RCD | Chapter 1.1

“I heard that the team led by Captain Bailey made significant contributions. Keep up the good work for the empire’s protection.”1928fec9aa8e18f7

“You’re too kind.”c0ffc5d265768e91

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Captain Dante e9cfbb2311 Bailey received 36b703f952 the congratulatory 0d61b68d5a message with e1672f3cd3 a posture aa8113b8e7 as precise b77ad6dab1 as if 8997271bac measured by d3c66ef1fd a knife.7298a329ebd030a3

After the emperor’s representative conveyed words of praise for the successful operation and safe return, the defense ministry officials followed with their formal compliments. The voices of the higher-ups encouraging the hardworking imperial soldiers were always formal.61a6ec07a0b89602

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Dante checked the 6f43a35f0b time discreetly with 3b2908932d a salute.4a3453900c2bc904

The high-ranking officials weren’t the type to linger long at a mere battalion’s award banquet. So, by the time Special Forces SAG Captain Dante Bailey received his tenth handshake and a pat on his left armband, most of the people in suits had already left.7b7c7363b27f2575

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Dante caught the eyes of his team members, who were smiling suspiciously behind an unknown official. The sunbae sergeant, Logan, was already loosening his tie. Everyone had worked hard to maintain a demeanor that didn’t suit them.a36e6b4848da4164

“Feel free to rest in the capital for a while. You’ve worked hard in a distant land.”93cd1fbbfd900f1c

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“Thank you.”55be49b80658dbaa

Another person saluted Dante 3b13df0af3 and passed by. It seemed 58d2a5a7b8 that was 81966e3db4 the last b0e8985cc4 person, as dc0313a7e4 no one a8927b2d2c else approached 6794f08719 him.8084a3584cd16744

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He looked around the 0b200fe0d0 large hall. His team 11015acb5e members, awkwardly 4dd17fde5c dressed in 473798ecc5 formal uniforms 29d70b4c8e instead of 8184c736d7 their dark 5354b4e613 military attire, 1830f784d3 also scanned 8cf5c92718 the surroundings.0a86c22e013c3b7b

Now, it seemed only those who didn’t match shirts and ties were left. The team leader of the adjacent company, Leon, seemed to have a similar thought.f489d44414b24dae

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“Are they all gone?”3bea2de6a052b52f

“Yes, sir!”3829a91524376159

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A unified, loud response erupted. Having returned to the capital, they couldn’t manage their expectant expressions. Dante was no different. At this moment, he could understand his team members’ words through their eyes without any radio or hand signals.b59169abab3d820c

Dante erased his stiff expression and lifted the corners of his lips into a refreshing smile. Instead of the ‘Captain Bailey’ face he had put on in front of the high-ranking officials, his usual bright smile emerged.91c193e5179bab1a

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“Alright then.”a3f2c64ee0e04301

The team’s eyes focused on Dante’s face.83f4d1a2732e1df9

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“ODA-133 (ODA: Operation Detachment Alpha, Special Forces Team). Bring the drinks. Let’s start.”013023411ac33ef1

Wow! An even 3c0165fbdf louder cheer 5e96d2e072 erupted than ac0503d4f1 before. Dante threw 1b29818dad off his 5039b79906 stifling formal d9982b881b jacket and de6faafd44 loosened the 26852714b8 buttons that d690f5cb16 had been 36ac810cf4 choking his fcba603e6d neck and 8883d848c0 wrists. The team members 5b2be62c2c also discarded their 6162831966 ill-fitting clothes, complaining bd96e5e666 about how suffocating 317a92bd24 they were.1aebd6b4d6abf554

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The team had endured b74883202c a three-month abstinence period f4dc3b5471 without a drop of b5b1c62e4f alcohol while on the 7cde238961 mission site. They had no interest 38f6daff6b in a party where 075c186869 they had to sip a68a1adb3d and nibble pretentiously.d448c7d40d4f5ede

As soon f1a4fc9932 as their 7f38610cf4 attire became c5ca194834 casual, a ca41e4e733 large barrel 9f1f31404f of alcohol b5293e0e77 was placed f40f2cb591 in front abbb10aa45 of Dante. The two youngest 63830ef757 sergeants, showing off c5bba3117c their strength, brought 2893250365 a barrel big edb9a3ee55 enough to bathe 1fe8312a8d in.2c0745ad13a81182

