Chapter 18
In Hokurin Village, the party was lodged in a two-story house—larger than the one Andri had used on his previous stay.
The attendants took the broad common room on the ground floor, while Konstantinos and his personal servants were given the upper level, where two adjoining rooms had been prepared as their quarters.
Once everything had settled, Andri called one of the soldiers over, led him outside, and stopped beside the house.
“Theodoros…”
“Captain Chaire. It has been some time, sir.”
Theodoros Megara, second-in-command of the First Unit, came to attention and saluted.
“…You were truly assigned to this? By His Lordship himself?”
“Yes, sir. I am presently acting captain of the First Unit. The orders came directly from His Lordship. Nineteen of us stand ready to carry out the mission—with everything we have.”
Andri said nothing.
The Royal Guard—the shield of the capital—sent out here to escort a provincial noble.
The thought weighed heavily on him. He could not bring himself to raise his head.
Theodoros noticed at once. He cast a brief glance about them, then stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“…Captain. There is something you should know.”
Andri looked up.
“The orders—His Lordship signed them himself, in my presence.”
A faint smile touched Theodoros’s mouth.
“Before he did, he asked whether I would accept the assignment.”
“…And?”
“I gave my answer at once. I asked to be sent.”
Andri blinked. Theodoros inclined his head slightly.
“My duty is to support my captain. That much remains unchanged. However—”
He regarded Andri for a moment, measured and direct. Andri instinctively straightened.
“In every engagement thus far, there has not been a single occasion on which you required a second-in-command. If anything—”
“….”
“You have made a habit of placing yourself between your men and danger.”
Theodoros continued, even and composed.
“To speak plainly, Captain… you leave the rest of us with little to do.”
A hint of dry humor touched his expression.
Andri stiffened, taken off guard.
“You take the burden upon yourself, time and again. That is admirable—yet it is not how a unit ought to function.”
His tone softened, though the steadiness remained.
“So this time, I intend to show you—properly—what a second-in-command is meant to be.”
“…You—”
Theodoros looked up at his younger superior and allowed himself a brief, restrained chuckle.
“I come at the Lord Commander’s bidding: ‘see how he fares.’ To carry back word of your well-being would surely set his mind at ease.”
Then he inclined his chin toward the rear.
Andri turned.
From behind the house, beyond the fence, from the shadow of a wagon—figures began to emerge.
One after another.
Eighteen of them.
The entire First Unit.
“Yo, Captain!”
“Been a while, sir!”
“Don’t take too long getting back, yeah?”
They spoke over one another.
Andri stood there, stunned.
It didn’t make sense. This wasn’t how they were.
Or— had it always been like this?
Had he simply never seen it?
“…Why are you all—?”
Theodoros gave a small, knowing smile.
“It has always been so, Captain.”
The men exchanged wry looks—some with a trace of exasperation.
“You’re the one who kept us at arm’s length, Captain.”
“What?”
“Standing there, taking arrows on your back for us—like it was nothing—”
one of them muttered.
“And every time we tried to thank you, you’d just freeze up like you didn’t know what to do with us.”
“….”
“Hard to talk to a captain like that, you know?”
“So we left it be,” another added.
Andri had no reply.
He could not have spoken if he tried.
“For the record… taking that arrow—His Highness did not take it lightly.”
Theodoros set a firm hand on his shoulder, giving a small shake of the head.
“He intends to speak with you upon your return. I would advise you to be prepared.”
Andri let out something between a breath and a laugh.
“…Understood.”
Off to the side, half-hidden in the shadows, Kiba and Hasu watched it unfold.
Hasu gave a small shrug.
“Mm. Not quite what I had in mind,” she said with a light laugh.
“But… I guess this works too.”
Kiba rubbed his brow, exhaling.
“Just try not to stir up trouble around him, all right?”
Hasu only smiled.
“Still,” she said, her eyes on Ando and the others,
“They did say the Commander’s his brother… plays it well, huh.”
Kiba let out a breath.
“…Hnh. He got the better of us.”
He folded his arms, watching for a moment.
Hasu studied the scene a moment longer.
“That’ll only tie him tighter—his brother, and his men.”
“And it’ll make it harder for him to walk away,” Kiba added, his expression tightening.
Ando’s men were hostages in all but name. If he ever refused to return, there was no telling how they might be treated.
After a moment, Kiba gave a small, resigned shrug, one hand settling at his hip.
“…Still. You might be right.”
Maybe, in its own way, this turned out for the best.
They turned and slipped away.
