In the waiting room to which he had returned, Kishiar was elegantly sprawled on a sofa. He had set up a small drink table and was engaged in animated conversation with a few merchants.
"So, as I was saying, my assistant bravely dashed forth and used his power. With a mere flick of his hand, reminiscent of a butterfly's wing flap, the cliffside crumbled and—"
Curious about the story, Yuder paused and listened. Realizing that he was the subject of the conversation, he made his presence known without hesitation. The merchants, who had been sitting politely by Kishiar's side, shot up from their seats the moment they noticed him.
"Ah, there, there, your assistant has arrived, Your Grace!"
"…assistant?"
"Why are you so late! No, no, please have a seat!"
The merchants, as if meeting long-lost relatives, flocked to Yuder, offered handshakes, and pushed him towards Kishiar. This was a stark contrast to their initial indifference when they first met Yuder.
"Your Grace, we shall take our leave now."
"The alterations to the garments you've entrusted us with will be completed soon. Please wait a little longer!"
"Oh, how time has flown. We haven't finished our conversation yet, are you sure you can't stay?"
"As much as it pains us not to hear your valuable words to the end, we must go now to complete our tasks. We apologize."
"Yes, us too."
"Very well, be on your way then."
The merchants simultaneously bowed and retreated, disappearing as quickly as if they doubted their primary occupation.
Yuder took a seat beside the man who was smiling sweetly.
"It seems you've had a good time while I was away."
"The fun starts now, for me at least."
With a slight tilt of his head, Kishiar changed his position to rest his head on Yuder's lap. He looked every bit the accomplished drunkard, though Yuder knew that there was no actual inebriation in those red eyes.
"Your late return suggests you’ve uncovered something."
"Yes, I had an unexpected encounter."
"Did someone you know come by?"
"Kiolle da Diarca was here, on a mission from Duke Diarca, no less."
Kishiar's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting. Do tell me more."
Yuder summarized his conversation with Kiolle. He mentioned the absence of the supposed healers infiltrating the palace, Kiolle’s intense dislike of them, the information in the Duke's note, and finally, the warning, or rather the non-warning, that Kiolle had given him.
After listening to it all, the first thing Kishiar asked was:
"Kiolle da Diarca issued a warning? He’s not intelligent enough for that… Could it be a double trap from their side?"
"...No."
Had Kiolle heard that, he would have fainted all over again.
"So your certainty means you can still employ the 'method' you’ve used in the past to keep him quiet."
"…"
He was right.
"Well, as I said before, I leave it to you and won't worry about it anymore."
Kishiar didn't press for more details about that "method," accepting it with a nod. His expression was no different from when they had discussed the same topic after Yuder's earlier manifestation.
"But how did you acquire the information that was supposedly in the Duke Diarca's note?"
"Excuse me?"
"If he had used the excuse of running an errand, the information would not have been simply written down, and the person who brought it would have obviously not known what it was about based on the current story, naturally. That's what I'm getting at."
Yuder hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by the unexpected question that seemed to pierce through the conversation. He had somewhat glossed over the details about the information from the note, not expecting it to be caught in such a short span of time.
Indeed, it was Kishiar who had caught it.
Feeling an admiration that felt out of place in this awkward situation, Yuder deeply exhaled.
"...I had a way to personally discern the information within it."
He might have felt more awkward or distressed in such a situation before. Normally, giving such an answer could lead to a breakdown in trust with Yuder, or something of a similar scale.
But not now.
"Why? Did Kiolle know that you had deciphered the information?"
"No."
"Is there a chance someone else might find out later?"
"There is none."
After his emotionless voice flowed through the air, Yuder looked down at the man who was still lying on his lap. He stared into his face, which looked deeply contemplative, sensuous, and profoundly wise.
And the moment their eyes met, a thrilling sensation raced toward Yuder's heart as if it had been waiting for just this.
"… I see. Understood."
There was neither anger, doubt, nor confusion in Kishiar's eyes.
It meant he wasn't content with answers one might typically come up with.
As he had declared before, he was still actively thinking, striving to find the 'answer' himself.
Silently, simply gazing in this direction.
Yuder felt a peculiar emotion in the eyes of the man who was chasing something beyond what was visible, something true. It was a feeling that was both fiery, akin to the moment he felt the living Kishiar, and also faintly aching in his chest.
And so, Yuder suddenly decided to disclose one piece of information he had yet to share.
"Commander."
"Hmm?"
"The reason I am so confident about Kiolle da Diarca is actually quite simple."
His red eyes blinked slowly, as if trying to comprehend the abrupt statement.
