Chapter 919

"Yuder!"

The first person to greet Yuder when he returned to the Commander’s office was Kanna. Meeting Kishiar, who was seated behind her, and Nathan Zuckerman standing at attention behind him, Yuder exchanged a brief conversation with Kanna.

"I was worried you might have run into some trouble since you were late. Was everything handled well?"

"Yeah."

When Yuder informed her that Fruelle was currently safely isolated and asleep, relief appeared on Kanna’s face.

"That’s a relief."

As Yuder had expected, it seemed she had already explained the situation and completed her report after Kishiar’s return.

"Since there weren’t any particular problems, I guess I’ll head back now. I’ll take care of Nipolen tonight. See you later! Commander, I’ll take my leave."

"As I said earlier, don’t do any more work today. Go back and rest immediately. And take good care of the one who might feel anxious due to his brother’s absence."

"Yes. My room happens to be next to Deputy Commander Ever’s room, so I think Nipolen will like it. Don’t worry."

She maintained the proper title for a public setting, but her tone was as bright as always. Yuder could feel that the weight she had carried due to what had happened with Hosanra had been largely lifted. Maybe the trip to the desert had helped in that way too. It wasn't something he could be sure of, but in any case, it was fortunate.

Yuder slightly crinkled his nose in an invisible gesture of farewell and watched Kanna’s back as she left, holding Nipolen. Once the door closed and the soft sound of her footsteps faded away, Kishiar finally spoke in a far more relaxed voice.

"Did you perhaps deliver the medicine Tais Yulman made to Elre?"

As expected of Kishiar—no one else could predict Yuder’s behavior so precisely.

"Yes."

"I had heard before that it was more helpful for newly Awakened individuals or those experiencing severe heats, so I wasn’t sure /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ how it would work for someone beginning their Awakening. How was it?"

"Alik mentioned exactly that. He recommended a suitable item among the trial versions made during the refinement process, so I gave that instead."

"I see. That’s fortunate. If it proves effective, it might be better to have a specialized batch produced for Awakeners in the midst of Awakening."

"I agree."

If Tais Yulman, who had already abandoned his research to mass-produce medicine, heard this, he would probably shout to stop piling on more work. But he wasn’t here now, and Kishiar, smiling without any opposition, swiftly wrote an additional letter to send to Tais Yulman.

"Nathan. Send this."

"Understood."

Nathan Zuckerman, who had been standing quietly, took the letter and left. Now only the two of them remained.

Yuder thought about how he should bring up the astonishing thing he had just learned. But he didn’t have to ponder long. Kishiar, as if it were nothing, spoke first.

"So, aside from fetching the medicine, what else caused the delay?"

Yuder’s eyes twitched slightly at the corner.

"...Did you perhaps follow me?"

"Of course not. Knowing how you prioritize tasks and how fast you move, I just figured that even considering everything else, there seemed to be a lot of unaccounted time."

"......."

"Mm. Let’s call it the power of affection and observation."

The man winked playfully with one eye. He looked just like a frivolous playboy, and the fact that seeing that made Yuder’s tension ease must mean he was thoroughly crazy himself by now.

Yuder let out a long sigh and blinked slowly.

"You’re right. Actually, something unexpected happened, and I spent some time discussing it."

"I’m getting curious. What happened? Was it official business?"

"No."

"Then let’s talk over some tea. You look a bit pale."

Kishiar told Yuder to sit and wait, then moved toward the small table at the back and began preparing tea. Others might have been surprised to see someone so esteemed personally making tea, but Yuder had long since grown used to such sights. Having seen him personally bring fish and fruits in a shabby hut, what could possibly be more surprising now?

As he watched the man’s back, moving with the fluid grace of someone who could easily pass as having spent decades preparing tea in the Imperial Palace, Yuder silently released a little of his scent.

The straight back froze for a brief moment, and then Kishiar turned his head.

"...What is it? Suddenly?"

The amount Yuder had released was tiny, almost like a fingernail compared to what he had released in front of Ever and Gakein. Yet Kishiar immediately noticed.

"As expected... it seems clear that the Commander can feel my scent without any problem."

"Does that have something to do with what you were about to say?"

"Yes."

Kishiar brought two cups of tea, placing one in front of each of them. The sweet fruit aroma blended with floral notes, a rich southern specialty. Yuder, gazing into the golden steam rising from the tea, began to speak.

"While escorting Elre back to his room earlier, I ran into some other members. Among them were Gakein and Ever... and both of them said they hadn’t sensed my scent at all recently. They thought I was controlling it to the level of a non-Awakener."

"......."

"Isn’t that strange? I’ve never deliberately suppressed it to that extent. You should know that well, too."

Kishiar silently, but clearly, nodded.

The turbulence within Yuder’s chest calmed.

"...So I thought I should hear more about when exactly that started."

Yuder explained everything: his conversation with the two, the experiment where he had released his scent, and even things he hadn’t mentioned to Gakein and Ever.

"Honestly, I also wondered if perhaps my scent is gradually disappearing. Even if that’s true, it wouldn’t affect my body or my life at all..."

"How can you be so sure?"

Kishiar interrupted. Though he framed it as a question, his eyes suggested he already had an idea of what Yuder would say.

"Is that also from the ‘previous game’?"

"Yes."

He had thought he had shared everything important about the previous game already, but here was something else he had avoided—an element he had deliberately ignored in Yudrain Aile’s life because it had seemed so insignificant.

Yuder’s mouth felt dry, and he took a sip of tea. The warm liquid loosened his stiff tongue.

"You already know that I had a Second Awakening in the previous game just like now. I hadn’t gone into detail before, but... back then, I was quite famous as a scentless Omega."

Scentless Omega. It was the first time he himself had spoken that term aloud—the one others had used mockingly. Had it been anyone else, it would have been unpleasant, but it was Kishiar.

Yuder focused on the unchanging red eyes watching him without prejudice, without negative emotion.

"That title came because no one could smell my scent after my Awakening, and I never experienced heats. Personally, I didn’t mind. I thought heats were just an inconvenience. But now, if the same thing is happening again... I want to find the cause and stop it."

He had thought of his scent as nothing but an uncomfortable burden attached to his Second Awakening. But that changed in this life.

Specifically, after realizing that through scent, one could share a connection deeper than words with someone else.

Had he not experienced that, Yuder might still have viewed his scent as merely a nuisance. Perhaps he would have genuinely practiced sealing it off as Gakein and Ever had assumed.

"......."

"So, I want to know: how does the Commander perceive my scent? Did you notice any changes? From what we tested just now, it didn’t seem different, but..."

Crack.

At that moment, the teacup in front of Kishiar cracked, and the tea overflowed. Thanks to Yuder’s quick reflexes, the tea didn’t spill onto Kishiar’s legs, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t surprised.

"Commander?"

"...Tch."

Kishiar belatedly shifted his gaze to the floating tea suspended in the air, looking at it with an unreadable expression.