I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

Leo tilted his head at Luke's increasingly serious expression.

"Shall we step outside for now? It's pretty chaotic in here, and I doubt it's the best place for a conversation."

Leo pointed toward the busy office, where members of the unit were scurrying around. The two of them stepped out into the hallway.

"What's going on?"

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"What do you think? Of course, something's going on. Everyone here seems completely insane."

"What?"

Luke furrowed his brows and gazed out the window. Beyond it, several members were fervently engaged in training.

"I mean, isn’t it weird that they all bow to me at a perfect 90-degree angle when they see me?"

It had happened on his way to the office after arriving at headquarters. Every member he passed saluted him with intense formality and bowed deeply. A few even awkwardly threw out words of encouragement, which only made Luke feel more unsettled.

In the past, members naturally showed respect for him, but now Luke was merely an advisor—not a soldier. As someone unrelated to the military hierarchy, there was no reason for him to receive such treatment. Especially given that his return to headquarters was still met with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

"And there's something else strange."

"What’s that?"

Leo looked even more amused now, watching the increasingly serious Luke. The more Luke frowned, the brighter Leo’s face seemed to become.

"I ran into those two irritating bastards on my way here."

"Irritating bastards?"

Leo tilted his head in confusion, not understanding who Luke was referring to. Luke helpfully clarified, "I mean Mile and Seth."

"Ugh, what did they say this time?"

Luke recalled the moment he encountered them earlier. Before entering the building, he had turned a corner and locked eyes with the two of them. Both parties had immediately scowled at each other. But then, unexpectedly, Mile and Seth approached him.

He had braced himself, expecting their usual snide remarks. But to his utter shock, Mile said something completely out of character:

"Hey. Starting with the investigation unit today, right? Good luck."

"What, did you get drunk early in the morning or something?"

Mile, despite his grimace, had muttered words of encouragement. Luke had felt goosebumps rising all over his body. They left right after saying that, avoiding any further interaction. Yet the whole thing had felt absurd.

At one point, Luke even doubted whether he had recognized them correctly. But the more he thought about it, the more certain he became—it had been Mile and Seth.

"Hah, so that’s what happened. Must’ve been unsettling."

"Of course, it was! What’s wrong with everyone these days? Theo, too, has been acting strange."

Luke rubbed his shoulder, feeling a chill. The atmosphere at headquarters, unchanged from when he’d left months ago, suddenly felt alien and unfamiliar.

"Do you want to know why the atmosphere’s changed?"

"What, you know something?"

Leo smirked mischievously.

"Yep, I know exactly why."

"Then spill it."

Leo’s grin widened as he stepped closer to Luke. He lowered his voice, leaning in as if to whisper the secret. But just as he was about to speak, someone grabbed Luke’s shoulder and yanked him back.

Startled by the sudden touch, Luke instinctively clenched his fist. But when he saw who it was, his wariness immediately disappeared.

"What the hell, why are you pulling me back like that? You scared me."

"..."

Theo had just arrived from the commander’s office, and his expression was far from pleasant as he alternated his gaze between Luke and the grinning Leo.

"Good morning, Commander. Lovely morning, isn’t it?"

"...Sure. What were you two talking about?"

"Oh, it was nothing..."

Leo hummed casually, glancing at Luke.

"Nothing worth mentioning."

Luke, either too tired to explain or simply unwilling, kept his reply short. Theo’s expression remained displeased, but he didn’t press further.

"Well then, I’ll get back to helping organize the office."

Leo saluted cheerfully before slipping back into the room.

"Luke. Did you get up early this morning? I was waiting to help you, but you’d already left."

The moment Leo disappeared, Theo wasted no time firing off his question. He had been waiting outside Luke’s door that morning, prepared to assist, but by the time he’d learned from the butler that Luke had already left, the disappointment had been palpable.

Luke’s eyebrow twitched.

"Of course, I got up early. I’m starting work today, so what kind of idiot would oversleep?"

During his eight months in Calum, he’d had no strict obligations and could afford a relaxed schedule. But now that circumstances had changed, Luke had naturally reverted to his disciplined routine from his days as a soldier.

"Got it. Then I’ll make sure to get up even earlier from now on."

"What am I, a baby? I can handle myself just fine."

"That aside, you should avoid talking to the members like that."

Ignoring Luke’s retort, Theo smoothly shifted the conversation.

"What do you mean by ‘like that’? Are you «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» saying I shouldn’t talk to Leo at all?"

"That’s not it. It’s just... you were too close."

Close? Luke pondered Theo’s words, recalling how Leo had leaned in earlier to explain something. Suddenly, he smirked and shot back, "What’s it to you?"

Luke, with a mischievous grin, stood slightly on tiptoe and leaned into Theo’s personal space. Caught off guard, Theo froze.

"I get this close to you all the time."

With a huff of amusement, Luke dismissed the remark as unnecessary meddling and stepped into the office.

Theo exhaled sharply and turned to the window. Unlocking it, he pushed it open, letting the cool morning air sweep in. The chill against his skin finally brought him some relief.

After rubbing his ears to dispel the lingering warmth, he closed the window and locked it once more.

"That face is dangerous first thing in the morning," he muttered under his breath before following Luke into the office.

"Alright, everyone’s here," Theo announced, surveying the room. He nodded in approval.

The Welharun investigation unit consisted of Theo, Luke, Leo, and ten members selected from the 7th Unit.

"You’ve probably heard from Leo, but this mission is incredibly sensitive. Under no circumstances should anything discussed here be leaked outside the group. I trust you all understand the gravity of this."

"Yes, sir!"

The members responded with a resounding chorus, their discipline apparent. For soldiers tasked with such specialized missions, maintaining secrecy was a fundamental duty.

"You’ve all submitted your confidentiality agreements to the administrative unit, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Paul, speaking on behalf of the group, confirmed. He had personally collected and submitted them earlier that morning. Although confidentiality was an implicit expectation for military personnel, Theo had taken the unusual step of requiring formal agreements for this mission.

"You’re probably wondering about a lot of things—why the confidentiality agreement was necessary, or why the team for such an important mission is so small."

Luke nodded slowly, as if waiting for further explanation. Indeed, the team’s size seemed far too small for an investigation of this magnitude.

"There’s something the Emperor himself has personally ordered, beyond what was mentioned in the captain’s meeting."

Luke’s eyes widened slightly as he looked at Theo. It wasn’t enough for Cedric to order Theo to lead the investigation unit—he had issued another directive as well?

Luke thought of Cedric and clicked his tongue internally.