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Bermuda Chapter 65
🕑 Added 2024-04-21 11:54:42 +0000 UTCChapter 65
As if a bolt of lightning had struck from a clear sky, the sound of thunder echoing through the valley caused all those leading the vanguard to look back.
Hugo, who was standing at the very front, didn't turn around, but from the sensation of strong mana brushing past, he could tell without looking that the guy had used some kind of large-scale magic.
The roars of the Sigals had been heard a few times, making him slightly worried about the rear, but contrary to that worry, it was clear that the creatures directly hit by the mana he had just felt couldn't have even gathered their bones. However, the excessive scale of it seemed to confirm that his suspicion about Leonardo's unstable mana control since earlier was not his imagination.
'It would be troublesome if it continues to be unstable.'
It wasn't that he doubted Leonardo's control ability, but considering his vast and powerful mana, it was a matter that couldn't be ignored for the safety of the entire group, even if he thought about the worst-case scenario.
'If I try to put the handcuffs on him again, he won't obediently listen.'
Hugo had various thoughts, but he had to clear the path ahead first, so he spoke in a low voice to the company commanders of the vanguard whose gazes had been drawn to the back.
"Focus."
At Hugo's voice, they all turned their heads and stood in formation again. Among them, Meterion, the battalion commander, turned his head last and said to Hugo,
"It seems like the big ones have approached, wouldn't it be better for me to go to the rear?"
Hugo, who had been watching the front, answered without even looking at Meterion's face, as if he was saying something unnecessary.
"I don't think there's a need for that."
"Agrizendro, why are you entrusting the rear to that guy?"
When Meterion asked bluntly, Hugo lowered his eyes for a moment and slowly shifted his gaze to him.
"With you and me at the vanguard, I just balanced it out by having someone equally capable at the rear."
His tone was calm as if it had no particular meaning, but Meterion had a face that didn't seem convinced at all.
In fact, the other company commanders gathered there had the same thought, but they wisely refrained from bringing up that topic.
Hugo also had no intention of paying attention to the questions they harbored one by one, so he didn't explain further and turned his eyes back to the graveyard of bones piled up in front.
As they approached the entrance of the cave leading to the 4th peak, numerous human bones were discovered in the hollowed-out pits visible to the commanders' eyes. They were all crumbled and broken, piled up like a tomb, and pieces of clothing or objects they had used during their lifetime were also scattered around, finely fragmented.
At such a bizarre scene, the scout personnel were currently wearing gloves and equipment, conducting an investigation near the bone graveyard. And one of them hurriedly approached Hugo, showing him a bone fragment, and said,
"Commander, based on the examination of the bone fragments, it seems that a considerable amount of time has passed since they became skeletons. One peculiar point is that there are traces of being scratched multiple times by something sharp."
When Hugo reached out his hand, the investigator immediately handed the bone fragment he was holding to Hugo. As he said, the bone fragment was covered in scratches as if it had been scraped by something.
"Were they attacked?"
"That's what we're speculating."
"Hmm..."
The surface of the bone fragment wasn't very clean, and its color had faded as if dirt and impurities had dried and stuck to it. Hugo looked at it and muttered in a small voice,
"It looks like the traces of a Soutos..."
Hearing his words, Meterion snorted beside him.
"Why would a deep-sea fish species like Soutos be in the middle of the peninsula's inland?"
It wasn't a pleasant tone to hear, but his words were also correct, so Hugo didn't particularly answer and quietly looked at the bone fragment before handing it back to the investigator.
At that moment, two Council members who had been urgently flying from the front, searching for something, spotted the vanguard of the Central Branch and immediately approached using teleportation. They seemed to be in quite a hurry as if a big problem had occurred.
Eventually, one of them saluted Hugo and Meterion and reported,
"Loyalty, I am Warren Schneider, a liaison officer from the 12th Battalion of the Council's Southern Branch. During the operation from the 7th peak to the 19th peak in the eastern zone of Elder Millie, some Drocs and Sigals deviated from the planned route and disappeared. I hereby report this."
"Drocs and Sigals?"
Hugo listened to the liaison officer's words and looked back once. After staring at the foggy path behind for a moment, he eventually turned his head back and said to the liaison officer,
"Tell them it's been taken care of."
"Pardon? Already... you mean?"
"Yes."
"Ah, yes, understood!"
The two liaison officers had puzzled faces at Hugo's answer without even checking, but they immediately saluted again and disappeared from sight using teleportation. Meterion looked at Hugo with dissatisfied eyes.
"I don't know what you're trusting to be so confident. You haven't known that guy for long, but aren't you putting too much blind faith in him and his mana? How can you be sure that the sound just now wasn't an attack on our members?"
"...I'm not completely trusting him either, but at least he's not someone who would intentionally harm the members."
"That's your opinion."
"..."
