The list Calon had provided before their arrival detailed the locations of suspected monster smuggling operations. Three sites were highlighted, one of which was the very Conenium Plaza where Luke and Theo now sat. The other two were in Kyleum's major cities, Podina and Laitus, much like Herba.
Of course, smugglers rarely left traces of their activities, and many remained elusive. However, after hearing the details of the investigation, Calon had narrowed it down to these three locations as the most likely hubs.
"Do you know anything about the organizations running smuggling operations in these two areas?"
Theo held out a map for the captured smuggler to examine. The man had claimed to be an experienced smuggler, one with plenty of "battle scars" to prove it, so Theo appeared intent on extracting information before targeting the other locations.
"Hmm..."
"Think carefully, but if you try to stall, you'll die."
It was Luke, not Theo, who delivered the threat. Holding the rope that bound the smuggler, Luke leaned in close to whisper into his ear. The smuggler's shoulders trembled violently in fear.
"Luke," Theo called out, his voice firm, as if warning him to back off. The sharp look in his eyes suggested he disapproved of applying more pressure than necessary. Luke clicked his tongue but stepped back.
"Th-the organization here is rather large," the smuggler stammered.
He pointed to Laitus on the map first. According to him, the organization there had deep roots, having existed for a long time despite its leader changing multiple times over the years. It was well-known among black market criminals and had even been exposed and dismantled several times before reassembling. Now, they operated with greater caution, the smuggler added.
"And this place..."
The smuggler's finger moved slowly across the map to Podina.
"I don't know much about it," he admitted.
"You don't?" Theo's voice was skeptical.
"Yes. As you might know, Podina is a mining city."
Podina's mining industry was renowned throughout the Empire, producing 70% of the Empire’s distributed ore and mana-infused magic stones. The high-quality materials extracted from Podina had even led some to joke that the city sustained all of Kyleum.
"Mining towns usually have poor air quality and rugged terrain, right? It’s not exactly an ideal place to smuggle in live monsters unnoticed."
Luke, initially suspicious of the smuggler’s ignorance, nodded slowly. His reasoning made sense—those engaging in illicit activities were unlikely to risk operating in such unfavorable conditions.
"I’ve never heard of smugglers working there," the man reiterated.
"Got it," Theo said with a nod, standing up. The smuggler’s expression brightened immediately, likely in the hope of leniency. However, Theo swiftly struck the back of the man’s neck, rendering him unconscious.
"We’ll leave the cleanup here to the local branch," Theo remarked.
He gathered the incapacitated smuggler alongside the boss and other captured members, binding them securely with ropes.
Having gained little from the first location, Theo and Luke left the pub. As soon as they stepped outside, the furry creature poked its head out of Theo's arms, glancing around curiously. Luke, quick to react, grabbed the creature by the scruff of its neck and lifted it up.
"Hey."
The creature let out a startled squeak, its large eyes welling up with tears. Despite being a low-level monster with no real intelligence, it seemed to instinctively fear Luke, who had once tried to harm it.
"You’ve done nothing but cause trouble. Do you want to die?" Luke growled, glaring at it.
Before he could say more, Theo gently took the creature from him.
"Killing it would be inconvenient," Theo said calmly.
"As if I’d actually kill it," Luke retorted.
"We still don’t fully understand its behavior. What if scaring it too much has unforeseen consequences?"
Luke wanted to argue that Theo’s concern was ridiculous, but he knew that some low-level monsters were prone to dying suddenly, even without being attacked. Seeing the creature cower behind Theo as if using him as a shield left Luke feeling exasperated.
"And watch your words, Luke," Theo added.
"What now?"
"You were too harsh with the smuggler earlier."
"I only did it to make sure he wouldn’t try anything funny," Luke countered.
In his view, the smuggler could have lied or given misleading information to cover his tracks. It was a precautionary measure to ensure reliable intel. And while the information provided was credible, Luke didn’t think his actions were wrong.
"You were also too forceful with the boss. If you’d used just a little more mana, it could have been fatal."
"Do I seem like someone who can’t control their strength?"
A peculiar chill emanated from the two men in robes, prompting passersby to cast them cautious glances as they walked by.
