FMRV | Chapter 32

The Commander-in-Chief had his own quarters, so unlike other commanders or members, Theo did not reside in the barracks. He had just come out from his unfamiliar new space. The dawn air was slightly damp, and a thick fog suggested that the weather might not be favorable today.

Heading to the training area for early morning practice, Theo’s mindset hadn’t changed despite his new role.

Historically, commanders had followed two distinct paths: some avoided direct battlefield engagement, preferring to strategize from a distance unless absolutely necessary, while others led from the front, using brute force to subdue the enemy.

Veil belonged to the former category, and his predecessor to the latter.

As Commander-in-Chief, Theo recalled a conversation he’d had with Veil.

“Theo, have you thought about what kind of commander you want to be, how you want to lead this imperial army?”

“I intend not to forsake either approach.”

Veil had laughed at his ambition, saying it was typical of Theo to be greedy at times like these. It wasn’t just bravado; Theo genuinely didn’t want to give up either leading from the rear with strategic prowess or slashing through enemies with unmatched strength at the front. So, he couldn’t afford to be distracted by a dream he had the night before.

With that in mind, he continued walking until he saw the training ground ahead. It was a place he often used during his days as Commander of the 1st Division. Surprisingly, he heard noises from inside—an unusual occurrence at this early hour.

The only others who might be here at this time were himself and Luke…

Theo quickly opened the door.

“Ah, Commander.”

Leo was wiping sweat with a towel and saluted Theo respectfully. The moment snapped Theo back to reality. It was ridiculous, he thought, to have let his mind wander so.

“Commander Leo doing early morning training? The sun must be rising from the west.”

“You’re too harsh, Commander.”

“Relax, it’s just us here. You can speak freely.”

Theo wasn’t one to form friendships, whether within his unit or across the imperial army. It wasn’t in his nature to be sociable or to consider such things important. However, that didn’t mean there were no colleagues with whom he felt comfortable.

Despite being from a renowned and competent marquis family, Leo wasn’t like typical nobles who flaunted their status. He was hearty and straightforward, without much vanity or ambition—qualities anyone would likely attest to.

“Actually, I’ve put on weight after drinking too much at the recent banquet. Our squad would tease me mercilessly, so I had to come here when no one else was around.”

Leo sighed deeply and rubbed his stomach, though his well-defined abs were still visible under his thin shirt. Theo wondered where he appeared overweight but wasn’t interested enough to inquire further.

“Can I tell that to the members of the 7th Division?”

“Would you really?”

Leo looked genuinely concerned that Theo might do so. Theo then picked up a practice sword and tossed it to him.

“If you beat me in a sparring match, I’ll keep your secret. It’ll be good exercise. What do you say?”

Leo, looking rather reluctant, picked up the sword.

“Please go easy on me…”

Soon their swords clashed in the air.

“Pant… Man, you’re too harsh. Who swings a sword that seriously?”

After the bout, Leo was sweating profusely while Theo looked as calm as when he had entered.

“Serious? Sorry, but that wasn’t my full effort.”

“…That’s even more shocking.”

Leo chuckled wearily and drank water to soothe his dry throat. Theo, too, took a moment to catch his breath. Leo glanced at him and then approached.

“How are you handling the vacant Special Unit Commander position?”

“I asked Sion to shortlist candidates for the role. I’ll probably appoint one of them.”

“I see.”

Leo nodded.

“I’ve been thinking… Maybe Luke anticipated all of this.”

Theo stopped wiping sweat off his brow.

“What do you mean?”

“It seems he was planning to leave the military if he didn’t become Commander-in-Chief.”

Theo thought deeply. Indeed, as soon as the next Commander was announced, Luke had left without delay. He had received Veil’s approval and expedited his administrative discharge quite systematically.

“It sounds like you might be right.”

The thought made Theo feel foolish for ever believing Luke would continue in the military with him.

“Do you know Luke left the capital?”

“How did you find that out?”

“I wanted to persuade him to reconsider, so I looked into it, but by then he had already left.”

The Special Unit, despite its small size, was an essential tactical force within the imperial army. Its effectiveness often dictated the success of their operations, and Luke’s leadership had significantly improved their operation success rate. His sudden vacancy was understandably a cause for concern, and while there were many capable people in the army, finding someone to immediately replace Luke seemed daunting.

Hence, unless there was a serious issue, Leo had hoped to persuade Luke to return, but he found out Luke had sold his house and left the capital. It was clear Luke hadn’t made his decision lightly.

“But did you know that, Theo? That Luke had left?”

Theo nodded briefly.

“How?”

“…I went to see him.”

Leo’s eyes widened in surprise; it was unexpected that Theo himself would take such an initiative.

“Why did you go?”

While Leo would have begged Luke to return for practical reasons, such as reducing the workload on other commanders, that wasn’t Theo’s style. They had been rivals, often at odds with each other; it was unlikely Theo sought him out for such a reason.

“…”

Theo was unusually silent, his dark eyes deep with thought.

“No particular reason.”

After a pause, Theo’s answer seemed almost indifferent, leaving Leo no choice but to nod, not feeling right to probe further.

“I wonder what Luke is up to now.”

Leo stretched and got up as the dawn light began to fill the training room window.

“Knowing him, he’s probably found some nice place to live comfortably.”

Leo chuckled and said they would see each other later at training before exiting with a proper salute to his commander.

Theo pondered their conversation for a moment before getting ready to leave.

Luke was gone, no longer a soldier, and there was no reason for Theo to keep thinking about him.

“Everyone inside now! A monster has appeared! Move to the cabins!”

A sailor shouted urgently, causing the passengers who had been enjoying the breeze on the deck to scream and rush towards the opposite cabin. The peaceful atmosphere quickly turned chaotic.

“What are you doing? It’s dangerous to stay there!”

A sailor yelled at a man still sitting at a deck table, his robe pulled low over his head.

“Ah, talk about bad luck.”

“What?”

“Paid good money for a nice ship, and now there’s a monster.”

“What are you talking about…”

Just then, a large wave surged, rocking the boat significantly. The sailor steadied himself against the wall, while the seated man appeared strikingly calm.

“May I ask you a question?”

“Wha, what…”

“Do you get a reward for dealing with monsters that appear on the route? Like a lifetime free pass or something?”

The sailor blinked dumbly, unable to comprehend such a nonsensical question in such a critical situation.

Then, a strange shape formed in the water near the boat, quickly turning into a giant whirlpool shooting upwards.

“Eek!”

While the terrified sailor made an incomprehensible noise, the robed man remained calm.

“This is starting to feel ominous.”

As the sailor crouched and covered his head, the robe fell next to his head, revealing silver hair sparkling in the sunlight.

Luke, having thrown off his cloak, looked annoyed as he eyed the monster.