IMTMIA 10

Chapter 10

Without His Knowledge

Translator: Rae

***

Unlike Asili, they had never exchanged words with Jude or even come face-to-face with him, so they seemed extrmely curious. Finding their wide, expectant stares a bit overwhelming, Asili gave a helpless smile.

“I think he’s kinder than he looks.”

“Are you sure it’s not just because he’s handsome?”

“Well, I’m standing here instead of being in the brig, aren’t I?”

 

“True enough.”

Steven pulled a chair over in front of Asili and flopped down. He then inspected the wound on her neck. His touch was careful, a sharp contrast to his earlier abrasive tone.

“It’s not deep.”

“Yeah. I took a look after washing up, and it seemed that way.”

“Still, let’s get a dressing on it. It’d be a shame if it left a scar.”

“I’m fine, really.”

“It might end up looking like a neck wrinkle. You’ll look old.”

With a teasing grin, Steven pushed his chair back.

He glided over to a desk a few paces away and returned with antiseptic, gauze, and bandages from a drawer.

“You need to learn some social savvy. Don’t go making enemies of your superiors for no reason.”

Steven mumbled his nagging advice while his hands worked with practiced skill.

Knowing that his biting words were always laced with genuine concern, Asili gave a playful smile.

“Do you really think I’m that bad at social savvy?”

“Don't even get me started. From medical school to Elmon Hospital, you were always talking back to your superiors.”

“That was because there were valid reasons for it.”

“Who doesn’t have reasons? You think everyone else just lives cautiously because they have nothing to say?”

Steven carefully wrapped a thin bandage around Asili’s neck. It was her neck, of all places. A scar wasn't the issue; if the blade had gone even a fraction deeper or pressed against the carotid artery, they would have been clearing away a corpse.

“Don’t step forward. Don’t stand out. And whatever you do, stay away from the Commander.”

“...”

“I heard the end of the war isn't far off. Let’s just stay quiet and go home safely, Asili.”

“Maybe I really should have gone to the front lines.”

“Huh? What was that?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Asili shook her head with a faint smile.

“I was just saying I’ll do as you said, Steven. I’ll stay out of sight and keep quiet.”

Just like that—not getting involved with Jude, living like a ghost.

Had she not realized long ago that she was nothing but a burden to him, far from being a help?

“Good thinking. That’s the way to do it. It’s for your own sake.”

Unable to fathom her inner thoughts, Steven patted Asili on the shoulder as if she were a commendable student. The praise from her oblivious friend felt like a vow Asili was making to herself.

I’ve made the right choice. This is what’s correct. I’ve done it before, and I can do it again.

—Or so she told herself.

***

 

For nearly a month, Jude was swept up in a whirlwind of activity.

He organized the rear lines and concentrated his forces at the front. Simultaneously, he devised tactics to pressure Reisen, issuing orders to field commanders and receiving reports on the state of the war.

With all the intelligence of the Allied nations converging upon him, twenty-four hours a day were simply not enough. He had no time to spare for private matters, let alone for thoughts of Asili.

But occasionally—very occasionally—the wound on Asili’s neck would flicker through his mind.

For instance, during meaningless moments like now, while listening to the opinions of generals from various nations who were getting needlessly heated over matters that had already been decided and could not be overturned.

“...Your Excellency?”

“Hmm?”

When he snapped back to reality, he found everyone staring at him with desperate faces, waiting for him to say something.

“We have no objection to the prisoner exchange itself. But must it be done at this specific moment?”

“I believe demonstrating the government’s resolve not to abandon even a single soldier will boost morale.”

Amidst the endless stream of rebuttals, there was at least one point of consensus: the opposition to the Alliance's decision to designate Jude as the signatory for the prisoner exchange.

Reisen had appointed the Crown Prince as their signatory, so it was a fitting match for the Allies to entrust the task to Jude, the Grand Duke of Eupendea.

Yet, knowing what Reisen might be capable of, how could they put the Commander on the front lines? Especially now, when they held the advantage and only needed to push forward.

“The matter is already decided, so let us move on. Arguing about it here won’t change a thing.”

“But, Your Excellency.”

“Since I was the one who proposed it, it is only right that I see it through to the end.”

Dismissing the concern lightly, Jude turned his gaze to the prisoner exchange agreement sent from the home country.

“Moreover, I did not expect an agreement to be reached this quickly.”

“Reisen stands to regain that many troops; they had no reason to refuse.”

“And the Republic of Beuthorn was also very proactive.”

Jude’s eyes shifted to the officer from the Beautorn Republic. In a room full of military decision-makers, he was the only one as young as Jude.

