"Are you going to embarrass my hand?"
"Ah, no. Of course not."
Despite claiming to apologize, Hugo’s tone lacked any real remorse. His hand remained extended, firm and expectant, leaving Teo hesitant and slightly uncomfortable. But if he delayed any longer, it might seem suspicious, so he cautiously took the Commander’s hand.
The moment Tergio's hand met Hugo’s, the Commander gripped him tightly and yanked him forward with surprising force.
Pulled in without time to react, Teo suddenly found himself face to face with the Commander, his expression clearly startled.
The two stood extremely close now, and even Flynn, watching from the side, was flustered by Hugo's unexpected action.
Hugo kept his grip firm, his hand locking onto Tergio's, his sharp gaze boring into him. Exposed to that piercing stare, Teo instinctively held his breath. His brown eyes trembled slightly, reflecting unease.
When those icy blue eyes seemed to pierce right through him, Teo instinctively lowered his gaze, as though afraid of being stripped bare.
The Commander’s broad, cool hand gripped him tightly, his breath brushing against Teo's nose. It felt like his entire body was restrained.
That lingering gaze swept over him, as though examining every detail, grazing his skin like needles. But Teo couldn't meet his eyes, trying desperately to avoid them. He felt like helpless prey before a towering predator.
Following the anxious movement of Teo's eyes, Hugo’s hand slid upward along his arm.
A firm thumb pressed against Tergio's wrist. Startled, Teo instinctively tried to pull back, but Hugo’s grip didn’t loosen.
"Raise your head."
The low, commanding voice rang in his ears, brooking no argument.
As if unable to resist the order, Teo swallowed hard and slowly lifted his eyes.
His uneven breathing mingled with Hugo’s steady presence, the weight of the moment pressing down on him like a heavy fog.
For Teo, the seconds dragged longer than any before. With his wrist gripped tightly, the Commander’s sharp eyes locked onto him, the pressure unbearable.
"Uh... Commander?"
Flynn cautiously called out to Hugo, noticing how stiff Teo had become.
Hugo maintained eye contact for another moment, then checked Teo’s pulse. Still holding his wrist, he shook his hand lightly a few times before finally releasing him.
A clear red imprint remained on Teo’s wrist where Hugo had gripped him.
Freed from the suffocating pressure, Teo took two steps back, exhaling the breath he'd been holding. Hugo casually slipped his glove back on, speaking to Teo as if nothing had happened.
"It seems Flynn owes you quite a bit. By the way, how did you know the teleportation zone of the closed gate was still active?"
At the unexpected question, Teo blinked rapidly, clearing his mind. Then, gathering himself, he answered:
"Ah... while working with the merchant group, moving from place to place... I noticed."
"Hmm, I see."
Though Hugo could have pressed further, he responded lightly, letting the matter drop.
"Thanks to you, it helped greatly. I appreciate it."
Hugo nodded slightly, a faint smile touching his lips.
When that smile appeared on his sharp, statuesque face, many of the surrounding members couldn’t look away. But Teo, in contrast, watched him with faint caution in his eyes.
Afterward, Tergio moved to the waiting area like the other members after his questioning was complete. As he was escorted away by another investigator, Flynn muttered in a grumbling tone:
"Commander, you’re really something... making me explain my misunderstanding right in front of Mr. Teo... Do you know how embarrassed I was?"
Without taking his eyes off Teo’s retreating figure, Hugo asked:
"What exactly did you misunderstand?"
"...Pardon?"
"Report all the suspicious circumstances. Everything you investigated."
Flynn hesitated for a moment, realizing he had deliberately omitted details about Teo since they were based on suspicion alone. Resigned, he reported everything—the storage investigation, Teo’s late arrival, and the search of his quarters.
After listening, Hugo crossed his arms, thoughtful, then asked:
"Why were items that didn’t need refrigeration moved to storage?"
"It’s customary for the merchant group to transfer leftover goods to storage after sales. Honestly, when I helped Mr. Teo move them, I suspected he might’ve deliberately taken me there to check the storage."
"But?"
"But I confirmed through testimony that there's no time to sort leftover items individually, so they all get stored together, regardless of type."
"Did you confirm who instructed him to move them?"
"Yes. Remember the other member who was with us at the tavern? {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} He said low-ranking members handle supply deliveries, so he gave the order to Mr. Teo."
"The one with the hat?"
"Exactly. But since these people were recruited hastily, they sometimes confuse private storage with the merchant group’s storage. Even other members said it's a mistake that happens sometimes, so it seems Mr. Teo moved the items to the wrong place."
"I see."
Hugo acknowledged it, though Flynn's suspicion hadn’t been without merit. Teo showing up so late was odd.
