Chapter 896

At the same time, Yuder Aile was meeting guests on behalf of the Commander.

“They say a rift was seen in Tuban.”

“Yes. At first, we just thought it was a misunderstanding since nothing actually happened... but after hearing that similar incidents occurred in other regions, our lord became deeply concerned. That’s why he sent me here.”

Tuban. The last of the four key regions Yuder and Kishiar had inspected together. The other three had reported in early on, but Tuban remained silent even as reports of rift sightings began trickling in from nearby areas. In the end, they could no longer hold back and sent someone.

It meant that even Tuban’s lord—known for his exceptional pride and stubbornness—couldn’t turn a blind eye to the benefits the other regions had gained by reporting the strange rifts.

Yuder replied calmly, not letting the satisfaction of things going as planned show on his face.

“I see.”

“I heard that the Cavalry, the First Princess of House Hern, and the Southern Army have already sent forces to assist with maintaining order in Makla, Sluban, and Alsarae... Should Tuban do the same?”

The envoy from Tuban failed to hide his intentions. Despite being the last to show up, he was shamelessly revealing his desire to receive the same support as the other regions.

Of course, for the sake of the future, Yuder knew they’d have to send aid. But giving in to such greedy demands without getting something in return was not in Yuder’s nature.

“We’ll see.”

“...Excuse me?”

As Yuder leaned back into the sofa and stared at him with a blank expression, the Tuban envoy—who had been underestimating the young Cavalry officer—visibly faltered. The Cavalry members standing quietly behind, observing the situation, exchanged glances and smirked at the corners of their lips.

‘You think you’ll just get what you want that easily?’

‘Yuder’s at it again. That guy’s definitely going to leave in tears. We should get a handkerchief ready for him.’

Just as they expected, not long after, the Tuban envoy staggered out of the branch office, wiping his face of what may have been cold sweat or tears. Though he did secure the support he had hoped for, it came at the cost of agreeing to conditions his lord would certainly not like. Was it really a gain, then?

Refusing had been impossible—Yuder knew far too much about Tuban’s situation and had casually dropped the First Princess of Hern’s name. With that, the envoy had no room to object. Watching the man’s retreating figure, Yuder smiled coldly to himself.

‘I’ll give what needs to be given, but they shouldn’t think they can take the Cavalry lightly.’

The Lord of Tuban had, in his past life, often obstructed the Cavalry with the kind of narrow-minded thinking typical of the noble faction. This time, Yuder intended to crush that pride from the outset.

It was only when people like that were thoroughly humbled that they pretended to listen. Now that Tuban had been used as an example, others who came swaggering in like Makla would at least pretend to behave.

“Do I have anyone else to meet today?”

“Ah, there wasn’t, but while you were meeting the envoy from Tuban... an unexpected guest arrived.”

“Who?”

“It’s me.”

The one who answered Yuder’s question was none other than General Gino, who appeared at the doorway. Dressed far more comfortably than before and without even his aide Meghna, the general offered a gentle smile.

“I heard you were recovering, but I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, so I was worried. I’m glad to see you looking well. Have you been well?”

“Of course. If you’d contacted us in advance, we would’ve sent someone to escort you.”

“No need. I’m the one with the business, so I should be the one to come and wait. My legs still work fine—no reason to trouble busy people. As you get older, sometimes you just want to sit down and chat with the younger generation.”

Though his tone was light, the intent behind it wasn’t.

‘He’s putting extra emphasis on coming alone... there must be a reason.’

Yuder guessed that the general’s visit required secrecy and gestured with his eyes. Once the Cavalry members guarding the interior had left and the door was closed, only Yuder and the general remained inside.

Yuder raised a hand toward the door, using the power of wind to block out sound, then opened his mouth.

“Now no one outside can hear us. Please speak freely.”

“I hear you’ve only just turned twenty... and yet it’s hard to believe. At that age, I wanted nothing more than to run from my family’s responsibilities, swinging a sword.”

“......”

“If only people like you had appeared a bit sooner... But perhaps the gods haven’t abandoned us after all—letting me see someone like you, and the Cavalry, before I die.”

