Debran and Gakein had arrived at Fay’s meeting place the night before. That was because Yuder had ordered them to scout the location in advance and infiltrate naturally.
‘There’s no need to say why I’m sending you ahead of the others. The enemy will surely lurk near the meeting spot. Before daybreak, find them first from our side. The two of you should be more than able.’
It didn’t end with just finding them. They had to first open a path for the later unit to infiltrate smoothly, while absolutely not being discovered by anyone else—an extremely difficult task.
And do all that between just the two of them, in a single night!
‘Ordinarily, this would be absurd.......’
Yet it was a strange thing. When a man like Yuder Aile said it with a face that made it seem perfectly natural, no matter how absurd the content was, it felt like they could surely pull it off.
He’d gone so far as to say, ‘The two of you are more than able,’ and they wouldn’t succeed? That was impossible. The pride of those who had come this far through training and experiences the ordinary person couldn’t even imagine at the Cavalry would not allow it. They were already in the terminal stage of being Cavalrymen.
And so, truly before night passed, the two of them ended up succeeding in locating the enemy’s stronghold.
Surprisingly, the fact that it was their first time performing such a mission as a duo did not hinder them much.
Debran—bold and quick-witted, who had successfully carried out solo infiltration missions multiple times, yet found it difficult to see the big picture beyond what he was ordered. And Gakein—conversely, who possessed judgment good enough that even Kishiar acknowledged it, along with excellent stamina and an ability specialized in stealth, though somewhat lacking in brazenness.
Together, the two of them canceled out each other’s shortcomings and doubled their strengths with a remarkable effect.
The bastards, with great nerve, were staying at a fairly proper, large inn like a genuine trading company. According to Gakein, who hid in the shadows and secretly checked the kitchen, the innkeeper and staff had long since become their accomplices.
While Gakein not only mapped out the enemy lodgings but even swiped suspicious cargo and drugs hidden in the kitchen storehouse, Debran canvassed the shops around the inn and thoroughly combed information related to the trading company the enemy was disguised as. It took only a few hours to secure rough details of when they’d come to the capital and where they’d gone around till now.
When they reported what they’d obtained up the chain, colleagues to aid the two of them soon arrived one after another. Before dawn broke and before Fay prepared to head to the appointment, every matter Yuder had mentioned was flawlessly completed.
And now.
The area around the inn tavern where the enemy was working to butter up Fay, Glowe, and Elpokin was currently encircled in layers by Cavalry personnel.
The three rookies didn’t know it, but the Cavalry members were already watching and monitoring them from around the fountain. While Debran played bootblack, Gakein, hidden in the shadows, and the later unit selected for today’s operation plus a few members added late, moved about disguised so perfectly as ordinary citizens.
Among them would have been the Commander, who had suddenly announced he would participate today, and Nathan Zuckerman, but even Debran didn’t know exactly where they were. In truth, Yuder Aile was no different in being impossible to pinpoint, for that matter.
Leveraging his characteristic boldness, Debran had deliberately spoken up to scatter attention when it seemed the enemy was starting to suspect Glowe beyond reason. At the same time, he brushed a sleeve to smear on the special scent they’d been issued in advance for today’s mission, which even he thought was a truly brilliant result.
‘They said if that’s smeared on, we can track them quickly even if they bolt far.’
Bringing up that nonsense about dirt stuck to the enemy’s shoe had been a kind of hint for the rookies, who’d already seemed to sense that today’s meeting was not ordinary.
‘Glowe and Elpokin....... They seem fairly sharp—I'll remember their names.’
They had Cavalry-like loyalty and not bad situational judgment. They were rookies with a promising future.
‘That Fay kid seemed severely lacking in confidence and clueless... well, after going through this, he’ll grow some whether he likes it or not.’
Debran didn’t know much about Fay. Even so, he could clearly see how poorly Fay’s “friends” were treating him. Look how he couldn’t say a single unpleasant word even when hearing ridiculous questions, and how he just took all the drinks and food offered and got drunk.
That was precisely why the enemy had targeted Fay. It was obvious without looking.
‘Just listen to that crap they’re spouting. They were “surprised and glad” because they didn’t expect you to pass the Cavalry? Oh, sure. Of course they were. They scattered seed with a mindset of “nice if he passes, if not, whatever,” and they dress it up like they’re overjoyed the catch swam back on its own.’
If someone said that kind of garbage to Debran himself, he’d have thrown a punch right away. But Fay only smiled awkwardly and couldn’t say anything unpleasant. If anything, Glowe looked more uncomfortable.