To Meterion, who kept raising objections about Leonardo, Hugo let out a tired sigh, looked at him with cold eyes, and asked,
"Meterion, what do you want to do?"
Then Meterion answered as if he had been waiting,
"Put me next to Leonardo Blaine. I'll be there as a surveillance measure."
Hugo looked at him for a moment with furrowed brows, then asked him with an incomprehensible face,
"I don't know why you're going to such lengths. Is there a reason you need to stick with Leonardo?"
At Hugo's words, as if sensing something strange, Meterion kept a momentary silence and then opened his mouth,
"I'm saying this because you're being uncharacteristically soft on that guy. In a situation where it's not enough to put handcuffs on him and keep an eye on him, do you think Delua can properly control him if he goes wild now?"
"..."
"From my perspective, this situation looks like you're just hoping that guy will stay put and leaving it to chance. I can't accept this situation. That's why I'm saying I'll watch over him."
Hugo found Meterion's words even more incomprehensible. At first glance, it seemed like he looked down on Leonardo, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that he strangely wanted to stick with him. Even though he had no reason to do so.
The Meterion that Hugo knew was the successor of the Clinder family, which had a considerably large influence even among the noble faction families and valued honor. He was the type to cleanly complete the tasks he was assigned, but he wasn't the type to eagerly participate in missions going to such remote areas.
Even while briefly talking with Loren before coming to the peninsula, Hugo had felt that Meterion's behavior of readily volunteering to go to the peninsula was different from usual, but nevertheless, Hugo had tried his best not to think too much about it.
However, the Meterion in front of his eyes right now seemed sufficiently strange despite having made up his mind like that. Originally, it wasn't to this extent, but since earlier, he had been nitpicking and attacking Leonardo at every turn.
He didn't know what Meterion was thinking, but Hugo had no intention of listening to him any further. Therefore, Hugo decided to play a strong hand by bringing up a topic he didn't really want to mention.
"Could you give us a moment?"
The commanders and investigators who had been waiting as if dead nearby raised their heads at the Commander's voice and looked at him. The commanders, who had met each other's eyes a few times, immediately gave a light salute and quickly distanced themselves from the two. They all knew the atmosphere wasn't good, so their steps were faster than ever.
When they had moved a certain distance away, Hugo turned his eyes back to the front.
"Meterion, do you think Delua can't control him?"
To that, Meterion answered as if asking the obvious,
"You know it too, don't you? You won't deny it."
At the unrestrained answer, Hugo blinked his eyes slowly once and opened his mouth,
"Yes. She is a strong battalion commander, but if Leonardo seriously goes wild, such a situation could arise. However, if we assume that, there's one thing I want to make clear."
Hugo then gazed coldly at Meterion with sunken eyes.
"In my judgment, you also can't control him."
Instantly, veins bulged on Meterion's forehead. However, Hugo continued speaking,
"Have you ever fought him with all your might? I've confronted him in close combat for more than half a day. So I can say it more clearly. Leonardo is not someone you can keep an eye on. So, as a battalion commander, I'd appreciate it if you quietly followed my judgment as the Commander."
Invisible sparks flew between the two gazes that crossed in the air. The veins on Meterion's neck gradually became more prominent as he put strength into it, but Hugo, who had no intention of considering his pride, gave one last clear warning.
"I hope I don't have to bring this up again."
Hugo hoped that a situation where he had to compare his colleagues' mana with Leonardo's in front of them would not arise. They were the battalion commanders of the Council, who had higher pride than anyone else, and they were the strong ones who never received an evaluation of being weak anywhere.
Nevertheless, the reason why Hugo brought up this topic to Meterion was not only because he hoped Meterion would quietly follow his words but also because he didn't want Meterion Clinder to linger around Leonardo and needlessly provoke his temper, causing problems in this subjugation.
If a problem arose, he was the one who had said he would take responsibility, so he had to nip the buds of discord in advance.
Meterion's expression also turned cold upon hearing Hugo's words. However, Hugo turned his gaze to the company commanders who were waiting as if there was no more conversation to be had.
"If there are no meaningful findings from the investigation, let's depart again."
Comments
Jesse Gibson
I think I definitely agree with you, it’s weird how he all of sudden wants to do things he’s never done before and how he has constantly been trying to be the one to be near Leo.. it feels like it has to be either his family that wants Leo or like you said a higher up. I’m leaning more towards yours because he seems to really look down on Leo and it feels like he’s not there to help him that’s for sure. Or maybe part of the same group of people who betrayed Leo the first time and ruined his life
Bernie Jay
That Meterion is sus as hell. I wonder at a deeper conspiracy from higher up to discredit Leo and ensure he stays in the Empire’s hold….!?
Jesse Gibson
For the first time, I want to hug Hugo and not punch him. FINALLY! Man you were such a frustrating character to like! Finally, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed his attitude towards that dingus Meterion
