When Leonardo and Flynn returned to the base camp, most of the others had already packed their tents and finished arming themselves. In the middle of the camp, the commanders were gathered, discussing the operation, and Meterion Clinder, whom they had met a little while ago, was also there.
When Hugo noticed the two arriving late and gestured for them to come closer, the other commanders also turned to look at them. However, only Meterion did not turn his head. Perhaps he didn’t want to make it known that they had spoken, Leonardo thought.
The subjugation force, which had succeeded in capturing three adult Dermocas by shooting them with tranquilizer rounds, first selected an advance party for exploration and deployed them into the interior of Peak 118, where Elder Millie was presumed to be sealed.
After the advance party secured an entry route with low risk factors and returned, some commanders and elite personnel who would lead the vanguard immediately attempted to enter the interior.
Their primary objective was to determine the exact location and condition of the mother body, and the formation, divided into four groups, proceeded by entering through different east, west, south, and north entrances, sharing the collected information and advancing toward the center.
Among them, the 1st group led by Hugo included Leonardo, most of the 8th Platoon, and some from other battalions.
However, Kenis, who lacked practical experience, Flynn, who was non-combat personnel, and healer personnel were excluded from the deployment. After all, it was a place where a dangerous existence lurked to the extent that the energy detector malfunctioned, so the safety of individuals couldn’t be guaranteed even for trained elites.
The interior of Peak 118 was filled with strangely hot air and was a barren environment with soil and dust tangled together, and unidentified bone fragments were scattered around. Occasionally, an unpleasant stench pierced the nose, and eerie sounds echoed.
However, the Ilaptors, which were expected to be swarming, were not seen at all, and that fact made those who had entered even more unable to let go of their tension.
Taking such precautions, they had been wandering in search of the ancient monster that would be bound somewhere underground for three hours now.
Hugo, who had been walking through the pitch-black cave relying on light balls, suddenly noticed a single blade of grass growing in a crack between rocks and stopped.
Given the environment, it was difficult to find any plants while coming here, and amid that, the first green color discovered was this single blade of grass.
It seemed to have grown with difficulty, with a short stem and small leaves, resembling a miniature acacia leaf. Hugo guessed that this might be “that plant” Leonardo had described.
Sweat, which usually didn’t come out well due to the heavy protective gear covering his entire body, ran across his forehead and around his eyes. Immediately frowning and wiping the sweat with the back of his hand, he turned his head and called out to the guy who would be freely following somewhere nearby.
“Leonardo.”
As the low voice echoed, a shadow reflected on the wall in the not-so-distant cave flickered. The flame guiding that figure floated and approached Hugo before its owner.
It circled around Hugo and suddenly flared up as if to startle him. Although it was a small flame, the light it emitted in the dark cave felt excessively intense, so Hugo, who had been watching it, closed his eyes for a moment.
Soon, when he felt a presence and opened his eyes again, the owner of the flame was already standing right in front of him.
“What?”
Leonardo, who had made a grand entrance unlike Hugo, moved with great lightness. He was wearing only the mage robe and cloak he always wore, without protective gear, claiming it only hindered movement.
Perhaps because of that, or because he was a fire mage, Leonardo kept a fluffy composure without shedding a single drop of sweat even in this humid and suffocating cave. Thinking that his judgment might have been wise, Hugo pointed to the blade of grass at his feet and asked,
“Is that ‘Degalianif’?”
Leonardo, following Hugo’s hand, looked down and also discovered something small and green, slightly bending his waist. He knelt on one knee to take a closer look and soon nodded.
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s so small it’s hardly visible, but you found it well.”
“The fact that this is here means there are definitely Ilaptor nests as well.”
Hugo also knelt down and sat next to him. Then, he naturally reached behind Leonardo’s back and felt around his waist where the dagger would be tied.
“I guess... What are you doing?”
As Leonardo, startled by the sudden touch, cut himself off, Hugo quickly drew the dagger and showed him the blade, saying,
“Let me borrow it for a moment.”
Holding the dagger in his right hand, Hugo pried open the crevice between the rocks with the blade and pulled out the young Degalianif leaves by the roots. Then he lightly rinsed them with water generated from his hand and carefully wrapped the leaves in a handkerchief from his inner pocket so they wouldn’t be damaged.
Afterwards, when he returned the dagger, Leonardo, who had been blinking in bewilderment, slid it back into the sheath without a word. He had missed the moment to say anything because Hugo had taken it so naturally.
