Chapter 85: The Summons
His strength was said to rival that supreme commander Quintus himself and so every people in the second division had accepted his training without question.
Today, it was the fifth division’s turn.
Shiao Yi thought about how the healers must be overwhelmed with the constant stream of injured men and he quietly apologized in his mind to the medical ward.
There was a knock on the door.
Shiao Yi stood up from his seat to answer it.
At the door stood a tall and slim young man with pale blue hair and matching blue eyes.
It was Conner DeMita, he is the Supreme Commander Quintus’s secretary.
His hair looked dyed, but it was actually his natural color.
Seeing hair like that made Shiao Yi realize again that this truly was another world.
"Captain Dominic is at the training grounds right now," Shiao Yi said.
But Conner shook his head.
"Assistant Shiao Yi, it is you who the Supreme Commander wants to see. Please come with me immediately."
"Huh? But I’m supposed to stay here and hold down the fort..."
"He said it was urgent."
Before Shiao Yi could say anything else, Conner grabbed his arm and pulled him along with surprising force.
For someone who looked like a thin, quiet bureaucrat, Conner was much taller and heavier than Shiao Yi.
His grip was strong—Shiao Yi couldn’t break free, no matter how he tried.
He noticed the quick pace Conner was keeping, almost like he was in a hurry, and that gave Shiao Yi a bad feeling.
It clicked—Conner must have planned this on purpose, waiting until Dominic wasn’t around.
What exactly did the Supreme Commander want from him without Dominic present? What was he planning to make him do?
Shiao Yi was taken by Conner to the office of Supreme Commander Quintus.
It was his second time visiting this room.
As the office of the highest military authority, it wasn’t a place someone like him—low-ranking and with unknown origins—should have been able to enter.
The last time, he’d only been allowed in because he was treated as Dominic’ page.
Behind Quintus stood a military flag stitched with a lion on a red background, symbolizing his position.
The flags of the army and the each knight division stood on either side.
Just being there reminded Shiao Yi that this really was the military’s main command center.
On the battlefield, those same flags would surely fly above each unit.
Sitting behind a large, heavy desk, Quintus gave off a natural sense of authority that made Shiao Yi unconsciously straighten his back.
He stopped himself from saluting out of habit.
Some instincts were hard to break after years of discipline.
Quintus’s reddish-brown hair was pushed back, but its thick, wavy texture refused to stay neat, making it look like a lion’s mane.
Shiao Yi had heard the man was forty one, and his strong jaw and rugged face gave him a kind of masculine charm that probably made him popular with women.
His uniform was red-based, but his serious, no-nonsense aura kept it from looking flashy.
Even though he was the highest-ranking man in the military, Quintus didn’t sit back in a safe office all day.
He was the kind of soldier who enjoyed fighting on the front lines himself.
Shiao Yi had already seen that side of him during the incident with the magic circle.
In that way, he was a lot like Dominic.
It seemed that many knights and soldiers here took pride in going into battle personally.
Quintus stood up from the seat beside the commander’s desk and gestured for Shiao Yi to sit in the chair placed in front of it.
This office was larger than Dominic’ and had more windows, making it bright. It’s located on the third floor of the west wing a d it offered a clear view of the training grounds.
The s ssistants and clerks who handled management and paperwork were in a separate, neighboring room.
The one who had brought Shiao Yi, Conner, had already left after dropping him off at the door.
Now, only Quintus and his adjutant were in the room with Shiao Yi.
As Shiao Yi sat in silence, Quintus looked at him carefully, as if judging his worth. Then, he suddenly spoke.
"I’m sorry for calling you here on short notice. But I wanted to speak with you without Dominic present."
He was certainly straightforward. Or was that just part of his strategy? Maybe he wanted Shiao Yi to believe there were no hidden motives.
"I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Dalmasca has become the focus of our meetings. There’s something I’d like you to do in relation to that."
Quintus’s strong amber eyes sharpened.
He was choosing his words carefully, but it was clear that in his mind, the decision had already been made.
Shiao Yi didn’t really have the option to refuse.
"When you were assigned as assistant to the second division, I became your highest-ranking commander. That means I have the authority to give you orders for any mission. I could simply give you a direct command... but I would rather you accept this mission of your own free will."
So, this was going to be a risky job.
If it were something simple, Quintus wouldn’t bother with explanations—he’d just give the order.
However, if he did that, Dominic would probably object.
"I’m listening," Shiao Yi said calmly.
He had already prepared himself for whatever was coming.
Just as Shiao Yi and Quintus were finishing their conversation, a loud commotion came from the hallway.
A moment later, Dominic burst into the room.
At the edge of the door that had been flung open with a bang, the legs of a guard could be seen collapsed—he had probably tried to stop Dominic and failed.
It looked like Dominic had taken him down without hesitation.
Is that okay? Won’t he get punished for that?
Dominic glared furiously at them and even Quintus stared up at him in shock.