Chapter 622
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Chapter 622
It was then that it happened. Unintentionally, Yuder's gaze fell upon something familiar amidst the items he was about to burn.
'That is...'
With swift action, Yuder reached into the pile and pulled out a dirty sack. The sack, covered in dark, blood-red stains and torn with holes, revealed glimpses of shriveled brown lumps inside. At first glance, it was hard to discern their original form, but Yuder seemed to have an inkling of what they were.
Without hesitation, he opened the sack.
'As I thought.'
His grip on the sack tightened. He bent his head closer to better examine the dark stains. They were old, but one thing was certain:
The stains on the sack were not caused by its contents.
Yuder's semi-drowsy mind, still not fully recovered from the previous night, suddenly snapped to full alertness.
"Yuder?"
"Commander."
Kishiar, concerned by Yuder's odd behavior, had called out his name, and their eyes met. Yuder spoke first.
"How likely do you think it is to find a blood-stained sack containing dried and processed Dudureli mushrooms in such a place?"
Kishiar's eyes narrowed slightly as he immediately grasped the meaning of Yuder's words. Yuder held up the sack for him to see.
Inside were indeed the dried and processed Dudureli mushrooms, in a form just before being turned into powder, a poison previously used by Crown Prince Katchian. The condition was abysmal due to prolonged exposure to unfavorable conditions. Their original white color had turned brown, and the smell was unpleasant, indicating partial decay.
However, the presence of some intact pieces inside left no doubt about their identity.
Yuder recognized them easily, thanks to having seen the original form of the Dudureli mushrooms shown to Aishes Shand Apeto by Kishiar before. What caught Yuder's attention again was the bloodstain on the sack.
Initially, he thought it was liquid seeped from the decaying contents. But on closer inspection, it wasn't so. The stain was from blood, now faintly emitting the odor of decay, splashed during his earlier cleaning of the house using his powers. None of the other objects nearby bore similar stains.
'Prince Katchian had sent a servant to a nearby village months ago to secretly bring in these processed Dudureli mushroom poisons. And now, a blood-stained sack of Dudureli mushrooms happens to be here, at a rest stop used by local herbalists... Could this be mere coincidence?'
It couldn't be.
Yuder, even without Kanna, was certain of his intuition in this matter. This was undoubtedly related to the incident caused by Katchian.
And Kishiar, arriving at the same conclusion, had a similar chill in his gaze as he looked at the sack.
"The servant who purified the poisonous mushrooms and then committed suicide after confessing that everything was his crime as soon as he was caught is one of the cases Nathan is currently pursuing. Perhaps we have found an item that might reveal the identity of the person who dealt with that servant."
Yuder didn't believe that the one who had gathered these mushrooms was still alive. The bloodstains on the sack and the fact that no one had sought it until now further solidified his belief.
"If it were Crown Prince Katchian, it wouldn't be surprising if he had silenced everyone involved with the processed mushrooms immediately after obtaining them," Yuder mused aloud.
However, unlike in his previous life, the young Katchian likely did not know this yet.
Killing someone is certainly one of the best ways to keep a secret, but the stench of blood that it emits cannot be hidden forever. The traces of those abnormally vanished linger like shadows, incessantly following the murderer. Even the great Yudrain Aile, could not escape this shadow.
Thus, it was highly probable that this sack was a 'trace' deliberately hidden by someone who had disappeared.
Buried among other odorous miscellaneous items, Yuder almost failed to recognize it and could have burnt it by mistake. Setting the sack down, he resolved to inspect the other items in the area more thoroughly.
The laxity of his mind, eased while with Kishiar's company, hardened again in front of the old, hardened bloodstain.
It was just as he was clenching his fist, trying to rid himself of the remaining lethargy through the pain in his palm, that a large hand reached out and grasped his wrist. The hand slowly and gently unfolded each stiff finger.
"Now I can speak," Kishiar said, looking up at Yuder's dark, sunken eyes.
"You must think it's right to leave now that we've discovered something urgent, even if you're not fully recovered? Thinking this much is manageable?"
