Chapter 909

Gloena’s power was beginning to take effect.

As Yuder watched the cards being shuffled, he recalled the moment last night when Gloena first realized a new possibility for her ability.

‘You said it would be okay even if I failed... but honestly, I’m not sure if what you described is really possible, Deputy Commander.’

Even if she’d decided to try, believing in something she hadn’t yet attempted wasn’t easy. If she hadn’t shown any anxiety, Yuder would’ve suspected something was wrong with her.

‘That’s why I came to check in advance. Have you used your power yet today?’

‘No.’

‘Then try it now.’

‘On you?’

‘Yes.’

‘...You said this time we’d be testing it in reverse, not as a blessing...’

Gloena’s eyes trembled violently.

‘You’re testing it because I asked you to. Who else did you think you’d try it on?’

Yuder sat without hesitation, holding out his hand.

‘Let me draw a card like before. We’re both busy, so let’s make it quick.’

‘But... if it’s a really bad card, something awful could happen to you, Deputy Commander...! I—I can’t.’

‘You were so sure it wouldn’t work before, and now you’re worried it will?’

Yuder’s calm question made her cheeks flush.

‘There’s always that one-in-a-million chance... You recognized my ability when no one else did... You’re a hero of the Empire... I don’t want anything bad to happen to you because of me.’

She was younger than he remembered, but that gentle nature hadn’t changed. Yuder was about to smile when a solemn voice interrupted them from behind.

‘A lovely mindset. But perhaps we should try the test on this potted plant instead?’

Kishiar, who had followed them claiming to be “nothing but a potted plant,” made the suggestion with a perfectly straight face. Gloena, confused and flustered, couldn’t tell if he was joking.

‘Ignore the plant. It’s a bit noisy, but harmless,’ Yuder said.

‘...But he’s the Commander...’

‘I don’t see the Commander. Just a plant. Look this way.’

Kishiar’s beauty could be disarming if looked at directly. Even Yuder often lost track of his thoughts when making eye contact with him, so it was best not to look at all. That was why Yuder ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) kept his focus solely on Gloena.

‘...Okay.’

‘Sigh. A flower can only bloom and wait to be admired... how lonely.’

‘Deputy Commander... seriously, it’s okay to ignore him, right?’

‘Yes.’

Only after Yuder gave her a firm answer did Gloena take out her cards. Thanks to Kishiar’s presence, she now seemed eager to get things over with.

After shuffling and spreading the cards, she was about to let Yuder draw five when he held up a hand to stop her.

‘Wait.’

‘Yes?’

‘When exactly do you feel your power being activated? Now?’

‘Ah... no.’

Gloena seemed flustered—just as Yuder expected. She had never consciously thought about when her power actually activated. She had always used it in the same familiar way she had the first time it manifested.

But that was fine. Yuder already knew the answer.

‘You’re doing this like you always do. But when exactly do you feel the power leaving you?’

‘When the person draws a card... and then...’

‘When you speak the name of the card?’

‘Yes. That’s right... that’s when it happens.’

He recalled the previous time she blessed him. The moment the faint power surged from the card and into him had been when she uttered the name “The Clown’s Trumpet Festival.”

Meaning, the act of reading cards wasn’t the source of her ability—it was the trigger.

Of course, that method was the most effective way for her to use it. Her predictions were as close to prophecy as one could get. But in her past life, Gloena hadn’t lived a peaceful life reading fortunes. She had found a way to wield her power outside the form of divination.

‘So the important thing is whether or not you recognize the card being drawn.’

‘...Oh.’

Her expression shifted as the realization sank in. It made more sense now that she was physically holding the cards and going through the process.

‘Let’s continue.’

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Gloena slowly drew five cards, flipped them facedown, and held them out to Yuder.

‘Now think. Neither of us knows which cards these are, right?’

‘Right.’

‘If I draw a card and hide it so you can’t see it, will your power activate?’

‘...I don’t think so.’

‘Then what if you saw which card I was about to draw and recognized it before I flipped it?’

‘That might... that might work. I haven’t tried it, but...’

‘Then it follows that how you interpret the card’s meaning could also alter what kind of power is invoked, yes? Still think my idea is nonsense?’

‘...No.’

Mental-type powers rely heavily on belief. The greatest manipulator of such was the now-dead Naham. In her past life, Gloena had been just as skilled.

If she believed it would work—it would.

‘Power changes depending on how you choose to wield it. It’ll be harder than your usual method, but it’s still your power. Just because I’m drawing the card doesn’t mean I’m the one using it. Don’t forget that.’

‘...Mine...’

Yuder watched her murmur the word to herself. Then he chose one of the five cards, closed his eyes, and flipped it. He held it out for her to see, then opened his eyes.

‘Now. What card is it?’

Gloena’s expression subtly changed as she looked at the card.

‘If it were the old me, I would’ve called this a blessing to avoid minor danger related to water.’

‘And in reverse?’

‘...A small misfortune, related to water.’

She slowly turned the card over. It showed a fish leaping above water—salmon-like. Yuder nodded at her, encouraging her to say the name.

Finally, she whispered: ‘The Fish That Cannot Swim Upstream.’

Whoosh.

A transparent ripple rose from the card and began to flow toward Yuder—

Only to halt mid-air as if something yanked it by the neck. It shivered—then vanished, yanked away and completely dissipated.

‘...Huh!’

Gloena recoiled, visibly shaken.

‘W-what was that?!’

Yuder turned for the first time toward the “plant.”

There, smiling serenely, was the real culprit—the one who had snatched Gloena’s power away before it could touch him.

‘...He blocked it before it could reach me.’

‘How... how is that possible?’

Fortunately, it had been a minor curse, and blocked gently—so she wasn’t too shocked. Just startled by the unfamiliar sensation. As she began bombarding Yuder with questions, he gently redirected her.

‘You’ve learned everything important now. Tomorrow, you’ll play a card game with our target and use your power during it.’

‘A... game?’

‘It’ll be simple. What matters is that you use your power naturally—like you just did.’

‘I think... I understand now. That I can use my power without doing a reading. I don’t know if I’ll succeed, but... still. You’re planning to make the target draw a cursed card, right? You’re not expecting me to rig that part, are you?’

Gloena was skilled with her hands—like many troupe performers—but she wasn’t a card-sharp. At her worried glance, Yuder shook his head.

‘No. I’ll take care of that. Don’t worry.’

He played a few light practice games with her, teaching some tricks and scenarios before sending her off.

Now, only Yuder and the “plant” remained.

‘I didn’t know my aide was so confident in card games,’ Kishiar said cheerfully, acting as though he’d never interfered with any power.

‘I didn’t either. But tomorrow isn’t the real test. Tonight, I’ll go learn from someone I know—one of the best at cheating.’

Though he already knew where this was going, Kishiar burst into laughter.

‘Oh? Who could that be?’

‘Akit. Tell me everything.’