Turning
chapter-168

It was an evaluation that would have driven Kiolle himself to rage, yet as Yuder agreed with the assessment, he merely responded, "Yes. Don't worry about it," in a brief reply. Kishiar's face cracked into a fleeting smile again, though Yuder couldn't fathom what was amusing about his answer.

"Good. Hearing that response makes me feel like you've truly recovered, just as usual. Just this morning, your condition was so bad that I even thought we might have our first case of someone's life being endangered by the manifestation of the second gender."

"...Are you talking about me?"

Yuder could hardly comprehend Kishiar's words, as he remembered nothing of what happened while he was unconscious, and in terms of time, it was only a day and a half. When Yuder awkwardly asked back, Kishiar looked at him as if he couldn't believe it.

"Yes. Perhaps because the manifestation happened in such a short time, the pain seemed tremendous. It was so severe that even when your heat overlapped, causing your temperature and scent to escalate, there was absolutely no response to the touch of the caregivers."

"I don't remember any of it."

"That's probably for the best for you. I tried to help by giving you fever reducers and painkillers several times, but it seemed to have no effect. In the end, we even made you consume ground Fonesa powder."

Fonesa was a medicinal herb with potent analgesic properties that was only used for patients suffering extreme pain. The fact that they had gone to the lengths of feeding him this herb, which was difficult to obtain due to strict cultivation restrictions by Imperial law, indicated how severe his condition must have been. Yuder lowered his head, a sense of shock settling over him.

"I apologize for causing you concern."

"You don't need to apologize for being ill. If anything, I am the one who wants to apologize."

"For what, Commander?"

Caught off guard by his response, Yuder looked up to see a slightly bitter expression on Kishiar's face.

"I was aware that you, in the middle of your manifestation, were wary of and frightened by me, an Alpha Awakener. But I pretended not to notice and brought you here anyway, because of the situation."

He was prepared to reply that he had no regrets if Kishiar apologized for sending him on a mission alone, as it was his duty. However, his mind went blank at the unexpected response.

"Commander. That..."

What he felt towards the Alpha Awakener was not so much wariness and fear, but fragments of emotions stemming from memories of his past life. But how could he explain this? No. Come to think of it, since these were memories related to the past Kishiar, it was understandable that the man in front of him felt this way. As Yuder struggled to continue speaking, Kishiar spoke again, his tone gentle yet firm.

"You don't have to answer. It's a fact that I was less cautious than usual. I was just worried that my contact with you might have adversely affected your manifestation."

"That's... probably not the case."

"We can't be sure. Even though it's our own bodies, there's still so much we don't know."

With a thoughtful look in his eyes, Kishiar replied and then took a deep breath, swallowing whatever else he had intended to say.

"Anyway, it's truly a relief that your fever has subsided and you've awoken safely. You can rest here today, and we plan to move to the Cavalry tomorrow. Will that be okay?"

"Can't we just leave today?"

Yuder, remembering his intention to tell Kishiar that he wished to return immediately upon seeing him, cautiously counter-questioned.

The response came immediately.

"Others would have been sick for days, but you managed to get through it all in one day. Now, you want to leave without resting. Remember, we only have one body and health, so you should take care of it when you can."

"But."

"Didn't you promise not to act recklessly last time?"

"..."

With those words, Kishiar, who had sealed Yuder's mouth, rose from his seat with a smile.

"Resting one more day won't make the world crumble. You don't need to worry about Lenore Shand Apeto's funeral. Rest here quietly today, and even after you go back, take another three days to rest."

"Commander."

"It's an order, Yuder Aile."

His protestations lost their power at those words. Yuder read the worry reflected in Kishiar's red eyes, sensing the enormous energy that enveloped his body.

How could he insist further after seeing that look in his eyes?

"I understand...."

"Be good, rest well. Later on, I'll give you a reward, so don't be too upset."

He wasn't a child, what reward was he talking about? He was about to reply that he didn't need it, but Kishiar was faster, already rising from his seat.

"I guess I'll have to go out again. You must be tired since you just woke up, so rest. If you need help, ask the attendants."

