'Gino Bordelli... He was in charge here at this time.'
The Imperial Army divided the vast empire into two major regions: the North and the South. The Southern Army and the Northern Army had traditionally been rivals, and while they varied in many ways such as discipline and atmosphere, they had one thing in common.
Whether in the North or the South, the Generals in command were invariably Swordmasters. This was a component that allowed the empire to demonstrate its powerful military strength among other nations, and those who occupied the position of general became a core force of the empire, becoming the closest servants and blades of the Emperor.
And General Gino Bordelli of the Southern Army was a man of unblemished integrity, known for performing his general duties for nearly 40 years with almost no controversy.
Born into a Count's family and holding a sword even before he could walk, he did not join the Imperial Knights or any other renowned knight orders like other nobles. Instead, he traveled the world, dedicating himself to swordsmanship, and became a Swordmaster at the mere age of thirty.
Usually, after becoming a general, one would not stop there but pursue more power, but Gino Bordelli desired nothing more, focusing solely on protecting the empire as a general. He was the idol of all sword-wielders, and this did not change even after the emergence of those who awakened with the power of the Red Stone.
A general who obeyed only the Emperor's commands and exerted himself solely in protecting the empire as steadfastly as a massive rock. However, he retired a few years after Yuder became a Commander, and his subordinate succeeded him to the position of general.
'I kept thinking he might have helped me back then.'
After recognizing the signs of a disaster, Yuder sought out several people to ask for advice and assistance. Gino Bordelli was also one of those he had intended to seek. However, after his retirement, he had disappeared somewhere, making it impossible to locate him.
'We weren't particularly close before. It would be nice if this could be an opportunity to establish some connection.'
Even if he were to retire in a few years, Gino Bordelli's stature would not change. He was still the most respected Swordmaster on the continent. If he spoke, his words would be valued more than a hundred words from Yuder.
'Had he been here for two years? Or did he also come here in preparation for the retrieval operation? Either way, he must have moved because of the Emperor's command.'
The Emperor had sent his only brother and the commander of the Cavalry, Kishiar, here to retrieve the Red Stone, and in addition, he had sent General Gino. The implication was clear.
'The Emperor must consider that stone very important.'
If true, it would be a significantly different direction from the speculations Yuder had made so far.
Because all that the current Emperor had done with the Red Stone was to entrust it to the Pearl Tower—which was questionable as to how much it knew about the stone—messed it up, and then just slapped a plausible name 'World Sphere' on it and shoved it into the sanctuary.
He had even heard that after storing it, he did not go to check on it even once until he died.
Hence, Yuder had speculated that the current Emperor was merely curious about the stone.
But if that wasn't the case...
"It's been a while, Gino. I'm glad to see you looking well."
Kishiar, who had been wearing a hood, removed it to reveal his face. The soldiers inhaled sharply at the sight of his distinctive golden hair and red eyes, hallmarks of the royal lineage. It was astonishing to confirm the arrival of a man they may only get to see once in their lifetime.
Yuder disembarked from the Misty Wind Horse, along with his entourage. Kishiar parted them and went ahead to exchange a light handshake with General Gino Bordelli.
"You must have had a hard time guarding this place."
"Not at all. I've merely been doing my duty."
"Any problems?"
"Nothing significant, aside from a few local villagers who tried to sneak in out of curiosity."
As the two conversed and naturally stepped into the entrance of the barrier, the soldiers smoothly widened the path so the rest of the party could enter.
Holding the reins of his Misty Wind Horse, Yuder followed behind, straining his ears to catch the conversation between Kishiar and General Gino.
"How many people do we have here in total?"
"Approximately 300."
"More than I expected."
"We needed a large number to monitor the whole mountain. It was more about having enough eyes than raw ability."
"More eyes than ability, huh."
Kishiar chuckled lightly. Although General Gino was a towering figure, much taller than an average man, Kishiar was noticeably even taller.
The sight of the two walking together was like a glimpse into another world. Just as the soldiers were fascinated by the sight of the duke and the general together, Yuder noticed that the members of the Peletta Knight and the Cavalry were also showing interest.
The existence of the Cavalry hadn't been officially announced to the world yet, so only a handful of people knew about them. They wore uniforms but were not Knights, and they gave off a different energy from the mages of the Pearl Tower, which seemed strange given the mix of men and women.
But unless something unusual happened here, the soldiers would likely pass by them without knowing who they were.
"Come in."
General Gino led them to a building in the center of the base. The small building, which originally seemed like a hunter's lodge, had been renovated and expanded to look somewhat decent.
"I receive all reports and conduct commands from here. You must be tired from your journey, but we've been ordered to finish the work as quickly as possible. As soon as you're ready, I'll give you a situation report here. Is that okay?"
Upon hearing General Gino's words, Kishiar's gaze turned to the Peletta Knights and the Cavalry.
"Is there anyone among you who is tired?"
"We're fine."
"We're the same."
The Peletta Knights shouted in unison, and Gakane responded resolutely. Kishiar nodded and turned his eyes back to General Gino.
"Then let's start right away."
"Understood. Would you prefer to hear the report and the matters related to the Red Stone alone? Or...."
"I'll listen with the Cavalry. And Sir Brugg."
"Yes!"
The knight who had been leading the way so far stepped forward.
"Sir, you too."
"Understood."
Leaving four of the Peletta knights behind, the rest followed General Gino into a room located deeper within. Inside, an enormous map that nearly covered one wall was affixed, and several old chairs of mismatched design were scattered haphazardly.
"My apologies for not having suitable accommodations for someone of your stature. However, they should hold up fine, so please, take a seat," Gino said.
"Isn't the purpose of a chair merely to be sat upon?"
Kishiar, with no hint of displeasure, pulled a nearby chair and seated himself.
"Everyone, please sit down."
At his words, the Eldore siblings were the first to quickly take their seats, followed by the others who awkwardly and cautiously lowered themselves into the chairs. Yuder was the last to sit, choosing the farthest chair from which he could observe everyone.
Once everyone was seated, General Gino approached the map, pointing to a black dot at its center.
"This is our current location. It's in the Airic mountain range, known as the Spine, that runs through the central part of the Empire. More precisely, we are located in the northwest."
The military map he showed was far more precise than the common ones used by the nobles. It depicted part of the Airic mountains, painted in green to denote the mountainous terrain, with contour lines indicating altitude. Even a first-time viewer could quickly grasp the local geography, as everything was meticulously marked.
Furthermore, simple pictograms indicated the distribution and numbers of soldiers stationed throughout the mountains. The members of the Cavalry who were seeing a military map for the first time widened their eyes in surprise.
"The Red Stone fell here, two years ago. It's a valley a few hours' climb from where we are."
The general moved his finger slightly downward from the spot he'd previously indicated. A red dot was marked there.
"However, as you know, since the stone fell, the surrounding area has been scorched and it has become a place where no one can approach carelessly."
A place where no one could approach carelessly. Yuder inferred a double meaning from these words. Not only was the area guarded by the military, preventing anyone from approaching, but the power of the Red Stone made it difficult for even the guarding forces to approach.
Yuder recalled a brief memory related to the Red Stone. Before his time reversal, he had watched from a distance as Kishiar returned from a mission to retrieve the Red Stone, along with the other members.
He couldn't remember the exact condition of the Cavalry members Kishiar had taken with him at the time, but he remembered that there had been no visibly injured, meaning they had managed to walk back on their own.
Kishiar, at that time, unusually looked extremely fatigued, holding the Red Stone. More precisely, he was holding a bundle wrapped in several thick layers of cloth, presumably containing the stone.
