Chapter Text
The one week of vacation granted to the Cavalry by the Emperor had come to a close.
The members of the Cavalry returned to their headquarters in the capital with faces shining with health and rest. If a normal worker could become refreshed after a week of vacation, then it was natural that Awakeners, with their inherent good health, would be radiating with youthful energy.
Yuder Aile, who had spent that week rolling in Kishiar’s bed, had already returned to work. In that one week, his mind had come to a boil with various ideas on how to improve the Cavalry. If those rejuvenated members could have read his mind, they would already have been crying from their incoming new training plan.
But as it was, oblivious to the hell they would soon have to face, Awakeners of all ages and walks of life greeted Yuder warmly.
“Yuder, it’s so good to see you! You know, I saw my family’s black cat when I went home, and all I could think about was you! It’s really such a ferocious little beast, you should see it.”
“Yuder, how was your vacation? You should have come with me, when I told my family about you, my mother said she’d rather have you as a son, haha!”
“Yuder, do you know where the Commander went for his vacation? Did he go back to Peletta? It’s not my place to worry, but I hope he was able to rest…”
“Yuder, our congratulatory party is coming up, and I still haven’t learned how to dance… Are we going to have lessons here? I don’t want to shame our Cavalry due to my poor skills…”
Naturally, there would be lessons.
When Yuder answered that to a worried Jimmy, all the Cavalry members in hearing range let out a sigh of relief.
Indeed, the party organized by the crown would be taking place in two weeks. Originally planned to take place earlier, the party had been pushed back due to unforeseen circumstances surrounding the venue. Yuder didn’t care much for the delay, but worried that the Emperor’s health would degrade in the meantime.
However, that same delay allowed them to more thoroughly plan their future actions with the Cavalry’s development.
After organizing the new training plan and explaining the schedule for dancing lessons, Yuder walked back to the Commander’s office… leaving behind a crowd of strangely motivated Awakeners.
When he entered, Kishiar La Orr lifted his head from a pile of papers. He’d already started working on the documents needed to establish branches for the Cavalry. In order for operations to run smoothly, they needed a strong support from the Emperor, which was currently impossible due to his bad health.
Despite surely being worried for his ailing brother, Kishiar still smiled at Yuder.
“I expect things are going nicely?”
“Yes. There’s some worry about the dance, but they’re eager to have recognition.”
“Recognition they all deserve for their hard work, and you most of all. I really can’t wait to see their faces once they understand just what kind of monster you faced and defeated.”
“I… hope the Commander can receive recognition as well.”
Instead of being endlessly shamed and looked down on by people who believed rumors. Even commoners, who bathed and lived in gossip and often lacked education, knew better than to take things at face value. Despite being taught the wisdom of their ancestors, nobles lacked that sense.
“That won’t happen. Even when I showed them the Divine Sword, even when my assistant defeated a monster like that, and even when our Cavalry defended the western region and Tainu, they’ll continue to underestimate us. But if they wish to be fools, let us continue to take advantage of that.”
Despite that prediction of being undervalued for years to come, Kishiar didn’t show a hint of dissatisfaction. Only his pride in the Cavalry shone through his words.
Yuder had a different point of view, but he nodded in agreement anyway.
There was so much left to do, and so much to plan for. After deliberating on their next task for a bit, Yuder was about to leave the office when he suddenly came to a stop. His eyes faced the door.
“Commander.”
“What is it?”
Over a decade of fighting had left Yuder with instincts that rivaled the impossible. At that exact moment, he felt a sharp pinprick in the back of his neck. It was the sense of impending danger.
Yuder instinctively drew up a wind shield over the door threshold. He’d barely had time to see the door handle move that a body had slammed head first into his shield. He used that same wind to press their body into the ground.
In an instant, it was all over. The body, having slammed head first into a shield more solid than a rock, slumped over unconscious.
“This is…”
“Juan Larevo, who can move faster than one can blink.”
Kishiar effortlessly recognized the face down body.
“He’s holding a knife.”
“Holding a knife to meet his Commander, and even using his ability to enter suddenly. I must say, our members have some strange traditions.”
Kishiar spoke lightheartedly, but obediently stayed behind while Yuder inspected Juan.
Juan Larevo, his former roommate and currently top candidate for head of the eastern branch. His Awakener ability was that of brief but extraordinarily fast movements. Skinny and with a freckled face, he was far from an intimidating character, much less someone who would betray the Cavalry.
