At Abraham's remark, the room fell silent. Every head turned. Hugo looked at Abraham, seated just across from him, with an expression that suggested he had heard something he really shouldn’t have. As the attention shifted, Abraham continued speaking,
“You’re all aware that large-scale monster activity has resumed on the Elder Millie Peninsula. That region has long needed subjugation, but both the Council and the military have kept dodging responsibility, knowing it would demand significant manpower and time.”
“Hm...”
“So now that Leonardo Blaine is in the Council’s custody, why not take this opportunity to deploy him? We can test his capabilities and allow the Council to achieve results before the military. It’s a win on all fronts.”
The Elder Millie Peninsula lay in ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the far southwest of the empire, at its southernmost edge. Though officially part of Raina Logia’s territory, in practice, it was a forsaken no man’s land—wedged between Raina Logia and Parren, the province directly bordering it.
The reason was simple: the region was a volcanic zone—hot, humid, and teeming with monsters due to the underwater volcanic activity. It was inhospitable to civilians.
Though it remained state-owned due to its rich deposits of rare minerals and lucrative resources, the area was perilous. Every year, grave robbers who tried to sneak in died without a trace.
The military had long delayed action, insisting the region fell under Raina Logia’s jurisdiction and should be handled by the Council. In turn, the Council had claimed the area was on the border and thus the military’s problem. So the region remained untouched—a burdensome stalemate.
In that regard, Abraham Langaster’s suggestion was a bold shift. Subjugating the peninsula using Leonardo Blaine could resolve a long-avoided issue and boost the Council’s prestige.
“That’s an excellent idea.”
Council members welcomed Abraham’s proposal with visible satisfaction. Other officials also nodded in agreement.
Hugo, however, stayed silent. He felt the matter was being treated far too lightly.
Gladias Agrizendro, one of the Upper House councilors, noticed Hugo’s expression and abruptly called on him.
“Commander Agrizendro, your opinion?”
He looked up at her. Though she spoke in a soft tone and wore a pleasant smile, the air around her was frigid. Hugo found her question so obviously loaded that it almost made him scoff. After a brief pause, he answered,
“I doubt Leonardo Blaine will cooperate that easily. Even if we include him, there’s no guarantee we can control him.”
It was true. Bringing Leonardo here had been difficult enough. Now they wanted to send him on a high-risk mission into hostile territory? On paper it sounded like a clever strategy, but in practice it only heightened the danger. Hugo couldn’t understand what had prompted Abraham to suggest it in the first place.
As the strongest active combatant in the Council, Hugo’s words silenced the room. But then, Abraham Langaster smiled faintly and replied, as if brushing the concern aside,
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
“...What do you mean?”
“You’ll be going with him, won’t you?”
It felt like getting struck from behind by an ally. Hugo looked at Abraham with a face full of unspoken retorts, but Abraham simply kept smiling, completely unfazed.
Suppressing the urge to lash out, Hugo asked as politely as he could,
“Didn’t you tell me to return quickly because I had urgent affairs to tend to?”
“This is one of them.”
“But, Commander-in-Chief, my territory’s responsibilities—”
“Commander, don’t worry.”
Gladias Agrizendro stepped in smoothly, interrupting him. Though her tone remained gentle, her words held the weight of command.
“The Agrizendro Territory won’t collapse just because its lord takes his eyes off it for a while, will it?”
A heavy silence settled over the chamber.
Hugo’s discomfort deepened. Her words were laced with subtle thorns.
Though no one said it aloud, everyone in the room knew the truth: the power structure within the Agrizendro family—the highest-ranking ducal house in the empire—was deeply fractured.
Dozens of eyes now turned to him, silently demanding that he agree.
Though his expression didn’t change, Hugo’s fists clenched tightly. Ice crept from his knuckles onto the table, catching Loren’s attention as she sat beside him, watching in silence.
Lowering his gaze, Hugo let out a faint sigh. Then, lifting his head again with renewed resolve, he met the eyes of the council and spoke in a voice as cold as steel:
“I’ll go. To the peninsula—with Leonardo Blaine.”
