At the cool reply, Ejain blinked his eyes.
He possibly did not understand the meaning of Yuder's words, but it didn't matter. He didn't expect him to comprehend his intentions right away.
Having power didn't mean one could get everything they wanted. The best example of this was Yuder Aile's past life, which ended miserably. What was needed to gain something was sometimes not brute strength, but a gentle word or enduring patience. Among the Cavalry members, the majority had not yet seen Kishiar use his abilities properly.
It was a tremendous insult to everything he had suppressed and endured so far, and to what he had achieved in the end, for those around Kishiar to say they were following him merely because of his power and authority. At least, that's how Yuder felt now.
Was it because of power that they followed? There could be no more meaningless question than that.
"...Did I upset you somehow?"
Ejain asked, sensing that the answer was unusual. To be precise, Yuder wasn't angry but was feeling as though he was seeing his past self, so he shook his head.
"No."
He stared quietly at the young prince who was slightly frowning.
When Yuder first met King Ejain in his past life, he had seen him as an iron wall. He barely sensed any human emotion from his expressionless face, surrounded by a hard wall, as he sat on the throne. He seemed less like a human named Ejain and more like 'the King of Nelarn' itself.
The people of Nelarn admired the young king who strengthened the country's power and protected them, but they were always troubled. This was the case even though he had never committed any tyranny.
Those who had headed towards the diplomatic mission with Yuder said that such a character of Ejain was very similar to Yuder. Only now, facing the present Ejain and recalling those words he hadn't cared about at that time, he somehow understood what they had meant.
Having realized this, a new concern flowed through Yuder's mind.
'Is it really for the best to let him follow the same path as in the past?'
Even if he safely returned to Nelarn, if he remained as he is now, it would be nothing but a repetition of his past life. Becoming the illustrious King Ejain might not be a bad outcome, but he didn't feel it would be the best for him.
Once you believe that power provides all the answers, you eventually disregard everything else. But as a human being, you can't ignore everything else in life. Even if you consider it fine, it ends up being a twisted, distorted life.
Yuder fell into deep thought for a moment. If he could let him know beforehand about the realities he had realized upon meeting Kishiar, wouldn't he be able to understand that power isn't everything even after awakening and gaining strength? It seemed much better than him not trusting those around him with a desperate and empty face.
'It wouldn't hurt to at least try.'
Knowing that there was still time until Ejain's awakening made Yuder decide.
After hesitating for a moment, Yuder opened his mouth.
"Prince, I might be overstepping my bounds, but may I share a few words with you?"
"Go ahead."
Ejain seemed to give consent in his reply.
"Your Highness desires the power to overcome the crisis, correct? What if, one day, you suddenly became an Awakener? Not just any Awakener, but one strong enough to not lose to anyone."
"Are you predicting something right now?"
Ejain asked back with a curious look in his eyes.
"Do you also possess the ability to foresee?"
"I do not possess such an ability; I am just inquiring."
A fleeting disappointment surfaced on Ejain's face before quickly disappearing.
"Well, I desired it, but I never thought about it in detail. However, if I were to obtain such power... I'd probably be overjoyed. I'd be able to eliminate all the threats that have been causing trouble for me and Nelarn."
Ejain sighed, the corner of his mouth lifting into a quick smile before returning to his usual expression.
"And what do you think it would be like after you've eliminated all these threats?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you believe that even more people will follow you, compared to now?"
That was an extremely direct and dangerous statement. Although it was said trusting in Ejain's character, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't take it badly.
However, it also served as the perfect answer to Ejain's question, 'Do they follow Kishiar because of his power?'
Yuder, sensing something, offered his last words quietly toward Ejain, who had tightly shut his mouth.
"If you cannot answer, please observe while you're returning to Nelarn how I and others serve the Commander. That's all I wanted to say."
They did not continue the conversation and returned into the house. Ejain remained silent until the moment he entered his room.
The fact that he did not get angry at Yuder's words seemed close to saying he would consider it. If, until the end, his mind does not change and he continues to believe only in power, it would end there. However, Yuder decided to hope that he would realize something.
