By Zephyria 
Their conversation blossomed, feeding on time, and by the time the dialogue wound down, the sun had drifted far across the sky.
Though the sunset had not yet stained the horizon, the late afternoon haze urged them onward.
“Shall we get going now?”
Taylor, having reapplied her faded lipstick, dusted herself off and stood up.
After slipping the obsidian mirror into her pocket, she pulled a shimmering cord from her wrist and tied her hair back tightly. The hairband, made from Lanish scales, was elastic and durable, symbolizing an unbreakable bond and good luck. For this reason, it was a favorite accessory for the superstition-prone Taylor.
As she began tidying up, her ponytail swaying gently, Nero sprang up to help.
He poured water over the dying campfire to extinguish the embers, stepped on the remaining charcoal to crush it, and covered the spot with soil and fallen leaves.
“Are we heading straight to the hideout?”
“Probably. Captain, what do you think?”
The two turned their gaze toward Leonardo, who was still sitting on the ground. He had been staring blankly at a single point and only snapped out of his reverie upon his subordinates’ call.
“Huh? Oh, we should go.”
Leonardo rose slowly, as if he had been listening all along. He brushed off his trousers and took a step back, allowing Nero to grab the banana leaves that had been underneath them and burn them in a flash. In that brief moment, save for the smell of burning, all traces of human presence in the vicinity were wiped clean.
“Brother Finder, he says we’re leaving. Come down—”
Nero shouted toward a nearby old tree while stuffing the remaining gear into an Artifact. However, the person was hidden by the lush foliage, leaving no silhouette in sight.
He didn’t even answer; perhaps he was taking a nap. With a sigh, Taylor pushed Nero’s shoulder aside and stepped forward.
“Here we go again. Come out!”
Just as she strode forward, intending to kick the base of the tree, Leonardo—who had used a gust of wind to blow away the scent of burning—suddenly spoke in a serious tone.
“Guys, listen.”
“Yeah?”
Taylor, who had paused with one foot lifted, wobbled before planting it back on the ground. Simultaneously, Nero turned his head. The Captain’s “listen” was a preamble used whenever he had a specific purpose.
Finder, who had been observing the distance from atop the tree, seemed to have heard the soft voice as well. Usually dismissive of the youngest’s words, he took his eye off the scope and looked down. He leaped down lightly, landing on the ground, and caught the awkwardly poised Taylor before stretching his neck from side to side and asking,
“What is it?”
The three of them stood there blankly, like guard dogs awaiting an order.
With all eyes on him, Leonardo hesitated before speaking in a low voice.
“Before that, come with me somewhere.”
“I knew you were plotting something, since you were lost in thought earlier.”
“…It’s just a coincidence that the dates overlapped. Plotting, my foot.”
“Either way, this is great. I’ve been wanting to test-fire this.”
Finder pulled the rifle from his back and slid a cartridge into the chamber, a smirk playing on his lips. He seemed unusually spirited, thrilled at the chance to handle his new lover to his heart’s content. Though nothing had happened yet, he had already equipped his sniping goggles.
Leonardo, walking briskly ahead, glanced back and shook his head.
“We’re not going for a stroll. It could be genuinely dangerous.”
At that, Taylor rushed over and clung to his right arm, replying,
“Since when have we avoided danger? It’s not like the ground is littered with landmines. And even if it were, I’ll save you♡”
Behind them, Nero followed, chuckling as he carried the gear over his shoulder since the Artifact’s capacity had been exceeded.
“In the old days, you would’ve just said ‘let’s go’ and dragged us along. Why the hesitation now? If the Captain says go, we obviously go. You’ve really become too timid since becoming a civilian.”
Despite the heavy load, Nero’s steps were lighter than ever. An irrepressible excitement leaked through his voice. How long had it been since he went on an adventure with his brother and sister? Having been part of the 11th Unit for the shortest amount of time, Nero missed the memories of sharing hardships and joys more than anyone.
He thought he would only be able to roam the mountains and fields with them again after the Captain was reinstated, but an opportunity had suddenly arrived, albeit unexpectedly. Moreover, he was going to fulfill a ‘request from the Captain.’ A proud smile spread across his face.
