By Zephyria Andreas, leaning against the Gate wall, blew cigarette smoke into the purple sky. He had long been tired of the leisurely floating clouds. There were already a dozen or so burnt cigarette butts lying at his feet.
Unable to bear it any longer, a guard glared at him and swept away the cigarette butts with a broom. His expression seemed to say, “Do you know how sacred and great this place is?” Unable to resist the pressure, Andreas put out his cigarette with an embarrassed face and moved away.
Having lost his only source of amusement, he strolled towards the stone gate. He wondered how grand a farewell they were having that it was taking so long. It had already been an hour since the Legion Commander had come out.
‘Are they kissing or something?’
Anyone who had seen the two of them would think that was quite plausible. Of course, given the Legion Commander’s personality, that would never happen…
Andreas chuckled to himself at his own absurd thought. Around that time, light began to pour out of the stone gate, as if on cue.
“Oh, it’s moving—”
“Everyone, gather around!”
The tired members of the group all turned to face the stone gate at once. A harsh wind blew, and the sound of Boulder grinding could be heard.
Stone fragments scattered, the stone gate shook, and the gap in the center slowly split open. Andreas, who had been right in front of it and suffered the misfortune, frowned and turned his head.
Loren, who had been borrowing a whetstone to sharpen his sword blade, quickly got up from his seat. The escort and guards who had been scattered gathered in an orderly manner, formed a formation, and stood in four columns.
After a while, one blurry figure gradually became clearer through the gap in the stone gate, which had opened wide enough for one person to pass through. Hugo, who had crossed the waiting room and returned, smoothed back his hair and appeared before his comrades.
“Legion Commander!”
“You’ve arrived—!”
Flynn was the first to run up and greet him. The thunderous voice of the guards once again echoed in front of the stone gate.
Andreas, wearing a displeased expression, put his hands in his pockets and suddenly thrust his face forward.
“Why are you so late? The sun’s going to set.”
Hugo, who had loosened his tie, looked down at his watch at his comrade’s grumbling.
“Have I been here long? I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
He paused for a moment, about to habitually wipe the blurry fingerprint on the glass. Regardless, Andreas, tired of waiting, sneered at him to his heart’s content.
“It felt like half a day. I thought you two were coming back after sleeping together.”
In an instant, the guards’ eyes flashed coldly. It was a look that said they would not tolerate any more rude remarks to their lord.
Andreas, noticing the sign, trailed off and muttered softly.
“I just meant it that way… I can’t say anything.”
“Did you send him off?”
Loren, who had put his sword back into its scabbard, also approached the two and asked. Hugo gestured lightly, implying that he had finished well. However, his expression was far from relieved for someone who had resolved a three-year task.
“I’ve solved a big problem. We won’t have to run into each other for the time being.”
“…Well, I guess so.”
Loren had said it as encouragement in the sense of “good job,” but a bitter smile flashed across Hugo’s face. He somehow looked like he had a story to tell, or like he had come to terms with his complicated feelings. Loren scanned his disheveled navy blue hair and crumpled uniform jacket, then added nonchalantly.
“But it seems to be very windy over there.”
Just then, the stone gate closed with a heavy sound. Andreas and Flynn, at her remark, scanned Hugo’s appearance.
As the three gazes were focused on him, Hugo cleared his throat and called the captain of the guard as if he had something to do.
“Captain, over here.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Um… release the control of the Gate vicinity in about 30 minutes. Make sure that the personnel on duty at the other Gates are aware of the matters I mentioned.”
“Yes, I understand!”
Hugo’s white cloak, which was revealed as he turned halfway around, was crumpled as if someone had grabbed and tore at it. It was a somewhat unnatural trace to be attributed to the wind. Andreas slyly turned his head to Loren.
He seemed curious as to what she had meant by bringing it up. But Loren coldly ignored his lewd gaze and approached Hugo.
“Legion Commander, I have something to tell you.”
Hugo patted the captain of the guard on the shoulder, gestured as if to dismiss him, and turned around.
“What is it?”
“We received a call from headquarters earlier. The nearby passageway was paralyzed with citizens and newspaper employees. It has been controlled and alleviated, but the internal atmosphere is still chaotic.”
Hugo frowned with a tired look.
“I expected it… They’re so quick to react in times like these. Is the return route secured?”
It was a sarcastic remark aimed at the councilors who were dragging their feet on Leonardo’s release. Loren, in agreement, twisted a button on the cuff of her uniform 180 degrees. It was a type of concealed Artifact.
“That’s not the problem. Before the escort departed from the Zodiac, they subdued a newspaper employee loitering nearby. They confiscated his belongings under the pretext of preventing leaks, and he had this.”
Loren reached into a small opening of Subspace and pulled out a photograph. Hugo naturally took it and looked down with a puzzled face, then reacted noticeably.
“This is…”
“I was going to put it on the official report agenda, but since the inside is chaotic, I thought it would be better to deliver it directly. I hope I didn’t do anything unnecessary.”
Loren said that and took a step back, crossing her arms as if she had finished her task.
Hugo’s pupils trembled slightly. He couldn’t take his eyes off the photo for a while.
Andreas glanced at him, observing his unfamiliar expression. He seemed a little surprised, and his heart seemed complicated. Wondering what was wrong, Andreas peeked around and surreptitiously stole a glance at the person in the photo.
“Oh, this―.”
The person’s eyes were filled with melancholy, and he was gazing wistfully somewhere. And the Legion Commander looking at the photo had the same expression. Andreas clearly remembered this scene.