—---
"Sir Aile. I'll be outside keeping an eye on the Nelarn servants and preparing the horses. Please escort the Duke and come out with the others."
"Understood."
The long night had passed and dawn had broken. The sky was impeccably clear as if it had never been cloudy. Yuder, taking Nathan's place who had gone out first, headed again towards Kishiar's bedroom.
"Commander, I am entering."
After knocking and waiting a moment, he turned the doorknob. Kishiar, having readied himself from head to toe, greeted him.
"It seems time to depart."
"Yes."
"We're leaving without having a proper meal. Aren't you hungry?"
"That's something I should be asking you."
"I'm okay, but it doesn't sit well with me thinking that my assistant is hungry."
With his usual smiling face, Kishiar, in a playful tone, suddenly took out something from his pocket and handed it over. Surprised, Yuder took it and lowered his head to see a small candy wrapped in paper. Recognizing it as a product from a shop he had received from before, he identified it immediately.
"...Commander?"
"You haven't eaten it in a long time, aren't you starting to miss it? Have a bite first."
"What do you mean? More importantly, when did you pack this into your luggage, seriously...?"
‘I’m starting to miss it? What nonsense is that? I've never once brought it to mind.’ Yuder immediately shook his head, yet due to the insistent command to "absolutely put one in your mouth before you go," he had no choice but to open the wrapper and put a candy in his mouth.
Kishiar, seeing Yuder, who had fallen silent while sucking on the candy, looked incredibly pleased, a smile playing on his face.
"Is it good?"
"...It tastes the same as before."
"That means it's good."
Kishiar nodded satisfactorily and ruffled Yuder's hair. Yuder, surprisingly unperturbed, had grown accustomed to these abrupt acts. Humans truly were quick to adapt.
"But why are you really giving me this?"
"Didn't I tell you? I was worried you might get hungry."
Kishiar, who had been leading the way, answered lightly, turning his head.
"Or should I say that I am pleased you have brought the prince, who slipped out last night, back without any problem? Does that make you feel more at ease?"
Yuder unknowingly paused in his tracks.
"...Did you not sleep?"
"Don't worry. I did rest. However, I was just cautious, in case an abnormal situation arose."
Yuder began to wonder just how much Kishiar had been aware of from within the room. He wanted to believe that he hadn't overheard the conversation he'd had with Ejain, but he wasn't sure.
'I didn't have a conversation worth eavesdropping on... But I still hope he didn't.'
The problem was that it was Kishiar. As Yuder maintained his silence, suppressing the faint tremor in his heart, Kishiar added more detail.
"At first, I was concerned when he slipped out, but he returned not long after. I figured there was no need for me to go out too."
"...Yes. As you say, there was no major issue. He just went down to drink water and then wanted to get some fresh air, so he visited the well in front of the kitchen."
"I see. Even if he looks fine, his stomach will likely remain unsettled for a while. Be prepared to respond immediately without panic to any unexpected actions."
"I understand."
Fortunately, his concerns hadn't materialized. Yuder silently followed him down. Everyone was already prepared and waiting. Shortly after, Nathan, who had brought several regular horses and a small wagon with the Peletta Knights besides the Misty Wind Horse they had yesterday, approached Kishiar, bowing his head.
"Your Grace, you've arrived."
"Yes, Nathan. You've done well. It must've been bothersome to secure the horses and the wagon overnight."
"The others had prepared extra horses, just in case. The praise should go to them."
Only then did Yuder realize why Nathan had hurriedly left last night. Nathan handed the regular horses to the Peletta Knights, and placed two servants, whose hands were tied, into the wagon. They kept their heads bowed without any resistance.
"We will follow behind, watching over them. Your Grace, please proceed as planned."
"Very well. No matter how quickly we move, we'll be held up once we enter the great forest, so ensure you regularly check for the signals I'll send from this side."
The Misty Wind Horse that Nathan Zuckerman had originally ridden was taken over by Prince Ejain. After giving a complicated glance towards the wagon in which the servants were seated, Ejain promptly mounted the horse.
