Steel Eyed Faker

Chapter 21: Save the Base Part 1

Beta Read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness

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-The Capital-

(A few days earlier)

Wave had to admit, it was rare for those in the original Jaegers and the newer members to be gathered in one place. Well, most of them at least. The last time such a thing had happened was during the raid on the stronghold that a large group of bandits had taken over. Even now, the memory of that day clung to him like a stubborn shadow that refused to fade. Food had lost its flavour, pastimes he once enjoyed no longer held his attention, and more often than not, he caught himself quietly observing the former members of Wild Hunt whenever they were present, scrutinising every movement and habit they displayed.

He was not even certain why he did it, but the truth was simple enough. He did not trust them, not in the slightest. They could not be compared to the other members of the original Jaegers. Pardoned or not, in his eyes, they were still criminals who, for some unfathomable reason, had avoided justice for their crimes. What made it worse was that his attempts to learn more about them had yielded almost nothing, as though someone had deliberately wiped their records clean.

"You look like you have aged a decade. Is something the matter?"

Turning a corner in the corridor, Wave came face to face with Run, the blond member of the Jaegers who had become General Esdeath’s right-hand man, leaning casually against a pillar with a book in hand, still reading despite being the one to start the conversation.

"Sorry, were you waiting for someone?" Wave asked, forcing a smile in the hope of masking his unease.

Run, however, seemed to read him with ease and spoke without hesitation. "It is about the Wild Hunt, is it not?"

"Hah. Was it that obvious?"

"Let’s just say you’re not someone that’s hard to read. Don’t take this the wrong way my friend, but you remind me of a dog whose tail can’t help but give everything away. If it’s happy, you know it. If not, you know that, too. And right now? Well, your tail isn’t wagging at all, it’s hanging limp. You’re not smiling the way you usually do, and, honestly, you’re way too quiet."

Each remark struck him like an arrow, and while they were not meant to wound, they still hit their mark. Others had told him much the same before, so he could hardly protest such remarks.

"I suppose you could put it like that. I can never seem to hide anything from you. Are you sure your Teigu is not some sort of mind-reading one?"

"Unfortunately, or fortunately if I’m being honest, the Teigu that I possess is not Spectator.  But given what I have heard about the long-term effects it had on its last wielder..."

That earned a small hum of agreement from Wave. He had read one of the reports himself, detailing Night Raid’s pursuit of a former executioner who had owned the Teigu in question and gone on to become a deranged mass murderer.

"I just do not think they are trustworthy people," he admitted, the blond knowing exactly who Wave was talking about, as they walked together toward the main meeting room. "I… I feel like I can be honest with you about that, since you seem to share a similar opinion about them."

"I know. Is there someone in particular who is troubling you?"

"Cosmina."

Wave spoke plainly, his tone leaving little room for doubt. Run’s expression shifted, showing both understanding and curiosity. Wave continued.