Five minutes later.
I was sitting inside the tent of the Deputy General Arun. That was not even his command tent, but rather the personal tent. That was the biggest tent in the camp. It was like a presidential suite in a five-star hotel.
Unlike mine and many other tents of the refugees and soldiers, the ground was not exposed in his tent. It was also covered with stone slabs. With the curtains down on both doors and windows, it looked like a luxurious house.
It didn't have a single sign of war.
With the bright colors and robust design, it felt warm and comfortable. I sat at a large table waiting while watching the luxurious seat the Deputy general arranged for himself. The table is made of black colored fragrant wood.
It is known for being used to make furniture of the big heads across the world. The chair was made of similar material. That black colored wood is contrasted with the cream colored fur and leather that was used as cushioning material of the chair.
I didn't know who had the state of mind to experience that much luxury in the middle of the war with Demons.
Up on waiting for five more minutes without any sign of Arun's arrival, I thought of something and took a few pictures of the tent's interior. Soon, Arun arrived. He walked to his seat without paying any heed to my presence there.
He took his seat and looked through a document as if I was just thin air.
I looked at him for a few more minutes before he took out that morning's gazette and threw it towards me.
"What is this?" His voice is calm and collected. A bit cold even. One wouldn't be able to associate the tone with how tense Bubble acted.
"Today's Gazette."
Arun looked at me in the eyes. I felt a threat. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk staring at a little hare jumping around in the field. It's as if the hawk is ready to throw its talons if the hare makes one wrong move.
"Don't get silly with me now, Tej. I don't have the patience to deal with you. What did you write in the article about me?"
He asked much more clearly.
I would be lying if I said, I wasn't intimidated, however I didn't let it show. Even when my palms became sweaty, even when my legs threatened to shiver in fear, I didn't let it show to that man. If I succumbed to fear at that one moment, the determination that I had the day before would have been wasted.
Whatever Arun said about me the day before and whatever the king assumed about me, would have become true.
I just clenched his toes, trying to stay focused and strong.
I took the gazette and opened it up. The front page article was about the amazing victory of Deputy General Arun's solo operation.
*COUGH*
I cleared my throat with a cough and started reading.
"With the dawn of a new day, our Deputy General Arun has taken it up on himself to save more than thirty villagers who were trapped in the village occupied by the Sea Demons. According to the previous recon operations, the village had at least thirty villagers trapped inside.
They were stuck in the village chief's mansion where they were surviving with the help of the defensive measures.
They were unable to escape and the squads of our army deemed the operation to save them as a risky endeavor. Reason? The occupation of the village carried out by one of the commanding officers of the Demon army.
This commanding office was as strong as an eighth circled power house.
Deputy General Arun felt that he would be unworthy of his position if he let those people suffer like this. He mentioned that he was being gnawed at by his guilt as he was busy with dealing with the housing and welfare problem of the family members of the deceased soldiers.
He recently came across the corruption of some of the military officials and nobility who are devouring the funds that were supposed to provide welfare and proper housing for the families of the soldiers who died in Anta due to Sea Demon Invasion.
He was supposed to deal with that issue and arrange the housing.
However, he took the painful decision of postponing those duties and participated in the solo mission of saving those thirty plus villagers. He returned by evening with those villagers, adding another victory to his belt as well as another victorious battle to this war.
That very evening, he hurriedly went to the barracks of the family of the deceased and observed that they were rotten, ragged and vulnerable to even the slightest breeze. He promised that he would resolve the issue by evening the next day and the news of that status will be published in the Gazette tomorrow."
The article was supposed to have six images of the Deputy General. One with him at his tent ready to leave for the mission. Another one when he was returning to the camp, one with him and the 'rescued' villagers, one with him getting treated and two more of similar kind.
However, I only published three such images. The remaining three were the images of the disgusting barracks in which the family of the deceased were living.
"I am done with the article. Do you want me to continue more, Sir?" I asked with a faint smile. However, I felt like my heart has slipped down to my stomach by that point. Because I could feel my heartbeat which felt like the rhythm of a running mare in my guts.
*CRACK*
Arun pressed his hand against the table making it crack.
"What the fuck were you thinking? Who the fuck are you write such claims? Do you think I wouldn't dare to do anything to you just because the king is toying around with you?"
I gulped.
That was indeed scary.
My fist were unclenched involuntarily. The paper crumpled. However, I gritted my teeth and continued to answer.
"Yes, sir. I do believe that you won't do anything to me."
Arun was stunned. He expected me to cower maybe. It was kind of an expected reaction. In fact, by then I am sure my façade has been destroyed.
But I didn't stop speaking.
"I know you wouldn't do anything to me. I am needed. No matter how trivial my purpose it, it's the king's purpose. Unless he himself lets you know that you are free to kill me, you wouldn't do anything to me.
So, I know for sure that will not do anything to me.
You are not daring enough."
Arun gritted his teeth.
"True. Indeed true."
I stood up and turned around to leave.
"Tej, the demons on the border are very rowdy. Be careful. There might just be a case when the demons might break through the barrier and attack the camp. You might hold off on your own as a Sixth Circled Mage, but there are some high level demons as well and they might just catch you off guard.
Be careful."
You got that threat right?
When he threatened me like that, for some reason, I didn't feel that afraid. Because that threat felt a bit childish.
Really? The demons will break through the barrier and kill me? Is that the best he could plan being the general of the whole camp? Such an obvious plot? I suddenly thought he wasn't that dangerous.
But that thought changed immediately.
In a way, stupid people are more dangerous. Because they don't know what the fuck they would do when the shit hits the fan.
I went back to my tent.
Soon, Bubble came to the tent.
"Sir, Deputy General Arun has visited the barracks. He organized some earth elemental mages for the construction of the new housing for those families."
I smiled at it. Half of what I sought to accomplish. The other half… came in the form of a message that day evening when I went to submit that day's articles.
"Sir Tej, what is up with the missing person article you submitted? Why was there such an article from Anta Duchy?"
I heard the panicked voice from the other side.
I couldn't help but smirk a bit.
"What happened?" I asked the representative from the headquarters who just talked.
"I got a message from the Parva Marquee Branch office. The picture you posted here is a Count in Name from that Marquee. He is a decorated noble who earned the title through war.
He saw your article and went to the Mage tower. He caused a huge ruckus."
And there it was. The information that I sought.
"Oh? There must be some misunderstanding. I will contact that branch and fix this."
I cut the call and contacted the branch that the representative mentioned.