Chapter 82

The reception room of the Hernberg residence, designed to accommodate visits from royal family members, was even more opulent in its interior compared to other rooms.

The walls were also made thick for soundproofing, ensuring that conversations inside would not leak out.

In the center of such a room, Logan and Claude sat facing each other on luxurious sofas.

"…………"

"…………"

For a long time, no words had been spoken between the two.

They had exchanged a brief, gruff greeting at first, but that was it.

An unusually heavy atmosphere, not what one would expect from brothers who had not seen each other in a while, hung over the reception room.

"Here... coffee and tea..."

Laila set the drinks on the table with a slightly trembling voice.

Perhaps overwhelmed by the aura emanating from the two men, her hands were also slightly shaking.

After finishing, Laila bowed deeply and hurriedly left the room.

Claude took a sip of his coffee, and then Logan reached for his cup.

Despite being brothers, there was an invisible hierarchy between them.

"Tea, huh."

It was Claude who finally broke the silence, snorting as he looked at the dark brown liquid in Logan's cup.

"I've been getting into it lately. It apparently has fatigue recovery effects, and it helps me get more work done."

"Hmph. Still the same boring man."

At Claude's dismissive remark, Logan's eyebrows twitched.

"…Get to the point. You didn't come here just to make snide remarks, did you?"

"What if I did come just to make snide remarks?"

"Your evaluation would drop."

"Still room for my evaluation to drop, huh? That's a nice thing to say."

"Can I get back to work after finishing my tea?"

"Not allowed."

"Then get to it quickly..."

"Don't rush. They say, 'Haste makes waste,' don't they?"

Claude slowly took a cigarette from his breast pocket and placed it in his mouth.

Logan promptly brought a lit match to Claude's lips.

Without saying thanks, Claude began to speak while puffing on the cigarette.

"Have you heard that our country has been sending troops to the Rashar Autonomous Region for years?"

"I believe you have been deployed there..."

Claude nodded.

The Rashar Autonomous Region is a territory where two countries, each with different religions, have been in conflict over land.

The conflict has been intense, with ground battles, urban guerrilla warfare, and assassinations of leaders, leading to a quagmire.

As Logan knew, the Truwa Kingdom, a friendly nation to one of the two countries, has sent thousands of troops to the Rashar Autonomous Region for support.

"Our army is struggling to suppress the Silbert guerrilla organization. To be frank, the situation there is not good. We are in a state of attrition and are short on personnel."

After calmly providing the information, Claude continued.

"So... I want to appoint you as a staff officer."

"A staff officer...?"

Logan narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"I'm not asking you to take up a front-line position. You just need to use your brain in a relatively rear area. If you achieve results there, your evaluation within the country will rise, and the Hernberg family's reputation will improve. Consider it an easy job, right?"

At Claude's explanation, Logan frowned.

"I only have basic knowledge of military strategy."

"That's the least important thing in this decision. Your photographic memory will make you an expert in no time."

Holding the cigarette between his fingers, Claude leaned in close to Logan and continued.

"I value your intellect. This is a direct request from Claude Hernberg, commander of the Truwa Kingdom's 3rd Division. Consider it an honor."

Logan pondered Claude's proposal for a moment.

However, he did not take long to respond.

"If you had proposed this to me six months ago, I might have considered it."

"That fiancée of yours, huh."

Logan's eyebrows twitched.

Seeing Logan's silence, Claude took another drag on his cigarette and exhaled with a bored look.

"You've become a spineless wimp."

"…Amelia is not related to this."

"Is she?"

While slightly wrinkling his nose at the cigarette smoke, Logan replied.

"There's no reason why I have to be the one for this role. You just want to keep me where you can see me. That's all."

At Logan's words, Claude's lips curled into a smirk.

He pressed the extinguished cigarette into the ashtray and said,

"Let's call it a day for now. But..."

Claude's eyes gleamed like a predator's, having spotted its prey.

In an instant, Logan instinctively pulled his head back.

The air whistled as Claude's fist sliced through the spot where Logan's head had been a moment ago.

The extinguished cigarette flew through the air, and their gazes met.

Logan instinctively blocked Claude's second punch with his arm.

"Ugh..."

Logan's face contorted from the heavy impact.

Both men stood up simultaneously.

Claude immediately delivered a kick at lightning speed.

– Not at Logan's body, but at the table.

The table flipped over with a loud noise.

The kick hit Logan's shins, causing him to lose his balance.

Claude grabbed Logan's arms and lifted him up.

The cigarette that had been floating in the air fell to the floor.

Claude's lips curled into a victorious smile as he said,

"Your skills have declined. You used to last at least five rounds."

"There are no surprise attacks in paperwork."

"As a Hernberg, you should be able to handle a few surprise attacks. Besides..."

Claude looked at Logan's arms and said,

"What are these scrawny arms? You can't even protect that frail fiancée of yours."

"…Mind your own business."

Saying this with a sneer, Claude released Logan.

"See you again, my brother."

"I hope it's a long time before we meet again."

"Don't say that. If God abandons us, even I might not see you again in this life."

After saying this with a joking tone, Claude turned and headed for the door.

"Oh, by the way."

Stopping abruptly, Claude said,

"Have the library in this mansion stocked with new books. You've read the same ones over and over, and they're not good enough to pass the time on the battlefield."

"Books on plants have recently been stocked in large quantities."

"Books on plants?"

Claude narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Recently, there have been more readers who love plants. Why don't you take this opportunity to learn about them?"

At Logan's words, Claude snorted and left the room.

"Please be safe."

Logan, left alone, whispered these words in a voice so low that no one could hear.