Childhood Friend of the Zenith

After causing chaos at the Azure Dragon Division, my next destination was naturally my quarters.

It was late, and I wasn't in the best condition physically.

Plus, I had things to discuss with Song Hojung, so I began heading back with my men following behind.

"What's this?"

As I walked, something caught my attention—it felt off.

Looking around, I heightened my senses.

But there was nothing.

The dimly lit lanterns illuminated the night, and the faint rustle of insects in the area was the only thing breaking the silence.

So what felt wrong?

It was the quiet.

"Why is there no one here?"

Just a while ago, I'd seen men stationed at various checkpoints along the paths. This was the time when patrols should've been visible, yet there wasn't a soul to be seen.

Frowning at the peculiarity, I turned and called out.

"Hey."

The men behind me flinched as if startled. All I did was call out, so why were they so on edge?

Scanning the group, I focused on Song Hojung, who stood closest.

"Where is everyone?"

"I-I'm not sure... I'll check immediately!"

Song Hojung looked genuinely perplexed. To be fair, he had been with me at the Azure Dragon Division, so there was no way he could know.

As he moved to investigate, I stopped him with a raised hand.

"What the hell is going on? Where did they all disappear to?"

I walked forward, frowning at the absurdity of the situation. My men were supposed to be working—so where were they?

As we neared my quarters, I finally sensed something.

The faint presences I had been searching for appeared.

"They're all gathered there."

The scattered presences I couldn't feel earlier were now concentrated at one place.

And not just anywhere—my quarters.

"What the hell are they doing at my quarters?"

The sheer absurdity of the situation made me wary. I didn't know what they were planning, but I hoped it wasn't something trivial.

If it was, I feared my temper might flare. That scared me more than anything else.

Taking deep breaths to calm myself, I finally arrived at the entrance of my quarters.

Carefully, I peeked inside.

"Huh...?"

The scene that greeted me made my eyes widen.

It wasn't just unexpected—it was baffling.

"What the hell is this?"

My irritation was temporarily replaced by surprise. The scene before me was so absurd it froze me in place.

Behind me, Song Hojung, curious about my reaction, came closer.

"Captain, what's—what the...?"

Like me, he trailed off mid-sentence, unable to process what he was seeing. The others reacted no differently, staring blankly at the bizarre sight.

It was no wonder.

"Why are they like that?"

"I... I don't know, sir."

The men who were supposed to be on patrol were instead kneeling before my quarters, their foreheads pressed firmly to the ground.

They trembled visibly, yet their posture remained firm and unwavering.

The bizarre scene left me sighing incredulously as I stepped closer.

"Ugh..."

"Nngh..."

They must've been there for a while—the sweat soaking their clothes and the faint groans they let out were proof enough.

"What's going on with you lot?"

At my words, the man kneeling at the front shot up like a spring.

"Reporting for duty, sir!"

"I don't care about that. What the hell is this?"

"As per your orders, sir, we gathered here and waited as instructed!"

Wait, what?

"Orders? What orders?"

I cut myself off mid-sentence, looking closely at the soldier's face. I recognized him—he was one of my men, after all. But then it clicked.

"This guy."

He was the one who had informed me about Song Hojung being sent to the Azure Dragon Division.

And with that, memories of a certain command surfaced.

"Did I tell him to gather everyone in front of my quarters?"

It hit me like a bolt of lightning. I remembered issuing the command when I'd been irritated by their lack of discipline.

Something like:

"If you keep slacking off like this, the next time I say 'gather,' plant your faces on the ground and wait there. I'm not joking, so remember it."

It had been a warning, one I'd growled out in frustration.

"Goddamn it. They actually listened to that?"

I'd completely forgotten about it until now, but looking at this scene, it was undeniably my fault.

"Sigh..."

Letting out a heavy breath, I decided to put an end to the madness.

"Alright, get up."

At the command, the men sprang to their feet as one. Soaked in sweat, they looked utterly drained.

"Uh..."

Originally, I'd intended to assert some authority over them, but seeing their pitiful state, I lost the will.

"Forget it. You're dismissed. Go back to your posts."

"But what about—"

"What? You're eager to stay and hear more? Then get back down on the ground."

"N-No, sir! Understood!"

At my words, they scurried away, leaving behind a lingering stench of sweat and dampened ground.

"Next time, I'll choose my words more carefully."

