Chapter 277

"If he tries anything suspicious, signal me. I'll isolate him immediately."

Hugo caressed the back of Leonardo's neck and left forearm, which were wrapped in a handkerchief, as he instructed. Hearing this, Leonardo slightly furrowed his brow and replied to the other as if it was unnecessary:

"I told you he's not a dangerous person, didn't I? I said it earlier too. We met during Parren's War of Independence. So we're quite close. If anything, he probably likes me more than these people do?"

Leonardo spoke while gesturing with his chin first towards the two Southern Branch battalion commanders who had come as support troops, and then towards the Parren general standing at a distance. At this, the two battalion commanders who had been watching him from afar flinched and turned their heads away.

Hugo was momentarily at a loss for words at Leonardo's statement, which seemed to have noticed the wariness. He had deliberately avoided introducing them, hoping Leonardo wouldn't notice, but it seemed impossible to escape his keen eye.

It would be unnatural to add anything at this point, so instead of speaking, Hugo tidied Leonardo's collar and lowered sleeves. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke:

"...Alright. In any case, I'll be here, so just exchange brief greetings and come back. We don't have much time, so don't stay too long."

Although it might sound harsh, it was true that they didn't have much time. Hugo's seemingly quite displeased appearance gave Leonardo a fresh impression. Saying that it wouldn't hurt to greet him first, and even openly emanating mana, he seemed quite displeased with this situation.

Of course, it was certainly the general's fault for ignoring procedures and rushing into the territory armed. Although Leonardo thought the treatment might be too rigid for someone who had cooperated in the peninsula subjugation, he realized that if Turandos troops had crossed the military demarcation line and done the same thing, it would have been enough to start a war, so it was a natural course of action for an imperial duke and the Council's Commander. That's why he had specifically asked for permission to talk.

Therefore, Leonardo didn't reiterate to Hugo that this person was alright. Instead, he nodded, saying he understood, and burrowed into the large hand, hooking his fingers as if making a promise.

"I'll be back soon."

Then Leonardo turned and hurriedly walked towards his waiting friend. Hugo's hand twitched to follow but didn't reach Leonardo's collar.

The general, who had been forced to step back with his aides, quietly stood with his hands behind his back, waiting only for Leonardo. As soon as he saw Leonardo approaching, a bright smile spread across his face. At the same time, the aides guarding the general's surroundings and about a dozen Council members kept a respectful distance.

The two faced each other with welcoming expressions in the middle of the bare ground, without chairs or screens. Watching their quickly warming atmosphere from afar, Hugo let out a quiet sigh. Cordelia, who was beside him, glanced at him and spoke as if to say not to mind:

"Your Excellency, although that fellow has some peculiarities, he's a person who values courtesy and integrity. He's been constantly saying he wanted to meet Blaine and that he's indebted to him, so you don't need to worry. Didn't Blaine himself say they were friends?"

"It's because they're friends that it's more problematic."

Hugo answered in a somewhat cold voice, his gaze fixed on the two in front.

"Pardon?"

Cordelia asked back with a puzzled expression. Hugo narrowed his eyes and silently crossed his arms.

Until now, Hugo had never seen anyone other than himself call Leonardo by name. Yet this general called Leonardo familiarly by name without a moment's hesitation.

This was the southernmost part of the empire, where the border with another country was within arm's reach. Hugo wasn't sure if a lonely person meeting a friend from another country in such a place could remain unshaken.

He opened his mouth with a voice tinged with a sigh:

"For the past three years, our Council has been searching for even the tiniest trace of Leonardo Blaine. In that process, we encountered numerous groups, institutions, and ambitions pursuing him. What do you think was their reason for chasing Leonardo?"

At this sudden question, Cordelia pondered before answering:

"They want... Blaine's power, don't they? His mana would be attractive enough to be coveted anywhere."

Hugo nodded slightly and continued to ask:

"What if Parren's permanent delegation was among them?"

"...Pardon?"

Cordelia's eyes widened for a moment. She looked towards the front again, following Hugo's gaze.

"Because of the relationship between the two countries, I inquired at my level, but that's an undeniable fact. My lady, I... I sincerely hope that, as you said, that fellow is someone who values courtesy and integrity, despite some peculiarities. I hope he's not the kind to covet what he shouldn't."

Hugo said this while staring at the two who seemed closer than expected.

There was a particular liveliness in the golden eyes visible from afar. The general's curved eyes were the same.

***

"How can you just call me a friend out of the blue? Won't others think it's strange if they hear? I just went along with it because I matched your story."

"What else would you call those who entrusted their lives to each other on the battlefield if not friends? I merely spoke the truth. We are close comrades who crossed the frontlines of death together."

The general said this while grasping Leonardo's hand with both of his and leaning in close. Being naturally affectionate and somewhat peculiar, Leonardo just chuckled and let it pass without saying much. Well, it wasn't entirely wrong.

