"Gakane, calm down for a moment."
Yuder reached out his hand to Gakane, whose voice was escalating, and restrained him.
'I almost always forget that this guy comes from a prominent family… Never thought I’d be reminded of it here.'
"So you're saying… you’d rather I not dance with the Commander?"
"It’s not that I’m saying don’t do it without reason…"
"Right. For the sake of my future."
"It's more than just the future," Gakane added firmly.
"I know you've done similar things in Tainu, but that doesn’t mean this should be taken for granted. In fact, if I had been there at that time, I would have seriously discouraged you. Your reputation would have been truly ruined, even if it was all an act."
What Gakane was talking about had long lost any meaning for Yuder. He was someone who had already seen where his 'promising future' would end, and he knew it was not pretty. But he couldn't outright say that.
Yuder decided to elaborate more on how he was fine with the situation.
"As I’ve said before, I’m fine. Dancing with the Commander won’t make the rewards I'm to receive disappear, and I have no interest in the social scene. If dancing can help mark the day when our Cavalry receives formal commendation as the beginning of meaningful change, then I think that’s a good thing."
"I know you don't care about that sort of thing. But you may not always feel that way," Gakane's voice quivered slightly.
"Please don’t take it lightly. No matter how exceptional you are, once people have a bad impression of you, they will never look back. You might not need that now, but there will come a time when you do… and by then…”
Gakane's eyes weren't on Yuder. His dark green pupils trembled as they stared into empty space.
"It will already be too late."
The emotion lurking within those words was tinged with an unfamiliar light, something Yuder had not seen since meeting Gakane.
Yuder raised an eyebrow.
‘Is this not just him over-worrying because he knows aristocratic sensitivities well? Could it be based on his own experiences?’
"Is this something you’ve experienced yourself?"
"If I say yes, will you reconsider?"
"That would be difficult. I’ve already promised the Commander."
"Why did you make such an important decision so impulsively? Others might not understand the risk, but if you had talked to me even once…”
"Gakane."
Yuder sighed softly, interrupting him.
"I appreciate the concern, but it has to be me who does this."
"Please, Yuder. Don’t sacrifice yourself. Even if you've made a promise, the Commander will understand if you explain. Or rather, let me…"
Gakane would neither retract his worries nor cease trying to persuade Yuder. In that case, there was only one thing to say.
"I'm not making a sacrifice. This is simply the future I want. No other opportunities are necessary."
Gakane, who had been about to continue his persuasion, closed his mouth for a moment. Yuder stared at his somewhat pale face with an expressionless look but filled with certainty.
"If you don't understand, see it for yourself that day. I’ll show you the opportunity I seek."
…
After his conversation with Gakane, Yuder had planned to find Kanna and meet the Awakeners belonging to the Star of Nagran. However, for some reason, he could not find Kanna anywhere he went.
After searching about three places, he eventually gave up and decided to move alone. The first place he visited was the restaurant where Gayle and Doyle were working. The brothers, who were busily peeling potatoes with knives in preparation for dinner, sprang up with surprised faces as soon as they saw Yuder.
"Uh, you...!"
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Well, would it be okay... after we finish peeling these potatoes?" Gayle hesitantly replied. "We have to soak them in saltwater right after, so leaving them would be a bit... If we use our abilities, we can finish quickly, so can you wait just a bit?"
"Is that so?"
Yuder's gaze shifted toward the remaining potatoes and the large barrel of saltwater next to them. A moment later, he raised his hand and made a light flicking motion. The startled brothers quickly stepped back, but his intention was not to attack.
"What, what's that?"
The potatoes and knives floating in the air began to move on their own. The skins were neatly peeled off, and the peeled potatoes immediately started plunging into the barrel of saltwater, one after another. The incredibly rapid process was soon over, and all that remained was a pile of potato skins, like fallen leaves on one side.
"Is that good enough?"
"Wha-, how did you do that?!"
"It doesn't matter who does it if we were going to use abilities to peel the potatoes anyway."
"But your ability wasn't like this; it was more like, boom, an explosion, wasn't it?"
"The principle is the same. Depending on how it's manipulated, I can cause explosions or peel potatoes."
