It was after the sun had completely set when the 1st Battalion members, including Hugo and Leonardo, arrived at the base camp.
Leonardo, who had thought the gazes directed at him would ease a little since darkness had fallen, realized as soon as he emerged from the forest that it was a major miscalculation.
"Commander, loyalty!"
"Loyalty!"
The floating light balls, the huge bonfires lit here and there, and the [N O V E L I G H T] eyes that wouldn’t leave him—as if gawking at something strange while shouting loyalty to the Commander—glittered all around and set his nerves on edge.
When the Central Branch of the Council first reached the gate of the border zone, most of the commanders and members of the Southern Branch, except for those in the temporary headquarters, had already entered the peninsula, so this was the first time they were actually facing Leonardo Blaine.
Perhaps because of that, Leonardo felt his face, the back of his head, and his whole body tingling beneath gazes sharpened with doubled vigilance.
On top of that, the strong mana of some commanders surged around as if targeting him, making him naturally uneasy. It was the kind of moment that made him miss the brief freedom he’d enjoyed.
"You don't have to be nervous."
Hugo, who had been lightly returning the members’ salutes, suddenly noticed Leonardo’s strained expression and said, stroking his back. But unlike before, when he’d accepted it without much resistance, Leonardo reacted a bit sharply, pushing his hand away.
"What do you mean, nervous?"
Afterward, he met the gazes aimed at him head-on and openly showed his displeasure, as if warning them.
That didn’t look like nervousness to anyone else, but because Hugo had seen him relax when they were alone, he could tell Leonardo was stiff right now.
...Well, even a quick glance around was enough to feel countless gazes fixed here. More precisely, they were concentrated on Leonardo at his side.
Feeling those pouring stares with him, Hugo suddenly realized just how much stress Leonardo must have endured, bearing all of this since the Imperial Road. Come to think of it, it was almost something to be grateful for that he hadn’t run off at the large square or on the peninsula, even though there had clearly been chances.
Deciding that shielding Leonardo from these stares and letting him rest was the top priority, Hugo immediately waved at the members who were staring too openly, as if telling them to look away.
Then he led Leonardo toward the large tents. He meant to arrange a place where he could rest alone, even if only for a moment.
Meterion, who had been talking with the battalion commanders and unit leaders about the Commander who hadn’t returned, noticed the oddly noisy atmosphere and turned his head. When he spotted the Commander, who had finally appeared at the forest’s edge after the sun had fully set, and Leonardo beside him, his brows furrowed slightly.
Delua, who had turned her head after Meterion, also found the two in the distance and let out a short, "Oh!"
The commanders gathered around the conference table looked at her with puzzled faces, but Delua left the meeting first, asking for their understanding. Then she immediately ran toward the two at full speed, shouting,
"Commander! Mr. Blaine!"
Her high-pitched voice cut across the stiff atmosphere of the base camp and rang out even more clearly. Leonardo, who had been following Hugo with a frown, turned his eyes that way, saw Delua running, and for a moment couldn’t figure out what expression to make.
But before he could even think, she was already there, grabbing his arm and rattling off questions in a rush.
"Mr. Blaine, it's been so long! Are you hurt anywhere? Are you okay?"
"Uh..."
"I'm so glad you're safe... Oh my gosh, look at your face, all bruised up! Where have you been all this time?"
Delua’s expression shifted from moment to moment, brimming with worry over him being swept away by the landslide and the intense joy of seeing him again. Leonardo, however, was a little dazed by the nonstop questions and couldn’t keep answering. The attention her voice drew to him was burdensome, too.
Hugo, who had been watching in silence, lightly set his hand over the back of Delua’s. When her surprised gaze lifted to him, he spoke.
"Delua, I know you're happy to see him, but Leonardo must be exhausted right now, so it would be better to ask later."
Delua froze, then immediately looked at Leonardo’s face. She let go of his arm and apologized, clearly feeling bad.
"Ah, you're right. Sorry, Mr. Blaine."
"...No, ...it's fine."
Since it came from friendly concern, Leonardo added that it was okay as if under a spell, not needing an apology. Even so, he glanced up at Hugo, who seemed to be helping him sidestep awkward questions.
But the issue was what came next.
"Commander!"
Amid the footsteps of several people crossing the dirt, a voice calling the Commander rose especially loud. Hugo’s gaze turned there, and Leonardo and Delua’s eyes followed.
Among the commanders who had halted the meeting and were hurrying over, the one at the front calling Hugo was Liner Molten, the 9th Battalion Commander of the Southern Branch.
Having left the conference site after Delua’s shout, he used teleportation in a single breath to appear right in front of Hugo the moment their eyes met. Then he quickly scanned those behind him and asked urgently,
"Commander, have you found the missing persons?"