“Isn’t this right before he was arrested in the northern Grand Plaza?”
Loren nodded. The person in the photo she handed over was Leonardo after he saved the child during the battle in the Zodiac Grand Plaza.
He was probably blankly watching the child and the child’s mother safely escape from the battlefield. He didn’t know how they took the picture in the midst of all the chaos, but the location of the photographer and the distance of the subject were not that far. He alone shone golden in the colorless background, which was all ruins.
Hugo felt a sudden burning sensation in a corner of his chest. Even if others didn’t, it was an unforgettable sight for him, who had witnessed that moment firsthand and been quite shocked by it.
A faint smile spread across his lips as he was briefly lost in reminiscence. He gently rubbed the photo with his thumb, as if caressing it, yet also pressing down firmly.
“…To think I’d see this sight again.”
A low sigh dissipated into the air. Hugo, who had quietly lowered his eyes, quickly composed himself, hiding the expression he didn’t want to show as a superior.
“The film, was it confiscated?”
“First, what was found at the scene was handed over to headquarters, and a search team is being sent to search for the remaining film and photos.”
“Good, well done. He still needs a little more time. If his face is known to the outside world right now, it will be an obstacle to him living freely in the future.”
Both Loren and Andreas nodded, seemingly agreeing. Leonardo Blaine’s appearance was so striking that it would never be forgotten once seen. The fact that he was a handsome man with blond hair and Gold Eyes had become known to the world through this incident, but it was one thing to be passed down by word of mouth and another to have his face plastered on the front page of a newspaper.
Hugo, against the backdrop of the darkening sky, once again looked into the man in his memory.
The sun of that day, the wind of that day, vividly brushed against his skin, taking him back to that time.
“Until perceptions change… we have to put in a little more effort.”
It was unavoidable that it had been revealed to Council insiders and citizens who attended the trial, but for Leonardo’s safety, it was necessary to protect him from further exposure to the public. He was strong, but there were still unhealed wounds in his heart. Even if they were apart, Hugo wanted to be a safe and reliable fence for him so that he could heal his remaining wounds.
“I’ll take care of this photo. Make sure all the films confiscated later are collected and delivered directly to me. Oh, and send investigation teams to all the other newspaper companies to check them out.”
If it was submitted as a report item, the photo would be classified as data to be reviewed by the organization itself and would belong to the Council. Hugo didn’t know if Loren knew that and took it out, but he was grateful for her judgment and carefully put the photo in his inside pocket.
“I will.”
“But… even if the verdict has been made in this situation, will perceptions change? Frankly, I’m worried about my job right now.”
Andreas sighed with a complaint, recalling the commotion in the courtroom. Hugo wore a faint smile and patted him on the shoulder.
“If you get suspended, I’ll use you as my royal guard for the time being, so don’t worry. And perceptions aren’t something you wait to change, but something you change yourself.”
“…What do you mean?”
Hugo put his arms around Andreas and Loren’s shoulders and led them to where the escort was gathered.
“Leonardo faithfully completed his mission as instructed, so he has done his best to make amends. So now, it’s our turn to make amends. Now, let’s go back and prepare for the press conference tomorrow. Send all the reporters an urgent letter. Tell them there’s a scoop.”
“What? No, I’m about to get disciplined, and you want me to go and work again?”
Andreas retorted in a dumbfounded tone. Hugo gripped his arm tightly and smiled gently.
“Don’t you know my style as a superior yet?”
“……”
“And as a battalion commander of the Council, you should be willing to work day and night for the people of the Empire. Our heroes risked their lives fighting on the peninsula.”
“Ugh… Commander, I think I need to rest for a while—”
“Ah, this would be a good title for the article.”
Hugo, ignoring Andreas’s complaints, recited a couple of article titles he had in mind. Loren didn’t seem to think much of them, but she didn’t bother to argue.
Anyway, after tomorrow, the phrases that flowed from his mouth would be prominently featured in newspapers all over the Empire, adorning the front page.
The two people pushed by their superior remounted their horses with slightly tired faces. Following their commanders, the escort quickly finished preparing to leave. Finally, led by the Legion Commander riding a white horse, the escort turned its bow towards the Zodiac.
The Council headquarters was noisy yet quiet. Outside the fence, crowds of people detoured according to the control, forming a long line. Armed members were arresting specific individuals who were inciting discord and safely guiding citizens trapped in the passageway.
Staring at the chaotic scenery that was vaguely revealed through the curtains, Meterion muttered into the Magic Tool for communication in his hand.
“Yes, he’s gone.”
He tapped the pipe tobacco in his other hand to shake off the ashes accumulated in the bowl. Leaning against the wall in his vest, he took a short puff of smoke and exhaled it slowly.
“I think he probably passed through the Gate by now… Either way, I’ve set up a chase team, so I should hear from them tonight.”
His deep green eyes stared at a picket sign flickering among the crowd.
‘Fair Trials Now!’
Meterion snorted derisively. The person on the other side of the Magic Tool asked for the reason, and he stopped trying to suck on the pipe and answered.
“It’s nothing. I just saw something interesting. Anyway, as soon as I succeed in contacting him, I’ll contact you. Let’s talk about the specifics then.”
He finished the conversation simply and threw the Magic Tool with the communication cut off onto the table. The Magic Tool rolled around on a map before stopping halfway. It was a map showing all the paths leading to the Gate of Agrigento Territory.