“…Anyway, keep an eye on the tracker, and just follow behind me until we enter the canyon. I’ve scouted the path beforehand, but it’s such a remote area, and it rained last night, so the situation might have changed.”
“Roger—!”
Taylor and Nero shouted at the top of their lungs, mimicking rookie soldiers. Their response was so excessively loud that it echoed through the tranquil forest path. Leonardo closed and opened his eyes slowly, looking back with a dissatisfied expression.
“You guys—”
He had decided after much deliberation, but he wondered if bringing this crowd along was the right move. One person was unsettling enough, let alone three.
However, seeing the sparkling eyes of his comrades, his heart quickly softened. He simply let it slide with a smirk as he kept his gaze forward.
“Don’t mess around.”
“Yes, sir!”
It felt oddly embarrassing to play the role of Captain after so long. Still, he wouldn’t have summoned the courage if these guys hadn’t come along. Ever since the sudden farewell of the old man, he had been delving too deeply into the concept of ‘death.’
While there are many causes of death in the world, the fact that such a healthy man had passed away after meeting him came as quite a shock. It remained in a corner of his heart, fueling a sense of dissonance.
Even while waiting for the promised fifteen days, it had been on his mind. The fear that someone else might meet him, achieve that ‘task,’ and suddenly die. The fear that the curse the clinging vengeful spirits had whispered tirelessly would actually come true.
The fear that the life of Leonardo Blaine, the spark of calamity and the root of destruction, might be worth less than his death.
“By the way, what’s there?”
Just as he was about to sink back into his thoughts, Nero’s voice pulled him back to reality. Leonardo shrugged and replied.
“You’re asking quickly. I don’t know either.”
“Eh? You said you scouted the path.”
“I only went as far as the entrance. I turned back because it seemed too dangerous beyond that. A thick fog had settled over the area. It seems to act as a barrier. I tested it with another tracker, and it couldn’t lock onto the location at all.”
“Hmm—”
Taylor made a humming sound and zipped her jumper up to her neck.
“Sounds like a very suspicious place. I love it.”
“What do we do once we arrive?”
To Finder’s timely question, Leonardo pulled at his collar to reveal his choker. Keeping his gaze fixed forward, he tapped the surface of the black band with his fingertip.
“Find someone who knows about this. That is the primary objective of this mission.”
The eyes of the three following him widened. Perhaps it was an unexpected revelation, as Nero asked, stuttering slightly,
“N-no way, can that actually be removed?”
“Well, I don’t know yet. But there’s a possibility. I’m not without hope myself.”
“Then that would be huge! Is the information reliable?”
“Nothing is certain. We’re just diving in.”
“Our specialty.”
The four of them maintained a brisk pace, similar to the stride of an ordinary person running. To avoid leaving footprints, they followed the forest path toward the coast, where picturesque, towering rock formations unfolded before them.
With sharp, jagged surfaces and rough waves crashing below, it was not a place where a person would normally set foot. Leonardo leaped down into a crevice between the rocks with light movements. Finder, Taylor, and Nero landed behind him in that order.
And just like that, the four of them were enveloped by the waves and vanished without a trace.
“…….”
Hugo, having stepped out of the carriage, stared at the center of the massive iron gates. He had just entered the Duke’s estate on his way home from work.
The moment the wheels passed through the second middle gate, a familiar piece of cloth flickered in his vision. He stopped the carriage immediately to identify the object. As if intentional, a navy blue handkerchief was tied at a height that perfectly met his eye level.
Embroidered upon it was the crest of the Agrizendro Clan—the Duke’s handkerchief. The guard protecting the middle gate rushed down from the watchtower and was struck with horror.
“Why is this… here.”
A marker of unknown intent had been left brazenly, and since the Duke was the one to discover it, the confusion aside, it was essentially a failure of the Duke’s security forces to perform their duties. As the guard bowed his head deeply in guilt, Hugo reached out and slowly untied the knot of the cloth.
Hidden beneath it was a single note.
Hugo took the note without hesitation and slowly unfolded the folded sheet. Two simple sentences delivered a sudden notification.
I’ll be unreachable for 3 days.
I’ll kiss you when I get back.
“Hah.”
An incredulous sigh escaped him.
Narrowing his eyes, he muttered, sounding displeased.
“Always so selfish.”