Chapter 78
“Have you ever been to keros before?”
“A couple of tis before.”
“It’s a good city, isn’t it, Mr. Athus?”
“…This feels very awkward.”
A polite question was t with a polite answer.
The man with the jade-colored eyes scratched the corner of his eye, unable to hide his awkwardness.
“You can just act as you did in the past, Senior.”
“It is a courtesy to the guest, Junior.”
Bukenos, the Chief of Staff of the 11th Legion, smiled faintly. Athus spoke without hiding his discomfort.
“Does it feel unbearable for the scoundrel of the law departnt to be talking about courtesy?”
“The Senior I rember was a courteous man.”
The man with jade-colored eyes shook his head.
He had watched Bukenos’s school life from the side.
He was a man who couldn’t stand injustice and would raise his voice against unfairness.
In fact, he brought about many changes.
“He just always carried a hatchet.”
“I still carry it.”
“…”
Bukenos opened his coat and briefly showed him the hatchet.
It was the sa hatchet he had often seen during his school days, which he loved to use to persuade people.
Since they last saw each other, the handle had beco very smooth.
It seed that he had to persuade people quite a bit even after his school days.
“Oh, I’m sorry for digging into your past. Please don’t bla Professor Horaimos, Junior.”
“It’s alright.”
The two n looked at each other and shared a small laugh.
Although they hadn’t seen each other in a long ti, it was strangely the sa as before.
They had studied at the Imperial Academy around the sa ti and had lived together for several years in the sa dormitory.
It was also where Ferbias Caseptus, who was now just waiting for the day he would beco Emperor, had been.
“Is His Highness Ferbias doing well?”
“I haven’t seen him for a few months either. He must be very busy.”
Athus looked into the distance with his jade-colored eyes.
Ferbias Caseptus, his closest friend and the master he served.
He had to hurry back with Zionis’s head.
“His Highness often talks about you, Senior Bukenos.”
“No way. He didn’t seem very interested in .”
“He just can’t forget how you completely wiped him out in a card ga.”
“…By any chance, does he know I cheated?”
“He asked, so I told him honestly.”
“My goodness, I should never go near the Imperial Palace again.”
Bukenos chuckled.
He wanted to show a courteous side as an adult.
But the person he thought he had lost a long ti ago, the Hatchet of the law departnt, kept raising his head.
Athus was in a similar state of mind, so a gentle smile spread across his face.
Oh my, how unfamiliar.
Shadi Shandor felt a sense of wonder.
Listening to their conversation, he felt like Athus was a different person from the one he knew.
The man who was always so stoic was showing a hint of cheerfulness when he was with his senior from school.
“I have already arranged a place for you to stay. It’s where envoys from the west often stay, so it won’t be uncomfortable.”
Bukenos explained.
There were several rooms in one suite, so it would be enough for the three of them.
The three security knights, who were used to sleeping outdoors, nodded with deep gratitude.
“I’ll be working in keros for a while, so if you need any help, co find , Junior.”
“I’ll just ask for the one thing I ntioned.”
“I’ll send it to your lodging today.”
The Chief of Staff of the 11th Legion extended his hand. Athus took his hand and shook it.
“Then have a good day, Mr. Athus and your companions.”
Athus waved his hand at the back of his departing senior.
It was a pleasant encounter.
However, he didn’t show it.
It was just the way he lived.
Only after Bukenos was out of sight did Ubias Ubias Uterbeum tremble.
“…What happened, Commander Athus?”
Ubias Ubias Uterbeum, Athus’s subordinate and Shadi Shandor’s subordinate.
“That was the Chief of Staff of the 11th Legion, right? I knew you two were senior and junior, but why did he suddenly beco so friendly?”
“I got the cooperation of the Whale of Hobel Bay.”
“No, I an, how did you manage to do that?!”
As expected of Commander Athus, please let respect you for the rest of my life!
Ubias began to squeal like a girl.
Athus still found it hard to understand how Ubias had beco the subordinate of the head of the Special Operations Unit.
He didn’t seem to be a good fit for a position that handled information.
However, he was indeed skilled, so Athus just gave a light smile.
“Keep your voice down, Ubias.”
The one who was annoyed was the curly-haired woman who was still blind, the head of the Special Operations Unit, Shadi Shandor.
She pressed her temples with irritation.
Since she couldn’t see, her hearing was sensitive.
Her subordinate’s voice was quite annoying.
“How many tis have I told you it reverberates?”
“Ah, I’m sorry. It just makes so excited when the three of us are together like this.”
Ubias wasn’t discouraged by the scolding.
Shadi eventually smiled too.
It was natural since it reminded her of the ti when Athus was the head of the Special Operations Unit.
“Commander.”
Shadi Shandor said, covering her mouth.
“What did the Legion promise to bring you?”
“A list of entrants and exits. Including smugglers.”
“…There’s a list of smugglers?”
“He said there is.”
Niko Nereyades was a formidable and incredible man.
He was incredibly formidable.
There was no big smuggler in keros who wasn’t in the palm of his hand.
That’s probably why such a contradictory item as a smuggler list existed.
“Just in case, I also asked for things like ship transaction records and a ledger of slave transports. We should be able to find it here.”
“…Excuse , Commander Athus…”
Ubias asked in a small voice.
“…Won’t you tell who we’re chasing?”
“Ubias Ubias Uterbeum!”
Shadi shouted sharply.
“That’s not a question for a Special Operations Unit mber.”
“…Yes, you’re right.”
“Didn’t you learn it first? Don’t think about anything more than what you’re told.”
“…Of course, I know that, but.”
Ubias lowered his head. Athus felt apologetic.
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a regular mission for the Special Operations Unit. He patted Ubias’s shoulder.
“You’ll find out once we catch him, Ubias and we’re almost there.”