The accuracy of his words made Yuder's fingertips twitch. Kishiar continued, looking down at Yuder's hand in his grasp.
"Don't do this."
"..."
"You're not okay yet. You mustn't overexert yourself until you're fully healed. Even if others say it's fine, I won't allow it."
"But..."
At Yuder's soft mutter, Kishiar's grip tightened. His intense gaze, though piercing, conveyed a heartfelt pain to Yuder.
"Trust me. Chasing after Katchian's misdeeds is not that difficult. We can manage it indirectly, maintaining communication from afar. Do you think Nathan and I are insufficient for this task?"
Observing Kishiar, Yuder realized something.
Kishiar's deliberate use of 'Katchian' instead of Crown Prince Katchian, which he usually called him, was intentional. And the reason was probably...
'Because of me.'
It seemed like something had changed in his attitude as he recalled his previous life. Though confident in deceiving others, he couldn't deceive Kishiar.
Yuder recalled his own unfamiliar face he had seen through the window while Kishiar slept. He might still be wearing the same expression unknowingly.
Kishiar La Orr now knew that he had once died at the hands of Yuder on the order of Katchian. Yuder couldn't begin to imagine what feelings that man had experienced upon learning this.
What more could be said here?
In silence, Yuder acknowledged the cold, heavy emotions he hadn't realized he had been feeling. Slowly, he shook his head.
"No."
Finally, Kishiar's eyebrows softened, and a faint smile appeared.
To tell him not to endure, Yuder himself must also learn to let go of the things he had always endured. This realization struck him anew.
Yuder had remained in the cabin that day as well, cradled in Kisiar's embrace, listening to the heartbeat echoing from within his chest. Each time he heard it, the invisible voids within him seemed to quiet down bit by bit. Later, he realized that the persistent fever, which hadn't subsided yet, didn't seem so resentful, perhaps owing to the soothing sound of that heartbeat.
The fever, which had been forcibly suppressed within him, slowly dissipated in the comforting warmth.
---
Yuder stood in a dim darkness.
Why am I here? he thought dazedly, looking down to see a white garment. He immediately recognized it as the ornate uniform of the Cavalry Commander, elaborately embroidered with gold thread, made for the Yudrain Aile.
While he silently observed this familiar yet seemingly long-forgotten attire, a cold voice spoke from beside him.
"New Cavalry Commander, enter the Hall of Honor."
It was the chief attendant of Emperor Katchian. Only when Yuder met his unfeeling gaze did he fully grasp the situation.
This was his appointment ceremony as the Commander. The assembly for his nomination was just beyond the door in front of him. Yuder slowly straightened his attire and took a deep breath.
Whispers from not too far away reached his ears.
"They say he's utterly cold-blooded, and indeed he seems to be. He doesn't look happy at all."
"It's not cold-blooded, but fear. A commoner in such a position must be terrified."
Yuder did not turn his head. Hearing these voices only quieted his mind more, and instead of feeling small, a feeling of boredom was already welling up in him.
"Cavalry Commander. Aren't you going to enter? Is there a problem?"
The chief attendant urged him with a hint of annoyance. Just as Yuder was about to respond, a familiar voice came from right behind him.
"Yuder."
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Bermuda
Synopsis:
Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.
Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.
"Since when have you been watching me?"
Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.
"From the very beginning."
"As of this moment, Leonardo Blaine, commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, a special forces unit of the Imperial Army, is stripped of all military ranks and positions, demoted to the lowest rank, and dishonorably discharged."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of the verdict echoed through the silent military courtroom. As soon as it was announced, the once quiet courtroom erupted into chaos.
Leonardo Blaine, his hands bound by mana-restraining handcuffs, sat slumped in the chair at the center of the courtroom, silently staring at the judge with bloodshot eyes.
"This can't be happening... Commander, say something. Tell them it's not true, that you did it to protect us!"
He could hear his squad members shouting behind him, but he couldn't bring himself to turn around and face them.
Someone's screams, the sound of his former comrades restraining his squad members, and the hushed mockery directed at him, now a mere civilian, all blended together, creating a deafening ringing in his ears.
