Chapter: 41
I looked around in silence. Even excluding the bug sprawled on the ground as if fainted, there were still plenty of other sources from which to extract information. Sure, there might be confidential information known only to the leader, but that didn’t matter. With this number, it was okay if the quality was somewhat lacking.
It’s fine even if only the leader knows the mastermind or collaborators behind the Third Honor. After all, they were the ones who first bared their fangs at the Empire, consumed by their delusions of a revival of Apels. They would definitely pull some other tricks, and all we had to do was find them and take them down.
Yeah, there was no problem.
‘Killing him won’t be a problem.’
Having come to that conclusion, I walked toward the bug. The two members of the Masked Unit who had been holding his arms quickly backed off, while Managers 1 and 4 followed closely behind me.
I yanked the unconscious bug’s head up to wake him, but something felt off. His white eyes were rolled back, his crushed body left no trace of its form, and there was blood oozing from his facial features.
“He’s dead.”
At my words, the body of the Masked Unit member in front of me trembled. He was already dead. It seemed that Manager 4 had kicked him in a rush and messed up the strength control.
After staring at the bug’s lifeless eyes for a moment, I squeezed my hand and burst his head open. It was pointless since he was already dead, but I felt this frustrating emotion needed to be released somehow.
After roughly shaking the blood off my hands, I turned around to see Manager 4 looking utterly lost and Manager 1 nervously darting their eyes around.
‘What should I do?’
Manager 1 had deliberately slowed down the interrogation process, while Manager 4 had discharged the target without permission. If I were to pursue it, I could certainly reprimand them.
I alternated glances between the two of them and let out a slight sigh. Their heads hung low, which really bothered me. Normally, I wouldn’t care. I had anticipated Manager 1 losing herself over the new toy called the Apels revival army, and I knew that Manager 4 was proactive regarding my matters.
However, it was also me who hadn’t scolded Manager 1 earlier, and I stayed silent even though I knew Manager 4 would jump out. It felt somewhat ugly to reprimand them after all of that.
Even though I heard something unexpected from an unexpected place—
‘Fuck.’
The more I thought, the more it sucked. As I was about to wipe my frustrated face, I realized my hands were still wet with blood. Manager 4, who had stealthily been watching me, carefully handed me a handkerchief.
“Executive Manager, if it’s alright with you, please use this…”
Her voice remained calm, but witnessing her hand holding the handkerchief tremble made my thoughts of scolding her vanish completely. Yeah, it was just bad luck. What just happened was simply unfortunate.
“Thanks.”
I cleaned my hands with her handkerchief and handed it back. To show I was fine, I lightly patted her shoulders.
“There’s really no one else who cares about me besides Fenelia. Thank you for taking my anger on your own.”
Although she had taken over my task, it was nice of her to deal with the target in my place. Since it was done with good intentions, I decided to overlook it.
Leaving Manager 4 behind, I approached Manager 1. Her shaking intensified; perhaps she thought that all of my anger would pile up on her. Don’t worry; I won’t get mad at you.
“Elizaveta?”
“Yes! Executive Manager!”
The sight of Manager 1 shouting with desperation and looking so tense was somewhat amusing. I chuckled lightly and patted her shoulder.
“It was just a mistake. Right?”
“N-No! I should have acted quicker!”
“It’s a mistake. Elizaveta, you’ve been doing well until now, so an occasional slip-up is acceptable.”
As I consoled her, her shaking gradually subsided. Where could you find a boss who cares about their subordinates like this?
“So you’ll do well this time, right?”
“Yes!”
Her reply reminded me of a soldier saluting, and I felt a hint of satisfaction.
“Looking at how he knows about things in the North, it’s clear that there’s definitely a mastermind or collaborator out there.”
“I’ll find out everything!”
“Good, let’s do our best. Got it?”
The way she nodded repeatedly made me think she’d definitely pull it off this time. The earnestness of Manager 1 has always led to satisfactory results.
“I’ll head to the booth for a bit. I need to show my face before the operating hours end.”
If I don’t show up even once after saying there was someone I had to meet, it would look suspicious. I need to sneak a peek before heading back to the forest.
*
Watching the Executive Manager’s back as he headed toward the Academy, I finally managed to calm down my racing heart. When he touched my shoulder and called me by my name instead of my position? I thought it couldn’t get my heart racing this much again.
Hehe…
‘Fuck.’
Things have truly gone to hell.
He was suppressing his emotions deep down, but it was clear that he was truly enraged.
Most people who’ve seen war develop their own superstitions. The Executive Manager is one of those people.
He never calls anyone by their names—regardless of the situation, he insists on using their titles. His superstition was never uttering names.
In his two years in the North, he lost so many people he was on friendly terms with by referring to them by their names. Among the many sent to kill Kagan, he was the only one to return alive.
But for the Executive Manager to call me by my name instead of my position meant he was so overwhelmed with rage that he didn’t care about his superstitions. That only happens when he’s furious.
‘Son of a bitch.’
I shot a glare at the headless bug. I treated him nicely, considering he was a new toy, and yet I never took him for one who could create such chaos. Thankfully, the Executive Manager didn’t express his anger. In retrospect, him burying it inside was even scarier…
“Fenelia, are you alright?”
