By Zephyria The night when weary bodies were deeply asleep passed exceptionally quickly. Before the wounded members could be comforted by rest, the dawn of morning found the Encampment a little early.
The dim first light fell on the roof of the hut located on the easternmost side. The sound of owls, which had been crying like a dirge all night, occasionally sobbed as if leaving lingering echoes.
The base camp at dawn, where the remnants of the night and the morning air intersected, was extremely quiet without a single breeze, except for the sound of birds. Even the members who had stayed up all night with stories of heroes, and the medical team who had been working tirelessly, had drooping eyelids, as if they couldn’t help but feel the deep fatigue.
From their low voices and stiff muscles, the accumulated weariness of the past few days stretched along with their shadows. The members guarding the hut where Leonardo was staying were no exception. Their faces, looking forward to the end of their shift, were full of drowsiness.
“I wonder when these guys are coming…”
“Right.”
“Oh, they’re coming over there.”
One of the members, who had been yawning widely while guarding his position, pointed to the straight path with his fingertip. The members of the other team who were going to relieve them were approaching from afar. Those who had been leaning against the wall also straightened their upper bodies one by one to prepare themselves.
The team leader among those who had been waiting spoke to his colleagues on the opposite side with a tired face.
“You’re seven minutes late.”
However, the members who arrived late were not in much better condition. Rather, one of them complained about the situation as if he was wronged. Kenneth Weaver, who was half-asleep, was also with them.
“Cut us some slack. We had our reasons.”
“What reasons?”
“The high-ranking commanders’ meeting still hasn’t ended, so we were waiting there and just came to relieve you. We’re short on personnel, so we even begged the 1st Battalion to lend us a few people.”
The members who had been guarding the hut widened their eyes at their colleague’s words. They had been wondering what was going on because the Legion Commander, as well as Vice-Commander Lebernil, hadn’t returned all night, but they hadn’t expected that the meeting would have been going on until now.
“What kind of meeting takes so long? Is it because of the return tomorrow?”
“How would I know? Anyway, hurry up and relieve us. They said they’re reorganizing the team personnel during roll call after breakfast later. If you’re unlucky, you’ll get the morning shift and have to work overtime. Just in case, rest a little and relieve us again.”
“Hey, that’s too much. Even so, 24 hours straight is—”
Squeak—
At that moment, the door of the hut, which had been tightly closed, burst open. The members who had been gathered there all stopped talking and turned to look at it.
Kenneth, who had been quietly rubbing his eyes, also turned his head at the sudden gust of hot air. A decadent beauty, pushing back his fallen blonde hair, revealed himself in the gap. Leonardo, with his smooth eyebrows furrowed and an unpleasant expression, slowly walked out.
His face, which looked even paler than yesterday, was filled with sensitivity. Naturally, everyone around him became tight-lipped.
They all tensed up, watching him, fearing that Leonardo had woken up because of their voices.
Only Kenneth, who had suddenly become wide awake, inadvertently called out his name.
“Mr. Blaine?”
The members nearby looked at Kenneth with surprised eyes. At the same time, Leonardo, who had been about to pass by, turned to look at him with an indifferent gaze.
“…Hello.”
A rough but soft voice flowed from his mouth, which they had thought would ignore them. It didn’t sound very friendly because of his sharp expression, but it was an incredibly kind greeting to those who were still wary of Leonardo.
Kenneth, who had been embarrassed by the attention, brightened his expression at that one word. One of the members who had been talking about the shift change looked back and forth between the two of them and awkwardly greeted him as well.
“Uh… Blaine, did you sleep well? You didn’t come out because we were being too loud, did you?”
However, this time Leonardo only glanced at him and shook his head. Afterwards, he quietly passed by him and stopped abruptly in the middle of the road after taking a few steps.
He slowly raised his head towards the sky, then tilted his neck back as far as he could and gazed at the brightening sky. His chest swelled and then subsided as he took in the fresh air. It was a typical way to greet the morning, but his face didn’t look very refreshed.
The dozen or so people around him just watched carefully. He had used his residence like a sanctuary, so he should have rested well, but Leonardo’s face was far from that of someone who had slept well.
Rather, he looked more tired than they did, who had been on guard all night. It was as if he had spent the night tormented by something.
“The meeting, it hasn’t ended yet?”
Leonardo, who they thought wouldn’t say anything more, threw out a question that they didn’t know who it was directed at. The members flinched without realizing it, as his tone sounded somewhat colder than before.
In the midst of all that, the member who had spoken to him a little while ago mustered up his courage once again.
“Uh, it hasn’t ended yet. But… did the Commander… allow it?”
There were many elements missing from the sentence to understand his words, but everyone in the room could immediately understand the meaning of the question. He was cautiously asking if Leonardo had the Legion Commander’s permission to come out alone.
