By Zephyria The forefront of the Fidele Territory heading towards the Eldermilli Peninsula, in front of the Gate in the border area.
In front of the Council’s subjugation force’s temporary headquarters, the Hares royal guard and some of the support troops who were about to depart for the peninsula were gathered and busy preparing for battle today.
Cordelia, who had roughly eaten a few pieces of bread, was waiting for the royal guards to finish their meal and was checking the condition of the horses waiting to depart one by one.
Recently, the stables near Paren’s main camp were attacked, and the horses that had been with the royal guard for a long time were sent away, and horses that had been raised in the territory were newly put in. The problem was that the horses that felt the energy of the demon beast often deviated from the formation.
She couldn’t read the expression in the eyes of the black and large horse, but she felt bad because the eyes seemed to be afraid. When the hot and humid wind blowing from the peninsula swept through the border area, the horses got excited and kicked and puffed out their nostrils, so Cordelia kept stroking the horse’s nose and mane to calm them down.
Recently, the air has become hotter and the weather has become more severe, and it has been difficult to see the clear sky as much as her gloomy heart.
It was after she heard the news of the collapse inside the peninsula and that Leonardo was included among the missing.
Still, thinking that Leonardo Blaine would be safe, she turned her steps to fill the horses’ feed troughs one more time before leaving.
After walking a few steps, she saw Bruno staring intently at the scattered pieces of paper on the table inside the personal tent. Bruno had been in that state ever since the deaths occurred due to the Dermokas’ attack some time ago, and after receiving the report on the investigation status sent by the 9th Battalion of the Southern Branch in succession.
Cordelia, who thought that he was also trying to forget his sadness and confused feelings and trying to immerse himself in something, stopped walking and headed to Bruno. Then, she leaned against the entrance of the tent and knocked on the iron pillar to let him know that she had come.
As the rough sound of the iron pillar rang out, Bruno, who had been immersed in it, suddenly raised his head. His brow was furrowed as if he had been concentrating too much.
“Ah, Sir Hares, what’s going on?”
Seeing that, Cordelia felt a little sorry, as if she had disturbed his concentration.
“Ah… no. It’s nothing much, I was just wondering if you had eaten. I don’t think I’ve seen you rest lately.”
Seeing her face, Bruno seemed to realize something and rubbed his forehead, his expression softening as he spoke.
“There’s something in the reports I received recently that’s been bothering me. I guess I’ve been so preoccupied with it that I’m a bit out of it.”
The dark circles under his eyes and his gaunt face made him look pitiable. He wasn’t directly fighting the demon beasts in the peninsula, but he was staying up all night agonizing and planning operations to support the combat personnel.
He gathered all the information collected through the messengers, selected safe routes, distributed supplies and food to each battalion, and ensured that the wounded were quickly returned to the temporary headquarters for treatment, or, in serious cases, transported in escort vehicles to nearby medical facilities.
On top of that, Bruno had been entrusted with some of the Supreme Commander’s authority due to the lack of contact with him during the search for the missing, so all decision-making was concentrated on him, making the burden all the greater.
Knowing his situation, Cordelia couldn’t easily tell him to take care of himself.
“…Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Yes? Ah, no. Sir, you are already providing great assistance in establishing operations, going back and forth between Paren’s main camp and the peninsula. I appreciate the thought.”
At Bruno’s words, awkwardly smiling and politely refusing, Cordelia realized that he needed more time to concentrate alone and nodded lightly.
“I understand. Then I’ll head out again as soon as the knights are ready. Please let me know if there’s any other news.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
Cordelia exchanged a nod with Bruno and turned to step out of the tent. At that moment, she paused, seeing a man running towards her from the front, carrying something in his arms and panting heavily.
“Sir Hares, good day!”
He shouted that immediately and dashed into the tent. Startled, Cordelia reflexively stepped aside, her gaze following him.
“Vice Commander, please take a look at this!”
He was Gray Scott, the Vice Commander of the 12th Battalion of the Southern Branch of the Council, and unlike his usual neat and tidy appearance, he looked flustered today, not even properly dressed. His hair was sticking out every which way, as if it had been pressed down or blown by the wind.
Everyone in the operations department had been like that lately, but it was still a little strange to see the meticulous Scott looking like this.
He immediately spread a large piece of paper, as tall as himself, on the table and showed it to Bruno, saying,
“About what you ordered me to investigate before. I think it’s correct. This half of the shape almost matches!”
“……!”
At Gray’s words, Bruno’s tired eyes widened, and he stared at the unfolded paper as if he were about to bury his head in it.
Bruno didn’t say a word, but the hand that swept across the paper was trembling slightly. Thanks to that, even someone who didn’t know could guess that the paper Scott had brought was quite important.
Cordelia wondered what it was that was causing such a commotion and stood there watching. Then, she paused when Bruno, with a serious expression, suddenly raised his head and looked at her. She wondered if it was a confidential matter within the Council that she shouldn’t be hearing.
Just as she was about to nod again and leave, sensing the situation, Bruno hurriedly stopped her.
“Sir Hares, may I ask for your opinion on something?”
At those words, Cordelia stopped and turned to look at them, asking,
“Yes? What is it… about?”
“Would you take a look at this?”
Bruno hurriedly grabbed both corners of the large paper that was spread out on the table and held it out in Cordelia’s direction. Seeing him, Cordelia entered the tent as if possessed and approached them. Then, she slowly recognized what was drawn on the paper that Bruno was holding out to her.
It was a map. It was a compressed drawing of the terrain of the Elder Millie Peninsula, and it was so large that the tall Bruno had to stretch his arms out as far as he could.
Seeing that the southern half was incomplete, with only the ridges roughly marked, it seemed that the Council’s Elder Millie Peninsula subjugation operations department was collecting information and drawing the map by hand, one by one.
There were dots marked in dark colors here and there on the map, and although it was impossible to know what they were, it was the most detailed and perfect map of the peninsula’s terrain that had ever been made.
Cordelia was inwardly impressed, but she wondered if they wanted her to praise them for drawing it well, and she wondered what to say. Then Bruno asked her.
“Can you tell what this is?”
“Ah, yes. Isn’t it a map of the peninsula’s terrain? You drew it quite… well.”
“You are well aware of the fact that ancient ruins are being discovered in the Elder Millie Peninsula. Our Council’s subjugation force has been fencing off and marking all the ruins discovered in the peninsula under the orders of the Supreme Commander.”
“……”
“The dots marked here are all the high pillars or stone statues that serve as the standard within the ruins, marked as dots in order to transfer those areas to the map.”
When she nodded blankly, Bruno gestured to Gray this time. At that, Gray took another thin piece of paper and handed both ends to Bruno.
When the two pieces of paper were overlapped in Bruno’s hand, the map behind it was clearly visible through the thin paper.
What was drawn on the thin paper was a picture of some kind, and it was a connection of each of the thick dots that were marked on the map earlier. Cordelia’s eyes gradually widened as she looked at it. Seeing that expression, Bruno spoke to her once more.
“Unlike common ruins, the ruins of the Elder Millie Peninsula have a curved shape, not a straight line. This is the most plausible shape we’ve come up with by connecting those reference points with various types of curves. Now, what do you see?”
Cordelia slowly took a few steps back. Then, what was drawn on the large paper finally came into view at a glance.
The two men’s earnest gazes seemed to be hoping for her to give them some kind of answer.
Cordelia blinked slowly and moved her lips blankly.
“Magic Circle.”
Soon, she raised her head and turned her gaze to the two men. Cordelia composed her trembling voice and said clearly to the two men.
“I see half of a Magic Circle.”