“.......”
Louis Allen did not answer.
Gilbert was gripping him by the collar so tightly that it was difficult for him to speak in the first place, but Allen’s hollow eyes showed no sign that he even intended to open his mouth.
The snake-like veins on Gilbert’s thick neck bulged even further.
If he followed his heart, he wanted to tear Allen’s mouth open by force and make him talk.
But Allen was Han’s team member.
Gilbert barely suppressed his surging anger and continued speaking.
It seemed he would have to explain it all over again in terms this insolent rookie could understand.
“Louis Allen. If those damned eyes of yours work, take a good look around you. Then think! Think about why they’re rolling around on the floor with broken bones, and whose fault it is!”
“.......”
Louis Allen’s eyes slowly moved.
The expressions of those writhing in pain were reflected in his dim eyes.
Among them was Fabian, a member of his own team.
But that was merely stimulus and reaction.
It could not draw any sympathy from Allen.
“I’ll admit your swordsmanship was impressive. Just as I imagined... no, it was at an even higher level than I imagined.”
Louis Allen’s Mobility Swordsmanship had surprised not only the team members, but even Team Leader Gilbert.
His movements, speed, precision, and judgment were impossible to associate with a former prison guard... or a rookie Special Unit agent.
As a result, Gilbert’s team members, who had only recently begun to be regarded as veterans, had been completely helpless against him.
“.......”
Even while praising him, Gilbert was not smiling in the slightest.
Instead, he tightened his grip even further and glared at Allen.
“But that’s exactly why you could’ve ‘held back’! You could’ve knocked them out instead of using excessive force!”
The first victory condition of the joint training.
Incapacitate every opponent or mark them with paint three times to knock them out.
But in truth, even ‘incapacitation’ was meant to focus on restraining an opponent’s movements, as Stella had done.
It did not mean using more force than necessary and injuring them.
Each team leader had made that clear before the training began.
And even if they had not, it was the sort of unwritten rule that should have been followed as a matter of course.
“Don’t even give me that bullshit about how you didn’t do it on purpose! I saw with my own two eyes that you were using the rain guard (the sword’s guard) and the point (the sword tip), neither of which had any paint on them!”
Moreover, while subduing the opposing team, Allen had struck Fabian, his own teammate, as well.
Without even a moment of hesitation.
He had swung his sword as though there had been no other option.
Even though someone with Allen’s skill undoubtedly had countless alternatives.
That was why Gilbert had stopped watching from the sidelines and intervened in the training.
His pride and convictions would not allow him to simply stand there and watch.
“Now answer me, Louis Allen! Why did you choose excessive force instead of knocking them out?! Why did you swing your sword even if it meant injuring your own teammate?!”
THUD—!
Still gripping Allen by the collar, Gilbert slammed him into a pillar.
Gilbert glared at him as though he wanted to devour him.
Allen, on the other hand, remained utterly unbothered, his expression calm.
Then Allen’s bloodless lips, which had been firmly sealed until then, slowly moved.
The first words he spoke were—
“...Because that was the most rational choice.”
—far outside the bounds of common sense.
“More importantly, given the current situation, Team Leader, you have also participated in the training. May I interpret it that way?”
“...What?”
Even though he had to be short of breath, his voice remained unnervingly flat.
Allen’s emotionless voice continued.
“I am confirming whether you, Team Leader, are also a target I must capture.”
“You bastard.......!”
Gilbert could no longer suppress his anger.
He drew his massive fist back, preparing to drive it forward.
Tap—.
Like a drop of water falling from the tip of a stalactite inside a cave, something lightly landed on Gilbert’s shoulder before bouncing away.
Gilbert turned his head and looked at the mark it had left behind.
Pink paint stained his right shoulder.
The object that had fallen was Louis Allen’s paint sword, which at some point had disappeared from sight.
“.......”
Gilbert’s pupils froze.
He moved his thick neck and looked up toward the ceiling from which the sword had fallen.
Part of the first-floor ceiling had collapsed.
Pink paint had been smeared across its edge.
