By Zephyria The general’s eyes widened for a moment. His expression froze as if he had been hit in the back of the head.
He didn’t move for a few seconds, as if he was trying to understand the meaning of the words. Leonardo Blaine, who seemed to be momentarily out of his mind, raised the corners of his mouth and added.
“So, I can’t leave here. I still have a lot to do.”
Leonardo Blaine used the expression ‘shouldn’t leave’ instead of ‘can’t leave’ so that it wouldn’t appear as if he was being held captive against his will. Even that sounded ambiguous to the general’s ears, but the other party’s will was clearly conveyed.
The general stared at Leonardo Blaine with a complicated gaze. Then, he struggled to move his frozen lower jaw.
“I… see.”
Leonardo Blaine deliberately made a more composed expression to the other party. Then, so that his friend, who had taken the courage to help him, would not be hurt, he put his good right arm around the general’s shoulder and patted him on the back.
“Still, thank you.”
Leonardo Blaine, who whispered in his ear, stayed by his side for a few seconds as if responding to his warmth. He might have stayed a little longer if it wasn’t for someone watching coldly in the distance.
Soon after, Leonardo Blaine took his arm off his shoulder and took a few steps away from the general to create a suitable distance. He then slowly moved his steps towards the back of the general. The general also slowly turned his body following him.
The scene that unfolded before his eyes was the figure of a hero of a country standing with the reason why he had to stay on his back, shining brilliantly in the middle of the vast land.
The general let out a small sigh. He felt a throbbing in one corner of his elevated heart. It was because he knew the heart of wanting to protect his country, even though the countries were different.
The general looked around the wide sky for a while before returning to Leonardo Blaine again. Then, he covered that gentle smile on top of bitterness. He lightly bowed to Leonardo Blaine, letting go of the hands he was holding.
“Whatever the situation, I fully understand your intention to stay for your country.”
The general hid his regretful heart and humbly accepted his friend’s resolute will.
“I… think I’ve committed a rudeness. Forgive me, my friend.”
“…No, it’s not rude―.”
Leonardo Blaine hurriedly waved his hand. The general chuckled at the sight, but also let out a sigh of unknown meaning. However, he soon paid his respects with all his heart to the hero’s will, which was so noble that it was foolish.
“Even though you are not a soldier, you still love your people and say that you will protect your country with your life. I don’t know what happened to such a noble person… but I hope that you will be able to regain the glory that you deserve as soon as possible.”
The general took a step back. He stood with his waist and shoulders straight.
“You are the most honorable soldier I have ever seen, and your mindset and spirit are more noble than any saint. …Aren’t you the true soldier and true hero of this era? I will also follow your will and work harder for my country.”
The general slowly blinked his eyelids. Soon after, he raised his right hand and placed it reverently on his left chest. He smiled gently and saluted in a solemn voice.
“Glory to Laina Rogia.”
Leonardo Blaine, who had been staring blankly at the other party, suddenly came to his senses at the sound. Then, he put his fist on his left chest following the general and sincerely conveyed it to the other party.
“May God’s blessing be upon Paren.”
A pleasant breeze swept between the two, who had exchanged greetings between the two countries. A faint smile hung on the lips of the two people, tickled by the gentle breeze.
After a while, the general, who had lowered his hand first, strode up to Leonardo Blaine and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Then, he glanced in the direction of the Legion Commander. The general, bowing his head slightly, whispered secretly to his friend.
“But, if you change your mind, come find me anytime. If a golden flame ignites on the beacon between Paren and Fidele, I’ll take it as your signal and move immediately.”
His softly curved eyes seemed to be joking, but the content was so specific that it sounded half serious. Leonardo Blaine stared at him, trying to fathom his intentions, but the general didn’t add any more words, just blinked one eye and sent a wink.
“Well, I’ll be going now. I feel like the back of my head has been pierced since a while ago.”
The general gently stroked Leonardo Blaine’s back and naturally pushed him forward. Thanks to that, Leonardo Blaine took a step or two forward and made eye contact with Hugo, who was standing in the direction the general was gesturing with his chin.
“……”
After exchanging glances for a moment, Leonardo Blaine turned around again. Then, he hesitated and cautiously asked the general, who was standing with his approaching aides.
“Will we be able to meet again, next time?”
The general, who was greeting his subordinates, replied to his question with a gentle smile.