The military judges, having no further business, stood up and left the noisy courtroom. It was then that Leonardo's eyes finally fell upon the massive flag of the Raina Logia Empire hanging behind them.
He had worn the same insignia and donned the cape to defend this empire, traversing countless battlefields and dangers, only to be branded with the disgrace of "dishonorable discharge due to insubordination."
Leonardo let out a bitter laugh. It all seemed to have passed by in such a short time.
As if his consciousness was trying to escape reality, his body grew numb, and the sounds around him became muffled. The feeling of being separated from his surroundings was followed by a piercing ringing in his ears and a wave of nausea.
Unable to endure it any longer, he abruptly stood up from his seat. The chair toppled over roughly, and everyone turned their heads to stare at him.
Leonardo, breathing heavily, glared at the massive imperial flag before him with fierce eyes. Facing it, he felt an indescribable surge of resentment rising in his chest.
"Aaaargh!"
His once pale face turned red, and veins bulged in his neck. A massive flame erupted around him as he screamed like a madman. Everyone in the room tensed up and took a step back from the wildly flickering flames that threatened to engulf everything.
He roared out his grievances and swung his arms, trying to break free from the handcuffs. However, instead of the cuffs coming off, everything around him shattered.
"S-Someone do something about him!"
At the shout of a military officer, soldiers guarding the courtroom rushed in and surrounded Leonardo. However, they couldn't easily approach him due to the fierce flames and the menacing black sparks dancing around him.
Leonardo's flames were explosive, but they seemed to be sucked away and fluctuated in size as if something was absorbing them. The handcuffs on his wrists were rapidly draining the mana he was emitting.
Nevertheless, Leonardo continued to ignite his entire body, his face contorted as if his insides were being twisted.
"Damn it, how could you do this to me? How could you do this to me?!"
"What are you all doing? Hurry up and subdue him!"
He expressed his bitter sense of betrayal towards the empire he had once devoted himself to. However, in the eyes of others, he was nothing more than a criminal who refused to submit and was going on a rampage.
At the officer's repeated command, the hesitating soldiers took advantage of the weakening flames and charged at Leonardo. As if he had been waiting for this, he desperately resisted his former comrades with his hands bound by the thick handcuffs.
He threw punches and kicked, explosively releasing his mana even if it was immediately absorbed. Terrifying gusts of wind swirled around him, and the scorching air shook his surroundings.
As a result, fierce winds blew, flames soared, and soon the entire military court was engulfed in a crimson blaze. The constantly rattling windows shattered, scattering shards like ashes.
Amidst it all, Leonardo's golden eyes, reflecting the undulating flames, seemed to glow red like blood.
At that moment, the courtroom door burst open, and dozens of knights poured in. They were the Imperial Knights, directly under the command of the Raina Logia royal family, wearing white uniforms embroidered with gold and red insignia.
The knights quickly entered the courtroom, blocking all possible exits and surrounding Leonardo. They were all equipped with cloaks and armor designed to resist fire-based attacks and took a defensive stance, moving in perfect unison as if they had anticipated his actions.
Behind them, the commander of the knights, their leader, calmly revealed himself.
Amidst the tense standoff between the heavily breathing Leonardo, who resembled an agitated beast, and the knights, the commander approached the unfolded siege line without hesitation.
He seemed to know Leonardo well, as he stared at him intently without taking his eyes off him.
"Leonardo Blaine, surrender."
In contrast to his gaze, his voice was cold and frosty, as if addressing a complete stranger.
Leonardo flinched and turned his head, causing the entire line of knights to react to his movement and tighten their guard.
Leonardo's lips twisted into a vicious sneer. He also seemed to recognize the commander's face. His golden eyes, upon meeting the commander's, were not only bloodshot but also filled with a baleful aura.
His predatory golden eyes slowly rolled, scanning the crowd with a look that seemed to burn everything to ashes. Then, as if in disbelief, he let out a mocking laugh and spoke in a menacing voice.
