BMD 328

“Haa….”

Leonardo Blaine, who unknowingly let out a sigh, gave Hugo a smile filled with mixed emotions. A tingling thrill spread from his back, setting his chest on fire. If a god who took his side sent a messenger, would he look like that?

Hugo, too, was finally relieved to see the other man smiling. The only gold in the dark hall shines brightly today. As if telling him not to look anywhere else, his gaze clung to him with longing.

However, the moment when it seemed as if only the two of them were left in the vast space did not last long.

The sound of the crowd, similar to when they had entered, echoed. The angry councilors rose up in a rush and left the courtroom.

Following them, the wave of people in the audience was on the verge of crossing the temporary fence installed in the hall.

“Blaine, let’s go.”

Leonardo Blaine was freed from the handcuffs that were constricting his wrists with the help of Flynn and the First Division, who had approached him unnoticed. Seeing the fallen pieces of metal, he stood up in a daze and moved out of the courtroom, as if taking refuge under escort.

Knowing the overheated atmosphere, he did not ask why. However, Leonardo Blaine last made eye contact with the man in the white smoke who was watching his departure.

Like a god appearing in a majestic painting drawn in oil. He alone stood upright, noble, and clearly against the blurred background.

Whoosh, bang—

He hadn’t noticed when he entered, but the huge door, about three times the height of a person, closed firmly, creating a gust of wind. Leonardo Blaine was caught by the arm by Flynn before he could even catch his breath and passed through the maze-like passage.

“What about your Commander? Is it okay to leave him there?”

“He’ll come after he’s taken care of things. We’d only be in the way if we were there.”

At Flynn’s firm answer, Leonardo Blaine nodded, but occasionally looked back at the rear where loud voices could be heard. He felt relieved, but it didn’t seem to have ended cleanly. He trusted him, but he was worried about him.

A short while later, after passing through the fourth door, which he had only sensed when his eyes were covered before entering the courtroom, he was able to emerge into a space as wide as a hall. There, he encountered Squad Leader 8 and the 8th Squad belonging to the First Division, who had been waiting. They were guys he had bumped into once or twice in the peninsula.

Just as he was feeling a sense of relief at the familiar faces, they, including Squad Leader 8, saluted by placing their hands on their eyebrows.

“Congratulations on the release verdict. We’re glad there was a good outcome.”

Leonardo Blaine was at a loss as to how to react to the squad leader’s cheesy greeting. Then, he gave an awkward smile and replied as if it were something new.

“What’s with you all of a sudden.”

“Once you’ve finished preparing, we will escort you on your way. Let’s go to the annex first.”

“What?”

Just as he was feeling flustered, Flynn, hiding his impatience, added to Leonardo Blaine.

“Blaine, you saw the situation, right? I think it’s best to hurry.”

It was concise, but the meaning was easily understood.

Today, he would be saying goodbye to them.

Leonardo Blaine looked around with a blank expression for a moment. He had not yet escaped from the afterglow of the release verdict.

By the time he returned to the Legion Commander’s personal room, which now felt as comfortable as his own, the clock on the wall had just passed 5 p.m. On the window frame, where the intense heat of midday had been pouring down, the vermilion scattering preparing for sunset fell like paint shaping a god.

Leonardo Blaine took out a new magic robe from the scattered gift boxes. He carefully slipped his limbs into the soft and sturdy fabric.

The tailor’s note said that they had heard that his body shape had changed significantly recently, so they had made it generously, taking that into account. Perhaps that was why the fit was quite loose, but rather, the measurements were almost the same as the magic robe he had worn when he first went to war.

As if they had expected it, a belt was neatly enclosed in the box. The luxurious short name engraved on the metal buckle caught his eye.

‘Leo’

The tailor he had met for the first time couldn’t have known his body shape from a few months ago or his short name, so Leonardo Blaine immediately realized that this culmination of delicacy was a farewell gift and ‘his’ work.

‘He put a lot of thought into it.’

Leonardo Blaine approached the chair where Hugo had sat when he dried his hair. He checked his appearance in the mirror attached to the side table and fastened the belt. The colors of the sophisticated leather and buckle harmonized with the bright fabric.

However, what caught his eye was not the neatly dressed magic robe. It was his own image sitting in the chair and the illusion of the man smiling kindly behind him.

“……”

He stared blankly at the two people reflected in the mirror for a moment. He unconsciously moved his lips, then repeatedly closed them tightly.

One corner of his chest loosened and then contracted tightly again, as if tightening. Whenever that happened, a throbbing pain spread from his chest to his back, stomach, and face, and his expression in the mirror gradually distorted.

