After finishing his meal and briefly looking around the garden, Luke prepared to leave.
"Where are you going?"
"Huh? Oh, just thought I'd head out for a bit..."
Luke scratched his head awkwardly, an unusual look for him, prompting Fayl to tilt his head in curiosity.
"If you're going to the plaza, I’ll come with you."
"Ah, no... I’m not exactly heading to the plaza..."
Luke’s response was uncharacteristically hesitant. Even he seemed to find it strange, as he rubbed the back of his head again.
"I'm planning to stop by the Calum branch."
"Why there?"
"They told me to come by to check on my right hand."
It wasn’t entirely untrue. However, the military doctor hadn’t insisted that Luke return. Instead, they had said to come back if he experienced persistent pain, worsening symptoms, or discomfort.
"Shall I go with you?"
"What? No, it's fine. You just stay and rest. I'll be back soon."
Luke waved Fayl off and left the estate in a hurry, almost as if fleeing. He glanced down at his bandaged hand, which gave him a decent excuse to justify his visit. In truth, though, there was no real reason for him to go to the Calum branch—his injury wasn’t causing him any pain or discomfort.
What truly lingered on his mind was Theo, who had left without so much as a word after breakfast. While Luke appreciated not having to deal with him, it irked him that Theo had gone without even a token of gratitude after being offered a room.
Theo had likely gone straight to the branch. Knowing his personality, the weight of the current situation would have him buried in work from early morning.
“Well, I can get my hand checked while I’m there.”
Luke mumbled to himself, nodding as if to validate his own reasoning. Though there was no one around to hear him, it was more about justifying the trip to himself. Meeting Theo wasn’t the only reason for his visit—at least, that’s what he told himself.
As Luke arrived at the building in front of Calum Square, he noticed guards stationed outside. Their main role was to verify the identities of visitors who weren’t members of the branch. Fortunately, Luke had previously obtained a temporary visitor pass through Theo.
The guards alternated glances between Luke and his pass, their expressions betraying a hint of curiosity. It seemed word had spread even here that the retired soldier was now frequenting the branch for some unspecified reason.
Their looks, filled with the kind of curiosity reserved for celebrities, made Luke chuckle.
"What, want me to sign something?"
Though their intentions were obvious, Luke wasn’t annoyed—it was more amusing than anything. It had been nearly a year since he returned to civilian life, and yet soldiers still looked at him like this.
"N-no, sir! My apologies!"
Startled, the guards quickly stepped aside to let him through.
"Hey, by the way, do you know where Theo is?"
The guards exchanged confused glances before realizing their mistake.
"Ah, you mean the commander, sir?"
They clearly hadn’t connected the name "Theo" to the commander right away. Since most people addressed him by rank or surname, it wasn’t often they heard his given name.
"Yes, the commander is currently with the branch head in his office."
"Got it. Thanks."
Luke offered a casual response and made his way inside. The guards, left staring at his silver hair, exchanged nervous glances and swallowed hard.
Ignoring their reactions, Luke headed straight past the medical wing to the branch head’s office. Along the way, he passed other members of the branch, none of whom stopped him—everyone here knew who Luke was. Some had even seen him with Theo, the commander, so they merely cast curious glances rather than intervening.
At the end of the hallway, Luke spotted a firmly closed door. Rather than knocking, he peeked through the window to avoid disturbing them if they were busy. His instincts were correct.
Inside, Theo and the branch head, Calon, were deep in a serious conversation. Theo’s expression was more focused than ever. When he was concentrating, he had a habit of furrowing his brow, and now was no exception. The table between them was piled with documents, which only made Luke sigh as he stepped back from the window.
It wasn’t surprising, but still, it was a bit disappointing. If they were in the middle of something important, interrupting wasn’t an option.
Even though it annoyed him that Theo had left without a word and was now calmly immersed in work, Luke wasn’t about to storm in just to vent his frustration.
Realizing he’d come here on a whim without much of a plan, he was about to leave when he heard footsteps approaching.
"Oh? Good afternoon!"
A man in a Calum uniform greeted him awkwardly.
Luke tilted his head, unable to place the man’s face. Sensing this, the man quickly introduced himself as Benjamin, Calon’s aide. Luke vaguely remembered seeing him a few times during previous visits.
"Were you looking for the commander and branch head? I can pass on a message."
