Chapter 1278

To be honest, Kiole couldn’t even tell if the road they were riding on was actually heading in the right direction. It was night, and neither the moon nor stars were bright—how could anyone navigate like this? And yet, Kishiar and the others rode as if they carried invisible lanterns with them, easily seeing far ahead and chatting naturally among themselves.

“At this pace, the cave should appear soon.”

“I don’t sense any movement nearby, but just in case, should I go ahead and check?”

“No need. I haven’t sensed anything unusual either. Let’s keep moving together.”

“Yes, sir.”

Before long, an uphill path appeared, leading into the mountain. It wasn’t wide, but it was neatly cleared—just enough for a single rider to pass through—so they didn’t slow down.

Without needing to speak, the group naturally rearranged themselves into a single file, with Kiole in the center. Nathan Zuckerman led the way, Kishiar second, Kiole third, and Yuder brought up the rear, watching over them like a shield.

“Nathan.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Kishiar called his adjutant’s name mid-ride, a flash of blue flickered through the darkness. Kiole saw branches scatter to either side and realized—Nathan had just sliced through obstructing branches in an instant.

With one hand on the reins and a single swing of his longsword, he’d sliced through only what he needed to, without so much as a ripple in his motion. It was so clean and fast that not even the horses—sensitive as they were—had time to react.

Even while galloping in the dead of night, he could deliver such effortless swordplay?

‘It’s real... He really is a Swordmaster...!’

He had known this in theory—but seeing it firsthand was something else entirely. Kiole was so awed by how fast it happened that he felt like crying from frustration at having missed the details.

But he wasn’t given long to regret not catching more of Nathan’s swordsmanship. The path ahead suddenly began to twist and curve unpredictably.

Normally, one would dismount and proceed carefully on foot. But of course, the ones riding with Kiole were not normal.

“Kiole la Diarca.”

Kishiar’s voice called out to him, perfectly calm despite the climb.

“Y-yes, sir!”

“From here on, I’ll take your reins. Don’t be alarmed—just hold the mane and stay low.”

“Wait, what?!”

He instinctively questioned the order, but Kishiar must’ve taken that as agreement. He extended a hand backward—and in the next moment, the reins Kiole had been holding slipped away like magic.

“Eek...!”

It was as if an invisible force had yanked them up into the air. Ahead, the path curved sharply. A narrow cliff road loomed under a jagged outcrop of rock.

“Duck.”

“Augh!”

Yuder Aile’s icy voice snapped from behind—and a gust of wind slammed Kiole down against the horse’s neck. He let out a muffled scream with his face pressed into the saddle.

Though Kiole couldn’t see it, the reins floated in the air, weaving precisely to steer the horse. Wind and earth surged around them, protecting the horses’ legs and carving out a path. Guided by these forces, the animals darted through obstacles, leaping and turning as if in a mounted tournament.

Flattened against the bucking horse, Kiole swallowed a scream no one else could hear.

‘I’m gonna puke... Someone save me!’

How long did it last? An eternity—or perhaps just a moment—before the horses skidded to a sudden stop, like none of it had ever happened.

“This seems to be the place.”

Kiole clumsily raised his head.

The other three were already off their horses, heading forward. In front of them stood a fenced-off cave entrance, roped off with a sign: Restricted Area. Private Property. Entry Prohibited.

Yuder glanced at the sign and muttered,

“The Diarca family crest. It’s genuine.”

“The terrain confirms it too. The cave looks natural, but the inside’s been carved and widened,” Nathan Zuckerman reported as he crossed the rope and inspected the entrance.

“Hm. To find something like this and neither report it to the state nor leave it untouched, but instead secretly expand it... That takes nerve.”

Kishiar sounded almost impressed. But behind him, Kiole just lowered his head.

Even though he hadn’t gone on field missions before, Kiole was still a member of the Imperial Guard—a unit trained in military knowledge.

Knowing the terrain and road systems of a nation was critical. By law, anyone discovering a new path or attempting to build or repair one had to report it and receive formal approval.

And yet, Duke Diarca had deliberately broken that law to build a shortcut only he knew.

Even just for that, it was a serious crime.

Once the three confirmed the cave was safe, they called out to Kiole.

“We’ll light up from here on. You take the center—it’s safer in case something goes wrong.”

“...Yes, sir.”

The way they treated him like a child needing protection—it was deeply humiliating. If it were Yuder, Kiole might’ve had the nerve to protest, even if it meant getting hit. But with Duke Peleta smiling like that... there was no way to refuse.

Hunched, Kiole moved to the center. As soon as they entered the cave, Yuder summoned a flame into the air.

“Gasp...”

Of course, only Kiole reacted with awe. The others remained unbothered.

At first, the cave was too narrow to ride through—they had to lead the horses. But deeper in, the tunnel widened enough for mounted travel again.

“This is quite well-carved. Even compared to military tunnels blasted through mountains, this is top-class.”

“I had no idea this place existed. I suppose only Duke Diarca and the chief steward ever knew about it.”

Only Kishiar understood the full meaning of those words from Yuder. With a faint smile, he murmured,

“If I’d known earlier, we could’ve used this route on our way north. That’s a bit of a shame.”

The chief steward hadn’t lied. It really didn’t take more than a few hours to reach the other side. The party shot through the enormous mountain and resumed riding—arriving at their destination just as the sun began to rise.

“That village over there is the closest one to the Dilejian estate. We’re almost there.”

Nathan Zuckerman naturally took the lead, guiding the group. Strictly speaking, this should’ve been Kiole’s job—but he had no idea whether that village was his mother’s hometown or not, so he quietly followed.

‘Judging by how confident he is, it must be. Asking now feels pointless...’

“Let’s stop here for a moment and prepare.”

At Kishiar’s signal, they dismounted. Kiole, still dazed, watched as Nathan pulled cloaked hoods from the packs on the horses.

“Here.”

He handed the cloaks to Kiole and Yuder. They were identical to what Kishiar and Nathan were already wearing.

‘So that’s what he meant by “prepare”...’

Apparently, the cloaks were for those with exposed faces. Kiole glanced sideways at Yuder, who slipped his on smoothly, and clumsily followed suit.

It was just shabby enough to be perfect at obscuring their faces. But... where had they gotten these? How had they known they’d need them?

He was curious, but this wasn’t the time to ask.

Once Kiole’s face was fully concealed, the group didn’t enter the village directly. Instead, they circled around the perimeter, heading further out to a nearby field.

A vast field, blooming with wild grasses and flowers—and at its edge stood a mansion. A building far too large and imposing for such a natural setting.

“That’s the Dilejian estate.”

That was where his mother had lived.

Kiole stared blankly at the mansion.