"Silent... the building is oddly silent."
Unable to get up from his chair, Ken Hijikata was bound by the office work he needed to complete to end his shift. Word by word, he wove them using technology to type automatically without using a pen. The sound of the clicking machine filled the room like it was playing music, followed by the ticking of the clock.
There was nobody around Ken at this hour. His colleagues and subordinates had gone back to their camp, barracks, or home, for those living near the military neighborhood. Ken was all alone, finishing his report after a long day at work. Even though he knew he was alone, the empty atmosphere left him uneasy. Something told him that something was going on around him, but all he could do was nothing because of his paperwork.
Hour by hour passed, and Ken kept writing until he finally reached the last passage. The moment he placed the final dot, his perspective shifted. He could now clearly see what was going on and who was behind the odd silence. Yet, even though he had been trapped, he felt grateful to those who imprisoned him in time, allowing him to finish his paperwork before the midnight drew near.
"Then, what do you want?" Tired of using lenses, Ken put on his glasses to see clearly. "Someone like you isn't the type to quietly rush into another's property."
"Bingo!"
Deviola sat in the chair before Ken's desk, smiling as she waited for him to realize her presence—which he now did. She emanated the wicked aura she always carried, terrifying most living beings who met her gaze, including Ken. But he managed to conceal his fear behind a composed exterior.
"It's been a while, Captain. I hope we have a mutual understanding here," said Deviola in a reassuring tone.
"What do you want? If it's my soul you're after, I'm afraid it's not for sale," Ken leaned back in his chair, discreetly reaching for his secret weapon in case things went wrong.
Deviola giggled, fully expecting such a response from him. "Don't misunderstand me, Captain Ken Hijikata. I have no intention of that—at least, not yet."
Deviola subtly threatened Ken by calling his name as though she knew everything about him. But Ken didn't falter; he knew his name was clearly displayed on his desk and chest pocket, a common practice for military personnel on office duty. "You just read my name, didn't you?"
"Ding ding ding ding ding, correct again! Our captain here is so smart!" Deviola exclaimed as she picked up Ken's nameplate from his desk, holding it in front of his face with the name facing forward. "Then, our clever captain," she continued, and suddenly, the name on the plate changed. Flames engulfed the letters, transforming it into her own name. "Can you also guess my intention here?" she asked with a threatening tone.
Feeling the weight of Deviola's threat, Ken immediately stood up and drew the gun he had hidden beneath his chair, aiming it at her head. "Whatever you intend to do, I will not allow it."
Seeing his defensive stance, Deviola giggled, first a small laugh, then a full-hearted chuckle. But before she could explain her actions, Hexelina entered Ken's office, carrying a large bag in her hands. Deviola turned her head and welcomed Hexelina into the room.
"My lord, I've collected the item as you instructed."
Ken, confused, immediately aimed at Hexelina's head. But then he remembered that Deviola was Hexelina's lord and a greater threat than her. He shifted his aim back to Deviola. Torn between his instincts, Ken lowered his gun, trusting his gut to guide him when the time came to pull the trigger.
"Ah, Hexelina! Come here, guess what?" Deviola said excitedly.
"What happened, my lord? Did he get you in trouble? Did he insult you? Did he hurt you? Or even DID HE GET YOU DIRTY?!!!" Hexelina exclaimed, her tone hysterical as if her lord were in some unmanageable predicament—which was impossible.
"That's not it, you silly." Deviola spun her chair to face Hexelina and spread her arms wide. "We have a super smart military captain here!"
Shocked, Hexelina didn't expect those words to come out of her mouth. "Ah! Is that so, my lord?"
"Yes, it is! I was shocked at first, but he managed to answer them all." Deviola spun back to face Ken Hijikata, applauding to congratulate him, followed by Hexelina.
Watching the turn of events, Ken was confused by how Deviola acted so high and mighty with her carelessness. But then he considered that it was normal for someone with unparalleled power to display their dominance. Thus, Ken gripped his gun even tighter, bracing himself if something might hit him in an unexpected direction.
