I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

Yeah, that happened. Luke’s last major incident before his retirement. During the war with Membren, he had been disciplined for a supply embezzlement case and was unable to participate in the battle. But he couldn’t just sit still. So, risking everything, he moved in secret.
That was when he tried to capture Hayes—and was caught by Theo. And that was when Theo had told him, “You were only ever concerned about results. Now, I see you for what you really are.”

"But now, you two seem pretty close. You were fighting like you wanted to kill each other back then."
"H-Hayes, maybe you should stop talking now…"
Benji nudged Hayes, as if sensing the strange atmosphere between them.

"Huh? Why? It’s just interesting. Those two, who never got along, acting all buddy-buddy now."
Hayes shrugged, not understanding what the big deal was. Just then, as if on cue, visiting hours ended, and Maurice entered at just the right moment, bringing the situation to a close.
Having wrapped up their business, Luke and Theo naturally made their way outside the prison.

"Thanks to Hayes, we got some solid information."
"…"
"Even with that personality of his, at least he’s cooperative, right?"

When no response came, Luke turned his head. Theo, who had been following behind him, was silent, his expression complicated. Luke parted his lips as if to say something, then closed them again.
"We should head back to headquarters now, right?"
"Luke, about what Hayes said earlier."

The footsteps behind him slowed. Luke, who had been walking ahead, also gradually came to a stop.
Some memories just never faded, no matter how much time passed. For Luke, that day was one of them.
That day, he had moved purely with the thought of stopping the war. But in doing so, he had branded himself a villain in Theo’s eyes. To Theo, Luke had become nothing more than a soldier chasing achievements, acting on his own even while under disciplinary action.

The strange sense of emptiness he had felt back then had left him unable to respond as he usually would. He had returned to the military in silence, and after that, the distance between him and Theo had only grown. Well, they had never been on the best of terms to begin with, but that moment had been their most intense clash.
"That time, I…"
"Theo, is there really a need to talk about the past?"

"…"
A faint smirk curled Luke’s lips. Under the sunlight, his smile looked unusually weary, and Theo found himself unable to continue speaking.
"It’s in the past. Let’s go."
Luke never once met Theo’s eyes. As Luke’s figure grew smaller in the distance, Theo let out a long sigh.

***
"The montage you just saw is the suspect presumed to be the leader of Nox. As I explained earlier, his name is believed to be ‘Felix.’"
Theo’s solemn voice filled the meeting room. He was delivering the information they had gathered from Benji and Hayes to the rest of the unit.

"As we discussed, it’s unlikely that Felix has no ties to our empire at all."
"If he truly holds a grudge against Heiner and is seeking revenge, then maybe he was once a citizen of the empire."
Leo spoke cautiously. It wasn’t an impossible theory. Nox had been active for over ten years. If something had happened before then, and if it was connected to the empire, then there had to be some kind of link.

"Right. We need to keep all possibilities open during the investigation."
Theo divided the investigative forces into two teams. Leo, along with some members of the 7th Unit, was assigned to an external investigation—searching for any traces of Felix that might still exist within the empire. Meanwhile, Luke, Paul, and the rest of the team were to comb through the records for any overlooked clues while supporting the external team.
"This concludes today’s meeting."

The team dispersed to return to their respective duties. As Theo gathered his documents, he stared intently at Luke. But their gazes never met.
"…I’ll be heading to the commander’s office."
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Even as he left the room, Theo couldn’t take his eyes off Luke. But Luke, as if deliberately avoiding him, turned his body away entirely.
"Hmm, Luke."
As soon as Theo was gone, Leo, who had been keenly observing, cleared his throat and cautiously approached Luke.

"What."
Luke responded curtly, not even looking up from his documents.
"Did you have a fight with the commander?"

The pen that Luke had been twirling between his fingers suddenly came to a stop. He set it down and shot Leo a glare.
"Captain Leo, are you seriously bringing up personal matters during work hours?"
"Huh?"

Hearing Luke call him so formally, Leo flinched. ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) The surrounding members of the 7th Unit peeked at them curiously.
"Captain, stop slacking off," Paul sighed, exasperated.
It seemed obvious to everyone that Leo was just pestering Luke. Even so, not a single one of the 7th Unit members came to his defense.

