Bermuda Chapter 2 (Patreon)

Chapter 2

The news that Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, was personally going to capture Leonardo Blaine was enough to elicit a buzz of excitement from many people, even though the Council had always been searching for him.

The fact that Hugo, known as the strongest mage in the empire, was personally taking action meant that this time, there was a real possibility of Leonardo's appearance being revealed to the world once again.

Until now, Hugo had been too busy with his duties as the commander of the Council's army, political affairs, and taking care of his territory to directly concern himself with Leonardo Blaine. However, he now judged that he could no longer leave the matter solely in the hands of his subordinates.

Anyone who failed to respond to the Council's summons was subject to arrest, regardless of their status. It was evident from the rumors alone how much the Council's prestige had been ridiculed in the world for failing to capture such a wanted individual.

Thinking that he wanted to put an end to this matter and never have to worry about the guy again, Hugo ascended the wide steps of the Council's main building.

As he passed through the corridor and turned the corner, he soon arrived in front of a large door. After knocking a few times, a deep, masculine voice came from inside.

"Come in."

As Hugo opened the door and entered, the owner of the voice greeted him as if he had already known he was coming.

The man sitting in the large chair had graying hair and a beard, but his stature was immense, and his spirit was extraordinary. The overwhelming presence emanating from him made it clear that he held a high position in the Council.

"What brings you here to personally take on this task?"

As Hugo stood in front of the desk with a nameplate, the heavy and weighty voice asked bluntly. The smile on the man's face seemed to indicate that he was quite pleased with the situation.

"Isn't this what you wished for, Commander-in-Chief?"

Hugo replied in a dry, matter-of-fact tone, as if it were nothing new. Although he maintained proper etiquette, his tone could be perceived as disrespectful by others. However, the man addressed as the Commander-in-Chief smiled, as if accustomed to it, and said,

"You've made the right decision. The higher-ups and you must have felt a lot over this time. That it has to be you."

"...I don't think it has to be me. I just hope that my subordinates won't come back injured anymore."

The Commander-in-Chief of the Council, his name was Abraham Langaster, was Hugo's mentor and had shown a keen interest in Leonardo Blaine for a long time.

He had once said that his reason for being interested in Leonardo was similar to how he felt when he first met Hugo, who was full of rebellious spirit.

Hugo, feeling unpleasant about Abraham comparing him to that guy, had never taken his words to heart, neither then nor now. Rather, he couldn't understand Abraham's intentions in still being interested in Leonardo Blaine even after he had rebelled against the empire's orders.

However, just like Hugo, Abraham didn't seem to care much about what had led Hugo to make his decision. He spoke as if he had already known things would turn out this way and was simply very satisfied with the fact that Hugo was now personally going to arrest Leonardo.

"You may not have the best feelings about your subordinates getting hurt, but don't bring him in too roughly. He's still young, so you should be able to guide him well."

"That depends on how he behaves."

"I'm sure you'll change your mind once you meet him in person."

Feeling that this conversation, which seemed to force optimism, was no longer necessary, Hugo remained silent for a moment and ended it with a silent bow. Then, he turned around and headed straight for the door, saying,

"I am interested in his strength, but that's all."

Watching his retreating figure, Abraham smiled with satisfaction.

"Have a safe trip."

Hugo had not intended to pay attention to Abraham's words from the beginning, as he had only come to make a formal report, but he had always disliked how Abraham had strangely tried to link him with Leonardo Blaine.

One of the reasons Abraham spoke that way was probably because he, Leonardo Blaine, and Hugo were all from the same place, "Bermuda."

Throughout his life, Hugo had made countless efforts to break free from the prejudice of being from Bermuda. That was why he couldn't view Leonardo Blaine favorably, as he had highlighted the stigma of being from Bermuda and aroused public distrust.

He felt that as Leonardo's honor was tarnished, the malicious perception of those from Bermuda in the empire was spreading by word of mouth.

