Under the Oak Tree - Time Before You

02 Homecoming

"That's an extraordinary CV, I'd have to say."

Hebaron Nirta looked upon his subordinate's shoulder and snatched over the document the latter was reading. Skimming through the profile report, the deputy chief clicked his tongue in astonishment and read the content aloud.

"Aged thirty, male and unmarried. Lost both his parents at the age of eight to an accident and was brought up in an orphanage for the rest of his childhood. Despite coming from a humble family, this man has diligently climbed his way up from an unknown public school to obtain the prestigious United West scholarship, beating thousand other candidates across the continent –"

"Give that back to me, Chief."

"But you'll not read it out aloud, Lieutenant Rikaido. The people need to know."

A small group compromising of their team had started to gather around them. Not wanting to kick up a fuss in front of the younger colleagues, Uslin Rikaido decided to let the brusque man have this way. The subordinate rolled his eyes and ran his hand through his blonde hair, while the gruff voice continued.

"Wow, this man is crazy. He has a double major in criminal justice and law, and a minor in architecture."

"What an odd combination..."

"Must be really intelligent though..."

The crowd surrounding them began to grow and chatter excitably, as the extraordinary achievements of the newcomer drew their curiosities like cats to paper carriers. However, the response was a mixture of awe and distain. Not every police inspector, especially the senior ones, were easily impressed by paper qualifications. It was the acuity, courage and experience that mattered during actual field investigations and combat actions.

"...He joined the police force as part of his bond fulfilment and have since stayed in the law enforcement sector. He rose up the ranks rapidly, having solved major crimes around the continent and was promoted to Captain just a year ago."

"Chief..."

"Good, he better not be a paper warrior."

Chief Nirta mumbled under his breath. Over the past year, his team had been rotated numerous times by the headquarters to fulfil headcount for the other provinces. It had taken him almost a full year to finally nurture the camaraderie here, and the last thing he wanted was an individualistic bastard to ruin the entire dynamic. However, it was true that this squad needed the newcomer's expertise.

"Chief...!"

The orange-haired giant turned his head in annoyance at the constant squeal for his attention. There could only be one culprit since his entire office was filled with testosterones — his lone sergeant of the opposite gender. It took him some time to locate her amidst the towering males, and when he finally did, he was all ready to reprimand her when he noticed the cause for alarm.

A tall man stood at the entrance of their office.

Morning light pouring through the windows illuminated the stranger's tanned face with a golden glow. His facial features were artfully chiseled, as if they were referenced from Greco-Roman sculptures. The touch of the master artist was extended to his physique as well. The man had an impressive built reflective of his comprehensive training sessions. In fact, taunt veins could be seen strained against his forearms and neck, revealed by the rolled sleeves and low collar of his bomber jacket. This man was large, noted the chief. While Nirta was a giant himself, he estimated that this man was close to his height and towered over the other team members.