Chapter 489

“Huh?”

Leonardo frowned and shot the man beside him a look that clearly said what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Unbothered, the fired-up killer whale leaned even closer.

“I am healthy, and strong. I may not be the leader of my pod, but I rank within the top three. If I devote myself to training, I could become the strongest. In the habitat where my kind resides, there is also a large house. I built it myself, so it is sturdy.”

Leonardo leaned his head back, the corner of his mouth twitching.

“...So what?”

“I can also feed you pickled herring every day there. What do you think?”

“Hah! This guy—he’s seriously fallen for you, hasn’t he?”

It was Gillian who suddenly burst out laughing at the bold declaration. As if he had found something entertaining to watch, he set down the glass he had been about to raise for a toast. Then he rested a thick forearm on the table and added,

“But isn’t pickled herring a bit cheap? For someone like Lion, you’d need to offer delicacies from land and sea. Do you have any idea how rare a face like that is?”

At Gillian’s prompting glance, Orca turned sharply back to Leonardo. Even with that displeased expression, every contour of his face looked exquisitely refined. And those red lips, shifting faintly, looked sweet enough to taste at any moment. Realizing it belatedly, Orca let out a quiet “Ah,” then continued his utterly ineffective courtship.

“I see. That is a fair point. If Lion wishes it, I will do so. There is a dense forest behind the coast °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° where we live, and deer and wild boar often come down. If it is meat you want, I can provide as much as you like.”

“No—”

“Oh my, this is way too entertaining.”

Beatrice, who had been drinking until her tongue practically curled, now rested her clasped hands under her chin. Like someone watching a fascinating romance unfold, her eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“Are you good in bed? That’s the most important part.”

“Of course. I can make it feel as though you are with five at once.”

“Wow, want to just be my pet instead? I’ll forget about the wig.”

“I decline.”

“He still hasn’t come to his senses.”

Leonardo pulled his captured wrist free and cut off the meaningless chatter at an appropriate point. He naturally put some distance between himself and Orca, leaning instead toward Ero. Startled by the sudden closeness and the warmth of his hyung approaching, Ero raised both hands awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

“Bed or whatever—didn’t I tell you I’d rip your tongue out if you said that kind of crap again?”

“Starting with a kiss? A proper approach is good as well.”

“Ah, seriously...”

“Ahh! Stop, stop!”

Snapping back to his senses, Ero forcefully shoved Orca away as he tried to push his face toward Leonardo. Orca, who ended up kissing Ero’s palm instead, looked unusually displeased. He turned his head and wiped his mouth, then muttered in a low, humming tone like a whale’s ultrasonic call.

“Joker, do not interfere.”

“I-it’s not interfering, this isn’t—”

Though slightly intimidated by the pressure, Ero didn’t back down. Compared to the killer whale that might have turned into frozen tuna if not for him, Kajad was far more terrifying.

“Didn’t we gather here to celebrate? Come on, come on—Lion is here too, the hero of the victory, so let’s hurry and make a toast!”

Jumping to his feet, he squeezed himself between Leonardo and Orca. With all his strength, he forced the two apart to either side, then grabbed one of the beer mugs between them at random. Raising it high, he called out alone:

“Now! To Team JOKER’s victory—cheers!”

The sudden, contextless proposal made everyone’s eyes roll for a moment, but at the leader’s urging, they reluctantly began to raise their glasses one by one.

***

“Based on these materials alone, it is not possible to prove the causal relationship claimed in the statement, nor can they be considered reliable physical evidence.”

Hugo flipped the photograph he had been holding face down onto the table. His cold gaze, having completed its review, swept across the room.

“While there are traces suggesting that the stab wound to the orbital region of the deceased was concealed through healing magic such as recovery, there is no confirmed record that Leonardo Blaine possesses or uses any form of reverse-regeneration or recovery-type magic. This has already been verified through the official magical component examination conducted under the authority of The Council, and everyone present here is a witness to that. Therefore, these materials are unsuitable for adoption as formal evidence.”

His low voice rang coldly through the silent conference room. Presenting grounds that would be difficult for anyone to challenge, he sealed the photograph back into the envelope. Then he gestured to Flinn, who had been waiting nearby, and handed it over.

“In accordance with the presumption of innocence, we cannot designate a specific individual as a suspect based on unclear grounds. As these materials risk increasing confusion unless additional evidence establishing a clear causal relationship is secured, they will not be disclosed. Furthermore, as the highest authority overseeing this investigation, I will take custody of them. Any objections?”

