By Zephyria “He’s a vassal relationship that Baron Penrod appointed as a knight as soon as he received his title, but as you know, he’s not a formal knight. When I showed the servant the photo listed in the personal information documents at the time of the appointment, he only repeated that the face seemed different. He didn’t remember the exact impression.”
“The face is different?”
“Yes. The person he encountered in front of the equipment room had a slightly delinquent feel, but the person in the photo was decent, so he said they didn’t seem to be the same person.”
“…I see.”
“And the flow of funds has stopped for both Baron Penrod and Henry Digliff to this day. It’s been quite a while… wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume they’re dead?”
As Hugo listened to Flynn’s story, he turned over another page of the paper. It contained a record that Margaret Penrod’s and Henry Digliff’s assets and possessions had been abandoned since the incident.
Hugo began tracking the two people’s whereabouts after discovering the name of an unfamiliar noble on the list of party attendees.
An unfamiliar person who appeared at the party. He had apparently appeared with an eye-catching means of transportation from the time he entered, and surprisingly many people remembered Margaret Penrod during the investigation process.
When her partner was included in the three suspicious people picked out by the servant, he was almost certain that he had caught their tail. However, as a result, the servant’s memory and Henry Digliff’s clothing did not match. Subsequently, Baron Penrod’s half-melted metal business card and a watch and tie pin with initials presumed to belong to his partner were found near the first floor hall among the explosion debris.
Internally, they saw it as conclusive evidence that the two had been caught up in the explosion, and eventually they were included in the list of the dead after three months of being missing.
The reason why it took so long to declare them dead was because fragments of the two people’s remains were not found at the scene. Of course, the scene of the incident was a mess of torn pieces of flesh from several people, so it was not possible to clearly identify each individual.
Even Richard Duncan, whom the late Drake Duncan had thrown himself to protect just before his death, was in a wretched form that could not be seen as human in his last moments.
So the councilors, who didn’t know the practicalities, unanimously argued that the two people who were on the list of suspects must have suffered a terrible accident and their whereabouts were unknown. Because the incident had to be dealt with quickly in order to preserve the Council’s prestige.
Hugo still had a lot to say about this, but after being mentioned as a suspect in the explosion and stepping down from his position as the person in charge, the scope of his involvement in the investigation was greatly reduced. In addition, he had lost some of his authority under the pretext of preventing abuse of power in exchange for avoiding disciplinary action for Leonardo’s trial. There was not even an opportunity to raise uncertain suspicions.
Of course, even aside from such restrictions, it was an unchanging fact that Margaret Penrod was the owner of a business with a fairly high rate of return. Considering that the production line had come to a complete stop after she disappeared, it was right to assume that she had died at the scene during the accident.
That’s right. It definitely should have been… There’s always a lingering feeling in cases that are closed due to being rushed by time. Perhaps it’s even more so because he’s burying the suspicion that this incident was a planned terrorist attack alone.
“……”
The blue eyes slid down towards the wristwatch. The watch moved the second hand at a constant speed and pointed to the exact time as always.
At some point, he had become unable to completely trust this watch. The memories and time of that day, which had flowed strangely slowly as if trying to slow down his steps towards his destination, were vivid.
He had the watch inspected several times after cleaning up the explosion site and returning to the mansion, but no traces other than basic enhancement magic were found on the watch.
Then what the hell was that, a simple coincidence?
The silver tip sliding across five numbers at once. It was a chilling sight that made him suspect hallucinations.
Of course, the fact that Leonardo was the subject of that phenomenon was also just a suspicion in the end. However, he needed definite proof that he was not involved in this incident. In some ways, he might have had a similar feeling to the bereaved families. He wanted to find the real culprit and completely clear up the suspicion that he might have foreseen the explosion.
Suspecting the moments he shared with someone he had shared his heart with was an act that ate away at even himself. He couldn’t do it sober at all.
“…Hoo.”
After much deliberation, Hugo eventually put the pen down on the desk without signing.
Then, he set aside the paper Flynn had handed him and the investigation closure permission document. Flynn didn’t show any particular reaction, but cautiously added a word.
“The higher-ups seem to think the investigation is already closed. I don’t think you’ll be able to postpone it for long.”
“I suppose so.”
Hugo replied briefly and turned over a few more documents. Just in time, a document typed in bold letters caught his eye.
“The League schedule has been confirmed in the meantime.”
“The incident is almost over, and it’s almost the new year. The leader said that this year has had many unfortunate events, so it’s an opportunity to shift the flow.”
“A shift in the flow….”
Hugo, who had his teacup caught on his finger, took a sip. His gaze carefully scanned the document detailing the League’s schedule, which would be held next month.
The stadium construction date for holding the preliminaries kept getting pushed back, so it feels like a distant memory when I was giving the manager the stink eye. I don’t know how many months it’s been delayed due to the bad timing, from the peninsula subjugation to the accident recovery.
