By Zephyria Hugo, having returned to the Council, sat on the sofa in the reception room and gazed out the window at the darkening sky. The Zodiac sky was already dyed a dark, early morning color. The commotion inside had finally subsided late into the night.
Hugo, who had finished preparing for the conference and was rubbing his stiff eyes, turned his head and asked the person sitting in front of him.
“I’m not sure if it’s right to send him away like this.”
Abraham, who was skimming through the contents of the verdict, glanced up. He took off his glasses and put them down, then picked up the teapot with the tea properly steeped.
“It’s the right thing to do. There’s no reason for that child to be entangled in such a muddy affair. He’s been doing well, so he’ll do even better in the future.”
Abraham added as he tilted the teapot.
“If you want to see him, it’s not too late to meet him after the internal affairs of the Council are settled. You gave him a lot of money and he’s a smart child, so he’ll live wisely wherever he goes.”
The internal affairs of the Council included the origin of the old-fashioned handcuffs, the illegal mining of the 3rd Legion Commander, Kenneth Weaver’s instigator, and the opposition of the councilors who refused to accept the verdict.
Each one was a major and troublesome issue. Moreover, Hugo maintained a nonchalant gaze at his teacher’s remark, “If you want to meet him,” as if he knew everything.
A subtle smile, as if he knew everything, followed him. As the gaze of the sly old fox reached his face, Hugo turned his eyes and the direction of his target.
“Weren’t you the one who wanted to meet him so much? Why didn’t you even say hello until the end?”
It was a question referring to Leonardo. Abraham paused for a moment as he was about to lift the steaming teacup. The small teacup looked cute compared to his imposing figure. After letting it cool down a bit, he answered calmly.
“The situation was such that I didn’t have the time to do so.”
His heavy voice scattered into the air as if it were an insincere statement. Hugo stared at his teacher with sunken eyes.
He was originally someone whose thoughts were hard to read, but recently, that tendency had become even more pronounced. He was a teacher who had always been interested in Leonardo. However, while Leonardo was staying at the Council, Abraham had never directly met him or requested a private meeting.
As he stared at him with suspicion, Abraham savored the tea aroma and continued.
“I didn’t have the face to face that child.”
“…But you didn’t ultimately refuse to change the chief judge. I think you tried hard enough. In the end, he was released.”
Hugo answered immediately, as if he had expected it. An inscrutable smile spread across Abraham’s lips.
He seemed to be sparing his words and changed the subject.
“The league schedule will be temporarily suspended. It’s chaotic both internally and externally, and we can’t have a festive atmosphere when it hasn’t been long since the funeral. You’ll have to take care of your territory for a while as well.”
Hugo knew that he had changed the subject, but he didn’t bother to ask.
“…I’ve been away for a long time.”
“Go tomorrow, don’t worry about the disciplinary action. Shorendo is there, so take a week off and come back.”
A sudden vacation during a busy time was not really a vacation. It was a way of saying to take refuge for a while until the situation calmed down.
Hugo, knowing that meaning, quietly lowered his eyes. He soon turned his head to the window and replied.
“Yes, I will return as soon as the conference is over.”
[ The Ember Cauldron ]
‘Cauldron?’
The unique name of the inn, which sounded like it would be hot, was enough to catch the attention of Leonardo, who was looking for a place to stay for the night. After dealing with the trackers, he deliberately mingled with the crowd and moved to the downtown area. However, perhaps because he had been staying in the Legion Commander’s private room for a while, he couldn’t find a place he liked.
He thought it would be better to go in wherever he was drawn to before it got too late, so he looked around for a while to see if there were any other tails. He then slowly opened the round door in the red brick exterior. His face was that of Terzio, a low-ranking merchant, after a long time.
Creak―
He wondered if the doorknob in the center was meant to resemble a cauldron lid, and just then, the employee at the counter greeted him as if they had been waiting.
“Welcome―. Are you alone? Accommodation, meal?”
The interior was cozy and warm, and the pub on the first floor, which was immediately visible, was neither too noisy nor too quiet.
“Both. I’ll have a meal first and then go up.”
“Yes―, one night’s stay including meals is 1,700 Bell, and the menu is the same at this time. The corner table over there is quiet, so it’s good for one person.”
Leonardo, taking out change from his wallet, listened to the employee and looked for a place to sit.
AM 4:00. It was a very late or early time for locals to be walking around. But it was an appropriate time for a secretive Mage to be wandering around. Weary guests were sitting sparsely, chatting or eating alone. The place the employee pointed to was the most secluded spot behind a corner.
It was a bit dark, but it seemed suitable for organizing his luggage alone. Leonardo paid the price, received the key, and headed to the corner table that the employee had pointed out without hesitation.
He took a seat and first sniffed his clothes to see if they smelled of blood. Fortunately, he had already changed into his magic robe. He couldn’t get the new clothes he had received as a gift dirty.
