Chapter 902

"Pleasure to meet you. I’m Yuder Aile, aide to the Commander of the Cavalry."

Meeting Gloena and Marin not as the Commander, but as Yuder Aile, the aide, left him with a strange and new sense of emotion. Of course, the two standing before him had no memories of what he remembered.

But just because he remembered alone didn’t mean it lacked meaning. For Yuder, it was overflowing with meaning.

"First, I’d like to thank all of you who volunteered to come here so soon after passing. Don’t worry—others will kindly explain what you’ll be doing here shortly."

"Yes, sir!"

The new recruits from the Eastern and Western branches showed clear signs of emotion, surprise, and excitement on their faces as they received Kishiar’s gratitude. The Southern branch recruits were already used to this side of the Commander and didn’t show the same reaction—but the others weren’t.

‘They’ll be seeing a lot of things completely unlike the rumors or what they imagined. It’ll take some time to adjust.’

Once greetings were finished, the members began filing out. Yuder called to Gloena and Marin, who were about to follow their respective branch members.

“Gloena, Marin. Could you stay behind for a moment?”

“...Yes?”

“I’d like to speak with you privately.”

The two glanced at each other awkwardly and nodded. Around them, members lowered their voices with amused curiosity.

“Ooh... Are those the ones Yuder hand-picked this time?”

“Yeah. No joke. Did you hear what abilities they have?”

“Of course. One blesses with cards, the other can make any plant grow instantly, no matter the place or target.”

“Wait, are you serious? Damn, I want to spar with them.”

“Same here, honestly...”

The appearance of new members with such fascinating powers didn’t spark petty jealousy, but rather a healthy kind of competitiveness. Gloena and Marin’s eyes flickered slightly at the sound of enthusiastic sparring talk, but Yuder didn’t mind.

After all, after a year in the Cavalry, they’d become just like the others.

Once the room had emptied, only Gloena, Marin, Yuder, and Kishiar remained. The Commander was seated off to the side, arms folded, leaning against the edge of a desk. When the two glanced at him repeatedly, unsure, Kishiar chuckled and waved a hand like a carefree nobleman.

"Ah, pay me no mind. The one speaking with you now is my aide, so just think of me as a decorative vase sitting here. I’d appreciate that."

“...A vase...?”

Gloena murmured quietly.

Just as Kishiar suggested, Yuder took the cue and treated him like an enormous decorative vase, continuing on without concern.

"It’s been a while, both of you. I’m glad to see you’re doing well. How’s the Cavalry been so far?"

“Well, honestly, up until °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° I got assigned to the Western branch, I kept thinking, ‘Will I even pass?’ But once I got there... it was better than I expected. I still don’t really know why I was invited to the Cavalry, but you said you needed help, so I wanted to come.”

Marin spoke frankly, and after hesitating, Gloena followed.

"Me too... Every day since passing has been... fun. The food is good... and... I heard that the blessing I cast before ended up helping you later..."

"Ah, yes, it did."

Thanks to Gloena’s blessing, Yuder had been able to remain unaffected during the unexpected onset of his heat. Though he hadn’t mentioned that part when he sent updates to his allies, he had stated that her blessing had been instrumental during the fight against the assassin-mercenary group that had pursued him.

"If it weren’t for that blessing, I probably would’ve been seriously injured. I couldn’t thank you properly before, but now I can."

When Yuder bowed his head in thanks, Gloena flinched and waved her hands frantically.

“No, that’s not why I mentioned it...”

“Just accept it. Even this flower vase thinks you deserve it.”

From the side, the enormous flower vase cheerfully chimed in, leaving Gloena flustered as she returned Yuder’s bow.

“So, why did you have us stay behind? We just passed the test—do you already have something specific for us?”

Marin raised her hand and asked. Yuder nodded.

“I do. First, Marin—among the plants you can currently grow, are trees included?”

“Trees... They’re harder than thorn bushes, but yes, I can.”

“What’s the biggest, tallest tree you can grow?”

“A Guwar tree, maybe...”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The Guwar tree wasn’t exclusive to the West. It grew naturally in the South as well. Though slender, it could reach several meters tall and was often planted densely as a natural fence.

“That should be enough. If you tried to grow as many as possible, as fast as possible, how wide an area could you cover?”

“How wide...? I’m not sure. I haven’t tried anything that big. During the Cavalry entrance test, I grew a single tree while the sand ran out in a palm-sized hourglass. Maybe because I rushed it, it died quickly though.”

Marin said the tree she had grown lasted just over a week before wilting. Though her plants appeared identical to ordinary flora, their growth and death cycles were completely different.

Typically, they grew faster than normal but died faster too. However, in her previous life, when she had gone berserk and died, the crimson brambles that covered the entire field had lingered long after, rendering the area barren.

‘Still... that should be enough.’

Yuder recalled facing her in his previous life. She had once raised towering trees and thick venomous brambles in an instant, creating a natural barricade that blocked the Cavalry and protected her allies with astonishing power.

If she could use even a fraction of that power here, it would definitely help with the disasters looming ahead.

“That’s sufficient. I’d like you to use your power in several designated places across the South. Would that be possible?”

“...You want me to grow trees in the South? How many are we talking about?”

“As many as you possibly can.”

“That many? Can I at least ask what the trees are for?”

Even though they had volunteered for Southern support, they didn’t yet know what the Cavalry was preparing for. Most assumed rear-line logistics or miscellaneous duties.

But what Yuder expected of them was entirely different.

“The Cavalry currently believes that the entire Southern region is at high risk of multiple types of natural disasters.”

“Natural disasters...”

“Tall, deep-rooted trees can become the best barrier against wind and rain. Sometimes they can also hold soft soil in place to prevent landslides.”

Yes. That was why her power was needed in the South, a region with low terrain, sandy soil, and few large trees.

After hearing the explanation, Marin hesitated briefly, then nodded resolutely.

“Got it. I’ll do my best. It seems like something only I can do.”

“Other members and I will support you as much as possible. We’ll go into more detail as we proceed.”

Yuder allowed Marin to leave first after the discussion.

Now, only Gloena remained. She fidgeted under Yuder’s gaze with a worried expression.

“I... can’t grow trees or anything like that. Should I just keep giving everyone blessings with my cards every day?”

“No. What I’d like to ask you for is something completely different.”

“What is it?”

“Your cards grant blessings to those you divine—but in a sense, the opposite is possible too, isn’t it?”

Gloena’s expression shifted the moment those casual words left Yuder’s lips.

“H-How did you...? I didn’t mention that during the entrance exam...”

“No power exists that acts purely in a positive way.”

That was what he said—but in truth, it was because he had seen it in his previous life.

At his words, a faint shadow crossed Gloena’s somber face.

“...You’re right. That’s how fortune-telling works. Each card carries two meanings. Like the Festival of the Trumpeting Fool I showed you before... it can be a blessing that protects from harm, but sometimes it becomes misfortune that makes you stand out to enemies.”

Then, cautiously, she asked:

“...So... what exactly do you need?”