Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Three Folds (3)
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The sweltering end of summer.
Soon, a brief autumn would pass, ushering in a long, harsh winter.
The entire continent buzzed with preparations for the coming winter, but no place was busier than the Cradle of Dragons, readying itself to accept a new cohort.
Each year, hundreds of prospective cadets entered the Cradle.
Of course, only a tiny fraction survived the five years to graduate, but once admitted, they fell under the Cradle's strict oversight.
With hundreds of these prospects scattered across the continent, it was no wonder the Cradle was in overdrive.
The Investigation Corps, in particular, grew even busier as the entry date for the new cadets approached, racing to compile their personal details.
It was during this hectic period—mid-morning, no less, when duties were at their peak—that Section Chief Harry Watson of the Investigation Corps received a sudden summons from above. He was sweating bullets.
Standing rigidly at attention on the dark red carpet, Harry was stiff as a board.
Before him sat an elderly man with white hair and blue eyes behind a sturdy wooden desk.
Harry swallowed dryly at the sight of the old man's stern expression.
‘What the hell... why summon a grunt like me?'
Of course, as section chief of the Investigation Corps, he wasn't exactly a grunt.
But to the man before him, he was just one of many underlings.
He couldn't fathom it.
Why had the great Commander himself called for someone like him?
'This is insane. I'm shaking so bad I might die.'
The highest-ranking person he'd ever met was the vice commander overseeing the Corps.
He'd glimpsed Commander Gordon from afar once or twice at ceremonial events—that was it.
A private audience with the Commander? Out of nowhere!
Harry sensed something was wrong.
'Th-think! What did I screw up? What was it... what the hell did I do...?'
Unable to pinpoint why he'd been summoned, his anxiety churned wildly.
'Ugh! I have no clue!'
As he screamed inwardly,
"Hmm, you there."
The low, resonant voice of Gordon made the subordinate stiffen even more.
"Yes! Investigation Corps Section Chief Harry Watson!"
"Yes, Harry."
"Yes, sir!"
"This report—did you submit it?"
With that, Gordon set a few sheets of paper on the desk.
Harry's eyes darted, mind racing.
'A report? One of mine?'
He'd filed plenty.
But among recent ones with real weight, only one stood out.
'Investigation into the movements of a Level 1 oversight target!'
The order had borne a Level 1 classified stamp.
At first, he'd wondered why something so minor warranted top secrecy, but the details made it clear.
Ten Corps teams had mobilized for the task, and he'd compiled their six months of intel into the report.
'Ah! So the Commander himself ordered it!'
A quick glance confirmed it was that very report.
"Yes, sir!"
"Hmm. I have some questions, so I called you in. Best to hear it from the source."
"Ask away, sir! I'll answer to the best of my ability!"
"First... how accurate do you believe this report is?"
Gordon's index finger tapped the papers.
A flurry of thoughts raced through Harry's mind.
'What? Is he testing me? Me, a mere section chief? Personally?'
His tangled thoughts yielded no answers, so he blurted out his honest assessment.
"Sixty percent, sir!"
"Sixty... an ambiguous figure."
Gordon stroked his chin, skimming the report he'd already read several times.
* * *
Mission Report
1. Mission Objective:
- Investigate the past movements of the oversight target.
- Determine any connection to the Unyielding Sword, Johan Redner.
2. Oversight Target: Yuri Holland.
*Target Notes: 50th Cohort prospect, Tenth Black Dragon Platoon Leader.
*As a person linked to Johan Redner, classify all target information as Level 1 secret.
3. Mission Duration: Until the 50th Cohort's entry.
4. Assignee: Section Chief Harry Watson, plus ten Investigation Corps teams.
5. Movements of Oversight Target Yuri Holland (hereinafter "the subject").
*Note: This report chronicles the subject's movements in reverse order, starting from her proof exam.
-Subject participated in the proof exam in Irons Territory, Krotan Administrative District, on recommendation from the Unyielding Sword.
-Estimated stay in Irons Territory: 192 days.
-Prior to Irons Territory, the subject...
...
...
* * *
The report began with Yuri's recent activities and worked backward.
