Chapter 886

“...Still, I’m glad waiting for me while I was asleep didn’t feel all that boring.”

For a moment, Yuder was at a loss for words. The weight behind those words felt too heavy.

He knew better than anyone how deeply committed and steadfast the man before him was, despite his light-hearted expression and carefree tone. That was why this moment—when Kishiar’s eyes were focused solely on him—felt so uniquely significant.

How could he say something like that with such a calm face?

Why did it matter so much whether Yuder Aile was bored or not?

Yuder exhaled deeply to calm the ripple spreading in his chest. Then he nodded at the man who was smiling softly.

“As you said, there were plenty of surprising developments after going outside for the first time in a while. I wasn’t bored.”

“Mhm, as expected.”

“But... it was a bit disappointing, not being able to share them with the one who should’ve heard it.”

Kishiar, who had been smiling at Yuder’s words, suddenly froze. Of course, he would understand exactly what that meant.

What kind of day Yuder had spent, what thoughts he had while waiting here. He was a little embarrassed for being so straightforward—but still, he had wanted to tell him.

A moment later, the most joyful smile Kishiar had ever worn spread across his face.

“Oh dear. I’ve committed a grave sin, haven’t I? My aide was feeling lonely without me and I didn’t even know. What if he had shed secret tears from the solitude?”

“...It wasn’t quite that bad, but still...”

“How could I possibly let such a crime slide? I’m not the kind of man who can live without atonement. I’ll have to beg for forgiveness immediately.”

“I mean, it’s really not that...”

Just as Yuder was about to resolve never to say something like that again, the man tightened his grip on Yuder’s hand and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose with a loud smooch. Then, without pause, he peppered Yuder’s cheeks, jaw, forehead, and eyelids with kisses that felt more like little pecks than anything else.

“Wait... just... hold on...”

There wasn’t even a moment to say that he should stop because the weight resting on him could hurt his body. Even as he shook his head side to side, Kishiar’s lips kept ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) stamping over his face like seals. Only after Yuder gave up and stayed still did the man finally stop kissing him and tightly wrapped his arms around Yuder’s back. From between their joined bodies, a breathy sigh escaped from both of them.

Kishiar murmured with a half-lidded smile as their eyes met closely.

“I wasn’t bored without you, either... but that doesn’t mean I didn’t feel the absence.”

“...”

“That must be what it feels like to wait for the one you love.”

To wait for the one you love... that kind of feeling.

The once-vague emotions settled clearly into form through Kishiar’s words and soaked into Yuder’s mind. He mulled over them for a long while.

“So then, will you finally tell me? What happened today? I can hear it now.”

“...Before that—do we really have to keep talking in this position?”

With his rear perched on the edge of the bed’s side chair and half his body draped over Kishiar’s chest, even Yuder had to admit it felt a little... off. Kishiar chuckled briefly and released his arms, shifted his body toward the bed’s edge, then lifted the blanket and patted the open space beside him.

“Come on. Get up here. We’ll sit side by side and talk.”

The time to feel hesitant about lying next to the Commander’s bed had long passed. Yuder climbed up onto the bed and sat next to Kishiar. Leaning back to rest against the headboard and letting his shoulder touch Kishiar’s, he was suddenly reminded of the day of the hailstorm.

That day, right before losing consciousness, they had sat just like this on the blood- and mud-soaked ground. Back then, Yuder hadn’t even been able to sit up by himself—they had leaned on each other like mutual supports.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

But now, without needing support, they were sitting together simply because they wanted to. Looking at the same view, shoulder to shoulder, head leaning together. Then and now, this small contact and warmth remained Yuder’s only source of comfort.

“I woke up today, unwrapped the bandages, and stepped out. I met with Inon and talked...”

Yuder began speaking softly, feeling the warmth spreading from Kishiar’s shoulder. As he said all the things he’d been wanting to say since Kishiar had awakened, a bright emotion he hadn’t felt in quite some time began to rise within him.

To be specific, yes—it was something like joy.

Kishiar reacted as Yuder had expected at times, and at other times in completely unexpected ways. When Yuder told him about Inon shoving a lemon into his mouth, Kishiar tried to get him to stick out his tongue so he could “check if it was okay.” But when the topic turned to the guard from Makla, his expression immediately turned serious. Watching Kishiar’s reactions was quite entertaining to Yuder.

“I had sent some investment funds to the Lord of Makla in advance as a courtesy. I contacted him, saying we wanted to establish an external training base for the southern division of the Cavalry, and asked him to notify us if anything unusual happened. It’s good to help each other out.”

“I figured you had, sir.”

“If it weren’t for the intel you provided, I wouldn’t have thought to do anything there in advance. I’m glad it turned out to be useful.”

“He might be a materialist, but he’ll still follow through if there’s money involved and he gave his word.”

“So, you think Makla isn’t just the beginning—or the end?”

“Yes. In my opinion...”

Yuder continued his explanation. When he finally got to the part about seeing the massive trap that Helrem and Alik had set up, Kishiar looked genuinely amused.

“I’ve only heard about it, but everyone who saw it said it was amazing. Too bad the window in this room faces the wrong direction.”

“It really was incredible. But more than that... did you hear that Alik brought a new magic tool and used it to assist other Awakeners?”

“I only heard that he used a tool and that the successful applicants and members nearby worked together to help each other.”

It seemed that when Kishiar had received the report, it was still soon after the event, so minor details had either been summarized or omitted. Even if Alik’s tool had been impressive, it probably didn’t seem more important than the mage-built trap or the number of monsters killed there.

And up until now, the story of that magic tool had only been brushed off as “surprising” or “gave me a new view on mages,” just like Gakein had said. Nothing beyond that. Yuder had been the only one to grasp its potential. Though now, there would be one more.

“In my view, Alik’s new magic tool is not something that should be overlooked. And the same goes for Alik himself.”

“Oh?”

Yuder honestly explained that the tool hadn’t existed in his previous life and that he had developed a new impression of Alik.

“Alik is trying to understand Awakener power as something similar to mana—or even as mana itself. And he’s already produced results by crafting a new magic tool. No other mage did anything like that in the previous timeline. If this goes well, he might open a completely new path for Awakeners that’s never been seen before.”

“Using Awakener power like mana...”

Kishiar stroked his chin thoughtfully. Yuder had expected him to comment on Alik—but the words that came out were slightly off-topic.

“Long ago, the first mage who created a magic tool published a thesis claiming that, in theory, similar tools could be made using aura or divine power. Of course, it was buried under backlash from various sectors.”

“Is that so?”

“That mage boldly claimed that if the quality and quantity of the energy were sufficient, there was no tool that couldn’t be made. Many of the tools he designed are still in use today. But some of them require more mana to activate than anyone can supply, so they’ve been left unused.”

More precisely, many of them are stored in the royal archives of the Orr Empire. Kishiar said this with a secretive smile.

“Among the legendary magic tools he designed, there was one that could run on its own at incredible speed—and another that could open a door and transport someone through space. Isn’t that fascinating?”

“...You’re planning to show that to Alik.”

Kishiar didn’t deny it. The emotion in his shining eyes made his thoughts clear.

“After hearing what you said, I can’t help but wonder how he’ll interpret it. Awakener power is far more abundant than mana, both in quality and quantity.”