FMRV | Chapter 7

The person who entered through the door was a very familiar face to Luke. Veil, a long-standing member of the Special Forces just like Luke, revealed himself to the room hesitantly, his anxious expression betraying his unease.

Of all those present, Luke was the only one visibly perturbed by Veil’s sudden appearance. Theo, Mile, and the other commanders remained unruffled, as if they had been expecting this all along.

“Bringing a member from another division here without even informing the commander? This is a first for me,” Luke remarked sarcastically.

“My apologies,” Mile replied with a shrug, a smirk tugging at his lips that betrayed no real regret. “But the matter is far too serious for formalities.”

“And,” he added, “Veil is deeply involved in this incident.”

Involved? Luke’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at Veil. The man flinched under his gaze, bowing his head to avoid eye contact. Luke had a good idea of what this was about.

“Veil, tell us everything you know about this incident,” Theo ordered.

“Uh… um…” Veil stammered, visibly uncomfortable. Understandable, given that he was standing before the top commanders of the Empire’s military. Veil, as Luke knew him, wasn’t exactly the most bold or confident soldier.

“What are you doing? Speak up already!” Mile snapped.

“You’re well aware how busy the commanders are, aren’t you?” Veil flinched again as Winium joined in, berating him loudly. Watching the scene unfold, Luke’s brow twitched. They’re yelling at someone from my division now? How dare they.

The louder the scolding, the more Veil shrank in on himself, sweat beading on his forehead. Other commanders chimed in, escalating the tension, and Veil looked so pale that Luke couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for the man.

Finally, unable to stand it anymore, Luke let out a short sigh and slammed his hand on the desk.

“This is why I always say I can’t stand any of the permanent members of the Special Forces.”

The room fell silent at Luke’s interruption.

“Mile, you said this guy was an important witness, right? Hate to break it to you, but this one’s useless. Look at him trembling like that. Even if we wait until curfew, I doubt he’ll tell us anything useful.”

Luke leaned back in his chair with a lazy smirk. His tone was casual, but his words were laced with venom. His suggestion to send Veil away wasn’t taken kindly. The other commanders glared at him, their expressions dripping with disdain, as if to say he was trying to dismiss a key witness to cover something up. It was clear—they already saw him as the mastermind behind the incident.

Even so, Luke had his reasons for speaking this way. He wanted Veil, foolish as he was, to understand something: even a worm will turn when stepped on. Whatever brought Veil here, Luke couldn’t let him cave under the pressure of the other commanders.

“You should’ve brought someone smarter. You picked the wrong guy,” Luke said coldly, locking eyes with Veil.

“S-Actually…” Veil began, swallowing hard before blurting out, “Commander Luke ordered me to do all of this!”

Veil clenched his fists and shouted the words as if trying to gather every ounce of courage he had. Luke’s bait had worked. And now, Luke also understood why Veil had been brought in as a witness.

“He told me to smuggle out communication crystals while I was on guard duty, and he ordered me to falsify the logs!”

Despite his earlier hesitance, Veil’s speech flowed smoothly now. Luke had to suppress a chuckle. The situation was turning against him, but it was almost laughable how easily Veil was spilling everything.

“Is that true? Why did you instruct him to do that, Commander Luke?” Mile asked, his grin spreading wide.

“To hand them over to prominent nobles and secure powerful allies,” Veil added hesitantly.

Oh, so that’s the story they’re going with, huh.

“You heard that, didn’t you, Commander Luke?” Mile turned to Luke with a triumphant sneer.

“Yeah, I heard it loud and clear,” Luke replied nonchalantly.

“And you’re still maintaining that smug attitude?”

Luke knew the situation wasn’t in his favor. His reputation as someone willing to do anything to climb the ranks was already widespread. In the Empire’s military, Luke was seen as a pragmatic opportunist, willing to bend the rules to benefit himself or his unit—a stark contrast to Theo, who was the embodiment of righteousness and virtue.

Yet even knowing that, Luke had no intention of confessing to something he didn’t do. He needed time to figure out who had orchestrated this mess and why.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Mile’s face twisted with frustration, but before he could lash out again, Theo raised a hand.

“The accused, Commander Luke, has denied the allegations. Continuing this here would only waste time. This is a meeting room, not a courtroom,” Theo stated firmly.

Mile and the other commanders hesitated at Theo’s words.

“I suggest appointing investigators to handle this matter and forming a committee to conduct a thorough inquiry,” Theo added.

“Good idea!” Mile clapped his hands, his grin returning. “In that case, I’ll appoint—”

“I’ll handle the investigation,” Theo interrupted.

What? Luke blinked, stunned. Mile was equally shocked.

“But Theo, you’re already swamped with work. Wouldn’t it be better to delegate this?” Mile suggested, clearly trying to regain control.

“No, I’ll do it,” Theo said decisively.

Why is he doing this? Luke thought, bewildered. If this were any other story, Theo would’ve used this opportunity to surge ahead, leaving his rival behind. Instead, he was diving headfirst into the mess.

“Looking forward to working with you, Commander Luke,” Theo said, offering a polite nod.

“Likewise,” Luke replied through gritted teeth. Why can’t this guy ever stick to the script?

After leaving the meeting room, Veil slumped into a corner of the hallway, trembling as he tried to calm himself down.

A few minutes later, he snuck out of the headquarters through the back entrance. He made his way to the Magic Preservation Zone, a secluded area behind the building often used for warp spells and magical training.

Looking around cautiously to ensure no one was watching, Veil placed his hand on a seemingly empty space, channeling a small amount of magic. Slowly, a figure began to materialize in front of him—it was Mile Kaylus.

“You’re late,” Mile said, irritation clear on his face.

“I-I’m sorry, Commander,” Veil stammered, bowing deeply.

“You messed up. Didn’t I tell you not to stammer or hesitate during your testimony?”

“I-I’m sorry!” Veil apologized again, his body trembling.

Mile clicked his tongue in annoyance. “Don’t forget, Veil. If the truth about your involvement in the embezzlement comes out, you’ll be the one paying the price. So, stay in line.”

Veil swallowed hard, the weight of Mile’s threat pressing down on him like a predator ready to pounce.