Unlike the detailed recent entries, the older history had gaping holes.
* * *
-Six years ago, subject surfaced in Briwell Administrative District.
-Seven years ago, approximately one year of movements untraceable.
-Eight years ago, confirmed residing in a village under Paul Territory, Saint John Administrative District.
-The village where the subject lived was annihilated in an attack; witness testimony confirms subject as sole survivor.
-Witness was a merchant delivering goods to the village; per further statements, subject lived with a woman named Moara.
-Relationship between subject and Moara undetermined.
-Eight years ago, records from local lord's office held by prior Paul family (Pauli family), but Pauli family wiped out for unknown reasons, records destroyed.
-No further leads on subsequent movements; investigation on subject concluded.
6. Conclusion:
-Comparative analysis of subject's and Johan Redner's movements indicates 99%+ probability their first meeting occurred in Irons Territory.
* * *
Uncovering this much of one person's past across the vast continent in just half a year was no small feat.
It proved the Investigation Corps' intelligence network rivaled the world's best.
Of course, Gordon hadn't summoned Harry just to praise that.
Fixing Harry with his gaze, he spoke.
"You say this report's accuracy is sixty percent."
"Yes, sir!"
"So you rate everything in here at that probability?"
Gordon pointed to the final paragraph.
* * *
7. Other Notes:
-During investigation, anomaly related to a woman named Moara (estimated age at death: 64) discovered.
-Traces in ruins of house where Moara and subject lived suspected to match one item from the ultra-classified inventory.
-Recommend further investigation into Moara; depending on circumstances, probe relationship with subject as well.
* * *
Only then did Harry fully grasp why Gordon had summoned him.
'The ultra-classified inventory!'
Secrets upon secrets, access tiered from upper, mid, low, to lowest.
Only top-clearance commanders like him knew their true nature.
He'd included ultra-classified details only because section chiefs got lowest access for intel sorting.
'Hmm... Any ultra-classified intel surfaced in recent years?'
Early in his tenure, full of ambition, he'd pored over a decade's worth of his clearance level.
From memory, none in ten years.
'So I dug up the first ultra-classified lead in ten years? No, wait—if the Commander summoned me personally... it's been at least a decade, probably more!'
And he'd reported it.
This was...
'A chance!'
The perfect shot to catch the Commander's eye!
Having calculated how to seize it, Harry replied carefully.
"No, sir. That section's accuracy falls below sixty percent!"
"Then what do you rate it?"
"Around twenty percent."
"Even lower."
"My ultra-classified access is lowest tier. I lacked solid substantiation!"
"So higher access would improve accuracy?"
"Yes, sir!"
Harry's bold response made Gordon's eyes sharpen.
Under that piercing gaze, as if reading his soul, Harry swallowed again.
Silence blanketed the commander's office briefly.
As the tension stretched, Gordon chuckled softly.
"Orders: As of now, Investigation Corps Section Chief Harry Watson is relieved from frontline duties. Focus solely on Yuri Holland and Moara's connection, plus the ultra-classified inventory item. For this mission, elevate Harry Watson's ultra-classified access to mid-tier."
Harry clenched his fist at the answer he'd craved.
He shouted with joy.
"Understood, sir!"
"Next time, I expect a hundred percent report."
"I won't disappoint!"
"You're dismissed."
"Yes, sir!"
At the dismissal, Harry marched out briskly.
Click.
As the door shut, he clenched his fist again.
'Mid-tier access!'
That was vice-commander level.
He'd hoped for low-tier, but the Commander granted one step higher.
A sign of high expectations.
'A hard-won opportunity! I'll make it count!'
Success here would be his launchpad to the top.
'In two or three years, I can outline the intel he wants.'
With that, Harry left with light steps.
But he didn't know.
What he thought would end in two or three years would drag on far longer.
Meanwhile, alone, Gordon murmured at the spot Harry had stood.
"Not bad."
Sharp instincts, quick mind.
Grasping the situation from a few words and turning it to advantage explained his young rise to section chief.
Ambitious, too.
"Guys like him get the job done."
Easy to use, as well.
Keeping the last thought internal, Gordon rose.
Swish.