"If you were in my position, would you surrender in this situation?"
In response to his sneering remark, the commander stared at Leonardo with emotionless eyes. After a moment, he spoke in a calm tone.
"It's an imperial order."
A brief silence fell.
Leonardo's fiercely burning flames suddenly died down as if doused with water. The menacing aura that had been swirling around him plummeted to the ground. His face, which had lost its momentum in an instant, slowly contorted with shock and contempt. He gazed at the commander in disbelief, as if he had lost everything.
The commander, who had been willingly meeting his gaze, signaled his subordinates to apprehend Leonardo now that the flames had completely subsided.
Numerous knights and soldiers, who had been hesitating, rushed at Leonardo once again. They forced him to his knees, pushed him down, and restrained him.
Even as his head and shoulders were forcibly pressed against the ground, Leonardo intently stared at the feet of the humans in his lowered field of vision.
The commander, who had been watching the end of Leonardo's futile resistance, turned to leave, believing the situation to be over. As he walked away, Leonardo, with a contemptuous smile on his lips, muttered savagely.
"Even if you live your entire life like that, in the end, you'll be discarded just like me."
The commander paused for a moment at those hate-filled words tugging at his collar. He turned around and met Leonardo's piercing golden eyes that were glaring at him, but only briefly.
Soon, he turned away again and, as if nothing had happened, walked towards the courtroom door, saying,
"Transfer Leonardo Blaine to Amphitrite Prison."
At the commander's words, the military officer, who had only been shouting orders to subdue Leonardo, showed a look of disapproval. Although it was an imperial order, he was not pleased with the Imperial Knights intervening in the military's internal affairs.
"There's a military prison right next door, so why transfer him to Amphitrite Prison?"
To this, the commander looked back at the military officer with a look of disappointment and said,
"He's no longer a soldier, is he?"
*
The news that Leonardo Blaine, the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, a special forces unit of the Imperial Army, and a true war hero of the empire, had been expelled from the military spread like wildfire. He was immediately transferred to Amphitrite Prison, located on a rugged island with strong waves, and the 11th Squad he had belonged to was temporarily disbanded after the court-martial.
A few months later, he was released on parole, but he was no longer a soldier. Contrary to people's concerns that he would go on a rampage driven by a desire for revenge once he was out of prison, he vanished without a trace, leaving behind only brief rumors.
It was a well-known fact that Leonardo Blaine was a powerful mage, even though he had been dishonorably discharged from the military. Moreover, the 11th Squad he had been a part of was a formidable unit that was often dispatched to dangerous areas, so various guilds, associations, and organizations were desperate to find him after he disappeared.
However, despite rumors circulating about him working as a mercenary in certain places or participating in certain subjugation missions, it was difficult to actually meet him.
Occasionally, there were stories of people claiming to have seen him in person, but there was no way to know if they were true or not.
As he vanished, the empire continued the war as if nothing had ever happened.
To recapture the territory they had lost due to Leonardo's insubordination, they carried out numerous battles, resulting in many casualties. However, in the end, they achieved victory without the hero, demonstrating their prestige to neighboring countries and thoroughly erasing the fallen hero's reason for existence.
Nevertheless, the empire did not exile him abroad, as they wanted to prevent his uniquely powerful mana from falling into the hands of other countries.
Time passed quickly, and the faded glory of the hero was buried deep in the past. It had been three years since the name Leonardo Blaine had been forgotten by the world.
Around the time when it was thought that all traces of him had been completely covered up, ripples began to form once again in the calm lake of rumors about him.
A new movement to pursue him had emerged.
The ripples grew larger and larger, and his name resurfaced in people's consciousness.
However, unlike before, his name was no longer that of a glorious hero.
He was now known as an atrocious mage who had disobeyed orders, set fire to the military court, and insulted the royal family and the people of the empire.
*
"So, you lost him again?"
"Commander, that guy is a demon, I'm telling you! We all nearly got fried to a crisp!"
Hugo let out a small sigh as he looked at his two subordinates, who were reporting to him in a disheveled state. One of them had his hair completely burnt off, looking like he had been bombed.
