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Bermuda Chapter 168
🕑 Added 2024-06-26 11:20:51 +0000 UTCChapter 168
With Leonardo's assertive words, silence flowed between the two.
However, their intertwined gazes were not silent.
The floating flame and light ball, as if responding to their two owners, moved on their own and stuck together. As the faint two lights combined and reflected on the crystals, the dark space was entirely dyed bright.
Thanks to that, the shadows flickering around their eyes were erased, and each other's expressions became more distinct.
Leonardo, who found the prolonged silence uncomfortable, frowned for no reason.
"I said all that, but why is there no reaction?"
There was a hint of embarrassment mixed in his blunt voice. Hugo's gaze, sensing it, escaped from the golden eyes and turned to the handkerchief in his hand.
He slowly savored the words Leonardo had given him while holding and touching the dry handkerchief. It seemed to be a rough yet certain encouragement delivered in his own way, as it would be too awkward to add various side remarks.
Hugo's lips gradually loosened as he understood that intention. A smile that seemed indifferent yet pleasant, which only the person facing him could know, followed.
Before long, the blue eyes that had been wandering around his hands moved back to Leonardo.
"Thank you."
At those words, Leonardo's furrowed brows melted away smoothly. It was a quick change of expression to the point of being absurd even to himself, but it was also strange to frown again at the person who thanked him.
Hugo looked at his relaxed eyes and conveyed once more.
"Thank you, Leonardo."
Leonardo, who had been moving his lips a few times, rubbed his chin with his hand and composed his expression appropriately. In fact, he wasn't very used to this kind of atmosphere, so he was often at a loss as to how to react whenever he was approached like this.
Perhaps because of that, he, who had been searching for a suitable answer, turned the topic in a slightly grumbling tone.
"You're so good at treating other people's wounds, but how come you can't do it for yourself?"
Hugo's eyebrows rose slightly. It seemed to refer to when he had treated the member with a swollen ankle earlier.
Suddenly, the question he had tried to forget came to mind again, but he seemed to have no intention of asking it now, so he answered without revealing it.
"I can treat external injuries to a certain extent if the range is not wide, but since it's not my main attribute, I'm not very good at other things."
"..."
"But now, you'll save me, so it's okay even if I can't do it, right?"
There was a faint smile on his lips as he spoke calmly. Leonardo, who heard his words, blinked for a moment. Soon, a chuckle that seemed to find it absurd escaped.
It was newly surprising that a person who seemed like he would never rely on anyone was saying such things. Moreover, the fact that the target was himself felt awkward to anyone who knew the past time between him and himself.
Because of that, Leonardo furtively threw his gaze far away. His shoulders were unknowingly tense. He cleared his throat with a fake cough and glanced at Hugo with narrowed eyes.
"You're not teasing me again, are you?"
At his sudden question, Hugo asked back with puzzled eyes.
"...Teasing?"
"You sometimes tease me by repeating what I said."
Hugo thought for a moment if he had ever done that.
He did suddenly recall playing with words a few times to Leonardo, but he couldn't agree with it in this situation, so he just smiled slightly instead.
"No way. Everything I said is sincere."
"..."
Leonardo had a half-believing, half-doubting expression. However, he soon decided to let it go, seeing Hugo's face that had become much softer.
In the first place, it was a word he had given to lighten the heavy atmosphere and to ease his worries, so whether it was sincere or a joke, the intended purpose was achieved.
Leonardo, who chuckled as if his plan had succeeded, habitually rested his chin on his hand and slightly tilted his head. Thanks to the exquisite angle, the light from the crystals gently settled on his hair and eyes.
"I'm sincere about saving you too."
Hugo thought it seemed as if he had decided to steal his gaze. Whatever the intention, as he faithfully responded to that attraction, he suddenly felt the lingering thoughts that had been following him like a shadow had somehow been cleared away.