He strolled slowly to the window, hands behind his back, staring out.
'Interesting.'
Digging into the kid Johan fancied unearthed something unexpected.
'A trace after thirty-six years, linked to the kid Johan favors...'
Uncertain if the trace was genuine.
Even if real, unclear if tied to Yuri.
But.
'Even so, things are getting entertaining.'
Smiling, Gordon's gaze reached the northern sky.
"Storm clouds."
Recent reports placed them still in Ralph Schnell's domain.
Thinking of them up there somewhere,
Plip-plop.
Plip-plop-plop.
The rain from the dark clouds began pattering the window.
* * *
Plip-plop.
Thickening raindrops trailed down the silver blade.
Yuri's sword still rested against Mu Chi's throat.
Seeing no reaction from Mu Chi, Yuri smiled faintly and sheathed it.
"You agree I won? Well, even if you don't, the result speaks for itself."
"......"
Mu Chi remained silent.
Yuri pressed on undeterred.
"You said you didn't want to hurt anyone, right?"
His smile cooled slightly.
"And now it's over just like you wanted—no one hurt. So, how about it? No one injured..."
"......"
"...are you really happy?"
Click.
Sheathing her sword, Yuri walked past without waiting for an answer.
Mu Chi stared blankly at her retreating back.
"Ah......"
He recalled the duel.
It started with Yuri's surprise attack, but midway, he'd unleashed his frenzy and gone all out.
'But if Yuri-hyung had used that final move from the start... it would've ended instantly.'
That flash piercing his frenzy.
Had she opened with it, the duel would've been over quick.
Yet she hadn't.
Meaning, despite the ambush start, she'd held back midway.
'Yuri-hyung......'
In just half a year.
Yuri had become a completely different person.
No longer someone he looked down on—she now met him eye to eye.
'No, maybe... even above me.'
A first.
Feeling a peer superior.
Yuri's words echoed in his mind.
[So, how about it? No one injured... are you really happy?]
Mu Chi bit his lip.
'Why......'
A real-sword duel, ended without a scratch.
Just as he'd wished.
He should be thrilled.
But he wasn't.
'Why... this frustration?'
An inexplicable tightness swelled in his chest.
'Why?'
Mu Chi analyzed his feelings.
He might seem clumsy, but he wasn't dumb.
Dumb kids didn't master body arts to his level.
Smarter than most peers, with adult-like thinking.
Just looked dim in Yuri's eyes.
After much introspection,
'Ah, what I'm feeling now......'
He finally pinned it down objectively.
'...I'm angry?'
Anger at what?
The answer came quick.
'I'm mad... that I lost to Yuri-hyung.'
As Mu Chi puzzled it out,
Yuri approached Johan, extending her right hand.
Johan met it.
Clap.
Their palms smacked with a crisp sound.
"Old man, I win!"
"Of course you did! Lose to that Ralph's body arts while wielding your full fortune sword? You'd have to not be human."
Ralph's face soured watching the two giggle in the loser's presence.
But he had no retort.
Yuri's victory was beyond reproach.
'Now it's 1-1.'
Best of three bouts.
The easy win he'd expected turned out like this—irritating.
'Tch, shoulda never given him time......'
But his own underestimate had granted it.
Yuri's effort and talent tying Mu Chi 1-1 in half a year demanded respect.
Ralph sighed lightly.
"Then when's the final bout? How much longer do I wait this time?"
"What's with that tone, like we only won because you waited?"
"Isn't it true?"
"You're the one who didn't set a timeline from the start!"
"Does that make dragging each bout out for months normal?"
"Hmph! Why not? Took me ten years for a rematch with the Sword Lord! Fifteen years and counting now."
"Th-that's not the same?!"
As the two masters bickered childishly,
"No need to drag it out, right?"
Yuri cut in.
He grinned.
"Let's do it right now."
"...Right now?"
"Immediately?"
Ralph and Johan's eyes widened at the call for the final bout on the spot.
Yuri laughed, thumbing back over her shoulder.
"Looks like someone's getting antsy over there."
Following her gesture, Ralph and Johan saw Mu Chi standing with blazing eyes.