By Zephyria Dawn, tinged with the faint light of daybreak. In the Zodiac residential district, where light had not yet penetrated, merchants who had left their homes flickered one by one. They took deep breaths of the relatively cool air and hurried through the quiet streets, where few people were seen.
The faces of those who greeted the early morning more than anyone else were filled with fatigue that had not yet been relieved. Even if a drunken, pot-bellied man was sprawled out occasionally, they would only blink their eyes drowsily and not even glance at him.
Drunks like everyday occurrences, the repetitive life is sometimes boring, but there is an advantage that you can move without deep thought. Seeing that there were many people who could not escape from the night today, it seemed that there was no night patrol, people did not take it seriously.
Entering the shopping street in the residential area, the familiar noises of starting the day greeted them. A seasoned merchant who ran a magic supply store opened the store door and fixed it with a brick to ventilate the store.
The wooden door creaked and groaned with age, as if it was time to replace it. Unlike usual, a warm new book was already threaded through the small newspaper hole.
“Hmm?”
It was unusual for the newspaper to arrive before the store lights were turned on. The merchant pulled out the rolled-up bundle and unfolded the thin paper to see if there was any urgent news. But then, the parchments that he had shoved into the bookshelf yesterday while tidying up came to mind. He immediately put the newspaper on the table and approached the bookshelf to finish the postponed work.
“Masa, did you see the newspaper?”
At that time, the owner of the spice store across the street came in with a topic of conversation.
As always, he was more regular than a grandfather clock. The merchant, who was about to take his head out of the bookshelf, accidentally bumped his head and rubbed it in pain.
Oh dear, a worried voice followed, but only for a moment.
“I have an item that I reserved to put in today, and I have to return all the money I collected in advance.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh my, you haven’t seen it yet. Take a look at this.”
The owner of the spice store, who roamed the supply store as if it were his own home, immediately found the newspaper on the table and shoved it in front of the merchant.
The merchant narrowed his dim eyes and picked up the magnifying glasses next to him. Soon after, she lit the lamp and read the first verse. She thought that a familiar name would decorate the front page again today, but the letters she checked were a little different from what she had seen recently.
“…Suddenly?”
“Right? There hasn’t been anything like this recently, has there?”
“Not recently… There hasn’t been anything like this except during wartime.”
“Oh my, I have a lot of things to receive… It’s all going to be delayed.”
As the complaining voice slowly awakened the sleep of the street, murmuring voices floated leisurely through the alleys behind the two merchants. Even those who had not yet seen the newspaper could guess that an unwelcome ripple had occurred in the repetitive daily life.
In the Zodiac downtown area, which was centered around the clock tower, the ladies and gentlemen waiting for the streetcar in the city in front of the large building were just as confused.
“They’re reducing the number of streetcars?”
“No, if they do this without warning…”
A newspaper article was posted on the bulletin board next to the station, which was as big as a door, stating that the number of streetcars would be drastically reduced for two days. There was nothing like this until just yesterday. Moreover, since some traffic routes were restricted, it was obvious how chaotic the crowded city would become.
“Come on, I’ll take you there in a flash before the guards come! Wait just 10 minutes and we’ll leave!”
Illegal coachmen, who had quickly received the news, opened the doors of their carriages wide and solicited customers towards the street. Come to think of it, the guards were rarely seen today. People who thought this was their chance pressed their hats with their hands and quickly hid inside the carriages.
Someone grumbled that the fare was expensive, but it was clear that it would soon be difficult to even ride this. People moved busily to find alternatives without even having time to agree. The reason was not given in the bulletin board or the newspaper, but no one had any questions.
“It seems like they will arrive today.”
A man in a black military uniform told a military officer standing in the middle of a straight hallway. The officer had his hands behind his back and his eyes fixed on the outside of the open window. Carriages and supply-type means of transportation crossing the main street were passing busily in front of the Headquarters main gate.
However, his attention was focused on the invisible forces gathering in the south of the Zodiac, rather than the fines that would enrich other agencies.
“When they arrive, what are we going to do.”
It was a nonchalant tone, considering that he couldn’t take his eyes off the outside. The red carpet, which was mixed with darkness and looked purple, created a bleak atmosphere along with his voice.
