“Ah, Captain Kaelan, hello! Beautiful weather we’re having today.”
“Mm, hello.”
“Oh! I’m so sorry, Captain Kaelan! Such a small matter and I—”
“It’s fine. As long as no one’s hurt. See you on the next mission.”
All along the way, members of the Disciplinary Corps greeted Kaelan without exception, and she responded to each one with unusual warmth. Everything unfolded as naturally as a daily routine.
A few minutes earlier, after Kaelan had finished speaking with someone outside, footsteps faded away. Then she pushed the door open again and “invited” me to the cafeteria… There was no reason to refuse, and no way to refuse either.
I wore a long robe with the hood pulled up. Since everyone’s attention was focused on Kaelan’s graceful stride, hardly anyone noticed me. And even if they did, they quickly lost interest.
Ah, how nice it must be to be so beloved and respected… Sigh. I could never become someone like her. If only I had even a fraction of that charisma.
Lost in thought, I suddenly bumped into something solid. Peeking out, I realized it was Kaelan’s back. I lifted the dark hood slightly from my eyes and cautiously peered around from behind her.
A man and a woman were chatting amicably with Kaelan.
“Heya! Kaelan, what’s up? You actually decided to crawl out of that stuffy office of yours?”
So Kaelan was considered stuffy? I would have thought she was flexible and had high emotional intelligence. Well, I’m no different anyway.
“I bet it has something to do with the little one next to her. Right, Kaelan? Is he your secret love child or something~?”
Who are you calling whose daughter? I didn’t know how close Kaelan was with this man, close enough for jokes like that. But being dragged into it as the subject of the joke definitely rubbed me the wrong way.
“Ahaha, Mia, don’t tease me like that. You too, Xiong Xin… Hey, don’t be shy. Come on out.”
Kaelan seemed completely unbothered—or maybe she was just used to it.
She tugged gently at the hem of my robe. I froze for a moment, then sighed, realizing this wasn’t going to just blow over.
Honestly, Kaelan, couldn’t you have just chatted with your friends and left me out of it?
I shuffled out slowly, revealing my face while trying my best to keep my blue hair hidden. I looked up at the man standing before me, tall as a doorframe. His uniform seemed just a rank below Kaelan’s, but he appeared to lead his own squad.
As for the other one—a demi-human girl who couldn’t stay still, hopping, twirling, waving at passersby—I wasn’t quite sure what species she was. Judging by the large, fluffy tail behind her, the ears on top of her head, and the occasional flash of fangs…
Probably canine. Felines don’t have traits like that. And honestly, she looked so soft and fluffy. I really wanted to pet her.
“Hm? What’s the kid staring at my tail for? Don’t tell me you want to touch it?”
I pursed my lips. Having my thoughts read so easily made me flustered. What had been anticipation suddenly turned to disappointment. I reluctantly tore my gaze away from that lush, bushy appendage…
I fidgeted with my fingers, then looked up at the towering man. His expression hadn’t changed since his eyes landed on me—stern, rigid, and a little intimidating.
“Um… hello?”
I tossed out a greeting, hoping to break the awkward ice between us. He didn’t respond, which left me hanging in silence.
Truth be told, I’m terrible at navigating social situations with strangers. Think about it: I’m not chatty, my personality is dull, and my old classmates used to call me the “Conversation Killer.” Building relationships is hard enough as it is, let alone in a situation like this.
Just as I was about to let the awkwardness overwhelm me and turn to tug Kaelan away, the man finally reacted. And his reaction was… lively. He even broke into a grin.
“Haha, kid, sorry about that. I really put you on the spot. You’re right—ignoring someone’s greeting is pretty rude… Are you mad?”
No, I’m not mad. The first part was fine. You even admitted it yourself, so how could I hold a grudge? But that last question—asking if I’m mad when you already know the answer, with that teasing tone… Even if it was a joke, I can’t let that slide.
I ignored the man and noticed the demi-human girl had lost interest in me. I quickly retreated behind Kaelan, playing the part of a well-behaved child. I tugged on her sleeve, silently urging her to move on.
But this was just like when your grandma drags you to visit relatives, and you end up sitting by the door, waiting for the grown-ups to finish their endless chat.
Luckily, it didn’t last too long. Kaelan soon introduced the two in front of me.
The man was Xiong Xin. No surname—apparently he came from an orphanage. His body wasn’t particularly strong or durable, but he was exceptionally quick and agile. He excelled at using tactics to give his squad the upper hand, and his weapons of choice were long-range bows and crossbows, along with daggers for stealth kills.
The girl—or was she?—was named Mia Kellirit. Her mother never married and had her through self-fertilization, so Mia took her mother’s surname. She boasts about her swordsmanship, but her actual skill level is below that of an average swordfighter. The reason, however, is to mask her extraordinary magical aptitude.
Oh, great. An assassin-archer and a fake swordswoman… neither seems particularly useful. Just rush them head-on and they’d be done for. I guess Xiong Xin with his tactical mind is the only impressive one here.
