HPDBC Chapter 55
Chapter 55
"I’ll stay over," Theo said, clearly meaning he intended to spend the night. But this was Luke’s house, of all places, and their past relationship had been nothing short of rivalrous. While their long-standing feud had technically ended, that didn’t mean they’d become close enough to casually stay over at each other’s homes.
"Seriously? You’re joking, right?"
Theo stared at Luke, his expression silently asking, "Do I look like I’m joking?" But if he wasn’t joking, and he was serious, it made even less sense.
"I plan to continue my investigation at the Kyleum branch for a while."
"You do realize you’re the Commander-in-Chief, don’t you?"
"I have plenty of capable subordinates. The military won’t crumble just because I step away for a few days. Surely, you of all people know that."
Luke resisted the urge to retort.
The Commander-in-Chief was the highest-ranking officer in the military, the ultimate decision-maker in charge of headquarters and all branches. Naturally, it was an immensely important position. However, as Theo pointed out, the military was resilient enough to handle his temporary absence, supported by a team of highly competent generals. Plus, with warp magic enabling rapid travel back to headquarters, Theo could afford to go on these inspections without much concern.
"That’s what task forces are for. Send one to investigate instead. Do you have any idea how much effort it took to get you into that position?"
"What did you just say?"
"I said you’re not staying here."
Luke’s voice was resolute. It wasn’t as if the Kyleum branch wouldn’t have arranged accommodations for the Commander-in-Chief. They’d undoubtedly prepared a luxurious suite for him, yet here he was, insisting on staying in Luke’s house in a remote village. Luke couldn’t comprehend why.
"Why not? It looks like you’ve got plenty of rooms."
Luke let out a short sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The soft silver strands fell messily around his face.
"I don’t want to be involved with you anymore."
Theo blinked slowly, taking in the weight of Luke’s words. Strictly speaking, it was meant as advice for Theo’s sake, but this was the only way Luke could convey it.
"I think you’re misunderstanding something, Luke. I just meant that it’s too late to return to the branch today, so I was asking for a place to stay for one night," Theo replied, his tone steady despite the harshness of Luke’s words.
"Or did you take my words to mean something else?"
"Hey, what the—"
Luke’s face twisted in irritation. It wasn’t anything specific about Theo’s words; he simply found Theo’s presence in his space unsettling. They had spent years clashing and fulfilling different roles within the Imperial Army—there was no way he could feel comfortable around him.@@@@
"There’s an empty room upstairs."
Luke didn’t want to argue further. He turned and left the room, with Theo silently following. At the top of the stairs, the nearest door was Luke’s bedroom, while another room, unused and undecorated, sat further down the hall. Luke gestured to it.
"That one’s yours. Here’s the layout of the house."
"And where’s your room?"
As they reached the last step, Luke’s foot slipped, and he pitched forward. Without thinking, Theo lunged, catching him around the waist just in time to prevent the fall.
Luke mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, still too groggy to register what had happened. Was he always this much of a heavy sleeper? The man Theo had known had always emerged for dawn training, sharp and immaculately composed. The contrast was almost jarring.
As Theo noticed how thin Luke’s waist was under his hand, he heard footsteps approaching. Phael appeared, stepping out of the kitchen.
“...Oh.”
Their eyes met. Phael, having been informed the previous day that Theo would stay overnight at Luke’s house, wasn’t particularly surprised to see him. However, upon noticing Luke dangling limply in Theo’s arms, Phael froze, his hand halfway to a salute.
“I—I’m sorry for intruding....”
“What exactly do you think you’re intruding on?” Theo retorted sharply. “Instead of standing there, why don’t you help?”
Startled into action, Phael rushed over.
“I have to leave soon. Take Luke back to his room,” Theo instructed, carefully passing Luke over to Phael. Though Luke remained mostly unresponsive, he mumbled incoherently and showed no signs of waking.
Phael expertly draped Luke’s arm over his shoulder and secured his waist with one hand, clearly accustomed to assisting him.
“Take care, Commander,” Phael said.
As Phael began guiding Luke up the stairs, Theo’s gaze lingered on the way Phael supported Luke’s waist. Abruptly, Theo stepped forward.
“I’ll do it.”
“Excuse me?”
“On second thought, I’m stronger than you. I’ll take care of it.”
Though confused, Phael obediently handed Luke back to Theo, who lifted him effortlessly and carried him upstairs. Once in Luke’s room, Theo laid him gently on the bed and tucked the blankets snugly around him.
The impromptu mission was a success, but it delayed Theo’s departure by nearly twenty minutes. If this had been an actual battlefield operation, the outcome would have been marked as a failure.
As Theo exited Luke’s house, the communication crystal in his pocket began to emit a faint magical signal. He retrieved it and tapped it lightly, causing it to expand to its full size. A familiar voice soon emanated from the crystal.
— “This is Calon, Branch Commander. Good morning, Commander.”
Calon greeted him smoothly, as always. Theo hadn’t stayed at the accommodations the branch had prepared for him the previous night, but he had informed Calon of his location through a communication link.
— “Will you be heading to the branch directly?”
“No. There’s a place I need to visit first. Once I’ve confirmed something, I’ll head to the branch.”
— “Understood, sir.”
The communication ended, and the crystal returned to its dormant state. Theo shrank it back down and tucked it into his pocket before gazing toward a distant mountain.
It was the site where the Faceless Mercenary had first slain a monster.