"Commander!"
Bang, the tightly closed door opened roughly. At the same time, Flynn rushed urgently into the break room.
Hugo and Loren, who had been continuing a strangely cold atmosphere, looked at the uninvited guest who seemed like a savior. Since both had naturally chilly atmospheres when expressionless, Flynn, who had been breathing heavily, momentarily hesitated.
Belatedly realizing his rash behavior, he touched the nape of his neck and bowed his head.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were in conversation and entered without knocking..."
"What's the matter?"
Hugo picked up the tie that had been draped over the sofa armrest and held it out to Flynn. It meant the conversation was over and he would be leaving now.
Loren glanced once at the tie draped in front of her, then lowered her eyes and took another sip of coffee. Flynn hurriedly approached to receive his superior's tie while glancing at Loren beside him. Though the 2nd Battalion Commander's expression was hard to read, the Commander who had been with her didn't look to be in a very good mood.
He wondered if something had happened between the two, but knowing the content covered in the event that had just taken place, he didn't bother to ask for reasons. Instead, he recalled that now was the timing for him to speak first.
"Ah, I just received contact from Gabe. At the participation registration desk in front of the League's 3rd preliminary arena..."
As soon as the words "participation registration" were heard, Hugo's eyebrows reacted subtly. Loren's eyes, who had been leaning against the sofa, also moved to Flynn.
Flynn unconsciously took a breath and raised his voice.
"'Leonardo Blaine' has applied for participation!"
Though he maintained formality since he was in front of the 2nd Battalion Commander, Flynn couldn't completely hide the joy spreading across his trembling lips. The two superiors stared at him silently for a moment. Hugo was the first to speak.
"So?"
Surprisingly, his reaction was calm. Beyond calm, it was cold enough to momentarily confuse Flynn. Even Loren, who had just mentioned that name, looked at Hugo with puzzled eyes. His voice was very dry.
However, Flynn suddenly recalled that there had always been many impersonators of that name. Already, about twenty people had applied to use Leo, Leonardo, or Leonardo Blaine as aliases in the league. Each time, the Commander had personally checked the application documents, and only Flynn could see the disappointment in his sunken gaze.
But this time was different.
"Ah, yes! A confirmation request came in asking whether the official signature in the registration card he presented was indeed the Commander's. Since Gabe received the request, he immediately processed the confirmation, and this time it's the 'real' Leonardo Blaine!"
The moment he heard his adjutant's confident voice, Hugo's eyelids, which had been trying to suppress expectations, opened helplessly. He immediately checked his watch. 6:10 PM based on imperial time. The participation application deadline would have passed.
"When, was the registration properly completed?"
"He registered one minute before the deadline and was entered on the final participant list."
"Is he still there now?"
Hugo asked in a different tone than before. His gesture of grabbing Flynn's shoulder and asking revealed unconscious urgency.
"Ah... since the confirmation request came in about 10 minutes ago, I'm not sure if he's still there..."
Though it was considerable grip strength, Flynn didn't show it and conveyed that he wasn't certain. However, before he could finish speaking, Hugo took back the tie from Flynn's hand. While quickly adjusting his appearance by wrapping it around his neck, he headed straight for the break room door.
Just as his wide stride was about to step outside, Hugo gripped the door frame and looked back at Loren.
"Loren, I know what you meant by bringing up that story. But his inner self that I know is very profound and difficult, beyond what we can hastily conclude. Just like now."
Loren didn't look back at him. Hugo continued in a tone that seemed to maintain composure yet was strangely excited.
"So I intend to support the will he has shown, as long as it doesn't harm the Council's creed and my duty. I'll help him obtain what he wants, and if he wants to come out into the world, I'll become the bridge connecting inside and outside. Of course, as a friend, I'll also keep your advice in mind. So that he won't be uncomfortable."
Hugo speaking like this was definitely smiling faintly.
"You must be tired, so go ahead and leave work. I'll see you again tomorrow."
Having completed the tie knot in an instant, he strode across the corridor with his long legs. Flynn, who had been looking back and forth, also bowed to Loren and followed his superior.
Click—
As the break room door closed carefully, Loren, left alone, silently sipped the cold coffee cup.
The interior, now missing two people, was very quiet and still.
"...."
Though no emotional fluctuation showed in her expression, bitterness rather than peace was evident. Loren closed her eyes tightly and opened them. Soon she looked into the intuition reflected in the coffee cup she was drinking.
On the rippling black surface, ominousness floated.
The cause of the ominousness began with cracks appearing in their perfect leader.
The cracks would collapse the tower the leader had built, put him in a predicament, and cause great turmoil throughout the organization. Loren watched that blurry afterimage and set down the cold coffee cup with a thud.
Her voice, mixed with a sigh, spread leisurely through the silence.
"Hugo. I'm worried about you."
* * *
Raina Logia Calendar Year 1000, January 12th.