The situation hadn't changed much, but his words, one by one, made the corner of his heart that had been heavy all along comfortable. Moreover, the fact that the target was Leonardo Blaine was something he couldn't even imagine until not long ago, considering their past relationship.
Leonardo blinked slowly as he gazed at Hugo, who was immersed in a new sense of emotion. Soon, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
Although the commander, who looked tired and exhausted, had a certain human charm,
'Still, a smiling face is better...'
Tok, tok, todododok-
The sound of something like a pebble bouncing and rolling echoed through the quiet space.
It wasn't a loud sound, but it was enough to cut off the gentle flow.
Without even having a chance to enjoy the lingering conversation, Leonardo's gaze immediately shifted to his feet. A small crystal fragment was lying next to his foot.
It definitely wasn't there until just now.
"..."
Leonardo, who had been silently looking down at it, glanced at Hugo's eyes.
Hugo, who had looked at Leonardo at a similar timing, then moved his gaze in the direction where the crystal was presumed to have rolled from. Leonardo also followed his gaze.
Not far from where the two were sitting, there was a narrow cave with pitch-black darkness.
It was a place they had tried to enter after seeing the mark left at the entrance but stopped, and they clearly knew it because they had already wandered and entered it once.
There were no crystals growing on the ceiling of that cave. Moreover, it wasn't an environment where something could break and fall due to natural erosion.
In the first place, if this small fragment had rolled from there to here, it wasn't that it had fallen vertically and bounced, but it was correct to assume that someone had flicked or thrown it in this direction.
When their thoughts reached that point, they were convinced that there was another presence here besides the two of them.
If it were a member of the Council, there would be no reason for them to act like that in a place where the commander was, and there would be no reason for them not to reveal themselves until now, so the two people's thoughts solidified into the idea that it was not an ally for now. Then, their breaths were instinctively stifled.
Todok, tok, todododok-
As if desperate to make its presence known, another crystal fragment rolled out from the cave. The intention was unclear, but it seemed to be trying to lure them into the darkness.
The first to quietly rise was Hugo.
Hugo nodded slowly while giving a glance to Leonardo. Afterwards, he approached the entrance of the cave, minimizing the sound of his footsteps, and an ice spear with a sharp blade was slowly created in his hand.
His softly relaxed face from a moment ago was nowhere to be seen, and his eyes were as cold as they could be. His gaze was fixed on whatever existence inside that had greatly disturbed the atmosphere.
From memory, when entering there, a sharply curved corner appeared not far in. Hugo's guess was that something might be hiding behind it.
Following him, Leonardo also got up from his seat. If the existence inside was a monster, a situation where they had to chase it right away could arise, so he also had to prepare for an attack in advance.
When he shook his hand down once, a blazing flame sword was instantly grasped in his hand. Leonardo, who had also heightened his vigilance, took a step forward, following Hugo, who was leading the way.
But at that moment, that strange voice brushed past his ear again.
"Hungry."
Leonardo, who flinched reflexively, closed his eyes tightly and grabbed his head. It felt as if the voice heard in his ear was climbing up his eardrum and messing up his brain, even smashing it.
'Damn it, why again...'
On top of that, this time, an unusual headache rushed in, making his head throb. Leonardo clenched his teeth and stifled his voice. Because of that, Hugo was completely unaware of the situation behind him.
Hugo, who had even refused the light ball for fear of stimulating the existence, whether it was a creature or something else, had already entered deep into the cave and reached the point just before the curved path.
The blue eyes pressed tightly against the wall shone silently in the darkness.
Before long, he slightly raised his arm, grasping the ice spear again.
***
"How was it over there?"
"There were no unusual traces. The commander wasn't there either."
At the answer of the platoon member who had hurriedly run over, the 8th Platoon Leader turned her head to the right. Another platoon member who made eye contact gave the same answer.
"It was the same here."
She let out a low sigh. The radio that had lost communication was held in her hand as she brushed her hair back.
"Where on earth did he go..."
