Chapter 7: A Sense of Bad Rumors (1)

 

“I’ve been keeping an eye on it since earlier.”

 

When I remained silent, Commander Balthazar nodded, convinced of his thoughts.

 

“Kayron, you’ve been acting strange today. You must have noticed it yourself, but you seem like a completely different person. Don’t you think so, Avelin?”

 

“…Yes, I feel the same way,” Avelin agreed hesitantly.

 

“You see? Even Avelin says so. Kayron, stop standing there silently and say something—anything will do.”

 

His perceptive voice pierced through my thoughts, unraveling the hidden emotions I hadn’t yet expressed.

 

I couldn’t stay silent any longer. Carefully, I opened my mouth to speak.

 

“It’s instinct—just a gut feeling.”

 

“Instinct?” Balthazar raised an eyebrow.

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

I forced the words out, imagining a demon before me and relying on my survival instincts to string together my story.

 

“No matter how I think about it, something felt off. Sir Razen, the commander of the 13th unit, has never properly completed a single mission. Not even the simplest ones, like supply or rear support tasks. Isn’t that true?”

 

Commander Balthazar nodded in agreement.

 

“That’s a fact.”

 

“Frankly, I was furious. As you know, I’ve lost many valued subordinates because Sir Razen failed to provide support on time.”

 

Talking about losing my men… It was always painful to think about.

 

The only days I touched alcohol were when someone from our troop fell in battle.

 

Commander Balthazar, fully aware of this, gazed at me with sympathy in his eyes.

 

“So, I took advantage of the moment when most of the soldiers were away eating to confront Sir Razen. To avoid stirring up too much commotion, I deliberately cornered him in an empty barracks. And there…”

 

I clenched my eyes shut.

 

“I hate to admit it, but I attacked Sir Razen. I struck him in the face with my fist.”

 

“You attacked a fellow soldier? You, of all people?” Commander Balthazar’s brow furrowed.

 

“You understand the consequences of attacking a comrade, don’t you?”

 

“Yes, of course, I do. Regardless of the reason, the penalty is execution. But I couldn’t hold back when I thought of the men I lost due to Sir Razen’s negligence.”

 

“…You’re fortunate, then. If Razen hadn’t been a demon, it would’ve been you, not Razen, who’d face the consequences.”

 

While I kept my head lowered, Commander Balthazar let out a deep sigh of relief.

 

“Lucky indeed.”

 

“Pardon?” I asked, looking up.

 

“I said, you were lucky. I was already contemplating what to do about Razen since he was causing such harm to the troops. Ha, what timing…”

 

Commander Balthazar patted my tense shoulder, easing my nerves.

 

“In fact, this worked out well. So, did you beat that demon to a pulp before you dealt with him? To be honest, I’ve had plenty of moments when I wanted to do the same.”

 

“Commander…” My voice wavered.

 

“But, Kayron.”

 

The strength in Commander Balthazar’s hand on my shoulder suddenly increased.

 

“Do you know why Avelin looks like that?”

 

His words made me glance at Avelin. She was staring at me, her eyes wide and trembling, as though she was processing my story.

 

“Avelin told you earlier, didn’t she? That you’ve been lying. Think about it. Even Avelin, who argues with you at every opportunity, can tell when you’re lying. And…”

 

Commander Balthazar smiled knowingly as he continued.

 

“Do you think I wouldn’t notice? You’re someone who can expertly control your emotions. There’s no way someone like you would actually hit Razen.”

 

Commander Balthazar’s deduction was right on the mark.

 

In this life, and even in my previous life, I’d never handled anything emotionally in the Order.

 

“You don’t need to worry about the charge of attacking a comrade. I won’t hold you accountable for lying to me, either. But from now on, say nothing. This time, I’d like to hear the story from another perspective.”

 

Commander Balthazar slowly and deliberately shifted his gaze to Avelin.

 

“Avelin.”

 

“Y-Yes, sir!”

 

“You mentioned the two of you fought together, didn’t you? This time, I want you to tell the story. But…”

 

Balthazar’s voice grew firm as he emphasized his words.

 

“Make sure you speak the truth.”

 

“…I swear,” Avelin replied solemnly.

 

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded heavily.

 

“When did you start being with Kayron?”

 

“From the beginning. We had just finished our Vanguard training, and we were talking for a bit before heading off to have dinner together. So, Kayron’s story was wrong from the very start.”

