Chapter 40
The grand and noble Golden Empire, Apels, a beautiful empire that stands tall, reigning over a vast continent. As the third empire to dominate this land, Apels was truly a remarkable nation.
The lights in Apels never went out, and all goods from the continent converged upon its capital. Stately gentlemen and beautiful ladies strolled through the glorious system of the empire, leading the culture that everyone revered. Additionally, the nobles were incredibly dignified, creating an ideal world that guided the foolish commoners.
As the nations of the continent bowed their heads in submission, it was none other than Apels, known as the Golden Empire. However, there was an audacious sinner who dared to covet the gold and raise their head, a name that deserved nothing but curses and contempt: Kefellofen.
The traitor who toppled the Golden Empire, the thief who stole its rightful glories—a self-proclaimed empire full of deceit. Those who follow righteousness must undoubtedly overthrow this false nation and rejuvenate Apels. The third glory that once brilliantly illuminated this continent must be reinstated.
“Let us break the deception and pretense of Kefellofen and return to that glorious era!”
Those words echoed in my heart, spoken by the Captain on the day we founded the Third Honor. How could a country that has been shackled by nomads for two long years even be called an empire? It’s Apels. Only Apels can claim the title of true empire.
Holding this belief firmly, I headed towards the academy with my comrades, the place where Apels had established its glorious legacy and system. We aimed to reclaim it and declare the resurrection of Apels by eliminating the sinners who dared to trample on its heritage—the criminals of Kefellofen.
We can do this. We can rebuild Apels with our own hands. It will definitely happen.
Surely, it must happen…
Yet, why is this happening…?
“Oh, Enen! Oh, Enen! Oh, Enen! Oh, Enen…”
What on earth is going on here?
The steps toward a grand revival had somehow turned into a frantic retreat, my feet scrambling for divine assistance. This is not right. I am definitely the hero destined to restore Apels. I’m not the kind of person to turn my back on a mutt like Kefellofen.
“Aaaah!”
One of my comrades got caught by a hook, screaming as they were dragged up into a tree. They struggled, but no one could approach. Several of us had already been caught by that hook and had vanished without a trace.
Countless comrades had already fallen. Heroes of Apels’ revival crumbled in vain. This cannot be! We have a righteous cause, and for the rightful continent, we must emerge victorious.
“You’re just a bug, yet you’re surprisingly fast.”
A chilling voice echoed from behind, and my body buckled forward. I tried to rise again, but something in front of my eyes shattered my spirit.
“Missing a leg should be fine, right?”
“I suppose it depends on 1st Manager’s mood.”
Before I knew it, two men surrounded me. They wore plain gray masks as casually as if they were chatting in a marketplace. My eyes, however, remained glued to whatever horror lay ahead of me.
“AHH! M-my legs…! My legs…!”
As the pain finally caught up to me, I squirmed in agony, but soon I couldn’t even manage that, as my back was stomped down.
“What about the head?”
“The captain is pursuing them.”
“Guess that’s that.”
Before long, I saw the Captain, being dragged by a witch with long silver hair, clutching his hair in a vice grip. Was he dead? Or just unconscious? He lay still, without a hint of movement.
It was over. Our noble cause had met a pointless end.
—
It was about time to head for the forest, so I and 1st Manager slipped out of our booth. We had told the others we were stepping out to meet someone, so we had to wrap up quickly and return.
If I matched my pace to 1st Manager’s, we’d be agonizingly slow, so I decided to carry her and sprint toward the forest where we were to meet the Masked Unit.
“Looks like we beat you here.”
“Indeed. How surprising!”
Although it wasn’t past the agreed time yet, 4th Manager was astonishingly punctual. She was the type to arrive well ahead of schedule. I was genuinely moved when I saw her once arrive before a inspection meeting and wipe my desk. Even after I told her it wasn’t necessary, she stubbornly insisted on doing it.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
In a sudden thought, I wondered if I could trade 1st Manager for 4th Manager. Would the Minister of the Special Service Agency consider that? Shaking my head, I dismissed the notion. Though 1st Manager could be a nuisance, finding someone else to replace her wouldn’t be easy.
Sure, no one could fill the void of 4th Manager’s loyalty, but the roles she played could be managed by 3rd and 5th Managers, so it was no HUGE problem. Of course, the Investigation Department was at its best when fully staffed.
“Let’s wait. She’s not the type to be late.”
I carved out a stump for us to sit on and double-checked the dagger that 1st Manager had handed me. After cutting through a tree, I found it was surprisingly good quality. Well, it’s not like she’d be carrying around something cheap. With this quality, it wouldn’t break even if I sliced through bones. Pretty satisfying!
“Ah, over there they come.”
1st Manager, who’d sneakily used me as a backrest, pointed in a certain direction. Not late at all, I see! They arrived quickly!
“What is that?”
“Huh?”
As the Masked Unit approached, 1st Manager and I both exclaimed, eyes wide. They were dragging something, perhaps a person, behind them.
“Looks like… people?”
“……”
Right? Some missing limbs were visible, but definitely people. My first thought was that there must have been an accident on the way, but no one would drag an injured person around like that. Moreover, they weren’t dressed like members of the Masked Unit at all.
Curious, I watched as 4th Manager approached and saluted.
