FMRV | Chapter 29

Pale clenched his fists tightly under the table, trying to steady his resolve.

“I’m sorry, Commander,” he said, bowing his head in front of Theo.

Pale knew full well how critical hierarchy was in the military—almost as vital as one’s own life. There was an old saying: if a superior officer ordered you to die, you couldn’t die outright, but you’d better act like you were trying. And Theo wasn’t just any superior; he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army. Any answer he gave had to be nothing but the truth, but even so, Pale couldn’t comply.

“I don’t know where Commander Luke’s address is.”

“I heard you were with the special unit for a long time. You must have encountered him while processing his resignation paperwork. Are you sure you don’t know?”

“Yes… I don’t know.”

For Pale, Luke—the man who had covered up his crimes and even helped his family—was far more important than the army’s supreme leader. Even if Luke had no idea about this and might not have wanted such loyalty, Pale couldn’t bring himself to betray him by revealing his information.

“I’m truly sorry I can’t be of help.”

“…Never mind. I’m the one who called you here in haste. You may go.”

After giving a formal salute, Pale left the commander’s office. Theo stared blankly at the empty seat across from him before pulling the communication crystal closer. His fingers tapped it with practiced ease. This time, his call wasn’t directed internally but to someone outside the military.

Luke had resigned. The fact that he left the Imperial Army right after Theo became Commander-in-Chief was enough to shake the entire military. Where people gathered, rumors were bound to spread, and the story that had started in the administrative unit quickly seeped into every corner of headquarters.

“What should we do about the vacant position of the special unit leader?” Seth, leader of the 5th Division, broke the silence in the spacious conference room. Today marked the first full meeting since Theo’s appointment.

“It’s such a sudden situation. We’ll need to come up with a plan,” added Ned Villion, leader of the 6th Division, emphasizing the word “sudden.”

“This is outrageous!” Mile Kaylus cut in angrily, raising his voice.

“Resigning without informing the other leaders? Are you kidding me?”

“Mile, the Commander is here. Lower your voice.”

“Loena, how can I stay calm? Luke—that guy—abandoned the army without any sense of responsibility. Are we supposed to just let this slide?”

Several leaders nodded in agreement at Mile’s words.

“No matter how much Veil signed off on it before retiring, this is utterly disrespectful. Quitting the army right after losing the race for Commander? Ridiculous!” Winnie, leader of the 4th Division, joined in. Seth and Ned, too, followed the atmosphere, branding Luke a reckless soldier and a traitor who left in a fit of emotion after failing to secure the Commander’s position.

“You’re all getting too heated. Calm down,” Leo said, letting out a deep sigh as he looked around at the agitated leaders.

“We don’t even know if Luke resigned simply because he didn’t become Commander. Accusing him like this without knowing the full story seems out of line.”

“Leo, you’re so soft. Isn’t it obvious? I can see right through that guy!” Mile scoffed.

“Don’t you agree, Commander?” Mile naturally turned to Theo, pulling everyone’s attention toward him. The leaders, who had been bickering moments ago, all fell silent, waiting for Theo’s reaction. His face, unchanged since the start of the meeting, remained emotionless.

“It’s true that Luke’s sudden resignation without informing us was irresponsible,” Theo finally spoke, causing Mile’s face to light up.

“But this is a military strategy meeting, not a courtroom to decide someone’s guilt.”

“Ah… Yes. Apologies.”

“Apologies, sir.”

The chastened leaders bowed their heads.

“Commander, then what should we do about the vacant special unit leader position?” Loena, who had recently been promoted to lead the 1st Division, smoothly redirected the conversation to a more relevant topic. This was, after all, the main agenda of the day.

“…”

Theo stroked his chin thoughtfully at her question.

“We’ll need more time to decide. Unlike the vacancy created by my promotion, this one was unexpected.”

The discussion about Luke ended there. The meeting continued without further incident. The leaders debated various agenda items, and after about an hour, the session concluded much more quietly than it had started.

As Theo left the conference room, Sion quickly followed.

“Sion, do I have any important engagements after this?”

“Nothing major, sir. Just the meeting.”

“Good. I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back in about an hour.”

“Right now, sir?”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

Handing over the meeting materials to Sion, Theo instructed him to use the communication crystal if anything urgent came up. Then, he swiftly left the main building.

By the time he reached the entrance of headquarters, a figure approached him and bowed deeply.

“My lord,” greeted Gwen, the head steward of the Redrick household. Elegantly composed, Gwen radiated an air of refined dignity.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Not at all, sir. This is my duty.”

“So, the information I requested?”

Gwen retrieved a small folded note from his breast pocket and handed it to Theo.

“This is the address of Mr. Luke’s residence, as you requested.”

Theo unfolded the note and read the unfamiliar address written on it. It was information Pale hadn’t been able to provide. Unable to extract the details from his subordinate, Theo had ultimately decided to leverage his family’s resources.

The Redrick ducal family wielded immense influence in the Empire. If they set their minds to it, there was virtually no information they couldn’t obtain. A private residence’s location was a trivial task.

“Let’s depart immediately.”

At Theo’s words, Gwen nodded and gestured toward a waiting carriage bearing the Redrick family crest.

The carriage sped through Ludrain Square. Theo gazed out the window with an indifferent expression. The memory of walking through the square with Luke, playing his role as Luke’s reluctant chaperone, felt almost dreamlike. The bittersweet taste of the pavé chocolate they had shared that day lingered faintly on his tongue.

As they rode on, the bustling square grew quieter and more subdued. The lively streets teeming with Imperial citizens gave way to a peaceful, secluded neighborhood.

Eventually, the carriage slowed and came to a stop. Theo stepped out with purposeful urgency.

“This is the place, my lord,” the coachman said, bowing and pointing to a neat two-story house.

“Gwen, wait here.”

“Yes, sir.”

The small garden surrounding the house was impeccably maintained, a testament to the care put into it. After a brief glance, Theo approached the front door and knocked without hesitation.

“…”

There was no response.

“Luke, it’s Theo. If you’re inside, come out.”

He raised his voice this time, but still, nothing. This left two possibilities: either Luke wasn’t home, or he was intentionally ignoring him.

As Theo prepared to knock again, he felt a gaze from below. Looking down, he saw a little girl with neatly braided pigtails staring up at him.

“Are you here to see the pretty person?”

“…Pretty person?”

Theo frowned, puzzled, and the girl pointed toward Luke’s house.

“Oh… yes.”

“But what will you do? The pretty person left yesterday.”

“What?”

Theo’s heart, which had been steady until now, began to pound. He felt as though the blood coursing through his veins had turned ice cold.

“This house is empty now! No one lives here anymore,” the girl chirped cheerfully, her words shaking Theo to his core.

Never—not once—had he considered this third possibility: that Luke might have left this place for good.