However, apart from his negative feelings towards Leonardo, it was true that he was interested in his strength. As the saying goes, the strong are drawn to the strong, and for Hugo, who was known as the strongest mage, a new powerhouse was quite stimulating and refreshing.

Therefore, Hugo hoped that the guy would be strong enough to rival him. That way, at least the "thought" that Abraham Langaster spoke of could possibly change.

*

Hugo decided to depart lightly, accompanied by only one of his adjutants. He believed that this was not a matter that required the deployment of a battalion-sized force from the Council, and he inwardly felt that there was no need to exert great effort in capturing the guy.

Feeling that there was no need for grand formalities, he bid farewell only to Abraham and informed him that he would leave his duties to the deputy commander for a while and return soon.

Leonardo Blaine was so elusive in his appearances and disappearances that it was difficult to track his whereabouts, to the extent that stories of him being seen at opposite ends of Raina Logia within a few days would circulate.

The last place he was reportedly seen was a region called Frost, where the Council members had encountered him. That place could be reached by passing through two portals and then riding a horse for a full ten hours through unpaved terrain.

It was located in the northernmost part of Raina Logia's northern region, with a low residential population, nestled in the mountains, and bordering the coast to the east.

Based on his experience, Hugo believed that it would be more effective in finding him to move quickly and swiftly with a minimal number of personnel, rather than assembling a search party and staking out and pursuing him for several months.

For that reason, he followed rumors that might have been false leads, using mana detectors and his own sense of detecting others' mana to track Leonardo. However, whenever he felt something, the presence would immediately disappear, and Hugo and his adjutant had been inquiring about Leonardo's whereabouts for days.

At this point, he somewhat regretted not bringing a pursuit team, but he shook his head, thinking that moving on a large scale would be no different from advertising that he was coming to capture him now.

"Have you seen a man who looks like this, by any chance?"

"Huh? Well..."

"If someone like this had been seen, wouldn't he have stood out long ago? Blond hair and golden eyes aren't common."

When Hugo showed the townsfolks a photo of Leonardo from his military days, which was included in the document containing his personal information, the responses were similar.

In polar regions, where temperatures tend to be lower, most of the surrounding scenery and the people living there tend to have an appearance close to achromatic colors. If a foreigner with blond hair and golden eyes appeared in such a place, he would naturally draw attention.

Of course, Hugo didn't think he would be walking around openly with this face, but there was no other way than to show people the photo and ask. The only information he had about the guy was the contents of the document, the blurry photo attached to it, and the distant glimpse of him from a few years ago.

Hugo asked the woman, who looked at the face in the photo as if it were unfamiliar, once again.

"Then, have you seen anyone who covers their face or has a suspicious appearance?"

"Since it's such a polar region, it's not uncommon for people to bundle up when it gets cold in the early morning or at night. As for suspicious people... I'm not sure."

"I see... Thank you."

There was no meaningful information in people's responses.

However, the mana detector he had brought was periodically detecting mana in the surrounding area, and the presence of fire, known to be one of Leonardo Blaine's main mana attributes, was also strongly felt here.

As Hugo lightly bid farewell and walked away, the woman he had spoken to looked at his retreating figure and said to her companion beside her,

"But isn't that person cold? Wearing only such thin clothes."

Her companion didn't give a particular answer. They simply couldn't take their eyes off the tall and handsome figure walking away.

*

"Did you find out anything?"

"Not at all. Far from finding any clues, it seems that the people here are wary of outsiders and only heightening their suspicions."

"It's understandable, as this place doesn't have frequent exchanges with the outside world."

"Is it right for us to keep showing Blaine's face like this? If they knew this face in the first place, it would be strange if they didn't recognize him."

Flynn Levernil, Hugo's adjutant, questioned the fundamental direction of the investigation as they had been fruitless for days. It seemed that the lack of progress was discouraging him. Sensing that nuance, Hugo spoke firmly.

"If we familiarize the townsfolks with his face, we may encounter new clues. Let's maintain this approach for the time being."

