Theo had always had an excellent intuition. Years of military experience had sharpened it further, allowing him to achieve remarkable results based on little more than gut feelings. And now, that same intuition was pointing him in a specific direction.
He ascended the rear mountain where the monster had reportedly appeared. According to the information provided by the Western Division soldiers, there weren’t many people living in the mountains surrounding the village. That was likely why there had been minimal casualties when the monster appeared.
As he climbed deeper into the mountain, the trees around him began to look decayed and melted, their bark eaten away. The monster had apparently sprayed an acidic substance as part of its attack. Restoring the damage to the environment would undoubtedly take a significant amount of time.
The further he walked, the more signs of destruction and collapse he encountered, evidence of a fierce battle. If this had been a populated area—or if the monster had descended directly into the village—the devastation would have been unimaginable. It was thanks to the mercenary that such a catastrophe had been averted.
"Who’s there?"
A voice called out, and Theo turned to see a boy approaching from a distance. The boy had freckles scattered across his face and striking orange hair, his expression a mix of curiosity and caution as he looked up at Theo.
Theo recalled the investigation report he’d reviewed through Calon. One household had almost suffered casualties due to the monster: a boy named Reuben and his grandmother, who lived on the mountain.
"Are you Reuben?" Theo asked, lowering himself slightly to meet the boy’s eye level.
"Yeah, that’s me."
Theo softened his tone and gaze, and the boy’s wariness eased slightly.
"Isn’t it inconvenient to live in a place like this?"
He quickly made up a story, saying he had come to the village to meet someone, and continued the conversation.
"Not really. I’m used to it. My grandma doesn’t like the hustle and bustle of the village," Reuben replied.
Theo adjusted the boy’s crooked collar as he listened. This boy had been the only person to come into contact with the Faceless Mercenary. According to the report, his grandmother had collapsed after inhaling the monster’s acidic fumes.
"I heard a monster appeared around here recently," Theo said, watching closely for the boy’s reaction.
As expected, Reuben’s eyes shifted, betraying a flicker of unease.
"I... I don’t really know. Some mercenary saved us, but I don’t remember much," the boy stammered, waving his hands in the air as if to emphasize his confusion.
The boy’s response matched what was written in the report. At the time, Calon had asked the boy about the incident after providing medical treatment. Reuben had claimed he couldn’t remember clearly and that someone had saved them, but he hadn’t seen their face.
Still, Theo couldn’t shake the feeling that the boy’s response sounded rehearsed, much like Phael’s vague answers the previous day.
"It must’ve been scary, but I’m glad you weren’t hurt too badly," Theo said gently.
"Yeah..."
The boy nodded, but Theo could sense his desire to avoid the topic. It was clear he was hiding something. Directly pressing him for answers might scare him off and prove counterproductive.
Theo paused, pondering how to coax the truth from the boy. Then, he remembered a section from the investigation report about the "witness." The mercenary had saved Reuben and his grandmother, and a villager had supposedly led the injured pair to the military unit. That villager had testified that a mercenary named Sebastian had slain the monster.
"I heard someone else helped you that day. Not just the mercenary, but another person who brought you to the soldiers," Theo said.
"Huh? What?"
Reuben’s eyes widened in surprise, his expression screaming that he had no idea what Theo was talking about.
"Ah, I must have misunderstood," Theo said, pretending to correct himself. "So the soldiers found you and your grandmother collapsed and brought you back?"
"Y-yeah, that’s right!"
The boy’s immediate agreement confirmed Theo’s suspicion: there had been no witness. The so-called witness and the Faceless Mercenary were one and the same. In other words, the person who had slain the monster had fabricated the story to conceal their identity from Calon and his team.
They had slain the monster with their own hands but pretended otherwise.
It wasn’t the kind of behavior one would expect from an ordinary mercenary.
"Actually, there’s a reason I came looking for you," Theo said, deciding to bend the truth a bit further.
"What reason?"
"You see, I’m an old acquaintance of the mercenary who saved you," Theo said, feigning a warm smile.
"Really? You really know him?" Reuben’s eyes sparkled with interest.
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Theo nodded as he extended his palm. A small, flickering flame appeared, forming an almost playful shape.
"I’m a mercenary too," he said with a smile. "How else could I know so much about what happened here?"
The boy’s guarded expression began to soften. Theo noticed the subtle shift and decided to press further, adding just the right words to cement his story.
