Confrontation with the Fourth Squad (2)
“Haven’t seen you much lately, have we? It’s been a while since we talked like this, Hyunwoo.”
“Yeah, it has.”
I gazed up at the night sky glittering with stars and drew in a deep breath before letting it out. The night air felt crisp and refreshing. If only Freyr weren’t standing beside me, I might have felt like I could fly. But the Freyr beside me now was no longer the one I once knew. He had been tainted by the men of the 4th squad. A blind madness, bloodlust, and a hunger for nothing but pleasure clung to him, making his presence unbearable.
I dreamed of becoming a great thief with grand ambitions, while the 4th squad wallowed in decadence, acting like petty, impulsive pickpockets who struck on a whim. Our worlds were simply too far apart. I aspired to be a master thief whose weight could not be easily challenged even by the authorities, while they were nothing more than trash who surrendered to their corrupted instincts at the slightest temptation. It pained me to see that Freyr had become just like them. He had turned into the very same insignificant, ragtag bandit that Adelia and Sinclair had always mocked.
“Freyr. Is the work still tough these days?”
“Tough? Nah, I’m used to it now.”
“That’s good. Back then you used to come looking for me all the time. You looked like you were struggling a lot mentally.”
Though our relationship had grown distant—almost hostile—I still spoke with genuine concern because he was my friend. But then he suddenly said,
“You weren’t laughing at me inside back then, were you? When I was always whining and crying like some pathetic loser?”
“What are you talking about?”
I brushed it off with a chuckle.
“Just kidding, just kidding.”
Freyr grinned. It didn’t sound like a joke. It sounded like the truth.
“And… I’m sorry about back then.”
“For what?”
“That day our squad leader tried to make us fight each other.”
I scratched the side of my neck, feeling itchy.
“That’s all in the past. It wasn’t even your fault.”
“Thanks for understanding. We’re still friends, right?”
“Of course. We joined the bandit group together, after all.”
“Hearing you say that makes me feel good. I thought you were still angry about what happened. That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to visit you often. I felt too guilty.”
Freyr watched me closely. He probably thought he was acting natural, but to my eyes his impure intentions were as clear as day—like a dumpling so thin-skinned the filling showed through. His voice even trembled slightly from tension. Watching him like that only made the shields in my heart stack higher and higher.
“You don’t need to feel sorry. Anyway, I should get going first.”
“W-wait a second.”
“Why? Got something else to say?”
“Hyunwoo.”
Freyr paused with a serious expression before speaking.
“…Is there something out there?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean why you keep going outside so often lately. You’re not hiding something out there, are you?”
Ah. So that was his goal. I tilted my head slightly as if I didn’t understand, and Freyr quickly continued.
“No, no. I’m not trying to interrogate you. I’m just really curious why you go out so much, and since we’re friends, I thought maybe you’d want to share. If it’s something important, I could help protect it too, you know? That’s what friends are for. If you have a secret, keeping it for you is part of being a good friend, right? That’s what friendship is.”
Hmm… Look at this bastard, bringing up loyalty just to fish for information. I smiled faintly as if it were nothing.
“I really just go out to get some fresh air. There’s nothing. It’s just exercise and a walk. That’s all.”
“Really?”
“Sometimes I hunt animals to fill my stomach too. That’s really all it is.”
“You’re not going out to meet someone or for some other purpose?”
God, this guy was persistent. He kept pressing with wide eyes. Maybe the 4th squad leader put him up to this—trying to probe why I kept leaving the camp. I forced a smile and patted Freyr on the shoulder.
“Of course not, you idiot. Who would I even meet?”
“Yeah? I guess I was just overthinking it.”
Freyr laughed awkwardly.
“If something good comes up later, I’ll share it with you, so don’t worry. Right now there really isn’t anything.”
“I was wondering if there was something. Alright. Sorry for bothering you when you’re probably tired. I’ll head back now.”
“Yeah, go on.”
As I watched Freyr’s retreating figure grow distant, my heart felt heavy and sorrowful. So I called out to him.
“Freyr.”
“Yeah?”
He turned around.