Yuder lifted his eyelids and checked his pupils. His own eyes had turned partly golden, even as Juan had passed out. A fine mist surrounded Juan’s head, indicating the usage of an ability.
Undoubtedly, Kishiar could feel it too.
“Commander, should I place him under temporary arrest?”
“Go ahead. I’m sure he’ll come to his senses soon enough.”
“Yes. I’ll use the suppressing device as well.”
He made sure to say those words clearly while nonchalantly placing Juan in a fireman’s carry. After a moment of deliberation, the mist-like form around Juan’s head vanished.
Of course, there was no device that could temporarily suppress Awakener abilities, not yet. But whoever that was couldn’t have known for sure.
Kishiar must have felt it as well, but he pretended like nothing had happened, smiling foolishly. The very Duke of Peletta nobles liked to criticize had suddenly appeared. But beyond that scatterbrained smile, a serious order was hiding. Yuder knew it without needing to be told.
An enemy had infiltrated their headquarters, to the point of being able to use their ability on one of their own.
After placing Juan in a temporary holding cell, he used his powers to send a short letter to Kanna, whom he could see from the window. While he waited, the mist-like form reappeared over Juan’s head. It lingered for a moment, only to abruptly vanish when footsteps resounded from the corridor.
Just an instant later, someone knocked on the door.
“Yuder? You called for me.”
Yuder invited Kanna inside and asked her to inspect Juan. He kept a close eye on them while she touched his hand then his forehead. With Juan’s power, if he suddenly attacked, even Yuder would have trouble defending Kanna while she was so close.
But thankfully, beyond developing a headache, Kanna finished her inspection without being injured. She looked dejected, however.
“I’m sorry, Yuder. I saw that he was about to attack the Commander, but I can’t say why… It didn’t seem too abrupt either… There wasn’t a moment where I felt like he suddenly acted like someone else. I don’t want to accuse one of our own, but it seems like he might have been planning it for a while.”
“No. He wouldn’t have gone in with such a stupid plan.”
Yuder, who had overseen all Cavalry members’ training, explained his reasoning, including the Awakener powers he’d seen around Juan’s head.
“So you think he was brainwashed?”
“It seems to be the case.”
After a moment of prolonged thoughtfulness looking at the unconscious Juan, Kanna spoke up hesitantly.
“But if he’s been affected by a mental ability… Aren’t we also at risk? Yuder, can you tell when someone is affected?”
“I can see it. But it’s impossible for me to watch over all the Cavalry members constantly.”
“I’ll leave it up to you and the Commander, then. Please tell me how I can help.”
Kanna’s lips tightened with worry, but she nodded decisively. Without needing to think twice, she’d already put all her faith in them and offered herself up for the task.
Satisfied with the way the Cavalry was developing in this lifetime, Yuder communicated his temporary plan to her. Although he hadn’t gotten to report to Kishiar yet, he felt direct action was needed.
“We need to lure them out by giving them more opportunities to attack. For now, we’ll pretend that we didn’t notice the influence of mental powers, and that Juan attacked of his own volition. If anyone asks, say that Juan is part of an internal investigation and that you can’t say more.”
“We’re pretending to investigate him?”
Yuder confirmed the last details, then sent Kanna out with an order to send Lusan and Enon over.
As Kanna slipped out the room, another person slipped in. It was Nathan Zuckerman.
He inspected Juan for a moment, then directed his gaze toward Yuder. In the same way he silently asked for a report, Yuder silently asked why he was here instead of guarding Kishiar.
“The Duke asked if there was anything new.”
“Kanna couldn’t find anything. She thinks it might be premeditated. We’ll have to conduct an investigation to find possible accomplices. As for his motive…”
Yuder trailed off meaningfully.
“The Duke ordered me to guard Juan Larevo while you investigate.”
“Very well. Lusan and Enon should come by soon.”
“I will protect them.”
With one last meaningful exchange of gaze, Yuder left Nathan alone with Juan. He had no doubt that Nathan Zuckerman, who was a hidden swordsmaster, would be able to defeat Juan. There was still the possibility of being affected by the mental power, but since the perpetrator had targeted Juan, who wasn’t yet in a position of power, instead of Yuder who frequently visited Kishiar alone, he doubted they had the power range to successfully manipulate Nathan.
He passed by Lusan and Enon on the way. Lusan hurried on with barely a greeting, but Enon stopped to talk.
“What’s this about? I almost thought you’d gotten injured again.”
