Chapter 114
In the chambers of strategy and shadows, Yan and the Chief Instructor, guided by the Crown Prince’s counsel, decided to cohabit Yan’s quarters, dedicating their vigilance to the protection of the most pivotal figure, Lia.
This alliance shielded Yan from crossing paths with other trainees, despite the passage of considerable time since his return to the training grounds.
“Shouldn’t you return to your duties, Director of Inspection?” Yan inquired.
“A lack of pressing matters grants me this respite,” came the nonchalant reply.
Diana, the head of the Inspection Bureau, too, had not retreated to the capital, driven by a singular resolve to apprehend the Special Task Force Commander.
The Chief Instructor, visibly irked by her persistence, muttered under his breath, “Perhaps returning would be wise.”
“What was that?” Diana snapped.
“Nothing,” he dismissed.
While Diana’s presence was a boon, her approach towards Lia was a point of contention. The Chief Instructor sought to unravel Lia’s memories for conclusive evidence, while Diana condemned such actions, fearing they would inflict lifelong trauma on Lia.
Yan, witnessing their petty squabble, broke the silence, “It’s eerily quiet, isn’t it?”
“What is?” both turned to him.
“The Special Task Force Commander,” Yan clarified.
With merely five days remaining until the Commander’s hearing, they pondered how to disrupt the proceedings or eliminate evidence.
“Not once have they stormed the training grounds or sent assassins,” Yan mused, a sentiment echoed by the others with a shared murmur of agreement.
“Indeed, our adversary isn’t one to surrender so readily,” Diana concurred, her gaze heavy.
The Chief Instructor peered through the window, “The Task Force’s agents are indeed lurking outside.”
Despite the temptation to confront them, they refrained, wary of a potential trap designed to extract them from the training grounds.
This caution plunged them into an information void, further exacerbated by the emergence of a spy, rendering the senior instructors untrustworthy.
Their only lifelines were the sporadic updates from the Crown Prince and reports from the Inspection Bureau through Diana, though this did little to alleviate their frustration.
“The Crown Prince hasn’t mentioned anything unusual, has he?” the Chief Instructor probed.
“No news suggests no calamity,” Diana reassured.
“And the Bureau?”
“The inspectors remain indifferent unless it concerns their cases.”
Yan’s gaze settled on Lia, asleep on the bed, his mind fraught with unease.
‘Trusting solely in Lia until the hearing feels perilously uncertain,’ he thought, Leon’s recent assurances notwithstanding.
The memory of a near-death experience in the underground waterways made trusting Leon challenging, given the stark contrast between the former Emperor Leon and the current Crown Prince.
‘Could Leon be merely acting?’
Yan shook his head dismissively.
In this war to dethrone the Task Force’s Commander, if Leon were acting, the only spoils would be the Commander’s trust and their downfall—a meager prize for an imperial heir.
‘Leon wouldn’t stoop to such theatrics.’
Thus, the likelihood of Leon’s duplicity seemed slim.
And if not an act, then what was Leon’s endgame?
The answer eluded Yan, prompting him to shelve his suspicions, lest they breed unwarranted prejudice.
At that moment, a vibration erupted from the Chief Instructor’s pocket.
As Yan and Diana’s eyes turned, the Chief Instructor smirked, “Speak of the tiger, and it appears.”
Skillfully activating the communication orb, a faint silhouette emerged.
It was Leon, his voice laced with urgency.
“Damian! Get out of there—”
Leon’s haste led him to utter the Chief Instructor’s despised true name.
A sudden commotion interrupted them.
“Chief Instructor, the Royal Knights are at the gates demanding custody of you and trainee number 974!”
The room’s atmosphere turned to stone.
And so, the intricate dance of power and secrets continues within the empire’s heart.
* * *
The Trainees’ Gaze
The trainees gaped at the Royal Knights, standing majestic at the training grounds’ gates.
“Wow…”
“Is that one of the mightiest knights of the empire?”
“Such nobility.”
“He looks so young, yet he’s that powerful?”
“Doesn’t deepening one’s realm rejuvenate you?”
The trainees’ reactions to the Royal Knights varied, with most casting admiring glances at their resplendent armor and commanding aura.
However, the noble-born trainees were more curious about the reason behind the Royal Knights’ visit than their appearance.
The Emperor’s sword and shield at the training grounds, seeking the Chief Instructor and the top trainee?
‘Did the Chief Instructor cause some trouble?’
‘…Could this mean the end of the Dragon Soldier Project?’
