Chapter 897
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Chapter 897
"I'm sorry, but... that would be difficult."
General Gino blinked twice upon hearing Yuder's response. The veteran general, unaccustomed to such unexpected words, visibly struggled to maintain his composure.
Before shocking the old general further, Yuder quickly continued, "Because, General, what you seek has already been prepared."
"What do you mean by that? So, you mean to say..."
"Considering you came here alone, General, I believe you have some inkling of the spy's identity. You probably just wanted to confirm your suspicions with the aid of an external force, like the Calvary."
General Gino momentarily fell silent, an implicit acknowledgment of Yuder's correctness.
"Then, there's no need for us to take any action. Whoever you suspect, General, is likely the person you think."
General Gino's eyes flickered. After a moment, he groaned softly and rubbed his forehead. "I can't hide it, can I? Yes, you're right. I came here suspecting one of my disciples, whom I've trusted and assigned tasks to, as the spy. Hoping I was wrong, perhaps you even suspect his name. The one in charge of the Special Brigades..."
"Special Officer Galexentre Balfors. We met briefly on the day of the hailstorm. I remember him."
The old general was silent for a while, a whirl of complex emotions passing through his eyes. Though swiftly concealed, Yuder, with his past experience, could guess at the general's feelings.
It must be somewhat relieving to see the situation resolving faster than expected. However, the thought of how much the Calvary knew and their suspicions would naturally bring forth questions and wariness. The fact that they were outdone by an external organization like the Calvary in internal intelligence would bruise his pride, and concerns about his command were inevitable.
Above all, the chilling realization that the Calvary had been monitoring the spy situation before the general and had yet to inform him suggested a cold, hard truth.
'General Gino must have surmised that Emperor and Commander Kishiar might be observing him too, suspecting his possible connections with the spies.'
"Because of my failure to properly command the Southern Army, His Majesty and the Calvary Commander must have been greatly concerned. It shames me to have added to their worries amidst these troubling times."
Indeed, General Gino's words mirrored Yuder's thoughts exactly, albeit without the expected cold undertone.
Yuder, looking at him, suddenly asked, "Aren't you disappointed?"
"Disappointed? With whom? Ha, I might be old, but not so decayed yet. Don't make me more ashamed than I already am."
On the contrary, he should be grateful for finally learning the truth. General Gino's face looked somewhat defeated, but his sincerity was apparent.
It's rare to find someone of his stature and age openly admitting their faults, especially a swordmaster revered throughout the empire. Yuder now understood why many Calvary members had grown to respect General Gino since the day of the hailstorm.
"Galexentre... I knew he was ambitious beyond his capabilities and lacked the diligence to handle it. I had hoped he would become more modest and aware of his limits with age."
"..."
"Rather than as a mentor, I tried to judge as a superior... but it seems I failed. It's quite embarrassing before the youth."
"May I share my personal thoughts?"
Upon Yuder's quiet inquiry, General Gino nodded with an unaffected smile.
"Of course, go ahead. What else do you have to enlighten me with?"
"It's not information, but merely my thoughts."
Yuder, staring straight at the old general, began, "Have you ever dug up sweet potatoes, General?"
"...Sweet potatoes? The ones we eat?"
Caught off guard by such an unexpected question, General Gino's face briefly showed his surprise. But seeing Yuder not smiling, he soon answered seriously.
"I have, in my youth. I wandered around, helping at farms for food when I was hungry. That's when I learned how hard it was to harvest the crops that we eat so easily."
"That makes this easier to explain."
Yuder, with an expressionless face, continued, "Discovering that a disciple is the root of a spy must be heartbreaking, but I view Special Officer Galexentre Balfors as part of a tumor under this empire, much like the roots of a sweet potato. Pulling out one will likely lead to others following suit, akin to sweet potatoes."
General Gino's expression became complex.
"We don't fully know yet how many such people exist undiscovered. Therefore, it's quite fortunate that we're starting with a part of the root in the Southern Army. The Commander and His Majesty must have made this choice with the same judgment."
General Gino slightly parted his lips as if to speak, then closed them again.
"Lastly, I must say... I was about to contact you under the Commander's orders about Galexentre Balfors. But since you came first, the order of events seems less important."
"...So, the important thing is to root out all the sweet potatoes?"