At the cool reply, Ejain blinked his eyes.
He possibly did not understand the meaning of Yuder's words, but it didn't matter. He didn't expect him to comprehend his intentions right away.
Having power didn't mean one could get everything they wanted. The best example of this was Yuder Aile's past life, which ended miserably. What was needed to gain something was sometimes not brute strength, but a gentle word or enduring patience. Among the Cavalry members, the majority had not yet seen Kishiar use his abilities properly.
It was a tremendous insult to everything he had suppressed and endured so far, and to what he had achieved in the end, for those around Kishiar to say they were following him merely because of his power and authority. At least, that's how Yuder felt now.
Was it because of power that they followed? There could be no more meaningless question than that.
"...Did I upset you somehow?"
Ejain asked, sensing that the answer was unusual. To be precise, Yuder wasn't angry but was feeling as though he was seeing his past self, so he shook his head.
"No."
He stared quietly at the young prince who was slightly frowning.
When Yuder first met King Ejain in his past life, he had seen him as an iron wall. He barely sensed any human emotion from his expressionless face, surrounded by a hard wall, as he sat on the throne. He seemed less like a human named Ejain and more like 'the King of Nelarn' itself.
The people of Nelarn admired the young king who strengthened the country's power and protected them, but they were always troubled. This was the case even though he had never committed any tyranny.
Those who had headed towards the diplomatic mission with Yuder said that such a character of Ejain was very similar to Yuder. Only now, facing the present Ejain and recalling those words he hadn't cared about at that time, he somehow understood what they had meant.
Having realized this, a new concern flowed through Yuder's mind.
'Is it really for the best to let him follow the same path as in the past?'
Even if he safely returned to Nelarn, if he remained as he is now, it would be nothing but a repetition of his past life. Becoming the illustrious King Ejain might not be a bad outcome, but he didn't feel it would be the best for him.
Once you believe that power provides all the answers, you eventually disregard everything else. But as a human being, you can't ignore everything else in life. Even if you consider it fine, it ends up being a twisted, distorted life.
Yuder fell into deep thought for a moment. If he could let him know beforehand about the realities he had realized upon meeting Kishiar, wouldn't he be able to understand that power isn't everything even after awakening and gaining strength? It seemed much better than him not trusting those around him with a desperate and empty face.
'It wouldn't hurt to at least try.'
Knowing that there was still time until Ejain's awakening made Yuder decide.
After hesitating for a moment, Yuder opened his mouth.
"Prince, I might be overstepping my bounds, but may I share a few words with you?"
"Go ahead."
Ejain seemed to give consent in his reply.
"Your Highness desires the power to overcome the crisis, correct? What if, one day, you suddenly became an Awakener? Not just any Awakener, but one strong enough to not lose to anyone."
"Are you predicting something right now?"
Ejain asked back with a curious look in his eyes.
"Do you also possess the ability to foresee?"
"I do not possess such an ability; I am just inquiring."
A fleeting disappointment surfaced on Ejain's face before quickly disappearing.
"Well, I desired it, but I never thought about it in detail. However, if I were to obtain such power... I'd probably be overjoyed. I'd be able to eliminate all the threats that have been causing trouble for me and Nelarn."
Ejain sighed, the corner of his mouth lifting into a quick smile before returning to his usual expression.
"And what do you think it would be like after you've eliminated all these threats?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you believe that even more people will follow you, compared to now?"
That was an extremely direct and dangerous statement. Although it was said trusting in Ejain's character, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't take it badly.
However, it also served as the perfect answer to Ejain's question, 'Do they follow Kishiar because of his power?'
Yuder, sensing something, offered his last words quietly toward Ejain, who had tightly shut his mouth.
"If you cannot answer, please observe while you're returning to Nelarn how I and others serve the Commander. That's all I wanted to say."
They did not continue the conversation and returned into the house. Ejain remained silent until the moment he entered his room.
The fact that he did not get angry at Yuder's words seemed close to saying he would consider it. If, until the end, his mind does not change and he continues to believe only in power, it would end there. However, Yuder decided to hope that he would realize something.
