Chapter 60 A Step Closer
The Imperial Police doesn't look bad on the surface at all.
Wandering through the training grounds for the Imperial Police forces, Junius curiously observes the daily routines of the young soldiers and the endless criticisms from their superiors.
Such an orderly force – who would have thought that the secrets buried below that surface are not that different from those corrupt politicians? Soldiers blindly following unreasonable instructions, captains scheming for more personal power, and the Prime Minister, who is above all of this, is currently giving nothing but a paradoxical order for Junius to deliver – fairly distributing the remains of Captain Ogre's legacy.
Paradoxical indeed.
But a job is a job, and Junius would almost do anything to gain the Prime Minister's support.
"Gen – General Brutus!"
Ah, yes, of course, that surprised voice from the incoming captain cannot be a better evidence for Junius to believe that the Prime Minister did not inform the Imperial Police that he is coming to resolve their problems. By not claiming all the responsibilities of this dirty work, Honest is prepared for extreme outcomes on both sides of the spectrum. If Junius successfully completes his job, then the Prime Minister could take all the credit by personally declaring an order according to Junius' plan. If Junius fails to make a compromise among the many generals, then the Prime Minister could deny any involvement in this political scandal, thus not losing any support from the Imperial Police members.
Such a sly snake.
Lightly sighing at the startled man, Junius takes his turn to reply with a calculated placid response.
"Junius, Captain Nevil, please do not be frightened like that. I will start to believe that I left my eyepatch on my desk again. Oh, I could not have done that today, could I?"
Extending his right hand over his right eye, the young general serenely touches the piece of black cloth before answering his rhetorical question.
"Ah, it is there, Fortunately. I would not want to go back to my office on my first day off in three months now, would I?"
"Gen – General Brutus –"
"Junius, Captain."
"General Junius –"
"Just Junius, please."
"But, General –"
Holding his right hand up, the young general decides to stop the captain's statement before it becomes a military report. No, a military report would not give him any useful information regarding the situation in the Imperial Police. From the wandering eyes of Captain Nevil to the staggering sentences he is trying to form, Junius can already conclude that the conditions here are not going to be pleasant. The only reason for an Imperial Police Captain to be so apprehensive when his superior comes to inspect him is that he has been doing something unsuitable.
And it is Junius' job to correct that.
"Nevil, first names only today. I am on a short break, and I would like to keep it that way. Calling me 'General' would only make me think of work. I thought it would be an enjoyable experience for me to visit the Imperial Police training ground for the first time."
In most of the times, an amicable smile is everything you need to convince the most anxious person to fall into your comfort trap.
"So, what are you waiting for? Show me around. Your training ground surely looks interesting."
Tapping mildly on the young captain's shoulder, Junius gestures for the man to walk in front of him.
"Oh, oh, okay, okay. Here, I will start from the… um… practice fields, yes, practice fields."
Well, at least the man is not fiddling around aimlessly.
Junius decides to let him talk.
…
Watching the soldiers simulating warring scenarios with personal combat is rather entertaining. For the young general, it is always beneficial to notice the potential improvement in his own army by observing and learning the strengths of others. Technically, thanks to his connection to the Izanagi, Junius has the ability to access all of the information regarding military advancement in Shion's world, but watching the real exhibition would always generate knowledge impossible to gain by theories alone. Junius knows this, because he has personally led the training procedures for his own subordinates.
"General Brutus? What brings you to the Imperial Police force today?"
The voice is relatively stable, and the questioning tone again justifies his belief of the Prime Minister's schemes. The footsteps prior to the question, however, shows a continuous approach of confidence, which contradicts the scenario for an officer to question the motives of his or her superiors.
"Seriously, Captain Myra, I might even consider changing my first name to 'General', so everyone can actually address me by my first name, especially on my small day off."
The woman's eye sights are as straightforward as arrows, which shows absolutely no confusion in her actions. With some experienced analysis of her facial expression, it is rather obvious that the heightening eyebrows are only the results of a forced muscle movement; therefore, even though she is asking for the purpose of Junius' visit, she already knows the answer to her own question.
"Ah, yes, I apologize, Junius, I have forgotten that you are not a man of formalities."
The fact that the woman is not standing next to the single-eyed general reveals nothing but her preparation for keeping the conversation uninterrupted. Yes, this woman is prepared for his arrival.
"No need to apologize. At least you are quicker to learn than a certain jittery colleague of yours."
Alright, if she wants to keep this conversation going, then Junius will let her take the lead.
"Oh, you must be talking about Captain Nevil over there. He has been acting quite abnormally since – well, you know, the passing of Captain Ogre."
Ah, so that is the topic in which she is interested. By emphasizing the irregularity of Captain Nevil, Myra has not only achieved her goal of discussing the topic of Ogre, but also shift the focus away from herself – if Junius is going to refute her in whatever claim she is about to make regarding the Ogre problem, then she can make Nevil the instigator of this conflict. If Junius is going to support her, then she has the full advantage over her colleagues right now, because she is talking directly to him.
Very clever.
"Yes, I am aware of that tragedy, but such an event should not linger in a soldier's mind to a degree as to prevent him from working effectively, don't you agree? You, for instance, are handling this loss quite maturely."
A bit of flattery and a small push of support is all Junius needs to drive out the true motives.
"Thank you, Junius. I thought Ogre's death was sorrowful as well, and I try my best to avoid emotional turbulences that could potentially impact my duty; however, I do believe that the problem with Nevil is not about Ogre's death, but somehow related to his other colleagues."
"Oh? Is that so? Would you care to elaborate?"
"Gladly."
The young captain pauses herself as if she is preparing to give out a prepared speech, but then proceeds to explain her thoughts to the general.
"After Captain Ogre was murdered, the team under his command, naturally, lost their commander. As for now, there are still many discussions within the Imperial Police forces that try to redistribute these soldiers in a reasonable fashion. Captain Nevil, on one hand, argues for a distribution of soldiers to other captains evenly. Captain Seryu Ubiquitous, on the other hand, partitions for the establishment of a separate team with these soldiers, and specializes them in counter-assassin trainings…"
"Counter-assassin trainings?"
"Yes. She even volunteered herself for this position."
"And the results?"
"Well, the decision should come out tomorrow."
"And I am assuming that Nevil is anxious because he wants to settle this in his way?"
A genuine upper curve takes over Myra's lips.
"No, Nevil is anxious because he fears that this problem is going to be settled in his way."
"Oh?"
"Junius, have you heard of our Captain Seryu's sense of justice?"
Oh.
That.
So that is the problem.
Seryu Ubiquitous.
Quickly digesting the information in his brain, the young general knows exactly he needs to do now.
"Captain Myra, would you kindly inform me where Captain Seryu may be?"