“Executive Manager.”
At that, the others behind her dropped what they had been carrying on their backs and in their hands and saluted in unison. Is it really okay to just throw them like that?
“Well done getting here.”
I couldn’t start lecturing them about their drop-and-salute routine; they were trying to help me, after all. They must have believed they brought something necessary. As I stood up and returned 4th Manager’s salute, only then did she lower her arm.
It seemed she noticed my interest in the sprawled figures on the ground because she spoke up quickly.
“They are members of the Third Glory. We encountered them on the way and captured them all.”
“Wow…”
1st Manager let out a soft exclamation at 4th Manager’s words. I found myself momentarily at a loss for words. They captured them? All of them? I had simply been resting here, and it was all done?
“You’ve really worked hard.”
I was puzzled about what had transpired, but 4th Manager’s eyes were subtly gleaming with hope behind her expressionless face. My complaints dissipated. Right, if the result is good, who cares if the process was a little weird?
As I patted her on the shoulder, her eyes sparkled, while the dagger hanging at my waist lit up pathetically. All I did with it was chop a tree. When it turned out like this, maybe I should just carry an axe next time!
With the successful capture of every single member of Third Glory, my role and that of the Masked Unit were complete. I felt kinda embarrassed to moan about doing nothing while merely sitting there.
Having nothing to do, the Masked Unit set up a temporary campsite in the forest where the actual battle should have unfolded.
Even against weak opponents, they had engaged in skirmishes and spent some energy, so they deserved to take a break. They huddled together, sharing water, and it all seemed rather peaceful.
“Executive Manager, can I get some water too?”
As I tossed a water bottle toward 1st Manager, she caught it lightly and then poured it onto someone’s face. She hadn’t asked for herself but for someone else, even covering the face with a cloth lest they choke on the water if they drank too quickly.
“──! ──!!”
“Hehe, you were thirsty, weren’t you?”
The leader of the Third Glory, restrained in a chair, had his hair yanked back. Seeming empowered by 1st Manager’s consideration, he squirmed, expressing gratitude, but 1st Manager was even more touched and continued to pour.
“Could you lean him back a little more?”
“Sure, Manager.”
At 1st Manager’s request, the Masked Unit member grasped his hair and pulled him back further. Satisfied, 1st Manager nodded, and I turned my gaze away, thinking,
“I guess she knows what she’s doing.”
For someone who typically starts by pulling fingernails, this was a mild approach. If left to her, she’d manage to extract information herself, trusting the professionals while waiting for the results.
As I chatted idly with 4th Manager while waiting, I noticed the leader’s mouth was surprisingly tight. If 1st Manager truly wanted to, it would be hard for anyone to hold out for even ten minutes. However, his mouth remained heavier since he was the leader.
As I approached 1st Manager alongside 4th Manager to check on the interrogation situation, I realized that his hands and feet could hardly be recognized. The rest of him had not been touched yet.
“What…”
My reaction wasn’t because he was resistant. The process was slower than usual, making it still bearable. I had suspected this since hearing about the Apels Revival forces, but witnessing it firsthand had me quite irritated.
“Why is it moving so slowly? Hurry it up!”
“I’m doing it alone out here, so if I rush, he might die. I need him to spill the info.”
Saying that while grinning couldn’t be entirely false, so I held my tongue. It would be a real headache if he perished mid-torture. Besides, we had no other 1st Division members around or specialized tools.
However, that wasn’t why I was annoyed. The real issue was that if she decided to directly torture him, she wouldn’t make a ludicrous mistake; she was dragging her feet for an excuse.
“This girl is just getting better at this, huh?”
As I frowned, 1st Manager shifted her gaze awkwardly. A glimmer of conscience still shined within her, it seems.
“If you keep up that sluggish pace, we’ll move on to the next one. If you don’t want that, you should start talking. Treasure your comrades.”
With a sidelong glare at her frustration, the 1st Manager dangled a negotiation before him. If he stays mum, I’ll send him to the Prosecutor’s Office, and if he still doesn’t talk, then I’ll apply proper torture. She had some peculiar hobbies, to say the least.
But the head of the Third Glory neither grew angered nor dismissed 1st Manager’s remarks. He merely chuckled softly.
“Kekeke…”
“What’s up? Did you pet this guy’s head or something?”
“No. I don’t touch heads recklessly outdoors because it’s dangerous.”
If it wasn’t 1st Manager behind it, then he must have cracked under the interrogation’s tension. It would be concerning if he lost his sanity completely.
Despite my concerns, the head, who was chuckling, suddenly turned his gaze upon me, eyes wide and filled with menace.
“Comrade? The person over there has risen through the blood of their comrades, yet you’re talking nonsense—”
─Thwap!
Before he could finish, 4th Manager dashed forward and landed a strike to his jaw. In an instant, his head snapped back as he collapsed.
An awkward silence fell over us. 4th Manager, who leaped out, 1st Manager, who had been waiting to see my reaction, and the Masked Unit members holding his arms—all silently glanced toward me, waiting for my cue.
“Hah.”
Letting out a small sigh, I scratched my head. Just how widespread had such rumors become that even this retard would blurt them out?
“Damn that jerk.”
Should I just eliminate them all, information be damned?
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