Instead, while watching Hugo put the handkerchief with the leaves into his pocket, he casually asked,
“Why are you taking that?”
“Just in case.”
Hugo, who answered briefly, stood up while tightening the fixed buckle strap attached to his pocket. Leonardo hesitated for a moment and then carefully spoke while looking up at him.
“Hmm... but that’s too small to have any effect, right? And there will be plenty inside anyway.”
The sharp tip of his chin pointed deeper into the cave. Hugo glanced where he indicated but soon turned his gaze back. Then he held out his hand to him, who was still kneeling.
“If we go further in, we may not /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ have the capacity to take care of it like now.”
Leonardo quietly agreed with the reasonable words. Eventually, he placed his hand on the large hand held out to him.
As if used to it now, he overlapped his hand and half pulled himself up with Hugo’s strength. When his head followed and his gaze met the blue eyes, that distance felt particularly close. Meanwhile, the usually neat face was disheveled unlike usual, drawing more attention.
Sensing that gaze, Hugo immediately let go of his hand as soon as he helped Leonardo up and brushed back the hair that had fallen, soaked with sweat. Leonardo suddenly thought this environment, which felt stuffy even to him, would be several times harder for Hugo.
Because he rarely showed his struggling emotions, he had forgotten; but for someone who mainly dealt with ice and water attributes, the heat of Peak 118 would be almost like the fires of hell.
It was a moment when his actions, which had seemed hurried and off on his own since entering this place, were instantly understood.
Soon, when Hugo gave a nod to go, Leonardo stuck close to his side and moved step for step. The golden eyes that had rolled slightly followed the clean side profile as it wiped the forehead.
It was then that he felt a strange sense of incongruity from the wrist moving around that handsome face.
“Oh—”
At the short sound as if he’d noticed something, Hugo’s gaze fell on him again. When he slightly raised his eyebrows as if asking why, the answer that came back was a bit out of the blue.
“Where did your watch go?”
Leonardo asked with a slightly tense look, as if he had lost his own item. He had said the wrist looked empty, and the watch Hugo had worn continuously since entering the peninsula from the capital was nowhere to be seen.
Hugo’s eyes naturally dropped to his empty wrist. He soon answered nonchalantly.
“I left it with Flynn before coming in.”
“Why?”
“Because it might break during combat.”
It was such an obvious statement that Leonardo let out a meaningless sigh, saying, “Ah...” That reaction was incredibly bland compared to when he had asked with tension, so Hugo turned his head forward as if it were no big deal.
They continued walking together without conversation for a while, but Leonardo, who had been pondering something, soon spoke again.
“Then, was that why you didn’t wear a watch in the Frost Territory? In case it broke while fighting me?”
Hugo’s steps, which had been half a pace ahead, suddenly stopped. His eyes, which immediately turned to the side, held a hint of surprise.
That Leonardo had been watching him in the Frost Territory was already known to him, but it was surprising that he remembered even the presence or absence of his watch then. Come to think of it, his actions that seemed to focus oddly on the watch flashed through Hugo’s mind.
In fact, Hugo had not worn a wristwatch in the Frost Territory. The reason was the same as Leonardo’s question, so if he answered honestly, it would be “yes.”
However, the reason he couldn’t answer the abruptly asked question straightforwardly was probably because his relationship with Leonardo had changed considerably since then.
If he admitted he had judged Leonardo a high-risk individual and anticipated a battle, he thought it might make the listener feel unpleasant.
“...”
Because of that, he held his tongue, but as the silence stretched, Leonardo seemed to have already half-confirmed it.
Although he didn’t seem displeased, the atmosphere was strangely uncomfortable.
At that moment, when the awkward silence persisted, the sound of someone running urgently from inside the cave suddenly reached them. The gazes of the two, cut off at a good timing, turned that way.
In the darkness, someone was approaching at a fast pace, and the figure who appeared with the light ball was the 8th Platoon Leader. Although she should have been out of breath due to the heavy protective gear she wore, she showed only a slightly sweaty face without any sign of struggle and immediately approached Hugo.
“Commander, we discovered a section where the energy level increases exponentially at a point about 200 m ahead. I think you should come and see.”
Upon hearing her words, Hugo and Leonardo simultaneously looked at each other. Eventually, deciding to set aside their conversation for now, they hurriedly moved, following the platoon leader.
