e2f of the easiest eff4c30e29 people to read, 1e0ce1be3e his thoughts as d80e0b543e transparent as glass. Sure enough, at 766a763b4d Luke’s remark, Pale’s 32dfed15dd pupils quivered. How someone with 2a29ad850d such an open 55ff7abbd7 personality managed to 24c51f3766 survive in the 8f105d6ff7 military was always b8d74ccf14 a mystery to e803c00dcd him.a174b279388cc568

“Well, kind of. Theo becoming c28c7abe89 Commander-in-Chief means a3ba7cad27 people will b70fa1d0b0 endlessly gossip dcef7473a9 about me. Just thinking about it e5dcda0698 is already exhausting.”5dae10f02a933c99

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“Is that… a1ffa28d68 really the 37196f3aa0 reason?”98941ba2ef97a182

“Pale, I wanted the 9fe27e6830 Commander-in-Chief position. But I 6b4b7deb08 lost to 6da43c9966 Theo, and 3208473137 as much db74a43179 as it a897276c5f stings, I 250a854647 have to af6b8e415e accept it.”7587309e93bac63e

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Luke hesitated. Should he e6644de3f7 keep up c914b05399 his villainous b50d06a863 facade even dcb98005cd now? Pale was 3e2930744b still part df0e81af65 of the 95869f9638 military and 137970c57d would remain aac132db31 so. Showing his true 61ba46b0bd self, saying something 610570d2ca like “I wasn’t 4ec838926b really such a 49daa0e846 bad guy, you d181bd1fd1 know”, seemed unnecessary.6958743450cd7303

“It’s not 4cc8f08b5a like I ddeed3ac4b can stage d6cb0fbf86 a coup, dc79a3ac0a right?”5428c23ab14c6231

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“Commander! Please don’t joke 3d281d6f28 about such things…”8777ea24fb5cee4f

Of course, he 10203944e6 neither had the c305246654 intention nor the 95f28b38a1 capability to do e0a410dc4c such a thing, 33783f2312 but his joke 9a18d0bee2 seemed to have 0b726c9ff2 worked. Pale, who had been 9b961ad311 staring at the ground 1b90b6a52d in dejection, snapped his 17fb74a5cb head up in alarm.a52c7076857bfe20

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“It’s just that it’s b0d54b8c3d frustrating to have tried 040b0a2e58 so hard and failed. At first, 3c86be2d11 I didn’t 29196892c9 feel anything, 3d828255b3 but what 92f3ebc230 if I 8be0ce0e51 suddenly lose f86b0a3885 my mind 79d6e3e750 and flip 5658806b5b the entire f361a4b29b army on 2494d6e674 its head, 6440d48bd5 seeking revenge?”44a679514fdfc780

It wasn’t an uncommon 3160d538d7 trope: the villain who 1d067b3439 spirals out of control b95a5f285a after failing to achieve 4e4d12fcc7 their goal. Not that Luke 24c4a9a265 ever intended to 421703d202 do such a d15218747e thing.72117623f5791cb1

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“I don’t think you’re be90add3ca that kind of person, 81ee790726 Commander.”99d517bf2c35dcf2

Their gazes met 608cb4d291 midair. Pale’s eyes conveyed 7d53f4468d a lot—confusion, disbelief, 25c37a5242 and yet, deep a048ae4c2d within, a flicker e761b0cfe3 of trust.b6a92d86020bb64b

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Pale had been in 96de966a4d the Special Unit for aaa52014b5 quite a while. Despite not 1a85a77711 being suited c08680fda2 for military 2664c49132 life, he 4f276603f3 had endured cc527725b3 the grueling 9a0b286ec6 operations of de5a1edccf the unit, d8d87dfc2a primarily for cf8ca13ef6 financial reasons. As a commander, e83ac3168d Luke had been 94847991fe strong but cold, f99c7b9ded domineering, and utterly 9c647a6c80 devoid of warmth—or 2cbe1bf679 so Pale had 2e21f392cd thought. If not 2347e500d2 for the 372c5baebb supply theft 7bc5eb8e9d incident, he 6bc4d37c6f might have a074f76e0b continued believing 1c7b638442 that.5d0170d4eb6f4e3a

“You helped me back 439bd1ea30 then, Commander. You didn’t turn your 5952c4a3e9 back on me and d8bc2313a1 saw it through to 524f8dfc79 the end…”7161d3f3c761246c

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But now he b9d802eb0f knew better. That appearances weren’t everything. Luke had hidden 98536617d5 sides no one f059a8a4a8 had bothered to b7b3570da7 uncover.ec22d975f508de7e