Leonardo Blaine knew what this feeling was. But he carefully covered it up and pretended not to know.

“…Get a grip.”

As the thought in his head inadvertently popped out, Flynn, who had been packing his luggage on one side, turned around as if asking what he had said.

“Huh?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Leonardo Blaine shook his head nonchalantly. Flynn stood up from his seat, stretched his stiff back, and approached him.

“I’ve packed your travel expenses, passes, and… well, this and that. Does the clothes fit well?”

Leonardo Blaine, who blinked his eyes and shook off his thoughts, raised the corners of his lips and lightly turned his body.

“Yeah, it fits well. How is it?”

“It’s good. It suits you well.”

Flynn wore a subtle expression that mixed pride and bitterness, as if he was feeling something new.

“It’s like seeing you when you first went to war in the peninsula.”

“Ah.”

Before Leonardo Blaine could even grasp the hidden meaning in his words, he returned to the point in time that Flynn had mentioned and reflected on his situation at the time.

He felt suffocated, frustrated, and like he was going crazy. Nevertheless, there was one thing that he had back then that he didn’t have now.

Leonardo Blaine raised his head again and checked the ‘time’. He murmured, shaking his long eyelashes finely.

“It’s already this late.”

His mind was filled with thoughts of that person, more than the joy of being released. He was very worried about the safety of the Legion Commander who remained in the chaotic chamber.

Leonardo Blaine tentatively asked Flynn, just in case.

“Before I leave, do I get to say hello to your Commander…?”

“What? Of course. Were you planning to leave without saying hello?”

When Flynn retorted with surprised eyes, Leonardo Blaine hurriedly added.

“It’s not that. It just seems like he’s a bit late.”

“…He’ll come on time. I won’t allow you to leave without saying hello.”

At his uncharacteristic, firm tone, Leonardo Blaine raised his eyebrows and chuckled. Soon, he reassured Flynn, saying he understood, and he himself felt relieved as well.

He turned around for no reason and looked at the mirror again. He wanted to show him the appearance of wearing the gift that Agrizendro had given him, but he was very careful in his actions, as if he was afraid that even the cuffs of the sleeves would wear out.

“But you know.”

“Yeah?”

Leonardo Blaine continued to meaninglessly tidy his clothes and hair, then brought up a question that had been lingering with a slightly uneasy feeling.

“How did I get released? Honestly, the atmosphere of the trial was almost invalid.”

Flynn’s face was instantly dyed with embarrassment at the direct question. Leonardo Blaine glanced at him and added as if it were nothing.

“It wasn’t a situation where it would end with a release, so what did your Commander do?”

Flynn hesitated, wondering if he should try to change the subject, but he had no choice but to answer vaguely because the bright yellow Gold Eyes were staring at him intently.

“Umm, well…. I think he spent some money.”

“Money? How much?”

“…I don’t know.”

His shrug and awkward smile made him look quite troubled. As if telling him not to ask any more, Leonardo Blaine closed his mouth around that point.

He knew that money was often exchanged in the world of politics and nobles, but he never thought that the Legion Commander, who was famous for being upright, as someone had said, would use such a method. Furthermore, judging from Flynn’s reluctance to speak, he guessed that a considerable amount of money had been spent.

He was grateful to him for keeping his promise, but at the same time, his heart became complicated.

“Hmm….”

Leonardo Blaine sat slightly on the back of the chair and looked down at his feet. Flynn was silent, watching his expression, just as he was about to change the subject.

“Blaine, where are you going now―.”

“Kenneth Weaver, you know him? Can I meet him too?”

“Huh?”

“I’m grateful that he attended as a witness. I want to say hello before I leave.”

Flynn said, “Ah…,” nodding, but replied with a slightly difficult nuance.

“As far as I know, that friend had something urgent to do, so I heard he went somewhere else right after the testimony.”

“Is that so? I wondered why he was wearing plain clothes. That’s a shame.”

“I’ll pass on your greetings for you.”

Leonardo Blaine nodded as if it wasn’t a big deal and turned his eyes to the window. However, his side profile showed a lot of regret.

Flynn traced the beautiful lines of the handsome man’s face with his eyes, which might be the last time. Then, without realizing it, he suddenly opened his mouth.

“Aren’t you sad about me?”

Leonardo Blaine rolled his eyes slightly. Before he could even retort, Flynn continued indifferently.

“I’m sad to be parting with you.”

“……”

The clock on the wall sometimes revealed its presence excessively. Today, at the sound of the ticking second hand, Leonardo Blaine realized that he had been silent for quite a long time.

