Turning Chapter 803

Chapter 803

"From what I've deduced, there's a very high possibility that Meghna Kurlieva and Galexentre Balfors shared a deeper, more personal relationship in the past than they do now."

Yuder's hand, which was habitually moving to cut the next piece, suddenly froze.

"...Are you saying that the rumor Sunz mentioned is true?"

"Yes. But their relationship isn’t the same now. And Balfors, that man..."

Kishiar placed his hand over Yuder's halted one, overlapping them, and chuckled softly.

"He's definitely a spy. I’m absolutely certain."

"A spy? How can you be so sure about that..."

"Shh. Just a moment."

Kishiar winked, pausing mid-sentence. His long fingers gracefully maneuvered Yuder's hand. After precisely cutting the cake into a bite-sized piece and bringing it to his lips, Kishiar finally removed his hand.

"Now, there's no need to be impatient. I'll continue explaining, don't worry."

Yuder began to chew the cake somewhat blandly, and Kishiar continued his explanation.

"Do you remember the mercenaries who died trying to steal the Red Stone during the previous retrieval operation?"

"Yes, I remember. I don't know who hired them, but they seemed very well-prepared."

"The client who orchestrated that mission had hired mercenaries who were somewhat fearless due to their Awakener powers, recruited from outside the country. He had enough inside information to easily breach the Southern Army's blockade around the mountains and send them to where the Red Stone was. Moreover, he took the precaution of making the mercenaries take oaths and even double oaths, showing meticulousness in case they were caught.”

"Yes, even though the discipline of the rank-and-file of the Southern Army was quite lax at that time, the fact that they were able to wait in the mountains for days without being detected is remarkable. At that time, the Emperor and I suspected that the person who commanded them must be someone inside the military, certainly a high-ranking individual."

"Does that mean... even General Gino was under suspicion?"

At Yuder's cautious question, Kishiar nodded without hesitation.

"Exactly. Why would General Gino be an exception? At that time, he failed to notice the breach in the Southern Army's blockade for days, nor could he accurately identify the mercenaries' traces and the evidence of who was behind them. From the standpoint of trust, it was difficult to be certain whether it was a mere mistake or a betrayal disguised as an error."

Yuder seemed to perceive a glimpse of the many challenges that Emperor Keilusa and Kishiar must have faced throughout their journey in that statement.

Although the situation warranted suspicion, the name Gino Bodelli was not to be taken lightly. He wasn't just any Southern Army general; he was a swordmaster respected across the Empire and the entire continent.

It would be risky to show suspicion towards someone who, without seeking any personal gain, had served the Emperor with utter loyalty and been an exemplary figure to his soldiers. Such a move could potentially alienate one of the few allies the Emperor had.

If a globally revered swordmaster and living legend like General Gino were to express his grievances and turn his back on the imperial family, it would be a welcome opportunity for the four major ducal families and the noble faction, who were hostile to the imperial family.

"So... what happened then?"

Yuder's eyes sharpened with the question. However, unlike the sharpness in his gaze, the lower part of his face, mechanically continuing to take bites of the cake, lacked his usual coldness.

Kishiar couldn't help but smile fondly at the scene before him.

"Well, as you can see from the fact that Gino is still fine, our own investigation concluded that Gino Bodelli himself is innocent. However, there's a strong possibility that someone under him might have betrayed us," he said.

Kishiar and Emperor Keilusa had surmised that this someone must have been close enough to General Gino to have known about the sudden Red Stone retrieval operation.

Yet, even after informing General Gino of this suspicion and thoroughly searching within the Southern Army, they couldn't find the traitor.

"Gino took it very hard. He probably even considered retiring because of it."

"If the traitor was one of the general's close aides, his retirement would have been the best way to shake them up," Yuder commented.

"Yes. Anyway, there were two implications for us. First, the traitor who passed information to the mercenaries was skilled enough to deceive even Gino's eyes. Second, it was too risky to keep such a person within our ranks. So, we..."

Kishiar winked playfully as he continued.

"We began a fundamental restructuring of the Southern Army's power hierarchy. You know what that means, right?"

Yuder's mind was suddenly struck by the faces of Sunz and Emon.

"That's right. That's why the Special Forces unit was formed."

If the traitor was indeed among the existing forces, it was better to replace them with a completely new and strong force that was above suspicion.

The previously unknown, lower-ranked soldiers who were talented Awakener soldiers with immense potential were perfect for the role.

"Yes. Your discovery of Awakener soldiers like Sunz and Emon back then was a brilliant move."

Without that, Kishiar might not have been able to use the Awakener soldiers to overhaul the Southern Army and would have had to seriously consider General Gino's retirement.

It was an unintended yet effective outcome of revealing the existence of the Awakener soldiers.

"Anyway, I've been curious about who could walk among us unnoticed, even evading the eyes of Gino and us... After learning the intricacies of the military's internal relationships, which are hidden from those at the top, it feels like we're finally getting a sense of who the culprit might be."

"Certainly... Being General Gino's disciple and a Special Officer, Galexentre Balfors would have had easy access to information and freedom of movement. His continuous participation in seemingly unnecessary reconnaissance missions also suggests this."

"Yes. I suspect his uncanny ability to detect enemy intrusions wasn't a coincidence. He must have played his cards to remain in that position by earning Gino's recognition for his abilities, despite not really deserving it."

"Hmm... His messy personal life but competent work performance could have also diverted General Gino and others' attention."

"Yes. Gino is an excellent General and swordsman, but he has a cold side where he shows little interest in those who don't meet his standards."

"Do you think he staged the enemy intrusions?"

"After having a casual chat with Sunz and hearing more about what he saw, I think so."

Kishiar answered with a tone of conviction.

"Suns might not have realized it, but the actions of Galexentre he witnessed, along with several traces, matched remarkably with some suspicious occurrences I had discovered during my previous investigation around the military base's location," Kishiar mused.

It seemed that what was initially thought to be a casual end to the story turned out to be far more significant.

"Now, I plan to delve deeper into Balfors's service records and the events that occurred around that time. Examining how his service record changed around the days we visited there might reveal some interesting results."

"Adding the Cavalry's investigation to that could secure irrefutable evidence," Yuder added.

"Yes, of course, that will be necessary," Kishiar agreed with a smile.

"By the way, you've already finished your piece. Would you like another?"

"I’m fine..."

Before Yuder could even complete his response, he noticed a plate smoothly floating and gliding towards him from behind, as if carried by an unseen force.