I Will Fulfill the Role of the Villain

"I’ll stay over," Theo said, clearly meaning he intended to spend the night. But this was Luke’s house, of all places, and their past relationship had been nothing short of rivalrous. While their long-standing feud had technically ended, that didn’t mean they’d become close enough to casually stay over at each other’s homes.

"Seriously? You’re joking, right?"

Theo stared at Luke, his expression silently asking, "Do I look like I’m joking?" But if he wasn’t joking, and he was serious, it made even less sense.

"I plan to continue my investigation at the Kyleum branch for a while."

"You do realize you’re the Commander-in-Chief, don’t you?"

"I have plenty of capable subordinates. The military won’t crumble just because I step away for a few days. Surely, you of all people know that."

Luke resisted the urge to retort.

The Commander-in-Chief was the highest-ranking officer in the military, the ultimate decision-maker in charge of headquarters and all branches. Naturally, it was an immensely important position. However, as Theo pointed out, the military was resilient enough to handle his temporary absence, supported by a team of highly competent generals. Plus, with warp magic enabling rapid travel back to headquarters, Theo could afford to go on these inspections without much concern.

"That’s what task forces are for. Send one to investigate instead. Do you have any idea how much effort it took to get you into that position?"

"What did you just say?"

"I said you’re not staying here."

Luke’s voice was resolute. It wasn’t as if the Kyleum branch wouldn’t have arranged accommodations for the Commander-in-Chief. They’d undoubtedly prepared a luxurious suite for him, yet here he was, insisting on staying in Luke’s house in a remote village. Luke couldn’t comprehend why.

"Why not? It looks like you’ve got plenty of rooms."

Luke let out a short sigh, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The soft silver strands fell messily around his face.

"I don’t want to be involved with you anymore."

Theo blinked slowly, taking in the weight of Luke’s words. Strictly speaking, it was meant as advice for Theo’s sake, but this was the only way Luke could convey it.

"I think you’re misunderstanding something, Luke. I just meant that it’s too late to return to the branch today, so I was asking for a place to stay for one night," Theo replied, his tone steady despite the harshness of Luke’s words.

"Or did you take my words to mean something else?"

"Hey, what the—"

Luke’s face twisted in irritation. It wasn’t anything specific about Theo’s words; he simply found Theo’s presence in his space unsettling. They had spent years clashing and fulfilling different roles within the Imperial Army—there was no way he could feel comfortable around him.

"There’s an empty room upstairs."

Luke didn’t want to argue further. He turned and left the room, with Theo silently following. At the top of the stairs, the nearest door was Luke’s bedroom, while another room, unused and undecorated, sat further down the hall. Luke gestured to it.

"That one’s yours. Here’s the layout of the house."

"And where’s your room?"

"Right next door. Sleep well. Make sure you leave tomorrow."

Without waiting for a reply, Luke stepped into his room and shut the door, locking it securely. He collapsed onto the bed with a heavy sigh. He still needed to wash up, but his body felt leaden, as if weighed down by stones. Unable to muster the energy, he lay there, reflecting on the day’s events.

The festival had been enjoyable at first. Talking with Phael had been peaceful, and celebrating his hometown’s festival after so long had lifted his spirits. Years spent buried in the military had left him with little opportunity to enjoy such moments.

The problem began when he chose to cut through the forest to avoid the crowded streets. Discovering that strange monster had forced him to send Phael to the branch office. Who could’ve predicted that Theo would be there on inspection at the exact same time?

If he hadn’t sensed the monster’s presence, maybe none of this would’ve happened. But its peculiar characteristics had made ignoring it impossible.

"Eight months…," Luke muttered.

It had been nearly eight months since he’d last seen Theo. He hadn’t changed much from the last time, at the inauguration ceremony. However, compared to when he’d been a Division 1 Commander, Theo now carried a more composed and refined air. It seemed the saying "a position shapes a person" held true.

When Luke first encountered Theo earlier today, his heart had skipped a beat—not out of excitement, but shock. It was rare for Luke’s pulse to quicken, even in the face of monsters or attacks, so it had caught him off guard.

After all, where in the world does the protagonist show up to find the villain even after the story’s ending? It still didn’t feel real that Theo was in the next room.

Luke turned his head, staring blankly at the pale brown window frame. The world outside was as serene as ever, a stark contrast to the turmoil in his mind.

Tonight promised to be a very long night.

***

Waking up in an unfamiliar bed was a sensation Theo hadn’t experienced in a long time. However, as always, he awoke promptly at 7 a.m., as if on cue. Not once in his life had he woken later than this. For Theo, the concept of tardiness simply didn’t exist.

After entering the adjoining bathroom and freshening up, Theo adjusted his appearance. He folded the bedding he had used with precise corners and placed it neatly on the corner of the bed. The entire process took no more than ten minutes. A soldier, especially one of Theo’s caliber, always had to be prepared in the shortest amount of time, as emergencies like war could erupt at any moment.