There had been no separate orders given last night after Leonardo had returned to his residence. So, he was not allowed to leave the hut at will unless he was accompanied by the Legion Commander.
However, Leonardo just grabbed his shoulder and casually spun him around. His gaze was fixed on the direction where Hugo had disappeared last night.
He narrowed his eyes and muttered in a threatening tone.
“He said he’d be back soon.”
Then, Leonardo turned around and replied nonchalantly.
“If I’m with a watcher, isn’t it okay to be outside? It was like that yesterday too.”
The members rolled their eyes. It meant whether there was anyone who had received the message.
But as he said, Leonardo yesterday had returned to his residence with the escort of two guards without being accompanied by the Legion Commander. Thinking about that, it didn’t seem like he was wrong, so the member who was the representative of them nodded awkwardly.
In that instant, Leonardo strode over to Kenneth’s side. He casually put his arm, which was in a cast, on Kenneth’s shoulder and said.
“I’m borrowing him for a bit.”
“…Yes?”
Kenneth asked back with a bewildered expression, but his body was already being half-dragged by Leonardo. It was hard to believe that it was the strength of an injured person, but Kenneth was already matching his pace, worried that his arm might be strained.
The others just watched the two of them walk away blankly. Leonardo waved his hand towards the back and said to the members.
“He’ll keep me safe, so you guys go and get some rest.”
^
The morning at the Encampment was as busy as ever. It was difficult to find anyone sitting around without a purpose, except for the two of them.
Leonardo found that tent, that table, from yesterday again. He crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand, gazing blankly at the people passing by outside.
Lost in thought, he had an expression that no one could tell what he was thinking, but his melancholy eyes and somewhat heavy atmosphere gave the impression that he was somehow lonely.
Kenneth, who was sitting across from him and guarding his side, was hesitating to say something, repeatedly trying to speak and then swallowing his words. It was nice that he had been suddenly chosen in front of his seniors, but it was quite a hardship in this situation because he had been brought here and hadn’t said anything.
‘Why… did he bring me here?’
Of course, it wasn’t that he was uncomfortable being alone with Leonardo. Rather, he had been waiting for this moment all along because he had wanted to talk to him face to face like before.
Leonardo Blaine after the battle was far from the fugitive who had been avoiding his seniors with him. Now that he was a hero who was hard to even see a shadow of, Kenneth decided to take courage, thinking that he might not be able to talk to him again.
“Mr. Blaine, are you feeling a little better?”
At the question he had asked with determination, Gold Eyes shifted to the side.
“Should I get you some food? Would you like something to eat?”
Kenneth said with a bright smile, forgetting his fatigue. Then Leonardo shook his head with his chin resting on his hand.
“I can’t eat food well right now. I can’t digest it.”
“Ah….”
It was an answer he had heard after a long time, but the content wasn’t very positive. Kenneth hurriedly added, as if he had asked something unnecessary.
“Th, then is there anything you need? Or is there anything I can help you with….”
“Just stay by my side. That’s helping me.”
Leonardo left those words, which could have sounded quite cold, and turned his gaze back to the front. Kenneth, blinking his eyes at that, became much quieter after that.
An awkward silence flowed for a while. Leonardo looked in the direction of the large tent where the meeting was in full swing.
His gaze was on that place, but his head was belatedly regretting his actions.
‘I’m such a piece of trash.’
He looked at Kenneth, who was next to him, again. Kenneth, who had been looking at him all along, took away his sullen expression and brightened his eyes when their eyes met.
‘What am I going to do by bringing him here?’
It was a coincidence that he met Kenneth as soon as he came outside, but the situation of sitting face to face with him was simply his impulse.
How long had it been since he fully accepted him, and he was already looking for Nero’s presence in Kenneth again.
Leonardo closed his eyes tightly and then opened them. It was natural for Nero to leave, and it was no big deal. But the more he thought about it, the more he became aware of reality, and the more he felt like he was the only one left in this vast Encampment.
He was alone to begin with… but gradually getting used to a place where he thought he was alone, and truly having someone on his side and then being alone one day were definitely different situations.
His heart was very complicated. He knew that no one but Nero could fill this emotion. But maybe because he had been alone all night, he didn’t want to be stuck in the cabin. That’s why he came outside to see people, but he still felt isolated.
He wanted to sort out his thoughts alone, but he didn’t want to be alone. That contradiction kept Kenneth by his side instead of Nero.
‘No… this guy is innocent.’
Leonardo rubbed his throbbing eyes with his palm and slowly raised his head. This guy must be busy, but he felt bad for holding him back because of his own selfishness.
Just as he was about to tell him to go, Kenneth’s gaze, which had been directed at him, shifted to the entrance of the tent. Leonardo also turned his gaze with a puzzled look at his seemingly wary appearance.
Someone familiar was loitering in front. It seemed to be the commander of the 7th Battalion of the Southern Branch, who had approached him alone and flirted with him before.