A passing comment, thrown out in anger, had spiraled into this ridiculous mess. Clearly, I needed to be more mindful of what I said.

Now that things had calmed down, I turned to Song Hojung.

"Send the rest of the men back to their posts."

After dismissing the remaining soldiers, I motioned to Song Hojung and Mun Do-hyuk.

"You two, come inside with me."

I had a lot of questions.

******************

After entering the quarters, I took a seat, leaving the two men standing.

I didn't bother pouring tea, only keeping a single lantern lit as I began.

"Song Hojung."

"...Yes, Captain."

"Explain the situation."

No need for long introductions. He already knew why I had summoned him. As expected, he began speaking calmly, lips pressed tightly together.

"It started with a message from the Azure Dragon Division."

"What was the reason?"

"They proposed sharing information...."

"Sharing?"

"Yes."

I nodded slightly at his words. Sharing information, at first glance, didn't sound problematic. Considering the Azure Dragon Division was a support unit and we were in the middle of a mission, it seemed reasonable.

But still—

"If that's all it was, why did you go to the Azure Dragon Division in person?"

What I wanted to know wasn't the content of the message. That was fine. What bothered me was why he went there on his own. That was far more important. This content is hosted at M|V|LE^MPYR.

"..."

Song Hojung didn't answer immediately, so I pressed him further.

"You were planning to refuse their proposal, weren't you? Isn't that right?"

"...Yes, that's correct."

He had intended to refuse the Azure Dragon Division's offer. That much was clear from the brief exchange earlier.

Which only made me more curious.

"Then why did you go?"

I asked in a calm voice. Song Hojung hesitated for a long moment before finally answering.

"I went there to refuse them."

He went to the Azure Dragon Division just to turn them down. The absurdity of it made me chuckle involuntarily.

"They brought up the idea of sharing information, but you decided to personally go there to refuse it?"

"...Yes."

"Are you a complete idiot?"

"...!"

The sharpness of my words made Song Hojung's eyes waver. It was a clear insult, but I didn't stop.

"They didn't intend to share anything, did they? It was more like they expected you to hand over our information. Am I wrong?"

"..."

His lips trembled, and he swallowed hard. His silence ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) confirmed my suspicion.

"It wasn't sharing—it was a demand. You obviously wanted to refuse, didn't you? Yes or no."

"Yes... but—"

"Shut up. I'm still talking."

He swallowed again, falling silent as I continued.

"Save your excuses for later, if you can even manage to come up with one. Got it?"

"...Understood."

The tension in the room was palpable, his nervousness written all over his face.

"Judging by what I've seen, they must have pulled some crap about being superior, having higher authority, and expecting you to follow orders. Is that right?"

It wasn't hard to deduce. The Azure Dragon Division's behavior made it clear.

"And on top of that, they ordered you to come to them, didn't they? I know they disrespected you. Fine. I don't like how you handled it, but let's set that aside. Do you know what pisses me off the most?"

I leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with him.

"Why am I only hearing about this now? Why didn't I know any of this until the situation exploded? That's what pisses me off the most. Understand?"

As the captain of this division, I was only learning the full story now. That was the most infuriating part.

"Now, explain. Why didn't you report this to me?"

I stared him down, but Song Hojung only opened and closed his mouth, struggling to speak.

"I said explain!"

I pressed him again, and he finally managed to stammer a response.

"The request came yesterday...."

"Speak clearly. It wasn't a request; it was a demand."

"...They made their demand yesterday, while you were away, Captain."

"And then?"

"So I thought it would be best for me to handle it on my own—"

"Wait."

I interrupted him, raising a hand to stop him. There was something I needed to clarify.

"Why would you think it was your place to handle it? Why did you make the decision yourself?"

"What?"

"If I wasn't around, you should have waited and reported to me before doing anything. Why did you act on your own? Do you outrank me?"

"...No, sir."

"Then you should have reported to me and asked for permission first. Why the hell did you act on your own?"

"I'm sorry... My judgment was poor at the time. Please punish me."

"It's not about punishment... Hah."

I rubbed my temples, frustration boiling over. His explanation wasn't cutting it.

"Song Hojung."

"Yes."

"It wasn't poor judgment. You knew exactly what you were doing."

"N-No, that's not true. I-I really—"

"Don't bother running your mouth. You just didn't trust me, did you?"

"...!"

His eyes widened in shock at my words, as if I had struck a nerve.