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[1. Eldore siblings]
It was another rowdy morning for the cavalry members on the training grounds. They had grown accustomed to the knights’ unfriendly demeanor, so it was no longer a significant concern for them. Usually, they handled such matters themselves, but today was one of the rare fortunate days when the captain’s assistant, Yuder Ail, was around to take care of the situation.
Which meant they would get their much-needed entertainment.
Hinn and Finn Eldore looked excitedly at Yuder’s plain expression as he spoke to the knights, secretly hoping they’d become even rowdier so an epic brawl would break out.
“Yuder, stop showing so much patience- just beat them up!” Hinn shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to make his screams sound clearer. “Let’s teach these new knights the cavalry style!”
“We want to join too, Yuder!” said Finn, mimicking his brother. “Please!”
Yuder made no motion to indicate that he had heard them, but a slight twitch of his fingers was signal enough for the siblings to understand he wanted them to be quiet. They quickly fell silent but continued watching the scene with eager, shining eyes.
Sadly, or perhaps, thankfully, one of the knights crossed the single line he should never have dared to cross when arguing with Yuder.
Which was mentioning their commander, Kishiar La Orr.
“I see the cavalry is as insane as its commander!” sneered the knight, jabbing a finger against Yuder’s chest. “You truly act arrogantly for a group led by the empire’s greatest failure.”
The knights failed to notice the sudden drop in temperature that followed such a statement and carried on with their jokes. But every member of the cavalry knew they were about to witness an absolute human rights violation.
They knew their commander’s assistant was usually protective of the cavalry members. But when it came to their commander, it was an entirely different matter. The usual restraint and clear-mindedness vanished, and Yuder became more terrifying than ever.
“I’m going to give you one chance to retract your words,” said Yuder, his icy tone sending shivers down the spines of the cavalry members. The knight looked intimidated, but be it out of pride or sheer stupidity, he opened his mouth to continue his insults.
“Just who do you think you are? Did it bother you that much what I said?” the knight continued, though small beads of sweat could be seen glinting on his forehead. “I’m sorry you have that man as a commander. Kishiar La Orr’s name tarnishes the royal family’s honor, the man should have died years ago!”
The knights around him shifted uncomfortably at his words, sensing they had crossed a line. It was one thing not to respect Duke Palleta, but wishing death upon a member of the imperial family was an entirely different matter.
The offending knight seemed to realize his mistake as well, but the damage was done. He had already thrown the stone, and now he had to live with the consequences. Surely, there wouldn’t be any serious repercussions… right?
On the other side of the arena, the cavalry was seething with outrage. Hinn and Finn began to shift into their bigger forms, and no one felt particularly inclined to stop them at that moment.
Before they could act, however, Yuder seized the hand still pressing a finger against his chest and started gripping it with an inhuman strength.
“Hey! Let me go-”
What the cavalry witnessed next was a scene that would be hard to forget. They remained rooted in place, even the Eldore siblings' anger deflated as they silently watched their commander’s assistant fling the knight around the training grounds like a rag doll.
Neither knights nor cavalry dared to breathe too loudly. The man before them looked like a monster, mercilessly and without hesitation dealing with the knight, not even using his powers of an awakener. The cavalry members swallowed hard at the sight. Yuder was being more ruthless than usual, which meant that something the knight had said had struck a particularly raw nerve.
At that moment, the battered body of the knight landed in front of the Eldore siblings, splattering a drop of blood onto Finn’s eyebrow. However, the boy was too focused on the scene unfolding before him to bother wiping it away.
“Please… have pity,” the knight managed, his eyes now stripped of their earlier arrogance and now filled with fear. “I have children.”
“Why would I care that you’ve reproduced?” Yuder replied coldly, delivering one final kick that sent the man flying toward the other knights.
The tense moment had passed, and movement resumed across the training grounds. The knights scrambled to retrieve their comrade's battered body, while the cavalry members quickly gathered around Yuder.