This wasn't the first time they had failed to capture the target, and it was proving to be no easy task.
Hugo narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze away for a moment, suppressing his troubled expression before asking his two subordinates again.
"What was the situation at the time?"
"We managed to sense his presence and block all nearby exits, creating a standoff... but he broke through the siege and escaped again."
"..."
"After that, we used all our equipment to track his mana signature, but by then, there were no traces left to follow. It was as if he had vanished into thin air."
"Vanished without a trace..."
"I'm sorry, Commander."
The other subordinate, a woman with long hair tied up, briefly reported before lowering her head. She was the captain of the 8th Platoon of the 1st Battalion of the Central Branch of the Council and was unrivaled in the field of mana detection and tracking. Even for such a capable subordinate, it was just as frustrating to admit failure.
The Council's army had repeatedly dispatched powerful mages to pursue him, but the problematic individual, classified as a high-risk target, was overwhelmingly strong. In fact, it was fortunate that things always ended at this level, considering how powerful he was.
However, the world always values results.
Hugo, rubbing his forehead in exhaustion, shifted his gaze to the scattered documents on his desk. The contents of the documents were what could be called a letter of demand.
As time passed without the Council being able to capture Leonardo Blaine, voices questioning the Council's capabilities grew louder, and this had displeased the prideful council members.
However, the Council, to which Hugo belonged, had many responsibilities, such as maintaining social order and carrying out various missions to maintain security in the empire, so they could not always form a unit to track him down.
Moreover, this period was particularly prone to incidents, so he had to send the two individuals in front of him on another mission to a different region without a moment's rest.
Recalling the numerous failed attempts in the past, Hugo concluded that the reason was a fundamental difference in strength. With a small sigh, he made up his mind and slowly rose from his seat.
"I'll go in person."
"...Pardon?"
The 3rd Platoon captain, who had been complaining about the target being a demon, asked with a surprised look on his face.
"You're going in person, Commander?"
Hugo lightly nodded as he picked up his uniform jacket from the hanger. His resolute and solemn gesture made the 3rd Platoon captain feel a chill run down his spine. An aura of sharpness emanated from him, filling the office with a heavy atmosphere.
Until a moment ago, he had been rambling on about how much of a demon the target was, but now, faced with the commander's overwhelming presence, he felt a complex emotion towards the soon-to-be-captured individual.
Of course, he had always hoped that the commander would personally intervene, but now that it was actually happening, the situation seemed to be taking a grave turn.
If the commander were to personally pursue him, it would be unlikely for the target to be captured unscathed. After all, he wasn't the type to surrender so easily.
Hugo put on his jacket and fastened the cuff buttons on his wrist. Meanwhile, his cold gaze fixated on the name written on the letter of demand.
Leonardo Blaine.
Three years ago, he had been expelled from the military and, according to imperial law, all civilian mages in Raina Logia were required to register with the Council's management system. This law was intended to facilitate the monitoring and control of powerful mages who might cause trouble in the future.
However, immediately after being stripped of his position and released on parole from prison, he disappeared without a trace and naturally did not respond to the Council's summons to voluntarily appear and register his personal information. Whenever rumors of his sightings circulated, the Council would go after him, but by the time they arrived, he was always long gone.
As Leonardo Blaine had been a member of the Imperial Army, his information was shrouded in secrecy. Uncovering that information had been a challenge that the Council had yet to overcome.
Even when several of the Council's high-ranking mages were assigned to him, he always managed to gain the upper hand in battle and vanish without a trace. It was clear that he possessed exceptional combat skills, surpassing their expectations.
Hugo, who had repeatedly tasted bitter failure in his attempts to capture him, had grown weary of that name.
Whether he liked it or not, he had been dealing with that name for three years now.
As he recalled the numerous failed attempts of the past, Hugo concluded that it was time to put an end to this once and for all. He gazed at the document containing Leonardos personal information with a somber look. He stared intently at the photograph attached to the document, slowly tracing the face with his finger.
"We'll meet soon."
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