Flinn, reading the room, returned to his place with the materials secured. Instead of handing them back to the Deputy Commander, he slipped them quietly among the documents he had brought with him. Then, in the heavy silence, someone raised a hand to request permission to speak.

Hugo, who had been watching with an unenthusiastic expression, gave a small nod.

“Speak.”

Meterion, who had been resting his chin in his hand and watching quietly, straightened his posture and opened his mouth.

“How can you be certain this was the act of a single perpetrator? What about the possibility of an accomplice with recovery abilities?”

Though it did not suit the gravity of the situation, a faint smile lingered on Meterion’s lips. Whether that sneer was aimed at dragging Leonardo back into suspicion or simply provoking him, Hugo found it difficult to judge. The man was hardly in a position to act so boldly before his superior, yet here he was, stubbornly pressing the matter.

Then Hugo realized—the “accomplice” he was referring to must be that reckless one who had followed Leonardo into the peninsula.

Hugo pressed a hand to his forehead, masking his fatigue before continuing.

“If he had an accomplice, they would have intervened when he was being transported to The Council in the first place. And it seems you have misunderstood my point. If simply being named as a suspect in an unsubstantiated statement were enough to make someone a suspect, then by now those implicated in the smuggling of old-model shackles would be lined up in front of me. So refrain from using the term ‘suspect’ for him.”

In other words—if you don’t want the arrow to turn toward you, keep your mouth shut. This time, perhaps understanding properly, Meterion’s expression shifted back to that familiar place somewhere between irritation and displeasure.

With the situation settled for now, Hugo gestured to Shorendo to proceed to the next statement. Taking his cue, Shorendo nodded and turned another page of the briefing papers.

“Next, the main point mentioned is...”

Leaning back against the rigid backrest of his chair, Hugo let out a small sigh.

***

“By the way... what made a whale come all the way onto land? You said your home is way down on the southern coast.”

Beatrice lazily stirred her pineapple sherbet before suddenly speaking as if something had just occurred to her. Orca, who had been dissatisfied ever since Leonardo and Ero switched seats, turned his head when the attention shifted to him.

“A good question. Our habitat is always peaceful and pleasant, but several months ago, problems began to arise. Fish started dying in groups, and seaweed and plankton perished, gradually collapsing the food chain.”

“Why?”

“The sea temperature is rising, and clouds crossing the mountains have been bringing acid rain. I have heard that about half a year ago, there was a great natural disaster in the southwest. At the time, I had gone north for training, but they say a volcano erupted and ash covered the coastline. And the sky turned a reddish gold, like an ominous sign.”

“—Cough!”

Leonardo, who had just put a piece of pickled herring into his mouth, suddenly broke into a coughing fit. Orca reacted first. Stretching his neck across Ero, he checked Leonardo’s condition.

“Are you alright, Lion? Does it not suit your taste?”

“No—cough—it just... went down wrong.”

Quickly grabbing a napkin, Ero handed it over along with a cup of juice.

“Hyung, drink some juice. Juice. That happened to me earlier too.”

Holding the napkin, Leonardo wiped his damp lips first. As he coughed a few more times, Orca looked worried that perhaps a bone from the herring he had recommended had gotten stuck.

After a moment, once he had recovered somewhat, Leonardo asked in a slightly hoarse voice,

“...So? What happened to your habitat?”

“Lion, have you finally taken an interest in our habitat?”

“I’m just listening. Say one more stupid thing and see what happens.”

“I thought as much when I noticed how strongly you carry the scent of water—you must like it.”

Having reached his own strange conclusion, Orca added with a profound expression,

“But the kind of water scent you have now carries a harsh energy. It could harm your body. If you come with me to our habitat, how about bathing in soft, fresh seawater? If we swim together naked, both your body and your heart will open quickly.”

“...What are you even—”

Unable to make sense of it at all, Leonardo trailed off with a resigned, emotionless look in his golden eyes. He was too tired now to even threaten him properly. More than anything, he wanted to hear about the “natural disaster in the southwest” that Orca mentioned—it seemed suspiciously connected to himself.

“...Forget it. So why did you leave your habitat and come all the way here? To ask for help?”

“The priest of our pod entrusted me with a task. If I obtain the prize for winning the league, there is a way to block the inflow of hot currents from the west and redirect the ocean currents to bring up nutrient-rich deep water. If that happens, our habitat will return to its original state. That is why I came here.”

As Orca finished speaking, Leonardo and Gillian’s eyes naturally met. After a moment of silence, Gillian spoke to confirm,

“Don’t tell me... that prize is the ExaCore?”

Orca nodded firmly.

“That is correct. Its true name is the raw stone of Cardo.”