The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] novel Chapter 730

Chapter 730: A Guide’s Instinct

In truth, no one even wanted compensation for helping. After all, these soldiers, especially the imperial ones, had quite literally brushed shoulders with death just earlier. Even if military headquarters had forbidden them, they probably would’ve snuck in to help anyway.

But who was Luca Kyros?

The heir who, despite his money-grubbing tendencies, knew all too well what it was like to work without compensation.

And so, being the generous capitalist that he was, he asked the soldiers of his house about what kind of reward they would like for their assistance.

When all the votes were tallied, the answer was unanimous.

Food.

Specifically, the kind of food they hadn’t tasted before.

Marshal Julian nearly choked on his drink when he heard the young cadet’s relaxing voice over the comms—especially when Luca extended the same offer to the imperial soldiers.

"Wait—you’re planning on compensating them too?"

Now, it wasn’t that the Marshal thought their soldiers were undeserving, but mostly, he figured that after everything, it should actually be the Empire that compensated the child

Also, what about safety?! His food couldn’t just be treated as some currency! Luca’s goods were quite literally life-changing, and that was no exaggeration.

"Yes, Marshal," Luca chirped, entirely unfazed. "It’s fine this time. The ingredients I’m using for the reward meal are from the aquaponic complex. We’ve been harvesting them for some time now. Since it’s going to be introduced to the public soon, wouldn’t it be better to build credibility this early?"

Ah.

That actually made sense.

Perfect sense, in fact.

The Marshal couldn’t argue with that logic, though part of him still worried that anything associated with Luca’s food had the potential to cause another Empire-wide uproar.

But the question was—would the imperial soldiers even be interested?

Apparently, that question was pointless.

Because they weren’t just interested.

They were thrilled.

So thrilled that soldiers who were supposed to be resting were suddenly volunteering to help clean up. Some even pretended to "accidentally" overhear the announcement so they could justify showing up.

Even if they only got a bite—just one bite—they were sure it would be worth it.

But while the people above ground mustered the energy and courage to deal with corrupted creatures, elsewhere, someone was actually in an unexpected pickle.

__

"Oh shit! We have to get out of here, Captain! I seriously think it’s about to capsize!" shouted Jax, his voice rising several octaves higher than usual as his mecha’s sensors went wild.

He was still maintaining his spiritual barrier—this time powered by banana chips, of all things—when he realized something wasn’t right.

"Captain?" he called again, glancing at the flickering feed.

Silence.

Not even static.

Then, finally, Sid’s calm mechanical voice broke through the comms.

"Lord Jax," the guardian mecha said evenly, "I believe my Master has lost consciousness after using his bloodline ability on such a scale."

"What?!"

"!!!"

A chorus of gasps followed across the communication channel.

"Tsk! I knew it!" the adjutant groaned from his position outside the bloom. "No wonder he said goodbye to Luca like that! He even turned off the comms right after—clean exit, my ass!"

"Sid, what’s his condition?" Kyle demanded, voice sharp.

The guardian mecha’s sensors whirred as it conducted a full medical scan. A series of lights blinked across the internal diagnostic panel.

"Vitals are stable," Sid reported. "However, his energy readings are definitely unusual. They were, in fact, spiking despite the signs of overexertion. But while that was inconclusive, what was certain was that Master’s temperature was also continuing to drop."

"Cold?" Jax asked, horrified. "He can get even colder?!"

"It is... rather concerning," Sid admitted.

Kyle didn’t hesitate. "Sid, bring him back to the dungeon space immediately."

"Understood, Lord Kyle."

"If I’m right, we have to make sure no one else touches him. Luca’s the only one allowed to handle him."

The air in the room shifted as everyone reluctantly stepped back, giving him space. He disappeared, and moments later, the familiar silhouette of Sid appeared—kneeling to make it easier for Luca to retrieve Xavier.

The mecha’s chest plate hissed open, releasing a mist of condensation.

Luca’s breath caught.

He took one hesitant step forward, expecting to see Xavier slumped inside the cockpit like before—pale, maybe, but still visible.

Only...

There was nothing.

"!!!"

The seat was empty.

For one heart-stopping second, Luca’s mind blanked. His pulse roared in his ears.

"Where—"

Then a faint sound—soft, almost like glass cracking—made him turn.

And that was when he saw it.

Behind him, the air shimmered faintly. A ripple, like frost spreading over invisible glass, flickered in the space where there should’ve been none.

And standing within it was Xavier.

The guide’s blood ran cold.

The man’s azure eyes, normally calm and brilliant, now glowed unnaturally red at the edges. His expression was distant, cold, and for a terrifying moment, Luca had to shake himself awake.

His husband felt like someone else entirely.

Luca’s hair rose on end, and his breathing stilled.

But at times like this, he was grateful for every lesson his tragic past had forced him to learn.

Because as a former guide who had seen too much loss, too much death, and too much of the world’s cruelty, he knew exactly what he was looking at.

A looming rampage.