"At first, when they said I'd be greeting the Commander-in-Chief, I thought it would be the Parren Commander-in-Chief I knew. So I was unsure even when you were running towards me. I didn't know you, no... that you would be here. The last time I saw you, you were just a general."

"That's how it was then. But time has passed, so shouldn't I have been promoted too?"

The general thumped his chest, pointing to the Commander-in-Chief's insignia. As far as Leonardo knew, including the friend before him, there were only three people who had been granted the position of Commander-in-Chief in Parren. It was a position so high that they could be counted on one hand in a country. Thinking about it that way, Agrizendro's actions seemed a bit excessive.

The general added that he had been promoted to Major General for his recognized achievements during Parren's War of Independence, and recently rose to Commander-in-Chief while taking on the peninsula subjugation mission. He then praised Leonardo, saying that his own rise to his current position, despite his weak background, was largely due to Leonardo's contributions.

"If it weren't for you, Parren would probably still be a vassal state of Turandos, and this peninsula issue would have caused severe damage to more than 30% of our territory. I might not even be in this position now... It seems I'm always just receiving help from you. I'm just sorry that my limited insight can't fully express this feeling."

"What are you talking about? How could my presence or absence make such a difference? You and others must have achieved these results because you've done well in your own positions."

Leonardo replied, seemingly embarrassed, while touching the back of his neck. His expression stiffened for a moment, but soon returned to normal and he smiled.

The general let out a subtle smile and said:

"The you I met before was much more confident, have you acquired the virtue of modesty in the meantime? It's perfect."

At the general's embarrassing words, Leonardo awkwardly raised the corners of his mouth. At the same time, he lightly punched the armor near the shoulder blade as if to say that was enough.

However, despite applying almost no force, the general's large body suddenly staggered. As Leonardo grabbed him with a surprised face, the general took a step back with an exaggerated gesture. Seeing this, Leonardo looked at him askance, as if finding it mischievous. It was clearly teasing.

The two maintained a bright atmosphere as they exchanged stories about the subjugation they had been through. When the general started to get emotional, saying he would compose a poem about the moment the mother body vanished, Leonardo cut him off appropriately, fearing he might have to listen to that cringe-worthy performance again.

As they were catching up briefly but meaningfully like this, the general suddenly withdrew his smile and stood with his back to the crowd of Council members. Leonardo looked at him with puzzled eyes. The general straightened his shoulders, shielding Leonardo from people's view, and opened his mouth with a serious expression:

"By the way... I've been hearing rumors about your circumstances. That you experienced an unfortunate incident in the imperial army."

At this abrupt topic, Leonardo naturally closed his mouth. He pondered for a moment how to react to this. Then, thinking there was no need to hide it, he answered with a bitter smile:

"Ah, yes. There were some issues."

"Then, does that mean you're not a soldier now?"

"Well... that's right. I'm a civilian."

The general's eyes darkened as if somewhat shocked. He looked as if he didn't know what to say. Leonardo, who had anticipated this reaction, tried to change the subject. However, the general beat him to it:

"If you're not a soldier, why are you here then? Have you transferred to the Council?"

As the general's gaze swept over the combat uniform he was wearing, Leonardo absently scratched his chest where the Commander's insignia was attached.

"No, this is just borrowed temporarily. I'm not part of the Council either. Just..."

He was about to tell the truth right away, but the words lingering on his tongue were too miserable to convey his current situation straightforwardly.

How could he tell a friend who had been promoted to Commander-in-Chief that he was briefly accompanying them on the condition that he would be released after completing the subjugation, having been caught for disobeying a summons order and then being accused of causing trouble in the imperial capital?

'...It's embarrassing.'

Leonardo, biting his lips hard, quickly searched for another excuse. However, seeing his darkened expression, the general adopted a serious look and slightly bent his waist. He then brought his face close, meeting Leonardo's eyes, and placed his hands on both of his shoulders.

"Leonardo."

Leonardo slowly raised his head. Seeing the shadow in the golden eyes, the general lowered his voice and asked without beating around the bush:

"Won't you come over to Parren?"

Leonardo's eyes twitched.

"...What?"

"I'll help you. If you just say one word here that you'll come over, we can move within a short time, if not immediately."

Leonardo furrowed his brows. He lowered his voice in turn and asked back:

"What do you mean by that...?"

"I only recently found out you were here, so my preparations are insufficient, but... Apart from that, I can't understand why an excellent soldier like you had to suffer such an unfortunate incident, and why you're still here."

The general's Adam's apple moved slowly. Although his eyes hadn't lost the gentleness they had shown so far, the feeling was quite different from before.

Leonardo had a fleeting intuition that the other knew more about his situation than he had thought. Because of this, he remained silent, and the general's hands, which had slid down his shoulders, grasped Leonardo's hands.

There was no trace of jest in his honest eyes, which had steeled their resolve. He spoke firmly in an even lower voice:

"I mean I'll help you defect."