Chapter 1035

“It’s been a long time since I enjoyed myself. Then, may you completely recover from your accumulated fatigue and return in good health one month from now.”

Yuder had expected the Emperor or Empress to invite Kishiar to stay the night after the meal, but surprisingly, neither tried to stop him. Kishiar himself also didn’t seem to have any intention of staying at the palace.

“Understood. I pray you accomplish all that you set out to, Your Majesty.”

“Be sure to tell the other members of the Cavalry that if they need any assistance from the palace during their leave, they may receive it at any time. Oh, and especially Sir Debran Hartude, who provided great help this time.”

The Emperor personally mentioning Debran—who had helped protect him during an assassination attempt—carried no small weight. Kishiar smiled broadly and nodded.

“Debran is an excellent Cavalry member. The reason he returned to the capital early was to evacuate those who had been trapped in the southern Nagran Star village. The ones who couldn’t escape on their own. But since that coincidence ended up helping Your Majesties, I’m sure he’ll be glad.”

Indeed. Debran had returned quietly ahead of the others while he and Ever had been tracking the Sage’s trail in the South for precisely that reason.

After Ever returned to Sharloin to file a report, Debran had stayed near the desert and ultimately succeeded in locating the hidden village. Though the Sage, Naham, and the main figures had already left by then, several people who hadn’t escaped still remained.

Most of them were ill, weak, or had physically visible mutations due to their Awakening abilities, which made it impossible for them to leave the village. Kishiar had secretly ordered Debran to rescue them and return to the capital. Despite the lingering effects of the Sage’s brainwashing, Debran managed to gain their trust and complete the mission.

‘According to what they said, the Sage had used Diemon’s copying ability to the point of killing one of the children in the village, which greatly weakened the brainwashing... But still, it must’ve been hard.’

That poor child, it turned out, was the same one Naham had taken from the East—the one with the rare ability to control monsters. Yuder had regretted not having a chance to observe the child more closely.

They only learned the full truth after the Sage died and his mental hold faded. By then, the child had already died, having been used and discarded. Without Debran—whose infiltration skills were almost unnaturally seamless—it would’ve taken far longer to uncover what truly happened.

‘The child’s death must’ve resulted from the Sage’s overuse of their ability. And Diemon... If that hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have dared believe he could steal the Sage’s power. Poetic justice, really.’

Still, the fact that both the Sage and Diemon, who had so proudly touted those very abilities, ended their lives in the most miserable way was—hopefully—some comfort to the child’s spirit and those who had cared for them.

‘Would’ve been nice if I could’ve killed them myself, though.’

Suppressing the cold thought that surfaced, Yuder turned back toward the Emperor, who was still reminiscing cheerfully about Debran’s role in the incident.

“Despite being suddenly embedded among the Imperial Guard, he blended in so naturally. Even better than the assassins who came in disguise. His infiltration ability is incredible.”

“Indeed. If only you and the Duke could’ve seen the faces of those who nearly fainted when Sir Hartude unleashed his flames that day,” the Empress added with a fond smile.

Yuder quietly nodded from beside Kishiar, wholeheartedly agreeing.

‘That was a clear example of Kishiar’s eye for talent.’

Debran had started on a whim, but his gift for stealth and infiltration had blossomed after his Intelligence Division work—and it ultimately helped rescue the brainwashed residents of the Nagran Star village. Having witnessed his accomplishments firsthand, Kishiar had apparently decided to send him to protect the Emperor.

Even with his suspiciously innate talent for infiltration, Debran had only ever blended in among commoners. Whether he could carry out a mission in a palace full of nobles had been uncertain—but the result had been flawless.

‘At this point, I’d say his ability to seamlessly blend into any setting, regardless of status or situation, might as well be a second Awakening ability. Practically... another power in itself.’

In the latter stages of Yuder’s previous life, when the number of Awakeners surged, it wasn’t unheard of for someone to awaken a second ability. It had become so common that it barely surprised anyone anymore.

Regardless, it had been Kishiar who discovered Debran, trusted him, and nurtured him. His insight was truly exceptional.

“Hmm?”

Perhaps sensing Yuder’s gaze, Kishiar suddenly turned his head. He didn’t say anything—but just meeting Yuder’s eyes, he smiled warmly as if that alone made him happy.

At that moment, the ten training regimens Yuder had mentally prepared to further develop Debran’s ability all vanished into thin air.

“...Huu.”

The Emperor sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Go, Kishiar. I won’t try to keep you here any longer.”

“What have I done to deserve such treatment, Your Majesty?”

“I said go.”

“Your Majesty, if I leave now, it means I won’t see the Duke again for a whole month. You can’t do this. Duke, please don’t forget to take the small gift I brought from the Dawn Palace before you board the carriage.”

“As expected, only Her Majesty truly cares for me.”

Kishiar dramatically lowered his head and pretended to wipe away tears. Deep creases instantly formed between Emperor Keillusa’s brows. The steward, watching the scene, quietly chuckled to himself.

Either way, starting tomorrow, it would be Yuder’s first real vacation. The feeling was strange in many ways.

“The Cavalry’s carriage was supposed to arrive around here... but I don’t see it.”

While Kishiar was momentarily delayed receiving ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) a gift from the Empress, Yuder left early with Nathan Zuckerman to locate the carriage.

But the spot they arrived at was empty. No carriage in sight. Nathan frowned slightly as he spoke.

“It's likely they mistakenly parked at the main gate. I’ll go and bring them.”

The Solar Palace’s layout—its buildings arranged irregularly—often confused those unfamiliar with it. Mistaken parking happened often. In assassination prevention terms, it wasn’t a bad thing, but at times like this, it was inconvenient.

‘If it’s the Cavalry’s carriage, it’s understandable they'd be confused.’

Yuder scanned the area, then shook his head.

“I’ll go.”

“You, Baron Aile? The paths here are rather complicated—are you sure?”

“There’s a chance they went to a side gate, not the main. If I use the power of the earth, I can track the vibrations of the carriage wheels. I’ll find them faster.”

That was difficult to refute. Nathan was silent for a moment.

“...I didn’t know that ability could be used like that. Quite handy. Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Yuder nodded and stepped into the dark.

He had used his ability as an excuse—but in truth, few people knew the layout of this place better than him. He could guess where the carriage had gone without even looking.

‘Nathan may know the Prince’s Palace well, but I practically lived in the secret passages of the Solar Palace. I’ll be quicker.’

As expected, before long, he spotted the misdirected carriage.

He walked toward it—but then suddenly stopped and turned his head toward the darkness.

“......”

He stared into the pitch-black shadows, his dark eyes sharper and deeper than the darkness itself.

After some time, a silhouette stirred.

“You’re sharp... young hero of the Cavalry.”

Emerging from the shadows like something rising from black water, a sly smile spread across the lips of the figure.

With a foxlike glint in his eyes, the man staring at Yuder was none other than—Kachien la Orr.