Those Who Live Without the Law

Chapter 60

Finding a Weakness (2)

No matter how good a meal provided by the military base was, it was on a completely different level compared to the ordinary food eaten by Imperial Army soldiers.

This wasn’t just food given to any knights either. The captain of the order was also stationed at this base.

"The captain usually doesn’t eat much at the base, but when he does, he tends to eat at the officers' mess instead of eating separately."

That wasn’t typical. In the Imperial Army, someone in a position equivalent to a unit commander usually didn’t eat even with other officers.

"Is there some kind of reason for that?"

At Kairus’s question, Irena let out a soft sigh and shook her head.

"I think he just likes the bustling atmosphere. If it were really about managing the unit, he would’ve eaten with the soldiers."

Irena certainly respected the captain of the Scarlet Leaf Order, but that didn’t mean she indulged in baseless fantasies or overestimated Dana Watson.

Dana Watson wasn’t that delicate a person.

"Anyway, it’s fine with me, since this isn’t the army gruel I was expecting."

The lunch menu was lamb chops with mint jelly, mashed potatoes with cheese, and creamed spinach.

While they were eating, a few people came by and greeted Irena.

"Doesn’t feel like they’re saying hello because they’re comrades."

When Kairus commented offhandedly, Irena nodded.

"I know. But hearing it from someone else just makes it feel a bit pathetic."

There was no way Irena didn’t understand why the others were greeting her. She was the only daughter of Simid Kellogg, who served as the Treasury Chief.

"These people coming up to me right now don’t want Irena Kellogg. They want the only daughter of the Kellogg family."

Kairus made a dumbfounded face.

"That’s still you, dumbass."

"But I don’t like being valued solely for that."

Even though she was a knight in the order, the reason people wanted to get close to Irena was still the influence of the Kellogg family.

Naturally, that wasn’t something Irena could feel happy about.

"Situations can change. I’m not saying they’ll change in the direction you want, though."

"Are you trying to comfort me right now?"

"Maybe I am."

Kairus gave an ambiguous answer. Things would change. It was possible Irena might take a hint from Kairus and grow tremendously.

But at the same time, Simid Kellogg’s rebellion could also fail.

‘Rebellion was never a gamble with high odds of success to begin with.’

There must have been many reasons why Simid Kellogg started thinking about rebellion.

But whatever those reasons were, if he failed, the Kellogg family would be destroyed. In that sense, it would still mean a drastic change in Irena’s current situation—just like in the other scenario.

"That’s bland."

Irena finished the bread pudding that was served as dessert and stood up from her seat.

"Let’s hurry. I want to come back quick and launch that damned tissue into the air."

"Your skills may be lacking, but your spirit’s on point."

"What did you say, punk?"

I flared up at Kairus’s comment and snapped back. With that not-so-important banter, Kairus and I arrived in front of the Rezantin Museum.

"This is it."

Kairus’s first impression as we stood at the museum entrance was simple. On the outside, it looked like a museum.

But on closer inspection, it boasted a structure closer to a fortress than a museum.

"The Wall of Enlightenment, huh."

They had invited street artists to paint all sorts of pictures on the wall surrounding the museum grounds and gave it a fancy name. It looked like a permanent exhibit commonly seen in museums, but…

This endlessly tall and thick wall served as the museum’s first line of defense.

'They even dug a moat.'

They’d named it something grand like “Flow of Civilization” and laid down all sorts of miniatures made with various materials, but the true purpose of that artificial stream was a moat.

"Under the pretext of preventing exhibition theft…"

Heavily armed soldiers were patrolling as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The funny part was, despite all that, they seemed to have undergone some kind of courtesy training, since their demeanor was oddly polite.

Their armament, however, was anything but polite. The crossbows those soldiers carried were monstrous.

If you lined up two wild boars side by side and fired that crossbow, it could pierce through both their skulls and still embed itself in a wall behind them.

On top of that, it was clear they were wearing stab-proof vests underneath their uniforms.

Of course, it wouldn’t be easy for the average civilian to notice that just by looking at the soldiers’ gear.

'Just the fact that such equipment is issued...'

It meant they never expected ordinary thieves to be a threat in the first place.

Even though the Valorn Empire treated its soldiers like disposable clay dolls shaped like people, they still went so far as to provide stab-proof vests.

That level of attention to expendable pawns showed just how seriously they regarded this place.

‘Really, if not this time, there won’t be another chance.’

While pretending to be a museum visitor, Kairus was keeping an eye on the people coming and going.

There were simple spectators, of course, but among them were a few people wearing what looked like ID cards around their necks.

‘Those guys.’

One of the identities Kairus had to impersonate was among them.

"What are you looking at?"

I followed Kairus’s gaze out of curiosity.

"Oh, the people prepping for the expo."

"Expo prep? Now that you mention it, I think you brought that up before. But how do you know?"

Feigning a newfound interest, Kairus replied to me.

"The committee members are using the same accommodations at the garrison where we’re staying. They’re all key talents of the Empire, after all."

It was a kind of benefit offered for their protection. Naturally, the people judging the items submitted to the expo weren’t just some amateur experts lounging around their hometowns.

They were all individuals who had built a solid reputation in their respective fields, and it wasn’t odd for the Empire to mobilize the military to protect such talent.

‘This is huge. So those guys are staying in the same place I’m staying.’

