FMRV | Chapter 5

There were a few established rules within the Imperial Army, guidelines for daily conduct during service. For example, everyone was expected to wake up by 6 a.m., and unless there were special assignments, they had to return to the dormitory by 7 p.m.

If someone wanted to participate in external activities or train outside the designated hours, they needed the permission of their division commander and unit leader. Leave was permitted for about five days a month unless it was wartime. Originally, it was only three days per month, but the Commander in Chief, Veil, increased it upon taking office.

In addition to these official rules, there were numerous detailed regulations for training and wartime conduct. So much so that there was a saying among new recruits: during the first week after enlisting, they would be so busy memorizing the rules that they wouldn’t even get to touch a sword.

But those were just the official rules. There were also unspoken, unofficial principles that soldiers followed among themselves. For instance, aligning leave schedules to accommodate higher-ranking members. And another unwritten rule was…

“Hey, Philip. Where are you going?”

“To the training room. Thought I’d get in some personal practice.”

“Wrong day for that, kid.”

A senior soldier approached Philip, threw an arm over his shoulder, and turned him around to walk back the other way.

“You can’t use the training room right now.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Commander Luke and Commander Theo are sparring.”

At that, Philip scratched his head as if he understood. With a regretful sigh, he muttered that he’d have to postpone his personal training until tomorrow.

One of the unofficial principles: when Commander Luke and Commander Theo are sparring, don’t even think about setting foot in the training room.

Bang!

The clash of swords produced an explosive sound, as though a bomb had gone off. It was hard to believe such noise could come from blades.

“Your movements seem slower,” Luke teased, grinning as he aimed for Theo’s right side.

“Is your vision poor?” Theo had already anticipated the move, stepping back lightly to widen the gap. Despite being a sparring session, the tension between them was palpable, like an invisible storm.

The sparring hall where the two clashed was built with exceptionally durable materials, designed to withstand the full power of the Magic Unit Force during their fights. Its walls, made of a special mineral, bore no scratches despite countless battles. In fact, leaving a mark on the walls was considered a badge of honor among soldiers.

However, the area around Theo and Luke was a complete mess. The walls were riddled with cracks, and objects nearby had been knocked over or shattered. This was precisely why it was an unspoken rule to avoid this sparring hall when they fought. Anyone caught in the middle of their sparring could end up seriously injured.

“Sorry, but my vision is 20/20. As sharp as a Saharite’s, actually.”

Luke smirked and adjusted his grip on his sword. Just as he prepared for another strike, Theo casually tossed a white towel to the floor—a sign that he was ending the match.

“What the hell?”

Luke froze mid-motion, staring at Theo with a deflated expression.

“That’s enough. It’s been thirty minutes already. We can’t let this interfere with the training this afternoon.”

What a stickler for the rules. Luke shook his head, recalling how Theo had dramatically declared the need for sparring back at the opera house. If it was going to end this anticlimactically, why bother?

Sighing, Luke placed his training sword back in its rack, while Theo grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

“Commander Luke.”

“What?”

“You should avoid associating too closely with the heads of noble families.”

Says the man who’s part of a duke’s family himself.

“Why?”

“You’re a soldier. And a high-ranking one at that. Conduct yourself in a way that avoids unnecessary gossip.”

Luke covered his mouth and chuckled, clearly amused. It seemed Theo had been affected by seeing him interact with the Duke of Leyden earlier.

“What, are you worried I’ll use the nobles to take over the military?”

Luke’s grin widened into a bewitching smile. Theo simply stared at him in silence.

“Well, you’d better step up your game. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get what I want.”

With that, Luke left the sparring hall, his footsteps light and carefree. Left alone, Theo gazed at the spot where Luke had been moments before.

“‘Whatever it takes,’ huh… Interesting.”

“Another transfer request?”

Luke stared at the pristine white document with a blank expression. In front of him, Pale, a soldier from the Detached Unit, stood nervously.

“Yes, sir.”

“What’s the reason?”

“Uh… well…”

Pale hesitated, clearly struggling to explain. Luke dismissed him with a wave and signed the document with a swift stroke of his pen.

“Forget it. It’s probably the same reason as always—they don’t like my methods.”

He handed the document back to Pale, granting approval for the transfer. Pale saluted and left the room.

The Imperial Detached Unit operated independently from the main force, executing diverse and autonomous missions. It excelled in diversionary tactics, dual operations, and responding to magical creature outbreaks. Because of its unique role, the Detached Unit had significantly fewer members compared to other units. Under Commander Luke’s leadership, the unit had a few permanent members, while additional personnel were temporarily assigned from other units as needed for specific missions.

“Three already, huh.”

In just two months, three of the permanent members had requested transfers to other units. Including the one he had just approved.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to work under someone like me either.”

Luke didn’t mind. He preferred to avoid taking responsibility for others’ lives whenever possible—it was a matter entirely separate from his strength.

Rising from his chair, Luke looked out the window. The sky above the Imperial Army Territory was already blanketed in darkness.

Villains are always lonely. That’s how it should be. When villains meet their end or are cast out, they should have no one by their side. In that sense, he was doing an excellent job.

“I should head back.”

It was already late. After starting the day with pre-dawn training and engaging in an impromptu sparring session with Theo, his body was worn out. Sleep sounded more appealing than ever.

After hastily tidying up his desk, Luke left the main building and headed toward the dormitory area. The path took him past the storage facilities for military supplies and equipment, and the quiet surroundings made his heavy eyelids feel even heavier.

Just as he trudged forward, stifling a yawn, he heard a rustling sound near the first warehouse. His gaze turned in that direction. A guard should have been stationed at the door, but no one was in sight. Feeling something was off, he paused, and just then, a soldier emerged from behind the warehouse.

“Commander!”

The soldier snapped to attention and saluted. It was Pale, the same soldier who had brought him the transfer request earlier.

“Are you on guard duty tonight?”

“Yes, sir. I heard a noise behind the warehouse and went to investigate.”

Turns out it was just a cat, Pale explained with an awkward laugh. Luke nodded and told him to keep up the good work before continuing on his way.

Despite sleeping, why did he still feel so drowsy? Lately, that was Luke’s first thought every morning. The time was 6 a.m. Normally, he would have started his day even earlier with sparring practice, but today, he had skipped it due to the regular report meeting at 7 a.m. for unit commanders.

After getting ready, he stepped outside and headed to the main building. The Imperial Army Headquarters in the soft light of dawn felt oddly tranquil, like a quiet rural forest path. It wasn’t a sentiment that suited a soldier, but he couldn’t help feeling that way. The calm, eerie atmosphere wasn’t entirely unwelcome—it was almost comforting. Perhaps it was just the desperate musings of someone reluctant to start work.

“Bring the inventory list first!”

“Have you checked the other warehouses?”

Luke’s steps slowed as unexpected commotion reached his ears. The noise came from the supply storage area, where several soldiers were bustling about.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, Commander Luke.”

Unable to ignore the disturbance, Luke approached and called out to one of the busy soldiers.

“It’s… um…”

Before the soldier could explain, another ran toward Luke, urgency written all over his face.

“You… need to come with me right away.”