Having completed his routine swiftly, Theo was about to leave the room when his eyes fell on the table. There sat a vibrant purple flower in full bloom, exuding elegance. It was the flower Luke had hastily handed to him the day before.

Even though Theo wasn’t well-versed in flowers, he could tell it was in excellent condition. Whoever had cultivated it must have done so with great care and devotion.

But where had Luke gotten this flower? Theo, momentarily forgetting his intention to leave, found himself staring at the flower in thought. Could it have come from the man who had been with Luke yesterday? That man didn’t suit Luke at all. If it had been a gift from him, Theo felt a strong urge to toss it away, but for now, he decided it would be best to return it to Luke.

Before heading out, Theo picked one of the blossoms and held it in his hand.

After carefully closing the door behind him, his gaze naturally turned to another room—the one Luke had mentioned as his own. For some reason, Theo couldn’t take his eyes off it. Just then, the door suddenly opened, and Luke stumbled out, rubbing his eyes groggily.

He seemed half-asleep, his movements uncharacteristically slow. His silver hair was disheveled, sticking out in all directions. It was a stark contrast to the image of the man Theo knew—the one who was always ready and fully prepared by 5 a.m. during their time in the Imperial Army. Seeing him in such a completely unguarded and disheveled state was a first in all the years Theo had known him, dating back to the academy.

Luke shuffled a few steps out of his room before halting abruptly. Theo wondered if Luke had noticed his presence, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that Luke’s half-closed eyes and swaying head indicated he was barely awake.

Is he sleepwalking?

Luke suddenly jolted as if startled and began walking again, this time heading toward the stairs. Theo couldn’t help but chuckle softly. It wasn’t mockery; his laughter carried a trace of inexplicable amusement.

Perhaps Luke intended to head to the kitchen, half-asleep as he was. Concerned about his unsteady gait, Theo instinctively followed him. If any Imperial soldier had shown such drowsiness in Theo’s presence, they would have been ordered to run five laps around the training grounds immediately.

Each time Luke staggered, Theo reached out reflexively, ready to steady him, only to pull back. Out of uniform, Luke’s petite frame became more apparent. His waist was so slender, and his build so light, that it was hard to imagine how he had endured the grueling work he had undertaken in the past.

As they reached the last step, Luke’s foot slipped, and he pitched forward. Without thinking, Theo lunged, catching him around the waist just in time to prevent the fall.

Luke mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, still too groggy to register what had happened. Was he always this much of a heavy sleeper? The man Theo had known had always emerged for dawn training, sharp and immaculately composed. The contrast was almost jarring.

As Theo noticed how thin Luke’s waist was under his hand, he heard footsteps approaching. Phael appeared, stepping out of the kitchen.

“...Oh.”

Their eyes met. Phael, having been informed the previous day that Theo would stay overnight at Luke’s house, wasn’t particularly surprised to see him. However, upon noticing Luke dangling limply in Theo’s arms, Phael froze, his hand halfway to a salute.

“I—I’m sorry for intruding….”

“What exactly do you think you’re intruding on?” Theo retorted sharply. “Instead of standing there, why don’t you help?”@@novelbin@@

Startled into action, Phael rushed over.

“I have to leave soon. Take Luke back to his room,” Theo instructed, carefully passing Luke over to Phael. Though Luke remained mostly unresponsive, he mumbled incoherently and showed no signs of waking.

Phael expertly draped Luke’s arm over his shoulder and secured his waist with one hand, clearly accustomed to assisting him.

“Take care, Commander,” Phael said.

As Phael began guiding Luke up the stairs, Theo’s gaze lingered on the way Phael supported Luke’s waist. Abruptly, Theo stepped forward.

“I’ll do it.”

“Excuse me?”

“On second thought, I’m stronger than you. I’ll take care of it.”

Though confused, Phael obediently handed Luke back to Theo, who lifted him effortlessly and carried him upstairs. Once in Luke’s room, Theo laid him gently on the bed and tucked the blankets snugly around him.

The impromptu mission was a success, but it delayed Theo’s departure by nearly twenty minutes. If this had been an actual battlefield operation, the outcome would have been marked as a failure.

As Theo exited Luke’s house, the communication crystal in his pocket began to emit a faint magical signal. He retrieved it and tapped it lightly, causing it to expand to its full size. A familiar voice soon emanated from the crystal.

— “This is Calon, Branch Commander. Good morning, Commander.”

Calon greeted him smoothly, as always. Theo hadn’t stayed at the accommodations the branch had prepared for him the previous night, but he had informed Calon of his location through a communication link.

— “Will you be heading to the branch directly?”

“No. There’s a place I need to visit first. Once I’ve confirmed something, I’ll head to the branch.”

— “Understood, sir.”

The communication ended, and the crystal returned to its dormant state. Theo shrank it back down and tucked it into his pocket before gazing toward a distant mountain.

It was the site where the Faceless Mercenary had first slain a monster.