OPDSP 22

“Yes. I’m only now getting the chance to greet you. I waited because I heard you would call for me, but you never did.”

“I’ve called for you several times. If you didn’t respond, that’s on you.”

“That’s what I’m saying. You did call—but I never heard about it. You sent Fedel to call me, didn’t you? I have something to say about that.”

Aeryl waited for Kyla’s response as he observed her. It had been a simple explanation, but her brows furrowed as if she understood the implication.

“Have a seat for now. Sounds like something I need to hear.”

“Thank you.”

Aeryl and Kyla sat across from each other. He began by explaining why he hadn’t been able to come to the infirmary until now.

“At first, I just followed the instruction to wait. Since I didn’t know the rules here, I thought it best not to act rashly. After that, I kept getting assigned to combat units, so honestly… I didn’t have the energy.”

Then he brought up the rumors about him—that soldiers were avoiding him, and that he’d heard he hadn’t been acknowledged by Jenks.

“I’ve heard about what Jenx did. I gave her a stern talking-to. It wasn’t right for her to act that way, especially with so many people watching, based solely on one side of the story. I told her to apologize properly.”

Aeryl was a bit surprised by Kyla’s response. He had fully expected her to take Jenx’ side. She might be more fair-minded than he’d thought. He felt a small flicker of hope.

“I believe these rumors also started with Mr. Fedel.”

“…Would he really go that far…”

Kyla wasn’t sure. The Fedel she’d seen so far had been dutiful, hardworking, and respectful toward the military physicians. She had such a long career that she’d never had reason to clash with Fedel or trigger his insecurities.

“But that’s not to say I’m accusing you of lying, Mr. Aeryl.”

Kyla was firm on that point.

“I appreciate you saying that. Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t believe me.”

“You’re my subordinate too, Mr. Aeryl. As your superior, it’s my duty to listen to both sides and evaluate fairly.”

Oh. Aeryl was quietly impressed. Maybe she really was a decent superior after all.

“I’ll investigate this separately. Since I can’t say for sure which of you is telling the truth, I won’t comment on that yet. But I will work to address the rumors about you.”

“I just don’t want to be harmed. I don’t want to blow this into something bigger either.”

“I agree. With a week left in the Purge, it’s best to resolve this quietly… but now that you’re a military doctor, you’re under my command. Of course it’s my responsibility. No need for you to feel burdened.”

Kyla spoke with resolve. She had clear boundaries and a strong sense of responsibility. Aeryl had assumed the worst after seeing only Fedel and Jenks, but she might actually be a good person—certainly better than he’d expected.

“Then I’ll gladly accept your help.”

“Of course. And from now on, I’ll make sure both I and the other military physicians support you. We don’t need any more trouble.”

“Yes, understood.”

Aeryl listened to a few explanations about life as a military doctor, then got up and said goodbye.

That was a good meeting.

The misunderstandings weren’t completely cleared up, and there was still some uncertainty, but he’d been promised that things would be handled fairly. They’d even said they’d take care of the rumors about him discriminating against soldiers. Maybe it felt good just because his expectations had been so low.

‘Alright, great. Now I just need to gather herbs for the Grand Duke’s medicine.’

As Aeryl stepped out of the tent, he felt a sharp gaze on him. Turning around, sure enough—it was Fedel. His face was full of anxiety. Aeryl beamed at him, as if everything in the world was perfectly wonderful.

‘That’ll make him even more uneasy.’

Just as expected, Fedel clenched his fists and trembled all over. The man could barely contain his emotions. How pathetic.

***

That night, Aeryl heard an unexpected piece of news about Fedel.

As usual, he visited the Grand Duke’s tent around midnight. He checked the Grand Duke’s appearance and condition with a few questions, now skilled enough to examine his pheromone state and draw blood for tests.

‘That should be enough for today.’

While he was cleaning up, the Grand Duke spoke.

“That medic named Fedel will be removed from his post.”

“Removed?”