“Of course. We will definitely meet again.”
Leonardo Blaine, nodding at the confirmation, finally turned around without hesitation. He widened his stride and walked almost running. He approached the one waiting for him.
Hugo, who had been standing still, reached out his hand to the approaching gold, as if to welcome him.
Leonardo Blaine, who had been hurrying, slowed down as he got closer to the other, and finally stopped. Leonardo Blaine looked up at Hugo instead of taking his hand. As Hugo raised his eyebrows, his golden eyes narrowed slyly.
“When we get back, buy me something delicious. You know, that place where you bought me food.”
Asking him to buy him something delicious out of the blue, Hugo’s gaze became questioning at the sudden remark. However, he soon recalled the moment when he sat facing Leonardo Blaine at the restaurant in the Council.
The guy stuffing his mouth full and devouring the food was probably one of the few happy faces he remembered of him. Hugo relaxed his stiff expression and nodded.
“Okay. I’ll take you there again, and I’ll take you to even better places.”
As Hugo replied and reached out his hand again, Leonardo Blaine finally smiled and smoothed the collar of his clothes behind his neck. Then, Hugo’s Magic Power, which was about to return to its intangible form, was suddenly caught and torn out into Leonardo Blaine’s grasp.
The surging blue Magic Power was engulfed in golden flames and disappeared before the two people’s eyes.
Hugo had attached it in advance while tidying up his clothes, in order to find out what kind of conversation they had later. But Hugo was speechless at Leonardo Blaine’s actions, as if he knew it.
At his unusually flustered appearance, Leonardo Blaine simply chuckled without gesturing for an explanation. Then, he shrugged his shoulders, meaning he would let it go, and gently placed his hand on Hugo’s hand.
The two turned and walked side by side on the road back to their homeland. Cordelia and the Council’s commanders flocked to their side.
Hugo stared straight at Leonardo Blaine in the crowd, then suddenly turned to look at the general of Paren. The general was simply gazing at their backs with a soft smile.
^
“Blaine, get good treatment. If you have time later, I hope you’ll visit Fidele again.”
Cordelia seemed very sorry to part with Leonardo Blaine and kept holding his hand, promising a later meeting. Her eyes were already red. Leonardo Blaine, who was watching, felt very uneasy.
Around them, members were running around busily, completing wheel and fuel checks, and putting the seriously injured into transport vehicles. Leonardo Blaine was also standing in front of the transport vehicle waiting in the middle of the line, saying his last goodbyes to those he would soon be parting with.
“By then, the peninsula problem will be almost resolved, so I want to invite you to my castle and treat you with all my heart. I want to share more of the stories we haven’t finished, and I want to properly show you how beautiful our territory is.”
Cordelia put aside her usual strong appearance for a moment, and at this moment, she stroked Leonardo Blaine’s face with affectionate eyes. Because of that, Leonardo Blaine had no choice but to make a firm promise to Cordelia, even though he couldn’t be sure of his future.
“Yes, I will definitely visit. So please don’t be too sad.”
After saying that, he hesitated for a moment, then opened his arms and carefully hugged his former superior. Cordelia also hugged Leonardo Blaine and buried her face in his gentle touch patting her back. The tears she had been holding back finally burst. She trembled her shoulders slightly with her head bowed for a while.
Before long, she remembered that the knights were watching, so she quietly wiped her eyes and stepped back, but the tear glands that had already lost control failed to protect her dignity. One of the knights handed her a handkerchief, embarrassed. Cordelia quickly tidied up her face with the handkerchief she received, then forced a smile at Leonardo Blaine.
Behind her, those who approached next were the commanders of the Southern Branch, who were now quite familiar.
12th Battalion Commander Isabella Roslin and 12th Battalion Vice Commander Gray Scott. And Liner Molton, the 9th Battalion Commander of the Southern Branch, was slowly walking with their support.
Leonardo Blaine suddenly realized that this was the first time he had faced Liner Molton since the end of the battle on the peninsula. He hadn’t shown up at the last conference either, so to be honest, he was secretly worried that he might be on the list of the dead.
As if his worries were unfounded, Liner Molton deliberately smiled playfully at the other. But his complexion was not very good. His face was ashen and his lips were colorless.
Above all, the missing part of his body was foreign. Whether all the necrotic areas had been cut off, Liner Molton’s left arm was only left with his shoulder.