The Path of Ruin-Chapter 111: Three Departments to Choose From

The first department representative he was to meet sat down across from him without a moment’s hesitation. Then, as if they were equals despite their age difference, he extended his hand.

Kael looked at the extended hand for a moment. Then, without a second thought, he accepted it and shook it. The smile on the man’s face widened, and he was the first to speak.

"Hello, Kael. I’m Major Peter, a high-ranking official at the Imperial Intelligence Bureau."

Though Kael remained silent, he nodded. And Major Peter continued.

"First of all... I want to say that I personally reviewed your evaluation reports. Your performance was so astonishing that I couldn’t help but investigate your background and your achievements in previous missions. What I found, however, was even more astonishing. For someone who was merely a slave just a few months ago to achieve so much in such a short time... you possess a talent unlike anything anyone has ever seen before."

"..."

The fact that the man across from him had investigated him and mentioned his past as a slave was a bit... unsettling, though he didn’t let it show.

But if there was another unsettling thing, it was noticing something in the way the man across from him was looking at him.

"And rest assured, we intend to make full use of this talent. You’d want to join a department where your potential won’t go to waste and you’ll be properly paid, wouldn’t you? We are offering you exactly that."

It was as if... he were looking at Kael not as a person, but as a tool he intended to use.

Setting that aside, even though he was making direct eye contact, it seemed as though he was constantly watching every one of his movements with meticulous care. His gaze was so intense that it felt as though he were in the middle of a crowd where everyone was focusing specifically on him.

"The Imperial Intelligence Bureau is the department that controls all information flow across the Empire’s territories. It is the primary force keeping the nobility in check, the unit that approves all contracts and ensures they are carried out. At times, we simply stay in the background to support other departments; at other times, we step in directly to handle matters ourselves. Espionage, interrogation... it could be said we are the main department dealing with such matters."

With those words, Kael suddenly felt he had grasped the reason behind every movement of the man standing before him. It was such a sudden realization that his eyes would have widened if he hadn’t restrained himself.

This man... had an unsettling gaze because he was literally examining everything he did. Facial expressions, body language, demeanor... and even more. Espionage and intelligence gathering were literally in his blood. Even though he knew almost everything about him, he was still sizing him up for that very reason.

"You can probably guess why we want you, right?

Yes, he could. It wasn’t a difficult thing to figure out.

Kael had primarily served as a scout in his missions. Gathering information, managing it, and using it was usually what he did. He had clearly demonstrated his skills in this area during the evaluation as well.

That aside, his Path was a great advantage when it came to matters like spying. He was exactly the kind of person such a department was looking for. He was generally quiet, observant, and cautious. He constantly analyzed the people in front of him. When necessary, he knew how to lie and act.

It was as if he had lived his entire life up to this point just to join this department.

"Given your talent, we’ll be quite generous with your salary. No one doubts you’ll climb the ranks quickly anyway."

Major Peter widened his smile a bit more.

"What do you think? If you have any questions, I can answer them. There’s no need to rush, after all."

To be honest... he was already convinced. Of course, he wouldn’t make a decision without hearing from the representatives of the other departments, but he couldn’t think of much to ask. The Imperial Intelligence Bureau seemed like a department created specifically for him to join.

"I’ll ask just one thing."

Still, there was something he wanted to ask.

When Major Peter nodded confidently, as if urging him to continue, Kael narrowed his eyes. His expression grew so serious in an instant that even the man across from him couldn’t help but momentarily lose his composure. His eyebrows raised slightly at the sudden shift in Kael’s demeanor.

"In this department... how high can I rise? How much authority can I hold, how untouchable can I become?"

"..."

When he saw Major Peter fall silent, Kael couldn’t help but feel for a moment that he’d asked something he shouldn’t have. However, this silence was broken shortly thereafter.

"Our department undertakes tasks that could be considered quite significant within the Empire. So, theoretically, you could rise quite high. As long as you do your job well, it won’t take long for you to attain noble status and acquire a surname. But to be honest, for the same reason, the competition is also quite fierce. Therefore, no matter how talented you are, you must also use that talent very effectively."

Kael nodded understandingly.

"I see. Thank you for all of your explanations, Major."

With that, Major Peter managed a smile, breaking the momentary stunned expression that had settled on his face.