"I have an oath pact with Kiolle da Diarca in Hartan. Unless he becomes smart enough to free himself from the oath without exposing how it came to be with the Duke of Diarca, he has to assist me. So there's no need to worry going forward."
"…"
"It's not anything particularly grand."
At first, he had kept quiet about it, thinking it would be a hassle if Kishiar knew. Then, he simply chose not to mention it because the question had never come up directly.
But now, he wanted to offer this information as a substitute for answers he couldn't provide.
And as if understanding the implication perfectly, Kishiar finally broke into a remarkably bright smile.
"I see. So that was the secret to handling him."
"Yes."
"It might have been enough to just threaten him, but you went as far as making an oath. Did my assistant suffer unnecessarily?"
"No, the terms of the oath are threefold, and the burdens of compliance lie solely on him."
Yuder silently lifted a finger and recited the three vows. First, Kiolle da Diarca must not reveal to anyone the events that took place in Hartan. Second, Kiolle da Diarca could not issue unilateral commands, duel requests, or disrespectful speech to Yuder Aile or any other person henceforth.
Lastly, the third vow, Kiolle da Diarca would assist Yuder Aile to the best of his ability.
Hearing all this, Kishiar was genuinely delighted.
"I had heard rumors that he had been growing more mature since that time, so I sort of guessed he would have done something like this. But hearing it now, it's even more interesting than I had expected."
"Those rumors had spread?"
"Yes. To extract such an oath from him in that situation, it's something no one but you would have thought of. It's very much like you, Yuder Aile."
Smiling once more, Kishiar grasped Yuder's hand and pulled it towards him. The loose ring on his finger met the soft lips of the one who wore an identical ring.
"...Thank you. This is the best news I've heard today."
The kiss traveled from the fingertips to the palm, and finally to the wrist concealed by the sleeve. Kishiar, who pressed his lips softly to the skin others could not see, looked up at Yuder with a twinkling eye.
If it was humorous, it was a funny thing indeed; but the body that had become accustomed to touch over the past few days responded quite easily.
"Hmm... Shall we discuss the rest when we get back?"
In a place much cozier and warmer than this. His voice, already sultry, resonated even lower and more seductive than before. Though surprising every time, in this moment, neither the schemes that Duke Diarca may be plotting nor the true identity of the suspicious healers seemed important at all.
Slowly, Yuder nodded.
In the waiting room to which he had returned, Kishiar was elegantly sprawled on a sofa. He had set up a small drink table and was engaged in animated conversation with a few merchants.
"So, as I was saying, my assistant bravely dashed forth and used his power. With a mere flick of his hand, reminiscent of a butterfly's wing flap, the cliffside crumbled and—"
Curious about the story, Yuder paused and listened. Realizing that he was the subject of the conversation, he made his presence known without hesitation. The merchants, who had been sitting politely by Kishiar's side, shot up from their seats the moment they noticed him.
"Ah, there, there, your assistant has arrived, Your Grace!"
"…assistant?"
"Why are you so late! No, no, please have a seat!"
The merchants, as if meeting long-lost relatives, flocked to Yuder, offered handshakes, and pushed him towards Kishiar. This was a stark contrast to their initial indifference when they first met Yuder.
"Your Grace, we shall take our leave now."
"The alterations to the garments you've entrusted us with will be completed soon. Please wait a little longer!"
"Oh, how time has flown. We haven't finished our conversation yet, are you sure you can't stay?"
"As much as it pains us not to hear your valuable words to the end, we must go now to complete our tasks. We apologize."
"Yes, us too."
"Very well, be on your way then."
The merchants simultaneously bowed and retreated, disappearing as quickly as if they doubted their primary occupation.
Yuder took a seat beside the man who was smiling sweetly.
"It seems you've had a good time while I was away."
"The fun starts now, for me at least."
With a slight tilt of his head, Kishiar changed his position to rest his head on Yuder's lap. He looked every bit the accomplished drunkard, though Yuder knew that there was no actual inebriation in those red eyes.
"Your late return suggests you’ve uncovered something."
"Yes, I had an unexpected encounter."
"Did someone you know come by?"
"Kiolle da Diarca was here, on a mission from Duke Diarca, no less."
Kishiar's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting. Do tell me more."
Yuder summarized his conversation with Kiolle. He mentioned the absence of the supposed healers infiltrating the palace, Kiolle’s intense dislike of them, the information in the Duke's note, and finally, the warning, or rather the non-warning, that Kiolle had given him.
After listening to it all, the first thing Kishiar asked was:
"Kiolle da Diarca issued a warning? He’s not intelligent enough for that… Could it be a double trap from their side?"
"...No."
