Turning
chapter-192

"Commander."

When had he arrived? The sudden presence caught Yuder by surprise, but that feeling quickly dissipated as Kishiar approached.

"I've watched and listened to what you've been up to all day today. You truly didn't rest even for a moment."

"I did rest. It wasn't particularly strenuous."

"Since when did 'not strenuous' and 'resting' mean the same thing?"

"Did you perhaps come because you're displeased with the new training plan proposal I announced today?"

"Why would that be the case? On the contrary, you did it too well; that's the problem."

With a small smile and a subtle furrowing of his eyebrows, Kishiar gently settled onto the edge of the long table.

"I'm really worried. What am I to do with my assistant who doesn't even know how to rest?"

"You don't need to do anything. Should you really be out like this just after a day, Commander?"

"If you're worried, would you rest with me in the bedroom like yesterday?"

He responded with an insinuation that Kishiar, who hardly even sleeps and is always working, wasn't in a position to advise him. However, Kishiar’s comeback was even more pointed.

"When did we rest together?"

"Having a pleasant conversation in the bedroom without doing anything else is generally referred to as resting."

"There's a nice phrase called 'sickroom visit.'"

Furthermore, didn't their conversation mainly revolve around work? As he retorted sharply, Kishiar chuckled.

"You're right. I've lost this round."

Despite declaring his defeat, the energy radiating from him was cheerful and gentle. Yuder forcefully pulled his gaze away from Kishiar’s captivating face and opened his mouth.

"You surely didn't come all the way down here just to joke. Why are you here?"

"I was curious whether you received the second gift I left at your quarters."

Kishiar finally got to the point. Recalling the red medium in his possession, he nodded.

"Yes, I've confirmed it."

It was a gift beyond Yuder’s wildest expectations. How could he possibly articulate the surprise he felt when he saw it yesterday? Kishiar's face, too, bore a satisfied smile as he noticed Yuder’s faint smile and brightened eyes.

"Did you like it? I thought you would."

"Yes, I'm truly thankful for your..."

"I had two knights from the Peletta order in the capital waiting in turn to buy that new product. It's not accepting reservations, you see."

"…Pardon?"

Interrupting my thanks, his unexpected words caused me to forget what I was saying.

"Though it's made from fruit, no one has yet discovered the secret to its beautiful color and taste. It truly deserves to be called one of the capital's specialties. I'm glad that it suited your taste as well. It makes giving it as a gift worthwhile."

"Are you talking about... candy?"

"Hm? The only gift I gave was that, did you receive something else?"

Faced with his natural smile, Yuder blinked for a moment before exhaling a long breath.

'So, he's keeping the fact that he gave me the medium officially a secret.'

Even though no one was around, you never know who might be listening in on people's affairs. It couldn't hurt to be careful.

"No, I didn't. I will enjoy it."

"There's no need to savor it too much, but you can't eat it all in one day either. If you eat too much, it'll rot your teeth. So, you're only allowed to have up to five a day."

"…Yes."

Indeed, it was somewhat unnerving to receive affectionate advice in an exaggerated manner as if he was a child, but what could be done? At this moment, Kishiar was the Commander, and Yuder was his assistant.

Upon hearing Yuder's awkward response, Kishiar burst into a vibrant smile, dusted off his seat, and rose.

"Shall we have a late dinner now?"

"Have you not eaten yet?"

"You haven't either."

While it was simply that Yuder had skipped dinner because of advising the members, it was a mystery why Kishiar, who had no such obligation, had not eaten yet.

'Has Nathan Zuckerman left the place?'

"I understand. But the cafeteria might already be closed."

"There's no need to eat within the quarters. There are plenty of eateries outside."

Kishiar casually responded and nonchalantly adjusted the bracelet around his wrist. His face and hair blurred momentarily, transforming into an unremarkable brown hair and faint facial features.

In retrospect, he was not in Cavalry attire from the start. Only then did Yuder realize with a hint of disappointment that Kishiar had planned this from the beginning.

"You certainly came well-prepared."

"I tend to be meticulous."

Kishiar cheerfully took Yuder's comment and extended his hand with a jovial expression.

"We've been working without a break since this morning, shouldn't we relax over dinner? Let me show you what it means to rest. Let's go."

There was not even a hint of room for refusal. Considering he hadn't planned to leave the Cavalry today, it was somewhat of a relief that he hadn't put on the conspicuous black Cavalry outerwear. Yuder hurriedly followed Kishiar, who strode out as if he could fly.

