The person who entered the room was someone Luke was very familiar with. It was Fale, a longstanding member of the Detached Force, who had served under Luke for quite some time. Looking visibly distressed, Fale slowly stepped into the conference room, his nervous gaze shifting from one commander to another.

The only one unsettled by Fale's sudden appearance was Luke. Theo, Myles, and the other commanders all remained composed, as if they had been expecting this all along.

“Bringing in a soldier from another unit without informing their commander first? This is a first,” Luke said coldly.

“My apologies,” Myles replied with a shrug, though his tone and expression carried no hint of regret. “But the matter is far too serious for formalities.”

Myles gave Luke a self-satisfied smirk and continued, “Besides, Fale here is a key figure in this incident.”

Key figure? Luke turned to Fale, who flinched and quickly lowered his head, avoiding eye contact. Luke could already guess where this was going.

“Fale, tell us everything you know about this incident,” Myles ordered.

“Well… that is…” Fale stammered, his eyes darting nervously around the room. It was no surprise; being summoned before the top commanders of the Imperial Army would intimidate anyone, let alone someone as timid as Fale. Luke knew him well enough to expect this reaction. Fale had never been particularly bold, even for a soldier.

“What are you waiting for? Speak up already!” Myles barked.

“You know how busy the commanders here are, don’t you?” Winnie added, piling on the pressure.

Luke’s eyebrow twitched as he watched the spectacle. These people had the audacity to yell at one of his men?

The louder the shouting got, the more Fale seemed to shrink into himself, sweat dripping from his forehead. The sight of the commanders ganging up on him only made the situation worse. Fale’s lips were turning pale, and the whole scene was becoming increasingly pitiful to watch.

Finally, Luke let out a sigh and slammed his hand on the table.

“This is why I keep saying there’s not a single member of the Detached Force that I actually like,” he said, his tone dripping with disdain.

The room fell silent at Luke’s words.

“Myles, you said this soldier is supposed to be a key witness? I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong guy. That one’s personality is so bad that even if we stayed here until curfew, we’d never get the answers you want.”

Luke leaned back in his chair and smirked. “Might as well send him back now.”

The other commanders looked at Luke with open contempt, their expressions making it clear they thought he was trying to dismiss a critical witness to save his own skin. After all, they had already decided he was the culprit behind this incident.

But Luke had his reasons. If Fale gave them the answers they wanted, it wouldn’t end well for him either. Whatever circumstances had brought Fale here, if he didn’t give the commanders what they wanted, it would only lead to more trouble for the poor soldier.

“You should’ve picked someone smarter. You chose poorly,” Luke added, locking eyes with Fale. His gaze was cold, mocking, and intentionally dismissive.

“Th-The truth is…” Fale finally spoke, swallowing hard.

“Captain Luke ordered me to do everything!” Fale shouted, his fist clenched tightly.

Ah, so the provocation worked. And now Luke understood why Fale had been brought in as a witness.

“He instructed me to secretly take communication crystals during my guard shifts and falsify the inventory records!” Fale declared, his voice trembling but growing louder.

For someone so nervous, Fale seemed remarkably articulate. Despite the growing seriousness of the situation, Luke couldn’t help but feel a laugh bubbling up inside him.

“Is that true, Captain Luke? Why would you give such orders?” Myles asked, grinning so broadly he looked ready to burst with joy.

“To gain favor with influential nobles and secure powerful backers,” Fale added hesitantly, his voice quivering.

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

“Did you hear that, Captain Luke?” Myles said, turning to Luke with a gleeful expression.

“I heard it just fine,” Luke replied with a smirk. “My hearing is excellent.”

“And yet you still maintain that brazen attitude?” Myles sneered.

Truth be told, the situation didn’t look good for Luke. His reputation within the Imperial Army was already less than stellar. To many, he was a man who would stop at nothing to climb the ranks—a rival to Theo, the protagonist.

Even within the story, if Theo represented justice and righteousness, Luke was a pragmatist who prioritized results over morality. He was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to bend the rules if it meant benefiting himself or the army. Adding fuel to the fire, Luke had openly flaunted his connections to Duke Raiden during an opera performance, intentionally provoking Theo in front of other commanders, including Myles.

