Chapter 63: The Lie

"Three fractured ribs. A fractured left clavicle. Severe facial trauma. A broken nasal bone. Multiple damaged teeth. Extensive bruising across the torso. Two completely destroyed Generation Four limb implants..."

The voice of Colonel Marcus Veyne remained calm as he continued reading from the digital report.

Arthur stood silently on the other side of the desk.

His hands were folded neatly behind his back.

"...And according to the medical assessment, several smaller fractures were discovered in the left forearm and right shoulder."

Marcus turned another page.

"The artificial limbs were damaged beyond immediate repair. The left arm’s internal actuator system was completely crushed. The right arm suffered structural failure across multiple joints."

He paused.

His eyes moved down the report.

"And interesting enough, all those damages were caused by flesh and blood limbs, without a single limb modification implant."

Marcus slowly closed the report.

He placed it on his desk.

Then he leaned back in his chair.

His yellow eyes remained fixed on Arthur.

The office was spacious but plain. There were no decorations hanging from the walls, no trophies, and no unnecessary furniture. A large window behind Marcus overlooked part of the Academy grounds, where cadets could be seen moving between training facilities.

Arthur didn’t look toward the window.

He continued standing at attention.

Marcus studied him for several seconds.

Then he finally spoke.

"Tell me, Arthur."

His voice was quieter this time.

"What happened?"

Arthur’s expression remained calm.

"I won the match, sir."

Marcus’s eyebrow twitched.

"I know."

Arthur said nothing.

Marcus tapped on his table with one finger.

"This isn’t a report describing a victory. This is a report describing what happened after the victory."

Arthur’s gaze remained forward.

Marcus continued.

"The system declared you the winner. Kladirex was incapacitated. The match was over."

A pause.

"And yet you continued attacking him."

Arthur’s expression didn’t change.

"Yes, sir."

Marcus stared at him.

"Why?"

Arthur didn’t immediately answer.

For the first time since entering the office, his eyes shifted slightly.

He looked toward the floor.

Only for a moment.

Then he raised his head again.

"He said something."

Marcus waited.

Arthur remained silent.

The Colonel’s gaze narrowed.

"What did he say?"

Arthur’s jaw tightened.

Marcus noticed.

He had spent years evaluating soldiers.

Small movements were often more revealing than words. And from what he was seeing, he could tell the cadet wasn’t going to be straight with him.

Arthur breathed out slowly.

"He said I hadn’t earned anything."

Marcus said nothing.

"He said my family name was the reason I was strong."

Arthur’s fingers tightened slightly behind his back.

"He said everything I had was handed to me. So I had to fight to restore the honor of my family name. By proving myself worthy to be a member of house Ashbourne."

The room became quiet again.

Marcus leaned back.

"I see."

Arthur looked at him.

Marcus didn’t immediately respond.

Instead, he picked up the report again and glanced at the damage assessment.

Then he looked back at Arthur.

"You know what interests me?"

Arthur waited.

"None of that explains why you kept hitting him."

Marcus placed the report back onto the desk.

"Plenty of cadets become angry when insulted. Some lose their temper. Some start fights."

His voice remained steady.

"But you didn’t simply lose your temper."

Marcus pointed toward the report.

"You dismantled two Generation Four combat limbs with your bare hands."

Arthur said nothing.

"You knocked him down."

A pause.

"And then you continued. That isn’t something you do simply because someone said something that offended you. It looks more like you had a personal vendetta against him."

Arthur’s expression hardened.

Marcus watched him carefully.

"So I’ll ask you again."

The Colonel’s voice became firmer.

"What happened, Arthur? Why did you bring that cadet to such a state?"

Arthur stared at him.

For several seconds, he didn’t answer.

Then he finally spoke.

"Like I said before, sir. I did it to restore the honor of my family name."

Marcus studied him silently.

Arthur’s expression remained calm.

His hands were still folded neatly behind his back.

After several seconds, Marcus finally spoke.

"Are you sure?"

Arthur looked directly into the Colonel’s yellow eyes.

"Yes, sir."

Marcus held his gaze for another moment.

Then, without saying anything else, he picked up the report and glanced over it one final time.

"Very well."

He placed the report back onto his desk.

"You’re free to go."

Arthur gave a small nod.

"Understood, sir."

He turned around and walked toward the door.

Arthur left the office.

The door closed quietly behind him.

For several seconds, Marcus remained seated behind his desk.

His expression was unreadable.

Then he raised a hand and lightly touched the Neural Link embedded at the base of his nape.

A private communication channel opened.

〘Neural Link: Private Channel Established〙

Marcus spoke quietly.

"Increase surveillance on Arthur Ashbourne."

A voice responded through the private channel.

〘Understood, Colonel.〙

Marcus glanced toward the closed door.

"His Cadet Integrity Rating has dropped."

〘By how much?〙

Marcus’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Enough to warrant closer observation."

A brief pause followed.

Then Marcus continued.

"Keep the surveillance discreet. I don’t want him to know he’s being watched."

〘Understood. Surveillance protocols will be adjusted accordingly.〙

The private channel closed.

A moment later, Marcus’s own Neural Link displayed Arthur’s updated record.

〘Cadet Integrity Rating〙

〘Current Rating: 84%〙

Marcus stared at the number for a few seconds.

Then his gaze shifted back toward the door.

"Interesting..."

It was clear what this meant. Arthur had just lied to a superior officer.

If he didn’t put Kladirex in such a state because of his family name, it begs the question.

What actually made him do it?

Marcus remained seated in silence.

His eyes were still fixed on the door Arthur had just walked through.

The number displayed in his Neural Link continued hovering before him.

〘Cadet Integrity Rating: 84%〙

A drop of sixteen percent.

Marcus had seen cadets lose points before.

Usually, it was because of disobedience, misconduct, excessive aggression, or lying during an investigation.

But Arthur’s case was different.

He had answered every question calmly.

He hadn’t argued.

He hadn’t attempted to justify himself.

And yet...

He had lied, very deliberately so.

Marcus leaned back in his chair.

"Restoring the honor of his family name..."

He repeated Arthur’s words quietly.

The explanation sounded reasonable.

Perhaps even believable.

But Marcus had spent too many years dealing with soldiers to judge a statement by its words alone.

Arthur’s body language had told him something else.

The hesitation.

The shift in his eyes.

The tightening of his jaw.

Those weren’t the reactions of someone simply recalling an insult.

Something had been touched.

Something Arthur clearly didn’t want to talk about.

Marcus’s gaze lowered toward the report again.

Kladirex had insulted him.

Arthur had snapped.

That much was obvious.

But what had Kladirex’s words actually reminded him of?

Marcus’s eyes narrowed.

"Who are you, Arthur Ashbourne?"