‘Surely, the fallout wouldn’t reach us, right?’
‘Damn it! Does all my hard work amount to nothing?’
‘Was the Chief Instructor favoring that guy Yan? Looks like they’ve been caught.’
Some trainees fretted over the potential dissolution of the Dragon Soldier Project and the nullification of their efforts.
And then there was the group that kept to themselves, not mingling with the others.
“Look! The Royal Knights!”
“Indeed, their mere presence sends shivers down the spine.”
These were the ones who had taken the test with Yan.
Charl and Roman’s eyes sparkled with admiration for the Royal Knights.
Cruel twisted his lips at their fortunate conversation.
“You fools. Have you considered why those Royal Knights you so admire are here?”
Lorena and Kasa nodded gravely at Cruel’s words.
“If they’ve left the Emperor’s side to come here, it must be for no small matter.”
“Knowing the Chief Instructor’s temperament, if he’s caused trouble, it must be serious.”
Cruel turned to Lorena.
“Has Duke Beowulf said anything about this?”
“Nothing.”
“Well, Duke Beowulf isn’t one to concern himself with political affairs.”
Not just Duke Beowulf, but other dukes also showed little interest in the political games of the capital.
Ifrain mused, recalling a recent ceremony in the capital.
“Yan was directly recognized by His Majesty the Emperor; they can’t easily punish them. There’s still some time left…”
If Yan was commended by the Emperor at the capital’s ceremony and then punished soon after, it would make a mockery of the Emperor.
“Is there any way we can help Yan?”
Charl asked with concern.
“Let’s see…”
Ifrain furrowed his brows, about to suggest something when…
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Cruel scoffed at Charl and Ifrain.
“In my opinion, any move you make might backfire on him.”
Roman agreed with Cruel.
“If he was meant to die over such matters, he would have perished long ago.”
Ifrain laughed bitterly at their words.
“True… With his wits, he might have already prepared a contingency plan. We might inadvertently interfere with it.”
At this, Charl looked back and forth between Cruel and Roman with wide eyes.
Cruel frowned at the uncomfortable gaze.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
At his sharp response, Charl grinned.
“It’s just funny how you always fight, but when it comes to Yan, you get along so well.”
At Charl’ words, Cruel exploded.
“Are you kidding me? Are you saying I like that guy Yan or something!”
* * *
The Chill Within
Contrary to the heated atmosphere outside, the air inside Yan’s quarters was frozen with tension, a weighty silence imposed by the name “Royal Knights.”
“What has transpired here?” Diana asked, her face set in stone.
The internal strife within the Special Task Force was known, but the involvement of the Royal Knights was unforeseen.
The Royal Knights, the undisputed might of the empire, nay, the continent’s strongest knights.
Why would they, devoted solely to the Emperor’s protection, need Yan and the Chief Instructor?
Yan, with a somber gaze, broke the silence.
“Perhaps His Majesty the Emperor has intervened.”
“Ha!” Diana let out a bitter laugh.
It was as Yan had told her; the Emperor had ordered the Special Task Force Commander to conduct human experiments.
“What is becoming of our nation?”
She had thought the Commander acted alone when she heard the story at the Inspection Bureau headquarters.
But it wasn’t so.
Was the Emperor breaking the founding oath, akin to the nation’s ideology?
The Commander’s usual conduct suggested he would stoop to anything for the empire, but the Emperor was different.
The father of his people, the leader meant to guide the empire, entangled in such filth.
Diana quietly observed Yan and asked,
“Is this why His Highness the Crown Prince has supported the Chief Instructor?”
Yan merely shrugged, adding no further comment.
Beside them, the Chief Instructor clutched his forehead, chuckling darkly.
“The Special Task Force Commander indeed. I thought we had cornered him, but to counterattack like this…”
They had thought the Commander’s downfall was assured with the upcoming hearing, but an unexpected counteroffensive was not anticipated.
The Commander’s moves were inscrutable.
It was no coincidence he held his title.
Yan rose from his seat.
“Discussing amongst ourselves changes nothing. We cannot fight the Royal Knights.”
At Yan’s words, the others nodded in agreement.
Though the three gathered here could challenge the absolute might of the Royal Knights if they chose to fight.
But the issue was one of justification.
To use force now, to escape this moment, would surely bring a greater backlash.
“Always the one conducting arrests, now it’s my turn to be taken,” the Chief Instructor mused with a wry smile.
And so, they headed towards the training grounds’ main gate, where the Royal Knights awaited.