Baldwin reached his office early in the morning. The nauseating feeling from Claus's secret room had continued to haunt him.
As he reached his office he was approached by Captain Finge.
He was a colleague of Baldwin. They had even completed a few missions in past.
"Sir!" Finge saluted Baldwin.
In the military rank was more important than anything else.
Thus, for Finge, who had been promoted to a Captain position by a different General was required to saluting Baldwin.
"At ease." Baldwin said with a soft, uneven voice.
"You went drinking; last night, huh sir." Finge smiled gleefully.
"Huh... Oh, not really Finge. Just tired and sick, today." Baldwin answered, unsure if he really was asked the questions.
"Well, I hope you feel better soon." Finge said. The he gave slight bow and started to walk.
"Oh, sorry General. But have you been with dead body this morning?"
The question confused and offended Baldwin at the same time. Confused about why he would ask something so out of the blue and offended because he was being confused to be a graverobber.
"I beg your pardon?" Baldwin said. He was visibly distressed and Finge had caught that.
"I'm sorry if I came as a rude jerk, General." Finge said bowing multiple times, then he continued. "Although, not gonna lie, You smell General——— Smell of rotting corpse. And its quite an unpleasant smell."
A pause. Baldwin's heartbeat rose, his eyes widened, his breath uneven, panic ensued, as a sudden realization creeped through Baldwin.
'This guy smelt it. Doesn't that mean hundreds of guards and officer also did, as I walked past them.' Baldwin thought, 'I have gotten careless.'
Baldwin then calmed himself down he looked at Finge and replied, "Well, I was working last night."
Finge nodded being satisfied by the answer. Normally, these words meant 'ask no more questions— its classified.' Finge then walked away from Baldwin.
Baldwin hurriedly entered his room and locked it from the inside.
Then, he opened his first drawer and pulled out a bottle of perfume.
It was gifted to him as a joke by Carter as a congratulatory gift for his promotion to position of General. Carter always joked that a promotion carries with it money and girls, so Baldwin might need it in emergencies.
Well as fate had it, he did require it. Not for girls, but for hiding his tracks.
Baldwin opened the bottle as a strong aroma filled the room. The he applied it and rubbed on to make sure that the perfume covered the rotting smells.
As Baldwin was about to close the door his door knocked.
Baldwin quickly closed his drawer and opened the door. Then, he swiftly sat in his chair and yelled, "Come in!"
The person on the other side opened the door and Carter walked in.
"Sir!" He saluted first and then closed the door behind him.
"Well, I'll be damned. Seems to me like you're getting lucky today, general." Carter smiled gleefully showing a hint of mischievousness.
Baldwin looked at Carter confused. Then, he looked at the bottle of perfume he forgot to place in the drawer.
"Oh!" Baldwin said correcting his mistake and putting the bottle back in.
Carter's 'mocking' smirk pissed Baldwin off, but he couldn't retort.
Baldwin then continued, "Why are you here, Carter? Is it official? or I ain't got time for your Foolish Trifling."
Carter's smile then dropped and he said with a sigh, "I'm afraid, I am not here for a merry visit." Carter then straightened his face and tightened his chest. Then he said, "Commander Holdum Vancouver wants to see you. He said it urgent."
"Ok, you are dismissed." Baldwin said to Carter.
As Carter left Baldwin's face turned sour. Countless thoughts and worries flashed across his mind.
'Did someone report me smelling? Or is it something completely different? Or has someone found the Cellar with me in it?' Baldwin thought.
Then without wasting time he quickly locked his office and started walking towards the Commander Vancouver's office.
KNOCK KNOCK*
Baldwin knocked at the commander's office doors. Then he announced out loud, "Commander, I am General Baldwin. Here to seek further directions."
"Come in!" The Commander order.
Baldwin entered the room and saluted the Commander. Then, he closed the door behind him as he approached the desk.
"General Baldwin, what I am about to disclose to you cannot leave this room. EVEN IF HIS MAJESTY HIMSELF ASKS." Commander asked. "I know I don't have enough authority to stop you from disclosing anything to His majesty, but still, I hope you will do as I say."
"Yes, Commander." Baldwin said.
"I believe the other commanders and the Crimson head have been colluding and scheming with something I do not know of." The Commander continued, "I can confidently trust you with the following information as you have been cleared by an ex-employee of mine."
"Forgive me for interrupting you, sir. By any chance was that person Claus." Baldwin asked to confirm his curiosity.
The commander nodded and continued, "When you killed Claus, You felt suspicious, so I made sure to put someone to tail you for last few days." "I know for sure you have been investigating Claus's betrayal."
Now it was Baldwin's turned to be surprised. His eye widened, and face reddened.
The reaction that Baldwin gave was somewhat hilarious for the Commander.
Then Commander continued, "So Baldwin, I need to trust you completely to reveal further information about what Claus betrayal was for. Therefore, I have a case for you."
Commander Holdum then took out a case file from the bottom drawer of his desk and placed it on the table.
Then he said, "This is a file from a few years ago. It is a case about a missing noble. A child of a friend of mine you see. He goes by the name of Victor Braveheart. From a Viscount family. The file then was handled by Captain Goldek. Strangely, the case was closed off as lack of evidence and the Braveheart family stripped off its noble heritage."
Commander looked at Baldwin to see any sign of reaction tom the given information.
Failing to find any, he continued, "The reason for you being here is that the Ex-Viscount contacted me this morning about new evidence." Then Commander took a pause to let Baldwin understand the seriousness of the situation.
Baldwin then nodded gesturing his understanding.
"The evidence is a letter— found on the porch of their house." Commander then opened the first drawer of his desk and removed and placed the envelope in question, on the table. Baldwin's eye widened in shock. His mouth ran dry and heart almost exploded from beating so fast.
It was a white envelope with gold gilded design. The Address of the sender was not written. What was written on the letter was the recipients address itself.
All of these details did not shock Baldwin. Because what did shock him was the seal itself.
It was stamped on a premium wax with a stamp. The stamp was of a man wearing golden armour with a raised sword one leg on the ground and the other leg resting on the head of a red dragon's severed head.
It was the same group that had encouraged him to find Claus's betrayal. Or guiding him towards more and more evidences.
'Why did they send this letter to a fallen noble. And why am I chosen by Commander Holdum to reinvestigate it.' The questions haunted Baldwin. He tried to keep his composure but failed at every turn as tried to control his shock.
Baldwin shock had reached Commander's gaze.
A wide smile replaced Commander's face.
Baldwin readied himself for an incoming threat.
Then the Commander said aloud, "It seem we have someone familiar with this group, what do you say? David."
A cloaked figure revealed himself behind Baldwin as he tapped thrice on the beads of his bracelet.
"Indeed we do, Holdum." The stranger that went by the name David said.