Turning
chapter-195

Sunz tried to contain his excitement, but his eyes betrayed an irrepressible sense of satisfaction.

"Besides Emon and me, many of our Awakeners friends who had worked together in the mountains for two years back then were selected this time. The southern army officer who picked us didn't explicitly state that it was based on our abilities, but I'm certain that had a significant influence. So... Yuder, you were right!"

Yuder recalled the words he had given them before. Even if not immediately, soon at a higher place, or when the empire would need their power, he had told them not to neglect their development. He was even surprised himself that the results appeared so quickly.

"Do you mean they recognized your abilities and picked you?"

"After you left, we also finished our mission and scattered back to our original regions. But soon after, General Gino suddenly ordered all southern army soldiers to undergo physical examinations earlier than usual. It was the first time I revealed what my ability was to the superiors, and they were extremely surprised. Emon, you saw that too, right?"

At the cue of Sunz's words, Emon also opened his mouth.

"Right. After that, the salaries of the Awakened soldiers increased a bit, and unlike other soldiers, we were given time to train our abilities separately. That's when I started to think that something might change, just like you said."

The once cynical and apathetic demeanor he had shown had softened considerably, likely due to this.

"From what we heard, General Gino suddenly changed the treatment of the Awakened soldiers because of the influence of Duke Peletta and the Cavalry. I can't tell you how much we've heard about the Cavalry since we arrived in the capital."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Even the superiors who summoned us to the capital mentioned you guys and hinted several times that they would like our abilities to be on par with the Cavalry. Isn't that all thanks to the Awakeners, who proved their strength through the Cavalry?"

Sunz's eyes glittered with admiration and favor as he looked at Yuder.

"They said there would be great rewards when we finish this mission and return. Maybe... maybe we finally have a chance for promotion."

"Really?"

Yuder was inwardly surprised at the mention of rewards. It would be surprising if they were given a chance for promotion as they said, but the first thing that came to his mind was the speculation that the military might have decided to create a special unit like in his previous life.

'Unlike in my previous life, the treatment of Awakened soldiers is improving in the presence of General Gino Bordelli, so it won't be like that time even if a special unit is created again...'

"Well, the speculation that a promotion will be the reward is not certain, but Sunz and I suspect that it might be."

Emon scratched his head with a smug smile.

"It might sound like we're bragging... but after meeting you, both Sunz and I worked hard. While on missions, we've achieved results that have surprised the superiors several times. That's why we have high hopes for the reward."

Looking at the young man's face filled with anticipation for the future, it seemed like a lie that he had been the same person he first met. Yuder looked at the two men's faces and slowly opened his mouth.

"That's really great news. Then... since it might be a waste just to see faces while you're visiting the Cavalry, how about watching us train before you leave?"

"Would that be alright?"

"We're grateful, but isn't the training content classified...?"

Sunz and Emon, looking at each other's faces, cautiously questioned.

"The time is merely spent on basic training as a group. There's really nothing classified about that. I'm sure our Commander would permit this much."

While the future was uncertain, Sunz and Emon had high potential to play significant roles as Awakeners in the military later on. It couldn't hurt to provide them an experience that would further develop their abilities, given their already considerable goodwill towards Yuder.

"Coincidentally, today is the first day of our newly revised training. Let's go."

The two men rose hurriedly, following Yuder with flustered expressions. They left the room and headed towards the training field behind the quarters.

"Damn! The flame went out again!"

"Ugh! When will you be able to control your strength? If I hadn't dodged, I would have been dead!"

"30 seconds? You call that maintaining? How the hell did you get into the Cavalry?"

As soon as they entered, they saw a scene of chaos that was many times greater than usual. Numerous soldiers were gathered on the training field, rolling around on the ground in disarray, spewing a mix of dying noises and curses. Seeing the pandemonium and loud noises, Sunz and Emon's eyes widened.

"This... This is training...? It's not a brawl...?"

