"I'm not trying to scold you for intervening. However, if someone else had used that much mana while in your exhausted state, they would have gone into shock. I think it would be better if you paid a little more attention to your condition."
Hearing those words, Leonardo stared at Hugo for a while, then frowned. Eventually, he pulled his hand free of Hugo’s grasp, as if shaking it off, and stepped back to create distance. Then, with a sharp gaze, he said sarcastically,
"The person so concerned about my condition—why did he ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) only watch back then?"
At the cold retort, Hugo flinched.
"That's—"
At that moment, as if mirroring Leonardo's mood, lightning struck again in the middle of the plains. Thinking he shouldn’t leave things like this, Hugo gestured toward the vortex floating in the sky, scattering the gathered clouds in all directions.
As the clouds dispersed and the storm slowly faded, the strong wind and bursts of discharge in the sky gradually subsided. However, a sound like weak thunder still rumbled.
When the sky calmed somewhat, Hugo shifted his gaze and spoke solemnly to Leonardo, who was still glaring at him.
"I'm sorry. I promise it won’t happen again."
At Hugo’s straightforward apology, offered without excuses, Leonardo stared at him intently for a long moment before letting out a deep, solitary sigh.
It was because his own behavior now felt childish to him.
Did he want Hugo to become emotionally weak? No, that wasn’t it.
It was simply that—setting aside Hugo’s existence—his current situation, standing here like this, was too draining. It seemed the constant tension and strain he had been under ever since before arriving on the peninsula had finally burst all at once.
Once it burst, there was no space for composure. Objectively speaking, Hugo was an upright person, fulfilled his responsibilities, and even delivered a perfect apology in the midst of it. But right now, Leonardo had no room left to accept it.
Lowering his head slightly without answering Hugo, Leonardo covered half his face with one hand and gently rubbed his brow.
The hot, humid air, the dryness in his eyes, the roughness in his throat, the taut nerves and unstable mana, and the countless gazes fixed on him—everything felt like it was poking at him.
I’m tired.
Leonardo closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again and lifted his head. Agrizendro was watching him carefully, eyes filled with regret and apology.
Leonardo looked away and up at the sky, where bright light streamed through the scattered clouds, his mind drifting blankly.
I want to get out of here.
When Leonardo raised his head, his face looked so fatigued and worn that Hugo couldn’t bring himself to say anything more. His pale skin seemed even whiter than usual, and his sunken eyes carried a fragile, uneasy air.
As the hot, damp wind passed between them, Hugo was reminded of the day Leonardo had immersed himself in the cave’s steam. The playful smile from back then, so unlike now, seemed to flicker across the face before him.
With that memory lingering, Hugo found himself reaching out, his hand moving gently toward the particularly desolate-looking pale cheek.
Leonardo, who had been looking at the sky, suddenly stared blankly at the large hand slowly approaching his face—and the eyes watching him.
Hugo paused his hand for a moment, studying his expression. He didn’t seem inclined to stop him.
Just like that, right before Hugo’s hand could touch Leonardo’s cheek—
Suddenly, an urgent voice came through the radio Hugo was carrying.
Chik―
―"During the arrest of an unauthorized outsider, a swarm of Dermocas rushed in, and we’re currently pinned down. Please send support! The coordinates are—"
―"Delta, D7. Approaching."
As the request for support rang out, another member within range immediately responded.
"Commander, there’s an urgent matter to report—"
At the same time, apart from the radio chatter, two liaison officers from the Southern Branch hurried over to deliver a report to the commander.
Leonardo turned his head toward the source of the voices.
The liaison officers, seeing the two standing rather close together, suddenly halted. Leonardo glanced at Hugo’s face and his paused hand, then turned away and stepped back a few paces, putting distance between them.
Hugo watched him move away, his gaze tracing the pale cheek he hadn’t touched, then lowered his hand as if nothing had happened.
The liaison officers, sensing the strange atmosphere, hesitated to continue. Eventually, Hugo turned to them and asked evenly,
"What’s the matter?"
"Ah—just now, a large number of Dermocas were spotted at the ruins near the border between eastern and southern Elder Millie. According to the initial observer, they appeared to be calling more of their kind, so we thought preparations were necessary and came to report, but..."
The liaison officer trailed off again after glimpsing the devastation on the plains beyond the ridge. Hugo followed his gaze, then replied,
"We were just in the middle of cleaning up."
Out on the plains, water poured from a blue magic circle spread in the sky, quickly cooling the scorched ground.
