Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: The Debriefing
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Despite not having swung his sword for the past few days, Oscar had been busier and more frantic than ever.
The reason was that handling matters in Ferrara had been more complicated than expected.
Internal strife and war within a duchy inevitably affect other duchies in one way or another, so neither the Grafton Kingdom nor the Union could simply ignore it.
Fortunately, there had been results.
The conflict between the families, which had escalated to the brink of war over supremacy in Ferrara, had finally subsided.
The mediation by Oscar and the Union played a major role, but the Grave's rampage also contributed.
The chaos gave rise to incidents in various places, creating an environment where each family had no choice but to focus on their own territories.
It was a forced truce, however brief, in the face of a common enemy.
Thanks to this, being able to catch a breath was a great relief.
Otherwise, the emotions stemming from fatigue and pressure might have manifested in his attitude, affecting his subordinates.
Now.
His frustration might have been directed at Loan, who had just returned from a long solo mission.
Oscar had been worried sick ever since sending him off.
***
After receiving the message that Loan was accompanying Bella deep into Rhodes Island and the messenger bird went silent, he had hastily requested cooperation from the nearest Practical Division.
He had returned safely, thankfully, but considering how much Oscar had worried, it wouldn't have been strange for him to scold Loan.
Nevertheless, he decided to listen to the story calmly.
While the title of the youngest Runner was indeed impressive, it was also true that everyone tended to focus only on the achievement itself.
He was only fifteen, after all.
However, he always felt somewhat outmaneuvered when talking to Loan face-to-face, so today he had decided to receive the report without meeting his gaze from the start.
After confirming Loan's safe return, Oscar stared out the window the entire time.
Before the report, he asked how Loan had perceived the mission.
The reprimand would come later.
“What was the mission I gave you?”
“You ordered me to track the Puppeteer's movements and report as soon as I confirmed his whereabouts.”
“And the mission rank?”
“A Rank 5 solo mission for a Runner.”
“The Union assigns ranks not only to its members but also to missions, partly to limit an individual's scope of activity. Do you know why we impose these limits?”
“For safety.”
“Correct. We always operate on the front lines. The belief that the values we fight for are more important than our own safety can sometimes lead us to throw ourselves into even greater danger.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Judging by the message from the bird, it seems you overstepped the bounds of your mission. Were you perhaps too confident in your own strength?”
“On the contrary, the battle that took place here made me keenly aware of my shortcomings.”
“Then were you trying to make up for letting the demon escape so helplessly?”
“After I explain the process of carrying out the mission, I will leave the judgment and disciplinary action to you, Vice Commander.”
“Hmm…”
It was an answer that was difficult to refute, conveying both humility and politeness.
“Alright. Tell me everything.”
Loan began to recount in detail everything that had happened since he received the mission.
The story was incredibly interesting.
Coupled with his storytelling skill, the tale seemed to come alive, painting vivid scenes before Oscar's eyes.
Resisting the urge to turn around several times, Oscar became more and more engrossed in the story.
“As I was searching for traces, I naturally came across them.”
“Good heavens!”
Oscar was occasionally startled.
“They were persistent. I barely managed to find a trace and followed it to the port, but that was as far as I got.”
“So the Nostra bastards chased you there?”
“Yes. They blocked my way just as the ship was leaving. I was quite flustered.”
“And then?”
He grew tense and unconsciously urged for the next part of the story.
“The subtleties of a movement spell unfolded in an unexpected way, and I was lucky enough to board the ship…”
“Yes, yes. What a relief.”
He was relieved again.
The story after he reached Rhodes Island was not only entertaining, but the weight of the information derived from it was substantial.
Following the curves of the distant cumulus clouds with his eyes, Oscar became engrossed in the story without any further interjections.
Finally.
“And in the end, by eliminating the demon possessing Enzo's body, Ms. Bella was also able to return to her normal state.”
Having relayed the entire story of the incident, up to the Puppeteer's demise, Loan posed a question to Oscar, tinged with his own reflections.
“What would I have done if the environment on Rhodes hadn't been advantageous for casting magic? Was it wrong to trust Boris as a senior? Can the fact that the messenger bird wasn't working serve as a valid reason? I couldn't answer these questions myself, which is why I've come to seek your judgment and disciplinary action.”
“…”
Oscar remained silent for a long time.
He had gotten carried away listening, but the content was anything but simple.
Piecing it all together, the demons' activities had begun a very long time ago.
They must have been operating in the shadows all this time, only recently becoming rampant.
As he organized the stories—unfamiliar, yet close to the origin, and potentially a crucial key to resolving the situation.
Oscar determined that the information Loan brought back was a critical agenda that needed to be handled at the headquarters level.
The scale was too large for him, a Vice Commander of the Seeker rank, to handle.
He was proud that Loan had obtained such information on his own, but…
at the same time, what complicated Oscar's feelings were Loan's inner motivations for risking danger to obtain information about the demons.
*Something about him is different from when I first met him.*
This was the boy who had insisted on joining the extermination of the Le Tell farm.
Back then, his actions seemed rooted in vengeance, but now, there was a hint of impatience.
*Why? Is there a reason he's not telling me?*
However, it was difficult to say that Loan's judgment was wrong.
This was the Union, after all.
As a member of the Union, not as an individual, he had made the right call for the situation.
He himself probably would have done the same.
And since the merits he brought back as a result were so immense, the issue could easily be dismissed.
