The crackle of the bonfire mixed with the savory aroma of mushrooms grilling. Kenis picked out a few well-roasted ones and placed them on a plate. After sprinkling a little seasoning, he carried the plate to Leonardo.
"Mr. Blaine, please eat some of this."
Leonardo, who had been staring intently at a single spot with fierce eyes, glanced at Kenis. The boy, small-framed beside his imposing build, shyly held out the mushrooms and a fork. But only for a moment—Leonardo fixed his gaze forward again and said,
"I don’t like that. You eat it."
"What? But you haven’t eaten anything... Please, just try a little."
Even with the courage to ask again, the reply was flat rejection. Kenis’s face fell at the instant dismissal of his efforts. It felt awkward to offer again after Leonardo had said he disliked it, and with that glare fixed on the scholar, Kenis didn’t dare press further.
Leonardo leaned against a shaded wall, one knee raised, arm resting casually, his eyes locked on the unidentified man who called himself a scholar. There was no way the man could miss the weight of that gaze, yet he seemed perfectly at ease, ignoring it as he focused on his own task.
He was marking a map with a protractor and ruler. Leonardo had glanced at it earlier and guessed from the X marks scattered across it that he was searching for something.
Judging from his equipment and behavior, he seemed like an archaeologist. But Leonardo, who had seen plenty of human nature in his short yet eventful life, smelled something off. A man far from honest or upright.
The backpacks Leonardo had found suspicious all bore the same brand, and aside from differences in wear, were nearly identical to the one the outsider had carried.
The reason was obvious. The outsider’s bag had been the scholar’s.
A little earlier, as soon as the dagger moved from his throat, the scholar sighed in relief and introduced himself as Simon. His research, he explained, concerned the peninsula. He had long been fascinated with it, often sneaking in to investigate.
When he heard the Council was subjugating the area, he worried that artifacts of historical value would be destroyed. He decided he could delay no longer, so he made full preparations and entered again.
He further explained that, after hearing from Kenis about the outsider’s appearance, clothing, and the contents of the bag—the minerals and the eggs—he could confirm it was his. He said the bag was stolen during a moment of distraction, though he had only accompanied the outsider for protection.
The outsider, he ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ claimed, knew the minerals’ value and the danger of explosions only because Simon had told him. The eggs, he said, were unusual specimens he had never seen before on the peninsula. He politely apologized, adding that it seemed his misfortune had endangered the two of them.
Kenis seemed to trust him completely. He hadn’t been at fault, yet he apologized and even looked after them. But Leonardo refused to take his words at face value.
At the most basic level, a man like this should never be standing so boldly in front of a Council member. He too had illegally trespassed on state land and tried to carry off its property.
The only reason he could act so relaxed was that, in exchange for tending to Leonardo and Kenis while they were unconscious, he had secured a promise from Kenis not to reveal his presence to the Council.
A “promise,” yes—but Leonardo thought anyone who bargained with the Council using people’s lives could hardly be good. His excuse of accompanying the outsider for self-protection, and his ignorance of the eggs, were answers far from convincing.
His very appearance was untrustworthy. The constant smiling, the sidelong glances—it was all unpleasant. Leonardo might have been biased, but he disliked him deeply.
He cast another look of disdain at Kenis, who had promised such a man his silence. And again, Kenis blinked and held out the mushrooms to him.
'If Kazad finds out, he’ll catch this man before that one.'
Leonardo frowned and waved him away.
One thing Agrizendro especially loathed was anyone who tried to bargain with the Council. And since Kenis had already taken the bait, of course the trespasser remained calm.
Worse, while he was unconscious, Kenis must have spilled everything, even his name. Complaining to the scholar, he had revealed that he was not Council, but “Leonardo Blaine” himself.
Leonardo didn’t care much whether the scholar was caught, but if not for that promise, he could have passed himself off as Council and used the threat of exposure to extract information. A wasted chance.
Still, he had no real intention of turning the scholar in.
For one, the man surely knew where the minerals had been discovered. And if it was truly thanks to him that they were alive, Leonardo intended to acknowledge that. Besides, he himself was already in the Council’s custody—he had no interest in assisting them further.
Yet one thing troubled him.
At the time of the fall, Leonardo had spent the last of his strength levitating himself and Kenis, slowing their plunge. Even so, he hadn’t fully absorbed the impact.
Now, thinking back, he couldn’t recall much. He had barely shielded his head, running toward some space he glimpsed ahead... then nothing.
