Debuff Master

“Please reinvestigate the matter,” Oscar commanded.

“Reinvestigate…?” Carell asked, sounding flustered.

“We’ve never had a deserter in our forces. Not a single one until now, but we suddenly have two entire squadrons deserting when we’re winning the war with guaranteed bonuses waiting for every soldier? Something doesn’t add up here.”

“That is a sound logic, Supreme Commander. I do agree that there is something unusual about this, but our investigation found no traces of a struggle.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Supreme Commander. We initially considered the possibility of them being ambushed and captured by the guerillas, but there was not even a single trace of any battles whatsoever in our investigation, which is why we concluded that they deserted.”

“I understand your reasoning, but this matter calls for further scrutiny,” Oscar insisted, unwilling to let the issue rest. Then, she said in a firm voice, “Commander Carell.”

“Yes, Supreme Commander?”

“I want a thorough investigation. Find the missing soldiers, even if it’s only their remains. We must uncover the truth behind their disappearance and ensure that there are no such things as unsolved mysteries in His Majesty’s army.”

“Remember this. If we let this incident go as it is, how can parents trust us with their beloved sons? Who would willingly enlist to fight for His Majesty?”

“Supreme Commander…”

“This is a serious matter, which is why I’m not delegating it to just any officer.”

“I understand.”

“Carell, I trust you to lead the investigation. You’re the most suitable and most faithful for this task.”

“Yes, Supreme Commander!”

“Expose the truth of this incident, Commander Carell.”

“With honor, Supreme Commander!”

Carell's respect for Oscar deepened, and he couldn't help but admire her even more. She was renowned as a noble knight among all knights on the continent, and her chivalry and honor as a knight were truly without blemish.

As both a mentor and a superior, Oscar was truly worthy of Carell’s highest respect.

“I will definitely get to the bottom of this incident.”

“I trust you will.”

With his orders received, Carell immediately set off to carry them out.

***

Carell wasted no time. He assembled a special investigation unit within the military police, and he made sure to emphasize the importance of this investigation to his units.

“Listen up! We’re reopening this investigation from scratch. This is an order from the Supreme Commander, so I expect each and every one of you to perform your duties to the highest standard.”

“Yes, sir!”

“The investigation team will focus on the incident while the remaining soldiers will search the areas where the missing men were last seen.”

“Yes, sir!”

After issuing the commands, he also went out into the streets of Feiogh to search for the missing men. He personally led by example, as he was not the type to sit back and relax while delegating things to others.

‘I’ll make sure those missing soldiers return to their families,’ he vowed, steeling his resolve.

It was then that he stumbled upon a disturbing sight in the city’s western square.

“...!”

He found a statue destroyed beyond recognition, and he was certain this was not collateral damage to the battle. The statue’s head was on the ground; its eyes were dug out; its nose flattened; and its mouth was smashed beyond recognition.

Obviously, the statue was destroyed deliberately.

To make matters worse, filth and refuse were littered around the statue, causing an unbearable stench to fill the air around it.

There was graffiti scribbled on the statue’s torso with disgusting messages.

Die!

Do you not fear the heavens?!

I hope your child will die in agony!

You will drown in an endless pit of despair and meet a wretched end!

I hope your parents will die alone and miserable!

We will curse you even in the afterlife!

It was unmistakable. This was a defacement of a statue of Siegfried van Proa, which was erected in honor of him.

Following his victory in preventing the demonic invasion from overrunning the continent, Emperor Stuttgart ordered statues of Siegfried van Proa erected in every major city of the members of the World Peace Council in recognition of his contribution to the peacekeeping of the continent.

Thus, it was no surprise that the Zavala Kingdom had a monument in honor of him.

“I see…”

Carell immediately understood why this statue had been defaced beyond recognition. This was a reflection of the people’s anger toward him, as their kingdom had been defeated, and their soldiers had been slaughtered by the Proatine Alliance.

For Feiogh’s citizens, desecrating this statue of Siegfried van Proa was a natural response.

Carell sympathized with the Zavala Kingdom’s people but still felt a hint of anger after seeing a statue of his liege defaced and desecrated in such a way.

Thus, he decided it would be best not to leave it as it was to prevent it from becoming a public spectacle later on. He called for his men to remove it from the square. It was too late to reverse the damage done to the statue, but he could at least ensure it would no longer be subjected to any further humiliation.

He carefully wrapped the remains of the statue in the Proatine Kingdom’s flag and prepared them to be transported back to the Proatine Kingdom.

After that, Carell sent an official request to the Rozermoore Alliance, requesting for all statues of Siegfried van Proa in the Zavala Territories to be returned to the Proatine Kingdom.

With the incident with the statue handled, Carell redirected his attention and resumed his investigation. He was determined to get to the bottom of the disappearance of the men and uncover the truth behind the incident.

