"Vice Commander! Let’s go grab some food!"
"Shouldn’t you be spending more time with your family for now?"
"Of course! My daughter’s coming along too. Let’s go already!"
"Fine, fine."
"Ah, go on ahead! I left something here and need to grab it."
"Don’t take too long."

The Martial God ushered the Vice Commander outside, then strode confidently through the office.

Meanwhile, the Commander shrank back in her seat, trembling under his gaze.

Lately, the Martial God had been spending more time alone in the Vice Commander’s office after finding excuses to send him away. His gaze frequently settled on the Commander, though its meaning was unclear.

Whatever he’d told the Vice Commander had been an excuse, no doubt.

"Ah, here it is. Tanton, want to come eat with us?"
"No, I have some tasks to attend to."
"Too bad. Well, I’ll be off then!"

The Martial God eventually left after obtaining whatever he came for.

And why was I in the Vice Commander’s office?

After noticing the odd behavior of the Martial God during our fight alongside Muyeon, I’d decided to stick close to the Commander, the most likely target of his unpredictable actions.

While my strength was far inferior to hers, the Commander had no awareness of potential threats in her current amnesiac state. My presence was meant to prevent any sudden attack.

Unfortunately, with people like the Vice Commander, the Princess, and Muyeon placing absolute trust in the Martial God, there wasn’t much I could do.

Even if I declared, “I think the Martial God is acting suspiciously!” no one would believe me.

Worse, they might dismiss me as paranoid.

Without concrete evidence, I had to refrain from any rash actions. Observation was my only option.

But this kind of open surveillance could only last so long.

"Tanton, you seem to be living in the Vice Commander’s office these days."
"Do I?"
"Yes. Feels like you’ve been here all week."
"Must mean I enjoy the Vice Commander’s company."
"Stop spouting nonsense and get out."

It was becoming clear that my constant presence was making the Vice Commander uncomfortable.

He valued his personal space, and my persistence might eventually lead to an outright rejection.

At most, I had another day or two before I’d be forced to leave.

Besides, the real problem wasn’t my presence—it was the Martial God’s increasingly erratic behavior.

During my time observing him, I noticed moments where he’d stare at me with a vacant, unsettling gaze.

Occasionally, his crimson eyes would reappear, filled with an irritation that suggested he was frustrated by his inability to act on some plan.

One day, under the guise of a "mistake," he threw a hand axe at me.
I barely avoided a one-way trip to the afterlife.

"Ah, my bad!"

Despite his cheerful demeanor, the coldness behind his smile was more chilling than any villain’s.

I realized then that lingering in the Vice Commander’s office was no longer safe.

Relocating to the knights’ lounge seemed like a better option, but it was a common area with too much foot traffic. My presence there would disrupt others trying to relax.

I lay down in the lounge anyway, my head pounding with the weight of my concerns.

Something was undeniably wrong with the Martial God.

If left unchecked, the Commander would be in serious danger.

But no one would believe me.

Even if I tried to act in secret, nothing seemed to work.

This situation truly felt like being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

What should I do?

As I frowned, clutching my aching head, the voices of the Outer Gods echoed in my mind.

"Husband, it seems you need our help."

Well, I certainly needed help from somewhere, but how could they possibly assist in this situation?

Direct intervention was unlikely, and they couldn’t act through me without solid evidence.

"You underestimate me, husband," the Slayer said confidently.

Her voice carried such certainty that I almost felt reassured.

"So, will you accept my offer?"

What kind of offer? I’d need to hear the details first.

"You only need to agree. However," the Slayer hesitated, her tone suddenly wavering.

What now?

"...If you promise to grant me one favor in return, I will help you."
"What are you scheming this time?"

As expected, her suggestion made me uneasy.

Sure enough, Fiore’s voice burst forth in protest. She’d despised the Slayer ever since that day.

"If you don’t have a solution, stop interfering! Do you want the husband to abandon his goals entirely? If so, then I won’t stop you."
"And you’re certain your plan will work?" Fiore snapped back.
"Of course. Have I ever acted without reason?"

That was debatable.

Fiore seemed ready to argue but fell silent, likely due to the Slayer’s implicit threat of using me as leverage.

The Slayer rarely exuded such confidence.

Fine. I’d hear her out.

"Heh, you won’t regret this."

The Slayer’s plan was set into motion.

"I didn’t expect such a dangerous Outer God to appear in Vandré Village."
"With the Vice Commander going, I can’t help but worry."
"Don’t be. I was summoned specifically for this, and the Martial God will be there. Despite appearances, he’s sharper than you think. Follow his lead."
"Understood."

The Vice Commander boarded the White Mask’s train, heading to Vandré Village after receiving reports of an Outer God sighting.

I greeted him with a neutral expression as he departed.

"Tanton, you’re looking unusually pale today. Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, just the cold, I suppose."
"With your armor, the cold shouldn’t bother you… But I don’t have time to linger. Take care."

The Vice Commander left, trusting the Martial God enough to appoint him as acting Vice Commander in his absence.

But something about this journey didn’t sit right with me.

The Martial God stood silently at the knights’ headquarters after returning, his back to me.

Then, without warning, he drew his dual axes and swung them in a rapid motion.

Before I could process what was happening, my vision darkened, and I fell to the ground.

"What’s this?! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Through my fading sight, I saw the Martial God laughing maniacally, his face twisted in madness.

He stepped on my head as it began to turn a sickly shade of purple, clicking his tongue in disdain.

"So much for handling Outer Gods. Rotting already. Useless."

Believing me finished, he turned his attention to the Commander, whose face went pale as she realized she was next.

"Hey, Commander," he sneered, grabbing her by the hair.

"You’ve lived over a century—what could you possibly fear now?"

He struck her across the face, but she didn’t resist, collapsing as though she had no will to fight.

Scales began to appear on the Martial God’s skin, his transformation accelerating.

"I’ll make you suffer as much as you made me suffer, Commander," he hissed.

But before he could strike, I kicked a crate aside and stood up.

"What?!"

The creature that had been the Martial God turned to me, his face contorting with betrayal.

"Well, well. Who’s the traitor now?" I said, drawing my blade forged by the smith Symthorl.

"You’re caught, you bastard."

It was time to rid the world of this twisted Outer God imposter.