Michael's brows furrowed slightly.
When he had left, there had been four people. Now only three remained.
General Caelum was gone.
The brief silence didn't last long. Teacher Brian awkwardly scratched the side of his face. A faint trace of embarrassment appeared on the usually calm soldier's expression.
"…General Caelum had to excuse himself. There were some important matters requiring his immediate attention."
"…"
Michael simply looked at him and said nothing. Yet something about Brian's expression, combined with the subtle odd looks exchanged between Director Lin and Instructor Yara, made the explanation feel somewhat forced.
Important matters.
Michael couldn't be certain. Nor did he particularly care. If anything, this arrangement suited him better. Among the Federation's higher-ranking officials,
Teacher Brian was perhaps the only one Michael genuinely felt comfortable speaking with.
