By Zephyria Flynn and Leonardo returned the way they came and rejoined the line. Leonardo went straight to the rear, and Flynn returned to Hugo, who was at the very front.
“Commander, we’re back.”
Hugo, who was looking at the detector and map, turned his head at Flynn’s voice.
“Okay, was there anything wrong?”
“Yes, we really only found minerals.”
Hugo folded the map he was holding and asked again.
“What kind of minerals were they?”
The Commander had told him to monitor Leonardo, but Flynn was a little embarrassed because he didn’t expect him to ask about the type of minerals. However, he soon recalled what he had seen and said.
“Um… there were mimetites and amphibole series…. Oh, I got a few from Blaine earlier.”
Flynn, who was listing what he had seen, took out the mineral that Leonardo had given him on the way back from his pocket and handed it to Hugo. Hugo put the half-dozen or so minerals in his palm and looked at them, then chuckled.
“They’re all valuable. Does he know how to see minerals?”
“It seemed like it. He gave it to me, saying it was expensive.”
Among them, Hugo stared intently at a blue mineral with a subtle glow. Flynn, who saw where his gaze was directed, continued.
“It’s a dillato series mineral. I asked him what he was looking for, and he said he was going to make magic stones for amplifiers.”
“Amplifier?”
Hugo immediately concentrated a very slight amount of magic power on the hand holding the mineral. Then, the magic power temporarily increased and the surface froze instantly. Hugo, who was stroking it, said with a slightly puzzled expression.
“He shouldn’t need something like this.”
“I thought so too, but… Blaine said it was because of that thing around his neck. I couldn’t ask him any more details.”
Hugo’s eyes narrowed at the words that it was something around his neck. It was because he didn’t expect him to bring up that topic first. He also wanted to ask, but it was a topic that he had avoided because it seemed like a sensitive issue.
Certainly, it was said that it was for suppressing magic power, so he might need an amplifier to produce proper magic power. Hugo had never experienced a situation where he couldn’t draw out all the magic power he could originally use, but he could fully sympathize with how frustrating it would be just by imagining it.
When he thought that far, he understood to some extent Leonardo’s purpose of trying to make an amplifier with minerals.
However, Hugo felt that this mineral would only help with temporary amplification and wouldn’t last long. Besides, if he amplified Leonardo’s vast magic power, it would break soon.
He had a few questions, but Hugo kept his mouth shut for now because Flynn said he couldn’t ask him any more details. Then, he looked at the blue mineral on his hand once and handed it back to Flynn.
“Okay, good job.”
* * *
The line, which had gathered at the designated time and place, began marching again after a while, quickly crossing the interior of Peak 4.
Although they reorganized in the middle, the members were clearly more tired than when they had started as time passed. However, it was dangerous to suffocate if they spent the night in the middle of a cave far from the outside, so they had to find an open place or a place where air could circulate.
Therefore, the people in the vanguard, including Hugo, sent some exploration personnel ahead to find a suitable place to set up a base camp and were slowly leading the line.
And just as everyone returned without any gains, Squad Leader 8 and the squad members, the only ones from the Central Branch’s 1st Battalion included in the subjugation force, reported that they had found a suitable place for the base camp.
The place they found had a large cave wall pierced into the mountainside of the peak, allowing cool air to circulate, and the floor protruding outside the cave was flat and wide, making it a suitable place to spend the night.
And below that, columnar joint-shaped rocks gradually lowered in a terraced pattern and connected to the wider mountainside, making it suitable for accommodating a large number of people. Of course, it was a sheer cliff right next to it, but that kind of place would rather prevent demon beasts from approaching all night.
Under Hugo’s orders, the geologists examined the bedrock to see if it was a safe place to stay. After a report came up that it was strong enough after a while, Hugo said to the commanders in the vanguard.
“Let’s set up today’s base camp here.”
At his command, the commanders moved in an orderly manner to spread the order, and the members unloaded their luggage and began setting up tents. Large tents for the commanders to use were set up right in front of the cave, and the members set up their individual tents in rows in the spacious area below.
In the meantime, Hugo put a makeshift table with the commanders and discussed the demon beasts appearing in this area and the entry route for the next day in advance.
“Dermokas appear frequently at this point, so the marching speed will inevitably be slower than today.”