“It’s an internal investigation.”
“Oh?” Enon’s eyebrows rose with interest.
Since this was someone who’d kept secret his identity for over a thousand years, Yuder felt he could share some amount of information.
“Someone used a mental power. If you see anyone acting unusually, warn me immediately. Don’t tell anyone else.”
“Seems like you’ve been caught in quite the trouble. Will you be able to take care of it on your own?”
Enon sounded nonchalant, but his offer was genuine and radiated his worry for Yuder.
“It’s not my first time. But thank you.”
“Forget I asked. And don’t get hurt again!”
They parted with that final threat. Yuder had miraculously escaped with his cheeks untouched.
On his way to the dorm, multiple members interrupted his walk to ask about the loud noise they’d heard from the Commander’s office. Since there was no way for anyone to have heard anything, Yuder concluded that this gossip was the perpetrator’s doing.
Not only influencing Juan into attacking, but also able to influence people’s thoughts… That mental ability was turning out to be stronger than first expected.
But no ability was without its drawback, and no person was without their weakness.
Juan still lived in the dorms constructed for Cavalry members, though he now had his own room. Fitting his personality, all his affairs were neatly organized.
A letter had been haphazardly tucked between two books, as if hidden in a hurry. The white paper stood out among the leather book covers.
Yuder unfurled the paper. As expected, in a few short lines, the letter seemed to implicate that Juan had been hired to attack Kishiar La Orr… or at least, that must be what the perpetrator was trying to accomplish.
In reality, the letter seemed to have stemmed from the imagination of a child, for only a child ― or a fool ― would have thought assassins communicated with their employers this way.
First of all, they wouldn’t leave proof.
Also, most assassins were commoner-born and couldn’t read.
And if it was an assassin who could read, then their employer, usually a noble, wouldn’t have given their orders so plainly. The reason was that, in case of a trial, the noble needed to be able to pretend non-guilty. If they said “show him the roses,” it could pass. If they wrote, “kill him,” then…
And finally, they wouldn’t have signed their letter with their name.
At the bottom of the letter, the Herne crest stood out like the moon in the night sky.
When Yuder returned to Kishiar’s office, it was with a selection of Juan’s affairs following him. The room itself had been declared off-limits, though he had no doubt that that wouldn’t stop the perpetrator.
“How was your hunt?”
As if nothing had happened, Kishiar had already returned to his work. Despite having been attacked by a member of his own corps, he appeared undisturbed. Yuder remembered a particular night of his own past, and felt a pang.
“Kanna couldn’t read anything unusual. I’ve brought more items for her to read, alongside this.”
Yuder handed over the letter. Kishiar read it carefully, then let out a laugh.
“It seems we’re being attacked by quite the crafter. If I truly were the foolish Duke of Peletta, I might have been convinced with just this. But unfortunately for them, I have a talented assistant by my side. Has Juan woken up yet?”
“I’m not sure. I wanted to give you this letter first. What strategy should we adopt?”
“Hmm…”
Kishiar hummed thoughtfully while tapping his fingers against the desk.
“We need to take care of this before the party, so our time is limited. Try to quickly find out who is behind this, and the extent of their powers. Above all, we can’t risk anyone’s health. If they are able to infiltrate someone’s mind to the point of manipulating their actions without anyone realizing, there’s a risk of leaving permanent damage…”
“I sent Lusan and Enon to check on Juan.”
“Good. For now, we’ll follow your lead and act oblivious. If we plan to lure them out quickly, they absolutely can’t get scared off. Who knows about this?”
“I’ve told Kanna, Sir Nathan, and Enon. Rumors about a loud noise coming from the Commander’s office have already spread.”
“Despite their first plan having failed, they’re not afraid to immediately act. That’s good. I’ll control the rumors, so focus on Juan for now.”
“Very well. I’ll come back soon.”
“Yuder.”
Before he could leave, Kishiar called out in a soft voice.
“Don’t be reckless. Above all, I don’t want you to get hurt protecting me again.”
“…Yes.”
Kishiar briefly closed his eyes. Just like Yuder knew he couldn’t keep Kishiar from worrying about him, Kishiar couldn’t stop him from protecting him, even if it came to his own detriment. This pain, mixed with the bitter joy of being worried over, was the price of their feelings. As Kishiar opened his eyes, he seemed particularly bittersweet.
“Fine, then. As long as you come back to me.”
Yuder nodded. As long as he could come back.