Benjamin clearly knew about Luke’s involvement in the recent incidents. As Calon’s aide, he had also been overseeing Benji, the key witness.
"No, it’s fine. I wasn’t here for anything important."
"Really? Then why..."
"I came to stop by the medical wing."
Luke only just remembered this supposed reason for his visit, realizing he’d completely forgotten it while heading straight for Theo’s office. The realization that he might’ve come all this way just to see Theo made him feel awkward.
"By the way, when did Theo get here?"
"This morning, bright and early."
Benjamin hesitated for a moment before answering, as if to process who "Theo" referred to.
"He arrived so early that we were all a bit surprised."
Benjamin added with a friendly smile, going on to praise Theo’s diligence.
So he’d gone straight to the branch after leaving the house. If it was because of work, Luke supposed he could forgive him—just a little.
"By the way, do you know where the commander stayed last night?"
"Huh? Why do you ask?"
Luke hesitated, caught off guard by the question.
"It seemed like he didn’t sleep well. I overheard him mentioning to the branch head that his accommodations were uncomfortable."
"Did Theo say that?"
"Yes. Apparently, he found his stay uncomfortable, so we arranged for him to move into the dormitory starting today."
Benjamin’s bright and unbiased demeanor made it clear he was simply sharing information without any malice.
"Sure. That’s probably more comfortable for him."
Luke smirked, though irritation crept into his expression. As he suspected, Theo had left because he found the situation uncomfortable—not just the environment, but likely the people, too.
Luke couldn’t help but recall Theo’s words about taking responsibility for his injury for the rest of his life. The memory clashed with Theo’s behavior, and Luke clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"What a hypocritical bastard."
With a scowl, Luke walked past the startled Benjamin and left the branch.
***
“It seems likely that we can recover the monsters unleashed in the west within the week.”
The atmosphere in the office was steeped in seriousness as the meeting continued. Theo nodded in satisfaction at Calon’s report.
“How’s Benji doing?”
“He’s been incredibly cooperative, disclosing exactly where and how many monsters were released without withholding anything.”
Benji likely harbored resentment toward the methods of the Nox leader. His active cooperation with Heiner’s soldiers—clearly his adversaries—was proof enough of his opposition.
“Did he mention anything about his mana recovery?”
“Yes. He says it could return as early as tomorrow, though he isn’t certain.”
Since it was expected to take at least two days, there was no need to rush. Fortunately, the headquarters also remained stable without any major incidents.
“In any case, Commander, I think it would be best for you to call it a day and rest,” Calon suggested, cautiously observing Theo’s fatigued appearance. The dark circles under his eyes betrayed a lack of sleep.
“You’ve been here since early this morning. Benji is cooperating well, and his mana will return soon enough. Perhaps it’s time to set aside your worries and get some proper rest.”
Theo couldn’t meet Calon’s concerned gaze. Calon seemed convinced that Theo had spent a sleepless night burdened by concerns over the current incident, but the reality was far from that. The true reason for Theo’s restlessness was far more personal.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, Benjamin knocked and entered the room.
“Perfect timing, Benjamin. Please escort the Commander to his prepared quarters.”
“Yes, sir.”
Under normal circumstances, Theo might have ignored Calon’s suggestion and continued working. However, the memory of the previous night loomed in his mind, making it hard to concentrate. Perhaps resting, as Calon suggested, was the better option to regain focus.
“Oh, I’m not sure if I should mention this, but... Sir Luke stopped by earlier,” Benjamin added.
Theo, who had been rubbing his weary face, froze.
“Luke? Why was he here?”
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“According to him, he came to visit the medical wing.”
At the mention of the medical wing, Theo’s expression grew noticeably more severe.
“The medical wing? Why? Did he say his injury was bothering him?”
“Well... he didn’t say much about that,” Benjamin replied hesitantly, glancing nervously at Calon. Theo’s sharp tone had clearly taken him by surprise, and Calon seemed just as startled.
“With his personality, he wouldn’t come here without a good reason... Where is he now?”
“Ah, he left suddenly during our conversation, so I’m not sure where he went.”
As soon as Benjamin finished speaking, Theo abruptly rose from his seat. Without another word, he stormed out of the room, disappearing as if something urgent had occurred.
Left in stunned silence, Benjamin and Calon exchanged uneasy glances, neither speaking for a long time.