"Hmm..."

However, Flynn scratched the back of his head, as if he was no longer sure, and refrained from speaking.

The current method of investigation was simple. Show people the photo of Leonardo's face and ask if they knew this person.

In the meantime, they couldn't disclose his name, "Leonardo Blaine," as Hugo had instructed him not to mention it, in case he heard the news and ran away. However, the more they conducted the investigation, the more Flynn became preoccupied with the thought of whether this approach was truly correct.

That was because the image of Leonardo in his hand was not a face that would be easily forgotten once seen. With his remarkably handsome appearance and his uncommon blond hair and golden eyes, if he had been around this area or had contact with people, he would have surely stood out.

Even if he had worn a wig or dyed his hair to conceal his distinctive appearance, there was no way to hide eye color in this empire.

No matter how much one bundled up, people generally kept their eyes exposed, making them the biggest clue to finding him. However, the only gold that Flynn could remember in this achromatic city was the light of the bulbs illuminating the darkness.

Hugo, who had been observing Flynn lost in thought with a tired face, glanced at the sky that had already darkened due to the short daylight hours in the polar region and spoke.

"I think it's best to wrap things up here for today, as we've been out and about since early."

Flynn, as if hearing a welcome suggestion, responded with a smile spreading across his face.

"Yes, understood."

The two of them immediately headed to the bustling area of the town to find a new place to stay for the night.

As rumors spread throughout the town that two men from outside were looking for someone, Hugo and Flynn heard the most interesting story since their arrival.

*

The two, having secured a room, went down to the tavern on the first floor of the inn for dinner. Although the atmosphere was a bit noisy, it was a cozy space to sit in a corner and have a meal.

Hugo sat in the chair that Flynn had pulled out first and slowly scanned the interior, which was more crowded than he had expected. Most of the patrons seemed to be locals, and the main scene was of acquaintances gathered together, sharing drinks and conversations.

Amidst this, a small table in the far corner caught his eye, where a lone patron wearing a black hooded cloak was seated.

"Is this seat alright?"

At Flynn's question, Hugo turned his gaze and nodded lightly instead of answering. He then tried to look back at the patron who had seemed out of place a moment ago, but the owner approached them to ask for their order, obscuring his view.

Flynn ordered simple dishes along with a strong drink for his superior to have. Just as he took out a handkerchief and meticulously wiped the small specks of dust from the table, the conversation of the men sitting nearby reached his ears, even though he tried not to listen.

"There were traces of another fire behind the mountain?"

"That's what I'm saying. But it seems like someone put it out before the fire spread this time too. The ground was soaking wet."

"It's the dry season now, and although it's getting chilly, it's not the time for forest fires to occur this frequently..."

"Could it be... the work of a monster?"

"Hey, don't say such unlucky things! This area isn't known for monster appearances."

"But didn't you also hear the story about a monster's corpse being found in a box not long ago?"

"That... That was so badly burnt that we couldn't even tell if it was a real monster or not, right?"

'Fire? Monster?'

Hugo and Flynn naturally turned their heads in that direction. Four men, seemingly quite drunk, were chattering with flushed faces. Their voices were so loud that people inside glanced at them, but they didn't seem to care much.

Flynn muttered in a low voice.

"Could it be related to Blaine?"

"Well, we'll have to listen a bit more."

One of the men, as if not wanting to think about it any further, quickly downed his glass and said,

"Whatever it is, I just hope nothing dangerous happens. I heard that unfamiliar men have been scouring the town lately, looking for someone. I'm worried about getting caught up in something strange."

"Ah, you mean that tall... cold-looking guy? He certainly looked dangerous with his physique. But if he's looking for someone, wouldn't that person be even more dangerous? Is such a person in the town right now?"

"That's what I'm saying. It's just our luck."

Suddenly, one of the men in the group talking about the outsider made direct eye contact with Hugo.

"Anyway, if anyone catches my eye-"

"Hey... hey, be quiet."