Fale clenched his fist tightly under the table. It was his way of steadying himself.

“I apologize, Commander.”

Fale bowed his head in front of Theo.

He knew it all too well. In the military, hierarchy was as important as one’s life. There used to be a saying that if a superior officer ordered you to die, you couldn’t actually die, but you’d at least have to act like it. And Theo wasn’t just any superior—he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army. Fale understood that any answer he gave to someone of Theo’s stature had to be nothing but the absolute truth. Yet, even so, he couldn’t help himself.

“I don’t know Captain Luke’s address,” he said.

“I heard you spent quite a bit of time in the Detached Force. You must have encountered him while handling his retirement paperwork. You still don’t know?”

“No… I don’t.”

To Fale, the man who had covered up his crimes and helped take care of his family was far more important than the army’s supreme commander standing before him. Of course, Luke probably didn’t know this. He might not have even wanted such loyalty. But even so, Fale couldn’t bring himself to casually disclose Luke’s whereabouts.

“I’m truly sorry for not being of any help.”

“…No, it’s fine. I’m the one who called you here on such short notice. You may go now.”

Fale offered a polite salute and left the commander’s office.

Theo stared blankly at the now-empty seat across from him before eventually reaching for the communication crystal next to him.

With practiced ease, he tapped on the crystal. This time, the connection wasn’t to someone within the military, but to someone outside.

***

Luke had retired. The fact that he left the Imperial Army immediately after Theo became Commander-in-Chief was enough to turn the entire military upside down. Where people gathered, rumors spread quickly. The story, originating from the Administrative Division, rapidly permeated every corner of headquarters.

"The position of Detached Force captain is currently vacant. How should we proceed?"

In the expansive conference room, Seth, the captain of the 5th Division, slowly broke the silence. Today was the first general meeting since Theo’s appointment as Commander-in-Chief.

"We need to come up with a plan since this situation is so sudden."

Ned Billian, the captain of the 6th Division, picked up where Seth left off, deliberately emphasizing the word "sudden."

"No, how is this even acceptable in the first place?"

Taking the opportunity, Mile raised his voice indignantly.

"Retiring without even informing the other captains? What kind of nonsense is that?"

"Mile, lower your voice. The Commander is present," Roena interjected calmly.

"Roena, do you expect me to stay calm right now? Captain Luke—or rather, he's not even a captain anymore—abandoned the army without any sense of responsibility, and we’re just supposed to let that slide?"

Several captains nodded in agreement with Mile’s outburst.

"Even if Veil signed off on his retirement before stepping down, this is beyond inappropriate. Leaving the army just because he lost the race for Commander-in-Chief? Absurd!"

Winnie, the captain of the 4th Division, joined in, supporting Mile's point. Seth, Ned, and others followed suit, criticizing Luke and labeling him an irresponsible soldier, even going so far as to call him a traitor who quit out of bitterness.

"You all seem a little too heated. Calm down," Leo said with a sigh, glancing around at the irate captains.

"Do we even know for sure that Captain Luke retired because he didn’t become Commander-in-Chief? Isn’t it a bit out of line to vilify him without knowing his reasons?"

"Leo, you’re always so soft. Can’t you see it? It’s as clear as day to me!" Mile retorted with a scoff.

"Isn’t that right, Commander?"

Mile naturally turned the question to Theo, drawing the attention of every captain in the room. Theo, who had remained silent with an impassive expression throughout the exchange, finally spoke.

"Yes, Luke retiring without informing us was undoubtedly an irresponsible act."

Mile’s face lit up at Theo’s words.

"However," Theo continued, "this is a meeting to address military issues, not a trial to determine someone’s guilt or innocence."

"Ah… Yes. My apologies."

"I’m sorry."

The chastised captains bowed their heads, their voices subdued.

"Now then, Commander, what should we do about the vacant Detached Force captain position?"

Roena, now the captain of the 1st Division, smoothly redirected the discussion to diffuse the tension. This was, after all, the most pressing agenda of the day.

"…"

Theo stroked his chin, appearing deep in thought.

"I’ll need more time to consider this matter. Unlike the vacancy left by my promotion, this one was completely unexpected."

And with that, the topic of Luke was set aside. The meeting proceeded smoothly from there, with discussions on various issues, and concluded quietly after about an hour, a stark contrast to its heated start.

As Theo left the conference room, Sion quickly followed, keeping pace beside him.

"Sion, do I have any important appointments after this?"

"No, sir. There’s nothing else on your schedule today besides the meeting."

"Good. I’ll be stepping out for a bit. I should be back within an hour."

"Right now, sir?"

"Yes."

"Understood."

Handing over the meeting documents to Sion, Theo instructed him to contact him via the communication crystal if anything urgent arose, then swiftly exited the main building.

As Theo’s long strides carried him toward the entrance, a figure approached and bowed respectfully.

"Young Duke."

It wasn’t a member of the Imperial Army. It was Gwen, the chief butler of the Ledric Ducal Family. His refined demeanor and elegant appearance exuded dignity as he greeted Theo with impeccable manners.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No need to apologize, sir. This is my duty."

"So, do you have the information I requested?"

Gwen retrieved a small piece of paper from his pocket. Neatly folded in half, he handed it to Theo.

"This is the address of Master Luke’s residence that you inquired about."

Theo unfolded the paper and scanned its contents. It was an unfamiliar address—information that Fale hadn’t been able to provide earlier. Realizing he couldn’t extract the information from his subordinates, Theo had ultimately decided to leverage the power of his family.

The Ledric Ducal Family, renowned for its credibility within the empire, could uncover any piece of information it desired. Finding one man’s address was a trivial task.

"Let’s depart immediately."

At Theo’s command, Gwen nodded and gestured toward a carriage bearing the Ledric family crest.

The carriage sped across Ludrain Square, with Theo gazing impassively out the window. Memories of the day he had shadowed Luke as a watcher, the two of them walking through that very square, felt almost dreamlike. The bittersweet taste of the pave chocolate they had eaten lingered faintly on his tongue.

As they traveled further, the lively and bustling square gradually gave way to quieter, more tranquil surroundings. Eventually, the carriage slowed to a stop.

Theo stepped out quickly, his movements slightly hurried.

"Over there, Young Duke."

The coachman bowed and pointed to a tidy two-story house.

"You wait here, Gwen," Theo ordered.

"Understood."

The small garden surrounding the house was well-maintained, a sign that someone had cared for it meticulously. After briefly taking in the sight, Theo strode to the front door and knocked without hesitation.

"…"

He waited, but no sound came from inside.

"Luke, it’s Theo. If you’re in there, come out."

This time, he raised his voice, but the result remained the same. There were two possibilities: either Luke was away, or he was deliberately refusing to answer.

As Theo prepared to knock again, he felt a gaze on him from below. Looking down, he saw a little girl with neatly braided pigtails staring up at him curiously.

"Are you here to see the pretty person?"

"The… pretty person?" Theo asked, his confusion evident.

The girl pointed toward Luke’s house.

"Oh… Yes, that’s right."

"But what are you going to do? The pretty person left yesterday."

"…What?"

For the first time, Theo’s heart began to pound loudly. It felt as though the blood coursing through his veins had turned ice-cold.

"This house is empty now! Nobody lives here anymore."

At the girl’s words, Theo’s eyes wavered. He had never once considered the third possibility—that Luke might have left this place for good.