"Private William James...? Do you know anything about the Southern Regiment?" Assistant Team Leader John ask Theo with a curious expression.
Theo looks at all of their face, before he glances at Lieutenant Nebir's. Lieutenant Nebir nods, signaling Theo to engage with the team. Theo looks back at the map, before moving forward. Lieutenant Nebir moves a bit to the side to give Theo enough space.
"Assistant Team Leader, I know about the Southern Regiment from a close companion of mine. He... was under Unit 109," Theo answers. Yes, he lied, but he can't tell them the truth at the moment. He'll just follow what Lieutenant Nebir told him.
"A close companion of yours...? Ah, you mean... Private Theo Smith?" Assistant Team Leader John asks to make sure. The others nod slowly, understanding Theo's 'position'. That would make sense since Private Theo Smith was from the South.
"You were companion with him?" Some of them starts to wonder. They get curious about how it was like to have work with what the South called their most agile and fast soldier.
"... I was," Theo answers. He was not lying about being each other's companion. Him and Private William James were a duo. He found Private William James as compatible to him, so he hung out with him often.
"How was he like? Was he really as good as the South's mentioned?" Theo's teammates are getting excited to hear stories. Theo freeze, he questioned to himself, 'Good? Theo Smith?' Theo wants to tell them the 'truth', but Lieutenant Nebir immediately interrupt the conversation.
"Can we focus on the plans first? Why are we slipping away from the topic?" He raise one of his eyebrows, as he ask in an annoyed way. They have been drifting away from the actual plans for a few minutes now, they need to get back on track.
Theo turn his head and glance at Lieutenant Nebir. Right... he should focus on what's in front of him, not the past. He looks at Assistant Team Leader John with a determined face.
"Assistant Team Leader, please allow me to state the area that we should head to," he reaches the map as he observe it. He still remembers where to go and what to do.
"Alright, pay attention everyone," Assistant Team Leader ask everyone to listen carefully and observe. He gives Theo the red marker, letting him take the lead. Theo starts to mark the area near the border of the South, he also draw an arrow to show which way they should use.
After sometimes, Theo stops, that's all he needs to tell them. They observe the map, it took a bit of a long way but they can bear it.
"Hmm... everything is fine, but... why do we need to use the Meriz Forest's route?" Assistant Team Leader John question that route choice to Theo. Meriz Forest is a dangerous area in which the plants melt like a liquid. The amount of unrecognizable things in the forest would easily melt away anyone.
It's not easy to recognize without a map, so that's why everyone would bring maps when approaching the area. It will be dangerous and Theo knows that, but if he can manage his sorcery to neutralize the area, their safety will be ensured.
This is risky, but...
*******
"Well, if anything, you should not be wary, I covered your face, and brought you to the medical tent personally before reporting about your survival to the higher-ups. That was what you want, right? Since you already felt sick about their two-faced behavior," Lieutenant Nebir wanted to clear out any misunderstanding or assumption that might came to Theo's mind.
Theo wanted to cover himself, he did not want to be recognize by the higher-ups in any way possible. Their repulsive thinking and action made him wanted to vomit. In fact, he did multiple times after he woke up from his unconscious state as he cannot fathom on how anyone could be as irresponsible and vicious towards another being.
Theo didn't know if Lieutenant Nebir was telling the truth or not, but he got a feeling that he should trust him, plus, his hunches have never betrayed him. Since Lieutenant Nebir hid Theo's real identity, he must've had something on his mind. He was under the searching team of Unit 209 but ended up changing his unit for an unknown reason.
"If you help covering my identity, then you must've had your own reason. So what is it? Why would you?" Before helping Lieutenant Nebir, Theo needed to know his intention first. Theo can detect a lie, so if Lieutenant Nebir lied to him, the change of tone or certain movement would easily give it away.
"Well..." Theo stared at him, waiting for the answers.
"I can't just spoil a thing, can I?" Lieutenant Nebir chuckled, as he did not want to state his reason. Theo could see through him, and... he saw no ill intention, despite him being mysterious about his reasoning. So, Theo can let it slide, for now. Theo let out a relieved sigh, at least he didn't have to deal with another problem.
"Are you going to help the North?" Lieutenant Nebir suddenly approached Theo with another question.
"I know that you despise the higher-ups, but you wouldn't take revenge on the innocent civilian, right?" He asked with a serious tone. As if he was ready to fight Theo if that were to be the case.
"Why did you think that I would have the ability to take revenge on the entirety of the North?" Theo did not even have the power or influence to do so.
"Just to be sure," Lieutenant Nebir answered.
"Even if I did have the ability to do just that, I wouldn't touch the innocent," Theo replied. He was contemplating on whether he should try to assure Lieutenant Nebir or not, but he wouldn't want to have a fight, so he told him what he would do.
"Right..." he nodded, before he muttered to himself with a smirk. Theo noticed that, but he didn't feel any bad intention coming from Lieutenant Nebir, so perhaps that was just the way he acted when he felt satisfied with something.
"Since you're from the South, is it safe to say that you memorized the route, on the map?" He asked again. Theo got a feeling that this must've been because of the dream he had. He had a dream that he will need to go back to the South and it seemed like Lieutenant Nebir got the feeling that our teammates will need to head South too.
"I did memorized the map and areas," Theo answered with determination. He was confident on himself.
"I only wanted to ask that question. Since you still have empathy for the innocents, I guess there's nothing else I should address. Let's head back to the tent," Lieutenant Nebir pointed at the tent. Theo nodded as he followed Lieutenant Nebir. He thought to himself, that maybe Lieutenant Nebir could feel some big changes that might happen too?
*******
"Where have the two of you been? Everyone is waiting for you. We will have a discussion," Assistant Team Leader John glared at Theo and Lieutenant Nebir. Theo apologized for being late, before sitting down on the near end of the tent. Lieutenant Nebir was standing next to him, crossing his arms.
Team Leader Justin enter the tent shortly after, and announced what had been told by General Robert. Some of them were surprised, and some of them kept themselves calm, as they already had a feeling of betrayal.
When Team Leader Justin announced that they will need to reveal the death of 'Private Theo Smith' to the Southern Regiment for them to cut ties with the Northern Regiment, Theo glance at Lieutenant Nebir. Lieutenant Nebir noticed it and sighed.
He did not expect that either, but there were nothing they could do. 'Private Theo Smith' is a deceased soldier in other people's eyes. Theo looked at the candle, thinking to himself as he listened. The name of the mission would be 'Menifes', as they nodded when they heard that being mentioned.
"Team Leader Justin. The higher ups are-...," ....
*******
...but, Meriz Forest was the route that Theo took in his dream. So, since that dream showed the fact that they all will head South, and it did happened in real life, he felt like he need to follow it.
"Assistant Team Leader, please believe me on this," he said with determination. Assistant Team Leader John was hesitating to believe on Theo's decision on using the route, but he remembered the last time they refused to listen. The massacre that happened on Unit 125. Perhaps, if they listened to him, everyone would still be alive... Commander Henry and the other comrades...
He think long and hard, before he give his final conclusion. It seems like Lieutenant Nebir is also trusting Theo on this, and people said that he had trust issues. Would that be an excuse for him, to want to listen right now? Since Lieutenant Nebir also did?
...
"We'll follow your plan, Private William James," he answers with a nod. Theo also nod.
He tells them what to do the moment they arrive, guidelines and all.
He knows that if any of these 51 people dies, he will be the one taking responsibilities. And he won't run from it, it is the risk that he should take for everyone to survive.