I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

Chapter 49

After a long silence, Phael, now certain of the truth, slammed his teacup onto the table in disbelief.

“I thought you said you were living a quiet life?”

“Well... hear me out. I had my reasons,” Luke replied, raising a hand to calm him down before launching into an explanation about the incident at Ruben’s home a few months ago. He recounted how he’d taken down a high-tier monster and narrowly avoided being spotted by the western branch soldiers. The thought of dealing with the paperwork, investigations, and the possibility of running into familiar faces at the branch had pushed him to make a quick exit.

But that wasn’t the end of it. As Luke continued to live in the area, he had encountered monsters on multiple occasions—at Coneinium Square, during errands in neighboring towns, and more. Each time, he found himself unable to resist stepping in to subjugate them. The effort to dodge the military units dispatched to these scenes had been immense, but so far, he had never been caught.

“If you’re done with the military and want a peaceful life, you should’ve just let the army handle it. They would’ve taken care of the monsters without you,” Phael said, his tone scolding.

Luke let out an awkward laugh, feeling slightly attacked. Since when did this kid become so blunt?

“I know. It’s not that I don’t trust the Imperial Army’s capability. I just... found myself acting before I even realized it.”

Luke had sworn to himself that he would never involve himself in military affairs again after leaving the Imperial Army. He had resolved to live as a simple, ordinary citizen. But his body seemed to have a mind of its own, and with all the high-tier monsters appearing, he just couldn’t turn a blind eye.

“Besides, I’ve only taken down a handful. I didn’t expect it to cause such a stir.”

“Well, every monster you defeated was a high-tier one, so of course it spread like wildfire,” Phael countered, his tone still chastising.

Luke felt like he was being scolded but couldn’t argue with the facts. He raised his voice, insisting that he was done for real this time, and that he wouldn’t intervene, no matter what. Phael, however, didn’t look entirely convinced.

“Fine, let’s change the subject,” Luke said, waving his hand in irritation.

Phael hesitated for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before cautiously speaking up.

“Captain... don’t you have anything you’re curious about? About me?”

“I already asked earlier. Your mother’s doing well, and you got promoted, right?”

“No, not about me,” Phael replied, shaking his head.

“About the headquarters, maybe...”

Ah. Luke finally caught on to what Phael was hinting at.

“I’m sure everything’s running smoothly. The Empire’s peaceful enough,” Luke said, his tone indifferent.

“You’re right! I shouldn’t have asked. It’s not like you have any fond memories of that place,” Phael said hurriedly, backtracking.

Fond memories, huh? Luke stared blankly into his coffee cup. His reflection rippled in the dark liquid, only to disappear as images from his time in the Imperial Army flashed through his mind like pages flipping in a storybook. And among those memories, one person stood out the most.

“...How’s Theo doing?”

The question slipped out before Luke could stop himself. The person he thought of wasn’t any of the Detached Force members, nor captains like Leo or Mile. It was Theo—the person he’d trained with every morning, argued with during operations, clashed with in meetings, and exchanged glares with almost every time they met.

“Oh, um, he seems to be doing well. He adapted quickly after becoming Commander-in-Chief,” Phael replied, clearly caught off guard by the mention of Theo but answering earnestly. He went on to explain how Theo had been reforming outdated practices, improving the military’s structure, and even attending meetings regularly to oversee operations.

Drawing on information he’d gathered from Cale, Luke explained the various festival attractions to Phael, who was captivated by the lively atmosphere. Suddenly, Phael stopped, pointing at something.

“Captain, are those flowers from your greenhouse?”

Phael’s gaze was fixed on the vibrant floral decorations adorning the outer walls of a structure in the square. Even the massive sign at the entrance, announcing the festival, was beautifully adorned with flowers.

“Yeah, they’re from my greenhouse,” Luke said, a hint of pride in his voice.

“Wow, that’s incredible!” Phael exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

Luke chuckled, knowing he owed some of this success to Chess, the village head’s influence. Phael, however, seemed genuinely impressed by the exquisite floral arrangements, and so were the festival-goers. People pointed at the flowers, their faces lighting up with smiles as they admired the decorations.

“Captain...” Phael began.

“Yeah?”

“You’re seriously good at everything.”

“Oh, come on. You don’t need to butter me up. And for the last time, I’m not your captain anymore,” Luke said, shaking his head.

Despite Luke’s protests, Phael couldn’t contain his awe. “But really, it’s amazing! You left the army and immediately found something new to excel at.”

Luke scratched his head awkwardly, feeling a bit self-conscious. Compliments weren’t something he was accustomed to. He had spent his career hearing people accuse him of being selfish, underhanded, or downright nasty. Praise like this? It was almost alien to him.

“Alright, enough. Stop it,” Luke said, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks.

But Phael, seemingly oblivious to Luke’s discomfort, kept murmuring words of admiration. Finally, Luke flicked Phael lightly on the forehead, stopping him mid-sentence.

“Hey! That hurt!” Phael said, rubbing his reddened forehead and pouting.

“What’s that? Are you complaining now?” Luke teased, smirking.

“You’re the one who keeps saying you’re not my captain anymore!” Phael shot back, his tone cheeky.

Luke burst out laughing, his voice carrying over the crowd. His vibrant silver hair gleamed in the sunlight, complementing his striking features and carefree demeanor. Passersby couldn’t help but glance at him, their curiosity piqued by the radiant man laughing so freely in the middle of the bustling square.

“Is something the matter?”

Not far away, another man had also stopped in his tracks, drawn by the faint sound of laughter. He turned his gaze toward the direction of the noise.

“...No, it’s nothing,” Theo replied after a moment, shaking his head as if dismissing the thought.

“Shall we continue, Commander?” the aide beside him asked, gesturing respectfully.

“Yes. Lead the way,” Theo said.

As the aide guided him, Theo walked in the opposite direction of where Luke was, his steps steady and deliberate as he navigated the lively festival.