The brothers' eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. They looked at the perfectly peeled potatoes several times as if they couldn't believe what had just happened and eventually followed Yuder, their faces filled with fear and anxiety.
'Did helping them peel potatoes really scare them that much?'
At first, he thought they were just typically afraid of him, but after seeing him use his abilities, they seemed even more fearful, which somehow felt odd.
The keen sense of someone who had long been investigating suspicious matters suddenly perked up. Those brothers were hiding something.
'I should have brought Kanna along.'
Yuder eyed the brothers cautiously and decided to probe a bit.
"Do you know why I came here?"
"...Is it because of Hosanna?"
Doyle timidly asked. It was well-known among the members that one of the Star of Nagran had been escorted from the west to this place. The brothers had gathered enough information to suspect that the person was Hosanna while doing odd jobs.
"Half-correct."
"What did Hosanna say? That we're going to escape?"
"We didn't do anything! We just worked! Even when that guy Hosanna and Nahan asked us to go, we said no! We really didn't do anything, so there's nothing to blame us for! We're really innocent!"
"..."
Hosanna and Nahan had asked the brothers to go?
'Just from what they're saying, it sounds like they have joined the Cavalry or something. When exactly...?'
The brothers still hadn't realized they had misspoken. Although they knew that Hosanna had been captured, they didn't know that he hadn't even woken up yet for questioning.
Yuder decided not to share the information he had on Hosanna for the time being, opting instead to fully trust the brothers' words. He asked them to elaborate further. What he learned was astonishing.
'… They really went back and forth here in a carriage? Not anywhere else, but Cavalry?' Really?’
Even if half of the Cavalry had been absent at the time, including himself, that could not serve as an excuse. The fact that no one had known about this until today was simply baffling.
Gayle and Doyle emphasized with fearful eyes that they hadn't done anything wrong. Gayle, scared of losing their current stable and peaceful life, contrasted sharply with Doyle, who appeared to have seriously considered escape when it was suggested, and was particularly tense, breaking into a cold sweat.
‘If it's true that Nahan told them the Sage would understand if they wanted to stay here, he must've been taken aback at the time too.’
It was clear why Nahan had left the brothers behind. Judging by the fact that he told them to think carefully until his return, he must've planned to gather information about the Cavalry through their eyes.
‘I almost got stabbed in the back from the inside. I knew his skills were unnaturally specialized in infiltration, but to pull off something like this…’
It was highly likely that the claim that Nahan had reported their survival to the Sage was false to begin with. The evidence was that no one had looked for them since his visit with Hosanna. Judging from the reaction of the average Awakeners in the West, people seemed to think they were already dead.
"We've, we've really told you everything honestly now..."
The brothers whispered to Yuder, lost in thought. He lifted his eyes and nodded.
"Alright, go back for now."
"Back where? Our room? We're not going to be locked up like Hosanna, are we?"
"No intention of locking you up, just go back to the dining hall."
"Alright!"
"You really trust us?"
Yuder sighed, brightening the brothers' faces. Before they rushed away, Yuder left them with a word of caution.
"There was no issue this time, but if anything similar happens again, make sure to inform me first. If you want to continue working with the Cavalry, you should prioritize the safety of the place you belong to."
The brothers scampered away, visibly chastened.
Yuder immediately headed to his next destination: the room where Hosanna lay.
"Ah, Yuder, you came to check on him?"
"Yes. Any changes?"
"Nothing much. His eyelids twitched a few times, but he hasn't woken up."
The member who had been holding the string wrapped around Hosanna's arm answered calmly. Sitting quietly next to Yuder as he scanned Hosanna's face and limbs, the member soon shifted uncomfortably.
"Uh... Yuder, if you're going to examine him, can I step out for a bit? I ate little this morning and danced all day; I'm really hungry."
"Go ahead. Be quick."
"Yay! I'll run and be back in no time!"
The member happily stood up and dashed out. Yuder took the string left behind, wrapped it around his hand, and sat down on the chair next to the bed. Hosanna's face, now resting on the bed, was clean and free of wounds thanks to consistent care, but showed almost no sign of vitality.
He looked down at the emaciated young man from the South and placed his hand on the stomach area to sense the inner energy.
'The recovery of his strength... hasn't changed since the last time I checked.'
