My Desertion Would Be Faster Than Heros' Obsession-Chapter 32Vol 2.

“Haa...”

Aquila let out a breath as if he were exhaling his soul, his complexion pale.

‘Where is she?’

He had promised—promised to go and get her. Yet, he still hadn't found Salvia.

He had thought it wouldn’t be that difficult to track her down. That was his mistake. No matter where he searched, there wasn’t a single trace of her.

Every day, he unfolded the newspaper, hoping—just maybe—she had sent a reply. But there was nothing. That could only mean one of two things: either she hadn’t seen the newspaper at all, or she was in some remote area without a news agency.

Nearly two weeks had passed without a single glimpse of Salvia. It was driving him insane.

“Salvia...”

Of course, he wasn’t the only one losing his mind.

Aquila glanced at Ishina, who was so composed it was downright terrifying.

Even after Salvia had vanished, Ishina had maintained an eerily calm demeanor. He was always busy with something—never speaking much, simply moving with quiet efficiency. Aquila assumed he was investigating Salvia’s whereabouts.

Karon, on the other hand, couldn’t stop pacing, restlessly moving about like a caged animal. It was so distracting that Aquila had to spend a great deal of energy just keeping him under control.

For now, they were hiding out in Victim’s house. None of them were members of the Special Black Magic Investigation Unit, which meant they weren’t actively being pursued. At the same time, Victim was the only one on their side at the moment.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

Of course, Aquila knew immediately that it wasn’t Salvia’s knock.

‘Winter.’

That precise, deliberate knock was unmistakably his.

Soon, Winter stepped inside, his expression as frigid as ever. In recent days, his face had become even colder, to the point that his very presence exuded a chilling aura. It had reached the extent that even Altair had started avoiding him, grumbling about the cold whenever he got too close.

Right now, the members of the Special Black Magic Investigation Unit were scattered across various hideouts, communicating in secrecy. The only ones actively moving outside to search for Salvia were those gathered here, in Victim’s house.

Winter had taken responsibility for coordinating with the rest of their scattered allies. He moved with unwavering purpose, embodying his usual pragmatism. At times like this, he never allowed himself the luxury of distraction.

And then—at that exact moment—Ishina, who had been poring over a map, suddenly lifted his head.

“I’ve got it.”

“Huh?”

“Are you serious?”

Aquila and Winter immediately rushed to his side.

Ishina remained calm as he explained.

“I’ve been investigating all the carriages that could have left the capital on that specific date. After filtering out the ones we’ve already accounted for, only one possibility remains.”

His sharp gaze met Winter’s.

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“A supply carriage transporting food to the northern region where the Border Defense Army is stationed.”

“The north...”

Aquila let out a sigh. He knew exactly how much Salvia despised the cold.

“But honestly, it’s a relief that it’s the north and not somewhere else.”

Ishina, however, seemed unfazed.

“If we’re lucky, Salvia might have encountered someone from the Border Defense Army who could help her. And compared to other places, she would at least be familiar with the northern terrain.”

“That’s true.”

Winter nodded in agreement.

At that moment, an image flashed through his mind—the key to the safe that he had given to Salvia. He could only pray that she had kept it with her.

She could use his money however she wanted. As long as she stayed safe... that was all that mattered.

“Aquila, what do you want to do?” Ishina turned to him. “You still have a month left on the promise you made to Salvia.”

Aquila locked eyes with him, his gaze burning with determination.

“I’m going to ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) get her. Right now.”

“Are you sure? The capital is still in a state of turmoil. It’ll be dangerous.”

Aquila simply grabbed his coat and said:

“Being apart from her for this long made me realize something.”

“And what’s that?”

“If it’s with Salvia, I’d even go to prison. And I know—without a doubt—that she feels the same. We have to be together.”

“...Here they go again.”

Ishina groaned, shaking his head, already exhausted.

***

“Dalin, so? Did you make any progress?!”

Not long after, as the snow fell once again, Dalin came down to the village for what had to be the hundredth time to clear it. The moment I saw her, I greeted her with anticipation.

I had ordered Dalin—through the battalion commander—to become a member of the revolutionary organization. Had she succeeded?

However, Dalin only made a sullen face and replied,

“I failed....”

“Oh...”

“They said I was too stupid to join....”

“Well, people can be a little stupid sometimes!”

As I became outraged on Dalin’s behalf, she suddenly flashed a bright smile.

“Yes! So I threatened them! I told them that if they didn’t let me into their nameless organization, I’d cause even more trouble!”

“...You mean you’re still causing trouble even as a company commander?!”

A company commander running around making trouble... Dalin once again managed to exceed my expectations.

“And then the battalion commander said that wouldn’t do. Instead, he told me to take this letter and deliver it to you, Lady Salvia!”

“For me?”

I took the letter from Dalin, my face tensing with anticipation.

Tomorrow, the supply carriage was scheduled to arrive.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

If there was no clear answer in this letter today, it would be best for me to return to the capital. I had comrades waiting for me, worrying about my safety.