—---
"Sir Aile. I'll be outside keeping an eye on the Nelarn servants and preparing the horses. Please escort the Duke and come out with the others."
"Understood."
The long night had passed and dawn had broken. The sky was impeccably clear as if it had never been cloudy. Yuder, taking Nathan's place who had gone out first, headed again towards Kishiar's bedroom.
"Commander, I am entering."
After knocking and waiting a moment, he turned the doorknob. Kishiar, having readied himself from head to toe, greeted him.
"It seems time to depart."
"Yes."
"We're leaving without having a proper meal. Aren't you hungry?"
"That's something I should be asking you."
"I'm okay, but it doesn't sit well with me thinking that my assistant is hungry."
With his usual smiling face, Kishiar, in a playful tone, suddenly took out something from his pocket and handed it over. Surprised, Yuder took it and lowered his head to see a small candy wrapped in paper. Recognizing it as a product from a shop he had received from before, he identified it immediately.
"...Commander?"
"You haven't eaten it in a long time, aren't you starting to miss it? Have a bite first."
"What do you mean? More importantly, when did you pack this into your luggage, seriously...?"
‘I’m starting to miss it? What nonsense is that? I've never once brought it to mind.’ Yuder immediately shook his head, yet due to the insistent command to "absolutely put one in your mouth before you go," he had no choice but to open the wrapper and put a candy in his mouth.
Kishiar, seeing Yuder, who had fallen silent while sucking on the candy, looked incredibly pleased, a smile playing on his face.
"Is it good?"
"...It tastes the same as before."
"That means it's good."
Kishiar nodded satisfactorily and ruffled Yuder's hair. Yuder, surprisingly unperturbed, had grown accustomed to these abrupt acts. Humans truly were quick to adapt.
"But why are you really giving me this?"
"Didn't I tell you? I was worried you might get hungry."
Kishiar, who had been leading the way, answered lightly, turning his head.
"Or should I say that I am pleased you have brought the prince, who slipped out last night, back without any problem? Does that make you feel more at ease?"
Yuder unknowingly paused in his tracks.
"...Did you not sleep?"
"Don't worry. I did rest. However, I was just cautious, in case an abnormal situation arose."
Yuder began to wonder just how much Kishiar had been aware of from within the room. He wanted to believe that he hadn't overheard the conversation he'd had with Ejain, but he wasn't sure.
'I didn't have a conversation worth eavesdropping on... But I still hope he didn't.'
The problem was that it was Kishiar. As Yuder maintained his silence, suppressing the faint tremor in his heart, Kishiar added more detail.
"At first, I was concerned when he slipped out, but he returned not long after. I figured there was no need for me to go out too."
"...Yes. As you say, there was no major issue. He just went down to drink water and then wanted to get some fresh air, so he visited the well in front of the kitchen."
"I see. Even if he looks fine, his stomach will likely remain unsettled for a while. Be prepared to respond immediately without panic to any unexpected actions."
"I understand."
Fortunately, his concerns hadn't materialized. Yuder silently followed him down. Everyone was already prepared and waiting. Shortly after, Nathan, who had brought several regular horses and a small wagon with the Peletta Knights besides the Misty Wind Horse they had yesterday, approached Kishiar, bowing his head.
"Your Grace, you've arrived."
"Yes, Nathan. You've done well. It must've been bothersome to secure the horses and the wagon overnight."
"The others had prepared extra horses, just in case. The praise should go to them."
Only then did Yuder realize why Nathan had hurriedly left last night. Nathan handed the regular horses to the Peletta Knights, and placed two servants, whose hands were tied, into the wagon. They kept their heads bowed without any resistance.
"We will follow behind, watching over them. Your Grace, please proceed as planned."
"Very well. No matter how quickly we move, we'll be held up once we enter the great forest, so ensure you regularly check for the signals I'll send from this side."
The Misty Wind Horse that Nathan Zuckerman had originally ridden was taken over by Prince Ejain. After giving a complicated glance towards the wagon in which the servants were seated, Ejain promptly mounted the horse.
