The next day…
Arthur leaned against the white walls of an empty corridor. Wearing a three-piece red suit with a black shirt beneath and a red tie wrapped around his neck, he surfed the internet on his phone with dark circles under his eyes.
Just then, he heard footsteps echo through the hallway. Looking up from his phone, he saw a familiar individual appeared wearing the same suit as him.
The man's green eye shimmered as he gave Arthur a gentle smile – a smile that would induce any lady that glanced at him. Sliding his fingers through his blonde hair, he approached Arthur.
"Are you prepared, Lieutenant General?" The man spoke smugly.
"…Yes, I am." Arthur replied coldly, tucking his phone into his pocket.
Pushing the door open, they entered the conference room and instantly, the numerous cameras blinded them; taking photos as they sat down. Lancelot waved his arm, greeting the crowd with a gentle smile. Eventually, the lights died down and the press secretary stepped up, addressing the reporters from various news stations.
"Dear Journalists, welcome to this press conference hosted by the AEOC." He stated. "Participating today, we have the General of the Special Ops Division of the AEOC, Mr. Lancelot Clover and his Lieutenant General, Mr. Arthur von Ashking."
The crowd applauded as he finished speaking. Then, after the noise died down, he spoke once again.
"This conference shall be on-the-record. Each person will be given a minute to ask Mr. Lancelot and Mr. Arthur their inquiries. Let us begin."
The secretary stepped off the podium, standing behind the enforcers as the conference officially began. The next second, a journalist stood up from the front row.
"I'm from the Ashlandic Times. I would like to ask this question to the Lieutenant General. What exactly happened near the border of Kharagen yesterday?"
Arthur curled his lips, intertwining his fingers.
"An Alpha class Chaos fragment spawned near the border, on the edge of an abandoned warehouse…"
The man nodded and sat down – satisfied. Next, a woman from the middle row stood up.
"I'm from the Kharagen Broadcast and I would like to ask this question also to the Lieutenant General… How many casualties were suffered from said chaos fragment?"
Arthur paused for a moment, the battle flashing across his mind. He rubbed his temples gently and covered his mouth. Then, after heaving a heavy breath, he muttered into the mic.
"The casualties were 10 in number. All from my unit."
The room suddenly fell into a deathly silence. The woman who had asked the question trembled, her mouth agape.
The other reporters glanced at each other, seemingly in shock.
Arthur gazed over the crowd, his heart aching with the loss of his fallen comrades
"Don't be surprised that is just what happens to those who face chaos. The strong survive and the weak suffer."
The woman quietly sat back down as the audience began whispering amongst themselves. Lancelot glanced at Arthur, masking his true thoughts under his stoic face. Eventually, another reporter stood up from the very back.
"I'm from ARD news. A question for the Lieutenant General. Tell me, what caused the chaos fragment?"
Arthur lowered his head, pressing his hands against his nape. Then, he leaned back and crossed his arms.
"The cause is unknown. We're still investigating."
Arthur already knew that Missio had caused the Chaos fragment. His brother had informed him yesterday but told him to keep it a secret.
Arthur had already guessed that it was to resolve this issue with Rome quickly without the Public's knowledge. Certainly, the citizens of Ashland would not take kindly to the fact that the Lieutenant General of the Black Ops Division of the REOC and his team trespassed into their nations without clearance.
The matter would become more complicated due to the fact that Missio was a member of the Augustus family.
"I see…"
The journalist sat down, crossing his arms. Lancelot hummed a silent melody, leaning back in comfort as the reporters bombarded Arthur with questions without even acknowledging his presence.
'Looks like, once again, I'm the side character of your story, Arthur… isn't that amazing? The general being outshined by his own Lieutenant? So pathetic I am…'
***
Five hours went by with an endless volley of question.
Arthur's patience grew thinner with each passing minute. Most of the press asked for details of the incident that happened at the warehouse which made his blood boil each time they asked about it.
Yet, he endured, knowing the foolish journalists were just doing their job and trying to extract as much information out of him to create a good story .
At the end of it all, a woman asked in a serious tone.
"Sir Lancelot, since the First unit has been thinned down, what will happen to the expedition to the Forbidden continent?"
Lancelot remained silent for a moment, lowering his head. Then, he held his chin and met the reporters gaze.
"The First unit will be rejuvenated with last year's Stratos graduates. The matter of the expedition will be decided once Sir Christopher and Sir Dante converse."
The woman nodded and sat down. With that, Lancelot stood up and spread his arms out.
"That is all for today. I hope you were entertained. The AEOC will continue to give updates in the future."
The crowd cheered after hearing his announcement. Flashes covered their visions as the reporters tried to ask last-minute questions.
Arthur grimaced and covered his eyes from the light. Rising from his seat, he turned his back to the crowd and exited the room.
Lancelot stood up after the cameras died down and left the conference.
"That was a rough one, wasn't it, Arthur… Arthur?"
Lancelot called out to Arthur, but he was already walking towards the exit. Lancelot clenched his teeth – a bit annoyed by his behavior.
'Can't think of anyone but yourself, can you?'
Either way he followed him out of the building where they were attacked by the never-ending rain. The two stood at the edge of the roof covering them, watching the drops of water crash into the concrete floor. Lancelot tucked his hands into his pockets, calling out to Arthur.
"Leaving already? Are you?"
Arthur frowned, looking at him with cold eyes and replied in an indifferent manner.
" My job is done. Either way, I don't want to be here anymore."
Lancelot tilted his head, speaking with a hint of sarcasm.
"Is that so? Well, then you can head on home. Since it looks like you're tired from all the fighting."
Arthur shrugged, walking over to his transport – a red supercar with black accents. He drew his keys and opened it, stepping into the driver's seat.
As he shut the door, a blue light shot out from the instrument panel, similar to Missio's SUV and scanned his retina. Then, the interior lit up.
Arthur gripped the wheel, briefly glancing at the general before stepping on the throttle and driving back to his home.