As though to say the sword had fallen because of the impact when Gilbert slammed Allen against the pillar.
As though to say everything was unfolding according to Allen’s calculations.
“That makes one.”
Allen’s empty eyes reflected Gilbert.
“You have two chances remaining.”
To Allen, Gilbert was nothing more than another target to capture.
HISSSSSSS—!
As though responding to Gilbert’s emotions, his Mobility Gear violently spewed steam.
The heat and force were so tremendous that it engulfed the surroundings in an instant, as though storm clouds had suddenly burst forth.
There was no longer any need for words.
All that remained was a thorough lesson delivered with his fists.
At that moment.
“Put him down, Han.”
Han suddenly appeared and grabbed Gilbert’s arm.
But the Gilbert standing there now was not the same man who usually wore a hearty smile.
“This bastard can’t understand words. I need to carve the lesson directly into his body. He also humiliated me and my team members, so he has to take responsibility for that.”
“.......”
“Han. Are you planning to humiliate me and my team members too?”
Gilbert stared at Han with bloodshot eyes.
One wrong move, and the relationship Han and Gilbert had built until now could completely collapse.
Han shook his head and replied.
“Allen is my team member. A team member’s mistake is also the mistake of his team leader.”
“.......”
“So I will take responsibility.”
The two men looked directly into each other’s eyes.
Han was not a man who lied or spoke carelessly.
Gilbert knew that well because he was familiar with Han’s usual conduct.
If Han said he would take responsibility, then he would undoubtedly take some concrete action.
But Gilbert still could not accept simply forgiving Louis Allen and leaving things there.
So he asked directly.
“...How exactly are you going to take responsibility?”
“First, would you let Allen go? Please do not worry. This will not take long. I will take responsibility here and now.”
“.......”
Han spoke carefully so as not to aggravate Gilbert any further.
His tone was one of a courteous request.
At the same time, he made sure not to diminish his authority as a team leader, speaking clearly enough for everyone watching the situation around them to hear.
Gilbert recognized Han’s sincerity.
He slowly released Allen.
It was not because he had forgiven Allen.
He still wanted to beat Allen bloody.
But he relaxed his grip out of consideration for his relationship with Han, a colleague he had gotten along with until now.
And because he respected Han as the leader of Team 251.
Han understood exactly why and expressed his gratitude to Gilbert.
Then he looked toward Allen.
Handling the situation Allen had caused was Han’s responsibility as team leader.
Han handed Allen a clean handkerchief and said,
“Put this in your mouth and bite down as hard as you can.”
At first glance, the words carried the refinement of a courteous gentleman.
But once Allen followed the order and placed the handkerchief in his mouth—
——!
Allen’s figure vanished in an instant.
At the same time, a bizarre series of sounds erupted as something resembling a human body skipped across the ground like a stone over water.
Eventually, it slammed into a wall.
Only after coughing out the bloodstained handkerchief with a “Cough!” did it finally come to a stop.
The figure was Allen.
Han’s kick had struck him in the neck and sent him tumbling away.
Dust belatedly rose along the path Allen had flown.
Han lowered his outstretched leg back into place.
The sheer power of his leg, enhanced by Mobility Gear, was enough to make anyone instinctively worry about Allen.
That fact was confirmed by the immediate reaction of those around him.
“H-He’s dead! He has to be dead!”
“Samuel, you coward. Stop making a fuss and shut up. Learn when to keep out of things.”
Han spoke.
“I am fully aware that even this is insufficient. However, if only in consideration of my sincerity, please leave Allen’s disciplinary action to me.”
“.......”
Gilbert simply stood there and blinked.
Until moments ago, anger had filled him to the top of his head.
But Han’s bold... excessively bold response had left him unable to react properly.
If Han had responded halfheartedly, Gilbert would not have been like this.
Instead, Han had responded so forcefully that it had left him dumbfounded.
‘Han Augustus.......’
Gilbert knew Han fairly well even within the Capital Second Headquarters.
And this side of Han was not entirely unfamiliar to him either.
