Turning
chapter-123

"...Let me accompany you."

"There might be sensitive matters discussed, difficult to relay to others."

"I will keep it confidential."

A moment of hesitation flickered in Kishiar's transformed hazel eyes. Yuder was determined not to let him go alone, even if it meant risking getting caught while tailing him in secret. Fortunately, Kishiar didn't ponder for long and soon made a favorable decision.

"Alright."

Kishiar left a short note for his absent adjutant, Nathan, on the desk, and changed his clothes. Yuder, too, donned the ordinary attire provided by Kishiar in place of his noticeable black uniform. Although slightly oversized, it didn't look too awkward, which was a relief.

"You wear Nathan's old night-outfit quite well. Just need a little more height."

Scanning Yuder up and down, Kishiar nodded approvingly, giving a compliment that was somewhat ambiguous.

"I've stopped growing."

"Aren't you just 20? You've still got a few more years of growing."

"..."

Not everyone continued growing past adulthood. Having lived through the future once, Yuder knew that he wouldn't grow an inch beyond his current height. He had considered himself quite tall among the Cavalry members, so Kishiar's reaction was unexpected.

"Here. Lastly, wear this hat."

Handing Yuder a hat often worn by laborers, Kishiar made sure his hair and face were sufficiently obscured before leading the way out of their quarters. Using shortcuts, they managed to leave the premises of the Imperial Knights without encountering anyone.

"The Apeto Ducal House is on the third wall. It's heavily guarded, so from now on, we're ordinary errand runners for a trading company."

"Errand runners?"

"It's the most suitable role."

"Won't they check which trading company we belong to at the checkpoint?"

"Don't worry about that."

Kishiar soon demonstrated the meaning behind his words. On the street, he hailed an empty coach waiting idly for passengers with its back door open. As they approached the checkpoint, he pulled out an unfamiliar identity badge from his pocket and handed it to the coachman.

"Show them this as proof at the checkpoint, and keep going."

"Understood."

Seeing Kishiar's identity badge, the coachman, who initially appeared worried about the order to head into the third wall, immediately brightened up. Yuder managed to catch a glimpse of the inscription on the badge, his eyes widened.

"It's an identity badge from the Shuden Trading Company."

"Already caught a glimpse, did you? Yes, it's the best card to play in this situation."

Kishiar admitted with a smile. The Shuden Trading Company was one of the renowned trading firms across the continent. Its history might have been shorter compared to other renowned firms, but it had grown rapidly due to its specialized trade in luxurious goods. Known to be one of the few companies with a branch in the hard-to-reach south due to the desert, Shuden's identity badge was undoubtedly not something anyone could acquire.

Yet Yuder remembered that in his previous life, Kishiar had occasionally conducted private trades with the Shuden Trading Company.

'I had thought it natural for imperial family members to make expensive personal purchases… Could it be that he obtained that with the connections he had built up in such a way?'

From the way Kishiar spoke, it seemed like he had used that social status badge more than once or twice.

"You seem to use it frequently."

"Well… I love to have fun so I get gifts like that. I can't go around having fun under my own name, can I?"

By his smooth retort alone, he seemed like the endlessly frivolous imperial family member Kishiar that others perceived him to be. However, Yuder knew that this was not all there was to him and so did not accept his response at face value.

'I need to look into this Shuden Trading Company and Kishiar…'

"We'll be arriving soon."

At that moment, the coachman opened a small door and announced their impending arrival. Due to quickly passing the checkpoint, the time taken to reach their destination was shorter than expected. Kishiar, looking at the increasingly luxurious view outside the window, a stark contrast to the 7th Wall area they had initially departed from, quietly opened his mouth.

"Once we get off, you mustn't refer to me as Commander. You know that, right?"

"Yes."

The two men got off in front of a beautiful mansion. The wall that seemed to go on without an end made it hard to figure out where to go to find the gate, but Kishiar moved without hesitation. Before long, a giant gate made of iron revealed itself. It was the intimidating main residence of the Apeto family.