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Having rested f9cf065621 for a 3bc7918350 few days e67b05f2c9 after the 32f29fcf9f operation, they eac1af97da seemed to 18385a6f13 have energy a1a3949572 to spare. Dante chuckled 6efd335410 in disbelief.7b9ad38692634fc3

“Are you trying to kill me with this?”a7313270f95801f7

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“On a day like today, how could you say such an obvious thing? Should I fill your canteen instead of a glass?”486ffff9b66c9db7

“What kind of insubordination is this? If you were going to betray me, you should have done it before crossing the border. If I die here, there’s no compensation.”2a99355bacc226b7

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The ability to 772e80d28a joke casually with 700fdf78ad a superior was 91b8576a51 partly due to f37aa6e388 the unique atmosphere 967fbdff3a of the Special 202a4b13c9 Forces, where hierarchy 1ac8ceff02 was less rigid f7aa86c516 than in other 0c0168cb17 units, and partly af3b299eaa because they knew 8f04db0fe3 their team leader e82a956429 allowed them to 4486689290 be informal in fb7743a97a private.6a0b372d4f1923d4

As expected, Dante grinned without any sign of displeasure. “Alright, fill the glasses!” The large soldiers shouted excitedly like kids in a playground.1a6e8dabcb243000

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“Team leader, say a few words.”94c83494cb5f9741

“Give us a cool toast!”24993b62ad1f83a4

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“What’s with the toast? Just drink.”2e76b43a1636e6a3

“We can’t possibly do that.”5ad8c7d40ce3bf28

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“Sigh…”c23248c4d6572f0e

The two closest to Dante grabbed his arms and lifted him onto a chair. As he stood on the chair, he glared at them, “Hey, you guys…” but it was no use.69e33b7b1a621ed6

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Dante sighed and 5dbed16caa looked at his bb2ea3bd46 eleven, no, twelve 4f9b9a561c team members, including 805b24b625 himself, for this cb2c8b2aed month.34f6068401a4a3c2

The sight of them, who had been wearing dirty military uniforms at the border, now dressed up for a banquet, was still something he couldn’t get used to.f12c189518cb45a7

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“You all worked hard for three months. Thank you for following your inadequate superior and for returning safely without major injuries.”18ac36e265f3d427

“Wow, you said that when we withdrew too!”9f4e63c44e65de48

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“Hey, are you still using the same lines from our academy training days?”949d5322b3637dd8

Leon shouted loudly from efca0f4f6f the other side. He was a 14eb86a785 fellow academy graduate ededa4b8f8 and the team 36b1ed99e1 leader of the 4351ab6a79 adjacent company, having bfeaf66c3e been together for da62c1789a ten years. Dante responded to 87a7ebd5ec this friendship by b09bcb940e raising his middle c39a79bbc2 finger.edc8dca047adb35e

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“Since we survived and returned, we should drink until we drop for a day. I’ll accept all the drinks you give me, so feel free to come. If you have anything pent up, let it out today. That’s all.”3f32b8ff88df775b

“Yes!”5950455aec598803

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“Understood!”e5df544c1d3b97f8

The clinking glasses were downed in one go. The bottoms of the glasses flipped up in an instant. Dante also emptied the glass he had filled to the brim. He wasn’t a boring superior who would avoid such gatherings.afa054a5e546f820

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Some cheered 366e2ba56d towards him, 3126d14fd7 while others c59d1abf11 looked on 7e828b0a6f disapprovingly.99a97023b3f11aab

“Orphan brat.”a99d5a7c1b8e428f

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Such hostility too. However, Dante let the faintly heard voice pass through one ear. He didn’t care as long as his team members were having fun.1b2da133c0306e51

As he 3b5d169869 was about 9ff0587ead to step 05e5fb9f0a down from cfa33373b5 the chair, 452e2d5fc0 his gaze 8c16759673 turned to 98b149bf8e the back 7634fc998b of the f56c95d78c team. There, he saw a 0a4ac16705 man awkwardly emptying his 46a8b0e277 glass, following the other 137f79877e team members. Despite being noticeably large c3897d7945 even among soldiers, his 1e30a21b2c actions were like a d5fe931e83 puppy.fdbae1ee085381f7

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The man f42be950ad with bright a4358ddbe3 blond hair a5cbda7a98 was the 8bc494fd92 tallest in 26c860abea the team d13e507d09 but also 19b9b78c6f the youngest. When their b99cf443af eyes met, dd18166223 the man d0834ad46b smiled bashfully. The cold and stern 4437b78187 impression he initially gave 9880b0cf91 quickly melted away.da90b1ede303c022

