Turning
chapter-239

Before they reached their original destination, a small city, the murky sky began to pour rain. The Cavalry members flipped over the hats attached to their uniforms, and the people of Nelarn wrapped their cloaks around them to keep their heads from getting wet.

Although the rain was unpleasant, it had its benefits. Due to the fewer visitors, the city had far fewer guards than usual who would have normally kept a keen watch.

"The Red Butterfly Knights dispatched for the mission from the Pearl Tower...and the mercenaries hired as assistants... Alright. Identity cards and certificates, all verified. You may enter."

The guards, standing by the gate where the rain was relentless, hastily checked the counterfeit identity card Nathan handed them and declared a quick passage. No one paid any attention to the unique appearance of the Misty Wind Horse as they entered the city, as there was no one out in the rain.

"We originally planned to take a detour by using the mountain near the back door, but the rain has made things much easier."

Kishiar, whose conspicuous appearance was deeply hidden by a cloak and hat, said in a cool mutter. They soon arrived at a dilapidated mansion located in a hardly visible part of the city.

"This place is...."

"This is a safe house prepared in advance by the Peletta Knights who were dispatched to the West for this mission."

Nathan Zuckerman kindly answered Kanna's murmur, dismounted, and opened the mansion door.

"Please go in. I will take the horses to a safe place and then follow."

Everyone dismounted and entered the mansion. The inside smelled of stale dust as if it had not been taken care of for a long time, but it was spacious enough to accommodate several people.

"Welcome, Duke. We received your message and have been waiting."

Two men who revealed themselves from inside knelt in front of Kishiar and saluted him knight-style. They were undoubtedly members of the Peletta Knights, as could be seen from the sword at their waist and the formal demeanor, despite their casual clothes.

"We thought something happened because you were late. We're really glad you made it safely."

"We had a bit of a situation in the middle. You guys must have had a hard time."

Kishiar, who briefly commended the knights' efforts, turned his head and smiled at Prince Ejain's party.

"I understand that we can't afford any delays, but it would be difficult to discuss the main issue with wet bodies. Let's have a meal and rest for a while before we start the discussion. Would that be alright?"

"Of course."

Ejain swept back his wet hair and responded firmly. The party was led to their rooms for the night by the Peletta knights. Yuder was assigned the room next to Kishiar, as he was the Commander's assistant. Judging by the two beds in the room, the other bed seemed to be for Nathan Zuckerman, who had not returned yet.

He looked at the bed, seemingly after a long time, then lowered his gaze towards the end of his still-dripping cloak.

'It's a relief that only the cloak got wet...'

After taking off the wet cloak and hanging it on the wall, he sat on the bed and took off the glove on his right hand. He had used his strength all day, so it was natural that his spots had spread quite a bit.

'But the color is almost... barely visible as a slight red.'

He clenched and unclenched his fist. There was no pain to be found. It seemed he could forego immediate medical treatment.

'Although I still feel that my strength is being amplified more than usual, it hasn’t interfered with my work.’

Simply put, one could be pleased that he'd become stronger than before, having absorbed the power of Kishiar. However, Yuder couldn't help but harbor a strange feeling of unease.

It seemed unwise to feel pleased about a sensation of continuous change within his body.

"Sir Aile, are you in there?"

At that moment, a knock resounded from outside.

"Yes. Please come in."

After slipping on his gloves and answering, the door opened to reveal the face of Nathan Zuckerman.

"Dinner will soon be prepared. Please accompany the Duke. I have some business with the Peletta Knights and will not be able to join you for dinner, but will leave immediately."

"Understood."

"Oh, and…"

Just as he seemed about to turn away, Nathan paused, then turned back to Yuder.

"I had something I wanted to ask earlier but didn't get the chance. May I ask it now?"

"Go ahead."

From his questioning look, Yuder could guess what he might ask. After hearing Yuder's concise reply, Nathan Zuckerman lowered his voice and continued his question.

"How did you know that the weak point of the monster we defeated earlier was the body buried beneath its tail? The monster guide taught by the Cavalry does not contain such information, nor was it a monster known from the data we've collected... No matter how I think about it, it seemed as if you knew beforehand."

As expected, that was the question. Yuder let out a small breath and gave the answer he had prepared beforehand.

"That's because I did know beforehand."

Surprise flickered in Nathan's eyes.

"You knew? But how…?"

"I had encountered that monster before I joined the Cavalry."

"Ah…"

"From that experience, I learned about the monster's body and weak point. At that time, due to my limited experience, I didn't realize how rare that monster was… Today, seeing it again, it reminded me. You know I have good eyes."

This was not entirely a lie. In a sense, having encountered the monster in his previous life did count as meeting it before joining the Cavalry, and Yuder was naturally good at identifying the weak points of monsters he saw for the first time. As he couldn't directly use his power against monsters, he relied heavily on observation. This skill was the result of that practice.

"But, thanks to your quick memory recall, we were able to defeat the monster without anyone getting hurt. What a relief."

"..."

Nathan was silenced by Yuder's audacious yet irrefutable argument. Yuder saw the suspicion gradually disappear from the earnest knight's eyes, replaced by the usual tranquility.

"Certainly… With Sir Aile's abilities, even before joining the Cavalry, you probably could have defeated a few dozen monsters. I understand. I must have asked an unnecessary question."

‘I'm sorry, Sir Zuckerman. If I were my past self, defeating a few dozen monsters alone before joining the Cavalry would have been beyond even my wildest dreams…’ Yuder swallowed the answer he could not yet reveal and remained silent.

"Thank you for your answer."

After Nathan left, Yuder quietly counted to ten in his mind. Standing, he opened the door to check if Nathan Zuckerman was still around. There was no sign of him.

'Can't be helped. I can't allow my allies to be hurt by keeping my knowledge to myself, but neither can I admit to having known everything from the beginning...'

The most plausible excuse he could offer was that he'd learned everything before joining the Cavalry.

While contemplating when he should reveal his own weaknesses, the savory scent of soup wafted in from a distance.

“Wow, it's been ages since I've smelled real food."

"My stomach feels like it's going to burst."

The members, with their uncanny ability to detect delicious smells, bolted out of the door across the hallway. Having cleaned up from the rain and taken a brief rest, their expressions were notably brighter than before.

"Yuder! Let's go eat together!"

"I have to accompany the Commander. You go ahead."

"Can't you eat if the Commander doesn't? It wasn't like this back in the headquarters."

"I'm on duty now... and I'm the Commander's assistant."

There was also Nathan Zuckerman's request, but he decided to omit that.

"I'd never be able to resist!"

"I'm so glad I'm not an assistant!"

As if they sympathized with the woes of an assistant who had to accompany the Commander at all times, the Eldore siblings jovially patted Yuder on the back and then hurried down the hallway. Following them, Gakane and Kanna also patted Yuder's shoulder with regretful expressions, each leaving a whispered message.

"Yuder, do you want me to stay with you?"

"Even if there's something delicious, I'll save some for you."

"...It's okay. Thank you, both of you."

Surely, the food wouldn't run out before the Commander, Kishiar, got to eat, but their words still warmed his heart. Yuder momentarily forgot about his cold deliberations, responding to his comrades with a smile.

"Commander, it's time for dinner."

Even when all the members had left for their meal, Kishiar did not leave his room. After waiting for a bit, Yuder knocked on his bedroom door.

"Commander, may I come in?"

Again, there was no response. With no other choice, he carefully opened the door and stepped inside. There sat a man, staring blankly at a map under the lamplight at the table, showing only his side profile.

"Commander?"