Chapter 899

"Finally... I won’t have to sleep so much anymore."

Kishiar stretched with drowsy eyes and sat up. The first thing he did after rising wasn’t to eat or change clothes—but to lean in and lightly kiss Yuder on the cheek.

“Thank you. Again.”

It was a little embarrassing, sure—but there was no one else around ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) to see it, so Yuder decided not to think too much about it. He followed behind Kishiar, who had begun walking, and started reporting the day’s events.

“A fifth rift was spotted in Makla, and the first in Buschleg.”

“That’s fast. It hasn’t been long since the fourth.”

“The rift lasted for an incredibly short time. If people hadn’t been looking for it with such vigilance, they might not have seen it at all.”

The fact that the Cavalry had immediately dispatched support to areas with early and frequent rift sightings left a very strong impression across the South. The trust they had steadily built in Sharloin played a big part in that. Hearing that the Cavalry continued to collect reports of unusual rifts, the people were eager to cooperate—not for reward, but because they realized doing so would also help ensure their own safety.

“What about the seawalls being constructed in the coastal areas?”

“Sharloin is nearly finished. The others will be done quickly once more manpower is added.”

Building structures to block high waves was no small task. But with the aid of Awakeners and help from locals—many of whom had no winter work—the projects were being completed at an unbelievable pace.

“With Stieber here, you can finally start the joint training exercises you planned.”

“Yes. I intend to begin as early as tomorrow.”

“Then all that remains is waiting for the rest to arrive... and meeting with Aton again.”

A cool smile touched Kishiar’s lips, but Yuder shook his head.

“No. The most important task left for us is your recovery, Commander. Please don’t overlook that.”

“Of course. That too.”

After a light meal and changing clothes, Kishiar lay back down on the bed. Yuder sat beside him, box in hand—the one containing the Red Stone’s medium.

What he was about to do now was something he’d done once before.

Thanks to his closeness with the living medium of the Red Stone, and his own body capable of handling its pure power, Yuder could transfer the energy from the medium into another person’s body.

It wasn’t easy, but having succeeded once gave him some confidence.

‘If I’m right, this method should work again... but I can’t let my guard down.’

As Yuder exhaled slowly to calm his nerves, Kishiar chuckled quietly.

“My aide always seemed like someone who never got nervous. Guess that’s not the case.”

“What do you mean? I’m human. Of course I get nervous when something important is about to happen.”

And of all people, he had to do this with Kishiar. Kishiar should’ve been the one more anxious than him, and yet he just looked relaxed—almost cheerful.

Seeing Yuder’s face, Kishiar smiled and softly whispered with his eyes half-closed.

“It’s fine. If it’s something you’re doing, I’m good with anything. Do it however you want.”

“......”

“I’m ready to accept whatever happens. Just don’t overexert yourself and hurt yourself, all right?”

That was such a Kishiar thing to say that Yuder’s tension momentarily slipped.

Ready to accept whatever happens, he says. Yuder wanted to scold him for saying something so dangerous so casually. His normally expressionless eyes briefly furrowed—then he steadied his resolve and reopened them.

“...I’ll begin.”

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Yuder opened the box. Beneath a black cloth lay the same dark crimson stones he’d seen before.

And—unexpectedly—a folded note.

‘What’s this...?’

“What is it?”

“Nothing. It seems... His Majesty didn’t just send the medium.”

There was no seal or signature indicating who sent it, but there was only one person who could have placed it there. Who else but Emperor Keillusa?

Yuder carefully picked up the note and handed it to Kishiar. Kishiar unfolded it and, after reading, let out a quiet puff of air before bursting into laughter.

“Hah. His Majesty...”

“Was it something important?”

“No. Just a lot of scolding. Want to read it?”

Yuder hesitated—was it really okay to read a personal note from the Emperor to his brother? But Kishiar had already turned it around, holding it open for him.

It wasn’t encrypted or hidden—just plain writing. Simple and concise:

‘Because of you, the Empire’s young hero is suffering far too much. As Emperor, and as your brother, I cannot help but feel shame and guilt. Don’t embarrass me any further—next time, report by letter. I hope this item will be of help to you and the baron.’

So it wasn’t a joke after all—it really was a scolding. And yet, the final line, hoping it would help Kishiar recover, carried genuine care.

So this is what being brothers is like.

Yuder, who had no siblings, couldn’t completely understand. But the trust the Emperor placed in him was unmistakable—and that gave him a sense of relief. Despite the vast distance in status, it all felt strangely close, almost warm. Oddly enough, he found himself wondering if it was really okay to feel this way toward the Emperor of the Empire.

While Yuder wrestled with that thought, Kishiar quietly laughed again and set the note aside.

“Well then... let’s begin properly now. I should answer His Majesty’s sentiments.”

“Yes.”

Feeling more at ease than before, Yuder turned back to the box. The stones—raw and uncut like gemstones—were mediums for the Red Stone’s power, created by Tais Yulman. They had once helped save Emperor Keillusa. Hopefully, today they would aid Kishiar too.

“......”

A gust—soft, almost imperceptible—shifted the air. One of Yuder’s eyes lit up gold, and energy began to surge from his fingertips.

Just like the last time—or perhaps faster—strands of colored energy rose over Kishiar’s body.

They mapped across his skin like a living topography—breathing, shifting, pulsing—constantly in motion. Yuder’s mismatched eyes scanned them with precision.

‘Thanks to his rest, things are better than before. All the energies have increased. But... his Awakener power hasn’t kept up the balance.’

A large portion of Kishiar’s Awakener energy was used to encase and protect his vessel—his inner structure. That meant it needed more raw volume than the other forces.

Until now, he’d carefully regulated everything himself, burning through all energies evenly. But now, unable to do that directly, and with all forces recovering at a similar rate, there wasn’t enough energy guarding the vessel.

With the protective force weaker than usual, the vessel itself was unstable—and the other powers within it seemed on the verge of entangling dangerously.

‘In short, there’s no stabilizer to hold everything in check.’

It was like a city with too few guards and soldiers to maintain public order. Even places that seemed fine could suddenly fall into chaos—and dangerous zones? They would explode.

“Does it hurt?”

“Hm... Not at all.”

“Your energy has recovered a lot. But from what I can tell, it’s still that imbalance of Awakener force that’s delaying your full recovery.”

“Then I’ll need you to fix that, just like you said.”

Kishiar responded gently.

“Yes. Please tell me immediately if anything feels off.”

Yuder picked up one of the mediums.

A faint sting touched his fingers as his body’s power surged to a heightened state of focus and clarity.