Chapter 901

Once the fused power completely engulfed Kishiar’s vessel, the remaining unstable forces that had been crouching in unease gradually began to flow more smoothly. Because the power had been focused solely on surrounding the vessel, maintaining balance no longer seemed particularly difficult.

Only after confirming that Kishiar’s body, power, and vessel were all intact did Yuder finally retract his own power. A flood of exhaustion—unfelt until now—suddenly surged in, and he felt as if he might collapse at any moment. But thinking of how much harder it must have been for Kishiar, he didn’t show it.

“...Is it over now?”

“Yes. You endured it well. Are you all right?”

“Of course I’m all right. I feel far more comfortable than before.”

Kishiar nodded, letting out a sigh and a weary smile as he released the medium he had been holding all this time. What he grasped and drew in instead was Yuder’s hand, still touching his own.

Upon the pale back of Yuder’s hand, where dark red veins had yet to fade, the man pressed his warm lips firmly. With his eyes closed, he kept them there for a long while, then inhaled deeply, almost as if breathing in a scent, before opening his eyes again.

Yuder couldn’t tear his gaze away from the vivid red light flickering within them.

“Once again, you’ve saved me.”

“......”

“I doubt mere words of thanks can truly convey my feelings. Still... thank you. For releasing me early from this endless sleep, from this prison disguised as a bed.”

A prison.

In that single short word, Yuder felt, even if only briefly, a glimpse of the man’s true heart—one he had always seemed to quietly endure the situation without complaint.

Yes. How could anyone not feel that way? Even if someone had chosen the place themselves to find peace, spending nearly all their time alone in bed, without any contact with others, couldn’t possibly be enjoyable.

Even a man with those broad shoulders and steadfast back—firm and unyielding—was no exception.

Yuder bit his lip for a moment, then shook his head.

“There’s no need for that. It wasn’t something I did alone. It was only possible because of your permission and help, Commander.”

“Right. I figured you’d say that. I’m sure you’d also say that success is enough, that you don’t need any compensation or reward, wouldn’t you?”

“Were you thinking of giving me something? You know very well that I didn’t do it hoping for anything in return.”

“But His Majesty might not see it that way.”

“Then please block him for me. If you truly want to do something for me, that would be more than enough.”

“My, trying to incite strife between two loving brothers, are you?”

Kishiar’s lips curled into a graceful arc. He looked as beautiful and refreshed as usual, but the smile he wore now was just a little deeper. Resting his cheek against the back of Yuder’s hand, the man closed his eyes briefly.

“...We’re both exhausted. Shall we sleep a bit more here before getting up?”

Had it been any other suggestion—anything too sentimental—Yuder would have ignored or outright refused it. But that one, he couldn’t bring himself to reject. Especially since even keeping his eyes open felt exhausting.

He didn’t resist the hand pulling him in, and instead rested his head beside the man. Only then did the beautiful threads, which had still been floating around the area, finally begin to slowly fade.

Seeing that, a thought he’d had earlier surfaced unfiltered, spilling from his lips.

“...Being connected—maybe it’s not just about being tied, but more like something being etched.”

“Why did you think that? Was it because of the emotional sharing earlier?”

Kishiar asked softly, eyes on the faintly fading threads. Yuder shook his head.

“No... It’s just... Every time I sense your presence through that, even without looking, I get the same feeling.”

“It’s true. Once something’s etched, you can feel it even without seeing. You know what it is, and whose it is. Is that what you mean?”

“That sounds a bit like you’re talking about an object, but... yes, it’s similar.”

Kishiar chuckled quietly as he held Yuder close.

“I’ve felt the same. Etched... that’s a good metaphor. Though, I was thinking of a slightly different word.”

“What kind of word?”

“A word that fits more with objects, like you said. That word is...”

Trailing off mid-sentence, Kishiar looked into Yuder’s eyes and gently pressed their foreheads together. Then, in the softest whisper, he spoke.

“Engraving.”

The unexpected word made Yuder slowly blink.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“When I first became aware of that presence, it felt like your existence had been engraved into me... carved in with a blade.”

“......”

“Like when a master inscribes their name onto a hardened sword—with heat so intense, it burns deep, over and over again, never to be erased. That was the feeling. The threads that we see... they’re more like the fine scars left by those cuts.”

