Bermuda

On the fifth day after the peninsula subjugation team returned to the Central Branch, it had been raining unusually hard since dawn. Not only was the sky overcast with dark clouds, but the faces of people, wet with falling raindrops, were also gloomy.

Today was the day of the funeral for the fallen soldiers.

Since ancient times, there had been a saying in Raina Logia that if it rained on the day of a funeral, the deceased would be blessed. This story originated from the superstition that even the heavens mourned the death of the deceased and cried along with them. Of course, it wasn't certain whether this was true or just a lie to comfort those who had to endure the rain on such a sad day. In any case, only the heavens would know the truth.

A sea of black uniforms rippled over the lush green grass spread across the vast front yard of the Council. In contrast to the white formal uniforms, these were mourning clothes, a sign of condolence rarely worn more than a few times a year.

The smell of rain and musty dust hung in the air. It would be imprinted in the minds of the members as the scent of death.

The grand procession that had unfolded centered on the main building had just split in half, silently guarding the last journey of their departing comrades who had finished the ceremony.

"Salute to the fallen–!"

Thousands of hands saluted toward the procession of coffins being carried out, in sync with the commander's solemn order. The same was true for the 30 or so senior commanders leading the Council's army. Standing at attention in formation, they paid their respects to their subordinates going into the embrace of their predecessors.

The heavy coffins, tightly wrapped in the imperial flag, were loaded one by one into the funeral carriages lined up outside the main gate, receiving everyone's blessings. Soon after, the carriages departed, and the flag bearers vigorously waved their flags. The escort team guarded the fallen soldiers to the hall of glory and rest, matching the carriages' speed.

The majestic requiem played by the honor guard members echoed through the streets beyond the walls of the Council. It was upbeat music that didn't match the situation. It had long been the empire's custom to send off the fallen soldiers of a victorious battle as joyfully as possible.

[Thank you for your courage and sacrifice.]

[Rest in peace, heroes.]

The memorial spaces set up in various places near the Council grounds were piled high with white lilies and chrysanthemums left by mourners. Occasionally, signs or pieces of cloth hung on walls were scrawled with phrases honoring the fallen in paint.

Hugo loosened the tie choking his neck as he looked down at the street from the terrace of the third tower of the main building. His sunken blue eyes scanned the black dots guiding mourners near the main gate. It was relatively less crowded than before, but as the rain intensified, he felt concerned for the members struggling through it.

"Ah, I'm tired."

Andreas, the 4th Battalion Commander who had just approached from the side, leaned his back against the railing with a sigh-laced complaint.

"My body's not what it used to be."

While saying he wasn't the same as before, he casually put a cigarette in his mouth and lowered his head to light it with a lighter. The familiar smell of cigarettes quickly spread throughout the terrace. Andreas tilted his head back and blew smoke toward the sky.

As the scent of cigarettes he occasionally smelled on Leonardo wafted over, Hugo glanced at him.

"Still, it passed more quietly than I thought. Even though they called an emergency meeting of the council members."

He seemed to be referring to the unexpectedly calm situation, despite expectations of criticism related to the unprecedented number of casualties. Fortunately, the mourners and reporters who had gathered today maintained an atmosphere of restraining even their wails for the repose of the fallen. Thanks to this, the funeral could be concluded solemnly and honorably. However, Hugo, knowing the inside story, rubbed his wet face with a tired expression.

"They probably loosened the purse strings for unnecessary things again."

"Hmm, so that's why it was quiet."

Andreas flicked his cigarette ash with a cynical laugh.

"It's so easy, this thing called public opinion."

It was the result of mass-producing biased articles centered on media outlets friendly to the Council. The funeral was packaged as a bloody battle for the empire's citizens, victory, and honorable death. And within that, there was still no mention of Leonardo's story.

Andreas rambled on about trivial things, saying that if any of his ex-lovers had been nieces of council members, he might have had to resign immediately.

It wasn't an appropriate topic to hear on the day of a funeral. However, Hugo knew that Andreas was comforting him, heavy-hearted as he was, in his own way.

"I should settle down with one person soon too. My stamina is running low, and sometimes I even get confused about my lovers' names."

He went on about extremely personal matters. Hugo turned his gaze to the distance, using Andreas's frivolous talk as background noise.

It wasn't the first time he had experienced the deaths of his subordinates, but he couldn't help feeling bitter every time. He thought he would become numb to it eventually, but that in itself was another bitter thing. Still, trivial love stories he didn't care about were much better to hear than the cheerful requiem that didn't consider the dead souls.

Hugo laughed dryly and responded:

"Yeah, try dating seriously now. You're not getting any younger."

For a moment, as if something in him had been scratched, Andreas glanced at Hugo with a displeased look. In terms of age, they were about the same, and he hadn't expected to be attacked for trying to lighten the mood.

He thought that perhaps the noble Commander should be more urgent about it, but he knew that even casual relationships would require caution from Hugo's position. Andreas made a "tsk" sound and changed the subject instead of arguing.

"By the way, aren't you going straight in today? These days, you always go to that guy when you finish work."

He was referring to Leonardo. Hugo answered, resting his arm on the railing:

"He seems to need some time alone. He looked in a really bad mood today."

