The highest-risk areas, deemed the most dangerous, were primarily assigned to families from the East and South. The Ertinez family, known for its famous swordsmanship, was given a fairly standard placement without any particular exceptions.
On the map placed in the centre of the old castle ruins, small wooden figurines carved to represent the family symbols form a dense line.
Considering that all of Godric's subordinates are nothing more than puppets under his control, it seems likely that this arrangement was part of a scheme devised by Godric himself.
The supply routes have been secured, and no troops are left idle in either the deployed or rear units. It is clear that careful consideration was given to the placement of relay posts to ensure that couriers can travel at set intervals.
Those who appear to be more interested in the spoils of the campaign than the actual hunt have been carefully selected and moved to the rear, while the key figures—presumably absorbed by Godric himself—have been strategically placed to cover both the front and rear, ready to move at any moment.
In other words, the entire Vernis Mountain Range is in Godric's hands. And considering that Sub-writer 1 can view the entire stage through their perspective… sigh.
A dull headache began to press on, and I let out a small sound of discomfort. Leonardo, noticing this, gently traced slow circles on the inside of my wrist.
It seemed like he thought I was just tired or worn out, but in reality, I could tell he himself was also running on nerves, exhausted from dealing with the dragon bones and Godric throughout the day.
As I blankly stared at his sharp eyebrows, it hit me that I was surrounded by people, and suddenly, I felt an unexpected sense of regret.
'If only we were in the tent again, just the two of us, like during the intermission.'
Right now, I would have been rubbing his stiffened eyes with my thumb, easing the tension. What usually felt so natural seemed impossible now, simply because of the circumstances, and I couldn't help but feel frustrated.
This time, through the hands we were holding, I could feel Leonardo flinch.
'He must've heard that too.'
He turned to face me, putting on his usual soft expression. It wasn't much, just a small and subtle shift in his features.
Leonardo wasn't good at using his facial muscles. I had painfully learned that during the gruelling acting lessons, but it extended to his everyday life as well.
He always wore a set expression, and sometimes, it felt like he didn't know what kind of face to put on. Once, I'd caught him glancing around, seemingly trying to mimic something he saw.
It was mostly when I was with the Ertinez family, particularly before leaving El Dante, that I noticed it. The way he seemed lost, unsure of what expression to wear around those bound by blood.
And then, at some point, I began to notice traces of his learning.
For instance—when I was banned from kitchen duties and complimented him on his cooking skills, he hesitated for a moment. The slight, shy smile that came up reminded me of Vittorio when he was embarrassed by compliments.
When I unintentionally hung out with Vittorio or Raul and left him out, I could see a touch of the sulking expression that seemed partly learned from Raul.
Over time, I noticed a habit of his: when he smiled with apparent joy, his eyes softened in a way that suggested a gentleness I hadn't seen before.
Whenever his consciousness swapped with the original Leonardo's, these traits became more pronounced. It was a strange and awe-inspiring experience to discover how many differences there could be in the same outward appearance, all due to the soul being different.
Things like the corners of his lips, which draw a straight line but are always ready to curve lightly, his eyelids that flutter gently and delicately, or the way his emotions are always visible in his eyes, no matter how they try to hide behind slightly messy hair.
These are clues about Leonardo Ertinez hidden beneath the intense surface impression created by his aquamarine hair, slightly predatory features, and the bright hue of his irises. The essence, not the image.
Thus, in his face, as he gazes at me so closely, I see the person that is Leovald.
Perhaps it was because I had seen a fragment of the original work detailing his boyhood, but I couldn't help but feel my thoughts drifting toward him. Though I had likely filtered my thoughts appropriately, my mind was now completely filled with Leonardo, and I wasn't sure how much of my inner thoughts were leaking out.
As I tried to avoid his persistent gaze, which only silently observed me, Godric rose from his seat.
"Enough with the boring opening speech," he said.
With a wave of his hand, he signalled to proceed to the next event. It was a blessing ceremony conducted by the church's priests for those heading out on the hunt.
"The church has been of great help for this crusade," Godric added, almost as if to flatter.
As he said this, I noticed healing priests and knights from the church. I scanned the crowd, wondering if Butier or Orlie might be present, but it was hard to confirm from a distance.
The blessing ceremony was held in a manner that followed the order of titles. Those called forward would kneel, receive the priest's blessing, and then approach the king to receive the dragonbone sword. The entire process seemed to follow the revival of royal traditions, almost like a reaffirmation of loyalty.
