Chapter 25 : General with his Best man

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General Julius went out of Princess Zina's room with an empty bowl in his left hand as if he felt concerned about looking identical to a steward. He then heard a few bigmouthed soldiers on the opposite path talking about Sultan Jaar's rotten body; his ears were pounding in the interest to know if they had put his body in a coffin or burned it.

"Everyone knows that Sultan Jaar died. But no one is allowed to mention it, not even his loyal messenger."

"I listened to what the port maids talked about in the kitchen area. They mentioned suicide. He poisoned himself."

"But why? Why in General Julius' room?"

"It is not the General's room; it is a storage room for our guns."

"So, you are saying that—"

Julius had heard enough, and he could not have another problem programmed regularly thrice a day, so when the soldier's voices were about to start fading out, Julius walked quickly towards the opposite path to meet them. He inserted a phrase that was not emotionally uplifting at all.

"A soldier must know to mind their own business just like the poor people," Julius said, and the phrase was once told in front of him during the battle, the time when he did not want to leave the battlefield, fighting alongside his favorite teacher, that died a long time ago. General Tan. However, for another reason, Julius had a business related to the death of Sultan Jaar, and one of the soldiers he followed was his best man on the team. So, his phrase did not apply to him.

"General," The soldiers that heard his voice was all dazed, but they managed to face him and saluted at him to acknowledge and respect his presence.

He saluted back after placing the empty bowl on the side of the pathway, but his eyes were watching the best man on his team. And it was a sign that he wanted the best man to stay and have a good conversation.

"We should get going now. Pardon us, General, but we have to go."

"Do not worry much; you may go except for Pei He."

Pei He nodded at his friends and moved away from them to stand beside General Julius. And with no further questions, Pei He's day shift team left. When Julius doubled-check the silent pathway, he started the conversation with his eyes glaring at Pei He like was not making any vigorous progress related to what he had heard earlier.

Pei He bowed and yelled out, "Sorry, General."

Julius gave him a heart-racing glare, "Are you saying that you, the best man on my team, did not find anything more about the progress that you have been trying to ensure related to Sultan Jaar's messenger and locked up slaves? Is this why you have not entered my office?"

Pei He responded; however, he was stammering, and Julius did not understand his words.

Julius then realized that Pei He was not in his state of mind, he could be doing different things while Julius did not notice the kind of training Pei He had scheduled or received. As if that Pei He lost his role as the best man, he was not as reproaching the topic as a bright sunbathe flower head booming with its stem and stance unbroken.

"What happened when I did not come to see you in every training Pei He? You do not act like this before," Julius calmly asked instead of pushing out a reason on Pei He. He had a similar experience of training same as Pei He. So, there was no point in being harsh.

"Can you give me some more time to find out what Sultan Jaar's messenger is doing with the other slaves that he locked away?" Pei He said with a very low quality of voice.

Julius wanted to get mad or react to why Pei He acted so weak, Julius as a General and as a person, he cannot do anything at the moment. Julius looked at the area again for any person on sight, and he did not realize that he was glancing at the possible path spies can hide. Pei He peeked at what Julius was doing and he was somewhat scared. Pei He did not know who or what actually killed Sultan Jaar but he knows that whatever General Julius asked him to do, he must do it well.

"Alright, I will give you all the time that you need but you must see me when you get any information from the other people inside or outside, as long as it is reliable. If not, then do not waste my time,"

Pei He may be a man but the thunder-striking words that came out from Julius' mouth was causing a disturbance in his thoughts on either side of the task he will take, until he felt a less air in his lungs.

Pei He started to wobble and Julius could see that the best man was indeed overtrained.

"Go take some rest, a Second Lieutenant should not give a reason to miss out on a given task."

"I will General," Pei He could not properly stand straight.

"I shall take you back to your room," Julius threw himself beside Pei He, offering a hand for support. They had the same height so it was not hard for Pei He to adjust, but it was not easy for Julius. Julius keeps watching Pei He's foot, it made him feel determined to quickly reach Pei He's room.

"General, you forgot about the empty bowl that you placed in the corner of the pathway."

Julius sighed. "I did not forget about it, you made me leave it that way."

Pei He swallowed air every time Julius says a word closer to making people guilty. Yet, some first cadets are willing to choose Julius—the one who killed the previous General Tan—it was like a test if they can know the truth or see General Julius killing them by themselves. And Pei He was not one of them, he believed that no matter how harsh General Julius was, he became successful because of his own willpower.