Had Kiolle heard that, he would have fainted all over again.
"So your certainty means you can still employ the 'method' you’ve used in the past to keep him quiet."
"…"
He was right.
"Well, as I said before, I leave it to you and won't worry about it anymore."
Kishiar didn't press for more details about that "method," accepting it with a nod. His expression was no different from when they had discussed the same topic after Yuder's earlier manifestation.
"But how did you acquire the information that was supposedly in the Duke Diarca's note?"
"Excuse me?"
"If he had used the excuse of running an errand, the information would not have been simply written down, and the person who brought it would have obviously not known what it was about based on the current story, naturally. That's what I'm getting at."
Yuder hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by the unexpected question that seemed to pierce through the conversation. He had somewhat glossed over the details about the information from the note, not expecting it to be caught in such a short span of time.
Indeed, it was Kishiar who had caught it.
Feeling an admiration that felt out of place in this awkward situation, Yuder deeply exhaled.
"...I had a way to personally discern the information within it."
He might have felt more awkward or distressed in such a situation before. Normally, giving such an answer could lead to a breakdown in trust with Yuder, or something of a similar scale.
But not now.
"Why? Did Kiolle know that you had deciphered the information?"
"No."
"Is there a chance someone else might find out later?"
"There is none."
After his emotionless voice flowed through the air, Yuder looked down at the man who was still lying on his lap. He stared into his face, which looked deeply contemplative, sensuous, and profoundly wise.
And the moment their eyes met, a thrilling sensation raced toward Yuder's heart as if it had been waiting for just this.
"… I see. Understood."
There was neither anger, doubt, nor confusion in Kishiar's eyes.
It meant he wasn't content with answers one might typically come up with.
As he had declared before, he was still actively thinking, striving to find the 'answer' himself.
Silently, simply gazing in this direction.
Yuder felt a peculiar emotion in the eyes of the man who was chasing something beyond what was visible, something true. It was a feeling that was both fiery, akin to the moment he felt the living Kishiar, and also faintly aching in his chest.
And so, Yuder suddenly decided to disclose one piece of information he had yet to share.
"Commander."
"Hmm?"
"The reason I am so confident about Kiolle da Diarca is actually quite simple."
His red eyes blinked slowly, as if trying to comprehend the abrupt statement.
"I have an oath pact with Kiolle da Diarca in Hartan. Unless he becomes smart enough to free himself from the oath without exposing how it came to be with the Duke of Diarca, he has to assist me. So there's no need to worry going forward."
"…"
"It's not anything particularly grand."
At first, he had kept quiet about it, thinking it would be a hassle if Kishiar knew. Then, he simply chose not to mention it because the question had never come up directly.
But now, he wanted to offer this information as a substitute for answers he couldn't provide.
And as if understanding the implication perfectly, Kishiar finally broke into a remarkably bright smile.
"I see. So that was the secret to handling him."
"Yes."
"It might have been enough to just threaten him, but you went as far as making an oath. Did my assistant suffer unnecessarily?"
"No, the terms of the oath are threefold, and the burdens of compliance lie solely on him."
Yuder silently lifted a finger and recited the three vows. First, Kiolle da Diarca must not reveal to anyone the events that took place in Hartan. Second, Kiolle da Diarca could not issue unilateral commands, duel requests, or disrespectful speech to Yuder Aile or any other person henceforth.
Lastly, the third vow, Kiolle da Diarca would assist Yuder Aile to the best of his ability.
Hearing all this, Kishiar was genuinely delighted.
"I had heard rumors that he had been growing more mature since that time, so I sort of guessed he would have done something like this. But hearing it now, it's even more interesting than I had expected."
"Those rumors had spread?"
"Yes. To extract such an oath from him in that situation, it's something no one but you would have thought of. It's very much like you, Yuder Aile."
Smiling once more, Kishiar grasped Yuder's hand and pulled it towards him. The loose ring on his finger met the soft lips of the one who wore an identical ring.
"...Thank you. This is the best news I've heard today."
The kiss traveled from the fingertips to the palm, and finally to the wrist concealed by the sleeve. Kishiar, who pressed his lips softly to the skin others could not see, looked up at Yuder with a twinkling eye.
If it was humorous, it was a funny thing indeed; but the body that had become accustomed to touch over the past few days responded quite easily.
"Hmm... Shall we discuss the rest when we get back?"
In a place much cozier and warmer than this. His voice, already sultry, resonated even lower and more seductive than before. Though surprising every time, in this moment, neither the schemes that Duke Diarca may be plotting nor the true identity of the suspicious healers seemed important at all.
Slowly, Yuder nodded.