"It’s my job, nothing important."

Kael continued without commenting on that.

"Although I haven’t yet heard from the other representatives, it would be a lie to say I don’t feel a certain affinity for this department. I will consider joining the Imperial Intelligence Bureau."

Major Peter stood up slowly, looking satisfied. He had the ease of a man who had achieved his goal. But before leaving, he extended his hand towards Kael once more.

"Well then... I sincerely hope to see you in our department, Kael."

Kael shook the Major’s hand one last time without saying a word. Afterward, the man walked over to the others, who had been watching their interaction with interest, even though they hadn’t heard what the two had said.

A brief but intense exchange of glances took place between him and the other two representatives. After that, the relatively young-looking woman was the one who approached him.

She had hair that could be described as orange-ish and emerald-green eyes, and she was wearing a white lab coat. There was no smile on her face like Major Peter’s. Rather... she seemed uncomfortably at ease and calm.

Still, just like Major Peter, she didn’t skip the handshake with Kael.

"I’m Avelin Haemar, a chief researcher at the Imperial Alchemy and Toxicology Division. Nice to meet you, Kael."

’Oh...’

It didn’t take Kael long to grasp the connection to this department. Apparently, he had been deemed suitable because of his knowledge of botany.

In fact, if this had been a few months earlier, he might have felt quite at home in this department.

Back when Arcanoa hadn’t yet been conquered, the only reason he’d chosen to study botany was that there weren’t many people working in that field. He’d thought he could rise through the ranks relatively quickly that way. But as time went on, he’d actually come to enjoy studying botany.

However... that was all. Not to mention it was all in the past.

That was precisely why, even though the woman named Avelin had explained the department to him in great detail, no matter what he did, he failed to prioritize the Imperial Alchemy and Toxicology Division over the Imperial Intelligence Bureau.

So he gave this woman a neutral response, smiled, and shook her hand a last time. With that, it was the turn of the final department representative.

It was a man in his forties, with hair that was beginning to gray in places. He had an interestingly charismatic presence, thanks to his upright posture and tall stature. His thick beard gave him a slightly threatening appearance.

However, the warm smile on his face had completely dispelled that ’serious’ and ’intimidating’ appearance. Kael had to admit that this man was the representative he found least off-putting—the one who seemed the most ’human’.

"I’m Colonel Tommy Jeagon, here on behalf of the Special Operations Unit. Nice to meet you, Kael."

After shaking hands with this man, he did exactly what he’d done with the previous two representatives. He listened to the department’s duties, what they might mean for him, and why joining them would be a good choice.

The Special Operations Unit... was, frankly, just as appealing a department as the Imperial Intelligence Bureau.

Their primary duties involved reinforcing the army as a special unit in small teams on the battlefield, as well as exploring previously uncharted territories on the maps. Of course, aside from that, since they were a ’special’ unit, they had many other tasks as well.

With so many important missions, it was a department where promotion would be quite easy, and where one could constantly jump from one assignment to another. Moreover, the members of this department held special ranks and status under the Empire.

It was quite appealing, really.

"Thank you, Colonel."

As the Colonel turned and walked over to the others, Kael... was left alone at the table.

He didn’t immediately stand up and join them. He waited, lost in thought with his eyes fixed on the table. The words of all three representatives kept running through his mind as he considered which option would be best for him.

If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that he wouldn’t choose the Imperial Alchemy and Toxicology Division... the reason being quite obvious.

It wasn’t easy to choose between the other two, though. He was completely torn between the Imperial Intelligence Bureau and the Special Operations Unit. Both were perfectly reasonable options, after all. One was a department that suited him and who he was perfectly, while the other was simply a more effective option for achieving his goal.

He was truly stuck in the middle.

But then...

~crrk...

The sound he heard suddenly made him pause; his thoughts about the departments vanished from his mind. His gaze slowly drifted up from the table and focused on the figure across from him.

~thud!

"Huh...?"

When he saw the figure sitting in the chair across the table, someone he hadn’t expected to find there, he couldn’t help but let out a sound. He had thought everyone would leave him alone for a while, knowing he needed time to think, but... he was apparently wrong.

"You’ve listened to all three representatives."

After all, the person across from him... was none other than Hakon with his usual smiling face.

"So, what do you think?"