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed among us. I blinked and looked around, realizing I wasn’t actually that hungry. Then I glanced up.
Xiong Xin and Mia were both smiling sheepishly.
“Are you heading to lunch, Kaelan? Perfect… mind if we join you?”
Kaelan nodded and agreed, saying we should all go together—including me. My heart protested a little…
How annoying. Eating in a crowded cafeteria with a bunch of strangers and acquaintances? This felt exactly like the forced group meals with dormmates at the start of school.
“Alright, let’s go… Hey, Kaelan, I have a question for you.”
“Hm? Go ahead.” Though puzzled, Kaelan waited patiently.
Watching a steady stream of people smile warmly at Kaelan made me uncomfortable. A very specific kind of uncomfortable… Was it Elph? Alec? Them… myself… or me?
“What’s wrong? You look a bit unwell.”
Unwell? It’s my heart that’s unwell. And when the heart suffers, the body aches in stages.
What… what is it that I’m truly searching for? Was everything I’ve done just a spur-of-the-moment whim?
“In your opinion, what should a person pursue? Life or death? Wealth and glory? Eternal fame? Or some grand, noble ideal like striving for the happiness of the entire world?”
Kaelan paused for a moment. She reached out as if to pat my head, but I flinched away. She let her hand drop, then spoke with genuine interest.
“I’m no philosopher, nor am I a scholar of high morals. My hands exist only to eliminate that which shouldn’t be allowed to exist… People—well, a day spent happy is a day well spent. A day spent unhappy is still a day lost. Better to live cheerfully and do your duty well.”
I understood the logic. But the confusion swirling in my heart told me that answer wasn’t nearly enough. It didn’t come close to resolving anything.
Time wouldn’t stop just for me. Soon enough, we arrived at the entrance of the so-called “cafeteria.” Compared to the dining hall at Tan’er Orphanage, this place was significantly nicer.
I was lucky back then that I still had a sense of “direction.” Otherwise, I wouldn’t be standing here at all right now.
Mia seemed eager. She bounced along enthusiastically, leading me and “us” inside while explaining the whole process—ordering, picking up food, the works. She also took a moment to brag about how the Disciplinary Corps was the first to implement this orderly system.
…I get it. That feeling. The feeling of being one step ahead, of standing above others. Maybe not to that extreme, but… I don’t remember anymore.
“Hey! Rises! Looks like today’s a good day! Even you, who’s always so gloomy, have a smile on your face!”
A man walked toward us. He froze when he heard Mia’s spirited greeting, looked around as if to confirm she was talking to him, then pointed at himself questioningly.
“Oh… oh, really? Is my smile really that rare, Captain Mia?”
Rises seemed to be one of Mia’s subordinates. His tone toward her was always respectful, though Mia clearly didn’t see it that way—she was the epitome of overfamiliarity.
Rises seemed about to say more, but when he noticed me and Kaelan standing nearby, he hurriedly clamped his mouth shut, mumbled a few parting words, and left hastily.
…Heh. Who hasn’t had that kind of experience before?
With Rises gone, Mia’s enthusiasm for giving a tour seemed to evaporate. She helped me order the bread I wanted, along with food for Kaelan and the others. Then Xiong Xin suggested we go find a table and wait while he handled picking up the orders.
I found a seat and sat down. Since I wasn’t close with Kaelan and had nothing in common with Mia, I simply sat quietly and eavesdropped on the conversation happening at the table behind me.
“Hey, what’s been going on in the city lately? Our Investigation Department keeps getting reports about unidentified remains.”
“I heard from a few residents that some terrifying monster has been lurking in the back alleys. They say it’s nothing but a mass of flesh, and it specifically devours people.”
“Yikes… that sounds horrifying.”
“After examining the remains, ruling out other factors, we estimate the time of death to be around midnight. And… anyone closely connected to the victim is highly likely to be the next target.”
“Then our top priority is protecting the residents. And I think Fili—”
I didn’t catch the rest. My bread had arrived, and I’d lost all interest in listening further. I focused entirely on eating.
…
…
“Bye, Rises. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. See you.”
…
“Why… why doesn’t anyone remember? We’re all on the same squad. We all joined the Disciplinary Corps together. We’re friends. Comrades.”
“Why doesn’t anyone remember my birthday…? We’ve been working together for three years now.”
“I really thought someone would remember… Now there’s no point to the birthday hat or the cake.”
(Sudden sound of footsteps)
“Who’s there?! Oh! It’s you, Philiert. Phew, you scared me. I thought it was someone else.”
“…”
“Oh, this cake? Honestly, today’s my birthday. I thought someone might remember… but I guess not. I’ll just clean this up.”
(Silently places a hand on Rises’s shoulder)
“Thanks, man. You have no idea how much this means to me—”
(Sound of bones snapping)
(Body hitting the floor)
(Fading footsteps)