I shifted my gaze from the headless bug to Fenelia. The Executive Manager, someone she held dear, had called her by her name. I couldn’t even imagine how much she must be rattled.
She was still bowing her head, mumbling softly. From Fenelia’s perspective, having lived only looking up to the Executive Manager, it probably felt like the world was coming to an end. I exhaled a small sigh and approached her to offer some comfort.
“TheExecutiveManagerSaidHeOnlyHasMeTheExecutiveManagerSaidThanksTheExecutiveManagerCalledMeByMyNameTheExecutiveManager…”
“Ah.”
I felt I may have worried for nothing.
Leaving Fenelia behind, I turned toward the other Third Honor members.
I gestured to those Masked Unit members who seemed frozen in astonishment, and they quickly followed my lead. Once they came to their senses, their steps seemed a bit firmer too. They looked mad too; I mean, who wouldn’t be after witnessing someone cursing at the Executive Manager right in front of them?
“Bring that one here.”
“Yes.”
I pointed at a bug who seemed fainted and they immediately dashed over, dragging him toward me. Since interrogation needs them to be conscious, I slapped him awake, and as he opened his mouth to scream, a member of the Masked Unit promptly gagged him. Yes, they’re sharp to catch on. It makes working with them convenient!
“I didn’t intend to go this far. But your leader has shown us great disrespect. What a shame.”
As I pulled out a dagger while speaking, an odd thought crossed my mind. Why am I apologizing? We’re the ones who ended up taking the blows here! Isn’t he the one at fault for not managing his leader?
“Well, now that I think about it, I’m not really sorry.”
It was comfortable getting to indulge in my own thoughts.
Nodding, I checked the condition of the dagger and started to peel away the skin of the Third Honor member in front of me.
How many of these will you be able to endure? Hold on as long as you can.
*
I avoided becoming that annoying boss who took out his personal anger on subordinates. As time passed, it felt like my patience had grown more than before. In the past, I would’ve just charged in without a second thought.
“The one who rose through his comrade’s blood.”
That phrase made me frown involuntarily. No matter how much I had grown in patience, I couldn’t help but feel a loathing bitterness. Unfortunate that it was a statement I couldn’t deny. It was true.
I barely managed to shove those thoughts aside as I neared the Academy and was about to reach the booths. Oh no, am I too late? Speeding up, I arrived at the pastry club booth, only to find it vacant. It seemed I was indeed late.
“Ah, Oppa!”
Just as I was about to retreat into the forest, I heard Louise’s voice. She poked her head out from a corner of the booth.
“What’s up? Why are you still here?”
“Well, I’m the president of the club, so I figured I should wait until you arrive.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at Louise’s spirited response. As if she had known when I would come!
“What about the others? They couldn’t have just left, right?”
“People from the three countries took them away.”
Louise stated it simply, though I could sense how much Villar must have struggled to do that. It must have been tough to take them from Louise. Meanwhile, who pulled Erich and Ainter along? Was it the work of foreign three stooges keeping an eye on those two?
‘They really know how to keep things in check.’
No one takes the lead, yet no one is allowed to take the lead. Such a bizarre balancing act.
“Oppa, could you lend me your hand for a moment?”
“My hand?”
I stretched it out absentmindedly, only to remember seconds later how inappropriate it might have been. I had cleaned them, but there was still the possibility of a lingering blood smell, and for someone like Louise, who needed to cherish beautiful things, this certainly wasn’t the best scent to share.
But Louise didn’t seem to mind. She placed a small pouch on my hand. Thankfully, it didn’t seem to carry a strange odor.
“I made them much sweeter this time!”
“Really?”
“They say it’s better to eat something sweet when you’re tired.”
Louise’s concerned words made my body tense for a moment.
“You look really tired, Oppa. I wanted to be of help to you.”
“Right.”
“Umm… Oppa? Just like I mentioned before…”
“You want me to tell you if anything’s bothering me, right?”
“Hehe…”
Watching Louise giggle shyly, I glanced down at the pouch. Sweet things are good for tiredness. Where have I heard that before?
“Thanks, I appreciate it. I’ll eat it well.”
“Of course!”
I returned a small smile to Louise, who was beaming.
After confirming that Louise headed back to her lodging, I turned to leave the Academy and head back to the woods.
‘It’s better to eat something sweet when you’re tired, huh?’
Opening the pouch she had given me, I pulled out a cookie. It had a nice shape—clearly an effort from Louise. Back then, I could hardly have imagined such a neat-looking treat.
“Carl! I’ve brought something special for you!”
“Tada! How about this? When will you get the chance to enjoy a dessert from the North?”
“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You look to be covered in weariness!”
“Sweet things are the best for tiredness! I made these for you to eat!”
“And don’t sulk alone, little brat! If something’s up, you can always tell your big sister!”
“Ah.”
Fuck.
Perhaps it was because I had just been lectured by that annoying bug, or maybe because Louise just said something similar. Either way, memories from the past unexpectedly came flooding back.
I stared down at Louise’s cookie for a moment, cautiously taking a bite.
“It’s delicious.”
Yes, it is delicious. Louise’s cookies are delightful.
Just like the cookies I had eaten in the North, which were also amazing; the best among all I had tasted.
That’s why Louise’s cookies are delicious, similar to what I had experienced in the North.
Yes, without a doubt, Louise’s cookies are delicious. They definitely are.
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