Vail gripped his own arm tight after overhearing the exchange between Leo and the Supreme Commander, and his lips moved without his own awareness:
"Raym??!"
Vail pulled back in a hurry, and headed for where Raym was staying...
At that same moment, Leo carefully continued his report to the Commander:
"Well, Lord Seroh — that was only the good news."
Seroh sighed, pressed his hand to his face in weariness, and said:
"Oh, wonderful. That was the good news, then. And here I was excited for the bad news."
Leo went on, having let out his own sigh:
"It's a letter from that particular person. He says the higher-ups have begun a massive push to find us — that they've fully committed themselves to it — and that they're moving a dangerous weapon somewhere. To that very village — the one that turned us away. Lord Vail's village."
Seroh gripped his own arm hard, and said nothing...
Leo continued:
"Alright — he says they're moving everywhere, destroying everything, but according to his letter, an especially dense presence is heading there specifically. And I haven't even gotten to the worst part yet."
He paused a moment, his voice dropping lower:
"He says he was caught red-handed, and he's on the run now — and he'll be meeting us there. At Zero Province!!!"
Seroh gripped his weapon hard and shot to his feet — but suddenly began to sway, until he had to lean against the wall.
Leo looked into his eyes and said, sorrow in his voice:
"Are you really going to keep doing this, even after all this??? You're putting yourself at risk — staying alert around the clock with no chance to rest, constantly relying on strange drugs and medicines??? Do you intend to keep living like this forever???"
Seroh lowered his head slightly, setting his hand against it — and Leo struck at him with a sudden, decisive attack. Seroh parried it at the last possible instant, and the two of them looked at each other before Leo spoke, his voice calm and grieving:
"You see??? You're losing your edge. The man I used to call Supreme Commander wouldn't have even let me graze his spear..."
He lowered his voice further:
"You need to rest. I'll take it from here."
Silence settled over the room for a few moments, before Leo said, with sudden enthusiasm:
"Oh — what do you say you go back to handling that matter with the town of CORE, or something along those lines?"
Seroh looked at Leo, knowing he was right, and didn't argue. And before he realized it, he found his thoughts drifting to Raym.
Leo's expression shifted:
"He isn't doing well this time."
Seroh said, puzzled: "It's just an arm!!!"
But Leo pressed on, his tone growing serious:
"For Raym specifically, he's the one who's leaned on it the most, through injuries like this. In fact, he's doing perfectly fine with it, physically. But this goes far beyond that — it's as though Raym's very soul is what's shattered."
He paused, lowering his head:
"And I think it's tied very closely to that sword of his. It broke into pieces in front of him. Vail once told me that ever since they found him, all those years ago, right up to today, he's never used any sword but that one. So I think I understand, at least a little, what that boy is going through."
He raised his eyes back to Seroh:
"What do you say, Commander??? Why not take him with you, tell him some of your legendary tales, some stories, show him a few of your strikes??? I've heard he drew inspiration for one of his attacks from you. And besides, you two won't clash — and there's one more thing..."
He smiled a small smile, and added:
"I've already planned to send Vail along with me as well, later. So — in keeping with our arrangement — what do you say???"
Seroh gripped his blade once more, and turned away without a single word — but he'd shown clear interest in the proposal, and left...
Leo immediately straightened in his seat, looking as though he'd finally found peace of mind, and said aloud:
"Oh, Vail... you really shouldn't have heard any of that..."
The scene shifts to Vail, who had been near Raym's room, and kept walking quickly until he drew close to the door...
And before he could go in to him...
he froze by the door for a second...
hesitated for a moment...
and remembered Raym's state from that day... remembered his face, wiped clean of any expression...
He turned away, and said to himself, with quiet irony:
"Heheh... Raym... you owe me an apology. I'll wait for it!!!"