"Vice-Captain," someone asked, "then why did we let him live? What was the purpose?"
The Vice Captain did not slow his steps.
"The purpose," he said calmly, "is to drag the rats out of their holes and kill them all at once. Whether he was sent by the Beast Kingdom, hired thugs from the streets, or another party entirely, it doesn't matter. We will draw every one of them out and wipe them out in a single strike."
He continued walking, his voice steady.
"They lowered their guard. Knowledge like that, what a spirit can truly do, is extremely rare. Even I only know of it because the Crown Prince mentioned it to me once."
He stopped and turned slightly toward the group.
"Don't worry. I am a man of my word. This forest will be settled by the time they arrive. But first, we deal with the serial killer. After that, we camp near the spirit's birthplace. Once his allies appear, we kill them all."
He looked at Blondie.
"Blondie, gather a group of knights and circle this entire area. You're the only one capable of doing that efficiently. The rest of us will take care of what my uncle mentioned."
He paused, eyes narrowing as he scanned the forest.
"But it doesn't look like your father sent us to a safe place after all. There are schemes scattered around here, left deliberately. Most likely to weaken the Crown Prince's forces. What do you think?"
Blondie frowned. "It might sound crazy, but my father isn't capable of something like that. He's… slow. He wouldn't betray His Highness. Not knowingly."
Then he added, more quietly, "But I do know people who could be behind this. Don't worry. Once I return home, I'll handle them."
"I hope you're right," the Vice Captain said.
The group began to move again.
Someone asked, confused, "Vice-Captain, why are we splitting up? Don't we always handle things together?"
The Vice Captain answered without turning back. "If you're that concerned, you can stay with Blondie and handle it with him. The rest of us will continue."
He kept walking.
Mi was left standing there with Blondie, unsure of what had just happened.
Back at the Vice Captain's residence, he sat in a massive chair at the end of the room. His presence dominated the space. Around him stood his team, and his uncle.
I had been ordered to guard the area outside.
Inside, voices rose.
"Why didn't you tell me first?" the Vice Captain asked.
His uncle replied calmly, "It was insignificant. Not something that required your attention. I assumed one of your men could handle it. If I insulted you in any way, I apologize."
The Vice Captain tapped his fingers against the armrest.
"Do you have any idea who it might be?" he asked. "Or is the situation still unclear to you?"
His uncle answered confidently. "I'm almost certain it's a specific group, the Sea goblins. They've been useful to us for years, but with war breaking out, they've clearly chosen their own race. This is a sign of it."
"Alright," the Vice Captain said, glancing toward the troll. "I've heard of them before. In fact, I had them brought here before I arrived."
He raised his voice slightly. "Guards. Bring them in."
The doors opened.
Four knights marched inside, dragging three goblins between them. The goblins were crying, shaking, barely able to stand as they were thrown to the floor in the center of the room, directly beneath the gaze of the 12th Unit and the Vice Captain's uncle.
The uncle stared at them, then looked back at his nephew in disbelief.
"But how?" he asked. "The sewers stretch all the way to the main cities. How did you bring them here so quickly?"
The Vice Captain raised a finger to his lips.
"Shh," he said. "Now, now. Don't question me. You will speak only when you are spoken to. And never interrupt me ever again, is that understood."
He turned his attention to the goblins.
"State your names."
The goblins immediately broke down. They cried, begged, and trembled violently.
"Please! Anything but that! Please!"
The Vice Captain smiled.
"Relax," he said lightly. "I'm joking. All you need to do is prove your innocence… and I might let you go."