Chapter 113: We Just Sacrificed a Lifetime of Dignity

Manester had been standing off to the side without saying a word.

Now his brows were drawn together.

He looked at Kyo, who wore the face of a man deeply wronged.

Then at Sable, who looked ready to personally uphold justice for the entire Dominion.

Finally, his gaze settled back on Kyo.

Something was wrong.

Manester knew Joren.

The kid was decisive and ruthless when he needed to be, sure. Sometimes a little too ruthless.

But arrogant enough to lose all sense of proportion?

No.

If anything, Joren was far more mature and steady than most people his age.

Treat him well and he would return it tenfold.

He rarely said much about loyalty, but when it mattered, he remembered every favor. Respect for teachers and seniors was never something Manester had needed to worry about either.

And now Kyo was claiming Joren had driven him away over some ridiculous issue of command authority?

If Joren cared that much about showing off in front of people, he would never have dumped that press conference on Manester in the first place.

That kid would happily hand off every ceremonial headache he could.

Why would he deliberately offend Kyo over something this stupid?

More importantly...

Kyo was not that kind of person either.

The old man had already been thinking about passing his legacy to Joren.

Even if Joren really lost his mind and threw a few ugly words at him, Kyo would never stand in front of an outsider and tear him down like this.

Definitely not while agreeing with some bureaucrat like Sable.

Manester narrowed his eyes.

His stare bored into Kyo.

Kyo eventually felt it and looked up.

Their gazes met.

For a moment, the air between them seemed to stop.

Neither man spoke.

They did not need to.

Decades of fighting alongside each other had apparently developed into some form of silent encrypted communication.

Manester’s eyes said:

What the hell are you doing? You expect anyone to believe this nonsense?

Kyo’s replied:

That idiot does.

Manester:

I almost did too... Wait. What are you planning? Is Joren doing something out there that no one is supposed to see?

Kyo:

You know that is the Fallen Zone. If this fool charges in and ruins everything, scares off those three big ones, Joren might twist both our heads off and use them as balls.

Manester:

That serious? What exactly is the kid doing?

Kyo:

Do not ask. Call it service to humanity. For now, keep this idiot here.

Not one word passed between them.

Still, decades of camaraderie completed the entire conversation in an instant.

Manester understood.

He had no idea what Joren was actually doing.

But he understood one thing very clearly.

Sable absolutely could not go there yet.

"Ahem."

Manester coughed twice and broke the silence.

Every trace of suspicion vanished from his face.

In its place came an almost theatrical expression of heartbreak.

"Oh, for fuck’s sake!"

He slapped his thigh so hard that Sable flinched beside him.

"That little bastard!"

Manester clenched his teeth, looking every bit like an elder who had finally watched a promising junior go astray.

"I knew it. I knew success would go to his head."

"Young, talented, and already looking down on everyone!"

"Kyo, I have failed you."

He seized Kyo’s hand.

"I did not discipline my subordinate properly. You had to suffer because of it."

The corner of Kyo’s mouth twitched.

Impressive.

So this was what real veteran acting looked like.

Since his partner had entered the scene, Kyo could hardly drop the performance now.

He gripped Manester’s hand in return, his voice thickening.

"Manester, I do not blame you."

"And I do not blame Joren."

"Young people want to prove themselves. I understand."

"I am only worried..."

Kyo sighed and carefully steered the conversation back where he wanted it.

"I am worried that if we rush over there now, we might only provoke him further."

"You know how people are at that age. The harder you pull, the harder they push back."

"If we show up and corner him, what if he does something even more reckless?"

"What if he takes the entire force and charges straight to their deaths just to prove a point?"

Kyo lowered his head.

"Then that would be on me."

Sable, who had been reaching for the car door, stopped.

His hand fell away.

"Hm..."

He rubbed his chin.

"Kyo has a point."

"A hotheaded brat like that cannot stand being challenged."

"If we march in there in force and start questioning him in front of everyone, he might actually do something suicidal just to save face."

Sable was bureaucratic.

He was not stupid.

If Antares Command really got wiped out, Joren would die and Manester would lose his position.

But Sable himself would almost certainly be dragged into the fallout.

That would become a serious political stain.

"So what do the two of you suggest?"

For the first time, some of the certainty left his voice.

Manester and Kyo exchanged a glance.

A faint trace of satisfaction passed between them.

"In my opinion..."

Manester considered it for a moment, then offered an extremely constructive suggestion.

"How about this."

"We do not show ourselves yet."

"We stay here near the perimeter."

"Give him some time to run headfirst into a wall."

His tone became patient, almost instructive.

"Young people like that never learn until they suffer for it."

"Once the Voidbeasts knock him around a little and he realizes those half baked skills of his are nowhere near enough... once he gets frightened badly enough..."

Manester raised one hand and swept it downward dramatically.

"That is when we descend."

His voice rose with conviction.

"Inspector Sable steps in at the critical moment and turns the entire situation around."

"You save him from disaster."

"You make him understand exactly how wrong he was."

"And at the same time, you show him both the generosity and strength of a Highcrest City inspector."

"The contrast could not be better."

"The lesson will stick for life."

Sable’s eyes grew brighter with every sentence.

Brilliant.

Absolutely brilliant.

Charging in and arresting the kid immediately would look impatient.

Arriving at the moment of his greatest despair?

Now that was different.

Establish authority.

Win gratitude.

Display the bearing of a true Highcrest City powerhouse.

All at once.

That was an entrance.

"Good!"

Sable clapped his hands together, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Commander Manester truly knows how to handle difficult situations."

"We will do exactly that."

"We give him two hours..."

He paused.

"No. Half a day."

Sable folded his arms and leaned against the vehicle, gazing toward the Fallen Zone with the confidence of a man who believed every piece had fallen neatly into place.

"Hmph. Joren."

"I will let you jump around for a little longer."

"When you are crying for help, you will finally understand why experience matters."

Beside him, Kyo lowered his head and pretended to straighten his sleeve.

Really, he was hiding the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Inwardly, he lit a candle for Joren.

Kid.

To buy you some time, Manester and I just threw away every scrap of dignity we built up over our entire lives.

At that exact moment, deep in the core of the Fallen Zone, Joren was preparing for another round of slaughter.

Suddenly, he sneezed.

"Achoo!"

He rubbed his nose and looked up at the sky.

"Who is talking about me?"