Chapter 918

"My scent control... what about it?"

"Huh? What about it?"

At Yuder's question, Gakein only blinked and tilted his head.

"Didn't you say you couldn't even feel my scent?"

"Uh... is that such a weird thing to say...?"

Of course it was strange. Yuder had never made any effort to control his scent so strongly that it would be completely undetectable.

‘Of course, it's not like I ever tried to deliberately expose it either.’

In his previous life, Yudrain Aile had been known as a scentless Omega. He didn’t experience heats, and though he could sense others' scents to some extent, he was unaffected by them.

But that didn’t mean Yuder himself couldn't feel his own scent. He never mentioned it to anyone, but he did possess a faint, movable scent. It was just that no one else could sense it, so he simply lived that way without much awareness, without trying to control or change it.

‘Back then, I figured there was no point in changing it. It would just uselessly trigger heats again.’

Among Second Awakeners, scent was instinctively regarded as the most secretive form of expression. Only those who had Awakened could perceive it, after all.

Thus, aside from those who were newly Awakened and still clumsy at control, most Second Awakeners naturally suppressed their scents during daily life. There was no reason to expose their scents unnecessarily before a crowd, except during heats when loss of control was inevitable.

But as humans, it's impossible to perfectly control every physical phenomenon at every moment. Even with good scent control, whenever sudden physical or emotional changes occurred, a little scent could slip out unconsciously.

When angry or surprised, during exhausting training or serious injuries—countless unpredictable small moments depending on one's temperament and abilities.

Therefore, in organizations like the Cavalry where they lived together, it was almost inevitable to know who was a Second Awakener and what their scent was, whether they wanted to or not.

The scent Yuder developed after reawakening as an Omega in this life wasn’t much different. Though his first heat came unusually soon after Awakening, and passed quickly, it wasn’t something tremendously abnormal.

At first, it was hard to control the scent that burst forth right after Awakening, but he soon adapted and lived without much difficulty. Maybe because of his past experience observing other Second Awakeners in his previous life, controlling the scent consciously felt almost too easy.

However, controlling it easily didn’t mean he had sealed his scent so perfectly that no one could detect it.

‘Why would I go that far? It would be like blocking every single hole in my body.’

Technically, it’s possible if using abilities. But sealing even the natural leakage of scent would make one like a person whose every bodily pore was forcibly shut.

Even when his sudden heat struck before coming south, Yuder hadn't felt any particular difference compared to other Second Awakeners. Kishiar hadn’t said anything either. If something had been wrong with Yuder's body, Kishiar would have noticed immediately and said something—but he hadn't, which suggested he was unaware as well.

The more Yuder thought about it, the more he realized he needed to listen more closely to what these people were saying.

‘Even if I return a bit late, Kanna should be handling the reporting anyway.’

Judging the time, Yuder gave the two a small nod.

"I always thought my scent control wasn’t much different from others'. I think I need to hear a little more about this. If it’s alright, can we go talk over there for a moment?"

Gakein and Ever exchanged glances and soon nodded.

"...Okay."

"Sure."

After moving to a place without people, Yuder closed the door and opened his mouth.

"When did you start feeling that my scent was completely sealed?"

"When was it...? Early on, right after your Second Awakening, it wasn’t quite like this, but over time I thought you were just getting better and better at hiding it... Ah. Now that you mention it, I do feel like the difference became much bigger after we came south."

"I’m the same as Gakein. As time passed, I felt less and less of your scent, so I just thought Yuder must be extremely focused on controlling it. When you were with Elre today, honestly, it felt almost indistinguishable from a non-Awakener."

"......"

Summarizing their words: these two, Yuder's closest companions and Alpha Awakeners, had consistently felt that his scent had steadily diminished over time. In the capital, the west, and now even in the south, it kept fading to the point where they were amazed by his supposed control.

"I just naturally thought you would be capable of something like that, so I didn’t think it was strange."

"Me too. That’s why lately I’ve even been practicing controlling my own scent more perfectly."

"Really? That’s why you’ve hardly let any scent slip even during training lately! That’s amazing, Ever."

"Thank you. Gakein, want to practice together?"

"Really? I’d love that!"

While the two Alpha Awakeners chatted warmly, Yuder thought coldly.

‘That can’t be.’

Just yesterday, he had exposed his scent in front of Kishiar. Kishiar had reacted as if he sensed it perfectly. His attitude and response weren’t lies.

But if other Awakeners couldn’t sense it this much, then perhaps his scent really was steadily vanishing. Yuder felt a heavy, complicated emotion.

Even if he reverted to being a scentless Omega like in his previous life, it wouldn't hinder his living. But when he recalled Kishiar’s face, he couldn't think about it so coldly anymore.

The memory of intertwining so deeply with Kishiar yesterday was still so vivid in his mind, and if he could never experience that again—

‘......’

"Sorry, but would it be okay if I try releasing my scent for a moment? I want to check if you still can’t feel it even if I intentionally spread it."

Yuder requested in a voice so calm that it surprised even himself. He added that if either of them was nearing their heat, it would be fine not to force it—but fortunately, both Gakein and Ever readily agreed.

"I don’t mind. How about you, Ever?"

"I’m fine too."

Facing their expectant gazes, Yuder took a small breath and consciously released the scent he had been holding in. It was the first time he had deliberately released it in front of anyone other than Kishiar.

He released quite a lot, and when he thought even a non-Awakener might sense it faintly by now, only then did Gakein and Ever finally flinch and react.

"Now I can smell it. This was Yuder’s scent. It feels so strange after such a long time."

"Yeah, I can smell it too."

Yuder immediately pulled his scent back in and sealed it again.

‘...What is going on?’

The scent hadn’t disappeared. Then had something gone wrong with Gakein and Ever's ability to sense scents?

Not all Second Awakeners were good at sensing or controlling scent. Some couldn't detect others unless they were at the point of heat, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° and others, though trying to control, would scatter their scent clumsily.

But usually, those bad at scent control also struggled with general Awakener power management. Since only Awakeners could reach Second Awakening, it made sense that strength in ability was related to scent control.

However, Gakein and Ever were among the Cavalry’s top talents. Especially Ever, who was even better than Yuder at delicate energy control. According to the general rule, they shouldn’t be having such trouble.

‘It doesn’t seem like my scent is completely undetectable... but since they don’t know the reason either, there’s nothing more I can find out here.’

Then there was only one thing left to do.

Talk to Kishiar.

Yuder thanked the two for their help and left the room.