“Hey, Yuder, that was super cool!” Finn exclaimed, walking eagerly towards him. “But, it’s weird for me to say this, but weren’t you a bit ruthless?”
“Right, for a second, I thought you were going to kill the guy!” Hinn added, positioning himself on Yuder’s other side.
“Anyone who disrespects the commander and wishes death upon him deserves no pity,” Yuder replied coldly, lingering anger still dancing behind his eyes.
“Right…” Steiber answered in a placating tone. He was one of the men who had approached Yuder after the fight had finished. “Actually, I wanted to discuss something with you. Could you come with me for a moment?”
Yuder nodded and followed the deputy commander, leaving Hinn and Finn to discuss among themselves.
“Yuder was as cool as always,” Finn said with a sigh. “I wish I could be like that.”
He expected a quick response from his brother, but when Hinn remained silent, Finn turned to look at him.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, no, I was just thinking...” Hinn replied, his voice thoughtful as he closed his eyes and tilted his head. “Do you think Yuder likes the commander?”
“What? Why would you say that?” Finn replied, shocked. “Is it because of how he acts when the commander is badmouthed?”
“Doesn’t it remind you of Mum when someone talked badly about Dad?” Hinn asked, recalling a scene from years ago at a bar when their mother had thrown a table at a man who had dared to speak ill of their father.
“…You might have a point,” Finn said, recalling the same scene. “It would be a shame if that were the case. Yuder is too cool to suffer from one-sided love.”
“Maybe we can help him and the commander get together?”
“...No, I’m too afraid to get in between their business,” replied Finn. “I value my life.”
[2. Lusan]
Lusan had been called directly to the commander’s office, with little explanation other than the urgency to hurry. He rushed over, thinking it might be something important or classified, as the healing couldn’t happen in the medical ward.
But upon reaching the commander’s office, he was met with an unharmed commander and a visibly tired Yuder. Well, Yuder didn’t look tired on the outside, but after spending enough time with the man, Lusan could tell he was exasperated.
“…Who do I have to heal?” Lusan inquired, ignoring the heavy atmosphere that hung between Yuder and the commander.
“My dear assistant here got injured while on a mission on the outskirts of the capital,” the commander explained, pointing at Yuder’s arm. “Could you please take a look?”
“Excuse me?” Lusan asked, confused. There were only small scratches on Yuder’s arm, likely made by a monster. Regardless, they could barely be called injuries, so Lusan was puzzled as to why it seemed so urgent. “...Of course.”
Yuder sighed and rolled up his sleeves higher, ignoring the commander’s pleased gaze. “I apologize for wasting your time, Priest Lusan.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” the priest said, raising his hands. “This is why I’m here.”
“I’m not sure you’re here to heal this kind of-”
“Thank you, Lusan,” interrupted the commander, throwing a bright smile his way.
Lusan nodded and quickly covered Yuder’s arm in holy power, swiftly healing the scrapes. He looked up, past Yuder’s empty gaze, towards the commander.
The commander was staring at the back of Yuder’s head, worry visible in his eyes, likely betraying his emotions against his will. Even if it was just a small nick, this level of worry...
Lusan recalled how the commander had acted not so long ago when he had brought Yuder to the infirmary after the man had vomited blood and passed out. He also remembered how Enon had to kick him out of the infirmary, tired of the commander ignoring the world out of his concern for Yuder.
At that moment, Lusan had been too focused on healing Yuder to consider the implications of such favoritism and how it went beyond simple concern for a capable member of the force.
‘Could it be that the commander… has feelings for Yuder?’
Just then, Kishiar’s eyes locked with his, making him quickly lower his gaze.
“Is there a problem with my assistant?”
“Ah… no, everything is perfect,” answered Lusan, looking down at his hands. Now that the thought had entered his mind, it was hard to ignore the clues, so he didn’t feel very comfortable in their presence. “Excuse me, I just remembered I had something to do.”
