CHAPTER 13: COLONEL
- IN THE CAMPSITE OF BIFROST LEGION-
"why they did still not arriving yet, did they got discovered?"
a man covered in black clothing except for his eyes and wearing a straw hat sitting at the top of the tree and leaning comfortably while hugging his halberd and vigilantly watching his surroundings with his dead-eye look
(halberd is a weapon that looks like a spear with an axe like feature at the tip that prominent use during the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries)
"I need to investigate it before it gets all complicated."
He let his body drop from the top of the tree like a falling leaf.
Then he disappeared without leaving a trace of his existence.
after that the whole night passes without any significant things happen
when sun rises, another typical day welcome the people to this camp doing all the regular task that was assigned to them; from changing to spot needed to guard on the cooking of foods and preparing of all the soldiers in case of emergency happen
But on this day, Brald was not present on the training grounds like he usually does.
Instead, he was now inside the tent where the old colonel resided.
"Ohhh, what good weather indeed it even make our young lieutenant visit this feeble old man."
The colonel walks towards the table while carrying a cup of tea and making fun of him in a friendly way. then the old colonel takes a seat with cross legs
" why don't you take a seat first before we get started? Just wait a minute. I ordered my servant to make a tea for you."
the old colonel nonchalantly spoke while enjoying the vibrant smell of his tea
" thank you for your hospitality, sir, but I'm afraid I don't have any luxury to wait for the tea right now, and I'm gonna go straight to point."
"oh, I understand that, so why was our young lieutenant was in a rush,"
said the colonel, who seems like Brald peaks his interest before he sips his tea
"I'm here for a request... sir, let me and my squad partake in the team that will be going to depart today."
Brald look at the colonel without wavering his wits
"you want to come with the search and rescue team?... why?"
the gaze of the colonel becomes fierce all of a sudden and give him a slight pressure
"I didn't come here half-heartedly, sir. I wanted to know what really happened to my friend."
" ohhh "
" I have a friend under the command of lieutenant Fred, one of the vanguard group that went missing after they launch an attack to the enemy's camp"
"what a great companionship you have there lieutenant Brald, but are you aware of the unwritten rules in the military? don't use the soldier of the empire for your own purpose"
the airs surrounding the colonel became heavy and blood thirsty
this kind of pressure can only be felt by a person who encounters a life and death situation where can be felt the resolution of your enemy to execute you and brald was quite familiar with it because he already experience this kind of pressure multiple times that others called killing intent
" ... "
Brald's expression turns bitter in an instant and the grip on his hands become tighter because frustration is starting to invade his hearth.
"but sir.."
" however..... you're extremely lucky you talk to an old man who has possibly have an Alzheimer's disease that makes some unclear report to the general.. hahaha"
the old man started to speak again with an authority that makes Brald to became silent again
"take your leave now. I think the main search and rescue team was ready to depart, and they didn't have any luxury time to wait for you and your squad."
the colonel added before brald could speak again and cease his pressure and blood lust
" thank you very much, sir. they didn't need to wait for us, sir. my squad was already on the main team before I set my foot here "
brald elatedly said with fervent expression on his face after standing and bowing towards the old man.
"you have already well prepared through all this? alright, I will go to ask you after you finish this mission and make sure to report to me directly."
he added while shaking his happy feet in the relaxation brought by his tea
" thank you very much, sir. I'm going to pay this debt to you someday."
"just perform your task well before you think about the other things."
"I'm gonna take my leave now sir. surely my squads were waiting for me right now "
"hmm"
the colonel nod with an agreeing attitude
then Brald take a deep bow before taking leave in the tent, however when the exact time he left the butler of the colonel who makes a tea for him just recently arrived in the other entrance of the tent and barely reached the presence of Brald
"apologies, he was in a rush for the mission,"
remark by the colonel to inform his butler
"It was understandable, sir. You don't need to apologize."
the butler was wearing a typical uniform of a higher servant with a vest of a waiter,
nevertheless even this butler was only a servant he was still standing firmly in the front of the old colonel without hesitation in his body language
"what do you think about him?"
the colonel suddenly throw a question to his butler out of nowhere
"he was a good prospect and had a great talent in spearmanship. a great talent indeed.... but..."
the butler replied to the colonel so confidently and indifferently like they were not in the master-servant relationship
"but?...."
this time the colonel stopped shaking his feet, and he put down his tea on the table.
then the butler put down the tray with a cup of tea on the table, and he took off his white gloves
"We have the same smell."
the hands of the butler were full of visible deep scars that indeed came from in relatively sharp object
"so you're saying he had also some talent like you?"
"no, what I mean is, we are the same nature of existence."
the butler also takes off his clothes: the white long sleeve and his vest.
The amount of scars on his body is uncountable.
They have different lengths, but the most highlighted one was the scar on his chest up to his stomach. It was like an extensive borderline in his body.
" so he was also a veteran assassin?"
the previous calm expression of the colonel turned serious instantly
"but it was clear that he was from the noble family, and he was a skilled soldier, not a veteran assassin."
the colonel added in confusion
"that's why I'm gonna investigate him."
then the butler put clothes on himself with the dark coat and a black mask covering his face, and only his eyes could be seen. When he put his mask on his face, he slowly sank into his own shadow like he was stepping on a quicksand,
"tell chef Ricky that I can't help him in the kitchen in the meantime. I have something to do in my hometown, and it was an emergency," an apparent alibi.
when the butler disappear entirely and the colonel is left alone inside of the tent,
then he grabbed his tea again, but he noticed that it was only a little bit and he drank it straight and grabbed the other cup of tea in the tray, and he continued to enjoy his morning all by himself like he didn't care at all what will going to happen.