“Should I ask Lord Bernhardt to transfer you to another squad? Not the 4th—some other one.”
Freyr snorted.
“Trying to throw your weight around as the next squad leader?”
He shrugged.
“What do you take me for? No need. I’m doing just fine in the 4th squad. I’m not the coward I used to be.”
“Are you really okay staying in the 4th?”
“Yeah. It suits me perfectly. I’m really happy there.”
“Happy, huh…”
I didn’t feel like trying to convince him. The choice was his. No matter how much I talked, it would only sound like nagging.
Freyr arrived in front of the 4th squad’s barracks. From inside the tent came the sound of a woman’s breathless moans. He pushed aside the cloth covering the entrance and stepped in. A thick cloud of cigarette smoke and the stench of alcohol assaulted his nose.
“Haang! Uung! Aang!”
On the bed inside, Squad Leader Vick was rolling around with a female member from another squad. Three other members sat around a table, cigarettes in their mouths, gambling.
“How’d it go?”
When Freyr entered and sat down, all three gamblers turned their eyes toward him at once.
“What happened?”
“He said there’s nothing. Claims he just goes out for walks.”
“You idiot, did you make it obvious you were interrogating him? You should’ve asked more naturally.”
“No, I didn’t. I asked in a roundabout way so he wouldn’t notice. Really.”
“If there’s nothing, then why does he keep going outside so often?”
“This dumbass can’t even do a simple job right.”
“Even if we sent a dog, it’d do better than you.”
“Shit.”
As the members took turns berating him, Freyr’s mood soured. He frowned and grabbed a bottle of liquor from the table, gulping it down. Just then, Vick reached his climax while gripping the woman’s waist.
“Ugh! Aha!”
He trembled as he emptied himself inside her, then stepped off the bed with a satisfied sigh. He tossed some money onto the bed where the woman lay catching her breath, lit a cigarette, and approached Freyr.
“Hehe. My turn!”
The moment Vick sat down naked at the table, another member quickly stood up, yanked down his pants, and dove onto the bed. Vick rested his arms on the table and stared at Freyr.
“He didn’t tell you anything?”
“No. He said he only goes out for walks……”
Freyr licked his lips nervously. Vick gestured for him to lean closer. When Freyr cautiously brought his head forward, Vick flicked his fingers and sharply tapped Freyr’s forehead.
“You actually believe that?”
“N-no, sir.”
“Then what should you do?”
“Huh?”
“I asked what you should do.”
“I… I don’t really……”
Vick flicked his forehead again, harder this time. Freyr’s forehead turned red.
“Do I have to spell everything out for you? Can’t you think for yourself?”
“You should tail him and find out, you moron.”
Another member chimed in. Vick’s lips curled upward.
“Starting tomorrow, Freyr, Kembuck, and Dobar— you three will tail him. If you find anything, don’t touch it. Just come back and report.”
“Leave it to us.”
“Yes, yes, got it.”
Vick exhaled cigarette smoke and looked at Freyr.
“That bastard found counterfeit money and escaped Nobern with Marcus. For a newbie, he’s already accomplished a lot. Our Freyr needs to show something too. Go after him relentlessly and tear something out of him. You can do it, right?”
Freyr’s eyes widened. He licked his lips and slowly nodded. Vick added with a sinister smile,
“I don’t think our Freyr is any worse than that greenhorn. So take this chance to dig up something with the others that we can use to torment him. It’d be even better if you find a flaw that can drag him down from his position as the next leader of the 15th squad.”
“L-leave it to me.”
Freyr clenched his fists tightly.
The next day.
Freyr and two other members hid near the 15th squad’s barracks from the crack of dawn.
“He’s coming out.”
When Hyunwoo emerged from the barracks, the three of them crouched down. They peeked out just enough to watch his movements carefully. A moment later, the slave girl who had recently joined the 15th squad came out after him and handed him a bag. Hyunwoo slung it over his back, waved goodbye to her, and started walking away.
“He’s moving.”
“Let’s go too.”
“Yes.”
Watching Hyunwoo leave, the three men quietly began to follow him.