He stared at Flynn, who was averting his eyes in embarrassment, then raised the corners of his lips and let out a puff of air.

“What, what is it. Why are you laughing?”

“There’s a kid I met a long time ago. He’s exactly like you.”

Flynn didn’t feel very good about Leonardo Blaine’s remark that seemed to remind him of someone else. Leonardo Blaine, who noticed that again, smiled with his eyes and lightly punched him on the shoulder with his fist.

“Sad? We can see each other again.”

Flynn retorted with an unexpected nuance.

“See each other again? Then, can we meet again?”

“Why can’t we? We’ve already met now.”

It was an ambiguous remark, but Flynn nodded in a daze. He took it to mean that since they had met once like this, they could meet again next time.

As soon as he saw that the other person seemed to have cheered up with just that one word, Leonardo Blaine chuckled and picked up the small backpack that Flynn had packed.

While regretting his hand that had quickly fallen away, Flynn looked at Leonardo Blaine, who was slinging the backpack over one shoulder, and asked.

“When we meet again, can I call you by your name too?”

Leonardo Blaine, who was satisfied with the weight of the feathery backpack, turned around with a puzzled face.

“Only the Commander calls you by your name. I also… want to call you by your name instead of Blaine.”

The grown man asked like a shy girl, which didn’t suit him at all. Leonardo Blaine frowned strangely at Flynn’s remark, which he revealed as if he was envious.

But the nape of the guy’s neck, which had turned bright red, looked like it would explode if he didn’t answer quickly. Leonardo Blaine, who was scratching his cheek, smiled as if doing him a favor and replied.

“Call me Leo. All the guys who are close to me, call me that.”

Flynn’s eyes sparkled. He opened his mouth without hesitation, his expression blooming.

“Okay, Leo.”

He said he would call him next time they met, but his hasty remark was absurd, but he didn’t particularly stop him. Leonardo Blaine raised the corners of his lips diagonally and gestured towards the entrance with his chin.

“You said we have to leave quickly. Let’s go now.”

“Ah, right.”

Following Flynn, who opened the door first, Leonardo Blaine quietly thought to himself.

‘I was really envious of you.’

But he didn’t bother to say it out loud. Soon, he fixed his shoes and left the room, imprinting the scenery of the room in his mind for the last time.

“Don’t schedule any internal appointments for the time being. I’m prepared for disciplinary action anyway. Ah, I’ll attend the press conference that will be held tomorrow myself.”

“Yes, I understand. But… Commander, are you alright?”

Gabe, who was passing through the hallway at a fast pace, asked carefully. The side profile of the Legion Commander that he could vaguely see in his view didn’t really look comfortable for someone who had finished work.

Of course, Gabe was already aware that his superior had made a big fuss, so he pretended to be calm but constantly watched him.

In the meantime, Hugo, who had swept back the hair that had fallen down, arrived at the front of the Legion Commander’s office first and stopped walking. After taking a small deep breath, he straightened his clothes with a flawless posture.

The guards who had been lined up in front of the door bowed their heads and stepped back. There were three times as many as usual.

Hugo counted to 3 in his head and knocked on the door of the Legion Commander’s office.

“I have to be alright.”

Soon after, he forcefully opened the heavy door.

An alien chill lingered in the ownerless room, seeping out from a small gap. Hugo maintained his composure and stepped inside.

The cold-blooded witch who had made the presiding judge tremble was standing like a statue in the middle of the office, wearing a long cape made of white and navy blue fur material.

Chunky jewels dangling from her slender fingers and a staff disguised as a cane. The thick cape that stretched to her feet boasted a splendor that was no less than the Emperor’s coronation.

No, perhaps his mind was already that of an Emperor. The Emperor of Rogia, whose hair had turned white but whose face and eyes still retained their sharpness and youth. A noble woman like the cold dew of a winter dawn. It was as if she knew Hugo was coming, as she had been staring this way from the moment the door opened.

Meeting her cold eyes that resembled his own, Hugo put on the guise of an affectionate stepson and bowed his head.

“Your Excellency, have you been waiting long?”

A gentle smile played on his lips. His voice was exceedingly kind and full of welcoming.

But the hypocritical charade did not last long. The woman strode forward and raised her right hand with a fierce expression.

It was before Gabe could even close the door. The sound of flesh tearing echoed through the quiet Legion Commander’s office.

Smack—

Hugo’s face, who had no intention of blocking it, turned halfway.

His godmother widened her blue eyes and asked.

“Have you lost your mind?”