“But didn’t we fall short of the scheduled speed today as well?”
“I think it’s better to move in company size after entering 1/5 of Peak 4.”
The company commanders each preached their opinions. Hugo was listening to their words, looking down at the map with his arms crossed.
Before long, just as the commanders’ tents were almost all set up, the rear ranks of the line arrived at the base camp one by one. As the rear guard personnel were slowly arriving last, Hugo discovered Dellua in the gap and gestured to her.
“Rivera Battalion Commander, this way.”
Dellua and Marlene, who saw that, hurriedly approached. However, Leonardo, who came with them, stood still at a slightly distant location.
“Leonardo, you come here too.”
Leonardo, who had been hesitating at Hugo’s words, also approached the operation meeting table. Hugo put his hand on his left shoulder as if to cross his back to give him a seat and pulled him to his side. But at that moment, Leonardo flinched and noticeably guarded himself, knocking Hugo’s hand away and escaping from his arm.
At Leonardo’s actions, all the commanders who were standing around the operation meeting table and discussing became silent.
Hugo, feeling the rapidly stiffened atmosphere, stared intently at Leonardo, who seemed a little surprised by his actions. Then, he lowered his arm, which had been pushed away into the air, and said.
“I was rude.”
Hugo said that he was the one who was rude, but the gazes of those who were watching became sharply cold each time they saw Leonardo’s disrespectful behavior towards the Corps Commander.
That was because there was no way they could look favorably on the young man who had pushed away the hand of the Corps Commander, whom they respected so much. Dellua and Marlene, who had been with Leonardo all day and had some goodwill, quietly watched the situation.
As silence filled the area in front of the table, a very small sound broke the silence and was heard.
A small snort as if mocking him. Hugo and Leonardo simultaneously turned their heads to the direction of the sound, and Meterion was standing there. Hugo indifferently turned his eyes back to Leonardo and examined his expression.
Leonardo was staring at Meterion with a slightly furrowed brow.
‘Who is that?’
Hugo, having confirmed his face, which didn’t look very good, broke the silence and mentioned the next day’s progress route and the patrol route around the base camp.
The meeting resumed with Hugo’s words as a starting point, and Leonardo listened quietly, only adding a few words each time Hugo asked for advice. And each time, he met the different eyes that were directed at him, but those gazes were never comfortable.
“Let’s end the meeting here, and the commanders of each unit will immediately organize the night watch and patrol rotation personnel and report to their superiors. Battalion commanders will collect the final information and deliver it to me before going to bed. The rest will have personal maintenance and rest after dinner, and the wake-up time tomorrow will be unified at 6:00 AM Fidele time.”
“Yes, understood―.”
“Dismissed.”
“Dismissed―.”
The commanders quickly scattered and went to spread the announcements to the members of their respective units. Leonardo stared blankly at their backs. And Hugo was also watching Leonardo’s appearance and pondering about the reaction he had shown earlier.
‘His hands and back seemed to be okay, but is he particularly sensitive to his shoulders?’
When he first entered Fidele territory and he got off the wagon and he put his hand on his shoulder, Leonardo showed a surprised and guarded appearance. At that time, he thought it was just because he wasn’t in a good mood, but looking back at the situation just now, it didn’t seem to be just that.
As Hugo was making various guesses while looking at the back of his head, Leonardo moved his feet as if he was trying to go somewhere. Hugo asked from behind.
“Leonardo, where are you going?”
Leonardo, who stopped and turned around at the sound of him calling him, replied as if it was obvious.
“I’m going to set up my tent too.”
Then Hugo pointed to the tent over his shoulder and said.
“There’s no need for that. You’ll share my tent.”
“…What?”
Leonardo frowned and asked again.
There was the largest tent located right behind the place where the commanders gathered to have a meeting, and it seemed that it was the tent used by the Corps Commander. Leonardo, with a face as if he had heard something he shouldn’t have, blinked and alternately looked at Hugo and the tent before answering firmly.
“I decline. I like using it alone.”
Leonardo said that and immediately turned around and walked away quickly. And behind him, Hugo’s voice, which was just as firm, was heard.
“It’s not a suggestion. It’s an order.”
Leonardo, who had been walking away quickly, stopped abruptly. Turning around again, he glared at Hugo with a face that said he was being unfair.