As soon as Theo entered the bathroom, he let out a heavy sigh. One by one, he began removing his clothes, revealing a muscular upper body crisscrossed with scars—a testament to the hardships of his military career. His broad shoulders, as solid as the cliffs along the Notelli Strait, now slumped as if burdened by an invisible weight.
The thought of Luke waiting just outside left Theo feeling uncomfortably out of sorts. He was the one who had suggested finding an inn for the night, yet he hadn’t anticipated that there would only be one room. The idea of sharing a room—and worse, a bed—with Luke left his body instinctively rejecting the notion for reasons he couldn’t quite pinpoint.
Luke had dismissed it as simple discomfort or the whims of a fussy nobleman, but Theo knew it was something more. And yet, a part of him wondered—why did Luke seem completely unfazed by the situation?
Luke’s familiarity with inns like this suggested he’d stayed at places like these often. But had he been alone on those occasions, or had he come with someone else?
"...Ha," Theo muttered, shaking his head to dispel the stray thoughts. Being around Luke had a way of tangling his thoughts into a mess. It was nothing more than an unfortunate coincidence, and the only thing to do was regain his composure.
Theo quickly finished bathing and stepped out of the bathroom. Having acted like he’d lost his mind earlier, he resolved to return to his usual self.
"Hey."
As if waiting for him, Luke suddenly popped into Theo’s field of vision the moment he exited the bathroom. Theo blinked, momentarily startled but quickly masked it with a composed expression as he looked down at Luke.
"Look at this," Luke said, extending his palm.
In his hand was the fluffy creature—their mysterious monster companion—but its appearance was unusual.
"...Silver?" Theo asked, narrowing his eyes.
Up until now, the creature had absorbed the colors of its surroundings. When it was first captured, it had taken on the hues of iron bars and wooden tables. It had mirrored Theo’s clothing while in his care and the glow of the torches in the smuggler’s lair. But now, it was covered in a dazzling, glittering silver that Theo had never seen before.
Silver? Theo’s gaze swept the room. There didn’t seem to be anything nearby that could account for the color—except one thing.
"What do you think? Doesn’t it look kind of nice like this?" Luke asked with a smirk.
Theo’s eyes landed on Luke’s head, where his silver hair lay tousled and unkempt. It didn’t take long for Theo to piece together the source of the color. The realization made the corners of his lips twitch dangerously.
"Hmph. So while I was bathing, you were rubbing that thing against your hair?" Theo asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"That’s not how I’d phrase it, but yeah. I was curious," Luke replied nonchalantly.
Oddly enough, the creature seemed to like its new color. Even in Luke’s grasp, it showed no signs of fear, its eyes sparkling with fascination.
"In that case, why don’t you carry it around on your head from now on?" Theo suggested, his tone light but his smirk sharp.
"What?" Luke exclaimed, his voice incredulous.
Seeing Luke’s startled reaction, Theo’s lips curved into a small but unmistakable smile. The sight made Luke flinch slightly. Before he could retort, Theo extended a hand toward him.
"Relax. I’m kidding," Theo said, smoothing down Luke’s disheveled hair.
"There’s a dining area downstairs. Let’s grab dinner there," he added, pulling away.
"...Yeah, sure," Luke muttered, his hand absently brushing the spot where Theo had touched his hair.
The creature was left behind in the room, as taking it out in public would undoubtedly raise eyebrows. To ensure its safety, Theo placed a crystal orb near it—a magical item he always carried. The orb, which had absorbed traces of the creature’s mana, would alert Theo if its energy fluctuated.
The two descended to the inn’s first floor, where a dining hall was reserved for guests. The space was packed with people, the red wooden floors nearly invisible beneath the bustling crowd of diners. Meals were complimentary for guests, which explained the sheer number of occupied tables.
After collecting plates of food, they sat down and began eating while diving into a discussion about their investigation.
"Did the regional branch say anything about the Podina group?" Luke asked.
Earlier, the low-level smuggler they had interrogated had admitted to knowing nothing about Podina’s organization. Given the man’s experience and claims of having connections in the underworld, his ignorance was surprising.
"Calon mentioned that they’ve only recently started investigating Podina’s group, so there isn’t much information yet," Theo explained.