In short, Luke was the perfect candidate for someone who might curry favor with nobles through underhanded means.

“Sorry, but I don’t know anything about this,” Luke said nonchalantly.

He had no intention of confessing to something he hadn’t done. He needed to get to the bottom of this incident, which meant buying time.

“You insolent—!” Myles shouted, slamming his hand on the table as he rose from his seat, but Theo raised a hand to stop him.

“If the accused, Captain Luke, denies the charges, continuing to press the issue here will only waste time,” Theo said, his voice calm but firm. “This is a regular meeting room, not an interrogation chamber.”

Theo’s words silenced the other commanders, including Myles.

“I propose that we assign investigators to look into this matter further. We can form a task force to handle the interrogation and investigation separately.”

“That’s a good idea, Theo,” Myles said, clapping his hands with a sly grin. “In that case, I’ll appoint the investigators—”

“I’ll take charge of the investigation,” Theo interrupted.

What? Luke blinked in surprise. He wasn’t the only one caught off guard; even Myles looked flustered.

“But Theo, you’re already swamped with responsibilities. Wouldn’t it make more sense to delegate this to me?” Myles stammered.

“No. I’ll handle it personally,” Theo said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

What the hell is he doing? Luke thought, bewildered. This was supposed to be Theo’s chance to take advantage of the situation and move forward toward his ultimate goal. Instead, he was tying himself down with this investigation.

But, of course, Luke couldn’t voice his true thoughts.

“Looking forward to working with you, Captain Luke,” Theo said with a pointed look.

“Likewise,” Luke replied with a forced smile, though inside he was seething. Why couldn’t this protagonist ever stick to the script?

***

Fale, having exited the conference room, made his way to a secluded corner of the hallway before collapsing onto the floor.

“Haah…”

His heart was still pounding, and his hands were trembling uncontrollably. The atmosphere in the meeting room, with all the commanders gathered, had been suffocatingly intense. He crouched down in the shadowed corner, wiping the sweat from his palms as he tried to calm his nerves, far from any prying eyes.

After a few minutes, Fale slowly got up and slipped out of the headquarters through the back entrance. Walking around the building and heading toward the rear, he arrived at an open area devoid of structures.

It was the Mana Preservation Zone, a strategically important area within the Imperial Army’s headquarters. Rich in ambient mana, the zone was often used for military purposes, particularly warp magic. When rapid and precise teleportation was required, the preservation zone served as the primary location for such operations. It was also a training ground for soldiers practicing basic mana techniques.

Fale cautiously entered the zone, scanning his surroundings with vigilance. After confirming no one else was present, he raised his palm to the air and let a trickle of mana flow out. At that moment, an unseen figure began to materialize before him, gradually taking shape.

It was a concealment barrier, a type of magic that allowed the caster to remain hidden. While such magic was typically prohibited within the Imperial Army headquarters, there were a select few who could bypass those restrictions with impunity.

“You’re here?”

A commanding voice greeted him.

“Yes, Commander,” Fale replied, rushing forward to salute the figure who had now fully appeared: Myles Kailas, his expression laced with irritation.

Noticing Fale’s nervous glances around the area, Myles snapped at him. “Don’t bother looking around. This barrier makes us invisible from the outside, so quit acting suspicious.”

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

A frustrated sigh escaped from above his head.

“I told you, didn’t I? No stuttering or hesitation during your testimony,” Myles growled.

“I-I apologize!” Fale bent his waist nearly ninety degrees in a frantic display of remorse.

“Fine, whatever. But what happens to Captain Luke now…?” Fale dared to ask, his voice tinged with unease.

“What do you think happens?” Myles snapped. “Even if Theo decided to take charge, it won’t change our plans. So, Fale, you’d better keep yourself in line.”

Fale trembled like prey caught in a predator’s gaze, unable to suppress his growing fear.

“Unless, of course, you’d like the truth to come out—that you’re the real culprit behind the embezzlement,” Myles added with a cold smirk.

The weight of the words hung heavily in the air as Fale’s face turned ashen, his entire body frozen in dread.