At that, the faces of the council members—including Gladias—visibly brightened.
“You’ve made the right decision.”
But Hugo added immediately,
“On one condition.”
Leaving the Grand Conference Hall, Hugo made his way straight to the underground prison where Leonardo was held.
Though it was Hugo himself who’d ordered him moved there—just in case—he still didn’t like what he saw. The deeper he went, the more suffocating the atmosphere became, and the harsher the surroundings felt.
A guard led him through the maze of interlocking doors until they reached Leonardo’s cell.
When they stopped in front of the final door, Hugo’s brows furrowed at the sight of the cell number. He recognized it—someone in that cell had been incarcerated three times for the same offense.
Leonardo was likely in a volatile state, and given his striking appearance, Hugo worried that the other inmates might have harassed him. But when the door opened, the space inside was unexpectedly quiet.
He dismissed the guard and walked toward the far end of the corridor, where Leonardo sat.
Beyond the bars, Leonardo sat slumped against the wall, head bowed. His wrists were bound by heavy mana-restraining cuffs, and the black choker—whose function Hugo had only recently learned—remained tight around his pale neck. He looked drained.
An untouched meal sat on the floor in front of him. Concealing his unease, Hugo said softly,
“I heard you haven’t been eating.”
“...”
“Leonardo, this isn’t the time to be stubborn.”
After a brief silence, the man slowly raised his head.
He looked gaunt, but the fire in his golden eyes had not been extinguished. That fiery gaze, mirroring Hugo’s own, revealed a mind twisted by rage and weariness.
Though Hugo knew Leonardo harbored deep resentment toward him, he still had something to say.
“Don’t you want to get out of here?”
Leonardo didn’t answer. He merely furrowed his elegant brows further.
“You’ve heard of the Elder Millie Peninsula, right?”
“...Why?”
His voice was low and hoarse, rasping through cracked lips.
“At the Council’s Grand Conference, we decided to include you in the subjugation team for the peninsula.”
Leonardo’s brow twitched. He seemed to be parsing the meaning of those words—then clicked his tongue and let out a sharp breath through his nose. Suddenly, he laughed. Maniacally.
Hugo knew that laugh well. It wasn’t amusement—it was disbelief.
“Of course. Why would I expect anything different?”
Shaking his head, Leonardo raked his fingers through his golden hair, scoffed, then fixed Hugo with a chilling glare.
“First, they ask me to register my information. Then, without warning, they capture me and extract my mana. And now what? Toss me on a subjugation team? Do you people even hear yourselves?”
Hugo didn’t respond right away. He looked down, exhaled, then raised his eyes again with a bitter expression.
“Yeah. I know. They’re shameless. And so am I.”
That candid answer caught Leonardo off guard. He raised an eyebrow, wary of Hugo’s sudden honesty.
“But this is the last time. If you want out of this place, you’ll have to join the mission. That’s your only path.”
The implication was clear—he had no choice.
Leonardo’s eyes flared, and with a shout, he lunged. The chains rattled violently, yanking him back just short of the bars.
But it was close enough—for their breaths to mix, their expressions to collide through cold steel.
“You think I’ll just do as I’m told?” Leonardo hissed. “Fine. Send me. But once I’m out—I’ll kill every last one of you and disappear.”
His voice cracked with fury, eyes glowing with unhinged rage. Hugo looked at him calmly, unmoved.
“No, you won’t.”
“How would you know?!”
Leonardo’s roar echoed off the stone walls, heat rippling around him in warning waves. But Hugo remained steady, careful not to provoke further escalation.
“The man you fought in the Capital—the one using wood-attribute magic—was Andreas Frederick, Commander of the Council’s 4th Battalion.”
“...”
“He broke his left arm from your attack.”
“So what?” Leonardo sneered. “Did he lose the arm?”
But Hugo met the sarcasm with steady certainty.
“You and I both know the answer to that.”
