Bagge, his face swollen, cried with snot and tears all over, the sight making Yago sick to his stomach. He immediately kicked Bagge flying.
But unexpectedly, as Bagge rolled from the kick, he reached out and grabbed something. When he stood up covered in dust and looking miserable, there was already a dark pistol in his hand.
Bang! The loud gunshot startled everyone present, and they all looked at Bagge in shock.
Bagge gripped a brand-new pistol, the black muzzle aimed straight at Yago's forehead. He spat viciously and bared his teeth while rubbing his burning, aching face.
"Go on, act arrogant again! Tsk—damn it hurts! Even my dad never dared hit me like this! You bastard, get on your knees!"
At that moment, one of Bagge's subordinates hurried over and whispered,
"Sir, you can't! Pointing a gun at a fellow Marleyan is illegal! And this officer is at least a Lieutenant Colonel—he has the right to request a military tribunal!"
But Bagge, blinded by rage, didn't care. He had never suffered such humiliation in his life. No matter what, this guy had to kneel and apologize today. He shoved his subordinate aside and kept shouting for Yago to kneel.
Yago stared at Bagge, almost wanting to laugh. Could this tiny pistol really threaten him?
After a brief pause, Yago walked straight toward Bagge again, looking as natural as if the gun in Bagge's hand were nothing more than a toy.
Bagge hadn't expected this Marleyan officer to actually dare approach. He immediately shouted,
"You! Don't come any closer! Don't think I won't shoot! If you take another step, I really will fire! Stop!"
But Yago only smiled disdainfully and continued walking forward without dodging or slowing.
Yago's contempt snapped the final thread of reason in Bagge's mind. He shut his eyes, screamed, and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The surrounding Eldian soldiers were all startled. Serena's pupils contracted sharply, her amber eyes revealing a trace of worry as she looked at Yago, who had suddenly stopped moving.
The instant Bagge pulled the trigger, he regretted it. If Yago truly died, he would be finished too. Killing an Eldian could be handled easily, but shooting a fellow Marleyan would ruin his life.
When Bagge tremblingly opened his eyes, what he saw were slender fingers pressing against the muzzle of his pistol.
Bagge let out a strange cry and released the gun, yet it remained suspended in midair, its muzzle pinched between Yago's fingers.
That wild shot hadn't even touched Yago's clothes; it had only kicked up a spray of dirt from the ground.
Yago applied slight pressure with his fingers. Bagge's eyes widened as he watched the cylindrical barrel flatten under Yago's grip.
"Y-you-you-you…" Bagge's lips trembled as he stared at Yago in terror, unable to form proper words.
Yago casually tossed the pistol aside, pressed a hand onto Bagge's shoulder, and said with a "kind" expression,
"Firing at a fellow officer—Quartermaster, do you know the consequences? The iron bars of the military tribunal are waiting for you."
Over these past days, Yago had gathered quite a bit of intelligence and had familiarized himself with Marley's military law.
Bagge snapped to his senses and immediately dropped to his knees.
"No! Please don't!! It's all a misunderstanding! I—I didn't mean it! Please! It's my fault! Give me another chance! Whatever you want, I'll agree!"
Yago sneered. "Oh? Anything?"
Bagge nodded frantically. To save himself, even a heavy loss would be worth it. Otherwise, he really would end up in prison. No matter how strong his backing was, it couldn't interfere with a military tribunal directly under the Ministry of National Defense.
Yago said, "Good. You said it yourself. I want all the supplies from the vehicles behind you. How about it? Agree?"
Bagge froze. Just that? Those supplies weren't a big deal to him. At worst, he could just pad the inventory list a bit. A minor issue.
Seeing Bagge stunned, Yago asked "kindly,"
"What? Not agreeing?"
Bagge: "!! N-no! I agree! Of course! That's nothing! So righteous of you! I was the bastard earlier—I'll slap myself twice!"
As he spoke, Bagge smacked his already flushed face twice more, yet his expression was radiant. He even called out to his subordinates to start unloading the supplies.
The Eldian soldiers of the Third Regiment, including Serena, stared in disbelief at the surreal scene. Just moments ago Bagge had a gun to Yago's forehead, and now his chubby face was blooming.
Crate after crate of supplies was unloaded. Rubbing his hands together, Bagge flattered,
"So righteous, Loya. It's got to be you. I don't even know how to thank you. These supplies are nothing. Even if I gave this much every time in the future, it'd be fine!"
Yago replied, "Good. Then from now on, use this as the standard. Not a single bit less. Otherwise… there were plenty of witnesses today."
With that, Yago turned and left, leaving Bagge standing there in a daze.
I was just being polite… If I give this much every time, what profit will I skim?
But with leverage in someone else's hands, Bagge had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill. After unloading everything, he left with his men in disgrace.
The Eldian soldiers of the Third Regiment exchanged bewildered looks, staring at the mountain of supplies, unsure what to do. Finally, someone cheered, and soon all the soldiers joined in.
Meanwhile, Yago returned alone to his tent amid their cheers.
When he arrived, someone was already standing in front of it.
Serena looked at the handsome young Marleyan officer before her, her expression complicated. She and her subordinates had never imagined a Marleyan would help them.
Yago walked up to Serena and tilted his head.
"What? Something you need? Want to thank me?"
Serena swallowed. "I…"
Suddenly, Yago leaned in close, staring into her eyes, and shouted sternly,
"Serena!?"
Startled by the sudden shout, she instinctively responded, "Present!"
Yago merely patted her shoulder meaningfully.
"Do your best." With that, he walked into the tent, leaving Serena standing there in confusion. What did he mean?
...
Time quickly passed to evening. The Third Regiment's camp filled with the aroma of meat. With ample supplies at last, the cooks finally dared to prepare a proper meal.
Rare laughter and cheer echoed through the regiment, and in the hearts of the thousands of Eldian soldiers, there was now a trace of goodwill toward Commander Loya, who had stood up for them today.
But that no longer mattered to Yago. He was already prepared to leave the camp tonight.
An Eldian soldier entered the tent.
"Commander Loya, there is a military order." His tone carried a bit more respect now. After placing it down, he left.
Yago finished packing the intelligence, glanced casually at the order—but suddenly froze. Picking it up, he looked slightly surprised.
The military order was short, containing only a single command:
"Transfer the Marleyan Warrior Candidates to the Third Regiment of the Eldian unit under the First Army of the Frontline."