At the end of his long deliberation, still gazing out the window, he spoke abruptly.
“This is difficult.”
Perhaps Oscar himself had sent Loan into the lion's den, knowing he might act this way.
It had been his decision to send Loan, knowing full well the risks and possibilities.
It was also true that he had held some expectations, and true that he was impressed Loan had brought back more than he could have hoped for.
Thinking about it that way, Oscar actually began to feel sorry.
“We'll need to discuss this mission again after the report to headquarters. However, I want to add this. If you have a greater goal, you must also know how to take care of yourself.”
As the Vice Commander of the Union.
And as a senior, it was the reason he had no choice but to give such unconventional advice.
“I'll keep that in mind.”
After Loan's reply.
Oscar finally turned around and looked at Loan, who had placed a fist over his chest.
As expected, his expression was heavy with thought.
Oscar decided that as soon as he returned to headquarters, he would seek advice from those who had watched over Loan most closely during his absence.
*Roasa, was it...?*
The Vice Commanders of the Stability and Practical Divisions were to remain in Ferrara to coordinate the situation, while all members of the Faith Division returned to headquarters.
During the long journey back.
Loan mulled over a single phrase.
*This is difficult.*
Those incredibly bitter words lingered in Loan's mind for a long time.
Perhaps it was because he had honestly expected to be scolded.
Lucas seemed to be thinking the same thing.
Near the end of their journey, he asked.
“Did you get chewed out?”
“Huh?”
“You've looked down in the dumps ever since you met with my father.”
For Lucas, this meant he had been watching quietly for quite some time.
Loan knew it was out of consideration.
In that respect, he thought Lucas was just like his father.
“Yeah. I think it's because he didn't scold me.”
“He didn't scold you?”
“Yeah.”
Lucas stared off into the distance for a moment before nodding.
“I guess that makes sense. My father is scarier when he doesn't get angry.”
“Has that happened before?”
“Yeah. Well, he usually just yells unconditionally, but just once…”
Trailing off like that was unlike Lucas.
Loan thought he might say more, but his expression darkened slightly and his lips remained sealed, so Loan didn't press further.
In contrast to the two friends, who were unusually quiet, the Union they returned to was as vibrant as ever.
So was Sophie.
She greeted the two of them with such delight that Loan and Lucas quickly shook off their unnecessary thoughts.
“Loan!”
“You're looking well.”
“Yep. The Commander gave me a vacation, so I've been having fun. Oz says I'm the only one who's gotten such a long break.”
This was the girl who had nearly become a demon's puppet.
She had also lost her father, regardless of whether there had been any affection between them.
Despite all that, she appeared cheerful and strong.
She was just as sociable as when they first met and she greeted him at the academy.
It was different from what Lucas had worried about, but Loan, on the other hand, could quickly understand why Lucas had felt that way.
While it wasn't directed at him, it was true that Sophie's attitude toward Lucas had changed.
It didn't seem to be influenced by the dark mana or the fact that she had become a vessel for a demon.
To Loan, Sophie's reaction was a familiar one. The same honest, unconcealable reactions many girls had shown him.
The only difference was that it was directed at Lucas, and Lucas failed to understand it.
*And he acts like such an expert on romance.*
He couldn't even understand such an obvious sign of affection.
Loan let out a small laugh at his friend's innocence.
However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out what it was about Lucas that had so suddenly moved Sophie's heart.
After being ordered by Vice Commander Oscar to rest and stand by, Loan returned to his quarters.
He had only been resting for a moment.
When a knock suddenly came at the door.
The visitor was Sienna.
“That was a long mission.”
“Yes. I traveled by ship from Ferrara to Rhodes and back.”
“I know. The Vice Commander mentioned your merits were considerable. If he's saying that, it must be something special. I thought I should give you a reward.”
“A reward?”
“Take it. It's a reward from me.”
What Sienna held out was his lost Sheville.
“Fortunately, it wasn't being held hostage.”
“…”
Sienna had once joked about going to rescue his Sheville. This, too, had to be a continuation of that jest.
Unlike Sienna, who was anticipating Loan's reaction, Loan simply expressed his apology and gratitude for finding his lost weapon.
“Thank you so much. I won't lose it again.”
And then they just stared at each other blankly.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence flowed between them, a result of their different senses of humor.
Sienna's expression turned serious as she spoke.
“Go to the Union's main building. You've been summoned.”
Loan tilted his head, watching Sienna's retreating back, then immediately headed for the main building.
Previously, matters concerning mission reports and rewards for merit were handled at the administration building.
He had only ever been to the main building for his interview and consultation.
He wondered if it was a summons from the Governor-General, but that wasn't it. She was said to have been away for a few days.
“Then who is it that summoned me?”
In response to Loan's question, the administration staff member only said that he would find out once he went inside.
The doors opened automatically, and Loan walked slowly down the familiar, elegant, and grand high-ceilinged corridor.
As he did, he felt a pressure and an aura he hadn't noticed before pressing in on him from ahead.
*It's not the Governor-General.*
After passing through the long corridor, his gaze finally settled on a large table in the middle of the hall.
The table, which had always been empty whenever he came, was now full.
As familiar faces turned to look at him all at once, Loan felt overwhelmed yet again.
“Welcome, Loan. It seems the Commanders are very interested in your report.”
Adrian greeted Loan.
The Commanders of the Union were gathered in one place.