‘He normally acts like a gentleman, but out in the field, his rabies (mad-dog disease) acts up from time to time.’
Rabies.
It was something like a nickname for Han, known only among those familiar with him.
Agents who had gone on missions with Han had been shocked by his merciless behavior and started calling him that behind his back.
Of course, using overwhelming force while arresting criminals was hardly uncommon.
But because the contrast with Han’s usual image was so extreme, it came as a fresh shock.
‘There’s nothing to gain from dragging this out while he’s like this.’
If things went wrong, something truly serious might happen.
“.......”
“If you wish, I can demonstrate my sincerity once more.”
“Huh? No. That’s enough. I’ve already understood your sincerity perfectly well. I’ll leave Allen’s disciplinary action to you. So stop your equipment before you do anything else.”
Gilbert flinched when Han began gathering mana again.
Somehow, the situation had reversed, and now Gilbert was the one trying to stop Han.
Han shut down his Mobility Gear and lightly bowed his head.
“Thank you again. I also called the medics... Ah, there they are. We should first help transport the injured team members.”
“Right....... Your team members need treatment as well.”
Han and Gilbert each helped place their injured team members onto stretchers.
Seeing his team members’ injuries up close caused Gilbert’s anger to flare again, but he suppressed it.
And with that, the joint training came to an abrupt end.
While they were dealing with the aftermath, Gilbert spoke to Han.
It was advice from a senior who had been in the field longer than Han and had worked with countless team members.
“Louis Allen. You’d be better off expelling that bastard from the team. For your sake. And for your team members’ sake.”
“...I will keep that in mind.”
Han’s response was neither agreement nor disagreement.
***
Han had flatly told Lara that changing teams was not allowed, but in truth, the rule was not absolute.
There were factors that could not be seen from a simple profile.
Differences in personality, friction in the field, and other issues could lead to team members being replaced.
Of course, Allen’s case was more unusual.
Rather than simply transferring teams, he could be expelled from one altogether.
Headquarters was already aware of Allen’s problems, so it would not be difficult.
“.......”
But Han thought it over.
Just as Gilbert had said, working alongside Allen was dangerous.
His way of thinking was not normal.
There was no telling when or how he might put his teammates in danger.
Han had already been aware of that before the training.
He had reviewed Allen’s history and profile.
That was why he had intended to observe Allen’s behavior during this training and make a proper judgment afterward.
‘...And the result was that I caused trouble for Gilbert’s team. I’ll have to apologize properly later.’
In any case.
Allen was unquestionably strong, but he was unsuited to being a Special Unit agent.
There was no doubt about that judgment.
It would be the same even if he operated individually rather than as part of a team.
‘During this training, Allen followed only the ‘optimal move’ for achieving victory. But ordinary morality and common sense have no place in that optimal move.’
That meant there was every possibility that, if it served his objective, a Special Unit agent entrusted with protecting citizens could instead become a threat to them.
‘Expelling him from the team isn’t the real problem.’
Allen should not have a profession that required him to protect civilians.
He should not be in the Special Unit.
But would Headquarters... would the Republic really discard the card called Louis Allen so easily?
Han could answer that question with absolute certainty.
‘The Republic will never let Louis Allen go.’
Allen’s Mobility Swordsmanship was the real thing.
Had the training not already proven that?
Allen alone had overwhelmed two Special Unit agents on whom a great deal of money and time had been spent.
And that was not all.
Even if every member of Gilbert’s team except Gilbert himself had attacked Allen together, they likely would not have been able to seize the advantage from him.
‘...That’s why Allen tried to operate alone. He struck Fabian too because he never needed him in the first place.’
With the Alkant incident having occurred at a time like this, there was no chance the Republic would let talent like Allen slip away.
Even if Han pressured them, they would undoubtedly use Allen from the shadows.
Innocent victims would be created.
And eventually, Allen himself would probably die as well.
In the end, that was what it meant to possess strength and nothing else.
......After thinking it over, Han made his decision.
“Louis Allen. You’re being placed in isolation.”
And so, the swordsmanship genius Allen ended up confined to solitary.