They made it back without trouble.
No Titans. No monsters. Not even the biting wind could slow them as they escorted the refugees from Baseline Charlie through the forest toward Base Alpha. Matteo had half-expected some ambush, a twist of fate, some cruel joke from the universe.
But the path remained clear.
Still, nothing ever came easy.
Now they were calling him a "madman."
Whispers followed him everywhere. Stories spread like wildfire—how he had leapt onto the back of a monstrous spider, laughing like a lunatic with glowing purple eyes and a grin too wide to be natural.
Soldiers dubbed him "Mad Jester" by the time they reached the gates. His fame — or maybe infamy had reached it's peak.
Just his luck.
He sighed.
---
"So uh... Captain, what is it with this madman business?" Elric asked, jogging beside him through the snow-covered path.
"Not your Captain. Not a madman," Matteo muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
From behind, Mira slapped him on the back. "Damn! You should've told us you were strong! Would've never guessed with your height and all."
"Geez. Wow. Thanks for that," Matteo replied flatly.
Elric chuckled.
Lena walked on his other side, unusually quiet. She tugged gently on his sleeve. "...Um... M-Matteo?"
He glanced at her. "What is it?"
She froze. "It... it's nothing..." She looked away quickly, the tips of her ears pink from more than just the cold.
There was a weight behind her words. Something she wanted to say—but hadn't. He filed it away.
Probably something about me.
Elric cleared his throat. "Anyway, why does the Captain trust you so much?"
Matteo shrugged. "Dunno. Whatever suits him, suits him."
"I mean, what happens after this war?" Mira asked, glancing up at the pale sky. "With the Titan and all that."
"...Probably South. Toward Sedan," Elric answered. "It's warmer there."
"I heard the beaches are nice," Lena mumbled.
"Yeah! And the food!" Mira added with a grin.
Meanwhile, Matteo stayed silent. His eyes scanned the crowd—watching. Where did those two Awakened go?
He didn't see them.
"Oh no…" he muttered under his breath.
"What was that, Cap?"
"Nothing."
Just a couple of idiots biting off more than they could chew.
They were strong, no doubt. Rich, trained, Awakened. But strength didn't equal survival. He was just a bar waiter who knew how to scrap on back-alley cobblestones. He didn't have the luxury of arrogance.
Still… their disappearance left a pit in his stomach.
He'd think on it later.
That castle in the distance—half-buried in snow and mist, crowned in broken stone—still pulled at his thoughts.
Treasure? Knowledge? Clues to this world?
Whatever was inside, he would return for it. When the time was right.
---
Half an hour later, the group reached Base Alpha. The gates creaked open to the sound of shouting from the watchtower.
"Open the gates! Charlie's alive!"
Soldiers flooded the pathway, helping the wounded and leading refugees to safety. Matteo handed over the final tallies to a soldier and filed his report with Elric's help. Then came the debrief. As expected.
Captain Leon laid out the next course of action:
They would be heading south toward Sedan. A five-day march. Short breaks. No stops. The Titan hadn't shown itself again, but they weren't going to wait for it.
After the meeting, Leon pulled Matteo aside.
---
"I heard you defeated an Arachnoid," the Captain said calmly.
"You mean the big spider?"
"Yes. Now be honest with me… Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Matteo hesitated, then answered truthfully. "I didn't. No formal combat. Just… trial and error. Mostly from surviving on the streets and some really dumb decisions."
Leon narrowed his eyes, assessing him.
"I see. Still—your results speak for themselves. You not only helped retrieve the last remaining base, but also took down a C-class beast. Something even my foot soldiers struggle with."
He stepped forward and held out his hand.
"I'm keeping you in charge of the squad you led. You are now the Twelfth Order of Alpha Camp. Congratulations… Squad Leader Matteo."
Matteo shook the hand, blinking.
Squad Leader? Him?
Right. Of course. A promotion.
But deep down, he understood. This wasn't a reward.
It was a leash.
Leon didn't trust him. Not really.
This was just a way to keep him close. Keep him watched.
All because of that damn mask.
"Yeah, same to you," Matteo said with a crooked smile.
---
Later That Night
Leon's tent glowed softly with lamplight. A gentle breeze rustled the flaps. Inside, Lena, Mira, Elric, and three soldiers sat around a wooden table, shifting uncomfortably.
Leon stood with arms crossed.
"Report."
One of the soldiers stepped forward.
"He's dangerous. If left unchecked, could become a B-rank catastrophe."
Another nodded. "Agreed. Not as powerful as the division captains, but the way he fights—it's chaotic. Unstable."
Leon's gaze shifted to the trio.
"What about you three?"
Elric answered first. "He's not bad. Quiet, sure. But good guy. He's got incredible eyesight. Could pass as a long-range sniper."
"But he used a blade against the spider," another added. "And he jumped higher than anyone I've ever seen."
"I got nothing to say," Mira added with a shrug.
"Me neither," Lena mumbled.
Leon exhaled and looked at them seriously.
"From now on, the three of you will remain in Matteo's squad. Your orders are to keep an eye on him. Don't let him act alone."
Elric frowned. "So what, we're babysitting him now?"
"Think of it as an extended assignment," Leon said calmly. "We need to know if this man is going to become a hero… or the greatest threat humanity has ever faced."
The tent went quiet.
Then Lena spoke. "Captain… where did he even come from? He wasn't with any of our ranks."
Leon hesitated.
"I found him alone, near where Scout Team 20 was wiped out. Thought he was one of them at first."
"...But he wasn't," Mira said.
Elric leaned forward. "So then… who is he?"
The room tensed.
Leon's voice dropped. "I don't know. And that's what scares me."
There were too many inconsistencies.
His clothes. His face. That weapon.
That strange firearm he used—it didn't match any known technology in their world. Leon had studied every battle, every blueprint. There were no records of a gun like that.
Even worse?
They couldn't even tell if he was truly human.
---
The corruption had taught them that appearances meant little.
Matteo could be anything.
And they were walking the edge of a knife.