It was the color that best suited the atmosphere in the Headquarters, where a bloody storm had recently been blowing. The person who delivered the message was silent for a moment, then lowered his voice and answered carefully.
“I was wondering if it wouldn’t be right for us to provide support as well.”
“……”
“After the closure of the northern Grand Plaza the other day, the public opinion is not good, saying that the Imperial Army did not step in to suppress it, even though the Council is the Council. Isn’t the Council coming back with credit from this Elder Millie Peninsula subjugation war? If they really used him to complete the subjugation, the Imperial Army should show some kind of pressure, even if it’s just for show—.”
“It’s already out of our hands.”
“But…”
“Do you know where Brigadier General Dubreay is?”
“Yes?”
When the name of a third party who was not here suddenly came out, the soldier asked back with a puzzled look.
“He hasn’t even shown his face at the Headquarters for about four days. He, who should be the busiest with cleaning up the surveillance network in the current situation, is even taking unauthorized leave. Where on earth did he go?”
“Maybe… he’s directly out in the field, questioning the people in charge, or he’s being disciplined and is under house arrest?”
“Well, maybe. That could be… But I’m sure he’s either imprisoned in Amphitrite or he’s no longer in this world.”
“Yes?”
The question was repeated at the terrifying remark. When the subordinate showed a very serious reaction, the officer finally turned his head and gave a meaningful look.
“It means that now is not the time to step in and interfere, but to do what you’re doing and hold your breath. From the beginning, the rumors that the Council took that guy to the peninsula for the expedition haven’t been confirmed, have they? Seeing that they’re keeping their mouths shut even though the media is pressing them so hard, they must be planning something to prepare for the situation.”
The officer released his hands from behind his back and grabbed the handle of the wide-open window. Soon, he slowly pulled the large window and stared outside, muttering.
“I can’t know all the thoughts of the higher-ups… But anyway, it’s certain that now is the time to lie low. Even the rookies who just came in would notice that much.”
“……”
“So let’s ignore the public opinion or whatever and ferret out the hidden cockroaches.”
At that time, a woman leaning against the window on the floor directly above stopped drawing along her lip line with purple lipstick. After being motionless for a while, she firmly pressed down on the corners of her lips and filled in the gorgeous color with a full lip only after hearing the sound of closing the window from the floor below.
She lightly separated and attached her lips a few times to tidy them up, then closed the lid of the lipstick and shoved it into the waist pocket of her military uniform. Then, she straightened the body she had been leaning on and firmly closed the window that she had also left open. The light blue ponytail, tied high, fluttered from side to side along with the full bangs that covered her forehead.
“Idiots.”
The elegant steps heading towards the end of the hallway did not make a single creaking sound, even though she was wearing heavy military boots. The cat-eye-like upturned eyes gave a chic and haughty impression, as much as the lip color.
The thick silver ring on the middle finger of her left hand, which was clutching today’s newspaper, sparkled in the dawn light. The radiant light of the ring remained for a long time, even in the figure that disappeared leisurely into the darkness.
The rattling engine sound and subtle shaking were quite comfortable, as if lying in a cradle. Other than that, it was so quiet that not a single word could be heard, so the breaths that were exhaled quietly subsided, as if conscious of their own sound.
Intense light seeped through the eyelids, and it felt like the vision was dyed red.
As the golden eyelashes fluttered once or twice, the stiff eyelids soon opened slowly.
The first thing the bloodshot eyes encountered in the blurry vision was a slightly open curtain. The abundant twilight coming in through it dyed the golden eyes crimson.
The afternoon sunlight, which was greeted with a hazy mind, made even the thighs of others on which the head was resting feel like a firm pillow.
Leonardo, intoxicated by the familiar scent, kept rubbing his crushed cheeks and one eye against what he recognized as a pillow.
He was so focused on the sensation that he had not yet realized what situation he was in now, or why he had been sleeping.
‘Should I sleep a little more…?’
He just felt sleepy, and that was all he remembered. Now that he had opened his eyes, it felt like he had only half-woken up from a good night’s sleep. The desire to sleep more surged, and it was similar to the drowsiness that poured out when he wanted to escape from reality due to extreme stress.
He didn’t know why he felt that way. With a languid expression, he inadvertently groped next to his head.