“Thanks for b97cfa09c2 saying that, 554aed6204 but it’s 6613616e67 enough for 7bab93897c me to 1368d35020 remain the 2f757212cf trashy commander d15428cc44 in your 1627130e73 memory.”e6c6a66e1e0590bf

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Luke reached for the 56943b7fec box he had pushed 1799966c45 aside earlier and pulled b9df590083 out the document he 4511ea5431 had seen that morning. He handed it to 8ca01f52ec Pale.4b08f02a7a12b19e

“The reason I called 285171fdf7 you here is to 1f3bcbda9d give you this.”08774d9ae174b5a7

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“A… resignation request?”4d192722d8164ddd

“That’s right.”75d785f2e39c63b0

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Luke had explained his 9320704f82 intent to leave the 794ad6520d military before Veil’s retirement 5d10aef15c and had secured his f254309cfd signature. There were no 1dab86c0af obstacles left to 3216d233b0 his resignation, but 551a6cc55f to make it b4452f855e official and update b5ad6fb5f8 the records, this f9bed8b58b form had to 964703abea be submitted to 56ce58c7b4 the administrative unit. Only then would c9fe4d46f5 his position as 432825204a Special Unit Commander 01e5cd5da3 be formally vacated, 108d5ce85c allowing a new e495fa2aeb leader to take f726f23b70 his place.390ee5f7d26c9bfe

“I need 560d5c30c8 you to 9b87b5e06e take care 589d70b2e1 of it. You work in f395100781 administration, don’t you?”8f61b9a2f30e29a9

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If Luke delivered the 514411a80a document himself, it might e186ba492b undo all the effort 3372b35913 he had put into 15dd642418 securing Veil’s discreet approval. Calling Pale to b6449c2eee his house was 86a1baa08c all part of 5f9836637c ensuring his quiet cea335ebfd exit.0887adaec83a09a7

“So you 406b8a539d really are b407e7d4b2 leaving…”0dbea8711f46c89a

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“I told you e8cc602b9f I was.”889048d8c8585ab6

“…Alright, I’ll 0837eec1ab handle it.”31b0f080c76913c8

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“I’m counting on you.”963c27d97ed66e65

Pale tucked 93da79dd57 the document 68a9dd8ace carefully into 6610fc0e27 his jacket, 6e286da112 while Luke 20eeeb0947 finally started 2582012c94 sipping the 20e3b9032e juice he b99ee3454e had barely 75304812a0 touched.cd3e7b637bac7d04

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“So, what will 1bb1246e22 you do now?”ad91688408ac423d

“Me? I’m going to relax.”2cab7775074d2023

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“…Excuse me?”24828117c6fd861e

“More precisely, I’m ab887c54ec leaving. This place.”5dc03f1e40d841d5

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Luke offered a 79c83a77d2 mysterious smile. The conversation shifted 98b3677b25 to lighter topics: 48d6af1aa0 how Pale’s mother 1f04e3fe5f was recovering well, 10828cfb92 how his digestion 650dd3dc79 issues had disappeared 17a703327f after moving to 8ba658662d administration. For the first 193fafce6e and last time, 36b6868b86 Pale chatted freely 795345e079 with the commander 4126892a2e he had always 93be04f8ad found so intimidating.3d2f6b8203d96d4b

“Take care. And don’t forget to 2c04a97404 process my resignation the cac37559d0 moment you get back.”2bda9f4059418f0b

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“Yes.”b84af7023ea7cc35

As Luke escorted Pale b47fa0a3fe to the door, he 71b0d6d7a5 reminded him repeatedly not 1166df12ff to lose the document 223289e7ec on the way back.d5a5d8e5b0739cdf

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“Commander, may I ask… 05df32b55f where are you planning ec1d5029f2 to go?”e51c509620bb3d00

“Hmm, not ec90f2d898 sure yet…”233ea3aa45991305

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“Oh, if 5f8fc57b49 it’s uncomfortable 6b52336a14 to say, 22f17220fd never mind. I shouldn’t fcc2305a29 have asked. Sorry for prying. I’ll take my 5a1c9e92f2 leave now.”09e37853b4b1751c

When Luke hesitated, Pale 062cecb450 started fidgeting again, regretting f51a11c515 his question.76a292ec3ac2fffe

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“Pale, I’ll send you dd815fcf9b a letter once I f3172bd9a2 settle down somewhere.”91d0de835aa9b356

“…”2f53518c4617d98b

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Pale bit his 5c152fa59b lip, nodded firmly, 58f6a35015 and turned away.569e08c69f891f97