Soon, huge golems charged in from the right side of the plains, trampling the remaining monsters, while members who appeared to be from the 6th Battalion joined forces to deal with those fleeing.
While Hugo and the liaison officers watched, the ground beneath them gave a faint tremor. Feeling the vibration again, the officers stepped back warily.
But the cause wasn’t a monster attack. Moments later, a small golem made of soil and rock poked its head from the shaking ground and popped up before them.
Leonardo watched with arms crossed. If the 6th Battalion Commander Delua’s golem were reduced in size, it would look just like this.
The golem opened its mouth-like part wide, took out a letter, and held it out to Hugo. Receiving it without surprise, Hugo watched as the little golem, its task complete, gave a salute-like motion before burrowing back underground.
Scanning the paper quickly, Hugo spoke to the liaison officers.
"The rest will be handled by the 6th Battalion of the Central Branch under Commander Rivera. Go and inform them."
The officer, still staring blankly at the hole left by the golem, snapped to attention at Hugo’s words.
"Yes, understood. Ah—before that, there are a few more reports."
The Southern Branch liaison reported that some platoons of the 9th Battalion, at the vanguard of the eastern entrance, had encountered a Dermocas swarm at the ruins and suffered casualties during the fight.
At this, Hugo’s face grew extremely cold, and Leonardo, listening from a short distance away, also turned his head at the mention of casualties.
"Casualties?"
"Yes."
Hugo addressed the liaison with a grim expression.
"Report the current suppression status and the exact number of casualties."
"Support troops were deployed immediately, and suppression is nearly complete, but quite a few of the creatures escaped. Of the five members of the 4th Platoon under the 3rd Company of the 9th Battalion, Southern Branch—who first discovered them—two are dead and one is critically injured."
"..."
"However, only one body was found. According to the survivor who came to request support, a Dermocas was carrying the other corpse. It’s presumed the 4th Platoon Leader pursued them to recover it."
"Presumed?"
At Hugo’s narrowed eyes and pointed repetition of the word, the liaison continued carefully.
"Well... at present, the exact location, and whether the platoon leader is alive, is unknown."
Chik―
―"Requesting additional support. The number’s more than expected."
―"Sigma, E13. Approaching. Please repeat the location."
"...For now, top priority is locating both the corpse taken by the creatures and the platoon leader. Has a tracking team been formed?"
"On orders from the 9th Battalion Commander, members of the same platoon are currently tracking. Eggshells were also discovered at the ruins, but they were already empty—likely hatched. We’re investigating to determine whose eggs they are."
Chik―
―"Coordinates (345, 525, 2034). However, it’s on a mountainside, so teleportation is impossible, and the coordinate error margin is large. After moving to nearby lowlands, you’ll need to identify it visually from the air."
Listening to the exchange, Leonardo focused on Hugo’s radio, which kept crackling. Judging by the awkward delivery and lack of concise radio terminology, he felt he could guess the support requester without even looking.
Others were clearly being sent to assist, but the number of creatures didn’t seem easy to handle, and the tone sounded urgent.
Leonardo looked back at Hugo, but from his face, it didn’t seem the radio’s situation was one he could spare attention for.
Hugo, now visibly more serious after hearing the Southern Branch report, thought for a moment before speaking.
"It would be best to go together and check."
"Yes, understood. It’s not far from here."
As they prepared to move at once, Leonardo called out.
"Wait a moment."
At his voice, Hugo and the two liaison officers turned toward him. When all eyes were on him, Leonardo pointed at Hugo’s radio with his chin.
"That keeps ringing."
Following his gaze, Hugo glanced at the radio, then looked back up.
"Other members will go to support. Leonardo, you’re coming with me."
He extended his hand toward Leonardo. But, as always, Leonardo didn’t readily take it. He looked at it blankly, seemed to consider, then shook his head.
"What would I do there? I want to hunt monsters."
With that curt reply, he immediately turned to leave. Hugo quickly moved to block him, catching his arm. Leonardo frowned and looked back at the firm grip stopping him, but Hugo said,
"Where are you going when you’re exhausted?"
"..."
"Don’t overdo it. You need rest now."
Hugo’s tone was firm yet as gentle as he could make it.
Leonardo’s brows eased slightly as he met Hugo’s eyes with a subtle expression. They were the same piercing blue as always, but somehow the temperature felt different now.
Feeling an unfamiliar, strange sensation in that gaze, Leonardo also felt an inexplicable surge of defiance toward Hugo for saying such things at this moment.
So, instead of giving the answer Hugo wanted, he replied coldly and with conviction.
"I’ll handle it myself."