If it’s an event to change the atmosphere, now is the perfect time. Laina Rogia is about to celebrate its thousandth anniversary, which is a unique record in modern times throughout the surrounding countries and the continent.
Although the imperial family has changed several times in the middle, they all claim to be from a collateral line of the old Laina royal family, and the national name ‘Laina Rogia’ itself has not changed even once during the long years since its founding.
Thanks to this, the pride and upliftment of the imperial citizens are soaring, and their spirit is growing day by day. It was a glorious moment that would not come again in a short human life, so it was not appropriate to spend it only with the sadness of the accident and the atmosphere of mourning.
“It’s the right time.”
The Council has been the host organization of the league for generations, and the councilors seemed to be trying to refresh their image by carrying out the postponed event along with the conclusion of the incident.
The league was not simply a competition to compete for the combat abilities of individual participants. It was recognized as an important venue for scouting personnel to be supplied by each institution. Therefore, not only the three major institutions of the Council, the Imperial Army, and the Royal Guard, but also numerous guilds and organizations, various working-level personnel would attend the games for scouting offers.
However, since there was a requirement to participate that they must be unaffiliated, institutional officials could not participate directly.
“Will Blaine come too?”
At Flynn’s unexpected question, Hugo only rolled his eyes and looked at him. Flynn, confirming that he didn’t seem very happy, smiled awkwardly and continued.
“Well… he’s unaffiliated, and one of the targets being watched by the institutions.”
“No, he won’t come. He’s…”
Hugo, who was about to answer firmly that he hated public attention, suddenly trailed off. He thought that maybe that was just a fragmentary aspect of what he saw.
Leonardo, whom he had last seen, was a precarious and beautiful being that he wanted to hold in his hands and protect. He was as sharp as glass shards due to external perception, and sometimes as warm and brilliant as soft sunlight.
But maybe the situation has changed since then. He was no longer a hunted free man, and quite some time had passed since he let go of his hand in front of the Gate.
Hugo stared blankly at the publication date of the article that first reported the explosion.
[999/08/22]
Then his gaze turned to the schedule management calendar set up on the desk.
[999/13/24]
As he stared at today’s date, which marked the final briefing schedule, Hugo’s brow naturally furrowed. He turned his eyes to the curtained window and answered rather coldly.
“There’s no way that guy, who hasn’t contacted me once in the meantime, would show up in that noisy place.”
Flynn became a clam at Hugo’s reaction. It was unlikely, but he seemed to be upset for some reason. It was different from the emotions that the Legion Commander usually showed, so he was at a loss as to how to respond.
But on the other hand, he could understand his feelings.
He thought they had become quite fond of each other while overcoming the ordeal of subjugation together. Leonardo had not sent any news since that day when they said goodbye in front of the Gate to the Sun.
Since he hadn’t even heard from him, there was no way he could have met him. Like the days in the past when he left recklessly to find him. Leonardo had disappeared from this world as if he had completely vanished.
Even though he knew it was to protect himself, he couldn’t help but feel resentful at times. Still, shouldn’t he be able to write a letter?
And it seems that the Legion Commander, who always maintained his composure, felt the same way.
He would occasionally open the first drawer on the right, and he would suddenly discover a photo and stare at it for a while.
“He must be busy. He was originally a hard person to meet. The Legion Commander also said that it was a miracle that he found Blaine back then.”
Flynn unconsciously revealed a subtle nuance of defense.
“Miracle.”
Hugo repeated Flynn’s words. An existence that can only be met if a miracle occurs. More than a god in mythology. He couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
Coincidentally, he used the word miracle figuratively, but he didn’t really believe in it.
Hugo, who was tapping the desk with his fingertips, moved his lips at a sudden thought.
“Flynn, what was the name of the mineral that Leonardo was looking for on the peninsula…”
“Uh… Etaid?”
“Yes, why did he say he was looking for it?”
“I think he said he was going to make a Magic stone for the Amplifier. Because of that necklace.”
“For the Amplifier… Amplifier.”
Just as Hugo, who was quietly reciting, was about to answer something, a dull knock was heard from the door of the Legion Commander’s office. Hugo and Flynn turned to look at the door at the same time.
Then Andreas’ voice echoed from outside the hallway.
“Legion Commander, can I come in?”
Hugo, recognizing the other person, covered the documents with a low sigh. He then gestured to Flynn.
“Let’s talk again later.”
Flynn, receiving the signal, quickly approached the door. As he pulled the handle, Andreas, holding several yellowish-brown paper bags, stepped inside first.
Andreas shook the bag, which smelled of savory butter, and smiled coolly.
“How is it? We’re the only ones who take care of the Legion Commander, right?”
Loren and Shorendo followed in succession. The quiet atmosphere suddenly became noisy.
Hugo, staring with an absurd look, got up from his seat and greeted them with a hollow laugh.