“Would you like a drink too? You look like a traveler, how about our Cloud Brew?”
The employee, who had followed him and placed the plate and utensils, asked in a friendly manner. Cloud Brew was a uniquely flavored beer made with hops and malt grown at high altitudes. It was one of the must-try specialties when visiting Celestia, but unfortunately, his current state didn’t seem like he could handle alcohol well.
“Instead of that… do you have orange juice?”
“…Juice? Of course, we do.”
The employee gave him a puzzled look but said he would prepare it soon and returned to the counter. Leonardo lit the short candle on the table.
As the view became subtly brighter, the atmosphere became even cozier. He began to rummage through the wallet he was holding.
“There’s nothing to take out.”
It was what he had taken from the pocket of one of the trackers earlier. It wasn’t right to swipe someone else’s wallet, but he had almost been lynched, so pickpocketing was just a cute act, right?
Leonardo took out a few bills and put them in one corner, then examined the crumpled pass and the wallet’s logo, which he had glanced at earlier. There were a total of three passes, two for entering Celestia and one for going to Fog Town.
The wallet’s logo was a symbol of a historic leather craft shop known to have originated in Fog Town.
“Buckle Smith, huh….”
It was one of the businesses invested in by the Kleinder family, and Fog Town was originally a representative city developed within the Kleinder family’s territory.
Leonardo, roughly guessing whose orders the guys were acting on, shoved the wallet into his backpack with a bothered expression. He had forgotten about their existence for a while because they had surprisingly given a clean vote of approval during the trial.
“Did that bastard become my enemy? He’s persistently trying to find me.”
Leonardo, suddenly reminded of the information delivered by the white Butterfly, rested his chin on the table and pondered deeply.
‘Or… is he afraid?’
He muttered and cursed, then took out the Artifact Hugo had given him. Just as he was about to open it, an employee approached and placed a steaming potato soup and a cheese-dripping sandwich on the table.
“Is someone bothering you?”
Leonardo, having received the last of his orange juice, paid extra and gestured that the rest was a tip. It was meant to convey that he didn’t want to be bothered, but the employee smiled broadly and walked away with a face that didn’t reveal whether he understood.
Soon alone again, he finally opened the Artifact. There were quite a few things inside.
Sealed combat rations, spare clothes, various Magic Tools, and a small velvet pouch.
He first took out the unidentified pouch, which looked very luxurious, and peered inside.
“Oh.”
There were a few small items inside, and among them, a photograph caught his eye. Two men, looking awkward, sat side by side with forced smiles.
Leonardo immediately picked up the photo. It was a rainy night when his face was flushed, perhaps because of the bright lighting. He remembered that moment.
“He gave me this.”
His melancholic eyes curved like a crescent moon. It was a photo taken with Agrizendro at the photo studio.
The candlelight flickered over his handsome face, making the photo look like a masterpiece. The nostalgic color it cast painted Leonardo’s face with the same hue. He slowly lowered his slightly raised lips and carefully caressed Hugo’s face in the photo.
His gaze, heavy with emotion, traced each feature of his face.
His affectionate eyes, as if he hadn’t seen him for a long time, already missed him.
Leonardo tried to suppress his heavy heart. He kissed the photo and quickly put it back in the pouch, as if someone would take it away.
Next, he picked up a key about half the size of his palm.
‘Is this the key to that villa…?’
Even the handle looked luxurious, leaving no room for doubt. He didn’t know when he would use it, but he vowed to visit Hugo’s villa someday and put it back in the pouch.
Then, he saw 50 million Bell in crisp, new bills in a thick envelope and was surprised anew. He vividly remembered the council members who had risen up in the courtroom, so he didn’t expect them to actually give him such a large sum.
However, Leonardo thought of this not as compensation paid by the Council, but as financial compensation given by Agrizendro for regaining his freedom.
It wasn’t just a small amount, and he felt uneasy because Hugo seemed to have spent a lot of money on him. In fact, 50 million Bell was enough for Laina Rogia’s commoner family to live comfortably for about 10 years without working.
‘I should bring him something like Dragon scales later.’
Just as he was carefully packing the money with the other items, he noticed a trace of fabric lining the inside of the pouch. Curious, he touched it and felt something stiff inside, like a wax-sealed letter envelope.
‘Could it be a handwritten letter?’ He hurriedly tore it open, but what was this?
“……”
The contents were not a letter but a check. A blank check, no less.
His wide Gold Eyes checked the scribbled amount and signature. As expected, Hugo Agrizendro was written in the issuer’s signature field. And the amount was….
‘One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million….’
Leonardo’s mouth widened as he read each zero. After blinking for a long time, he held the check up high and examined it again properly.
He wondered if he had miscounted or if he had added a zero by mistake.
He frowned and muttered in disbelief.
“This is worth several castles…?”