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. While they varied in many aspects such as discipline and atmosphere, they had one thing in common: the Generals in command, whether in the North or South, were invariably Swordmasters. This was a crucial component that allowed the empire to demonstrate its formidable military strength among other nations. Those who occupied the position of general became a core force of the empire, serving as the closest servants and blades of the Emperor.
General Gino Bordelli of the Southern Army was a man of unblemished integrity, known for performing his duties as a general for nearly 40 years with almost no controversy. Born into a Count's family, he held a sword even before he could walk. Unlike other nobles who joined the Imperial Knights or other renowned knight orders, Gino traveled the world, dedicating himself to swordsmanship and becoming a Swordmaster at the mere age of thirty.
Usually, after becoming a general, one would pursue more power, but Gino Bordelli desired nothing more. He focused 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.
Gino was 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 as general.
'I kept thinking he might have helped me back then'
After recognizing the signs of a disaster, Yuder had sought out several people for advice and assistance. Gino Bordelli was one of those he intended to seek. However, after his retirement, Gino 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 remain unchanged. He was still the most respected Swordmaster on the continent. If he spoke, his words would carry more weight than a hundred of Yuder's.
'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, Kishiar, the commander of the Cavalry, to retrieve the Red Stone. In addition, he had sent General Gino Bordelli. The implication was clear.
'The Emperor must consider that stone very important.'
If true, it would be a significant shift from the speculations Yuder had made so far.
All that the current Emperor had done with the Red Stone was to entrust it to the Pearl Tower—a questionable decision given how little was known about the stone—messed it up, and then assign it the grandiose name "World Sphere" before shoving it into the sanctuary.
Yuder had even heard that after storing it, the Emperor never went to check on it again until his death.
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 witness the arrival of a man whom they might only see once in their lifetime.
Yuder disembarked from the Misty Wind Horse, along with his entourage. Kishiar stepped forward, parting the group to exchange a light handshake with General Gino Bordelli.
"You must have had a hard time guarding this place," Kishiar said.
"Not at all," General Gino replied. "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, they naturally stepped into the entrance of the barrier, and the soldiers smoothly widened the path to allow the rest of the party to 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 Knights 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 exuded a different energy from the mages of the Pearl Tower. The mix of men and women added to their mystique.
But unless something unusual happened here, the soldiers would likely pass by them without realizing who they were.
"Come in," General Gino said, leading 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 turned to the Peletta Knights and the Cavalry.
"Is there anyone among you who is tired?"
"We're fine," they responded in unison.
"We're the same."
The Peletta Knights shouted in unison, and Gakane responded resolutely. Kishiar nodded and turned his attention back to General Gino.
"Then let's begin 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 stepped forward.
"Sir, you too,"
"Understood."
Leaving four of the Peletta Knights behind, the rest followed General Gino into a room located deeper within the building. Inside, an enormous map nearly covered one wall, while several old chairs of mismatched design were scattered haphazardly around the room.
"My apologies for not having suitable accommodations for someone of your stature. However, these chairs should hold up fine, so please, take a seat," General Gino said.
"Isn't the purpose of a chair merely to be sat upon?" Kishiar replied with a hint of amusement, pulling a nearby chair and seating himself without a trace of displeasure.
"Everyone, please sit down."
At his words, the Eldore siblings were the first to quickly take their seats, followed by the others who cautiously and somewhat awkwardly lowered themselves into the chairs. Yuder was the last to sit, choosing the chair farthest from the center, allowing him to observe everyone.
Once everyone was seated, General Gino approached the map, pointing to a black dot at its center.
"This is our current location. We're in the Airic mountain range, also known as the Spine, which runs through the central part of the Empire. More precisely, we are in the northwest."
The military map he presented was far more detailed than the common ones used by nobles. It depicted part of the Airic mountains, with green shading to denote the mountainous terrain, and contour lines indicating altitude. Even a first-time viewer could quickly grasp the local geography, as everything was meticulously marked.
Additionally, 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 in a valley a few hours' climb from where we are now."
The general moved his finger slightly downward from the spot he had previously indicated. A red dot marked the location.
"However, as you know, since the stone fell, the surrounding area has been scorched, becoming 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 heavily guarded by the military, preventing unauthorized access, but the power of the Red Stone made it difficult even for the soldiers stationed there.
Yuder recalled a brief memory related to the Red Stone. Before his time reversal, he had observed 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 none of them were visibly injured, indicating they had managed to return on their own.
However, Kishiar had looked unusually fatigued as he carried the Red Stone. More precisely, he was holding a bundle wrapped in several thick layers of cloth, presumably containing the stone.