"I’ll head back first thing tomorrow morning."
"Alright. You’ve worked hard dealing with that major incident. Get some proper rest and I’ll see you tomorrow."
"Yes, good night."
After the communication ended, Hugo rubbed his face, feeling even more worn out.
He had come all the way here to catch that man, only to get tangled in a massive case. Though he’d managed to settle things, the conclusion was far from perfect. Worse yet, he hadn’t even seen the person who was his original target. There was no reason to linger any longer.
The suspicion that Tergio might be connected to the escaped grand master still gnawed at him, but that was now the Northern Branch’s responsibility to investigate.
When Hugo stepped outside, Flynn was waiting for him.
"Commander, what did the Commander-in-Chief say?"
"He ordered me to return now."
"Ah... Well, we’ve been away quite a while."
"Yes. We’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning."
"What? Tomorrow morning?"
Flynn asked again, clearly not expecting such a swift return. Hugo responded flatly,
"Is that a problem?"
"But... there are still unresolved suspicious details..."
"This is the Northern Branch’s jurisdiction. It’s their responsibility now. Besides, things are mostly settled, and we have our own work to get back to."
At Hugo’s words, Flynn looked like he wanted to protest, but in the end, he simply nodded.
"Yes, I understand."
"You must be tired too, so go get some rest. I’ll hear a final report early in the morning, transfer the investigation materials, and we’ll depart right after."
"Understood, sir."
Hugo and Flynn moved their quarters to the best accommodation available within Frost territory, rather than the modest lodgings they’d been using while gathering information.
Flynn still felt uneasy about the unresolved matters, but the fact remained—they had duties waiting for them back home, and the Northern Branch had theirs. Trusting his colleagues here, Flynn accepted that it was time to let go and return.
****
Upon arriving at the accommodation, Hugo immediately stripped off his heavy uniform and headed for the bathroom. Turning on the shower, he washed away the fatigue built up from nearly two days of restless movement without proper sleep.
The water streamed over his broad, muscular body, cascading down to the floor. As the warm flow soaked through his stiff frame, he finally felt his body loosen, his tension easing away.
Throwing on a robe, Hugo roughly towel-dried his hair and dropped onto the sofa. His gaze drifted to the bottle of lukewarm liquor on the table. With a breath, he chilled the bottle until condensation formed on the glass.
Uncorking it, he poured half a glass and downed it in one go to quench his thirst. But, much like the drinks he’d sampled at the tavern earlier, the liquor here simply didn’t suit his taste.
Hugo set the glass down without pouring another. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes.
"Leonardo Blaine..."
He had chased him all the way here, only to get swept into a larger incident. In the end, all they’d found was some pitiful impersonator. Not a single trace suggested Leonardo Blaine had ever been here.
Hugo had believed he’d sense the man’s presence immediately. That was a grave miscalculation. There hadn’t been the faintest sign to suggest Blaine had been in the area at all.
And yet... there had been that one fleeting moment—a powerful, unfamiliar presence that had stirred his instincts.
‘What was that... back then?’
He had sensed it while arresting the Count and his aides at the mansion, while rifling through classified documents and ledgers.
But the sensation had been so faint, so fleeting, even Hugo couldn’t properly describe it. No one else seemed to have noticed—it was as if nothing had happened.
It was unlike anything he’d sensed since entering Frost territory—strange, slightly exhilarating, even volatile.
For a brief moment, Hugo had wondered if the fire mage impersonating Leonardo had been the source, but as soon as he laid eyes on that man, the thought vanished entirely.
In fact, it made more sense to believe the real Leonardo Blaine himself had been responsible. The impersonator had been thoroughly unimpressive.
‘Just tracking him down was impressive on the 8th Platoon Captain’s part.’
The 8th Platoon Captain, who’d lost Blaine after he suddenly vanished mid-pursuit, had still achieved remarkable results. At least she’d seen him with her own eyes.
Hugo made a mental note to reward her with some well-deserved leave upon returning. He chuckled bitterly to himself—it was ridiculous. The Central Branch Commander himself had gone out in pursuit, and he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of Leonardo’s signature golden hair.
‘Was he never here to begin with...?’
Hugo leaned his head back against the sofa and stared out the window into the darkness, deep in thought. Then, he recalled the 8th Platoon Captain’s earlier report:
‘We used every device to track his mana, but there wasn’t a single trace left. It was as if he vanished completely from that spot.’
"Vanished completely..."
Mana disappearing like that—was such a thing even possible? There were only two explanations: either he teleported so far away that detection was impossible, or he concealed his mana entirely.
Teleportation could explain it, but within the Raina Logia Empire, there were limits.
Traveling between territories—essentially administrative districts—required passing through border gates and using the teleportation zones stationed there.
This system had been devised to shorten travel time across Raina Logia’s vast lands and, critically, to prevent criminals from using teleportation to escape unnoticed.