As the names were called in order, the Duke's turn came and quickly passed, and soon the name of the Ertinez family was announced.
I watched Leonardo's back as he moved forward. Whispers circulated that Ertinez had sent not the eldest son, but the second son. Yet, Leonardo performed the task with the ease of someone who had done it dozens of times before, gracefully kneeling on one knee.
The priest recited the blessing, and then Leonardo approached the king.
Leonardo's expression was void of emotion, his face impassive. It wasn't strange for him to appear this way, given the formality of the occasion.
His face wasn't one glowing with loyalty or honour, nor was it one of flattery, nor that of a humble servant presenting themselves before their lord.
Godric took a small box and opened it with a soft click. After scanning the neatly arranged dragonbone swords with his eyes, he offered a formal smile.
"May glory be with you."
Godric took the sword and gently placed it on Leonardo's shoulder.
Without realizing it, my breathing slowed.
I wondered if Godric might deliberately slide his hand and let the sharp blade cut Leonardo's flesh, or perhaps, would the surrounding eyes be indifferent to the situation, only focusing on taking Leonardo's head at this very moment.
But Leonardo completed the ceremony safely and returned to my side.
Only then did my breath return to a natural rhythm. Hundreds of people received the blessing, and the musicians' performance shifted from a grand tone to a more relaxed melody suited for the evening.
As the ceremony ended, a grand feast began, celebrating the success of the hunt, focusing on the game caught in the king's hunting grounds. Godric sat at the head of the table, observing quietly.
The weary from the mountain expedition reveled in the abundance of the banquet, mingling and enjoying the food. However, Leonardo and the fake Duke sat near each other, their presence radiating an air of coldness, almost as if death itself had settled between them.
Meanwhile, Lopez, who had been unexpectedly bundled into this group, looked awkward and close to choking on his own discomfort. He was cutting the meat into tiny pieces, the size of rice grains.
Godric didn't stay long and withdrew. I quietly watched as the king disappeared into a building within the old castle grounds, where the remains of its structure still stood. By midnight, we too departed.
Duke Marchez called me over and shared a quiet word.
"The crowd here is too dense with prying eyes. We should head north tomorrow and have a discussion with the young lord."
Though Duke Marchez was disguised as a retinue member, navigating such a dense crowd of nobility, with numbers easily in the thousands, made a secret meeting difficult. I nodded slightly in agreement.
"I will pass that along. Also…"
I glanced at the dark swords hanging at everyone's waist and asked,
"If you know anything about the dragonbone swords, I'd like to hear more details later."
Without any hesitation or question, Marchez nodded, clearly pleased to be asked such a question.
"Let's talk later," he said, and we parted ways, heading in different directions.
[Clear Condition Achieved!]
['Scenario Note #025′ has been successfully completed. There are "0 hours 20 minutes" left until the next scenario note assignment.]
When the Ertinez family's raiding party returned to the camp, we were greeted by a rather cheerful atmosphere. The king had provided food not only for the nobles but also for the knights of each family, creating a festive mood in every tent.
Vittorio, sitting among the knights, noticed us and quickly ran over, asking, "How did it go? What happened…?"
There were things I couldn't easily talk about, and unexpected events, but the only thing I could manage to say was, "It was fine."
At that moment, I spotted Raul through the cheerful group of knights. He seemed a bit distant from the rest, his hood pulled low over his face. It looked like he was trying to hide his face, but soon I realized that wasn't the only reason.
As I got closer, I could feel the crisp winter night air, instead of the usual smells of food and wine.
"Can we talk for a moment?" he said.
Raul gestured towards the camp with a subtle nod. Then, he began speaking in a report-like manner, laying out the facts.
"After you left, I briefly went on a reconnaissance. I found several wheel tracks."
"Wheel tracks?"
Raul nodded heavily.
"Yes. It wasn't from a well-made carriage, but from something crudely shaped out of wood and roughly smoothed with stone."
That triggered a thought.
'Last time, Duke Marchez' group definitely…'
When we interrogated the nameless ones, they had mentioned that they had forced kidnapped villagers to make carriages and were taking them to the Vernis Mountains to offer them.
Raul didn't stop there and continued.
"And there's one more thing I should mention. It seems that the entire First Field Army, which was captured for disobeying the royal command, is here."
What?