Aeryl was taken aback. He’d only met Kyla that afternoon. Although he’d reported what Fedel had done, it was a murky matter, so he had expected it to be quietly swept under the rug.

“What led to that kind of disciplinary action?”

“Kyla looked into it after meeting with you.”

Apparently, Kyla had called in several people to investigate Fedel. Most of them repeated Fedel’s version of events—that Aeryl had ignored being summoned and was discriminating against soldiers. But one medic stepped forward quietly.

“Do you remember the medic who went on your first deployment with you?”

“Oh, yes. That person.”

They had exchanged greetings, but since they hadn’t spoken much, Aeryl barely remembered the man’s face. That medic testified that Fedel had never explained the base procedures to Aeryl and had even blocked him from going to the infirmary. He said Fedel had guided Aeryl to “just wait until called,” effectively preventing him from acting.

After hearing that, Kyla summoned Fedel and questioned him. At first, Fedel denied everything, but when told there was a witness, he changed his tune and insisted it hadn’t been intentional.

It was also confirmed that Fedel had been the one who first spread the claim that Aeryl was discriminating against soldiers. With that, the decision to strip Fedel of his position was made quickly.

“What does it mean to be removed from post?”

“He’ll be treated as a civilian under surveillance until the Purge ends. After that, he’ll be formally punished for causing unrest.”

“He’s really going to be punished?”

The Grand Duke nodded, his expression stern.

“Cohesion is everything in the purge force.”

Members of the purge force were isolated deep in the forest, constantly exposed to negative energy and danger. Tensions ran high, making conflict easy to spark. And since everyone was armed and trained for combat, those conflicts could quickly spiral into major incidents.

“It’s said the failure of the Great Purge during the former Grand Duke’s era was also caused by internal discord. Apparently, there was a rift between the porters and the soldiers.”

“What happened then?”

“The former Grand Duke died from the aftermath of losing a vital part of their fighting force.”

The former Grand Duke was the current one’s father. Aeryl had heard that Asirion had inherited the title at sixteen, but he hadn’t known this part of the story.

He talks about his father’s death like it’s nothing.

The Grand Duke’s tone was emotionless, as if reciting a historical event from a century ago. Aeryl didn’t have a great relationship with his own father either, but he couldn’t imagine being so detached.

Whether it was sadness, anger, emptiness, or joy—strong emotions naturally followed close relationships.

Guess there’s a reason they call him the Ice Monster.

In any case, Aeryl was relieved that the matter with Fedel had been resolved quickly. No more unpleasant encounters, and the misunderstanding with the other medics would clear up too.

“But that medic who testified—he’s kind of funny too, don’t you think? Why wait until now to speak up?”

He could’ve stepped in earlier to clear things up, or just kept quiet. While the testimony had helped, Aeryl couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.

“And so,”

The Grand Duke fixed Aeryl with a sharp stare. Irritation trickled out through his pheromones.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Haha…”

“You were probably thinking you couldn’t rely on a patient, or that you didn’t want to burden me. That if I got involved, it would only get messier.”

He was spot on. Is this guy reading my mind? Aeryl gave him a suspicious look, and the Grand Duke responded with indignation.

“How could I not know something this obvious? Who do you think I am?”

“You’re the honorable Grand Duke Asirion. Strong and exceptional and—”

“Cut the pathetic flattery.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I may not have been in my right mind for a while, but that doesn’t mean I can’t handle a problem in the Purge Unit.”

“Yes.”

“You were brought here by me. I’m responsible for you. If anything happens again, report it to me.”

“Yes.”

Aeryl wasn’t sure what more could happen, but he nodded without protest. The Grand Duke’s pheromones, which had been sharp the whole time, finally settled. Looked like his mood had improved. That meant it was time to address a very important matter.

“Now that Your Grace’s condition has stabilized, there’s something we absolutely need to check…”

“What is it?”

Aeryl hesitated. It was hard to bring himself to say it. The Grand Duke pressed him with his eyes, and Aeryl finally managed to force the words out.

“Do you… know how to make a baby?”