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Bermuda Chapter 116
🕑 Added 2024-05-24 12:24:18 +0000 UTCChapter 116
"That idiot... What if he gets caught."
Leonardo muttered blankly while fiddling with the ring. Although he said that, he couldn't hide the smile spreading across his lips.
This ring was only given to the empire's Armsilvers, and while it didn't provide a significant effect, it had the function of assisting the wearer's mana circulation and fatigue recovery.
However, rather than carrying it for such purposes, people usually placed greater importance on the symbolic meaning of it being an Armsilver's ring. Also, because it was a rare item that few possessed, most engraved the inside of the ring with a mark signifying the owner.
The person engraved on this ring, Nero, belonged to the current military's special elite unit, Armsilver.
He was the last one to join the 11th Squad in the past, the youngest member, and because he used fire as his main attribute, he was also a squad member Leonardo had once closely watched and looked after.
Of course, now it seemed he had grown splendidly enough to save his former squad leader, properly doing his part.
Externally, the 11th Squad was known to have been provisionally disbanded after the court-martial, and the list of squad members was also completely blank on paper, but the squad members at that time had all been scattered to other squads or teams and were still active as part of Armsilver, and their awareness of being the 11th Squad also still existed.
However, after Leonardo, who had been the squad leader, was banished, various restrictions arose, and they could no longer move as freely as before.
They were subjected to stronger control within the military, past squad members couldn't gather in one place in a certain number or more, and although not to the extent of monitoring their every move, their whereabouts were frequently watched by their superiors.
The reason was simple. If they came into contact with the rebel who had disobeyed orders, they could be tainted by impure thoughts, and if several powerful mages with such thoughts gathered, they could plot troublesome things, so it was to prevent unpleasant incidents in advance.
Therefore, meeting while avoiding the surveillance network was no ordinary feat, but still, the 11th Squad clearly continued to exist.
Although he didn't know how Nero had entered the peninsula, it was certain that he had rescued himself and Kenis from the collapse site and moved them here. Thanks to that, they had survived, but he couldn't erase the thought that it was a bit reckless.
No matter how hushed it was, at the point when the news of Leonardo Blaine's arrest had spread like wildfire, the Council had suddenly carried out the subjugation of the peninsula, so the rumor that he was already on the peninsula with the Council's army would have reached the main government agencies through the grapevine.
In such a situation, if it became known that a former 11th Squad member had been on the peninsula even for a short while, it would never be good circumstantially.
Of course, Leonardo thought that Nero would have handled it well on his own, but knowing that he occasionally had careless aspects, he felt a bit of worry.
The joy of his comrade leaving behind a token was short-lived, and Leonardo, who had fallen into thought while biting his lip, was tightly grasping the ring in his hand as if it would disappear like a dream. Then, suddenly feeling a presence, he raised his head and saw Kenis peeking out from behind a column a little distance away, fidgeting as he looked at him.
Kenis, who had been hiding in plain sight, flinched when their eyes met, but soon carefully came out from behind the column and spoke.
"Um, Mr. Blaine. Are you... angry?"
The way he asked while gauging his reaction was like a puppy whining after doing something wrong. Leonardo deliberately maintained an expressionless face as he stared at Kenis. At that, Kenis began to ramble incoherently.
"I-If you're angry, please cheer up... Although the scholar is a bit mischievous, I don't think he meant any real harm. I was also anxious at first and kept a close eye on him. But all along..."
As Leonardo's gaze seemed to be guarding against something, Kenis stood at a slight distance and brought up this and that. However, most of it sounded like a defense of the scholar, so Leonardo didn't pay much attention to it.
Then suddenly, he remembered the scholar's words, 'But you wouldn't let me touch what's in your pants pocket.' Even if the scholar had seen this, it didn't seem like he would have recognized it as an Armsilver's ring, but still, to prepare for the possibility, he needed to confirm whether he had really seen it or not.
Leonardo immediately interrupted Kenis's rambling and beckoned with his hand.
"You, come here."
"...Yes?"
