THE SYSTEM IS NOT MINE

Yan and Gwalior stood before Commander Leo, who sat on the edge of the bed. His gaze lingered on the bow and arrows in Gwalior’s possession before shifting to the two men standing before him.

”Where have you been, and what were you doing?”

The curtains around them moved a little from the wind coming through the window above.

”We went to pay our respects at General Mofu’s grave,” Yan answered.

Leo’s eyes drifted back to the weapons.

”With a bow and arrows?”

Yan followed his gaze.

”Yes.”

Leo stared at him for a moment.

”Cut the bullshit, Yan. Tell me what you were really doing out there.”

Before Yan could respond, a voice came from the doorway.

”I’ll explain.”

All three turned.

A shadow could be seen at the entrance from behind the curtains.

Gwalior removed the curtain that was blocking the view.

Chen Yu stood at the entrance, his shoulder wrapped in fresh bandages. His expression was calm, but the injury immediately drew Leo’s attention.

”What are you doing here?” Leo asked, rising from the bed. ”And what happened to your shoulder?”

”They attacked me with arrows.”

Chen Yu lifted his hand and pointed directly at Yan.

Leo slowly turned his gaze toward Yan. The warmth had disappeared from his expression.

”Is that true?”

”Yes,” Yan replied without hesitation.

Leo’s brows drew together.

”Why?”

”Actually, they helped me,” Chen Yu interjected as he walked towards them.

”By attacking you?” Leo looked at him.

”Yes,” Chen Yu replied with a straight face, while he stood beside Yan and Gwalior.

Leo then looked back at Yan. For several seconds, he said nothing.

Finally, he let out a weary sigh.

”You certainly have an unusual way of helping people.”

Neither Yan nor Gwalior offered an explanation.

Leo shook his head before continuing.

”There’s something else I want to discuss with you, Yan. I asked you to impersonate General Mofu, not run around causing trouble. I don’t particularly mind what you do in your spare time, but try not to create unnecessary problems.”

He paused, studying Yan’s face.

”Also, I have seen your few kills.”

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Yan held his breath.

”I’m impressed. But you don’t need to worry. I’ve taken care of the aftermath discreetly, so most people don’t know what happened.”

”I can’t stop you from growing stronger, and I won’t ask about your secret. Just remember that the Kingdom of Noir will always be your home.” Leo said.

”Thank you,” Yan nodded.

”But rumours and talk from other witnesses in the military during the night battle already spread. Almost every soldier now knows about you. They even gave you a name: Mysterious Senior Yan.”

Leo said and then he stared at Yan for a few moments.

”And I would like to understand why you did that. You have been hiding your abilities all this time. Why have you revealed them? Some commanders in Noir are already interested in you.”

Yan kept his eyes down, then touched the pendant on his neck.

He took a deep breathe.

”My village called me a monster after my friend slipped and accidentally died.”

The room went silent.

”And my family rejected me. None of them supported me.”

”I was alone.”

Yan paused.

”Bad things kept happening, one after another. I began to think that maybe I really was a monster. I felt responsible for his death and for the other bad things that happened to my family.”

”But then I met a child from my village who did not believe the fabricated story of the villagers.”

”He said he did not want me to go alone.”

Yan breathed.

”And then I met another guy who told me that I am not a monster.”

”Both of us joined the same organisation,” Yan said.

”I liked spending time with this guy. He was there every time I needed something.”

”And I felt different.”

Yan smiled.

”He helped me, and then I began thinking.”

”Whatever happened was not my fault.”

”But still I was punished for it.”

Yan paused.

”And that day when Mofu fell, I saw my image in Chen Yu.”

”I saw him blaming himself, just like how I considered myself a monster.”

”Ren helped me.”

”So I could help someone.”

Yan paused.

”I acted, and moreover, the entire situation around Chen Yu was my fault for hiding myself. That was why Chen Yu took the credit for the grain raid.”

”The only solution I could think of at the time was to draw Shin’s attention away from Chen Yu and toward me.”

Yan then stopped his narration.

No one spoke for a moment.

”You don’t have to carry the burden alone.”

Yan did not look up, but Leo was already there, just an inch away from him. Then he hugged Yan.

”Yan, you are not a monster. Not to us,” Leo said.

”You can depend on me.” Leo then took a few steps back.

For a moment, Yan raised his head and looked at Leo, Chen Yu, and Gwalior.

All of them stared at him.

Yan nodded.

”Also, I want to take back the credit for the grain raid.”

”No, you are not taking that away,” Chen Yu shouted.

Leo looked at Chen Yu, surprised.

”I will become strong enough to carry this burden myself. You have already done a lot for me,” Chen Yu said.

”Ha... ha... ha... You two are really a pair,” Leo laughed.

”We are not,” Yan and Chen Yu replied simultaneously.

”By the way, today’s war. It’s our victory. We pushed them further back.”

”But I noticed Genie flying around with a soldier all over the battlefield. I believe he was searching for you.” Leo glanced at Yan.

”You two, I will keep myself near you in the next battle you participate in. You have become a target, after all,” Leo said.

”Thank you,” Chen Yu said.

”Also, I am leaving now.”

”Yan, keep pretending to be the General.”

”And Gwalior,” Leo said.

Gwalior, who had been silent the whole time, took a step forward. ”Yes, Commander.”

”I don’t want to see any more messing around,” Leo said.

”Noted, Commander,” Gwalior said.

Then Leo left. Gwalior followed Leo outside and stood outside the door, guarding it.

Darkness fell on Golden Eagle City. The city was bustling with smiles at today’s victory.

But in a tavern..

”I can’t take this anymore.” Long Lan threw the bottles of wine from the table onto the ground.

The people at the other tables glared at them.

And a child, who was serving drinks, put away his tray and rushed upstairs.

”Long Lan, control yourself,” Jiyan said.

”Control myself? My friend sacrificed his life in battle for the kingdom, and what did he get in return?”

Jiyan stood up but did not say anything.

”Even his name is not on his grave. ’Brave Soldier Hukata’? My foot.”

Long Lan kicked the table down.

”But Long Lan, you know, right? It’s a necessity,” Jiyan said.

”Necessity? Are you truly the friend that Mofu and I knew? How can you do this to him?”

”I no longer care about that. His name and his sacrifice should not be buried.”

”The world needs to know the truth.” Long Lan shouted.

Every other person in the tavern stared at them, and some wondered about what truth.

”And I am going to announce it.” Long Lan kicked the table aside and walked toward the door.

”Long Lan, wait.”

”You can’t do that.”

Jiyan followed behind him.

The tavern owner hurried downstairs with the boy. She stopped at the sight of scattered glasses and the overturned table, its surface marked with several muddy footprints.

Then her expression darkened.

The boy beside her took a few steps away.

And she looked at the entrance and shouted,

”Damn!”

And then went after them.

Just after Long Lan left the tavern, a man wearing a soldier’s uniform stood in front of him.

”What do you think you are trying to do?”

Jiyan came right behind him and halted as well.