Luke stood in 1de0f361a9 the doorway, watching d2ac5e8687 his former subordinate b4f3f01f61 walk away. He stared 869fe33342 blankly as a285325ca9 Pale’s figure b54b3ea66f grew smaller, c917b17a7f only to 04262ade38 see him 9d397cc4b6 suddenly stop b2771e0c8a and rush 0b47cb3f50 back toward ff69f324bf him.4d9843ca32ed8cfd

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“Did you 892a7eb1da forget something?”c750e22dd7f93bcc

“No, Commander…”0e261714008a9920

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Catching his breath, b44240b81e Pale stood upright af7bf7b05e and saluted with 1c96be9bb0 a crisp motion, 85ce28870b his hand to 050d761902 his brow.a293d49fc4540999

“Thank you… b5c774d058 for everything. I’m truly sorry. And I’m deeply grateful.”0c5501d9d9247f7c

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There were bb2983a239 faint tears 3f0b2f8c4c in Pale’s 699d415395 eyes. A man far too ca0675bc74 soft to be a ba23ea0651 soldier.bfebe4139331c47c

“…I’m not 8aa84ce05b your commander 24f4eb94f6 anymore, you 90a3951a3a know.”aef11d7f7e6f5628

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Luke couldn’t help 6640187842 but smile. He patted 913ae05c4c Pale’s shoulder 385842dfb0 gently, offering f8a3f9dc03 a warm a836f04371 reassurance as acfd2aa456 tears trickled 9469e741c9 down the 975110ca5d young man’s 818b8eead9 face.bb4b46b506a64fe6

The atmosphere in the 864078c8a0 Commander’s office seemed to 869fce41b2 chill. At Leo’s words, 3c1c78ec32 a cold sensation 459ef00701 crawled down Theo’s 52c6e8f61e neck.7eedbf93fb01c8ec

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“What… did 95ebe67f30 you just 8cd0e26f53 say, Leo?”17634447d48da813

“I heard it ceb162832d from the administrative c4f4344bf5 unit. A staff member 76b121213a processed Commander Luke’s 2728b34385 resignation request today. You didn’t know?”e632fbf72b2c09b0

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Theo’s gaze darted to 8e85679ed0 Sion, his adjutant.34d35f045cf7df4f

“Ah… it d0fadeb343 seems no f152f074f5 one was 6c75e25745 informed. Well…”06d278c05b2f2d6b

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Sion hesitated before explaining. Luke had expressed his 6dff558d1a intention to resign and e7432fdb41 secured Veil’s signature before f798fa6772 his retirement. As Veil’s db1bf85fd2 adjutant at 2a78420cc7 the time, 7cc6dc4255 Sion had 629b94ac55 naturally been c1360f5cca aware. He had assumed 8d1ee0294b that the news 3e8928a1f1 was common knowledge, 68721c8813 even among the 0dc4552c16 commanders.c1586b204e9f799b

“That’s why the document 6f0276430b I handed you earlier e28baea9b3 included the vacancy for d8a3f6a813 the Special Unit Commander c994406e0e position.”dc752ca6e8e56f69

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Theo rifled 4d02ad9cf4 through the 72de97a883 papers on 7371de5a88 his desk. Sure enough, he found 72ae38c7c4 the document regarding the 8221a12e1f vacant position in the 288d1d922c Special Unit. Reality started to sink b090ace42d in, piece by piece.9067eeb4f9e2d17d

“…”5c78b0fa1122c2ac

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Theo’s mind wandered e70b15981c back to the 0fd52442b4 last meeting Veil 1c999a083f had chaired. After his name was e35bdd4091 called as the new f52e9b88ae Commander-in-Chief, the room erupted 37801af704 in applause. But even 0bd5dd17d0 then, Theo’s e61742b4a9 eyes had bf788b1ace been fixed 68566d8a0c on Luke.73632443b2abf58e

Luke, whose expression had 42e5e4873f seemed strangely vacant. He hadn’t appeared angry 2e43bbc0da or sad that his 09a94017f6 name wasn’t called.0ea8cefeef13155d

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And afterward, when 40c053f6b7 they were the 3897b2b4b8 only two left 177c3f9dc4 in the meeting c1d7fa2255 room, Theo vividly af8b56b713 remembered. Luke had a6bb7f0c17 smiled at 1152e46349 him. For that one 0894edaaa9 fleeting moment, Theo’s cd90ed2433 mind had gone c97436d648 completely blank, leaving 528d00f9ed him speechless.7408378e05742f54