Kishiar showed no interest towards the large gate. He approached a very small guard post near the gate.

"Are you there?"

"Who is it…?"

When he knocked on the door, an old man soon popped his head out from inside.

"I'm looking for Guard Jack."

"I'm Jack."

Jack eyed the two of them suspiciously, his face full of wariness.

"We've come from the Trading Company at the behest of the Third Prince. He is said to be looking for a very special item."

But the moment he mentioned the Third Prince Revlin, his guarded expression melted away.

"Ah! Ahh. The Third Prince. I see. Are you the ones called by the Prince?"

"Yes."

"I heard the story. The prince mentioned you might come in a few days, but you came very quickly. Anyway, please come in."

The now polite Jack opened the side door and allowed them in.

"Please wait here for a moment. I'll inform the prince."

After leading them to what seemed like a small room where the gatekeeper stayed, Jack hurriedly disappeared. Yuder felt strange visiting the Apeto main residence this way, a place he had never visited in his previous life, and looked around.

The mansion was beautiful and massive, befitting the grandeur of a ducal family, but the gatekeeper's space was incredibly cramped and shabby. It appeared the Apeto family didn't feel the need to pay attention to a space used by a mere gatekeeper.

"They say that the Apeto main residence possesses a sacred beauty, akin to a house where the Sun God resides, but I wonder if the person who first said that would have still said it if they saw this place first."

As if he had read his thoughts, Kishiar, from behind, posed a question. Surprised, Yuder turned his head to find Kishiar, unusually devoid of a smile, asking him.

"Isn't it intriguing?”

"…"

Yuder hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. However, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the moment was broken as the door opened and Revlin Shand Apeto hurriedly came out, forever robbing him of the opportunity to reply.

"News has already arrived? Who..."

Towards gatekeeper Jack, who was following him, Revlin was speaking when he noticed Yuder and halted in his tracks. Despite the hat he wore low on his brow, he seemed to recognize Yuder instantly.

"You... You've come yourself!"

Revlin, who had been about to mention Yuder's name, swallowed his words with a look of delight. He gestured for Jack to leave, his gaze moving from Yuder to the gatekeeper.

"Jack, I will speak with them for a moment. Please keep watch outside."

"Understood. But Second Prince might come looking for you, so you must finish as soon as possible."

"Of course, I know."

Jack, unable to hide his worried expression as he looked at the resolute Revlin, exited the room.

"Yuder, I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Did you deliver my message to Duke Peletta? Did he respond? What did he say?"

As soon as the gatekeeper's presence vanished, Revlin blurted out his questions, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

"That is..."

Yuder struggled with how to convey the fact that Kishiar himself had come directly.

"Did he say he would accept?"

"I relayed the message as instructed. However, the Duke..."

"I came to hear it myself."

From behind Yuder, Kishiar, in his true form, suddenly stuck out his head. Revlin turned to the new voice, taking in the second person in the room, and gasped audibly.

"Du, Duke Pele...?"

"Shh."

Kishiar held his finger to his lips, silencing the young boy.

"I heard everything. Quite an interesting conversation."

"…There was no falsehood in what I said."

Kishiar had indeed come all this way. In almost a single, undivided form. Trembling with a mixture of fear and excitement, Revlin realized this was the best opportunity he could possibly seize.

"There's no one better informed than I am about the current state of affairs in the Apeto family, or more capable of speaking candidly to you."

"That is interesting, of course. But that's not why I came here."

"What is the reason then?"

A lazy smile briefly flickered at the corners of Kishiar's mouth, then vanished. Revlin, who had grown accustomed to the fear that his brother Lenore instilled in others and had rarely ever felt intimidated himself, tensed as he realized that even a smile could carry the sharp edge of a blade.

'Duke Peletta is not as easy as the rumors suggest. I can't let my guard down until the deal is done.'

"As far as I know... the youngest son of the Apeto family has been terribly frail since birth, so much so that he struggles even to walk outside of his bed. Yet, you appear quite healthy in front of me. Why is that?"