Turning Chapter 802

Chapter 802

"He's made his feelings clear, then?"

"Yes. Anyone in the mountains would have heard it at least once. Whenever he drank, he would often say that adjutant Kurlieva, being the favored disciple, avoided tedious duties and lived comfortably in the South. He frequently lamented that the position of the General's adjutant was originally his. Whether that's true or not, I can't say."

The implication of his words was straightforward: Galexentre Balfors harbored deep feelings of inferiority towards Adjutant Meghna Kurlieva, both professionally and as a fellow disciple.

"Then, Adjutant Culrieva must not be fond of Special Officer Balfors?"

"I thought the same, but I never sensed such feelings when I met her personally. More precisely, it seemed that Adjutant Culrieva avoided speaking about Special Officer Balfors altogether..."

"I see."

After responding, Kishiar thoughtfully rubbed his chin, seemingly lost in thought, then asked another question, as if something had just occurred to him.

"Have those two always had such a relationship? Being disciples of the same master, I would have thought their relationship wasn't always so strained."

Yuder sensed an implied meaning in the question, as if it was more than mere curiosity.

'Is he suggesting there's more to their relationship?'

Sunz, who seemed to have had a sudden realization, exclaimed in surprise, "Ah... I'm not sure, but now that you mention it, there is a rumor that comes to mind."

"What is it?"

"Well, just like the previous rumor, this one lacks credibility... but there was talk that Special Officer Balfors was utterly smitten with Adjutant Culrieva in his youth, following her around. Some even said they were truly in a relationship..."

Sunz frowned, as if he disliked even thinking about it.

"I tend to believe it's just a baseless rumor fueled by curiosity."

"Understood. Then, what's your opinion of Special Officer Balfors' work capabilities?"

Kishiar smoothly changed the subject with a smile, sensing Sunz' reluctance to discuss the matter further.

Sunz replied with a more relaxed expression, "Although it's rumored that his swordsmanship is much inferior to Adjutant Culrieva's, there have been no complaints regarding his work."

"So, he's competent in his duties?"

"I've been on several scouting missions with him. He was very effective in repelling monsters and detecting any signs of external intrusion. The only issue is that he can be a bit unconventional at times..."

Sunz trailed off, muttering somewhat sheepishly.

"In those times, I found him quite forgiving of minor mistakes or personal issues among us lower-ranking soldiers."

In essence, Balfors had not hidden his self-indulgent personality, preferring to overlook the slackening discipline of the soldiers during their prolonged garrison duty, which had stretched over a year.

'At least he was diligent in his duties, that's a relief.'

After hearing Sunz' story, Kishiar smiled without judging his embarrassing past but then unexpectedly asked a question.

"That's interesting. But tell me, was there really a shortage of personnel at the time that required the Southern Army's Special Officer to join regular scouting missions? To my knowledge, that's not typically within the scope of a Special Officer's primary duties."

In the Imperial Army, there existed a traditional and renowned special unit called the Special Brigades. The high-ranking officers of this unit were referred to as Special Officers.

The Special Brigades were known for gathering exceptionally skilled soldiers in swordsmanship. In the past, it was said that this unit comprised individuals capable of standing against knights who could produce fragments of aura.

In essence, they were a unit of the Imperial Army, each worth a hundred men – a secret weapon of sorts.

"Well, that's all ancient history now."

The current Special Brigades had long lost their former glory. As the number of outstanding knights decreased, so did the number of skilled members in the Special Brigades. In a decade or so, Sunz's Special Forces might even surpass the Special Brigades.

'Even so, it's unlikely that someone of a Special Officer's rank would frequently wander about without substantial duties.'

Yuder nodded in agreement with Kishiar's observation.

"Yes, such tasks were not typical for a Special Officer. Initially, he hardly ever went on scouting missions, but at some point, perhaps out of boredom, he began joining the scouts during his personal missions."

"So, he didn't regularly join the scouts from the beginning but occasionally joined them along the way."

"Ah, yes. That would be more accurate."

In short, Balfors had a habit of wandering around and, when bored, would join the scouting soldiers for no particular reason.

"Did Gino allow such a freewheeling attitude?"

"As he significantly contributed to the scouting achievements, the General did not object."

After the Red Stone fell, the area was frequently targeted by foreign and unknown forces. The Emperor sent the Southern Army there to prevent possible loss of the Red Stone and to protect ordinary citizens of the Empire, but this didn't necessarily quiet the enemies.

Even when they went to recover it, weren't there assassins who somehow knew and attacked?

'Their identities remained unknown until the end.'

As Yuder reminisced, Kishiar continued his questioning.

"Does Balfors' success in repelling external incursions mean he had good observational skills? Or was he adept at managing soldiers?"

"Uh... the former. He was better at detecting signs of enemy infiltration into the mountains than engaging in direct combat. My ability naturally enhances my night vision, so I often took night shifts in place of my comrades. I frequently saw him patrolling outside for reconnaissance. He seemed to do his job well."

Suddenly, a subtle smile appeared on the lips of Kishiar.

"Is that so? Well, possessing the ability to see through things, it wouldn't have been difficult for you to spot someone hiding in the darkness of the night from afar, if you set your mind to it."

"Haha, yes."

Afterwards, Kishiar exchanged a few seemingly unimportant words with Sunz before signaling the end of the conversation.

"That will be all for the questions. I think I have heard enough. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"It's no problem. I'm just glad I could be of any help to you, Commander."

"I assure you, both I and His Majesty the Emperor will not forget your loyalty and assistance."

Sunz, flustered by such high praise, as he didn't think his answers were that significant, soon left with a shy yet gratified expression.

After Sunz closed the door and his footsteps faded away, Yuder quietly spoke with an expressionless face.

"Did you discover anything?"

"At first, I just wanted to dig a little into the old relationship between Meghna Kurlieva and Galexentre Balfors. But now, it seems I might have stumbled upon something even bigger."

Kishiar's smile remained deep and enigmatic.

"Would you like to sit down? Your legs must be tired."

"I'm fine..."

"I'm not."

A short while later, Yuder found himself not sitting across from Kishiar, but rather side by side in close proximity. Mysteriously, a plate of cake was now present on the table, its arrival unnoticed.

"Here, eat while you listen."

"When did you bring this here?"

"Abilities are for moments like this."

The response came back nonchalantly, almost shamelessly.

Who would use their ability to manipulate push and pull to secretly bring in a plate of cake? Yuder, astonished by the absurdity but faced with a man who seemed determined not to speak until he took a bite, reluctantly cut a piece of the chocolate cake and put it in his mouth. As he did so, Kishiar began his story with evident enjoyment.

"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."