With two wanted individuals and one high-ranking military official present, Ken thought it was the perfect opportunity to pry for information. However, he knew he had to watch his words, as the wanted person was the most dangerous in the world. It was an ideal moment to gather intel to devise countermeasures for the next time the Evil Queen executed her wicked plans. Yet, it didn't take any effort on his part to extract information; she deliberately shared it herself.
The room fell silent; Deviola's words bypassed the air and went directly to Ken's ear.
Nobody could hear their last exchange—not even Hexelina, despite being the closest person to her. Deviola's lips moved as if she were speaking, but no sound emerged. Yet Ken understood her meaning, his heart pounding at the terrifying possibility that her words might be true.
"You understand, Captain? That's all you need to know, and I'll proceed with my plans using this confiscated weaponry." Deviola turned her back and began to leave. "I hope you won't be angry about losing one or two guns. Byeee!" she said, waving her hand.
Before she completely disappeared, Ken quickly pulled his gun again and aimed it at her head. Yet luck was never on his side; to be precise, he lacked the courage to pull the trigger even once, feeling like a coward in her presence.
The room was completely silent again; the tension had eased with the Evil Queen's departure. Ken felt relieved to be free from that pressure, but a new burden awaited him: the need to write a frustrating report. Fortunately, he had recorded everything using a snapper he installed on the ceiling to gather evidence. As he expected, it wasn't much in terms of information, but it was valuable as evidence.
Ken placed the disc produced by the snapper before the display screen and left the room to check on everyone's condition. The footage showed Deviola, who seemed to be aware of the snapper, glancing at it constantly—quite different from what he intended to report.
.
.
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Five horse-drawn carriages stood hidden before the massive military base in the Union Tribes of Volhara, awaiting a specific signal from Schordinger. Buffon and Fiona were in charge of the mission, calling the shots for the others as they prepared to raid the military base. Every member of the revolution stood guard for any potential ambush.
Buffon held a magical device called the Runecaller, which allowed him to communicate with Schordinger. This device could connect to multiple receiver devices, known as Runeceivers, worn by users like Schordinger. However, there was no need to communicate just yet, as Schordinger had successfully infiltrated the base.
However, as he watched Schordinger enter the base effortlessly, Buffon grew suspicious of him.
"Hey, Fiona. Why did you place your faith in him? Do you really think he's a Valentine?" Buffon asked while keeping an eye on the base.
"At the time, I didn't suspect he was a Valentine. I can't explain it, but when he told me his name, I felt no doubt about him," Fiona replied, scratching her chin. "It's just that I have a knack for sensing when people are lying. I couldn't detect any deception from him."
For a moment, Buffon studied Fiona's face. She showed no signs of doubt or uncertainty, her confidence unwavering as she spoke. Knowing who he was talking to, Buffon chose to trust her judgment regarding Schordinger. "Hmph, glad I took this opportunity," he said.
Meanwhile, Schordinger walked through the empty base, finding no one around, allowing him to move freely. However, he sensed something odd about the place; it felt deliberately abandoned for his visit. There were no signs of any beastman tribe, nor did he see any watchful eyes from afar.
The equipment around him was still well maintained, and the floor was surprisingly cleaner than he had expected. There was no evidence to suggest that the military base was abandoned. The patrol lights were still on, illuminating the area as if it were in active use. However, every hidden snapper was turned off, as if someone had arranged for their meeting to go undetected.
Schordinger was right; something was indeed odd about the place, and he knew exactly why the base felt abandoned. As the reason stood before him.
A man in a striking red suit and a dramatically long red coat stood before him. His imposing figure instilled fear in anyone seeing him for the first time. But Schordinger was no stranger to him, nor he to Schordinger. Everything was as he remembered, except for the young-looking face and muscular build.
"Long time no see, Golden Boy of the Evil King."