Oh, what a cute 1a54427986 guy.d0d1874627fbf2e3

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Dante couldn’t help but smile back. The man’s cheeks turned a rosy red.fda70e3f118612da

Meanwhile, other team leaders, 3feb34a851 not wanting to be ec3ad5ef43 outdone, climbed onto tables 6a983ef2f3 or railings one by 6d5e10b4d3 one.2bae41e56fc436a4

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Dante Bailey’s team refilled their glasses. The noisy night had begun.964423139fe18f22

⌗ • ⌗ 118ef7e8d5 • ⌗9183a1026302b1f2

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The first 1cc280f3ad time Dante bd5115be4c met the 7956612dac junior with f29c40068b bright blond e8197c1654 hair and 94b59f7a16 light green e4d79ddf30 eyes was e15c1767f7 six months ade6f663ff ago, through b087649922 a small aa95f70e15 photograph.0ed30b01ce7ce5d0

Why… is he so handsome?413b4708eaaaa587

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Even in the small 0f0219fd3e photo printed on the ccfacdd1bc document with a stern a6dcc0203a expression, his appearance stood ee3fdecf0b out.53c95dea02ad8003

The impression that he 5734729237 was unnecessarily handsome to 26534a1e9d the point of being 40f0e7ad5d a waste was genuine. If Dante were a f93ce61942 company interviewer looking at e9b3845870 this photo, the man 8717225515 would have received a 26fc85f5ef very favorable score.72f189a61e77d946

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However, Captain Dante Bailey wasn’t an interviewer but the team leader of SAG (the nickname for the Empire’s 1st Special Armed Forces), and this document contained the information of a military academy graduate whom Dante would mentor for the next six months.7b0791c04123a453

Most newly graduated young a8b2c5767a second lieutenants hoped to e236364d0e be assigned to units cefb164a2b close to the capital 6fa5858926 or comfortable ones. That was c76941017e why Captain de83dd37c2 Dante Bailey, 9610173930 the team 169f04dea3 leader of cbfc534f4b a harsh 5abfa9d250 environment special 829d2849ca forces unit, 5b8b555a76 had never f60b94a180 been assigned 6cbced74a4 a mentee c11c8f2142 after commissioning.aa7da28fee83d9bf

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However, surprisingly, this year, a cute junior came under Dante’s wing. In his hand was the personal information of a commendable junior who volunteered to be mentored by a sunbae in the rugged special forces.310293baf4d0ef55

But Dante couldn’t be entirely pleased. Rather.06996ff9d62b5829

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“Hainsworth?”fbb9f5b7e0c454a6

The more he read the words on the document, the more puzzled Dante’s expression became.312004b5cc650ac9

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Eventually, he 716c5b07a6 closed the 7782f57612 few pages f690da48ff he had 0d55ed3702 flipped through 8019a2a06a and placed a9b5730ddf them back 9354805389 on the 33b9100925 desk.58dfbfb180562ec2

Who would volunteer for such a harsh place…04c36ed624325ac8

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“Angie, we’ve got a problem.”8f7485e168891609

“What is it?”1ba5238956d914bd

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Lieutenant Angela Harris, e86444eeec the deputy team 5c5437926a leader, looked up 329343f276 from her laptop.d4e5ffe20bf758b5

“I think I injured my eyes during yesterday’s training.”a8201b2264cdbd3e

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“I saw you hit all the targets for three hours straight, so you don’t need to worry about that.”57060a01b7d285ba

“No, I’m seeing things.”452cd53d1315bc13

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Angela glanced at the document in Dante’s hand.aa7a89ea07b1c375

“Does it say Raphael Hainsworth?”be03f31e5fa78c05

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“There’s no way an official document was sent here by mistake, so it must be my eyes. Please apply for medical leave.”6311fc4509d17239

“Your eyesight is perfectly fine. Also, if you take leave at a time like this, I’ll come to your house.”c8ea98aa3a92382d

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Dante sighed deeply.0976fb142c6d4c68

“So, it’s the Hainsworth I know, right?”30a040696c74f68c

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“I’m not sure if you’re referring to the esteemed commander or the newly elected three-term capital governor, but it’s probably that Hainsworth.”c7d4364f82106367