"Theo, let me remind you that I’m helping you out of my own accord. Don’t interfere with my methods, and don’t try to control me," Luke said, raising an eyebrow in irritation.
Theo, however, didn’t respond.
"I’m no longer your subordinate or your comrade," Luke added, hitting at the core of the matter. If he were still the Captain of the Imperial Detached Force, he would have begrudgingly followed the orders of Theo, the Commander-in-Chief. But now, as a mere civilian assisting by choice, there was no obligation for him to blindly obey Theo's commands.
"Don’t give me orders."
"...Understood."
Oh? Theo nodded more easily than Luke had anticipated. Considering Theo’s typically uptight personality, Luke had expected him to launch into a lecture about boundaries and discipline.
"You’re right. You’re not my comrade anymore."
Theo’s face turned colder as he walked ahead, leaving Luke with a strange discomfort in his chest. The words were true, and Luke himself had brought up the topic, yet he couldn’t help feeling an odd pang.
It wasn’t Theo’s words, Luke realized—it was the expression on his face. Did he really need to look so distant while saying that?
The two continued walking, now keeping a noticeable distance between them.
Theo reported the findings about the smuggling organization in Conenium Plaza to Calon Wilde at the local branch office. Following protocol, the smugglers would be apprehended, and the captured monsters would be dealt with by the military.
By the time they emerged from the first location, they had spent so much time that evening was already approaching.
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"I think we should rest for the night and move out tomorrow morning," Theo suggested after reviewing the details once more.
Luke agreed. It was too late to begin their journey now.
"Let’s find a place to stay then," Theo said.
Luke almost suggested going back to his own home but stopped himself when he remembered Phael was there. There was no need to let Theo see how close he was to Phael, and, more importantly, Luke wasn’t entirely comfortable with inviting Theo into his personal space.
The two of them began searching for an inn in the center of the plaza, going from one to another.
"How have we already visited three inns, and they all have no rooms available?" Luke grumbled.
"Kyleum is a popular tourist destination," Theo replied.
Weaving through the bustling plaza crowd, Luke felt his legs begin to weaken. The combination of the festival preparations and recent sleepless nights had taken their toll.
Theo spotted another inn and headed toward it, occasionally glancing back to ensure Luke was following.
"Is he some kind of stamina monster?" Luke muttered, glaring at Theo’s energetic figure. His own physical fitness, once honed to perfection during his time in the military, seemed to have faded during his eight months of leisurely retirement.
As Luke trudged along, a passerby accidentally bumped into him, sending his exhausted body tilting backward like a paper doll.
For a brief moment, Luke resigned himself to simply collapsing onto the ground, but before he could meet the floor, he felt a sudden tug that stopped his fall.
Looking up slowly, he saw Theo gripping the tie of his robe—more specifically, the collar—holding him upright.
"...Am I supposed to thank you for this?" Luke asked, irritated. If Theo was going to help, he could’ve done it in a less humiliating manner.
"I grabbed what was closest," Theo replied nonchalantly.
Not only did Theo pull Luke back to his feet, but he also gave him a slight tug, positioning him to walk alongside him. The odd behavior didn’t stop there; Theo suddenly grabbed Luke’s hand and placed it on the back of his own robe.
"What are you doing?" Luke asked, bewildered.
"So you don’t fall again. I’d rather not have to carry an injured man off the street," Theo explained.
He wanted Luke to hold on to his robe and follow along? The absurdity of it made Luke let out a dry laugh.
"What am I, a child? Is this some kind of ‘don’t lose your kid’ trick?" he grumbled but didn’t let go of Theo’s robe. If he were to trip again, he figured he’d just pull Theo down with him.
By the time they reached yet another inn, Luke’s childish thoughts evaporated when they were finally met with good news.
"Rooms? Yes, we have one available," the innkeeper said.
Luke’s face lit up with relief. At last, their search seemed to have paid off.
"Great. We’ll take two rooms," Theo said, visibly relieved as well. He could already imagine how unbearable Luke’s complaints would have been had this inn also been fully booked.
"Ah, I’m sorry, but we only have one room left," the innkeeper replied apologetically.
"...What?"
"You’ll have to share, if that’s all right."