Leaving aside the bit about suspicious organizations, a punishment as inhumane as exile could only exist in the shadows. Nearly all soldiers would be in the dark about its existence, let alone any civilians. It was not something to bring up lightly. Furthermore, it was a trump card ensuring Kuklo and Cardina’s personal safety. It kept the royal government from making facile moves against them.
“Whatever happens, you can’t fight back. That’s exactly what they want us to do,” Cardina whispered. Careless behavior was to be avoided if the scuffle during logistics training were any indication.
The disciplinary cell was not a particularly frightening place for Kuklo, but rather like home. For the others, though, it would be worthy of its name, and he was reluctant to send them there with him.
“Just leave this to me. There’s nothing they can do,” offered Cardina.
“Nothing they can do?!”
“Yes. I have a magic word that can silence him,” Cardina winked. He was brimming with confidence.
In time, the topic of their discussion entered. Unexpectedly, Xavi was alone, his entourage apparently waiting outside. As far as they could tell, he was unarmed.
“What a surprise to find you flunkers here. You must be tired from such a long day of training,” Xavi spoke snidely the first thing, striding towards Kuklo.
“Is there something you’re here for?” Cardina responded as though to a close friend.
“We’re in the middle of a meeting, so could you make it short?” Rosa requested. Despite her small frame, she was plucky and didn’t so much as flinch in face of the bear-like Xavi. Perhaps she, like Kuklo, took after her father.
“I’m here for this monster. Mind leaving me and the Titan’s son to ourselves?” Xavi said, gesturing toward the exit of the mess hall with his chin.
“Is it some kind of problem if we’re here?”
“This doesn’t have to do with any of you.”
“Did you bring lookouts so no one would get in your way?” Cardina accused.
Xavi’s right cheek twitched. There was no reply, but his reaction revealed that it was the truth. Not only that, they had already heard his lackeys’ footsteps.
With Cardina and the others gone, the mess hall would be a locked room of sorts. There’d be no way of knowing what took place. In the worst case, even if Kuklo’s corpse were discovered, Xavi would have an alibi if he and his cohort stuck to their guns.
“Anyway, you’re all in my way. Scram,” Xavi tried to intimidate them.
Cardina just smirked and scratched his head. “That’s something we can’t do. He’s one of us, you see.”
“A Titan’s son? One of you?! What kind of freak are you?!” Xavi’s face relaxed and he bared his teeth as he broke into laughter, but his eyes weren’t smiling. Flaming hatred dwelled in the long, sharp slits of his eyes.
At this rate… Xavi was like a volcano on the verge of erupting. The slightest thing could cause him to explode. Kuklo balled his fists and braced for a fight, ready for anything to happen. His crass enemy shrank from no means to accomplish his goals, and inattention could prove fatal. Kuklo’s body grew hot, his blood pumping through him at an increased rate. Already in combat mode, he was poised to spring forth at any moment.
Rosa, who sat next to him, put a hand on his fist as if to pacify him. She shook her head slightly and muttered, “Be patient.”
If I get in a fight here it will be the same as last time… Exhaling, Kuklo quietly unclenched his fists.
Cardina and Xavi continued trading words.
“That thing is a monster, not something you can make friends with.”
“I don’t see any Titan’s son in here.”
“Excuse me?”
“As you’re aware, the Titan’s son was executed. He’s no longer of this world.”
“Where the hell did you hear that…” Xavi’s eyes opened wide. He must not have expected Cardina to know about the death sentence.
He was not the only one who was surprised. All the others, including Rosa, looked bewildered. A criminal heinous enough to be sentenced to death couldn’t have joined their team.
But there was a contradiction at play. That is why Xavi came to meet me. He no doubt wanted to know why Kuklo was still alive and kicking when he’d been executed.
“Let me repeat myself. There’s no Titan’s son here.”
“But…”
“Or would you rather have the case reopened? They might always discover some new evidence they missed the first time.” Cardina grinned knowingly at Xavi, who grimly ground his teeth.
I see. That’s what he meant. “Reopened”─that was Cardina’s magic word to silence Xavi.
If the case were reopened, Xavi’s false testimony to the Military Police might come to light, a fatal blow for someone attempting to join the Brigade. He couldn’t press the issue of Kuklo’s death sentence.
Of course, Jorge already knew all the details, so Xavi had been rendered powerless on this front long ago. Cornering the guy didn’t interest Kuklo, though.
What matters is learning how to use the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment to kill Ogre. Therefore he had no time at all to waste on Xavi.
The Inocencio heir glared at Kuklo spitefully, clicked his tongue, and turned around.
“See? Didn’t that go well?” Cardina bragged, puffing his chest out. “Now he shouldn’t be able to bother us.”
“I hope not…” Since they knew his weakness, he’d surely refrain from taking overt action. Still, this was Xavi. He wasn’t one to meekly back down.
“What’s all this about executions and reopening cases?” Rosa posed the obvious question, but Kuklo and Cardina just looked at one another and refused to answer. The reason why went without saying.
“Some things are better left unknown.” “You don’t want to be disappeared by a suspicious organization, do you?”
Kuklo and Cardina spoke the words as if they were telepathically linked, and Rosa could only sigh in response.