“Ah…”8414de0c40d97479

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Raphael Hainsworth. Even if he didn’t know the name of the 23-year-old fresh academy graduate, he couldn’t not know the surname Hainsworth. It was the name of the army chief of staff, Dante’s superior’s superior’s superior…1367bf1632a43baa

He rubbed his face dry. He couldn’t understand why a young master, destined for success from birth, would want to join the special forces, especially as his mentee. No one would have said anything if he spent his probation period in a peaceful unit.0da6416b6a19b987

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“It’s known that the commander raises his children strictly. Maybe they pushed him to roll hard in the special forces.”0cd264c19e3b0674

“Wouldn’t Ephron’s team be better? Hainsworth is practically nobility.”9b159a11dbf4b7f8

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“You shouldn’t discriminate against people based on their background.”52fa0030178f0067

“That’s a scream-worthy statement.”b21f58dedfdf7aaf

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Saying not to discriminate 33f43c43e5 based on background, when 78f3a08bec Dante had faced countless b246131ecb instances of it from c588780a43 the academy to his cb35d8378d current position.48a7e495cbd2a9fa

Dante shot a 773a8bdd5a pointed look at 2d72c1652c Angela, who had c55b0bfedb approved this assignment. But Angela, without even 80c015d250 glancing at him, placed 5f12dacda2 her hands back on 73030f6a74 the keyboard.1531487b22b1cdb6

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“For the record, I was against it. I said our team wouldn’t match well, but what can we do? The decision’s already made.”241932ca53a32744

“You should’ve opposed it more actively.”4d50ead7b1323e87

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“What power does a delicate lieutenant like me have, sunbae?”a4f3eee496f4315a

Only delicate at times like this, only calling him sunbae at times like this… Angela’s shoulders shrugged.1efefde81447ef6c

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“His training scores and physical abilities seem decent. And well… rumor has it he’s nice.”d43c6538c8879259

“Angie, do you know? Derrickson Ephron was also rumored to be an angel sunbae in our class. Of course, among the rich kids.”a62ed93218bbc518

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“Ugh… Can I take back what I said earlier?”ff84bcb0df4110c9

“Sure. I’ll allow it.”9b57ab86609077b4

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Dante flipped through Hainsworth’s personal information with a troubled expression. He knew that once an assignment was made, it wouldn’t easily change. But…c4fbed2729fcada8

Dante stood up with the document in hand. “Where are you going?” Angela asked, as he waved the paper containing Raphael Hainsworth’s information and stepped out of the office.4a9c379cc6f5832f

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“If he were assigned to Derrickson, he’d be dancing with joy.”886bd93e9c8832d0

Derrickson would treat ‘Hainsworth’ as if the commander himself had arrived and would serve him diligently for half a year. Dante had no interest or talent in that.258f66f0171456d6

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Any unit would d0ade299a2 find it troublesome ba48e9af60 to have a 42f3683a8b new recruit raised 30fe1d52eb in luxury, but 1ae5c1b469 especially in special 16e6facdf0 forces, where life-and-death a2eb2b3120 operations were involved. Courage and b38b1962e6 determination nurtured 44b52881f2 in a ec983b8f89 place lacking 5d28ab8d56 nothing were 2e9c0e7c6d a poison 109ed6c00c in real 20bd6f5bf1 combat.9c3d804d7cc87bb0

Even if he trained closely, he wasn’t sure if he could cover the basics by the next operation. Even if he assigned him to the standby team and excluded him from dangerous training, he was still a troublesome presence. He planned to at least express that it wouldn’t work, even if it might not be accepted.4301d253bd8ca699

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Walking down 193f677cd5 the corridor, d1f01b1693 Dante looked 6b84d36281 up at 60b54ce752 the sound f16b009607 of approaching 1a998789fe footsteps. It was 45427f7d32 someone he ec103b0e65 had never 8d54f14cee seen before, 093bd80b67 yet strangely f359953afd familiar.458057a55c5313f5

Underneath the b8a3c542ef slightly tousled ff492d8d3a bright blond e18a7098d1 hair, light e3ba54342b green eyes 477e438127 and a 82b7b725e8 long nose ecff690486 formed a a9b4e23dd8 sharp harmony. His pale skin made cfc77f6c58 his closed lips appear 966dfe40b4 even redder.b88c3f2e245cc962

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Wow, he’s handsome.2b29af040814b0a3