"Fine, fine, I’ll get back to work. But hey, if you ever need someone to talk to, you know where to find me. My heart is always open."
"Get lost."
At Luke’s sharp retort, Leo slumped like a scolded puppy and shuffled out of the room. As soon as the door closed, Luke ran a hand down his face and sighed.

Leo had only asked out of concern, and yet, he had snapped at him.
Lately, Luke had been avoiding Theo. If it wasn’t for work, he barely spoke to him, and he kept making excuses to eat alone. The habit of waiting for Theo after work had disappeared long ago. In fact, it was more comfortable to go home alone.
If someone asked him why, he would have to say it was because of what Hayes had said a few days ago.

"So, I overheard. You were shouting about how achievements were all that mattered, and going on about the duty of a soldier."
That single remark had vividly brought back memories he had buried deep. The incident that had been locked away in his mind had surfaced again.
When Theo brought it up outside the prison, Luke’s heart had sunk.

He had been half-serious when he told Theo that there was no need to talk about the past. Back then, Luke had moved with good intentions, acting as he always did. But to Theo, it must have looked like pure ambition, selfish and reckless. Luke had no intention of explaining himself.
What could he even say? I only did it because I wanted to stop the war before it got worse. How could he say that now? In the end, Theo’s perception of him was his own fault. If anything, it had been an opportunity for Luke to fulfill the role of the villain he had always embraced.
But when Luke had stopped Theo from speaking back then, it wasn’t just because of that.

What had Theo been about to say?
When Hayes mentioned it, Theo had looked as if he had suddenly remembered something he had forgotten. Had he wanted to reaffirm his judgment of Luke? Or had he wanted to demand an explanation?
The cold, sharp look Theo had given him back then—it still lingered in Luke’s mind. And strangely, the memory stung.

Maybe that was why he had cut Theo off. To stop him from saying something that Luke didn’t want to hear.
"Are you afraid that the commander still thinks that way?"
Fail’s words resurfaced in his mind. Back then, he had recalled the Membren War, just like now. But it hadn’t felt this overwhelming.

Of course, it hadn’t. Because back then, it had been Fail—not Theo—who had triggered the memory.
"I’m still afraid, huh."
Luke muttered as he rubbed his face. No matter how much he told himself that Theo wouldn’t think that way anymore, his heart wouldn’t settle.

These days, whenever he saw Theo, he couldn’t control the excitement bubbling inside him. Leo had been teasing him about dating and confessions, and it had made him feel like he was floating on air. But now, it felt like he had plummeted back to earth.
Luke turned his gaze to the window. The sky outside was clear and bright, a stark contrast to his emotions.
He didn’t want Theo to see him as a villain. As someone ruled by ambition and selfishness.

For the first time, Luke regretted playing the role of the villain. If he hadn’t, then maybe—just maybe—he wouldn’t have seen that look in Theo’s eyes that day. Maybe he wouldn’t be feeling this way now.
"…"
And then, he laughed.

He had taken pride in being the villain, had brushed off countless criticisms without a care. And yet, here he was, second-guessing everything over something so trivial.
Lost in thought, Luke tapped the table absentmindedly.
Even though he had deliberately avoided Theo’s gaze earlier, now, he found himself wanting to see him again.

***
Theo sat at his desk, his expression grim as he scrutinized the document before him. At the top, the words Investigation Report were written, detailing the findings of the case in which Luke had been accused as the main perpetrator of the supply embezzlement.
"…As expected, nothing stands out."

Theo muttered under his breath. He had already gone through these documents countless times, yet he still couldn’t find anything that felt unnatural or out of place.
Previously, he had ordered Shion to reinvestigate the matter, but the results had come back inconclusive—nothing suspicious had been found. Now, Theo had taken it upon himself to personally look into the case. But even with his efforts, a clear lead remained elusive, leaving him frustrated.
There was definitely something here. Something hidden. Something not widely known.

Luke wouldn’t talk even if asked. And even if he called Mile, who seemed connected to the case, it was unlikely he would get a straightforward answer.
That left him with only one person—a key figure in the case and the only one who might actually talk.
"Shion."

Theo tapped his communication orb.
"Summon Administrative Unit Officer Fail for me."