By Zephyria 
Sunlight poured down, shattering through the fluttering leaves. Even with his eyes closed, the warmth spread in a red haze, making him realize the world was still bright. A breeze blew in, softly caressing his face, and the rustle of the lush zelkova trees tickled his ears pleasantly. The sound of waves from not far away added a natural harmony to the scene.
Leonardo lay nestled in a cradle formed by tree roots, savoring a long-awaited inner peace.
“Are you a Fire Mage who can’t even start a proper fire?”
In his two hands, clasped behind his head, the warmth of the comrades he had once held in a tight embrace still felt vivid.
And the boisterous voices served as a reminder that it hadn’t been a dream.
“Fire doesn’t start easily on branches covered in dew. Besides, the sea is right in front of us. Senior, you’re the one who picked up something weird, so why do you keep blaming me?”
“What, my fault? Look at the way this kid talks. Acting all tough just because the Captain is here? Just dry it off, you idiot.”
“Do you know how advanced a technique it is to dry it just a little? The ignition point varies depending on the type of branch—”
“How did someone like this even get into Dark Silver?”
Here they go again. He had tried to paint a beautiful picture in his mind, but the conversation he was hearing wasn’t particularly nourishing. Of course, that made it feel more affectionate. Because they were as childish and unchanged as ever.
Who would ever think of these people as Dark Silver?
Leonardo let out a short laugh with his eyes closed, eventually breaking into a chuckle. In the past, he would have told them they were being noisy and to be quiet, but honestly, right now, it was more welcome than anything.
“Ah!”
“Sigh, I knew you’d do that. Good luck on your own.”
“Ah, Senior—”
He couldn’t remember the last time he had lain down without a care in a foreign land, away from familiar places. He didn’t have to keep watch in all directions or worry if a tail was following him, because these guys were doing it for him. He felt as if he were floating on a cloud.
“The wind is quite strong today, isn’t it? Senior, help me.”
“Nope. The senior who picked up the weird thing is opting out.”
However, following Nero’s short scream, the atmosphere over there became urgent. Since this was a common occurrence, Leonardo didn’t pay much attention. But a moment later, a deep shadow cast over his face, and Finder’s characteristically languid voice drifted close by.
“Captain, I think you should wake up.”
Leonardo frowned and opened only one eye halfway.
“…Why?”
“Because that looks like it’s going to spread.”
Blinking his drowsy eyes, he sluggishly pushed himself up, and in the direction Finder’s fingertip was pointing, he saw something burning. It was clearly not a campfire; the flames were catching onto fallen leaves and growing in size. Nero had his hand inside the pit of fire, and Taylor was watching with her arms crossed, as if telling him to handle it himself.
It seemed he had dropped some kind of tinder while trying to light the firewood and was now rummaging around to move the source of the spark. However, the speed at which the flames, pushed by the sea breeze, were devouring the leaves was unusual. At this rate, he wouldn’t just be framed as an arsonist; he’d actually become one.
Around then, Nero, sensing that the surroundings had gone quiet, snapped his head up. He flinched upon locking eyes with Leonardo.
“C-Captain, please just keep resting. I’ll take care of—”
Whoosh—
Without a word, Leonardo reached out while still sitting and temporarily cut off the oxygen in the vicinity. Consequently, the fiercely flickering sparks died down instantly, as if covered by a blanket, leaving only wisps of white smoke fluttering.
Lowering his arm, he leaned on the ground and tilted his head. A look of pathetic disbelief lingered in his Gold Eyes.
“Do you plan on burning down the whole mountain?”
Nero looked down with a bewildered expression, then gave a sheepish grin.
“The ground that’s been burned once stays nice and warm.”
It was a peaceful afternoon.
“He only knows how to burn things; has he ever even put out a fire?”
Taylor chuckled mockingly as she took a loud, crunching bite of an apple. Leonardo, who was drinking a bowl of venison stew to her right, glanced at her and added a comment.
“Taylor, as a senior, you should help the youngest when he’s flustered.”
“I found the branches for him, isn’t that enough? More importantly, I wanted to have a meal in a fancy place, not somewhere like this. With our Captain♡”
As she complained in a coquettish voice, Nero, sitting to the left, muttered to himself while skewering a piece of meat.
