The situation had fortunately been brought under control. Theo first collected the sobbing monster nearby, then securely restrained the unconscious necromancer and the two subordinates who had been sprawled near the prison. When Luke asked what Theo planned to do next, Theo replied that he had already contacted the branch for reinforcements.
"What? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" Luke exclaimed.
"Because this turned out to be bigger than expected. It’s already clear this isn’t just some minor case of monster smuggling, isn’t it?" Theo replied.
Luke had no response to that, so he could only press his lips together in silence. Theo was right. This case wasn’t just about smugglers mishandling monsters, and the wailing creature in Theo’s arms wasn’t some random escapee either. Their assumptions had all been wrong.
The likeliest scenario now was that the necromancer—likely a colleague of the one hired during the Memvern War—had holed up in this abandoned mine to enslave monsters directly and distribute them across the Empire. The situation had escalated to a level that could potentially require national intervention. It was no longer something Theo could handle alone.
Luke let out a heavy sigh. He didn’t know many people in the Kyloom branch, but he certainly didn’t want to deal with soldiers in this way. Moreover, his hope that this was just a straightforward criminal case had been completely shattered.
"Luke, you’re coming with me to the branch," Theo said firmly.
"Are you insane? No way. Wasn’t your deal with me only until this investigation was done?" Luke retorted.
The evidence had already been collected, and Luke had played his part in finding it. Assembling the pieces and fully unraveling the truth of the case was now Theo and the Empire’s military’s responsibility.
Without warning, Theo reached out and gently touched Luke’s injured hand—the one that had been severely wounded in the battle.
"Come to the branch and get treatment. It’s the safest option," Theo insisted.
"..."
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"Luke," Theo said, his voice dropping to a low, firm tone when Luke didn’t respond. He didn’t raise his voice, but the weight of his words carried a clear warning. His expression left no room for argument, practically saying, Don’t make me repeat myself.
Luke understood why Theo was adamant about this.
The Empire’s military was divided into two main branches: the combat units, which engaged directly in battles, and the administrative units, which managed logistics, paperwork, and organizational systems. Among these, there was one particularly specialized division.
"The Empire’s medical corps is the most reliable," Theo emphasized.
The medical corps. Soldiers in the combat units, constantly facing war and subjugation missions, inevitably carried injuries. While individuals like Luke and Theo, who were exceptionally skilled and resilient, rarely got hurt or healed quickly when they did, the majority relied on the medical corps’ top-tier expertise.
The medical corps boasted some of the finest healers in the Empire. Considering the injuries Luke had sustained in the battle against the necromancer, Theo’s proposal was undeniably the best course of action. Yet, Luke’s aversion to setting foot in military territory hadn’t lessened.
Then it struck him—he was already deeply entangled with Theo again. At this point, what was the point of clinging to his earlier resolve? If he’d truly wanted to avoid this, he should have bolted the moment he and Theo crossed paths again. His so-called principles were nothing more than flimsy walls and stubborn pride.
And Theo’s piercing gaze was terrifying. It carried an ominous promise, the kind that suggested he wouldn’t hesitate to knock Luke out and drag him there if necessary. On top of that, the wound on his hand was admittedly concerning.
"Fine. I’ll go," Luke relented.
Theo nodded in satisfaction, finally easing the intensity in his gaze. Watching this, Luke let out another exasperated sigh.
At that moment, the sound of voices in the distance grew louder. It seemed the reinforcements from the branch had already arrived. With Theo providing precise coordinates, they must have teleported in within minutes.
"Commander!"
The red-haired figure running toward them was Kalon, followed by a string of soldiers trailing behind like a line of sausages.
Kalon saluted Theo but froze upon spotting Luke standing nearby. His expression clearly asked, What are you doing here?
Luke recognized Kalon, and the feeling was mutual. Though the branch and headquarters didn’t interact frequently, the tri-annual face-to-face reports and joint training sessions ensured they were familiar with each other. Besides that, Kalon was also one of Luke’s peers from the military academy, making recognition inevitable.
"Luke?" Kalon tilted his head, his tone laced with hesitation. He seemed ready to add "Commander" but stopped himself, aware that Luke had abruptly resigned as the special detachment unit leader. Given the time that had passed since Luke’s departure, the news had undoubtedly spread. Kalon likely wasn’t the only one who knew; the other three branch leaders probably did as well.
"It’s been a while," Luke said, waving casually. It was a half-hearted greeting, more out of obligation than enthusiasm.