"Gakane, calm down for a moment."
Yuder reached out his hand to Gakane, whose voice was escalating, and restrained him.
'I almost always forget that this guy comes from a prominent family… Never thought I’d be reminded of it here.'
"So you're saying… you’d rather I not dance with the Commander?"
"It’s not that I’m saying don’t do it without reason…"
"Right. For the sake of my future."
"It's more than just the future," Gakane added firmly.
"I know you've done similar things in Tainu, but that doesn’t mean this should be taken for granted. In fact, if I had been there at that time, I would have seriously discouraged you. Your reputation would have been truly ruined, even if it was all an act."
What Gakane was talking about had long lost any meaning for Yuder. He was someone who had already seen where his 'promising future' would end, and he knew it was not pretty. But he couldn't outright say that.
Yuder decided to elaborate more on how he was fine with the situation.
"As I’ve said before, I’m fine. Dancing with the Commander won’t make the rewards I'm to receive disappear, and I have no interest in the social scene. If dancing can help mark the day when our Cavalry receives formal commendation as the beginning of meaningful change, then I think that’s a good thing."
"I know you don't care about that sort of thing. But you may not always feel that way," Gakane's voice quivered slightly.
"Please don’t take it lightly. No matter how exceptional you are, once people have a bad impression of you, they will never look back. You might not need that now, but there will come a time when you do… and by then…”
Gakane's eyes weren't on Yuder. His dark green pupils trembled as they stared into empty space.
"It will already be too late."
The emotion lurking within those words was tinged with an unfamiliar light, something Yuder had not seen since meeting Gakane.
Yuder raised an eyebrow.
‘Is this not just him over-worrying because he knows aristocratic sensitivities well? Could it be based on his own experiences?’
"Is this something you’ve experienced yourself?"
"If I say yes, will you reconsider?"
"That would be difficult. I’ve already promised the Commander."
"Why did you make such an important decision so impulsively? Others might not understand the risk, but if you had talked to me even once…”
"Gakane."
Yuder sighed softly, interrupting him.
"I appreciate the concern, but it has to be me who does this."
"Please, Yuder. Don’t sacrifice yourself. Even if you've made a promise, the Commander will understand if you explain. Or rather, let me…"
Gakane would neither retract his worries nor cease trying to persuade Yuder. In that case, there was only one thing to say.
"I'm not making a sacrifice. This is simply the future I want. No other opportunities are necessary."
Gakane, who had been about to continue his persuasion, closed his mouth for a moment. Yuder stared at his somewhat pale face with an expressionless look but filled with certainty.
"If you don't understand, see it for yourself that day. I’ll show you the opportunity I seek."
…
After his conversation with Gakane, Yuder had planned to find Kanna and meet the Awakeners belonging to the Star of Nagran. However, for some reason, he could not find Kanna anywhere he went.
After searching about three places, he eventually gave up and decided to move alone. The first place he visited was the restaurant where Gayle and Doyle were working. The brothers, who were busily peeling potatoes with knives in preparation for dinner, sprang up with surprised faces as soon as they saw Yuder.
"Uh, you...!"
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
"Well, would it be okay... after we finish peeling these potatoes?" Gayle hesitantly replied. "We have to soak them in saltwater right after, so leaving them would be a bit... If we use our abilities, we can finish quickly, so can you wait just a bit?"
"Is that so?"
Yuder's gaze shifted toward the remaining potatoes and the large barrel of saltwater next to them. A moment later, he raised his hand and made a light flicking motion. The startled brothers quickly stepped back, but his intention was not to attack.
"What, what's that?"
The potatoes and knives floating in the air began to move on their own. The skins were neatly peeled off, and the peeled potatoes immediately started plunging into the barrel of saltwater, one after another. The incredibly rapid process was soon over, and all that remained was a pile of potato skins, like fallen leaves on one side.
"Is that good enough?"
"Wha-, how did you do that?!"
"It doesn't matter who does it if we were going to use abilities to peel the potatoes anyway."
"But your ability wasn't like this; it was more like, boom, an explosion, wasn't it?"
"The principle is the same. Depending on how it's manipulated, I can cause explosions or peel potatoes."