“You flatter me.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Not at all. Everyone who saw you and the Cavalry on the day of the hailstorm thought the same.”

After saying that, the old general took a deep breath. His eyes, which had been bright with praise, now grew somber.

“By the way... how is the Cavalry Commander’s health? I heard through letters that he’s recovering...”

“Yes. For various reasons, he’s currently refraining from external contact, but there’s no need to worry. He will recover soon.”

“That’s good to hear. I was truly worried that things might be worse than reported.”

There was genuine relief in the old general’s wrinkled eyes.

“Since the day of the hailstorm, the Cavalry has gone beyond merely restoring Sharloin. You’re clearly preparing for more. You’ve also been actively collecting news of strange rifts appearing in nearby cities and focusing heavily on public security.”

“......”

“I haven’t heard all the details, but I can’t help but suspect that you don’t believe the incidents of the hailstorm—or even what came before—are truly over. That’s why I’ve offered the Imperial Army’s support without asking questions.”

As expected of General Gino. It was similar to Kiole, and yet in a different way entirely—Yuder found himself admiring another person in this life.

“...Yes. Just as you guessed, sir.”

“I thought so. It’s not over yet... If you can’t share the full details, I won’t press. If the Duke of Pelleta—no, the Cavalry Commander—deemed it necessary, there must be good reason. And that would also reflect His Majesty’s will.”

Yuder nodded silently and then spoke.

“So is that the only reason you came here today? To confirm this?”

“Of course not. While I did want to hear about the Duke’s condition directly from you, I also came to discuss a troublesome issue. In fact, that’s the main reason I’m here.”

A troublesome issue. Yuder suspected this was precisely why General Gino had come alone.

‘Well, it wasn’t hard to guess.’

He and Kishiar had already speculated about certain problems within the Southern Army. It seemed that after the hailstorm, the general himself had started to catch on.

“Would this troublesome issue... happen to involve people within the Southern Army?”

“...How did you know?”

The general asked in a low voice.

“Has the Cavalry already...?”

“You may recall, sir, that when we first met in the East, a great many things occurred. Some of those matters were never properly explained. Since then, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the situation within the Southern Army.”

More precisely, Kishiar and Emperor Keillusa had been watching. But he didn’t say that aloud.

Though Yuder hadn’t directly named the source, General Gino seemed to realize that Yuder ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) truly understood his concerns. Letting out a sigh, he shut his eyes briefly before tension spread across his face again.

“I see... That makes sense. Then I won’t waste words. Since the hailstorm, I’ve suspected that things beyond my control have been unfolding within the Southern Army.”

The general had come to this realization during the cleanup operations after the incident.

“You may not know this, but I also suffered a minor injury during the hailstorm. While I recovered, I left my aide Meghna in charge. She’s capable and I trusted her fully. But once she took that position... a series of suspicious assassination attempts began.”

“Assassination attempts?”

“I didn’t report them officially. I thought it best to resolve it internally.”

At first, he’d assumed it was an accident. But the attempts on Meghna’s life were subtle, continuous. Fortunately, she hadn’t been harmed—and instead, she’d managed to grab a lead and strike back.

In the process, she uncovered several suspicious issues lurking within the Southern Army.

“The ones who tried to kill Meghna had infiltrated deep into our ranks and knew too much. Their fake identities were listed as Southern Army personnel, and though they had been created years ago, no one had noticed. Meghna confirmed that these fake identities weren’t isolated incidents—and that people with them had been moving around all over the South.”

Fake soldiers. Forged identities. Suspicious movements stretching back years.

Despite all that, the general had never known. Which meant...

“Someone I trusted... or perhaps several people... had betrayed me. Realizing that made my skin crawl.”

“You’re hoping the Cavalry can help you root out the spies, aren’t you?”

“Yes. It shames me to say this, but I can’t handle it with just my own special unit. Please... deliver my request to the Commander. Help this old man make up for his failure to properly lead the Southern Army.”

Yuder smiled with cold clarity.

“I’m sorry... but I’m afraid that’s not possible.”