"Do we have to join...?"

"It's not a fight, it's sparring training. The aim is to pair individuals with opposing weaknesses to train as if in a real fight."

Yuder calmly explained, observing the scene.

"One side can control their strength well but can't maintain it for long. On the other hand, the opposite group can maintain their power well but can't control it. The winners of the sparring..."

Suddenly, a fireball flew toward them. Yuder immediately extended his hand, creating a curtain of water. With an explosive sound, the fireball hit the water wall and quickly disintegrated.

"Uh, my apologies. Anyway, the winners are given the chance to eat a special meal at dinner tonight."

"...That's it?"

Sunz, who thought he was about to be hit by the fireball, asked while calming his pounding heart.

"So all these people are... undergoing this dangerous and intense training just to have a better meal...?"

"It may seem like a trivial reward, but it's important to have an achievable, yet definite goal. You'll find yourself passionately immersed before you know it."

It was training they had to do anyway. In Yuder's experience, the key to effectively developing abilities was to create an environment that genuinely felt threatening, like a real fight.

At first, they may think that they can do without the special meal. However, once the mood is set, they become intensely focused as if their lives depended on it. And once the individual training that only requires personal responsibility for failure evolves into a team battle where the whole team shares the victory or defeat, the level of concentration skyrockets.

'This will serve as training and also foster camaraderie, which will be useful for future tasks. It's a win-win.'

Though some were moving lazily on the first day, he found it a relief that everyone seemed to be sincerely sparring more than he expected.

"That's... impressive."

Sunz's pupils were shaking uncontrollably.

"It’s not just here. Let's go check out other places."

Afterward, they briefly observed the members training in other arenas arranged around them. Although the content differed slightly, the earnest effort and tenacity shared by all remained constant. In contrast to Yuder's satisfaction, a light of fear gradually faded from the eyes of Sunz and Emon.

By the time they had to return, and they arrived back in front of their quarters, both men were engrossed in deep thought, remaining silent.

"Were you shocked? You both seem lost in thought."

"Ah... no, not at all. It was just more terrifying... no, more systematic than we expected."

In response to Yuder's question, Sunz hastily waved his hand. He then sighed with a hesitant expression.

"Actually, we also tried to devise training methods with our comrades, but the consensus was that we gained more from completing a single monster extermination mission. However, after seeing today's training in the Cavalry, I realized there's a way to train without necessarily courting danger. Of course, it didn't look easy..."

Sunz's words elicited a nod from Emon in agreement.

"It did look quite challenging."

"How could you call something an 'exercise' if it's easy?"

Yuder interrupted their conversation sharply.

"You have to train more than the other knight orders and mages who have already settled down. Only then you will not miss the opportunity when it comes."

"I see... You're right. If Awakeners want to make a place for themselves, they must outperform those who are already in position."

Sunz murmured lost in thought, then nodded, a smile crossing his face.

"Thank you, Yuder. This has been a really valuable experience."

"Not at all. If you ever need assistance, don't hesitate to contact me again."

Yuder smiled, catching the questioning looks from the two men.

"We may be from different organizations, but we're all Awakeners, aren't we? I believe that if we want to change the perception of Awakeners within the Empire, we can't just rely on one side doing well. Our Commander also said on the day of the Cavalry's entrance ceremony to act for our own freedom."

If Kishiar were to hear this, who knows what he would say.

"So that's it. For freedom..."

Sunz and Emon gazed up at the Cavalry building, murmuring to themselves.

"There was such a deep meaning to the Cavalry... I don't quite understand it because it's too complicated, but it's incredibly moving..."

"Hm? I haven't seen you two before. Who are you?"

However, a voice from behind them abruptly interrupted the serene moment, causing the atmosphere to stiffen instantly. Seeing the shocked expressions of Sunz and Emon, Yuder turned around. There stood Kishiar, wearing a cloak over his uniform, walking towards them with Nathan Zuckerman.