In the end, the guard from Makla returned with six Cavalry members, five Imperial Special Task Force soldiers, and, within that short time, twenty more troops sent by General Ginoâs side. His departing figure was no longer full of worry and anxietyâit now brimmed with hope and relief.
But Yuder didnât smile as he watched him go.
This is probably only the beginning.
The description of the abnormal rift the guard had given matched exactly what Yuder remembered from his previous life. It appeared briefly and vanished just as quicklyâso quickly, most who saw it assumed theyâd made a mistake or had a hallucination. Then, when disaster struck later, theyâd suddenly start claiming they had seen strange signs beforehand.
Could anyone really say with certainty that the rift seen near Makla that morning was the first? Yuder was certain it wasnât.
After the Sharloin incident, other rifts must have appeared elsewhere. They just werenât seen, or werenât reported up the chain and got buried.
Kishiar had clearly remembered and taken full advantage of what Yuder had told him about Maklaâs lordâspecifically, that he loved money. The lordâs behavior, as described by the guard, proved it.
Kishiar had already greased the wheels in the four cities Yuder had pointed out. If the lords of those places heard about what happened between Makla and the Cavalry...
Then the reports of abnormal rifts that had gone unreported until now will start pouring in one after another.
It was no exaggeration to say that noble lords were all bundles of pride. For them, having to request outside help for something strange that happened in their own territory was shameful. Especially if that help had to come from a relatively new organization like the Cavalry.
But even in his past life, the Lord of Makla had made the decision to host a Cavalry branch simply because of the money. He wasnât someone you could call a good person, but he was the kind of petty materialist who would follow through on what he was paid forâno more, no less.
Thanks to his quick report to the Cavalry, his territory would be protected, and heâd †NĐŸvĐ”â ight †(Read more on our source) even receive extra support, including funds. If that rumor spread, not only the other three major cities but surrounding lords would start paying attention and follow suit.
The beginning is always the hardest. But once the first break in the dam happens, the rest flows easily.
"Yuder. Are we really okay with sending just that many for support? What if monsters appear like they did last time...?"
Ever, who had returned after seeing the group off, asked with a concerned tone.
"If we were certain that the rift would only appear in Makla, then yes, concentrating all our forces there would be the right move."
"Ah... so, you think more will appear in other places too, right?"
"Thatâs what it seemed like, based on my conversation with the Commander."
Yuder couldnât explain the full basis for his conviction, so he used Kishiar as a shield. Whenever his instructions involved Kishiarâs name, most of the Cavalry members accepted them without question.
"Ah, the Commander... I see. Right, itâs not like abnormal rifts are only going to appear in one place. Then weâll need to spread our forces carefully."
"We donât know how things will unfold yet, but if more incidents like todayâs happen, Iâll leave the deployment of reinforcements to you. Is that alright?"
"Of course. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe thatâs why the Commander issued that order."
"That order?"
"Ah... you didnât hear? He ordered support personnel to be called in from the other branches."
The word support personnel sparked something vague in Yuderâs memory. He recalled something Kishiar had said last night, when theyâd been speaking and Yuder had been half-asleep.
âIf things go the way you described, I donât think the current staff in this branch alone will be enough. So Iâve made some preparations. In a way, itâs lucky we just started recruiting for the second round of members...
Right. Kishiar had said he was preparing in case the Southern branch staff werenât sufficient. This mustâve been what Ever was referring to.
Looks like I didnât need to worry...
"I think I remember hearing about that. So, howâs the support situation coming along?"
"Better than expected. Especially from the Eastern and Western branchesâeven among the newly accepted recruits, there were volunteers. Iâm a little worried since they havenât completed training yet, but... it seemed like the Commander thought it wouldnât be a problem. After all, the new recruits here in the South were a huge help."
"...True."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Accepted recruits from the East and West, huh?
A few familiar faces heâd met while traveling came to mind.
If itâs someone like Gloena or Marin, theyâd be a real asset now. Though Iâm not sure Marin ever actually made it to the Western branch after meeting us...
"But Yuder. Are you really okay now?"
"As you can seeâIâm fine."
"Thatâs such a relief. After that hailstorm day, all we heard was that you were bedridden. I was so worried. I havenât even seen the Commanderâs face properly since then either..."
"The Commander will... soon be back on his feet."
Even Yuder couldnât help hesitating when talking about Kishiar. It had only been a couple of hours since heâd come down, but already the urge to return to Kishiarâs side was starting to rise again.
"Right? I hope we get to see him again soon. Please tell him we all miss him."
"I will."
Ever gave a bright smile and said he had things to do, then left. Yuder rejoined Gakein, who had been watching nearby. Inon, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen.
"Inon?"
"He said heâd heard enough and left ahead."
"So what about you? What are you doing now?"
"Training... is what Iâd like to say, but I havenât gotten permission for that yet. I donât have a sword master, and Kannaâs not around either, so Iâm just helping others however I can."
"...Zuckerman and Kanna arenât here? Whereâd they go?"
That made Yuder turn his head in surprise.
"Not just those twoâElre and Nipolen went with them. They left this morning... Iâm not sure of the details, but it seemed like the Commander gave them a mission."
"The Commander did?"
"Kanna said it might take a few days. So Iâm guessing itâs somewhere far. You didnât know?"
Nathan Zuckerman, Kanna, Elre, and Nipolen. It was a strange combination in many ways.
For all four of them to be sent out together...
Are they searching for Naham?
A shapeshifter, a scout... and the fact that Nipolen was sent despite the danger caught his attention. If they had to send Nipolen, then it was likely for Awakener detection. And the only task that matched that profile right now...
Kishiar wasnât the type to throw people into dangerous missions without good reason. He probably sent Nathan first to test things, and once he was convinced, sent the rest.
He must think the chances that bastard is still alive are high.
The image of Nahamâs crumpled form beyond Hosanraâs impaled body came to mind. At the time, it had been hard to believe he wasnât already a corpse.
But somehow, Hosanra had sacrificed his life to shove Naham into a loophole that let him survive.
"......"
"Yuder! You must still be a little tired after just waking up, but if youâre up for it, do you want to walk around a bit outside?"
Just as Yuder clenched his fist while staring at the ground, Gakein cheerfully slapped him on the back and spoke.
"Donât you want to see how things have been going around the branch while you were asleep? A lot happened during the hailstorm. And there are still a lot of people who havenât seen you yet. I thought it might be good to meet them."
Maybe he was saying it because he noticed the shift in Yuderâs expressionâbut either way, the attempt to lift his spirits wasnât unwelcome. The urge to return to Kishiar was still there, but... it wouldnât hurt to check things out with his own eyes first.
Yuder slowly nodded.
"...Alright."
"Nice. Good decision!"
Gakein, excited like a giant puppy, tugged Yuder along. Outside the branch was far livelier than inside. But more than anything, what stood out the most...
"...Whatâs that huge pit?"
"Hahaha! I knew that would catch your eye first!"
Gakein burst out laughing as if heâd been waiting for this moment.
"Thatâs the amazing masterpiece Helrem and Alik created together during the hailstorm."
"A masterpiece...?"