Each border gate was shielded by barriers embedded with mana-suppressing stones, forming a transparent dome over the entire region. Even with teleportation, one could only travel as far as the gate’s perimeter.
Meaning, every time Leonardo Blaine vanished while being hunted by the Council, he hadn’t actually left the area. He had to have been hiding somewhere within.
If so, his ability to mask his mana was exceptional.
But that raised another question—how did he conceal his striking appearance?
His blonde hair, his golden eyes—his face was unforgettable.
Even Hugo, who’d seen countless so-called beauties, had to admit Leonardo Blaine was exceptional, even from a distance.
No matter how much he covered himself with a cloak or disguised his features, the Council’s investigative net wasn’t sloppy. They would’ve checked every passerby at the gates, removed robes, scrutinized for disguises.
Yet no one matching Blaine’s description had been found.
Hugo’s thoughts turned toward a new possibility.
‘What if... he can change his appearance?’
But he quickly shook his head.
Appearance-altering magic had existed in the past, but it was outlawed centuries ago. Such magic had been destroyed precisely because of the chaos it could cause—routine use would destabilize society and encourage abuse.
Besides, unless one had near-superhuman control, maintaining such illusion magic long-term was nearly impossible. Even the slightest disruption would distort the illusion, and the mana cost was immense.
But then how?
The thought nagged at him, refusing to dissipate.
Hugo retrieved a communication device and contacted his adjutant, Gabe Landon. Despite the late hour, the connection was nearly instantaneous, which surprised him.
"What is it, Commander?"
"You’re up late, I see."
"Ah, there’s a time difference. Where you are, it’s late, but not here."
Hugo chuckled, realizing he’d forgotten that detail. No wonder Abraham had called him so late—it had still been early evening in the capital.
"Ah, right. Sorry to disturb you, but I need you to look something up for me."
"I’m still working overtime covering for Flynn. Go ahead."
"You’ve got it rough. Listen... are there any records left of magic that alters appearance?"
"Magic that changes appearance?"
"Yes."
"Give me a moment."
Gabe’s voice sounded weary. Hugo figured the search might take a while, but soon Gabe returned.
"There are quite a few types, actually."
Hugo furrowed his brows.
"What kinds? Is there magic to change eye color too?"
"Not just eye color—any body part’s color can be altered. Beyond that, voice, skin texture, even gender can be changed."
"..."
"But it’s all ancient knowledge, prohibited long ago. Only the existence is known—the methods, the incantations—they’ve been erased."
"Right. I assumed as much. Then... no one should be able to use such forbidden magic now."
Hugo dismissed his own suspicions. But Gabe, connecting the question to the Leonardo Blaine pursuit, hesitated before speaking up.
"Actually... some probably can."
"What?"
Hugo’s puzzled tone prompted Gabe to clarify.
"Well... rumor has it that the Empire’s special unit, Armsilver, has covert permission to use forbidden magic. It’s not confirmed, but I wouldn’t rule it out."
For a moment, Hugo was speechless. His mind blanked, as if struck from behind, but one fact crystallized clearly.
Leonardo Blaine—officially and truly—a member of Armsilver.
What if he could mask his mana perfectly? Change his appearance entirely?
How could anyone catch someone like that?
"Hah... Armsilver..."
"Did you find a new lead on Blaine?"
"No. Just the opposite. I can’t even fathom how to track him now."
Hugo let out a bitter laugh. Truly—how could anyone catch such a man? It was almost fortunate he wasn’t causing greater chaos.
Gabe listened to the weary chuckle and offered quiet reassurance.
"But I believe you’ll find him, Commander."
"...Thank you for that."
"It’s not empty words. You’ve got sharp instincts, Commander. You wield ice and water. He’s fire and lightning. Opposites draw each other more than like attracts like."
It was true. Research on mana attributes confirmed ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ that similar mana breeds familiarity, while opposing mana heightens tension and sensitivity.
That explained why Hugo had sensed the fire mage’s presence at the Count’s mansion, even without seeing him directly.
But so what? He was returning tomorrow morning. Unless Leonardo Blaine appeared right in front of him, the odds were near zero.
"Sure, but if I sense him, he’ll sense me too. Can I even catch someone that slippery?"
"Hmm... But didn’t you catch a dragon mid-flight before?"
At Gabe’s remark, Hugo laughed softly.
"Unfortunately for you, Gabe, I’m coming back tomorrow."
"So soon?"
"Yeah. Did you enjoy your freedom while we were gone?"
"There was no freedom. I’ve been drowning in Flynn’s workload. Bring him back with you."
"I will. See you tomorrow."
Ending the call, Hugo looked out the window briefly, then lay down on the bed.
They were leaving at dawn. He still regretted the loose ends with Leonardo Blaine, but Abraham was right—sooner or later, news of the man would surface again.
For now, he had to return to where he was needed.
Promising himself he’d be ready for their next encounter, Hugo closed his eyes, his exhaustion overtaking him, and soon drifted into sleep.