“Our people wish for their families and friends to return home safely as soon as possible.”

“Of course they do.”

And the politicians of Beuthorn obviously hoped to secure the votes of those prisoners and their families to gain an advantage in the next election.

Add a victory in the war to that, and a landslide win for the ruling party in next year's election would be guaranteed.

“I shall look forward to it. Once total victory is seized, Beuthorn will become one of the pillars of the Eupendea Alliance.”

The Eupendea royalty likewise did not wish for the Beuthorn government to be toppled. Such a change would alter the government's stance, and rebuilding those ties would take time.

In any case, at this point in time, the Republic of Beuthorn was the nation with which the Eupendea royalty worked hardest to maintain friendly relations.

The recruitment of talent regardless of status, the resulting diverse perspectives of experts, the support of newly wealthy commoners, and the abundant taxes they provided.

Beuthorn was leveraging that capital as a weapon, establishing itself as a rising power on the continent.

Concerns that Beuthorn’s new political system might influence the commoners of royalist Eupendea were dulled by the sheer weight of economic, political, and military advantages.

“Certainly. That is why Beuthorn intends to provide full support this time.”

“As far as I know, the procedures for fund execution are quite complex.”

“A special budget has already passed through the National Assembly. Beuthorb will fully fund the temporary intermediate bases for the identification and medical examination of our captured soldiers.”

While every nation desired victory in the war, the Republic of Beuthorn needed it more than most. As a government formed through its first-ever popular vote, it was imperative that they demonstrate tangible results to the supporters who had voted for them.

With its vast capital and advanced technology, Beuthorn served as a central pillar of the Eupendea Alliance. Furthermore, the voluntary enlistment rate—driven by a desire to protect a nation they had built themselves—was significantly high, allowing them to establish a fiercely loyal military.

It went without saying that their forces had played a major role in this war.

“In that case, for this matter alone, I shall leave the handling of the details to Beuthorn.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

“Then, this meeting is adjourned.”

Jude was the first to rise from his seat. In the end, those who had expressed concern over the Commander's attendance at the prisoner exchange ceremony could no longer voice their objections.

Felix, having returned after seeing off the attendees, asked subtly.

“Is it really alright to hand over the proceedings to Beuthorn? There’s no better opportunity than this to take all the credit.”

“It doesn’t matter. They’ve worked hard; let them have that paltry golden apple.”

The King had even sent a handwritten letter urging him to coax Beuthorn, so he was more than willing to hand over the prestige. If Jude were to be attacked during the exchange as everyone feared, he could even hold Beuthorn accountable for the lapse in preparation.

In many ways, Jude had nothing to lose—as long as he didn't d*e.

“As for that... keep the security classified.”

“Of course, sir.”

He might yield the public credit, but Jude had no intention of handing over the actual merits of victory. That was precisely why he was involving himself in such tedious affairs ahead of the peace negotiations.

“I suppose I should call you 'Your Royal Highness the Grand Duke' from now on.”

“Don't be so formal all of a sudden.”

Jude gave a short laugh as he closed the agreement file.

This was his final duty as Commander. From this moment on, he was set to return to his life not as the Commander-in-chief, but as a Grand Duke—son of the King of Eupendea and younger brother to the Crown Prince.

***

 

“Could you move that over to vehicle number three?”

“Yes, milady.”

“Be careful! It shouldn't break!”

The medical staff was also in a state of frantic preparation ahead of the exchange ceremony.

This was because Dr. Hibicus, who was concerned about an infectious disease showing signs of an outbreak in the south, had proposed a temporary quarantine base. Furthermore, they planned to provide emergency treatment for returning allies who hadn't received proper medical care during their imprisonment.

As a result, new medical personnel and supplies were arriving from the Republic of Beuthorn; the sheer volume of medicine, in particular, was staggering.

Therefore, all medical staff except for essential rounding personnel were deployed, and Asili was likewise preoccupied with checking the types and quantities of the medicines.

“Ah...”

Asili’s gaze suddenly drifted toward Jude as he came out of the building. She had tried her best to stay out of his sight, yet she still found several opportunities to catch a glimpse of him.

Whether it was looking out the window with a cup of coffee after her rounds, or seeing his receding back as she left for the dormitory.

She would quietly keep him in her sights for brief moments from a distance, ensuring he wouldn't notice.

“Um, excuse me.”

While she was staring blankly at Jude, an unfamiliar voice cut in. Startled out of her thoughts, Asili whipped her head around. Before her stood a man with reddish-brown hair. It was a face she had never seen before.

***

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