The only clear sensation: a very warm hand grasping him just before he lost consciousness.
Resting his chin, he glanced sidelong at the scholar.
'Was it him? He doesn’t look that agile.'
Light purple hair, pale skin, a decent build—but he seemed like a man locked in a laboratory, not one who could rescue two people under falling rock. Outwardly, at least.
As Leonardo’s gaze lingered, the scholar turned and met his eyes. His snake-like smile held steady. His eyes always curved as though smiling, yet never with sincerity. Amid the silent contest, the scholar spoke first.
"Pretty boy, if you keep staring at me like that, I might think you’re interested."
A pause. Kenis was the one who flinched at the words. Leonardo only frowned, silent.
'Is he a weirdo too?'
Ignoring the provocation, Leonardo asked instead,
"Hey, you. About saving us at the collapse site. Was that you? You don’t look like the type. How did you get out of there?"
"Hm?"
The scholar tilted his head with his same annoying smile.
"What are you talking about? I never went there."
Leonardo’s face filled with question marks. He looked at him, then turned to Kenis.
"What? Didn’t you say he saved us?"
"What? Ah, that’s—"
"Saving you is right. I used all my medicine on you. But I wasn’t the one who saved you at the collapse. When I came here, you were already lying here."
The scholar cut in smoothly.
Leonardo’s brows rose. Kenis asked him,
"Didn’t you bring us here, Mr. Blaine? I thought so..."
"...I don’t remember well either."
Maybe Kenis had carried him partway. Maybe he had stumbled here unconsciously. Either way, it was unclear.
'I came here myself? Unconscious?'
The scholar, watching their confusion, curved his lips faintly, drew a line on the map, then gestured.
"Want to see? I’ll show you how far the collapse site is from here."
Kenis immediately stood and approached.
Leonardo hesitated, doubtful, then rose and slowly followed. The scholar, smiling as if expecting it, pushed the map toward him.
Leonardo crouched and studied it. A red line connected two points—the collapse site and here.
His eyes widened slightly. The distance was far greater than expected. Even the shortest path was too much for someone nearly unconscious to cover.
'Then who?'
As he stared at the map, the scholar glanced at him and spoke casually.
"By the way, you had some interesting things."
Leonardo’s eyes turned cold.
He slowly leaned in, bracing a hand against the column beside the scholar’s head. The scholar followed the movement, then looked back into his eyes.
It was threatening without a blow.
"Did you rummage through my artifacts?"
His tone was different now. The scholar, sensing danger, smiled lightly but shifted his head aside.
"Hey, how could I? They’re locked tight. I only looked for usable medicine while removing the uncomfortable stuff."
"..."
"Come to think of it, the dagger you held to my throat wasn’t ordinary either."
Leonardo listened silently.
'He tried, this bastard.'
He must have rifled through, though he couldn’t open the locks.
Leonardo glared, weighing the truth.
If he had only checked while treating the injured, it wasn’t proper, but it wasn’t worth making a scene. His belongings were rare and valuable; it was natural they would draw curiosity. It was just unpleasant that this man was the one curious.
And when he had counted earlier, nothing was missing. Someone who had stolen wouldn’t admit to it so openly.
Still, realizing this man had stripped off his robe and bandaged him was more irritating than comforting.
Leonardo finally lowered the hand braced by his head. He’d let it go. The scholar only grinned, eyes narrowing further.
"But you wouldn’t let me touch your pants pocket. What’s in there you guard so closely?"
Leonardo straightened slowly, expression flat.
"You take too much interest in other people’s things."
His tone carried a warning. Turning away, he walked off.
Kenis, flustered, rose to follow him. The scholar watched them retreat with amusement.
'Pocket?'
Leonardo quickened his pace, rounded the corner, then dropped against a column.
The mention of something in his pocket had surprised even him. But he had hidden it from the scholar.
He touched his thigh—and felt it. Something in his left pocket.
He reached in. Cool metal met his fingers.
He knew that feeling.
A ring. Yet when he checked his belongings, all his rings were accounted for. This was not one of his.
He swallowed, drew it out carefully.
"..."
His lips parted.
The ring was thick, silver, etched with delicate engravings. Familiar. He owned the same once, but left it behind the day of his court-martial.
He traced the inside. Letters engraved deep. Tilting it, he read:
'NERO'
His stiff face softened.
"...Ha."
A low, pleasant laugh escaped him.