“Thank you for coming despite your busy schedule,” the commander said, standing, now that he was paying attention, a bit too close to Yuder.
“Of course, let me know if there is anything else you need,” Lusan said, scrambling to leave the room.
Before he managed to close the door, however, Yuder's cold, unwavering voice came from within the room.
“See how he left? He was probably busy. Calling him was unnecessary.”
“Allow me this level of fussing,” said the commander, sounding surprisingly affectionate. “It hasn’t been long since you were last in a bad state.”
“…Very well.”
After that, Lusan couldn’t keep listening, as he had completely closed the door and hurried down the hallway.
‘The commander likes Yuder,’ he thought, swallowing a bundle of nerves down his throat. ‘I have to keep this secret… the commander probably doesn’t want Yuder to know either.’
Lusan felt a bit bad for Kishiar and his impossible love, finding it somewhat tragic. He decided to keep the sad secret locked away in his heart.
[3. Devran]
Devran was outside with Yuder on one of their Intelligence Unit missions, gathering information on the group known as the Star of Nagran, when Ever came rushing towards their hiding spot, bearing shocking news from Kanna.
“The commander had a poisoning attempt?” Devran repeated, stunned. He absentmindedly noticed Yuder stiffen next to him, turning to see their commander’s assistant wearing a murderous expression.
“I’m going back to the cavalry,” said Yuder, but before he could leave, Ever hastily grabbed his arm.
“That’s why I came bearing the message, Yuder. The commander doesn’t want you there,” said Ever, unmoving at the furious look Yuder shot her, knowing it wasn’t directed at her.
“…What do you mean?”
Ever sighed, letting go of Yuder’s arm. “The commander didn’t give me much information, but he knew you were out on a mission, and he asked me to tell you not to come back until the situation calms down over there.”
"Am I a bother to him in this situation?”
Ever noticed how Yuder’s face darkened and quickly added an extra comment to ease his mind. “I don’t think that’s it, Yuder. The commander probably has a good reason behind it.”
While Ever and Yuder were discussing the commander’s state, Devran was watching their commander's assistant with a new understanding. He knew that Yuder cared about everyone in the cavalry and that he was quite loyal to Kishiar, but he hadn’t expected the man to be so unsettled, even after they had been told that the commander was alright.
Yuder usually kept an impassive expression on his face, so seeing his face show clear signs of anger, worry, and frustration was quite a surprise.
“I didn’t think you cared so deeply about the commander, Yuder,” Devran said after Ever had finished speaking.
“I don’t care that much.”
‘You care so much that it’s visible from the other side of the continent,’ thought Devran, but he had the tact not to comment on it.
“…Ever, when the commander asked you to tell me this, was it issued as a request, or as a command?”
Devran secretly sighed and felt bad for Ever, who had been tasked with stopping Yuder from reaching the commander in such a situation. Despite his initial surprise at the big display of emotion from the other, when he thought about it, it shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise.
‘Yuder has always shown a lot of devotion to the commander,’ Devran thought. ‘It shouldn’t be this surprising that he’s so worried… Yes, he’s very devoted.’
…Devoted?
Devran couldn’t help but furrow his brow at how such a statement sounded in his mind, and it seemed like something was amiss.
Having a devoted knight was something normal for a leader like their commander. He had seen how Nathan acted, and he could also be classified as “devoted.” Also, the other members of the cavalry could be considered “devoted” to their commander in one way or another, but… it felt like with Yuder, it was a different kind of devotion.
Devran couldn’t place where the feeling came from, but he knew he had seen this kind of worry somewhere else before. Suddenly, an image of his sister, worryingly telling him about her boyfriend's missions as a knight one time he had not written back for more than a week, flashed in his mind.