"Yes. I hesitate to say this myself, but being from the countryside, I'm quite good at such tasks. And with your experience, General, I don't think we have much to worry about."
After Yuder finished with an unemotional expression, there was a brief silence.
Then,
"Pff, hahaha!"
The Sword of the Empire, Gino Bordelli, laughed heartily for the first time in ages, not caring about his dignity.
"Hahaha! Where did such an outstanding talent come from? From the countryside, you say? I regret not visiting those hills!"
General Gino's laughter was carefree, not resembling the solemn, experienced figure he usually was. Like in his youth, when he abandoned responsibilities and roamed wildly with his sword, his face now bore a refreshingly cheerful smile.
Yuder thought that smile somewhat resembled Kishiar's laughter. Not in the sense of shared blood, but rather the candid attitude and unguarded laughter in unexpected moments were strikingly similar.
That honest demeanor when acknowledging and being impressed by someone, instantly breaking down all barriers.
Was it because Kishiar learned the sword from General Gino? Whether the saying 'the master and disciple resemble each other' applies here was uncertain, but at least in this aspect, the overlapping traits between the two were unmistakably evident.
Perhaps that was why both of these men were so revered by their subordinates.
It was just a thought, but Yuder found himself feeling a bit closer to General Gino, whom he had always observed with a sense of detachment and objectivity. Although he had always known that Gino was Kishiar's mentor, it felt as if he truly recognized this fact only now.
"Yes, it's been decades since I last dug up sweet potatoes, and I'm not very confident, but for His Majesty and this empire, I would wield an old sword and uproot the roots if necessary. It's embarrassing to realize that there were rotten sweet potatoes in a garden I thought was well-tended, but if this old man can be of any help, I am more than willing."
"I appreciate your willingness to help," Yuder responded.
"We'll discuss the details later. I should also speak to the Commander of the Cavalry and His Majesty."
General Gino extended his hand first, offering a handshake. It was a gesture that would have made the young swordsmen who admired him swoon on the spot.
"Is this alright?" Yuder asked as he slowly took the general's hand and returned the greeting.
"In truth, I had my doubts about you, even after hearing of your reputation. But now, I'm ashamed of having thought that way. Ever since I arrived here, my blind prejudices have been stripped away day by day, and today feels like the most enlightening of them all."
General Gino said this with a voice full of various emotions, then suddenly flashed a secretive smile.
"Now I understand why the Commander so values you and wanted to 'dance' with you. Come to think of it, he's always had a fondness for people like you, ever since he was young."
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Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.
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Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.
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In the autumn of his 18th year, after winning the high school kendo championship finals, an unexpected accident occurred.
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A few years later, the world's first real virtual reality game <THE MIST> was announced, where even those with physical disabilities could play in healthy bodies.
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***
"Why was someone like you born into this world to make me so miserable? Do you understand when I say it like this?! You were born with talent for the sword, a bright personality, everything - you must have been laughing at me always lagging behind! Did you even know how pathetic I felt because of your stupid hypocrisy? A genius? What does any of that matter!"
Seung-jo's cries stabbed at his heart, wailing as if he were crying even though he wasn't, but there was no time to think further. He quickly clutched my stomach, got up, and ran towards him.
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Just as the car was about to reach us, he shoved Seung-jo hard. Right after Seung-jo fell and rolled away with wide, startled eyes—
Screech!
Bang! With an impact that felt like his whole body was being shattered, he flew through the air.
And in that brief yet long moment of floating in space, he remembered his reflection in Seung-jo's eyes for the last time.......
***
[ Then in THE MIST, may you become the master of infinite possibilities. ]
Whoosh!
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To be able to run so easily like this.
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***
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A misunderstanding? How could it be a misunderstanding when he said with his own mouth that he didn't think of me as a friend?
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*
“Don’t mistake spending me rut with you as an invitation to be my mate. You’re merely a plaything to pass the time.”
“I know that. So I hope you’ll soon find a proper mate.”
The dragon finding a good mate and becoming happy was all Kinain wished for in the little time he had left.
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Why did it feel like the dragon’s mu*derous intent had grown even thicker?
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“Are you going out to seduce another alpha?”
The dragon gripped Kinain’s wrist tightly, as if to break it, and whispered in a low, gloomy voice.
“No. You can’t do that. Even if I find a mate, you’ll still have to remain here.”