Kishiar turned to leave immediately after he finished speaking but then twisted his body back as if he had discovered something.

"Ah, I see there are still two walls closed. It should be okay to remove them now."

Realizing that Kishiar was referring to the walls, Yuder, who had been curious about the isolation walls since hearing about them from the attendant, hesitated before asking a brief question.

"But why were those walls put up in the first place?"

"They're barriers that completely separate and isolate a space, so whatever happens inside doesn't affect the outside. Your condition during the manifestation wasn't good, so I ordered the walls to be put up just in case."

Kishiar readily answered. The answer was clear, but there were still lingering questions. Perhaps noticing Yuder's subtle change in expression, Kishiar turned his body.

"You're curious why such a thing is installed here?"

"I can't deny it."

"Actually, those walls aren't installed only here. They're also in a few other palaces within the Imperial Palace. They've been installed since a long time ago, and all have the same purpose. They're to prevent overflowing power from leaking out, to block and contain it."

Kishiar, who briefly answered, quietly stared at the still-closed two isolation walls.

"I had no idea."

"It's normal to be ignorant. In fact, the very existence of these walls is a secret."

"Is it alright to show such a thing to me?"

"Well, if I can't trust my assistant who risked his life for me, who else can I trust?"

Kishiar responded lightly, an inexplicable self-mocking smile flitting across his eyes.

"Besides, even if you were to tell the outside world about the existence of such walls, no one would find that information particularly interesting. Anyway, it's... just a wall."

Just a wall. It was the right phrase but somehow left a peculiar aftertaste.

Yuder hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

"So that overflowing power is...."

"You can probably guess, but isn't my ability exceptionally outstanding?"

If anyone else had made such a claim, it would have been dismissed as a mere cocky joke, but coming from Kishiar, it wasn't a laughing matter. The one who possessed the divine sword, a priest-level divine power, and on top of that, the abilities of an Awakener— if he wasn't extraordinary, then who could be? With a smile, Kishiar nonchalantly praised himself and continued speaking.

"However, regardless of how innate abilities may seem commendable, during childhood, due to incomplete control abilities, one might inadvertently cause accidents, just like novice mages often make mistakes."

It was a well-known fact, often depicted in all kinds of fairy tales and legends, that novice mages who had just learned magic caused many accidents due to their clumsy control.

"So, that wall was for my sake and for the sake of others. It was the best choice. It was a friend of my childhood in its own way."

Kishiar, smiling and looking at the wall, turned around and left his final words.

"Now, let's truly rest for a bit. The scent seems to be fading, so when you wake up, it should be completely gone."

"Yes, understood……"

Yuder, who was about to respond absent-mindedly, suddenly paused in surprise, raising his head.

'Wait… Scent?'

He hastily looked around, but Kishiar had already left. Only the slightly askew empty chair was left, substituting for the traces of the person who had just been sitting there.

He was fast. Yuder, blankly staring at the empty chair, suddenly realized that it was in a perfect position to allow him to leave the room immediately after he got up.

'Come to think of it.....'

It seemed that the strategic setup was not just about the chair's position.

On reflection, even though he was worried that Yuder's manifestation might be distorted due to his contact, was there a need for Kishiar to hand over the letter by levitation magic from such a distance? Until the moment Kishiar left, he never approached closer while sitting in that chair.

Yuder raised his arm and sniffed his scent. But just like how one can hardly perceive their own body odor, it was difficult to discern the remaining scent of a second gender manifestor.

However, considering Kishiar's actions, there was only one guess he could make.

'So, the scent really did remain...'

In his previous life, Yuder was known as a half-Omega who had neither scent nor heat. Perhaps it was because he didn't have a scent, but he hardly ever felt or was influenced by the scents of other second-gender manifestors. Of course, he was well aware that not all second-gender manifestors were like him.

If Yuder had a scent left, it would have been quite stimulating to Kishiar, an Alpha Awakener, yet his complexion didn't change in the slightest. It was an astounding ability.

Yuder stared at his palm and slowly clenched it into a fist.