The cold air of the Division 8 Outpost held a faint scent of iron and oil. Dim torches flickered along the hallways, barely illuminating the gray stone walls. Inside one of the high-security cells, three figures sat calmly behind thick mana-reinforced bars. Their wrists were bound by enchanted shackles, yet they remained unfazed, as if the weight of the situation failed to reach them.
Canis Majoris. Easton. Aron.
A young soldier stood watch just outside the cell, his face twisted in a mix of curiosity and unease. The stillness of the prisoners disturbed him far more than rage or pleas would have.
"Hey," he whispered to the other guard beside him, "who are these people? This cell hasn't been used in years."
"No idea," his partner replied, keeping his eyes forward. "But the corporal said to treat them like Class-A threats. Warriors, probably."
"Hmph. I hate Warriors. Always think they're above the law. Acting like the Empire owes them something."
Before either could speak further, a voice barked from down the hall.
"Focus up!" the corporal shouted. "Especially you two. The one in the middle—those golden eyes? They're not normal. Keep your heads straight."
The guards stiffened, falling into line with trained reflexes.
"We've received orders," the corporal continued. "Inspector Austin from the Headquarters is en route. He'll be handling the interrogation personally."
The tension in the room spiked. Even seasoned soldiers rarely saw an officer of Austin's rank. To involve someone like him meant one thing: this was no ordinary arrest.
---
Hours later, a sleek black vehicle pulled up at the outpost's main gate. Inspector Austin stepped out, his uniform pristine, his expression unreadable. His long coat flowed behind him, boots clicking sharply against the polished stone. He moved through the base like a cold gust of wind, his stride confident and direct.
No one dared stop him as he made his way through the halls. Whispers followed in his wake, but he ignored them all.
He entered the cell block with minimal words, halting only in front of Canis's cell. His eyes locked onto the man with the golden gaze.
"So," Austin said slowly, pulling out a folded parchment, "you match the description perfectly."
Canis said nothing.
"A few days before the Cerberus disaster," Austin continued, "a merchant from the Capital—a man named Hamburg—filed a report. He claimed a golden-eyed young man assaulted him without warning."
He unfolded the report and held it loosely at his side. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"
Canis looked up, his expression unreadable. His golden eyes shimmered faintly under the torchlight, as if reflecting something deeper—something far removed from the walls of this prison.
No response.
Austin frowned. "You don't deny it. That makes this easy."
But Canis finally moved. He exhaled slowly, head tilting back until it rested against the cold wall behind him.
"So this is it," he murmured.
Austin blinked. "What?"
"I let myself get captured because I thought something interesting was unfolding. A real threat, maybe. Something worth my time."
He opened his eyes again, locking them with Austin's. "But it's just this? A coward's complaint and all this cheap stuff?"
Austin's eyes narrowed. "Whether you think it's trivial or not," he said flatly, "you'll remain in custody until the charges are cleared or escalated. That decision is not yours."
He turned sharply, walking away without a backward glance.
Canis shut his eyes again. "Disappointing."
Easton leaned toward him, muttering with a dry chuckle. "I see."
Aron looked between them, eyebrows furrowed. "Wait... was this all intentional?"
"Let it go," Easton said, smirking. "You'll get used to it."
---
Elsewhere, under the golden afternoon light of the Imperial Capital, Shina Mariposa walked through the polished corridors of the Imperial Guild Department Headquarters. Her steps were sharp, deliberate. Her uniform, though tidy, showed signs of recent fieldwork. Her expression was tight, her focus unshakable.
She followed Deputy Director Etos through a massive wooden doorway, entering a grand library that smelled of old parchment and ancient mana. The walls soared upward into high vaults, lined with stained-glass windows that cast filtered colors across rows of towering bookshelves.
Tall shelves stretched endlessly in both directions, bathed in warm light from enchanted skylights. Dust motes danced in the air, undisturbed by time or intrusion. The archive was a place of memory and secrecy—a vault of things the Empire wanted remembered and things it wanted hidden.
"Then," Etos asked as he led her past a glowing index crystal, "what exactly are you hoping to find here, Captain Shina? I can't guarantee what you seek is even in these archives."
Shina had posed a single question earlier.
"Do you know a man named Canis Majoris?"
Etos had paused then, surprised. Now, in the quiet of the library, he stopped again and turned to face her.
"Canis Majoris," he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, I know him. He works on our 48th branch at Tsardom. One of my best employee, actually. Why do you ask?"
"I'm not interested in his life now," Shina said. Her tone was firm. "I want to know who he was before. Back when he was active in Fallen Heaven."
A flicker of discomfort crossed Etos's face. His eyes darted sideways.
"Fallen Heaven? What do you mean—he was a warrior before?"
"Mr. Etos," Shina said sharply, "I know you know more about him than I do."
Etos hesitated.
"I don't understand, Captain. Canis is just a regular employee. There's nothing special about him."
"It was Lieutenant General Guntur who led me here."
"Guntur? Ah… that guy…"
He looked away for a moment, sighing.
"What is it you truly want to know, Captain?" he asked, voice quieter now.
Shina hesitated. There was more riding on this than she had admitted. The truth behind Canis had been gnawing at her ever since the Cerberus disaster. His power, his composure, his monstrous aura during battle—it didn't add up to a simple bureaucrat from Tsardom.
"I was told he may have ties to certain... classified events, with another name. Something about his past just doesn't sit right with me."
Etos exhaled slowly. His hand grazed the edge of a shelf, fingers lingering on a dusty spine.
"Look, I understand your curiosity. But Canis Majoris is classified. A national secret, in fact. I can't just hand over his records because someone asked nicely."
"Even if that someone is a ranking officer in the active military?"
Etos shook his head.
"Especially then."
Shina clenched her jaw. "I have the right to know if someone dangerous is walking freely under the Empire's nose."
"And I have the responsibility to make sure national security isn't breached," Etos replied, voice firm. "You're not the only one trying to protect this country, Shina."
They stared at each other for a tense moment. The silence in the library seemed to deepen, pressing around them like a second skin.
"Let him know, Etos!" A calm voice rose from the entrance.
Both turned.
Lieutenant General Guntur stepped into the light, hands in his pockets, his expression calm but resolute.
"Guntur," Etos called, more surprised than annoyed. "What are you doing here?"
"I believe Shina will do a better job controlling Canis Majoris than any of us," Guntur said, stopping beside them.
Etos exhaled hard through his nose. "You want me to just break the Emperor's order?"
"I want you to stop pretending this will stay hidden forever. We're not dealing with a clerk. You know that as well as I do."
Shina stood silent. She hadn't expected Guntur to intervene, but now that he had, her path was clear. She would get to the bottom of who Canis Majoris really was—even if it meant uncovering a truth the Empire itself had buried.
{Chapter 62 End}