By Zephyria Those who turned around without knowing who was first split to the left and right. Hugo and Squad Leader 8, and the commander of the other battalion revealed themselves through the gap.
Hugo, who had rushed over, looked once at his broken Ice Pillar and the Dermokas that had flown far away, and then immediately knelt down in front of the member on one knee. Then, he took off the protective glove on his right hand and fearlessly placed his hand on the member’s ankle that had been rolled up.
The member’s expression, which had been frowning, froze noticeably as his cool hand touched him.
Hugo’s eyes glanced at the member’s face, but soon returned to the injured area. A faint white light spread from his focused fingertips.
After a while, the redness that had stained his ankle and shin gradually regained its color as if it had sucked out and removed the dead blood.
The bruise had not completely disappeared, but the minute blood vessels that had burst inside the skin had been restored, so it looked less serious at a glance because the color had faded. It was only a matter of seconds.
Leonardo, who had been quietly watching from behind, couldn’t hide his surprise.
Since the medical team had been following him all along, there was no need for the Legion Commander to treat anyone directly, so Leonardo was seeing Hugo use recovery for the first time now.
However, such a fast recovery skill was clearly at a level that could not be imitated unless it was a professional medical personnel.
Among the combat personnel, there were those who knew how to use medical technology using Magic Power, but unless it was their main attribute, the scope of its use was generally narrow. In the first place, even he, who was an all-rounder, was almost a beginner when it came to the field of treatment.
In that sense, the ability of Hugo Agrizendro that he was seeing right now could only be described as fraudulent.
The member’s swollen ankle and shin had calmed down a lot at a glance because of the cold air in the meantime. As his condition seemed to have improved, Hugo swept down the member’s leg once and then withdrew his hand. Then, he gestured to him and said.
“Move it.”
“Yes?”
The member, who had reflexively asked back, immediately understood the meaning and turned his ankle while sitting down. Then, surprisingly, the throbbing pain had disappeared as if it had been washed away.
“…Uh?”
The member, who blinked his eyes as if he couldn’t believe it, rubbed his ankle with his hand repeatedly. Before long, his gaze, filled with admiration, reached Hugo.
“I, I think I’m okay now. It doesn’t hurt at all!”
The member, whose face was full of color, bowed his head, with no trace of the earlier crying face.
“Wow… Thank you. Thank you, Legion Commander!”
However, Hugo asked the member in a cold voice as soon as he heard the words of gratitude.
“Why didn’t you dodge and stayed in that spot?”
His eyes were as cold as his voice, and the member who was facing him directly flinched for a moment and instinctively inhaled.
The member’s eyes, which had been lowered slightly, scanned the floor here and there. After hesitating for a while, he carefully opened his mouth.
“Ah, that’s because…. It was such a sudden situation, I think my body froze without me knowing.”
“…….”
“But in the end, my survival instinct kicked in, so my legs moved on their own… Yes….”
The member, who blurred the end of his words, laughed awkwardly. Perhaps he was embarrassed by the attention that had poured in now that the pain had disappeared, he glanced around and scratched the back of his head. He seemed to want to get out of this situation quickly.
Leonardo’s eyes, who had been watching him, narrowed slightly. His tone and actions were subtly unnatural, but somehow familiar.
Hugo, who had heard the member’s answer, stared at him with a blank face.
As the Legion Commander was silently looking at him, the member, who had been smiling awkwardly, felt a certain current and his expression gradually hardened subtly.
Only after one of the colleagues behind him gave him a small scolding did he repeat his apologies and thanks once again and bow his head repeatedly.
Hugo, who had been coldly looking down at the scene, suddenly put his hand on the member’s shoulder. Then, he grabbed his shoulder tightly and advised in a solemn voice.
“I’m glad you’re safe, but your actions just now could have led to serious injuries. Refrain from reckless actions that face the creature head-on in the future. Always wear your personal rifle or sword.”
Hugo’s gaze went down to his waist, which, unlike the other members, had nothing attached to it.