Debran wrinkled the bridge of his nose and polished the shoe even harder. At this rate, the shoe would burst, but he had to calm his irritation somehow. Polishing shoes was unexpectedly good for cultivating the mind.
“Gakein. Doesn’t it make your insides burn? We have to wait until the signal to move, so we’re listening... but the more I hear, the more it ticks me off.”
“...It’s not pleasant for me either. But I can understand that rookie’s feelings.”
Gakein muttered from within the shadows.
“I don’t yet know the exact circumstances, but if I imagine I’d met people like that on my way to the capital to take the Cavalry entrance exam....... Unless you’ve got a backbone of steel, you’d get swayed by words like theirs. That person’s alone and there are many of them.”
“True. When several surround you and keep repeating the same line, it’s not easy to keep your head.”
“It’s really fortunate that peers like Glowe and Elpokin followed along. Thanks to that, the enemy’s nerves are spread out....... Ah.”
Just then, a sound like something breaking rang out through the gap of the window in the wall they were leaning against. A small shout as well.
Both men’s eyes simultaneously went flat.
“Debran. Send the signal.”
“Yeah. I’ll stay here—Gakein, you go straight inside.”
“Be careful.”
Gakein’s shadow heaved greatly once, then slid through the window gap and into the inside. He could now, beyond merely hiding inside a shadow double, even move along shadows for a brief time.
Taking that moment, Debran slipped a small mirror from his bosom and angled it in the sunlight.
A flash from the bootblack’s hand struck the red roof of the neighboring building three times and went out.
‘......They move.’
He felt the air around change without a sound. Debran set aside the shoe, stood up, and straightened his posture. When he clenched and opened his fist, hot flame whooshed up in his palm and went out.
The role of bootblack was over. It was time to do his real job.
***
“I... feel like I’m going to puke. Hold on... water....... No, I’ll go wash my face.”
Ironically, the moment Matten was about to reach for Glowe and Elpokin was broken thanks to Fay. Fay suddenly lurched to his feet and flopped to the floor.
“Oh dear. He’s completely drunk......”
“I’ll take him.”
Matten shook his head as if he had no choice and rose from his seat. Glowe frowned as she watched Fay, supported by Matten, move away.
‘......He’ll be back soon, right?’
But even after several minutes, Matten and Fay did not return. The merchants kept laughing and chatting without the slightest sign of concern, asking Glowe and Elpokin questions about life in the Cavalry.
Praise the two of them, yet in the same breath belittle them by comparison with other members—repeat.
The conversation they’d used on Fay was now being poured over them.
There was a limit to continuing to pretend she didn’t know and to answering roughly. Hard to explain why, but her foreboding kept swelling. They shouldn’t stay here any longer! Just as Glowe couldn’t hold it in and was about to speak—
Thud.
Elpokin planted his hands on the table and stood first.
With the sound of a chair scraping and toppling, the merchants shut their mouths.
Elpokin declared, as if nothing were wrong.
“Fay isn’t coming back. I’m going to look for him.”
“Ah....... Won’t he be back soon? If he puked and is cleaning it up, it might take a bit more time......”
Before the merchant finished speaking, Glowe popped up, following behind Elpokin.
“I’m going to look for Fay too.”
“Eh? Ms. Glowe, why would you.......”
“Mm? Why not. Can’t I go? If he puked and is cleaning up, wouldn’t it be better to go help clean? And I’d be more worried about leaving Glowe here alone, to be honest.”
When Elpokin grinned, a peculiar pressure wafted out. The merchants faltered and looked at each other’s eyes.
In that instant, Glowe felt a sensation like a flash before her eyes.
Ah. She’d never felt it before, but she understood.
This meant the power of the ‘ability’ Glowe had used today had manifested!
Glowe immediately spun and sprinted toward where Fay and Matten had disappeared.
“Fay!”
“Tsk......”
The sound of chairs pushing back and people standing came from behind her. But there were no footsteps giving chase. That was because Elpokin, arms folded casually and wings fully spread, blocked their way.
His beast-like eyes flashed as he spoke kindly to Glowe.
“Glowe, go get Fay. I’ll be here.”
“......Got it!”
Leaving that reassuring voice behind, Glowe ran where her sense led. The merchants’ flustered voices faded away.
“...He clearly ate food...... why......!”
“Why what. Did they spike him? I ate all sorts of weird stuff in the fight ring, so ordinary things hardly affect me at all......”
“......”