"That idiot... What if he gets caught."
Leonardo muttered blankly while fiddling with the ring. Though he said that, he couldn’t hide the smile spreading across his lips.
This ring was given only to the empire’s Armsilvers, and while it didn’t provide any significant effect, it aided the wearer’s mana circulation and fatigue recovery.
However, rather than carrying it for such purposes, people usually placed greater importance on the symbolic meaning of it being an Armsilver’s ring. Since it was a rare item few possessed, most engraved the inside with a mark signifying the owner.
The name engraved on this ring, Nero, belonged to the military’s current elite unit, Armsilver.
He had been the last to join the 11th Squad, the youngest member, and since his main attribute was fire, he was also a squadmate Leonardo had once closely watched and cared for.
Of course, now he seemed to have grown splendidly enough to save his former squad leader, doing his part properly.
Outwardly, the 11th Squad was said to have been provisionally disbanded after the court-martial, and on paper, its roster was completely blank. But in truth, its members had been scattered into other squads or teams and were still active within Armsilver, while their sense of belonging to the 11th Squad °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° remained intact.
Yet, after Leonardo, their squad leader, was banished, various restrictions arose, and they could no longer move as freely as before.
They came under tighter military control. Past squad members couldn’t gather in groups above a certain number, and though their every move wasn’t monitored, their whereabouts were frequently checked by superiors.
The reason was simple. If they came into contact with the rebel who had disobeyed orders, they might be tainted by impure thoughts. And if several powerful mages with such thoughts gathered, they could plot troublesome things. The restrictions were meant to prevent such incidents in advance.
Therefore, meeting while avoiding surveillance was no ordinary feat, but still, the 11th Squad clearly continued to exist.
Although he didn’t know how Nero had entered the peninsula, it was certain he had rescued him and Kenis from the collapse site and moved them here. Thanks to that, they had survived, but Leonardo couldn’t shake the thought it had been a bit reckless.
No matter how discreet, once the news of Leonardo Blaine’s arrest had spread like wildfire, the Council had abruptly carried out the subjugation of the peninsula. So rumors that he was already there with the Council’s army would have reached government agencies through the grapevine.
In such a situation, if it became known that a former 11th Squad member had been on the peninsula even briefly, it would never look good.
Of course, Leonardo thought Nero would have handled it well, but knowing he could sometimes be careless, he felt a twinge of worry.
The joy of his comrade leaving behind a token was short-lived. Leonardo, lost in thought while biting his lip, was clutching the ring tightly as if it might vanish like a dream. Then, suddenly sensing a presence, he raised his head and saw Kenis peeking out from behind a column at a distance, fidgeting as he looked at him.
Kenis, who had been hiding in plain sight, flinched when their eyes met, but soon stepped out carefully and spoke.
"Um, Mr. Blaine. Are you... angry?"
The way he asked while gauging his reaction was like a puppy whining after doing something wrong. Leonardo deliberately kept an expressionless face as he stared at Kenis. At that, Kenis began rambling incoherently.
"I-If you’re angry, please cheer up... Although the scholar is a bit mischievous, I don’t think he meant any real harm. I was anxious at first and kept a close eye on him. But all along..."
As Leonardo’s gaze seemed to be guarding against something, Kenis stood a short distance away and kept talking. Most of it sounded like a defense of the scholar, so Leonardo didn’t pay much attention.
Then he suddenly remembered the scholar’s words: “But you wouldn’t let me touch what’s in your pants pocket.” Even if the scholar had seen this, he likely wouldn’t have recognized it as an Armsilver’s ring—but still, to be sure, Leonardo needed to confirm whether he had really seen it or not.
Leonardo immediately cut off Kenis’s rambling and beckoned with his hand.
"You, come here."
"...Yes?"
Kenis stopped, blinked at the gesture, then stepped closer and stood before him. He looked a little nervous, gauging Leonardo’s reaction, but when Leonardo patted the spot beside him, Kenis sat down smoothly as if compelled. Leonardo held out his clenched fist.
"Touch this."
"Your hand?"
At the sudden instruction, Kenis slightly clenched his own fist. It reminded him of people putting fists together when pledging friendship, and he wondered if this meant he was being acknowledged. The thought filled him with anticipation.
Kenis hesitated, but under Leonardo’s pressing gaze, he brought his fist forward with a pounding heart. The moment their fists touched, a spark crackled and pushed him away.
"Aah!"
As a hot, stinging sensation shot up his arm, Kenis startled and reflexively pulled back. Leonardo, on the other hand, seemed unfazed.
"Wh-What was that?"
Kenis asked, rubbing his hand with a perplexed look. After confirming his reaction, Leonardo lowered his fist without a word. It seemed the ring was enchanted to resist anyone other than the owner or a designated person.
Relieved that the scholar’s claim of being unable to touch it was true, Leonardo put the ring back in his pocket and took Kenis’s hand.
Kenis flinched, fearing another spark, but nothing happened this time. Leonardo caressed his slightly reddened hand with a rather worried expression and asked,
"Sorry. Did it hurt?"
It had, but seeing his face while he held his hand and asked, Kenis couldn’t bring himself to say yes.
"Ah... No, it’s okay."
As their hands touched and his gaze lingered, Kenis grew embarrassed and avoided eye contact. At that sight, Leonardo’s lips parted for a moment. He had just realized something—that he had been overlapping Kenis with the ring’s owner all along.
Thinking about why he couldn’t leave this guy alone, there was the fact that he had thanked him for saving him. But more than that, it seemed Kenis’s somewhat clumsy appearance overlapped with Nero’s from the past, bringing him a sense of duty to protect him.
Realizing this, Leonardo’s grip gradually tightened. He tried to let go, thinking he might give unnecessary affection, but his body moved against his will. Kenis turned to him with a puzzled look.
After glancing down at the hand he held, Leonardo gently released it. Then he fixed his gaze on Kenis and spoke.
"Hey, I remembered."
"Yes? What?"
At the sudden change of subject, Kenis blinked, then smiled and said,
"I knew it was you who brought us here, Mr. Blaine."
"Yeah, I brought you here."
Eventually, Leonardo grinned and said,
"You better treat me well, okay? I’ve saved you twice now."
The eyes that had always been cold curved pleasantly. It was his first smile in a long time. As that smile turned toward him, Kenis felt his face flush.
For some time, he had thought to himself that Leonardo was truly a beautiful person, though he could never say it aloud. But seeing it right before him without preparation, Kenis was momentarily dazed. Then, snapping back, he belatedly answered,
"Y-Yes, of course! I’ll treat you well..."
The words slipped out naturally, as if enchanted. Leonardo rose with a satisfied look. Brushing off his pants roughly, he rubbed his stomach, now gripped by hunger, and asked,
"Those mushrooms you brought earlier—where did you find them? Were they far from here?"
As Leonardo stood, Kenis followed and answered,
"It wasn’t very far, but are you hungry now? I saved some just in case."
"No, I told you I don’t like that. Not that—do you like something similar to alligator meat?"
At those incomprehensible words, Kenis’s expression twisted slightly.
"Something... similar to alligator meat?"