The brothers' eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. They looked at the perfectly peeled potatoes several times as if they couldn't believe what had just happened and eventually followed Yuder, their faces filled with fear and anxiety.
'Did helping them peel potatoes really scare them that much?'
At first, he thought they were just typically afraid of him, but after seeing him use his abilities, they seemed even more fearful, which somehow felt odd.
The keen sense of someone who had long been investigating suspicious matters suddenly perked up. Those brothers were hiding something.
'I should have brought Kanna along.'
Yuder eyed the brothers cautiously and decided to probe a bit.
"Do you know why I came here?"
"...Is it because of Hosanna?"
Doyle timidly asked. It was well-known among the members that one of the Star of Nagran had been escorted from the west to this place. The brothers had gathered enough information to suspect that the person was Hosanna while doing odd jobs.
"Half-correct."
"What did Hosanna say? That we're going to escape?"
"We didn't do anything! We just worked! Even when that guy Hosanna and Nahan asked us to go, we said no! We really didn't do anything, so there's nothing to blame us for! We're really innocent!"
"..."
Hosanna and Nahan had asked the brothers to go?
'Just from what they're saying, it sounds like they have joined the Cavalry or something. When exactly...?'
The brothers still hadn't realized they had misspoken. Although they knew that Hosanna had been captured, they didn't know that he hadn't even woken up yet for questioning.
Yuder decided not to share the information he had on Hosanna for the time being, opting instead to fully trust the brothers' words. He asked them to elaborate further. What he learned was astonishing.
'… They really went back and forth here in a carriage? Not anywhere else, but Cavalry?' Really?’
Even if half of the Cavalry had been absent at the time, including himself, that could not serve as an excuse. The fact that no one had known about this until today was simply baffling.
Gayle and Doyle emphasized with fearful eyes that they hadn't done anything wrong. Gayle, scared of losing their current stable and peaceful life, contrasted sharply with Doyle, who appeared to have seriously considered escape when it was suggested, and was particularly tense, breaking into a cold sweat.
‘If it's true that Nahan told them the Sage would understand if they wanted to stay here, he must've been taken aback at the time too.’
It was clear why Nahan had left the brothers behind. Judging by the fact that he told them to think carefully until his return, he must've planned to gather information about the Cavalry through their eyes.
‘I almost got stabbed in the back from the inside. I knew his skills were unnaturally specialized in infiltration, but to pull off something like this…’
It was highly likely that the claim that Nahan had reported their survival to the Sage was false to begin with. The evidence was that no one had looked for them since his visit with Hosanna. Judging from the reaction of the average Awakeners in the West, people seemed to think they were already dead.
"We've, we've really told you everything honestly now..."
The brothers whispered to Yuder, lost in thought. He lifted his eyes and nodded.
"Alright, go back for now."
"Back where? Our room? We're not going to be locked up like Hosanna, are we?"
"No intention of locking you up, just go back to the dining hall."
"Alright!"
"You really trust us?"
Yuder sighed, brightening the brothers' faces. Before they rushed away, Yuder left them with a word of caution.
"There was no issue this time, but if anything similar happens again, make sure to inform me first. If you want to continue working with the Cavalry, you should prioritize the safety of the place you belong to."
The brothers scampered away, visibly chastened.
Yuder immediately headed to his next destination: the room where Hosanna lay.
"Ah, Yuder, you came to check on him?"
"Yes. Any changes?"
"Nothing much. His eyelids twitched a few times, but he hasn't woken up."
The member who had been holding the string wrapped around Hosanna's arm answered calmly. Sitting quietly next to Yuder as he scanned Hosanna's face and limbs, the member soon shifted uncomfortably.
"Uh... Yuder, if you're going to examine him, can I step out for a bit? I ate little this morning and danced all day; I'm really hungry."
"Go ahead. Be quick."
"Yay! I'll run and be back in no time!"
The member happily stood up and dashed out. Yuder took the string left behind, wrapped it around his hand, and sat down on the chair next to the bed. Hosanna's face, now resting on the bed, was clean and free of wounds thanks to consistent care, but showed almost no sign of vitality.
He looked down at the emaciated young man from the South and placed his hand on the stomach area to sense the inner energy.
'The recovery of his strength... hasn't changed since the last time I checked.'