"That mercenary asked me to come and find you."
"Find me? That’s not necessary. Luke hyung comes to this mountain all the time," Reuben replied, his tone as casual as ever.
Theo clenched his lips tightly for a moment. Manipulating the boy’s innocent trust left a bitter taste in his mouth, but this confirmed his suspicions.
The mercenary who had baffled the Kyleum branch for months was none other than Luke.
The previous night, when Phael had mentioned Luke, Theo had thought it was some sort of dream. During his last leave, Theo had found himself strangely compelled to seek Luke out, something entirely out of character for him. His own behavior had left him feeling unmoored, like a rudderless ship drifting aimlessly at sea.
Theo disliked anything unfamiliar or enigmatic, so when his leave ended, he had tightly sealed away those thoughts and feelings, as if binding them with rope. By the time he returned to the Imperial Army, whispers about the Commander-in-Chief returning to his usual self had already begun circulating.
But to think that he would hear Luke’s name again in such an unexpected place and circumstance—and from a subordinate, no less. The moment he heard it, his heart had begun to pound as though signaling its presence. It was likely just the shock of such an unanticipated revelation, but the mention of Luke living in Herba had immediately brought to mind the "Faceless Mercenary."
From the investigation reports, Theo had gleaned two key traits about the mercenary. First, they possessed skills that surpassed even most Imperial generals. Second, their ability to eliminate monsters and vanish without a trace was extraordinarily fast.
This mysterious mercenary had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, with no prior reputation or history. If they had been active before, their exploits would undoubtedly have spread across the empire. Yet, rumors of their existence had only surfaced recently, coinciding with the first monster incident in these mountains—about eight months ago.
The same time Luke retired.
"Oh! It’s Luke hyung!"
Reuben’s excited voice snapped Theo out of his thoughts. The boy darted past him, running toward someone. Rising to his feet, Theo brushed the dirt from his knees and turned to look.
There, catching his breath from what must have been a sprint, stood Luke.
"Hyung! You told your friend to come find me, right?" Reuben called out, running up to Luke.
Luke ignored the boy’s question and asked, "Reuben, isn’t your grandmother home?"
"Nope! She went to the square."
Luke exhaled softly, the sound barely audible. Then he told Reuben to head back inside the house.
"Seems like you had to run quite a bit," Theo remarked, stepping forward.
Luke brushed his silver hair back, his narrowed eyes reflecting a wary sharpness. Unlike his usual nonchalant demeanor, his expression was taut with tension, the kind that set clear boundaries without a word. It was a look Theo had often seen during their days at headquarters.
For a brief moment, Theo felt a chill run down his spine.
"You look surprisingly young for someone who’s supposed to be fifty-two."
Luke didn’t respond, only redirecting his gaze as he ushered Reuben inside.
"You should be glad Reuben’s grandmother wasn’t around," Luke said flatly. "Her temper’s nothing to scoff at."
"Lucky me, then," Theo replied smoothly.
Luke’s next words carried a sharp edge. "Feel good about manipulating a kid’s innocent trust?"
Theo smirked. "And do you feel good lying and making others clean up your mess? That monster you took down was classified as an unresolved case. The branch soldiers had to waste a lot of effort because of you."
Luke turned his head away, refusing to engage further. When cornered, Luke was just as adept at avoiding a confrontation as anyone else.
"Why do I even have to put up with being interrogated by you here? I haven’t committed any crimes. In fact, I’ve been doing good deeds."
"If it was such a good deed, why hide it? You lied to me yesterday, too."
"I told you already. I just don’t want to be involved with you or the military."
It was the same sentiment Luke had expressed the day before, and while it didn’t sit well with Theo, it was clear he had meant it.
The Luke Theo had known was brash, impulsive, and prone to flaunting his ego. Those very traits had made him unpopular in the military. Yet, for someone like that to be anonymously hunting monsters without expecting recognition—it didn’t add up.
"I told you yesterday, didn’t I? I can’t figure you out," Theo said, his gaze unwavering.
"The feeling’s mutual. I have no idea what you’re trying to do, either," Luke shot back.
"Then let’s figure each other out."
"What?" Luke frowned, looking up sharply.
"I know you said you don’t want to be involved, but too bad. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other."
Luke let out a dry laugh, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. His expression was far from friendly, yet Theo’s thoughts drifted in an unexpected direction.
Even with that scowl and those furrowed brows, he’s got such a pretty face.