And for Kairus, that was very good news.

It meant it had become easier to slip into one of their identities. But at the same time, a new task had arisen.

‘If I don’t dispose of the body cleanly, I’ll be found out real fast.’

It meant he had to kill someone inside a military base. That wasn’t an easy job. However…

‘It’s difficult because it’s the military, but if it succeeds, the very fact that it’s the military makes the method effective.’

When something happens, someone always has to take responsibility.

That’s a shared trait of all government organizations, whether it’s Valorn or Aylan. Actually, it's not just limited to government bodies.

Anyway…

‘The key point is, there’s no one in this world who wants to take responsibility.’

When something good happens, everyone wants to take credit. But when things go wrong, they act like they know nothing and try to avoid blame.

‘What if I make it happen inside the battalion commander’s official residence?’

Naturally, that would be a massive headache. When an incident occurs, someone must take responsibility. If the issue arises elsewhere in the garrison, the battalion commander can shift the blame to whoever manages that area.

But if a member of the Expo Artifact Evaluation Committee ends up dead right in the commander’s own residence or office?

That’s not something he can pin on someone else. Who could he possibly blame for that?

‘First, I need to figure out what kind of person this battalion commander is.’

This plan heavily depended on the personality of that commander.

If the Imperial Army battalion commander stationed in Rezantin City was the type of person who would still dedicate himself to the Empire even if he had to step down, then the plan would fail.

Before executing it, Kairus had to understand the commander’s character.

‘The odds that he’s a trash leader aren’t high.’

The Empire wouldn’t entrust such a critical facility to an incompetent officer. Thinking the Empire is that careless would be overly optimistic.

‘There’s a fair chance he’s an ambitious type.’

That was more likely. People who chase after their desires tended to be capable.

But if the commander was motivated by personal advancement, and an incident came up that might obstruct that path, he would likely try to bury it quietly or handle it discreetly rather than escalate things.

That was the angle Kairus needed to exploit. He glanced subtly at Irena.

‘If he’s an ambitious man, he’ll want to use Irena’s visit to build a connection with the Kellogg family.’

That would give Kairus a chance to test his personality and then set up a meeting to confirm what kind of person the battalion commander stationed in Rezantin City really was.

Having swiftly pieced together his plan, Kairus double-checked the security and patrol routes leading to the vault before leaving the museum.

“By the way, I bet the battalion commander stationed in Rezantin City has it rough.”

“Huh? Why?”

No sooner had they stepped out of the museum than Kairus made the comment to Irena in passing.

“The knight captain is always on standby. Even if he’s the commander, when the captain’s around, no matter how high his authority….”

“Oh, true. He must always be watching his step.”

Even if the battalion commander wanted to take initiative, he’d inevitably need the knight captain’s permission. Technically, the commander had enough discretion to act on his own, but…

With the knight captain glaring down at him, how many commanders could really take that liberty? Especially when, in the event of an emergency, command of the unit would immediately transfer to the knight captain?

It was impossible.

“Technically he’s the commander, but in reality, he’s no better than a deputy, right?”

At Kairus’s remark, Irena let out a soft laugh.

“Exactly. And a deputy whose superior changes regularly, at that.”

Knight captains rotated in and out of Rezantin City. The current battalion commander had seen no fewer than five of them cycle through.

“Still, the position of Rezantin City’s garrison commander has a very high promotion rate.”

“Of course it does.”

To make it to battalion commander, only to end up playing deputy, and in a city with such high strategic importance as Rezantin, meant the job was hellish.

If the promotion rate weren’t high, no one would want the role.

‘So that’s how it is.’

The likelihood that the battalion commander had the kind of personality Kairus was hoping for had gone up. It meant that someone without ambition or hunger for power wouldn’t have taken the post in the first place.

His thoughts were racing. Making it to battalion commander proved the man’s competence. And given that he wouldn’t be in that position without ambition, it was almost a sure bet he was aiming for promotion.

‘Then even if I don’t pull any tricks…’

As Kairus’s thoughts trailed off, a man in full Imperial Army uniform approached Irena and saluted.

“Are you Apprentice Knight Irena Kellogg of the Scarlet Leaf Order?”

“That’s me.”

Kairus watched the exchange between the man and Irena with interest.

It seemed that he wouldn’t need to make any moves at all—he’d be meeting the garrison commander naturally.

With no room for suspicion, Kairus could’ve grinned ear to ear.

‘Things are going really smoothly.’

But while he was pleased, he still felt an underlying unease. It didn’t matter how well things were going right now.

The smoother everything proceeded, the more he had to stay on guard and avoid letting his tension slip.

Because the moment something went wrong, that walking natural disaster would swing her greatsword and wipe Kairus out. It was a situation where even one mistake—despite ten things going perfectly—meant total ruin.

“…The commander invited me to dinner. Want to come with?”

After hearing the message and receiving the invitation, Irena offered it to Kairus.

She could’ve gone alone, but that wasn’t the choice she made.

“Even though he’s just a battalion commander, being the head of the Rezantin garrison pretty much guarantees a promotion down the line. Getting acquainted with him could help you too.”

It was Irena’s way of offering back something in return to Kairus, who had been helping her all this time.

To Irena, it was just a casual gesture—‘an introduction at best’—but for Kairus, it was a lifeline of immense significance.