Lunch was as lively as ever in the cafeteria. Elijah, Visconti, and Kieran were seated with Enu and a handful of other cadets, sharing a table piled high with trays of food.
The atmosphere was buzzing with chatter, but one topic seemed to dominate their conversation: the sudden halt in patrols.
"It's strange," Enu began, tapping his fork against the edge of his plate. "Patrols are one of the most important parts of our training. Without them, how are we supposed to gain practical experience?"
"True," Elijah muttered, swirling his drink idly. "Even though I'm not complaining about the break, it's still... off."
"Well, I've got a theory," Enu said, leaning forward dramatically.
"Oh, here we go," Kieran whispered to Elijah, earning a small snicker.
Enu ignored him, continuing with a conspiratorial tone. "There's been a 2% increase in the crime rate compared to last year. Higher crime rates mean more disturbances, which could explain why patrols have been suspended. The corps might be redirecting resources to deal with larger issues."
The table fell silent.
"2%?" one cadet echoed, their voice hushed.
"That's... a lot," Elijah admitted, glancing at Visconti, who looked unimpressed.
Kieran dropped his fork. "Wait, 2%? That's practically a crime spree! We're all doomed!"
"Hold on," Visconti interjected, placing his spoon down with precision. "That's not entirely accurate."
Enu turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? And how would you know?"
Visconti leaned back, arms crossed. "Because I checked the crime reports last week. The actual increase is only 0.5%, not 2%. It's not a significant enough change to warrant canceling patrols."
"0.5%?" Kieran repeated, his voice dripping with skepticism. "That's barely anything. Why would they cancel patrols for that?"
Enu frowned, but his curiosity was piqued. "Then what do you think is going on?"
"Simple," Visconti said, his tone calm but firm. "It's something else entirely. Something internal. The corps doesn't suspend cadet training without a good reason. This has less to do with external factors like crime rates and more to do with something happening inside the organization."
"That's a bold claim," Enu countered, leaning forward. "Do you have any proof, or are you just speculating?"
Visconti smirked, his eyes gleaming with the confidence of someone who had already anticipated the question. "Actually, yes. Unlike you, I rely on hard evidence, not wild speculation. There's been an unusual increase in corps officers being reassigned over the past month. And it's not random—it's happening in key districts, the ones we'd normally patrol. If you connect the dots, it's clear something bigger is happening behind the scenes." Visconti paused. "But of course, I'm sure that's not all. There's probably another reason."
"Oh." Visconti suddenly said, remembering something" As you know I'm trained to analyze battle stats, mission reports, and trends. The rise in crime is barely significant. However, there have been unusual patterns in how crimes are being reported."
"Unusual patterns?" Elijah asked, intrigued despite himself.
Visconti nodded. "Some areas are showing a sudden drop in criminal activity, which doesn't make sense given their history. It's almost like something—or someone—is deliberately suppressing the reports."
Enu crossed his arms. "Or it could just be that criminals are getting smarter and avoiding detection."
Visconti arched an eyebrow. "Smarter?Possible. But criminals don't suddenly become geniuses overnight. There's something more coordinated happening."
"And how do you explain the sudden drop?" Enu countered, his tone calm but challenging.
"Simple." Visconti gestured slightly with his fork. "If someone wanted to draw attention away from a bigger operation, they'd make it seem like things were improving in certain areas. It's a classic misdirection tactic."
The table went silent again, the cadets exchanging uneasy glances.
"Well, aren't you just a walking encyclopedia," Enu muttered, though there was a hint of grudging respect in his tone.
"That's why he's a Tactician," Elijah chimed in, smirking. "You should see him during strategy drills. The guy's scary when it comes to collecting data."
"Scary good," Kieran added, though his tone was more playful. "Too bad he's useless in hand-to-hand combat."
Visconti gave him a sidelong glance. "I'll remind you of that next time you're begging me for strategy tips."
Kieran held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Don't get your brainy knickers in a twist."
Enu wasn't done, though. "Okay, Mr. Tactician, if you're so smart, what do you think is going on?"
Visconti hesitated for a moment, his expression growing serious. "I don't have enough evidence to say for sure. But whatever it is, it's big. And it's deliberate."
The gravity in his tone silenced everyone for a moment.
Kieran broke the tension, grinning. "This is great. It's like watching a detective show during lunch."
"Quiet, ranged fighter," Visconti and Enu said simultaneously, though their tones differed—Visconti's was sharp, Enu's distracted.
"I'm just saying, this is good entertainment," Kieran mumbled, shoving another bite of food into his mouth.
Enu narrowed his eyes at Visconti. "Fine. You've got evidence, but it's still circumstantial. Until there's solid proof, my theory stands."
"Your theory is baseless," Visconti shot back, his voice still composed. "You're just throwing numbers around without verifying them."
"Well, not everyone spends their free time analyzing crime data, Tactician," Enu retorted, the emphasis on Visconti's role dripping with mockery.
"Which is exactly why you're wrong," Visconti said smoothly. "My position requires me to analyze data and collect information. It's literally my job to be right."
The cadets around the table tried—and failed—not to laugh.
Elijah, sipping his drink, nearly choked.
"Alright, alright," Elijah finally said, raising a hand to cut through the tension. "How about we all agree on one thing: we're in the dark about what's really going on, and no amount of arguing is going to change that until the corps tells us something."
Visconti and Enu exchanged glances but reluctantly nodded.
"Fine," Enu muttered, stabbing a piece of meat on his plate.
"For now," Visconti added, though his smirk suggested he was already planning his next rebuttal.
Kieran leaned toward Elijah, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear, "Man, those two argue like they're on a debate team. I swear, next time they should just arm wrestle for dominance."
Enu and Visconti shot him identical glares.
Kieran grinned cheekily. "What? I'm just saying, it'd save us all some time."