"...The Commander's dignity is really shot. It's not like you're watching out for the lady of the house. If that's the case, why don't you just get him another room? Why are you pathetically unable to enter your own room?"

"Other places are dangerous. With the handcuff issue and all... it's safest to keep him in my domain."

Andreas stared blankly at Hugo while taking a long drag on his cigarette filter. He seemed to have a lot to say but was letting it slide for now.

At that moment, a word flashed through Hugo's mind.

"Andre, do you know anyone called a vampire?"

Andreas tilted his head, then answered without much thought:

"Vampire? Sure, it's a blood-sucking monster, right? Oh, or should I say species?"

"No, not the species. I was wondering if there's someone with that nickname."

"A nickname like vampire? Hmm... well. If they were famous enough to have such a nickname, I would have heard it several times by now."

After pondering for a moment, Andreas shrugged, saying he didn't know. Hugo nodded, rubbing his chin.

'Indeed, if it were a nickname, I wouldn't be unaware of it.'

"But why do you ask?"

"...Ah, it's nothing much, just looking into something."

Andreas made a disgusted face.

"How long has it been since you came back? That's a disease, you know, a disease. You need to rest a bit."

He nagged at Hugo, saying he was a workaholic. Hugo smiled slightly, without much meaning.

"There's no helping it for now with all the work. I also need to set the date for Leonardo's trial."

Andreas, who was about to put the filter in his mouth while clicking his tongue, paused at the mention of the trial.

"That—has the date been set? Wasn't it supposed to be around today originally?"

Originally, Leonardo's trial issue should have been the main topic on this day. However, due to the unprecedented number of casualties and pressure from the Council's higher-ups who prioritized the external image, the funeral was rushed first. Along with that, as anomalies occurred in Leonardo's detailed examination results, the official trial date was postponed, remaining undetermined.

"The higher-ups are still delaying the official announcement. For the trial to be held, Leonardo's achievements in the peninsula need to be recognized, but in this situation, the council members won't readily acknowledge that. They want to hide ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) even the fact that he joined the subjugation team."

"It's not deviating from expectations at all."

"But more than that, the blood test results are the bigger problem. They say the blood viscosity is higher than expected. They say it should be fine after a few days of medication and exercise... but we'll have to wait and see about that too."

Hugo stared in the direction of his personal room with a worried expression.

"Anyway, I've asked the Commander-in-Chief to put pressure on the council members, so the date should be set again within two days. All senior commanders will be given voting rights, so please spread the word for everyone to attend. The atmosphere became stiff after I made a big fuss about the handcuff issue, so it's a bit awkward for me to force it."

At Hugo's request, Andreas slowly nodded, recalling the recent internal atmosphere. Then, flicking his fingers on the ashtray made from pulled ivy vines, he said:

"Well, that's not difficult... but I wonder if Leonardo Blaine knows how much trouble you're going through. Will he understand the schedule being postponed? He caused such a commotion just because of one blood draw—what if he tries to escape—"

"No."

Hugo cut him off in a firm tone.

"That won't happen. He's wise. He won't want things to escalate."

"..."

"He's probably sharp enough to roughly understand the internal atmosphere. That's why he's waiting quietly. Until I keep my promise."

Andreas was inwardly surprised. He had heard from Loren that the trust between the two was quite deep, but actually hearing it from Hugo's mouth felt new.

Hugo Agrizendro was generally kind to everyone, but most people commonly said that there's a wall of trust that's not easily crossed. Andreas had felt this too and empathized with it. Yet this guy, who they hadn't known for long, was already on the verge of breaking through that wall to the inner core.

Andreas stared intently at Hugo from the corner of his eye. While blowing smoke rings, he suddenly blurted out:

"It's because you keep protecting him like this that strange rumors keep circulating."

One of Hugo's eyebrows rose.

"What? What rumors?"

"That things between you two are not quite right."

Andreas let the words out with a lewd smile. Hugo felt like he'd been hit on the back of the head.

His mind went blank, even feeling numb. He frowned deeply and asked back:

"Who's saying such things?"

"Oh, you're not denying it?"

"No, that's not it. I know people love gossip, but I'd prefer if even you didn't do this. He's someone who's been hurt a lot by casual remarks from the public. Right now, he's just relying on me a little bit."

Hugo, who had been speaking seriously, added with a chuckle as if it were absurd:

"Besides, what could I possibly have with a kid like that? He probably sees me as an old man; it would be rude to even be associated like that."

Andreas's gaze turned ambiguous. He felt like he'd been lumped together and labeled an old man along with Hugo, who referred to himself as such. Of course, that probably wasn't the intention, but having often dated lovers with large age gaps, it sounded like he was being told to come to his senses, and Andreas felt his conscience pricking him unnecessarily.

Anyway, seeing Hugo's expression that it was preposterous, what had reached his ears seemed to be an exaggerated rumor spread by gossip-loving individuals.

After all, he had heard that the Commander's scandals were serious enough to affect the political world. That must be why he was still single despite the constant courtship from suitors. As his thoughts reached that point, he leaned more toward it being just a baseless rumor—but still, given how the Commander had always been free of gossip, he wanted to test the waters a bit.

Andreas smiled slyly and asked:

"Then, that little blood clot— is it okay if I seduce him?"