***

After the victory parade, Siegfried could finally spend a peaceful moment with Brunhilde and Verdandi.

While there was news suggesting that a soul fragment was hidden somewhere in the Zavala Kingdom’s capital city, Feiogh, it had been showing no activity so far, allowing Siegfried to relax with his family for the time being.

It was a serene day where he could finally share a quiet peaceful moment all alone with his beloved wife, Brunhilde. They sat in the garden, surrounded by falling autumn leaves, and sipping tea while feeling the cool breeze caress their skin.

However, Han Tae-Sung found it difficult to hide his weariness, as he was simply exhausted from everything that happened so far.

“...Dear!”

Brunhilde’s voice snapped him back to his senses, and he flinched so hard that he nearly spilled tea on himself.

“Are you tired?” she asked gently.

“Me? No, not at all,” he replied, trying to sound as lively as he could.

“Liar. I just watched you dozing off for a few seconds just now,” she said with a smirk.

Siegfried could only scratch the back of his head out of embarrassment. He realized that he was truly tired; the recent nonstop gaming session marathons with only the minimum rest time required by the game client had taken their toll on his body over the past few weeks.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to doze off on you,” he apologized. He could not help but feel guilty that he was dozing off when they finally had time to spend together.

“It’s alright. I know how hard you’ve been pushing yourself,” she replied with a smile. Then, she moved closer to him, embraced him, and whispered, “Take a break. You deserve it.”

“But…”

“I’ll be here waiting for you, always.”

“Brunhilde…”

“I know traveling between worlds must be exhausting, and you’ve been working nonstop for weeks too. Go, rest for a while, my love,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you…” he muttered.

He was so overcome with gratitude and emotions that he felt a lump in his throat that rendered him speechless.

Still, she leaned in to give him a kiss before letting him log out and take the rest he so desperately needed.

Moved by her kind gesture, Siegfried stood in silence for a few seconds. Then, he dashed after her, caught her in a sudden embrace, and lifted her in a princess carry.

“Kyah! W-Wait!”

He did not bother responding to her as he dashed toward their chambers.

A few minutes later.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ba-da-boom! Bam! Ratta-ta-ta!

Awooooo!

Woof! Woof!

Oh yeah!

The sounds of passion thundered and echoed throughout the halls of the Proatine Kingdom’s royal palace.

***

After sleeping for almost an entire day, Han Tae-Sung finally decided it was time for a well-deserved break. He reached for his phone and called his friend, Cheon Woo-Jin.

— What’s gotten into you, calling me at this hour?

Cheon Woo-Jin was really surprised, as Tae-Sung was known for not taking breaks from the game.

“Hey, can’t I call my friend?”

— Yeah, you can. But I just didn’t expect it. Aren’t you usually playing the game at this hour?

“Even gamers need a break now and then, you know?”

— Fair enough.

“Actually, I have a favor to ask.”

— Oh? What’s really gotten into you?

“I need a plane.”

— A what?! You need a plane?

Cheon Woo-Jin was so shocked by the unexpected request that he choked on his own saliva.

“Yeah, I do.”

— Man, why not just lease one with all the money you have? Or better, just buy yourself a private jet!

Their conversation sounded unrealistic to others, but it was normal for them. Cheon Woo-Jin, of course, was already wealthy to begin with, while Tae-Sung’s fortune had grown exponentially over the recent years.

He had even formed his own corporation to optimize his taxes, so purchasing a used private jet would be easy or even beneficial for him.

“Why should I buy something that will just sit around collecting dust? That’s just wasting money.”

— Hmm… I guess you’re right.

“And besides, I’m broke right now.”

— What? You? Broke? What happened to all your money? Did you gamble it all away?

“That’s none of your business. Anyway, are you going to lend me yours or not?

— Where are you going though?

“I want to take my mom and sister on a vacation.”

The thought had been on his mind for quite a while now. He wanted to spend some quality time with his family, his mother and sister. This was something that money couldn't do for him unless he purposely made time for them.

— Of course, I’ll help if it’s for family.

“Really?”

— Yeah, why not? Anyway, when are you leaving?

“I guess tonight or tomorrow morning?”

— Consider it done. Just get on board, and you can take off whenever you want to.

“Thanks, Woo-Jin.”

— No need for thanks between us. Just buy me a meal when you come back.

“Yeah, I definitely will. You should look forward to it.

— Oh? Alright, I’m holding you to it. I’ll be choosing somewhere expensive, are you good with that?

“Go for it. I’ll even let you order as much as you want.”

— Just you wait. I’ll rack up the bill so much that you won’t believe your own eyes.

“You can order everything they have and eat until you drop. I’ll give you my blessings.”

— Haha! Anyway, have a great trip, man.

After hanging up, Tae-Sung immediately called his mother. He was thrilled and excited to have a rare and cherished vacation with his family—something they had not done for a very long time now.