Today was the day of the opening ceremony for the league hosted by the Council. The opening ceremony was scheduled to proceed simultaneously at the stadium arena within the Central Branch and at the 5th preliminary main arena located northeast of the imperial capital. Since it was a league held after a long time, the heat of interest was intense, and because demand for opening ceremony tickets was higher than expected, they had added one more venue.
The latter location was the territory of the Agrizendro family and the planned site for a large station to be built soon, and it was a transportation hub where the distant coastline connected inland with developed riverside routes.
A typical stadium needed land that could accommodate large numbers of people while being located in an easily accessible place or having developed transportation. Therefore, Hugo had permitted the construction of an arena within his territory to establish commercial districts around the planned station site in advance, in exchange for receiving land usage fees and construction support funds provided by the Council.
Thanks to this, even though the station hadn't opened yet, the area around the 5th preliminary arena was crowded with merchants and spectators. Not only the lodging industry but also restaurants were enjoying unprecedented prosperity. And this wasn't solely due to the league's hosting.
"Your Grace, it's finished."
The three attendants who had helped with grooming stepped back politely with both hands clasped. Hugo, who had been staring blankly at his speech, lifted his tired eyelids. In the mirror across from him sat a man decorated to the fullest by others' hands, like a trophy.
For the appearance of a duke one day before his birthday, his expression wasn't particularly bright.
"Good work."
His hair wasn't simply slicked back with hair gel pomade, but styled to reveal his forehead while carefully adding volume to each strand. His eyelids and nose bridge, which had been constantly brushed, had deeper shadows added. His naturally pale skin had light color added, making that aspect at least seem improved.
However, Hugo slightly raised one eyebrow at his appearance, which seemed more elaborate than for an audience with the Emperor.
He said while touching his groomed eyebrows and hairline.
"But isn't this a bit... excessive?"
The attendants momentarily stiffened, wondering if their master was displeased with their work. However, the duke's exclusive artist who had overseen the grooming immediately stood beside him and responded firmly.
"Your Grace, today's protagonist, one day before your birthday, is none other than Your Grace. Shouldn't you shine brighter than anyone else on such a day? Just shining isn't enough. You must shine so brilliantly that even from afar, your halo flashes so dazzlingly that people can't properly open their eyes from the brightness. This is what enhances not only the duke's prestige but also the pride and respect of the territory's people."
"...."
"Though you were already born with outstanding appearance and bearing, in my eyes right now, you are more dazzling and perfect than ever. So please don't worry."
The artist, though male, had prominent nasal tones and a beautiful voice, and praised his master while spraying perfume with a satisfied face. People in professions that pursue beauty naturally smile whenever they see the finest work they've created. He felt the highest job satisfaction and kept giving thumbs up.
Though noble men commonly groomed themselves for official occasions, for Hugo, who usually pursued naturalness, his current appearance seemed like mere decoration to show a presentable face to the public. However, since the person who helped with grooming had a point and he knew their efforts had continued for several hours, he passed it over by moderately agreeing.
However, he inwardly sighed at how the situation had turned out. The more conspicuous he became, the more difficult it would be to meet 'him.'
'Of all times, the first test schedule had to be on the opening ceremony day...'
Coincidentally, as the league's opening ceremony was only one day apart from Duke Agrizendro's birthday, Hugo inevitably had to appear before the public today. It was both a major event held within the territory and a symbolic procession for activating the local commercial district. Though he had sufficiently anticipated this would happen, the problem was that Leonardo's first test date was designated as today.
He had even specifically designated the location for his test to be the 5th preliminary arena, but regarding the date, since the dedicated management side randomly selected one day from the participant's chosen dates, it wasn't something he could intervene in. Moreover, as interest in this league was particularly concentrated, the number of participants had also increased much more than in previous years. Because of this, the pre-preliminary test schedule was also moved up slightly to begin from the opening day.
In other words, while he could finally be in the same space as him, it was uncertain whether there would be an opportunity to meet. He was somewhat worried they might regrettably miss each other like last time.
'I have to stay in place until the opening speech is finished and the opening performance ends, so I don't know if he'll wait until I finish my schedule.'
Even on the day he heard the news that Leonardo had completed his participation application, he had immediately gone to the scene. But he had already vanished without a trace.
What was so urgent that he always left only traces of having been at the scene and scattered like wind that couldn't be grasped?
However, Hugo decided that this time, things wouldn't go according to his will. Since he had rolled into the trap he had set with his own feet, he should at least see his face once. Whether he was living well, whether he had gained some weight.
"Master, the carriage is ready."
He stood up from the chair, put on the Council's white gloves, and wore the Commander's cloak. The expression of the man in the mirror was quite resolute in a different sense.
If they were to meet again, he was thinking more carefully about what would be good to say as a first greeting than the opening speech he had to recite in just a few hours.