But if this letter contained a definitive response, then it would be worth staying here a little longer to talk with the battalion commander.

With trembling hands, I tore open the envelope and read the contents.

To Miss Salvia,

I have decided to consider your proposal positively.

Tomorrow, I will take a leave of absence and come down to the village.

Let’s meet at the place where our company commander first went for snow clearing.

And please, try to talk some sense into your company commander before she causes any more trouble.

—Gavle

“It’s a success!”

He said he would consider my proposal positively!

...But should I really be giving Dalin credit for this? Just how much trouble had she caused over there?

Regardless, overwhelmed with joy, I hugged Dalin tightly.

“Dalin, you really helped!”

“Really? I was helpful?!”

“Yes!”

Hearing that, Dalin’s face lit up with happiness.

“Lady Salvia, just you wait! I will work even harder to make sure I get into that organization!”

...Somehow, I had a bad feeling about this.

Seeing the fire burning in Dalin’s eyes, I instinctively took a step back.

I had no idea what kind of reckless stunt this lunatic would pull next, but I definitely didn’t want to get caught up in it.

***

The Next Day

I stood at the designated meeting spot, my expression tense.

Lily, noticing my frequent outings lately, had gotten excited for no particular reason and insisted on dressing me up in a beautiful gown. Thanks to that, I now looked like a noble lady—definitely not the kind of outfit suited for meeting with a battalion commander.

As I fidgeted with the fur cloak wrapped around me, I finally spotted Gavle approaching from the distance.

“...Miss Salvia?”

His face showed a trace of surprise as he got closer. I quickly greeted him and immediately offered an explanation.

“Yes, I am Salvia. And no, I did not choose this outfit.”

“...Don’t tell me you used to be a noble? A rare case of an Arkon with noble blood being dragged into service, perhaps?”

“That’s not it. Anyway, shall we get to the point?”

At that, Gavle’s expression hardened. His gaze became sharp as he studied me.

“I had my suspicions before, but you really are serious about this. You’re completely fearless.”

“Yes, I hear that quite often.”

“Have you met many people like yourself outside?”

“Yes. In fact, some are even more reckless than I am.”

The image of April flashed through my mind, and I shuddered involuntarily. Gavle looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

To persuade him, I spoke firmly.

“We are a new generation of Arkons. The young blood.”

Gavle’s gaze turned contemplative.

“But we cannot do this alone. We need the wisdom of those who came before us.”

“The wisdom of the older generation...”

He seemed lost in thought for a moment.

“There was a time when we had that kind of passion, too. But as the years passed, that fire faded. Now, all that remains is hesitation, disguised as caution.”

Considering how long the organization had existed—long enough for Karon’s father to have been killed—it was clear that their progress had been slow.

There hadn’t even been any significant movements advocating for Arkon rights or publicly criticizing the current imperial rule.

“We do need a new flame...”

Sensing a shift in the atmosphere, I looked at him with hopeful eyes.

After a brief silence, Gavle finally spoke the words I had been waiting for.

“I’ve contacted my comrades. We’ve decided to cooperate.”

“B-Battalion Commander! Thank you!”

“I’m not your battalion commander anymore,” he said leisurely.

“Just call me Gavle. That’s enough.”

“Yes, Gavle. So, where should we arrange the meeting? I can bring the rest of my organization members here—”

“No. That would be too dangerous.”

His gaze turned severe.

“Now that we’re aware of each other’s existence, there’s no need for direct meetings. We can communicate through letters.”

“But what if the letters get intercepted—?”

“Don’t worry. We have a cipher. I’ll teach it to you. Meeting in person only increases the risk of exposure through informants. It’s safer if not everyone knows the identities of all the members.”

At his words, I lowered my head, recalling our past mistakes.

We had foolishly trusted the Second Prince’s faction without fully understanding them, which had ultimately led to our downfall.

Of course, an organization that had existed for this long would have experience. I was grateful once again that we had secured Gavle as an ally.

“So, how far has your organization progressed?” he asked.

“Um...”

That was a difficult question to answer. Because, well...

“We were exposed.”

“...What?”

“We were operating under the name of the Special Black Magic Investigation Unit, but our entire organization was discovered. Fortunately, the members weren’t individually identified, so we all scattered.”

“What the hell...”

Gavle looked completely dumbfounded. Well, I couldn’t blame him. After all, I had asked for cooperation in the most serious tone possible, only to reveal that our organization was practically destroyed.

“What was your original plan?”

“We intended to collaborate with the Second Prince’s forces, infiltrate the imperial palace, break the contract magic, and establish a republic. But a spy within the Second Prince’s army exposed us.”

“...Damn it.”

Gavle ran a hand through his hair, looking overwhelmed. I decided to wait patiently for him to process everything.

After a long pause, he finally lowered his hand and spoke.

“...In that case, why don’t we go all in and unite our forces completely?”

“Huh? I thought we had already agreed to work together?”

“No, I mean something bigger. More fundamental.”

Suddenly, he looked at me with a grave expression.

“Not just another movement led by nobles. A true revolution—a country where the people hold the power.”

“...What?”