"You knew about this, didn't you? "Ewan exclaimed angrily, while pushing Carciem against the wall.
The nearby soldiers started to take a step forward, but a hand raised towards them by their superior made them stop immediately.
The young hunter had a firm grip on the front of the Quartermaster General's collar, even lifting him slightly off the ground.
Carciem, on the other hand, looked like the ideal culprit: he didn't deny it, nor did he try to make the situation any worse. He had remained silent, accepting the wrath of his friend without even trying to defend himself against the physical attack he suffered.
If the blond man regretted something, deep down, it was that his plan had been discovered earlier than expected by Ewan. However, he was smart enough to avoid mentioning this fact, while he was in a delicate position.
Even if the young hunter had control over his emotions, such a revelation might trigger a violent outburst from him.
As for Ewan, he was angry at himself for having been so foolish. He had forgotten the main 'quality' that had allowed Carciem to be promoted so quickly to command.
The man was calculating, and knew how to make the people around him act like expendable pieces on a game board. Every time he had acted like that during their days at the military academy, Ewan had not been able to stop himself from hitting him; and no doubt, he had acted exactly the same way in the present situation.
Yet, the young man was showing exceptional self-control, although he felt like throwing punch after punch at the man currently at his mercy.
"The worst thing about this is that I don't even have to ask you 'why'," he said through clenched teeth. "I know perfectly well what train of thought you went through, to make such a decision..."
Carciem was about to retort something, but Ewan immediately spoke up again to stop him from speaking.
"But even knowing that, I can not help but want to beat the shit out of you up." Said he with a scathing tone.
The military man remained silent again, waiting for the hunter to calm his breathing down and calm down a bit. He then waved his hand for his subordinates to move a little further away from them.
"If I had informed you, you would have run over there without even looking back," Carciem began to explain, his voice remaining calm and composed despite the uncomfortable position he was in, "We know perfectly well how we both operates, you and I."
The two men were now looking at each other straight in the eyes, and Ewan momentarily released the hold he had on his friend's clothes, the latter's feet touching the ground entirely again.
With what had happened in the last few minutes, he was just beginning to calm down.
He could still see himself running to the entrance of the barracks to see Arlela Versani, the director of the orphanage where he had left Pavas earlier, gesticulating with agitation.
As soon as she had seen the young man, she'd forced her way towards him, in spite of the protests of the guard positioned at the entrance. Then, with a panicked look and stumbling over her words, she had quickly explained what had happened.
The little girl had been abducted during the night, at the same time as one of the teachers in charge of the children had disappeared.
"I was suspicious of this teacher because he sometimes behaved strangely! Especially with the stories of kidnapping in town!" Had said between sobs the principal. "But I was told that everything would be fine and that I didn't have to worry about it!"
"Who told you that?" Ewan had inquired.
He had tried to calm the woman whose whole body was shaking, but he felt that he himself was beginning to give in to anguish.
He had only been with the little girl for a few days, but it was already enough to feel attached to her, and he felt a growing wave of anxiety creeping over him.
"When I went to see them, the military told me not to worry, that nothing would happen..." Mrs. Versani had lamented.
At the mention of the 'military', Ewan had understood immediately: Carciem was involved in all this, no doubt about it. They were aware of the situation, and had decided not to act so that the current operation would not be compromised.
The anguish had then turned into anger, and Ewan had turned back to go directly to ask the person in charge what was going on.
This brought him back to the present moment, where Carciem was finally trying to justify himself.
"The kid was immediately detected as a prime target, with the strong affinity for mana she possesses," the military man explained, while trying to break free of Ewan's grip on his clothes. "If we had intervened, the auction house would have been suspicious, and the Circle certainly wouldn't have shown up..."
"A prime 'target'?" Ewan repeated, wrathfully.
"She's going to be put up for clandestine auction," Carciem clarified, which had the effect of provoking his friend even more.
Ewan tightened again with force the collar and the shirt of the blond man, his joints turning to white with the exerted pressure.
"You knew it, and you let it happen..." He said slowly and with a threatening tone. "Where is she?"
"She was probably taken with the other children to the underground tunnels serving the auction room..." Carciem replied cautiously. "She'll still be there by the time we get there to arrest everyone."
"And you think that's going to comfort me, knowing that?" Ewan threatened him again, "I don't care if you're not ready, but there's no way I'm waiting here one more second."
Carciem then raised his two hands in front of him, between his body and Ewan's. Perhaps as a sign of appeasement, or to parry a possible blow from the young man. Or, probably both.
"You also know how important this operation is," Carciem reminded him, using a conciliatory tone. "It's not only important for us, but also for the whole population.
Ewan recognized him well there. Always manipulating others into doing exactly what was expected of them.
However, Carciem's argument was rather strong, unlike those he had used in the past. His logic had become much more relentless and realistic, as the simulation exercises had gradually turned into reality.
"Give us an hour to get ready and get into position. Carciem proposed.
It was not really a proposal, and more a compromise.
He couldn't hope to subdue an unknown number of enemies on his own either, so he had no choice but to follow the original plan.
Pavas had been targeted because she had a strong affinity for mana - something Ewan didn't know until now - and had been kidnapped along with other children in the school.
To make matters worse for the young man, Carciem had been the one to give the order to let it happen.
As a result, he was more than a little angry. An understandable enough feeling, with a reasonable enough request following.
"Say, Carciem... You'll let me hit you, won't you?" Asked Ewan, his look full of animosity striking the military man on the spot.