However, as he followed the touch, the ‘pillow’ gradually gained strength, and what was already firm became hard.
‘…?’
Sensing something strange, Leonardo Blaine opened his eyes, which had been closing, and slowly raised himself. He felt a dull pain in his pelvis, which had been bent to the side for a long time, but it wasn’t unbearable, so he immediately sat up straight.
Unconsciously, he wrapped his left arm around himself and turned to the side, his eyes meeting Hugo’s, who was looking at him.
The two stared at each other without a word. There was no gentle question of whether he had slept well, nor any explanation of the situation.
However, Leonardo Blaine sensed an unusual atmosphere from Hugo’s expression, which was colder and more rigid than ever. The fact that he had been lying with his head on Hugo’s lap a moment ago was not a consideration. Rather, the inside of the vehicle, which he had last seen, began to come into view.
The curtains were drawn over the windows, so he couldn’t see outside properly, but the scenery that flashed through the small gaps was familiar.
In an instant, the pupils in his Gold Eyes contracted.
“…Where… is this?”
He didn’t know how long he had been asleep, but a cracked voice leaked out between his teeth.
“……”
But the blue eyes gave no answer. Leonardo Blaine looked around, his nerves on edge.
Thump, thump, thump. His heart was beating very loudly. Hot blood coursing through his aorta radiated heat throughout his body.
The unpleasant sensation of Magic Power constricting him from the ground up, and the rejection engraved in his bones, instinctively made him realize where he was passing through.
‘Zodiac.’
He had set foot on this land without even having time to prepare himself. In an instant, a chill ran down his spine and his vision blurred.
As an uncontrollable anxiety swept over him, Leonardo Blaine hunched his shoulders and covered his ears. He was afraid that the voices of curses would dig into his ears again and eat away at his mind. But when he squeezed his eyes shut in that state, something felt out of place.
The noise from outside, which he had expected to overwhelm him, was quiet.
‘Leo.’
The Zodiac citizens’ screams, wishing for his death as they approached the bars, were not heard in the slightest.
‘Leo—.’
There was only a chilling silence, except for Agrizendro’s voice calling out to him. Leonardo Blaine, in this bizarre situation, lowered his hand slightly and stared at the curtain on the right window.
Soon after, just as he reached out his arm towards the curtain, Hugo’s hand quickly flew over and grabbed the back of Leonardo Blaine’s hand.
His Gold Eyes flinched and quickly shifted. Hugo whispered softly at a distance where their lips could almost touch.
“Don’t open it.”
He suppressed the hand he had grabbed, preventing it from opening the curtain with force. His expression maintained a poker face, but a subtle tension was evident in his blue eyes.
“……”
Leonardo Blaine was overcome with an inexplicable, chilling sensation. It was extremely rare for this man to show tension, which only intensified his desire to find out what was going on.
Leonardo Blaine, trembling, wrestled with Hugo, creating a small gap with difficulty. He couldn’t pull it back even halfway because his muscles were weak, but it was enough to see the situation outside.
A moment later, the setting sun cast its rays into the car. Between his eyes, squinting at the glare, a scene that stimulated extreme fear became clear.
“…What.”
A heavy hallucination, like the beating of a drum, intensified. The familiar southern plaza of the Zodiac spread out endlessly in his focusing vision.
The royal guard and guards, protecting the transport vehicle and forming a line, stretched majestically from the bridge in front of the Gate, across the plaza.
There were hundreds of them, all with their backs to him, but even without making eye contact, the concentrated attention crawled like insects on his skin.
Apart from those in uniform, not even an ant could be seen in the vast plaza. Neither the chariots that were always bustling about, nor the shadows of the citizens, caught his eye.
‘…There’s never, ever been anything like this before.’
His trembling lips stifled even the faint breath he was exhaling. His shaking eyes busily scanned his surroundings.
The artificial silence that had settled in the consistently bustling space was reminiscent of a ruined city where all humans had disappeared. Amidst a state of martial law that would only be seen during the departure or return of a large army, or during a major event, the Council’s convoy proceeded slowly along the controlled road.
He couldn’t understand what was going on with his confused mind. But Leonardo Blaine vaguely guessed that all of this scenery was shaped for him.