CHAPTER 349: RESPECT

His body was sore, and moving hurt a lot, but at the same time it felt good to move as well. Nero was not used to staying still for too long, and he’d been on a bed for days - even if many of those were spent unconscious.

As he slowly and carefully turned to get off the bed, he also observed the Lieutenant. His expression was not nearly as stern as it was during their first encounter, but the man did not seem particularly pleased either.

The lines etched across his forehead and eyes framed him like a crown, an unspoken testament to the Lieutenant’s enduring wisdom, or his quiet understanding with battle. Considering that it was incredibly rare for high level Card Masters to show any age, since each ascension strengthened and reinforced the body, signs of age were actually the greatest medals testifying to the hardship one had faced.

The scars running across his neck and cheek perfectly complimented his crown of wisdom, acting as proof of his vast experience, adding an aura of controlled ruthlessness to his noble persona.

Yes, controlled ruthlessness. This was not a man of wild abandon and barbarism. Instead, he was a sheathed weapon, exemplifying perfect control over himself and his strength. His pristine uniform, free from wrinkles or unnecessary creases, spoke of absolute command over himself. All soldiers looked good in uniform, but in the Lieutenant’s case, the uniform looked good on him.

The Lieutenant’s braided, golden beard was the only thing that could be called a display of extravagance, since it was uncommon for officers to have facial hair. Or, in Nero’s personal experience, it could be called yet another testimony of his hidden strength.

An officer did not necessarily need to be the strongest, for they had a commanding role rather than a fighting one. Even so, no one would reject a commanding officer of great strength and prestige.

For such a man to have received a Letter of Repriemand... was truly a shame. And yet, not an ounce of dissatisfaction could be seen on his face.

Although Nero’s own interactions with the man had been extremely limited, he could not help but begin to admire the man. Then again, this could just be a consequence of Nero’s heightened emotional state.

Dismissing his random thoughts, Nero stood on his feet, feeling slightly unsteady as a rush of blood went to his legs which were feeling pathetically weak. Not risking a fall, Nero quickly took a seat on the wheel chair, not at all embarrassed to be pushed by his CO, or by a man with one of his arms in a sling.

Nero reminded himself to get his emotions under control lest he embarrass himself, and had just put on a neutral and calm expression when they exited the room only to be faced with a furious Dr. Iris.

The Lieutenant stopped, though his expression did not change, and Nero put on the face of a dutiful soldier just following orders.

"I see how it is, Earl," Iris said, not caring about rank or station as she glared at him. "It seems my words have lost all meaning to you. In that case, I will have to take a new approach."

Her glare transferred from Earl to Nero, and before Nero could protest, she jabbed his body a few times with her finger, transmitting her aether inside. He did not feel any pain or discomfort. Instead, his body went mostly numb, and Nero realised that it had become incredibly difficult for him to move. His limbs had become incredibly heavy, and while he could still move them somewhat, he was very slow.

After that, she simply snorted and left, not saying a single word to either of them. The Lieutenant moved on as if nothing had happened.

Nero was wondering what the Lieutenant’s intentions were, for if he only needed to be debriefed, that could have been done in the hospital as well, yet he had no intention of asking.

Eventually, the Lieutenant spoke on his own, as if they weren’t strolling through an army base surrounded by countless soldiers on patrol.

"Nero Grant, do you remember what I said to you when we first met?" he asked, his voice calm yet firm.

"Yes," Nero answered, thinking back to his first day at Fordham. "You said that if I give you any reason to doubt me, you will impart upon me the opportunity to embrace a Kolari’s final duty."

"You skipped over some parts," the Lieutenant said. "I told you that I was not in favour of bringing in profligate with a confirmed fratricide conviction. Your apparent callousness about the lives of your comrades and subordinates demonstrates itself repeatedly."

Nero did not respond. He could defend himself, he could explain, but it was pointless. This was the army, and here, results mattered most. Different CO’s had different operating criteria, for example others would have commended him for ensuring the completion of the mission above all else. The Lieutenant, it seemed, held different values.

For a short time, there was silence between them, as the Lieutenant let his last statement hang in the air between them. However, he also did not let the silence hang too long.

"Someone of your profound skill and talent might be more suited to being an enlisted rather than an officer," he continued, taking an unexpected turn in the conversation. Instead of admonishing Nero, the Lieutenant was guiding him.

"Loss of life is an unfortunate reality of almost all missions. Someone of your age should not have been put in the position that you were in even once, let alone repeatedly. The loss of your comrades... your reaction to that loss, your levelheadedness and calm demeanor either reveals genuine indifference, or a level of composure beyond your years.

"If you are truly indifferent, then you should never be in a position where your command determines the life or death of Kolari soldiers. But if you reigned in your reaction... if you retained your composure for the mission and for the benefit of the larger picture... then becoming an officer will result in a profound burden on your shoulders, one that will age you and wear you down beyond your years. Of course, if you do step into that role, you would be contributing your immense talent towards an honourable goal."

The Lieutenant spoke no more, but his words revealed far more than what was apparent on the surface. It seemed like the Lieutenant was discouraging Nero, and even berating him somewhat. The end seemed like maybe he recognized Nero’s potential a little as well.

In truth... the Lieutenant may have revealed the secret behind his own wizened appearance, as well as recognized that Nero may be someone much like himself. The Lieutenant seemed to place a lot of importance on honour and duty, and someone like that, no matter how experienced they got, could never ignore the sacrifice of the soldiers under their command. They would always feel each loss more profoundly than they let on. For someone like that to send even his own son out on dangerous missions...

Nero did not let anything show, but his respect for the Lieutenant increased even more. For someone so familiar with the price that soldiers might need to pay at any moment to order his own son onto the path of danger would be incredibly nerve wracking and terrifying. Yet the Lieutenant had never displayed any hesitation or doubt in any of his actions. Such a feat was... difficult, to say the least.

Maybe the reason for his words today was exactly because he had learned everything Nero had done to assure the safe return of his team, and especially Noman. Many lives had been lost, true, and the fault for that loss could be attributed to anyone from Dave, to the officers who failed to notice anything amiss, to even Nero and his teammates. However, the credit for ensuring the survival of those who remained belonged largely to Nero - that could not be denied. He had gone over and beyond what was even considered possible, let alone expected.

In silence, the Lieutenant led Nero into one of the army sealed warehouses. Entry and exit into the warehouse was incredibly strict, and even the Lieutenant himself was not exempt from registering and being investigated before he was allowed in. Ever since the possibility of traitors was discovered, the highest level of security protocols had been implemented.

Once inside, Nero saw countless boxes, no doubt filled with gear and supplies. He also saw a number of soldiers silently getting into those boxes before they were sealed, hiding their existence.

As odd as the situation was, Nero immediately understood what was going on when he spotted a human figure wrapped in string, right beside Noman whose entire body seemed to be wrapped in bandaid. They were being secretly sent out of the base, while the news in the base itself was that it would be a few days before Dave would be sent to Fordham.

A special team was supposed to arrive to escort him back. It seemed that it was just a decoy - the news of it leaked on purpose.

As soon as Noman spotted the two of them, excitement filled his eyes before he quickly reigned in his emotions. He put on a neutral face, closely mimicking the expression Nero himself wore, and approached the two of them.

"Thank you father, for bringing him," Noman said directly, earning a glare from the Lieutenant. Yet Noman did not mind his fathers glare, or the fact that he should not have addressed a superior officer so informally in an army base. Instead, his gaze was fixed onto Nero.