Seeing the blond beauty who stood out among the dark navy combat uniforms, Liner instinctively recalled one of the missing—Leonardo Blaine. After that, he began checking the faces and uniforms of the members behind Hugo and Leonardo one by one.
Meanwhile, Bruno and the operations department commanders who had followed also arrived and saluted Hugo.
Bruno, who had been anxiously waiting for the Commander more than anyone else, let out a breath of relief at the sight of Hugo finally returning, but he also lightly voiced his difficult position over the sudden disappearance.
"You're later than expected."
Polite as ever, there was still an edge to it. Hugo stepped closer, set a hand on his shoulder, and replied,
"I'm sorry for suddenly leaving."
"...It's alright. I'm glad everyone seems to have no major injuries."
Only after confirming Leonardo Blaine at Hugo’s side, and Kenis Weber—another missing person among the group behind him that he’d only seen on paper—did Bruno truly relax. He was also inwardly amazed that the two looked so intact despite being swept up in a major disaster.
"Still, just in case, I'll call the medical team."
Hugo nodded once at Bruno’s words, then felt the area grow suddenly noisier and looked around. With the Commander and Deputy Commander gathered in one place, even commanders who weren’t supposed to attend the meeting were drifting over, trying to read the situation.
Leonardo, trapped again under their gazes, frowned and unconsciously pressed closer to Hugo’s side. Then he lightly caught the sleeve of his combat uniform.
'...I feel sick.'
A sigh slipped out with the sheer exhaustion.
It had been bearable when he first entered the peninsula. But after everything that had happened on the way here, his nerves had grown raw, and having so many eyes on him like this was hard to endure. Worse, they didn’t feel friendly at all, so it was as if he were being torn apart by their stares while standing still.
Bruno glanced at him and vaguely guessed that the Commander’s hurried departure had something to do with Leonardo Blaine.
When Leonardo moved close, the Commander looked down at him with faint surprise, and his gaze hadn’t left him since. Come to think of it, the air between the two was a little different from when Bruno had first seen them together.
With that in mind, Bruno turned his head and met the eyes of Battalion Commander Rivera, who had also been watching them. From her expression, it seemed he wasn’t the only one thinking the same thing.
Meanwhile, Kenis, who had been hiding among his seniors, looked up at Liner—who stood right in front of him, clearly searching for someone—with tense eyes.
He didn’t know exactly who Liner was and only guessed he was a high-ranking commander. But then he noticed the epaulettes on his shoulders and the badge on his uniform, and soon realized he was the 9th Battalion Commander of the Southern Branch.
Remembering how Liner had rushed up to the Commander and asked about the missing, Kenis thought maybe the person he was looking for was the owner of the belongings in his hands. The affiliation engraved on the bloodstained armband was also the 9th Battalion of the Southern Branch.
As that thought landed, Kenis’s grip on the bundle tightened. And this time he wondered if he, a mere newcomer, could really hand it over directly to a Battalion Commander.
But seeing Liner’s expression sink deeper into despair as he failed to find the face he wanted, Kenis ended his hesitation and decided to gather his courage. After a small, steadying breath, he spoke.
"Excuse me...!"
It was his first word after a short but fierce internal battle, and he failed to control his volume, letting out a shrill voice. Startled, Kenis froze under the attention snapping to him. Liner’s gaze touched him for only a moment, not lingering.
Just then, the 8th Platoon Leader, who had been watching, roughly guessed what Kenis was trying to say and stepped forward.
She had been the first to find Kenis in the forest and had heard a rough explanation about what the black bundle was back then, but she’d kept silent, unable to report to the Commander given the situation. Now that it had come to this, she figured it was better to speak up, so she stood in front of Liner and spoke for him.
"Battalion Commander Molten, there is something to report to you."
At her words, Liner’s eyes shifted to her.
"You have something to report to me?"
"Yes."
After answering, the 8th Platoon Leader turned to Kenis and flicked her eyes, signaling him to hand over what he was holding. Realizing she’d opened the door for him, Kenis immediately held out the black bundle to Liner with trembling hands.
Liner, staring at what was thrust toward him, asked Kenis with knit brows,
"What is this?"
"Uh... I found it in the forest. It belongs to the Platoon Leader of the 9th Battalion of the Southern Branch..."
The moment Kenis said "Platoon Leader of the 9th Battalion," Liner’s eyes widened. Instinctively certain it was tied to the person he’d been searching for, he snatched the bundle and started tearing at the knot one-handed. It was less untying than ripping it open.
Startled by the sudden movement, Kenis couldn’t finish his sentence and only blinked, hands empty.
One of the items inside the roughly rummaged bundle slid out and hit the ground with a thud. Kenis flinched, hurriedly picked it up, and brushed off the dirt. Then Liner’s eyes, clouded with confusion at what he’d found, locked onto Kenis’s hand.
"..."
Catching where his gaze had landed, Kenis quickly offered the object to him.
It was the Platoon Leader's armband.