"What are you—"
"Kalon, save the explanations for later," Theo interrupted, drawing Kalon’s attention back.
"Recover the bodies of the missing residents from Podina and conduct a thorough internal sweep of the area."
"Understood!" Kalon quickly relayed orders to his team, who began marking the cave entrance with tape to restrict access.
"Luke, you’re coming to the branch with me."
"Hold on."
As Luke stepped back, Theo’s face took on a sharp, focused gleam, as if he were seriously considering whether he should knock Luke unconscious then and there.
"I’ll go for treatment like you said. Just give me a moment first," Luke said, breaking the tension.
He moved away from Theo, walking slowly toward a specific direction. Theo, momentarily stunned, followed him naturally, as if it were the most obvious thing to do.
"Ah, sir!" Angela’s voice called out, brightening with recognition as she spotted Luke approaching. Her wide eyes and the enthusiastic wave of her hand were a stark contrast to her disheveled hair and swollen, tear-streaked face. It was clear she had been crying from a mix of relief and gratitude.
Angela had arrived on-site, likely because Theo, when contacting the branch for reinforcements, had also arranged for the victims’ families to come.
"Thank you so much... for saving my brother," she said, her voice trembling.
Bruce, standing nearby, stepped forward as well. He looked far more composed now, his face relaxed after receiving care from the unit’s medics.
"My sister told me what happened. Truly... thank you," Bruce said, bowing deeply in gratitude alongside Angela.
Although Bruce might still face questioning to rule out any connections to the necromancer, he’d likely be able to return home soon if there were no major issues.
"Save your thanks for this guy," Luke said, gesturing toward Theo before turning to Bruce. "Bruce."
Bruce straightened, visibly nervous at Luke’s direct address.
"I heard you’ve been struggling to find steady work. Is that true?" Luke asked.
"Ah, yes... It’s hard to find anyone willing to take in and train a novice miner like me. I’ve been trying, but it hasn’t been easy," Bruce admitted. He added that he had been thrilled when he finally got this opportunity—only to discover it was part of a criminal operation. Angela squeezed his hand tightly, her expression heavy with sympathy.
Theo stood silently next to Luke, sensing that Luke’s intentions extended beyond just accepting their gratitude.
"Here," Luke said, reaching into his robe. He winced slightly, his injured hand protesting the motion, but he managed to retrieve a small piece of paper, which he handed to Bruce.
"What... what’s this?" Bruce asked, unfolding the paper to reveal a name and address. Theo, curious, leaned in slightly to read it. His eyes widened as he recognized the name.
"Short version: during the investigation, I got some help from an older miner. I explained your situation to him, and he said he’d be willing to offer you a job," Luke said, his tone matter-of-fact.
The name on the note belonged to one of the veteran miners Luke and Theo had met at the tavern earlier—the one who had provided critical information about the Gelu Mine and its surroundings. Before heading to the mine, Luke had claimed he needed a quick bathroom break and had returned to the tavern. There, he had spoken with the miner, explained Bruce’s circumstances, and asked if he’d be willing to help.
The man, moved by Bruce’s story—or perhaps simply generous by nature—had readily agreed, writing down his contact details for Luke to pass along.
"Really? Is this for real?" Bruce stammered, unable to hide his disbelief.
"Yes. He seemed like a good person. I’m sure he’ll teach you well. Once the investigation wraps up and you’ve recovered, pay him a visit," Luke replied.
"Thank you... thank you so much..." Bruce said, his voice breaking as he lowered his head, tears streaming down his face. Angela, covering her mouth with one hand, used the other to gently pat her brother’s shoulder as she cried quietly alongside him.
"Well then," Luke said curtly, leaving them with a final nod before turning away without hesitation.
Theo, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, wore an expression of stunned disbelief. He hadn’t expected Luke to go to such lengths for someone he barely knew. In fact, it hadn’t even occurred to Theo to consider such a gesture.
"Luke," Theo called out, quickly catching up to him.
"Let’s go now. To the branch, right?"
"What about just now..."
"What about it?"
Theo hesitated, unsure of how to phrase what he wanted to say. Asking outright why Luke had done such a thing felt awkward and unnecessary.
"I believe people who try hard deserve opportunities," Luke said softly, seeming to sense the question lingering in Theo’s mind.
"That’s all there is to it."
Luke lifted his head slightly, his light brown eyes reflecting the vibrant, cloudless blue sky above.