Whether it was because of Hugo’s heavy grip or because he was being pointed out by a high-ranking commander for not wearing personal equipment, the member bowed his head again with a very nervous face.
“Yes, I understand. …I’m sorry.”
Hugo, who had been persistently watching him until the end, got up from his seat after hearing the answer. Then, he turned his eyes to the Dermokas that was lying far away. It had been quiet ever since it had hit the wall, but once it had woken up, the effects of the Sleep Pellet had to be considered over, so he couldn’t just rest assured.
“The creature can wake up again at any time. Replace the damaged sealing tools to bind it more tightly, and have at least two people in charge to closely monitor its behavior. Clean up the scene as quickly as possible as there may be guys chasing behind, and reorganize the personnel in about 10 minutes to resume the search by area.”
“Yes, I understand!”
As the Legion Commander’s orders were issued, the members, who had been watching, answered in loud voices and moved in an orderly manner. The commander next to him also urged the members to hurry up and deal with the situation.
If the Dermokas had really called its comrades, not only those here but the entire Council could have been in danger. That’s why everyone seemed to know that even though the Legion Commander didn’t speak strongly, he was clearly warning them to be vigilant.
The chaotic scene seemed to be quickly cleaned up, but Leonardo was still standing there with his brows furrowed, unable to take his eyes off.
His gaze was fixed on the member who was walking away with support among the scattering people.
That gaze, which seemed subtly sharp behind the awkward smile, gave Leonardo a sense of alienation and déjà vu at the same time.
‘Could it be….’
The campfire of that day, which he had looked at while eating breakfast with a tired face, suddenly flashed through his mind.
Meanwhile, Hugo picked up two or three ice shards that were lying around near his shattered Ice Pillar. He examined the fragments closely before gesturing for Squad Leader 8, who was standing next to him, to come closer.
“Squad Leader Russell.”
“Yes.”
“Try breaking this with your hand.”
He handed an ice shard to the squad leader as he spoke. Squad Leader 8 was slightly puzzled by her superior’s sudden order, but she soon guessed his intention after seeing the shattered ice fragments. She immediately grasped the ice and put strength into her hand.
The ice resisted her grip for a few seconds, but it eventually cracked in half with a snap as her fist began to tremble. Hugo, seeing this, asked her,
“Is it softer than usual?”
“I’m not… sure. It seems about the same.”
At the ambiguous answer, Hugo crushed the shard in his own hand with force. The ice turned to powder in his hand and scattered to the floor. The reason he had asked Squad Leader 8 to break the shard was to check if the ice had become softer due to his poor condition or the internal temperature.
However, the direct confirmation revealed that the hardness and density of the ice were clearly not much different from usual.
This meant that it was not ordinary ice that could be easily shattered with bare hands, even by selected members.
“……”
Hugo frowned and suddenly turned his head towards Leonardo. He had been right in front when the situation occurred, and he had a good eye, so he might have seen something.
However, his gaze was directed somewhere else. Following the line of sight, he saw the same member from earlier again.
Hugo stared at the two of them and suddenly looked down at his hand, which had touched the member’s leg a moment ago.
Even considering the swelling and fever of the affected area, the member’s body temperature was higher than others. But he didn’t know why, at that moment, he was reminded of when Leonardo had suddenly grabbed his face a few days ago.
Hugo, recalling the situation at the time, clenched and unclenched his fist several times. Then, he approached Leonardo, who was standing blankly, tapped him on the shoulder a couple of times, and said,
“Let’s go, too.”
“Huh? Oh….”
Leonardo, jolted awake from his dazed state, turned his head and replied dazedly.
He immediately averted his gaze and followed Hugo without saying anything. He thought that anyone would find it strange if he stared at one place for too long.
He looked ahead naturally as if nothing had happened, but before long, his golden eyes returned to the spot where his gaze had been lingering.
As he turned his head halfway to look at the member again, Leonardo’s eyebrows twitched slightly. The member’s eyes, mixed among his comrades, were looking this way.
Suddenly, Leonardo’s steps came to a halt.
The corner of the member’s mouth seemed to lift slightly.