Kenis stopped talking, blinked at the hand gesture, took a few steps closer, and stood in front of him. He seemed a bit anxious and was gauging his reaction, but this time, when Leonardo patted the spot next to him with his palm, Kenis sat down smoothly as if being controlled. Leonardo held out his clenched fist to Kenis.
"Touch this."
"Your hand?"
At Leonardo's sudden instruction, Kenis slightly clenched his fist in the same way. It seemed like he had seen people putting their fists together like this somewhere when pledging friendship, so with the thought that he might be getting acknowledged now, he felt a bit of anticipation.
Kenis hesitated, but at Leonardo's urging gaze to do it quickly, he brought his fist to Leonardo's with a pounding heart. And the moment the fists touched, a spark flew out with a crackle as if pushing it away.
"Aah!"
As a hot and stinging sensation flowed through his arm, Kenis was startled and reflexively pulled his hand away. On the other hand, Leonardo seemed unfazed.
"Wh-What was that?"
Kenis asked, rubbing his hand with a perplexed face. After confirming his reaction, Leonardo lowered his outstretched fist without a word. It seemed there was magic cast on the ring that would resist if anyone other than the owner or a designated person touched it.
Relieved that the scholar's claim of not being able to touch it seemed to be true, Leonardo put the ring back in his pocket and then grabbed Kenis's hand.
Kenis flinched, fearing another spark, but fortunately, it didn't happen this time. Leonardo caressed Kenis's slightly reddened hand with a rather worried face and asked,
"Sorry. Did it hurt?"
It did hurt, but seeing his face asking if it hurt while holding his hand, Kenis couldn't bring himself to say yes.
"Ah... No, it's okay."
As their hands touched and his gaze was blatantly directed at him, Kenis seemed a bit embarrassed and avoided eye contact while answering. At that sight, Leonardo's lips parted for a moment. It was because he had just realized one fact. That he had been overlapping Kenis with the owner of this ring all along.
Thinking about why he couldn't just leave this guy alone, there was the fact that he had said thank you for saving him before, but it seemed that because he had overlapped Kenis's somewhat clumsy appearance with Nero's from the past, the thought of having to protect him had come to him like a sense of duty.
Realizing that, Leonardo's grip on Kenis's hand gradually tightened. He tried to let go, thinking he might give unnecessary affection, but his body moved in the opposite direction of his head. Kenis turned his head to him with a puzzled face.
After looking down at the hand he was holding for a moment, Leonardo gently released it. Then, he stared intently at Kenis and opened his mouth.
"Hey, I remembered."
"Yes? What?"
At Leonardo's words, where the topic suddenly changed, Kenis blinked for a moment, then soon smiled and said,
"I knew it was you who brought us here, Mr. Blaine."
"Yeah, I brought you here."
Eventually, Leonardo grinned and said,
"You better treat me well, okay? I've saved you twice now."
The eyes that had always been cold curved pleasantly. It was his first smile in a long time. As that smile was directed at him, Kenis felt his face flush for a moment.
He had thought to himself for a while that he was a really pretty person, even though he couldn't say it out loud, but seeing this sight right in front of him without any mental preparation, Kenis was momentarily dazed. Then, coming to his senses with a start, he belatedly answered,
"Y-Yes, of course! I'll treat you well..."
At the answer that came out naturally as if enchanted, Leonardo stood up from his seat with a satisfied expression. Brushing off his pants roughly, he rubbed his stomach, feeling the hunger that was only now hitting him, and asked Kenis,
"Those mushrooms you brought earlier. Where did you find them? Were they far from here?"
As Leonardo stood up, Kenis also followed him and answered,
"It wasn't very far from here, but are you hungry now? I saved some just in case."
"No, I told you I don't like that. Not that, do you like something similar to alligator meat?"
At his incomprehensible words, Kenis slightly contorted his expression.
"Something... similar to alligator meat?"
Comments
Jesse Gibson
Ahhhhhh Nero, you sweet baby angel! Don’t know you but I love you for coming to our Leo’s rescue. At least we know that it wasn’t his direct comrades that betrayed him. I’m assuming someone higher up or someone in a similar position that was jealous of the attention Leo got. Or that secret organization? Maybe they manipulated the system to bring Leo down..? Hmmmmmm 🤔