Devran had always been good at observing and perceiving things, but he couldn’t immediately figure out what connection his brain had made between Yuder and his sister. However, it fit better than comparing him to Nathan and the rest of the cavalry, for some reason…
Devran took a sharp intake of air, drawing the attention of Yuder and Ever, who were still discussing the situation.
“What’s wrong, Devran?” asked Yuder, his sharp eyes even more intense than usual.
“Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking about a personal matter…” said Devran, trying to focus his mind again but struggling with the absurd connection he had just made.
Yuder glanced at him, slightly concerned, but quickly turned back to Ever to continue their conversation.
Now that Devran had touched upon that thought, he couldn’t stop drawing parallels between his sister and Yuder, particularly in the way his sister spoke regarding her boyfriend and how Yuder spoke about the commander. He was so shocked by the realization that he had to clap his hand over his mouth, feeling Ever and Yuder’s stares from the corner of his eyes.
‘I never thought I’d say this, but if I’m right… feel a bit bad for Yuder,’ thought Devran, lowering his hand to try and rejoin the conversation. ‘Even if it’s unfounded, the commander is known for being a player… It’s probably a lie, but...’
Devran sighed, shaking his head. ‘I should stop thinking about these things. There are more important matters to focus on right now.’
[+1]
“Good evening, Yuder,” said Kishiar brightly, smiling at Yuder with his hands clasped over his desk.
“No,” replied the man, glowering back at the commander.
“I believe the proper response is-”
“No.”
“I understand you’re angry, but-”
“No.”
The cavalry members present watched the exchange in slightly uncomfortable silence. However, they would be lying if they said that some of them didn’t find it hilarious.
Ever had brought Devran and Yuder back after the time indicated by Kishiar, and at that moment, the commander was having a general meeting with the cavalry members involved in the poisoning incident.
In the room, the Eldore twins, Lusan, Nathan, Gakane, and Kanna were standing in front of the commander. Yuder went straight to Kishiar, his murderous expression startling everyone who had been previously muttering into a heavy silence. This silence had led to the strange conversation they were now hearing.
“Why did you tell Ever to delay my return to the cavalry after your poisoning attempt?” asked Yuder, clearly annoyed.
“It was something that had to be resolved as quietly as possible,” started Kishiar. “Kanna was the one who discovered it when she touched a jar I was going to use for water during a meeting we had together.”
“I still don’t understand why I had to be kept from coming back,” Yuder replied, gripping his hands behind his back.
Kishiar smiled. “Were you that worried?”
“Commander.”
“Fine,” said Kishiar, lifting his hands in defeat. “It’s not that I don’t trust your ability to be discreet, but I also know that if there’s one thing you struggle with, it’s matters concerning my immediate safety.”
Yuder tensed at his words, and everyone in the room looked at him.
“Don’t be like that, Commander!” said Finn, managing to speak even in the stifling atmosphere. “You don’t know how important this is for him!”
“That’s right!” said Hinn. “How could you say something like that?”
Kishiar lifted his eyebrows, slightly surprised by the outburst.
Yuder looked back at the Eldore twins, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
“It’s not like that,” explained Kishiar. “We also didn’t know what else could have been poisoned, so we were working with Kanna on that, and Gakane helped us safely dispose of it with his shadows. I didn’t want Yuder accidentally poisoning himself by touching something like you two did, as we didn’t know if the poison had monster extracts.”
“I would have been fine, Commander,” said Yuder, stealing a glance toward the Eldore siblings. “Were they also poisoned?”
“Yes, but we’re fine now!” said Finn, jumping up and down. “The priest healed us!”
“I see…”
“Hum… I don’t think we should be so harsh on the commander. He probably issued that command for a reason,” said Lusan, looking at the Eldore siblings.
‘Knowing how the commander has… special feelings for Yuder. He didn’t want any harm to come to him,’ thought Lusan.
“But what about Yuder's feelings?” said Hinn. “Looking at how he feels about the commander, he would have been very worried!”