“…”
A pause.
“What if…”
Ubias asked cautiously.
“…the person we’re looking for has already crossed over to the west?”
“Then we cross over too.”
He said it as if it were a matter of course.
He swallowed the words, "I'll go to the end of the continent and cut off his head." Instead, his jade-colored eyes blazed.
“That is the path for His Highness.”
***
When they finished dinner, a centurion from the 11th Legion ca to find them.
He carefully handed them a thick, mana-sealed paper bag and left.
It contained the docunts Athus had requested.
“Do you need any help, Commander?”
“If I need it, I’ll call you.”
“Alright.”
Shadi leaned back in her chair without hesitation.
She knew the man nad Athus.
If he said he didn’t need it, he really didn’t.
The best help she could give was to be quiet so as not to disturb his concentration.
Besides, she was blind, so she couldn't help with paperwork anyway.
“Um, I was thinking of polishing my swords. Can I be next to you?”
Ubias also asked.
It was sothing he could do in his own bedroom, but he didn’t want to.
Athus shrugged.
He had already taken out his old wire-rimd glasses and put them on.
“Do as you please.”
“Should I polish the Commander’s sword too?”
“I did mine this morning.”
“You’re so diligent.”
Then I’ll do Commander Shadi’s.
Shadi Shandor took out a small dagger from her pocket and handed it to him.
Fifteen ca out.
Where did she hide them all for them to co out one after another?
This will be fun to polish. Ubias rubbed his palms and picked up an oiled cloth.
‘…’
Athus looked at the docunts.
His jade-colored eyes were imdiately deep in concentration on the mass of letters.
Feeling this, the two of them also held their breaths. They didn’t want to disturb him.
‘Niko Nereyades, all I can do is admire him…’
Where there are people, there are shadows and Niko seed to be a master at handling shadows.
The docunts only solidified his conviction.
Sillemol and keros were intentionally left as hidden breath holes.
They were like a net baited to attract those who felt stifled by the law.
A seasoned fisherman knows the movents of the fish before he pulls in the net.
Niko was exactly like that.
At first glance, Sillemol and keros seed to be rampant with lawlessness and debauchery.
However, they were all inside the old fisherman’s net.
The fish were being watched in every single movent, but they didn’t realize it.
The term "smuggler list" was also funny.
How could you count those who secretly co and go?
But the 11th Legion was counting them.
They had recorded everything with an astonishing degree of accuracy.
It was very convenient for Athus.
‘There’s a ship that ca from Sillemol to keros.’
It said it was a ship belonging to a man nad Kifkos.
It also said he was a centurion of the 11th Legion. Is the information detailed because of his background?
Athus paid attention to Kifkos’s ship.
‘The ship ca half-destroyed and the reason was a conflict with the 11th Legion Commander… A conflict with the 11th Legion Commander!?’
His jade-colored eyes widened.
A clash with the Whale of Hobel Bay?
Why?
No, more than that, how did it end with just being half-destroyed?
As he looked at the writing in surprise, he noticed sothing.
‘Only this part has different handwriting. It looks like an item that wasn’t there before was added in a hurry…’
And it was familiar handwriting.
Each letter was written with a firm press, but the end of the sentence suddenly curved upward.
It was similar to Bukenos’s handwriting, which he had often seen during his school days.
‘…Yes, it’s as if he’s shoving it in front of to read. How kind of him…’
It was information that had been blatantly inserted.
It was clearly to help Athus.
The embarrassnt that hadn’t disappeared raised its head.
Why was the 11th Legion suddenly helping him to this extent?
What was in the na Aretion?
The question arose, but he suppressed it.
There was still work to be done.
It was a higher priority to track the whereabouts of the 5th Prince Zionis.
‘Kifkos’s gang bought a new ship and left for the south.’
It said they went to the Hanchamus Islands.
‘But two people split off.’
It was all written there.
One was the man with sideburns, and the other was a boy who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen.
The boy seed to have noticed the tail.
The information was unusually detailed.
Well, anyone who survived a direct confrontation with the 11th Legion Commander would be more than worthy of being a special managent target.
‘They set sail to the west six days ago, and the estimated destination… is…’
His chilly jade-colored eyes sank as if they were turning over. Athus was silent for a long ti.
‘…’
Ubias, who was polishing his sword, trembled.
It was because he felt a chill.
Shadi Shandor opened her mouth.
“Commander Athus, did you find them?”
“…Yes.”
“That’s good news, so why are you radiating such a murderous aura?”
“…Read it.”
The man with jade-colored eyes silently held out the docunt.
It was only the part about the estimated destination.
Shadi grumbled with a pout.
“Asking a blind person to read it is too much. Ubias, you read it.”
“Yes.”
Ubias put down the sword he was polishing.
“There’s a ship that set sail six days ago, and looking at the direction it’s heading, the destination… is…?”
Ubias Ubias Uterbeum rubbed his eyes.
“Uh, uh…”
He thought he had seen it wrong, but he hadn’t.
“…Arete Island.”
My goodness, Shadi gasped.
Arete, the cursed island.
The place from old stories that no one in the Empire could not know.
Shadi Shandor pressed her forehead with a complicated expression.
“…Huu.”
Athus took a deep breath.
He was an Aretion.
The last descendant of a family that was once the master of Arete Island but fell into a miserable ruin.
His furrowed brow wouldn’t straighten, and his throat felt tight as if sothing was lodged in it.
“There’s no choice.”
“…Are you going, Commander Athus?”
“Of course. Get up.”
He felt as if he was seeing a hallucination.
The fair-haired, blue-eyed, handso prince seed to be sneering.
It was as if the 5th Prince Zionis knew everything and was gesturing for him to co.
“We must depart for Arete imdiately.”
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