According to Flynn, the man impersonating Leonardo Blaine had initially seemed convincing. Yet both of them had clearly seen Blaine’s photo during their intel gathering.
The grand master was still missing, and someone had clearly warned her. But the person who’d done so hadn’t been identified.
Meanwhile, Tergio had been present when they first heard about the monsters at the tavern. When uncertainty lingered over whether they were beasts or monsters, Teo had confidently leaned toward the monster theory.
He’d hinted that Delberg was hiding something underground. He even knew about the inactive teleportation zone.
"For a low-ranking member... he knows too much."
Hugo’s quiet mutter caught Flynn's attention.
"You held his hand for quite a while earlier... Do you suspect Mr. Teo of something else?"
Hugo glanced down at his hand, remembering the moment.
"More than one or two things."
"More than one or two...?"
"Yes. But none are decisive."
"What exactly...?"
At Flynn's cautious prompting, Hugo replied:
"He said he stayed in his quarters all day?"
"Yes. The owner confirmed he went in and out. The window's small—even fully open, no one could fit, and it's about four floors up. It’s unlikely he left."
After considering that, Hugo frowned, a strange thought occurring to him.
"Then why did he smell like the sea?"
"...Pardon?"
Flynn's eyes widened. Hugo rubbed his chin, his tone certain:
"Tergio smelled like seawater. As if he'd just been there."
Hugo Agrizendro, Commander of the Central Branch and the Empire's top ice mage, wielded ice and water with unmatched skill.
His senses for water were acute—he could distinguish between tap water, lake water, or seawater by scent alone. There was no mistake.
Knowing this, Flynn faltered, asking again:
"Did... he go to the sea?"
"From what I sensed, yes."
"Commander, when you held his hand... did you feel mana?"
Hugo shook his head.
"No, not a trace."
"Ah... same with me. Completely mana-less. He’s an ordinary non-mana holder."
"There were no mana tools in his quarters either. He supposedly stayed in that room all day, he has no mana to teleport—yet he smelled of the sea. And his quarters aren’t anywhere near the coast."
The contradictions were glaring, yet no hard evidence proved he was lying. Even if he was, without physical proof of his involvement with the grand master, they had nothing solid.
"In the end, no sign of the grand master?"
"None. The executives claim she escaped separately. We locked down all nearby gates but couldn’t find her. Now that Mr. Teo’s been questioned too, it seems she's already left the area."
"Flynn, earlier you suspected Tergio of aiding her escape?"
"Yes, I did."
"What if the grand master fled to the coast?"
At Hugo's suggestion, Flynn shivered slightly.
"It’s... possible. But even if she reaches the coast, wouldn't she be caught again at a gate? Plus, the nationwide warrant will be issued soon."
"True."
As they speculated, a Council member approached hurriedly.
"Commander Agrizendro, I’ve been looking for you."
"What is it?"
"The Commander-in-Chief contacted headquarters but couldn’t reach your personal line..."
Hugo pulled out his communicator, checked the missed calls, and clicked his tongue.
"I’ll speak with him directly. Where to?"
"This way, please."
****
"It’s really hard to reach you."
"What did you want?"
"Do I need a reason to contact you?"
The headquarters communication device was large, non-portable, but allowed clear images. Seeing Abraham Langaster's face on the display, Hugo answered coolly:
"If it’s not important, I’m hanging up. And stop calling headquarters."
"So cold... But it is important. You’ve got unfinished business, including matters in your own territory."
"I was planning to return soon. I’ve been tied up here, but the situation is stabilizing."
"I read the interim report. Quite the incident. What happened to Leonardo Blaine?"
Despite the chaos, Abraham’s first concern was Leonardo Blaine. Hugo couldn’t help but scoff.
Chasing Blaine’s trail had led to frustration—and an impersonator. Abraham’s question only deepened his irritation.
"I followed the traces. It was a fake—someone distributing monsters under his name. The real Blaine? Maybe he was never here at all."
His tone was sharp, cutting off further questions about Blaine.
"Hmm... I see. You’ve worked hard, traveling so far to investigate. Well, we’ll hear about that child eventually."
Abraham seemed disappointed, clearly having high expectations.
But he soon revealed another reason for calling:
"With renewed talks of the peninsula expedition, there’s an urgent inspection of the southern branches. I sent Shorendo in your place. You know it’s risky to have all the Central Branch’s Commanders absent."
"..."
"You’re the Council Commander, but you don’t need to handle the Northern Branch’s affairs personally. If things are under control, return."
In other words, wrap it up and come back.
Hugo, reflecting, realized he'd spent too long chasing Blaine. He’d planned to return after reporting on the grand master’s case—but Abraham's direct contact made it clear he should leave sooner.
Agreeing, Hugo responded:
"I’ll return first thing tomorrow morning."