Yuder wanted to ask what Hinn meant by that, but the boy’s mouth was quickly covered by his twin.
A different kind of silence fell over the room, with everyone awkwardly looking at each other without knowing what to say next.
“…Sorry, Yuder,” said Hinn, slightly pale.
"No, it’s fine,” said the man, his anger having melted and turned into confusion. “Just… what did you mean by that?”
Hinn closed his eyes, covered his mouth, and shook his head from side to side.
Lusan looked at the scene in front of him, and his eyes suddenly brightened. “You mean that Yuder also feels a special way about the commander?”
“Also? What do you mean by ‘also’?” asked Devran, bewildered. “The commander likes Yuder too?”
“Wait, really?” Hinn said, looking excitedly at Lusan and Devran. “The commander likes Yuder back?”
While the ruckus was happening, Ever stood off to the side, looking at the situation with a confused expression. Next to her, Kanna covered her face with both hands.
“…What’s going on?” asked Ever, glancing toward Yuder, who couldn’t hide the surprised look in his eyes at the unfolding situation.
“I’m not certain,” answered Yuder, ignoring Kanna’s heavy sigh next to him. Hearing a small huff of air come from behind him, Yuder turned to look at the commander, whose shoulders were trembling.
‘He’s having fun with this situation,’ thought Yuder, slightly annoyed at the others’ easygoing attitude.
“Is it true?” asked Kishiar, moving around the table to stand in front of Yuder. “You have feelings for me?”
Yuder shot the man a death glare. Why was he playing this game now? Didn’t they want to keep their relationship a secret?
Looking to the side, Yuder noticed that everyone had quieted down, now looking expectantly at him, waiting for his answer. ‘ I guess it would be impossible to hide it now…’
Yuder still had his reservations about making it open, especially because of what had happened in his past life. But as he glanced at the familiar faces filling the room, he realized that if they knew the truth, it might not be so bad.
Yuder was brought back to the present by the soft feeling of Kishiar’s hand gently nudging his gloved one before interlocking their fingers. A silent signal, telling him that it would be okay, that he was there for him.
Yuder sighed and then turned to address his fellow members of the cavalry, who were watching everything unfold in stunned silence.
“I’m in a physical and emotional relationship with the commander,” Yuder stated bluntly.
At his words, Kishiar couldn’t hold back his laughter, causing everyone to turn their attention to him. A few seconds later, the room exploded with a series of questions.
“...Couldn’t you say that in a more romantic way?” asked Devran, clearly taken aback.
“That’s so cool!” said both of the twins at the same time.
Lusan looked strangely happy for them, placing both of his hands on his chest in genuine joy.
Meanwhile, Ever, still not quite catching up to the situation, leaned toward Kanna and whispered, “What?”
“...Yes, this is real. I already knew,” replied Kanna.
“Ah… I… I see,” answered Ever, glancing at Gakane standing next to Kanna, who was looking sheepish. “You also…”
“Since the ball, yes.”
“Ah… ah?” Ever scratched the back of her head, trying to make sense of the situation. “Well, it’s not my business who they want to wake up next to. Good for them, I guess.”
In front of the commander’s desk, Yuder was still looking at Kishiar, who had just stopped laughing and was wiping small tears from the corner of his eyes.
“The conversation isn’t over,” Yuder said, gripping Kishiar’s hand tightly. “I wasn’t happy with your command.”
“My apologies,” said Kishiar, pressing a kiss to the back of his gloved hand. “I will make it up to you.”
“Hey, you two!” yelled Ever from the other side of the room. “Get a room! There are kids here!”
“Ever!” Kanna shouted, trying to cover her mouth.
A new wave of chaos erupted in the room, and Yuder had to bite back a smile. The familiarity and acceptance they had shown toward his relationship with Kishiar was something entirely different from what he was used to, definitely worlds apart from his previous life.
Yuder felt, once again, that his actions toward building a new future were worth it.