Chapter 903

“...So... what exactly do you need?”

Gloena’s ability belonged to the Support Faction. Those in Support typically lacked direct combat power, but under the right conditions, even seemingly fragile abilities could become immensely dangerous.

Take Kanna, the current Vice-Commander of the Support Faction, for example. She had little to offer in physical combat and possessed only the ability to read information. But through relentless training, she had discovered the optimal way to apply her power in battle.

Her method: reading information mid-combat to predict an enemy’s fighting style or attack trajectory, then dodging and countering. Of course, it required extreme speed to read, process, and respond, but through bone-crushing training, Kanna had honed this to the point where even Yuder had acknowledged it as “useful in real battle.”

Naturally, in actual combat scenarios, it was still more efficient for her to support frontline fighters with superior martial prowess. Even so, should the need to fight arise, that ability became a sharp weapon of its own.

Gloena was similar to Kanna in that she had developed her Support-type ability into something combat-viable—but through different means. Unlike Kanna, Gloena never gained enough power to protect herself. And once her ability became known across the continent, she found herself constantly targeted by those who wanted to kidnap or eliminate her.

After all, who wouldn't covet the power to bestow a near-prophetic blessing with a single reading of the cards? If Yuder hadn’t intervened, Gloena would likely have been taken to the Sun Palace before even living a day as a Cavalry member—forced to use her abilities for the exclusive benefit of Crown Prince Kachian for the rest of her life.

Having survived countless assassination attempts and real combat situations, Gloena had grown stronger. She could now use her ability multiple times per day, when once she could only use it once. She had also learned how to apply blessings in a variety of ways. Even when her physical cards were stolen, she developed the power to summon intangible ones, saving her life more than once.

And then—there was one more power.

A rare offensive technique: reversing the meaning of a card, turning what would be a blessing for an ally into misfortune for an enemy.

That was the signature ability that later earned her the surname Marjzel, and recognition as Gloena Marjzel.

It was thanks to that power that Gloena, despite her youth and fragile body, held onto the Vice-Commander position of the Support Faction longer than anyone else...

And now, that very power was what Yuder needed.

“I believe you can choose which meaning of the card to apply to the target. And I need you to use that power on someone.”

“...Choose the other meaning? I’ve never tried something like that... I’ve never even thought of it. I don’t know if that’s... possible...”

Gloena shook her head hesitantly.

Yuder looked directly at her trembling, uncertain face and calmly shook his head.

“No. I believe it’s possible.”

“...Why are you so sure? You’re not me...”

“True, I’m not you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t understand your ability. I’m confident there’s no one who understands Awakeners' powers better than I do.”

Every Cavalry member knew this. Gloena had likely heard from others after joining that Yuder was deeply involved in helping others develop their powers.

“...Yes. I’ve heard from others that you help people develop their abilities. That you can sometimes understand someone’s power even better than they do themselves... I don’t know if that’s really true, but...”

“No need to doubt it. The flower vase guarantees it.”

The flower vase spoke up again from the side. This time, however, Gloena didn’t react much.

“But my ability is strange. I can’t just give blessings at will... Even getting to use it once a day took a lot of practice...”

“There you go.”

“...Huh?”

“You said you could only use it once a day because of training, right? If you trained more, you might be able to use it ten times a day. Maybe even dozens. Who knows—you might even be able to use it without a card one day.”

“That’s nonsense... That can’t happen.”

But it will. She just doesn’t know it yet.

“You managed to use it once a day through training, didn’t you? So why say you can’t do more? You haven’t even tried.”

“Just because I haven’t tried doesn’t mean I don’t know.”

“Of course it does. How would you know? Can you be sure? Want to make a bet? Let’s see if in a year, you can use your ability more than ten times a day.”

When Yuder responded blankly, Gloena opened her mouth, wavered, and eventually fell silent.

She’s not certain. She’s just afraid and lacking confidence, saying no out of fear.

Gloena already knew her cards held more than one meaning. Probably even in her previous life. But it had taken her years to learn to intentionally turn those meanings against her enemies. That delay came from a lack of belief in herself.

But Yuder, who had already witnessed how far she could grow, had no such doubts. That was the difference between them.

“Gloena. You already know all the meanings within your cards. If your power only manifests in blessings, perhaps it’s not because that’s how it’s meant to be—but because that’s what you’ve chosen.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Yuder’s voice deepened with emphasis on particular words. Gloena blinked, her shadowed gaze locking onto Yuder as if she didn’t understand what he meant.

“...But I... don’t remember choosing anything... My power has just always been like this...”

“Nothing is like that from the start. Some choices happen unconsciously, based on what’s familiar. Like which hand you instinctively use to pick something up.”

If an Awakener didn’t believe in their own power, it wouldn’t respond. Like reaching for an object without believing you could grasp it—how could you succeed?

Even something as simple and natural as stretching out your hand, grasping something, and pulling it back became difficult without confidence. It was the same with abilities.

After Yuder’s explanation, Gloena fell silent for a while. Then, exhaling shakily, she lowered her head.

“...If you say I can use that power—then who exactly am I supposed to use it on?”

The corner of Yuder’s lips lifted faintly.

“On the man currently beneath our feet. Underground. He’s stubborn as hell, but seems to know quite a bit.”

“Underground...? You mean... the prison?”

“That’s right.”

“You want me to use my ability on someone in prison...? But why? I don’t even know if I have anything suitable among the negative meanings... And even if I did, there’s no guarantee it would activate the way you want...”

“It’s simple. When your power manifests as a blessing, it grants what the target needs, correct? Then the opposite—when it manifests as a curse—should work the same.”

“...Wait...”

Finally understanding, Gloena inhaled sharply.

“You’re going to create a condition externally to provoke a certain category of power... Is that what you mean?”

“Smart.”

What if the recipient of Gloena’s card was placed in a situation where their body was in danger? If the card manifested as a blessing, it would provide protection. But if it manifested as a curse, the opposite would happen—wounds would refuse to heal or fester horribly.

Yuder remembered most of the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) powers stored in Gloena’s cards.

The one he was aiming for now was a single card:

Truth.

Even blessings came in many forms. Learning the truth could be a blessing for allies—or a nightmare for enemies.

In her current state, Gloena had likely never used that card. Most of her clients so far would have been those in need of physical protection.

But in her past life, as Vice-Commander of the Support Faction, Gloena had achieved notable results using the Truth card in interrogations. Though not on the level of Kanna, unrivaled in information reading, the power of the Truth card was exceptional in its own domain.

The one Yuder intended for her to use the ability on now was none other than Aton, the merchant leader from the Southern Nation—exposed as a spy and priest sent by their forces. Both Kishiar and Yuder had met him multiple times, but after some early emotional reactions, Aton had stopped saying anything meaningful about the coming catastrophe.

The man was unbelievably stubborn. A damned bastard.

Yuder recalled Aton’s face from the time he’d gone to meet him alone, before Kishiar’s recovery.