“That’s because the senior did something so conspicuous…”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, would you like some meat? Should I grill it medium?”
“I’ve been liking well-done lately. Demon beasts have to be cooked thoroughly.”
“Yes, sir!” As if he had never grumbled, Nero answered briskly and grilled the meat until the surface was crispy. His skill in adjusting the intensity of the campfire was not that of a novice. That was because, in the Dark Silver 11th Unit, the youngest was always in charge of fire control during meals.
He didn’t know how things were now, but in this moment, he was exactly as he had been back then, and Leonardo let out a small laugh. Noticing this, Nero, who had looked up, asked him.
“What? Why are you laughing? Captain, well-done too?”
“I’ll cook my own. Just don’t burn it again.”
“Hah, really. Where else would you find someone who grills as well as I do?”
The four of them set up camp at the edge of a shallow forest, sitting in a circle around the campfire. The rock, moderately scorched by Nero’s playing with fire, kept their backsides warm. There was a slight chill in the sea breeze, but thanks to the fire, the area around them was cozy.
Since Taylor’s flamboyant entrance, which had drawn all eyes in the plaza, could not be ignored, her dream of having a conversation over a meal at a nice restaurant had long since vanished. Instead, a meal most fitting for Dark Silver had been prepared.
Finder, who had flipped over the lid of a military mess kit, poured out canned pineapple, and poked at it with a dagger, placed a few pieces on a shared banana leaf plate and asked.
“So, how have you been lately?”
Leonardo, who took a skewer and popped a piece of fruit into his mouth, realized the question was for him. He swallowed it after barely chewing and replied.
“Me? You guys already know, don’t you? I’m even playing in the league matches now.”
Since this was something unimaginable back in his Dark Silver days, Leonardo spoke as if confessing, hiding his embarrassment. For a moment, silence fell among the three.
It wasn’t that they didn’t know; rather, they were tense, wondering if the Captain knew they had secretly gone to the stadium. Finder, quietly shifting his gaze, continued as if it were no big deal.
“I knew because it was so noisy, but it’s because of that, right? The Exacore.”
“Yeah. Because of the Noble Faction’s uprising, it’s become difficult to procure Etaid throughout the Empire. But then, guess what? A higher-grade quality appeared, so there was no reason not to participate.”
Similarly, Finder took a bite of a skewer where meat was sizzling and spoke while chewing.
“That’s for demolition, right? But aren’t there already plenty of explosives? We’ve piled up quite a few on our end; why go through the trouble of using that?”
“The Gates of the Zodiac are different from ordinary Gates. The barrier towers that divide the Magic Power control sections are the same. Most explosives wouldn’t bring them down in one go. And the moment that happens, the chance for a retry vanishes, and everyone gets arrested as insurgents. My head would go snap—”
“Geez, don’t say things like that. Just in case.”
Nero frowned, waving his hand as if the thought were unlucky. Leonardo chuckled, saying it was a joke, and gulped down water from his canteen. Taylor watched him quietly and then cut in, as if she had been waiting.
“Even so, it was unexpected. I didn’t think the Captain would step forward personally. Of course, there’s no one else besides the Captain who could participate and win, but you’ve been living hidden away all this time. You barely met us, too.”
Though it sounded like pure curiosity, her tone was intertwined with a bit of resentment and disappointment.
“I was planning to smack you the moment you were released from the Council.”
There was no way Leonardo wouldn’t recognize the complex affection contained within those words. After quenching his thirst, he wiped his mouth and glanced at Taylor’s haughty eyes.
Soon, with a faint smile, he deliberately leaned his face in and answered slyly.
“We met today. Give me a break on the smacking.”
Normally, she would have started with “Where do you get the nerve to speak to the Captain like that?” But today, Leonardo’s reaction was quite soft. It was likely because, meeting after a long time, the joy of reunion outweighed the prickliness of their active-duty days, but wasn’t it cheating to use his natural charm to ask for mercy?
Taylor, who bit into the core of an apple with a crunch, narrowed her eyes and twisted the corner of her mouth.
“You’re a bad man, really.”
“What about you guys? How have you been?”
Having skillfully changed the subject, Leonardo asked his comrades. This time, Nero, who had been poking the firewood with a branch, spoke up.