Typically, local law enforcement handled investigations into criminal groups. However, when monsters were involved, the military often stepped in, as the stakes were higher.
Most organized criminals operated with extreme caution and secrecy, adhering to a principle of avoiding unnecessary attention. If they sensed the military’s involvement, they would likely abandon their hideouts and flee. As such, the military approached these investigations with meticulous preparation, ensuring they had a solid strategy before making a move.
"The ones in Laitus, on the other hand, are a massive organization..."
It was said they were well-known among their kind, with a reputation that even the Kyleum branch had managed to gather significant information on.
"So, which one will it be?" Luke murmured, alternating his gaze between the two cities marked on the map. Which of these two locations was connected to the fluffy creature sleeping peacefully upstairs?
"Luke."
"What?"
Lost in thought, Luke suddenly noticed a bowl of soup being pushed in front of him.
"Aren’t you going to eat?" Theo asked.
Luke’s soup remained untouched, its level unchanged from when he had first brought it to the table. The bread he had taken was missing only a small corner, barely nibbled on.
"Oh, I was focused. And I’m not really that hungry," Luke said, waving dismissively.
"Which is why you’re so thin," Theo remarked.
"I’m not that thin, alright? I’m average weight. What do you know?"
"You’re thin. I could tell last time when I—" Theo stopped abruptly, his voice faltering for a brief moment.
"When you what?" Luke asked, tilting his head quizzically.
Theo tensed, realizing his slip-up. He was recalling the night he had stayed at Luke’s house, when a groggy and half-asleep Luke had stumbled downstairs. Theo had caught him just as he was about to fall, his arms instinctively wrapping around Luke’s waist. At the time, Luke had been wearing light clothing, and Theo couldn’t help but notice how slim his frame was.
"Forget it. Just keep talking about what’s important," Theo deflected.
"Hey, no, hold on—" Luke began, but his words were cut off as Theo stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth. The gesture, though casual, made it clear Theo wasn’t willing to entertain the topic any longer.
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"So, Luke, what do you think?" Theo asked, steering the conversation back on track.
"About what?" Luke asked, chewing the bread despite glaring at Theo. He had to admit, it tasted better than expected.
"Which location seems more likely?"
"Obviously here," Luke said, pointing to a specific spot on the map.
Theo nodded in agreement, whether because he had the same thoughts or simply trusted Luke’s judgment. With that, the two of them finalized their plan to set out in the morning.
As they prepared to wrap up their discussion, a gruff voice from a nearby table broke through the din of the dining hall.
"I don’t get why the military’s been causing such a ruckus lately..."
"It ruins the whole point of traveling," the man grumbled loudly, clearly inebriated.
"They said they’re working on something important, looking for someone, right? They’ve got a job to do, after all," his companion tried to calm him down.
But the drunken man, emboldened by the free beer the inn provided, continued ranting in a booming voice.
The words "looking for someone" caught Luke and Theo’s attention. It was likely a reference to the regional branch soldiers searching for the Faceless Mercenary in recent days. Theo had already given the branch clear instructions to disengage from that pursuit, but it seemed the tourists at the inn hadn’t enjoyed being interrogated.
"Why do those tax-funded lackeys care so much about finding one person? Isn’t there something more important for them to do?"
The drunken man’s complaints grew louder, prompting nearby diners to leave their seats, unwilling to get caught up in his tirade. Luke and Theo, however, remained seated, unmoving. Whether it was because Luke was a former soldier or because Theo was the current Commander-in-Chief, neither felt the need to retreat.
"These days, the military’s gone soft... hic... And there are rumors about monsters swarming the capital?"
"Come on, man, let’s head to bed. You’re drunk," his companion urged.
"It’s all because of that Commander-in-Chief or whatever. We’re out here working our asses off, scraping by to enjoy a trip, and that noble brat just strolls into a cushy high-ranking position..."
Luke couldn’t help but be reminded of the incident at Ermen’s restaurant. It felt like déjà vu. But unlike those older men, who had criticized Theo cautiously and with a degree of restraint, this drunkard showed no filter. He was unloading his frustrations recklessly, venting all his pent-up anger at Theo.
Luke’s expression darkened as he silently picked up the spoon lying next to his plate and stood.