For several hours, the members of the 1st Battalion of the Central Branch had been desperately searching for the commander while simultaneously searching for the location of the mother body. It was because no one had seen the commander after briefly encountering him only in the early stages after crossing the crack.
Of course, since it was "that" commander, what could possibly happen to him, but if they had seen his complexion that had become paler than usual, soaked in sweat, even once, they couldn't help but be concerned.
Moreover, before entering Peak 118, Flynn, who couldn't follow, had asked them to please attach at least two people to him if he tried to go alone, so the 8th Platoon Leader was worried either way.
'I should have stuck with him.'
A platoon member who had been hesitating at the sight of her biting her lips tried hard to bring up a positive remark.
"But since Leonardo Blaine is with him, wouldn't it be okay?"
For a moment, the 8th Platoon Leader turned to him with cold eyes. It was an expression that asked if he was really saying that now. The platoon member who met her gaze quickly closed his mouth, but a few seemed to agree to some extent. Seeing that, the 8th Platoon Leader sighed in a different sense.
Eventually, she counted the number of members gathered with her eyes. Then, after scanning the paths laid out around her once, she spoke in a weighty voice.
"Attention. The three on the left and three on the right will go back the way we came and resume the search. The remaining five will enter a new path with me, and if a fork appears, we will split up then. If you encounter the commander along the way, be sure to request to accompany him and send me a signal by creating a wind. Understood?"
"Yes, understood!"
The platoon members who answered her instructions were about to quickly disperse by dividing the personnel. The 8th Platoon Leader called them to a halt for a moment.
"Wait, I told you to always move in groups of three, so keep that in mind at all times, and if you happen to lose your way, I will create a whirlwind every 30 minutes, so follow the direction the wind blows from."
"Yes!"
The platoon members, who answered vigorously again, moved swiftly in the designated directions at her gesture to go. Afterwards, the 8th Platoon Leader looked at the remaining five and flicked her hand as if to follow her.
The group led by her stepped toward the dark cave visible in front of them. Three light balls entered the cave first to illuminate the path they would take.
Among the rugged rocks, Degalianif leaves resembling acacia were sparsely growing. Seeing the grass growing even in the barren environment, the members were newly amazed and couldn't take their eyes off it.
Because of that, their attention was slightly distracted, and at that moment, a suspicious shadow passed by on the other side of the widely stretched cave.
Tak-
As the platoon leader suddenly stopped walking, those following behind her stopped in unison. Before the member at the very back could ask what was going on, she looked straight ahead and asked in a loud voice,
"Who's there?"
For a while, there was no answer. The two members right next to her reflexively brought their hands to their swords. However, the 8th Platoon Leader stopped them with her hand while keeping her gaze fixed.
Inside Peak 118, it was difficult to sense the energy of monsters or the presence of others because the power of the seal was stronger than in other areas. Because of that, no one except her had noticed the existence beyond, but since the platoon leader had asked who it was, they were assuming that the other party could at least understand words.
After a brief silence, a sigh that seemed to be mixed with regret echoed through the stillness. The 8th Platoon Leader, who had narrowed her eyes, quietly observed the spot where the movement of air was felt.
Before long, someone who had been hiding and concealing their appearance at the corner where the path bent slowly walked out. The sound of dragging on the dirt floor and the sluggish gestures gave the impression of reluctantly coming.
The 8th Platoon Leader sent the light ball a little further back to illuminate the feet of the approaching person.
After a moment, a face frowning from the glare was revealed under the light ball with increased brightness. She, who had been watching with caution, suddenly made an expression as if she had never thought of it.
"You're...?"
"Hello."
The man, who immediately smoothed his brows and put on an awkward smile, was definitely a familiar face.
She wondered where she had seen him before, and it was the member who had kicked the Dermocas with his foot and knocked it out in an instant when it woke up earlier.
And he was also the member who had shattered the commander's ice with his bare hands.
Comments
Jesse Gibson
Nero boo.. you getting caught
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