The nightlife inside the 7th wall after the harvest festival was quieter than before, but the ambiance seemed somewhat brighter. Kishiar, who had easily pierced through all sorts of shortcuts within the Imperial Knight Headquarters, was now effortlessly blending into the common folk in the streets.

Yuder, trailing behind him, suddenly tuned into a conversation of drunkards passing by.

"Maybe, they reclaimed the body because of the incident at the Apeto family's..."

"The funeral got canceled. Are they never going to hold it?"

"We common folks can't possibly understand the inner workings of the high and mighty, but that third son was truly exceptional..."

'Ah. They're talking about the incident at the funeral of Lenore Shand Apeto.'

Yuder was shocked that the news had spread so widely, even though he had heard it directly from Kishiar, who was responsible for disrupting the funeral. But while Yuder was lost in thought, watching the departing drunkards, someone grabbed his wrist. When he looked up, it was Kishiar, who had changed his appearance.

"I turned around while walking and got surprised when I didn't see you."

"Oh, I apologize."

"I wonder what caught your attention so much."

"I was just lost in some thoughts..."

He couldn't confess that he was eavesdropping on a conversation about the Apeto family, so he averted his gaze. Kishiar exhaled a short sigh and looked away, his gaze fixed on the three drunkards who had disappeared around the corner of an alley.

"If you wanted to drink instead of having dinner, you should've told me."

"No, that's not it."

"There’s no harm anyway, so you can consume whatever you want."

Despite saying no, it was of little use. Kishiar, taking hold of Yuder's wrist, changed their direction and headed somewhere else. The place where he stopped was in front of an old tavern, where laughter could be heard leaking out. Entering through the door hanging beneath an almost broken wooden sign, Kishiar looked around several times before promptly finding an empty seat and sitting down.

"Sit."

"..."

Other than the pillars where the lanterns hung and the table stacked with plenty of alcohol, the rest of the place was intentionally left dark. The place was filled with a strong smell of alcohol that one could get drunk just by sniffing it, but surprisingly, the atmosphere wasn't bad at all. As Yuder instinctively checked the surroundings for anyone who looked dangerous, a man with a bandit-like expression wearing an apron approached and slammed down two large beer mugs.

"Two beers. Anything else you need?"

"We'll need a side dish, Southern-style roast pork leg. And if you have the ingredients, some fried beans as well."

As Kishiar casually responded with a wink, the bandit-like man grinned.

"Nice combination. I'll bring it over soon."

"He served us beer right away, even though we didn't order any."

"That's the only thing they sell."

Kishiar casually replied to Yuder's murmured comment after the man had disappeared.

"You seem to come here often."

"True. I'm someone who never misses a good time, anywhere. I know almost all the stores within the capital."

Kishiar chuckled while downing his beer nonchalantly.

"The owner of this place is a retired mercenary who used to work as a bodyguard in the inner wall district. He started this place using his connections, so they have quite a variety of dishes. The taste of the alcohol is not bad either."

"…I see."

Yuder was surprised that he hadn't known about such a place, despite having lived much longer than Kishiar before dying. In his previous life, he had never come to such a place with him either.

"Do you often come to places like this when you go out at night? It would seem difficult to come alone, though......"

"Of course, I don't come alone."

Kishiar cut him short.

"I have people to meet."

"People to meet... No, never mind."

"Not lovers of the night."

Kishiar let out a laugh as if guessing what Yuder was thinking.

"Friends. Or subordinates. Or informants. Or people I need to observe. There are always plenty of people to meet."

"..."

Friends, subordinates, informants, and subjects of observation. Yuder was taken aback that none of the words he had anticipated were included.

Even in his previous life, Kishiar often went out and came back, changing his appearance frequently. After initially asking him where he was going and receiving a reply not to ask, he had written it off as simply nighttime fun and completely ignored it.

Just as the present Yuder was different from the Yuder of the past, the Kishiar of the past was definitely different from the current Kishiar. Thinking about it, the past Kishiar had certainly put up walls and tried to push Yuder away.

Seeing the contrast between the past Kishiar, who would not answer anything, and the current Kishiar, who would answer any question asked, Yuder felt the distinct difference he hadn't noticed before and felt a little odd.

"Were you surprised?"

"...No."

Yuder forcefully pushed away the memories from his previous life. Shortly after, a plateful of dishes arrived. The Southern-style roast pork leg, heavily sprinkled with spices, tasted less overwhelming than he had expected.