Though they looked thin, delicate, and beautiful like silk, the sensation of connection wasn’t so gentle. The feeling of another’s existence embedding itself deep inside and never letting go—it truly was, as Kishiar described, more akin to being engraved with a blade.

“Does that sound a bit too cold?”

“No... Now that I think about it, ‘engraving’ fits far better than a simple ‘connection’.”

Engraving. Yuder murmured the word, newly savoring the idea of a name that perfectly suited the presence of their bond.

It felt like the lingering gaps inside him—those faint scars—were once again slowly being filled.

***

“Commander!”

“Commander, you’re finally here!”

The next day, Kishiar appeared before the members of the Cavalry in person for the first time in a long while. Seeing Yuder Aile’s usual stoic face behind him, the members were overcome with emotion. That expression meant there was no longer any need to worry—Kishiar was truly back to normal.

“Oh? Such a grand welcome. Did you all miss me that much?”

“Of course. How could we not?”

With a healthy complexion, Kishiar smiled and greeted each person by name, openly showing that he knew everything they had done during his absence.

Among them were Steber, who had arrived from the capital the day before, and Hin and Pin—who stood sullenly at a distance, unable to approach as freely due to their self-imposed disciplinary measures.

Hin and Pin had not left the training grounds except when assigned missions, and hadn’t even spoken with others. Many in the unit had genuinely worried for the Elder siblings’ mental state.

Respecting the siblings’ self-imposed discipline, Yuder hadn’t initiated personal conversations even after reuniting. He had merely handed them sheets detailing grueling training routines, checking only to see if they completed them to the end.

Pushing the body alone doesn’t make someone mature overnight. But that kind of raw suffering could definitely help relieve inner anguish and realize what truly mattered.

The Elder siblings were talented but overly confident in their abilities, naturally playful by disposition. Good kids, but often disregarded warnings and advice, unaware of what should be prioritized in critical moments.

In the previous life, that nature had played against them. They’d failed to get close to others in the Cavalry, spending all their time together, somewhat estranged from the rest.

But now, having consistently tackled the hardest challenges they themselves had set every single day, it would surely benefit them even in adulthood.

Perhaps their silent reflection had done them good, because when the siblings finally approached Kishiar and spoke, their expressions were far more composed than before.

“Commander... It’s so good to see you well again.”

“I’m really relieved to see you recovered.”

To ease their guilt, Kishiar didn’t say anything unnecessary. Instead, he skillfully smiled and spoke about the restoration missions and training they had participated in.

“Yuder told me. Said you’ve been sleeping at the training grounds? Apparently, he had to turn the lights off for you several times.”

“Ah...”

“I’m not scolding you. Just saying—don’t push yourselves so hard that you can’t even turn out the lights. The things that won’t betray you in the most critical moments... they’re not your hands, but your mind. Don’t forget that. Can you promise me that much?”

“...Yes. We promise!”

The siblings, thoughtful and silent for a moment, responded and ran back to the training grounds with brightened faces. Watching them, Steber clicked his tongue.

“Those two used to goof off and play around even during training. Looks like they were really shaken this time. I was shocked when I went to greet them yesterday. It made me reflect a lot, too.”

“I like that you haven’t changed, Steber.”

“Ha! That’s my charm as the oldest in the Cavalry, after all.”

Suns, the captain of the Kakheop Unit, and even the Southern branch’s successful recruits came rushing to greet Kishiar upon hearing he had returned, their faces bright with joy.

As if adding one more piece of good news, later that afternoon, the long-awaited arrivals finally showed up.

“I’m here! Jimmy Ocker, representative of the Eastern branch!”

Jimmy, bearing the title of representative from the Eastern branch, cheerfully raised his hand in greeting. Emun from the Western «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» branch followed with a smile.

“Glad we weren’t the last ones. Emun Pilang, here with the other eight from the Western branch.”

Once the representatives had introduced themselves, the successful candidates began shyly greeting as well. Yuder’s gaze lingered especially on two—Gloena, who had neatly tied her long hair to look less gloomy, and Marin, who no longer looked exhausted.

“...Hel... Hello. I’m Gloena... one of the successful candidates.”

“It’s good to see you again. I’m Marin. Somehow, it felt like you knew this would happen, didn’t it?”

He looked at the faces that had changed so completely from his previous life and slowly nodded.

It was time for him, too, to greet them not as he had before.

“It’s a pleasure. I’m Yuder Aile, aide to the Commander of the Cavalry.”