Chapter 50: Not Just a Soldier

Words : 1019 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 50: Not Just a Soldier After returning from the royal castle to the fortress, Shiao Yi placed the bundle of clothes he had received from Dominic carefully on top of the chest. Dominic had picked them out personally, thinking of him. There was no way Dominic could truly understand how happy that made Shiao Yi feel. Up until now, Shiao Yi had only ever worn the standard-issue uniforms provided by the military. These clothes were, in a way, his very first personal belongings—his own clothes, just for him. Dominic quickly left to go back to his office. Shiao Yi headed toward the Aaron wing. Shiao Yi sat down in front of a large worktable. Aaron was watching him closely, his green eyes shining like a curious cat, eager to see what Shiao Yi would do. Ignoring Aaron’s gaze, Shiao Yi took a spare magazine for his needle gun from his belt. It wasn’t very big. The energy magazine fit neatly into the palm of his hand. But it contained enough energy to match two missiles. Next, from his pants pocket, he pulled out a half-eaten portable food bar. Even Shiao Yi hadn’t expected that this unfinished snack would come in handy like this. With just a bit of processing, the high-nutrition, high-polymer bar—filled with carbohydrates, proteins, and inorganic compounds—could be turned into an inactive organic azide compound. That made it an extremely explosive substance, though at this moment it remained stable. The more complex the polymer, the more energy it held inside. He flattened the bar and wrapped it tightly around the energy magazine. That completed the preparation. Just as he and Aaron started dividing up and gathering a large amount of gear— Boom...! A strong shock, like a sudden jolt, rushed through them, and both turned toward the forest. "Uaaah!" Aaron screamed, dropped the gear, and crouched down holding his head. Shiao Yi who is startled, reacted on instinct and tried to use telekinesis. But the power didn’t activate, and he quickly remembered they were inside a protective barrier. Because of that, the gear was safe, and Shiao Yi let out a relieved breath. "W-what was that? That was some insane magic power that just burst out of nowhere!" Still trembling, Aaron looked up with a pale face and asked. Shiao Yi bit his lip. He realized—he hadn’t made it in time. "It’s that magic circle. I bet it just received a huge surge of magic." "That magic circle? Even beyond the forest of magical beast? And it released that much power? But the forest of magical beast should be protected with a whole bunch of barriers, right?" "Grab the gear with one hand. With the other, hold onto my shoulder. We’re going to Row." Aaron quickly picked up the gear and placed his large hand firmly on Shiao Yi’s right shoulder. Shiao Yi adjusted his hold on his own gear and focused his mind on Dominic. Then, he teleported. There was a commotion in front of the forest of magical beast, but the formation remained firm and orderly. Everyone was prepared to risk their lives to destroy the summoning magic circle, which now seemed even more powerful than before. They were just finishing their final preparations. Shiao Yi was gently lowering the gear he had carried from Aaron, who was still dazed from his first experience with teleportation. That was when he heard someone running toward him and turned around. "Shiao!" Dominic rushed up and grabbed him tightly, wrapping him in a strong embrace. All around them were the commander-in-chief, mages, knights, foot soldiers—really, it seemed like everyone from the fortress had gathered. Their eyes widened, their mouths open in stunned silence, all of them staring at Dominic and Shiao Yi. But Dominic didn’t seem to notice or care about any of that. He kissed Shiao Yi deeply, and Shiao Yi squirmed with embarrassment under the weight of all the stares. It was too much. Far beyond what he could tolerate. Even though he struggled to pull away, Dominic’ arms didn’t budge. Why was this man so ridiculously strong? Being kissed like this in front of everyone—Shiao Yi thought he’d rather be shot. When the kiss, which felt more like a form of torture, finally ended, Shiao Yi’s head was spinning. As he tried to catch his breath, Dominic leaned in to look into his face while still holding him in his arms. Dominic looked disappointed, probably because Shiao Yi’s eyes weren’t burning with passion the way his were. His blue eyes narrowed in frustration. That kind of over-the-top reaction was impossible for Shiao Yi. Even if he wanted to meet Dominic’ expectations, how could he possibly get lost in his own emotions or desires in a situation like this? Still clearly annoyed, Dominic turned his sharp gaze to Aaron, who was standing there frozen in shock. Aaron gave a squeak of fear and turned pale. "Shiao, where were you, and what were you doing with Aaron?" His voice was cold and probing, as if demanding an explanation. What was he worried about? Shiao Yi thought. You’re the only commanding officer I have. "We were preparing," Shiao Yi replied. "I’ve made the final plan. A last-resort way to destroy the magic circle." "Shiao, please don’t push yourself. I want you to stay inside the fortress where it’s safe." "Dominic... Let me protect you too. It’s a soldier’s duty to protect his superior." At those words, Dominic’ eyes turned full of pain. Shiao Yi was confused. What had made him look so sad? Dominic stared at him quietly for a while. The others nearby were still watching, though trying awkwardly to look away now and then. Shiao Yi felt so uncomfortable he could barely stay still. His whole body itched with unease. He couldn’t take it anymore. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Dominic hugged him even tighter and whispered in his ear. "When this is over... If the magic circle is destroyed safely... Shiao... I want you to think about me not as your commander, but as a man." "Dominic...?"

Chapter 50: Not Just a Soldier

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