 

Avelin glanced at me sideways.

 

“Kayron didn’t plan his attack on Sir Razen by waiting for the soldiers to leave their posts.”

 

Commander Balthazar nodded, visibly pleased with her statement.

 

“I thought so. Kayron isn’t the type to act that way. But, the two of you were planning to have dinner together?”

 

“Yes? Oh, yes…!”

 

“That’s not a lie, is it?”

 

“I swore, didn’t I?”

 

“Haha. I see. I’m already surprised the two of you fought together, but planning to share a meal? That’s even more shocking. Go on.”

 

Commander Balthazar chuckled warmly, breaking the stiff tension in the air with his easygoing demeanor.

 

It was clear he was trying to make Avelin feel comfortable so she could speak freely.

 

Indeed, it takes more than skill to become a commander admired by everyone.

 

Avelin’s expression softened, and her voice became more at ease as she continued.

 

“And the reason Kayron attacked Sir Razen was…”

 

I swallowed hard without realizing it.

 

“…because Sir Razen provoked him first.”

 

“…What?”

 

That’s a lie!

 

My eyes widened, but thankfully, Commander Balthazar was too focused on Avelin to notice.

 

“Razen provoked him first?”

 

“Yes. As you know, Sir Razen is infamous for causing trouble for other units and brushing it off with a shameless laugh, as if it’s no big deal.”

 

Avelin frowned slightly before continuing.

 

“But today, Sir Razen was acting particularly strange. The moment he locked eyes with Kayron, he let out this eerie laugh. He even said something like, ‘You insignificant humans.’”

 

“‘You insignificant humans,’ you say.”

 

Commander Balthazar frowned as well, following Avelin’s lead.

 

“Disgusting. So that’s how demons see us… But why would Razen suddenly say something like that?”

 

“I don’t know. But after that, Kayron grabbed Razen by the collar and dragged him into the barracks. He demanded to know what was going on, and then…”

 

Avelin motioned toward the remaining traces of the incident.

 

“Razen transformed into a demon, and the fight broke out.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

Commander Balthazar crossed his arms and closed his eyes, deep in thought. He remained silent for a while, then nodded slowly.

 

“Understood. Now it makes sense. Avelin, your words are always trustworthy. But let me ask one thing. Kayron?”

 

“Yes, Commander.”

 

“Why did you lie to me?”

 

“Well… that is…”

 

I hesitated, unsure of what to say, but Commander Balthazar lightly patted my back.

 

“Don’t answer now. Someone like you doesn’t lie easily. There must be a reason—some story behind it. I’ll come find you later. You can tell me then. And…”

 

Commander Balthazar reached into his coat, pulling out his insignia, and handed it to Avelin.

 

“Commander, what’s this for?”

 

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Take this and buy the most expensive meal you can find in Cresnig. You’ve earned it after all you’ve been through.”

 

“But, Commander…”

 

“Ah, ah.”

 

Before Avelin could protest further, Balthazar spun around briskly.

 

As he walked away leisurely, he called back, “Thanks to you two, the Order has avoided a major crisis. I know this reward doesn’t feel like much, but since this matter must remain confidential, it’s all I can offer. Enjoy your meal!”

 

With those words, Commander Balthazar disappeared into the distance.

 

“Phew…”

 

“Well, shall we go eat?”

 

“Yes, let’s. I’m really hungry now. Truly…”

 

We began walking toward the outskirts of the camp.

 

For a long time, neither of us spoke.

 

“...Why,”

 

It was I who finally broke the silence, turning to Avelin with a question.

 

“Why did you lie? You even swore.”

 

“And what about you, Kayron? You lied to Commander Balthazar himself.”

 

“I…”

 

“Enough. Don’t say anything.”

 

Avelin cut me off mid-sentence.

 

“Just like you, I acted on instinct.”

 

“Instinct?”

 

“I don’t know. I just had this feeling. That protecting you in this situation was the right thing to do. The Kayron I know isn’t someone who schemes with dark motives. If you lied, you must have had a reason.”

 

“Avelin…”

 

“Consider this as paying back a debt.”

 

“A debt? What debt?”

 

“I promised to treat you to a meal in exchange for being my sparring partner, remember? That one!”

 

“Haha, what kind of…”

 

What more could I say at this point?

 

All I could manage was:

 

“Thank you.”

--- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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