Turning
chapter-295

As soon as Micalin announced his decision to expel the guilty ones from the Union, Kishiar seemed to have been waiting, calling in a portion of the Peletta Knights stationed near the base. He ordered the Knights to immediately move to the Pearl Tower with them, ensuring the ousted mages would not set foot in the base even for a moment.

Lusan stated that this move was actually beneficial to the mages.

“If they had not disappeared from our sight immediately, we wouldn't know what might have happened after their punishment. The look in the eyes of the other members was no joke, including the Commander, of course."

Included in this group were several others. They were the assassins Yuder had captured and locked away on his own. Being escorted with those willing to kill anyone for money, the lowest of the low, was an unbearable humiliation for the mages who had enjoyed their own privileges.

Nevertheless, Micalin, the Leader of the Western Mage Union, accepted all of this in silence. No one could deny the fact that he was sincerely taking responsibility.

He pledged full cooperation in all future dealings between the Cavalry and the Western Mage Union. If Kishiar wished, he was willing to step down from the position of the Union Leader and cease all research, a statement that shocked the mages under his command. However, Kishiar had only one request of the senior mage.

“Do nothing until my assistant Yuder Aile recovers.”

Although it was an excellent opportunity with the opposing side promising to bend to every demand, all he wanted was silence, not formal negotiations or an outburst of anger.

Thus, the mages could do nothing until Yuder recovered. That is, until today, when Kishiar requested another conversation to understand Yuder's persistent condition from a different perspective.

“So, that's how things turned out. But... what happened to the Star of Nagran?”

Even after all his questions were answered, he knew nothing about the Star of Nagran, the last organization involved in this incident. Lusan only informed them about what had happened to the mages, leaving a void regarding the Star of Nagran. Given that Yuder and Kanna led the investigation into the Star of Nagran, meeting Kanna seemed the best way to hear more detailed stories.

'No news is good news, I suppose...'

"Priest, I brought the items you mentioned. Should I put them here?"

Just then, Gakane returned. He assisted Lusan in carefully changing the bandages on Yuder's limbs and applying medication. Although he said he was angry like Kanna and that it was okay to hit Yuder, he maintained his usual cautious attitude. Yuder hesitated for a moment before addressing Gakane.

"Gakane."

"Hm?"

"I heard about what's been going on from Kanna and the Priest. I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused."

They had traveled a long way for Yuder, their bodies weary. They were sincerely saddened and angered by his severe injuries. Despite having met most of them in his previous life, the emotions they held for each other were completely different now. Initially, he only acted to prevent Kishiar from dying as before, but somehow, the existence of others had grown so significant within him. It was strange. Yuder wanted to convey a heartfelt apology to them, an emotion he had not felt in his previous life.

Then, Gakane came to a halt. After a brief moment, he replied in a voice slightly strained from exhaustion.

"Yuder, after all that you've said, you must have really been hurting this time."

"..."

"I know you went out there alone, trying to protect everyone. I thought that was really impressive. But if you had died as a result, none of us would have been happy. Do you understand?"

"…Yes."

Gakane might have asked like Kanna, questioning what he understand, but fortunately, he didn’t push that far.

"You know, because of what happened this time, everyone's begun to dislike the mages. Me too. For the first time in my life, I realized that I could despise people in such a way. Even though I know that there were many who tried to help you... It felt so unfair that it made my blood boil. And it's worse because all this is due to our weak standing…"

As he spoke, Gakane forced out a weary laugh, patting Yuder’s shoulder gently so as not to cause pain.

"I can't even begin to imagine the Cavalry without you. So get well soon. The Commander is calling the second dispatch unit, so you must be fully recovered by the time you meet the others."

"The second dispatch unit?"

The faces of those they had left behind in the Capital floated up in the darkness. Kishiar, who had requested silence from the mages of the Western Mage Union, must not have completely dropped the other tasks after all. His thorough approach was reassuring and typical of Kishiar, but it also reminded Yuder of the last time he saw him trembling, causing a wave of nausea to rise again.

What kind of emotions was he feeling as he handled all that while Yuder was unconscious?

"Yeah. They're dividing them in half. Half will come to the city of Tainu, and the other half will come here."

Yuder had thought that after capturing Pethuamet, Kishiar would reduce the size of the second dispatch, but he apparently had no such intention.

'Is there something else he's considering?'

"You’re... thinking about work again, aren’t you?"

As if he had read Yuder's mind, Gakane spoke up.

"No, Yuder. You can't get involved in anything until you're healed. Rather than focusing on anything else right now, you should think about getting some rest."

"..."

If even the easygoing Gakane, who usually avoids unpleasant remarks, said such things, there seemed to be no need to hear the reactions of the other companions. As Yuder let out a small sigh, both Gakane and Lusan scolded him with one voice, asking why he had acted so recklessly. While it was a painful listen, it did brighten the atmosphere to a certain degree.

"Oh right, Yuder. It seems like the Commander will be handing over the monster subjugation-related tasks to me when the second dispatch arrives. You were supposed to do it originally... but the situation can’t be helped."

"Monster subjugation tasks to you?"

Suddenly, Yuder remembered that Gakane was one of those who didn’t know about his future. Unbeknownst to him, Gakane was among the earliest to die among the Cavalry members Yuder knew.

The time Gakane had died in Yuder's previous life was after the death of Pethuamet, later in time. After Yuder's deployment was stopped due to the nobles' and various powers' obstruction and protest toward the Cavalry, who had achieved an astonishing victory in the West where everyone was about to give up, Gakane had gone to finish off the final stages of the subjugation and died in an accident.

Back then, he had found himself unable to genuinely sympathize with the mournful words lamenting the tragic death of promising talent. After all, it was hard enough dealing with the trials directly before him, let alone concern himself with the death of someone he hardly knew.

But now, things had changed. Gakane Bolunwald, a truly precious talent, had left this world at such a young age in such a place. He was a genuinely good man, someone who indeed held enough worth to fight for life in this world.

'...I can't help but worry, remembering how an accident occurred after Pethuamet died back then.'

Reading concern in Yuder's tightly pursed lips, Gakane chuckled.

“I’m not a Deputy Commander, just an ordinary member, so I'm not sure if I'll do well… But Kanna told me it would be disrespectful to you, my mentor, if I just kept saying that I couldn't do it. So, I’m going to try my best."

Gakane, despite appearing otherwise, possessed a tenacity that allowed him to train harder than anyone else. However, he lacked confidence in his skills relative to his diligence. If Kishiar had chosen him for the expedition, it was likely to fill in that gap. Yuder, if he had been in the Commander’s position, would have made the same decision.

Yuder exhaled quietly, gazing in Gakane's direction. All the hard work had led to everything around him changing. He understood that now, more than ever, he needed not just to soldier on alone, but also to rely on those around him.

To trust those around him, he had to let go of himself. This was the hardest thing for Yuder, who had always tried to shoulder all responsibilities, to be first to stand up and get things done. But given his current situation, which would leave him immobilized for some time, he figured he'd have to get used to it, even if forcibly so.

"…Give it your best. With your skills, it shouldn't be too hard."

After hesitating, Yuder managed to muster words of encouragement for Gakane. Taken aback, Gakane remained silent for a moment, before softly whispering a joyful 'Thank you.'

Thinking back, it was the first time Yuder had said such words to someone, despite his long tenure as a Commander. With a pleasant feeling, he decided to propose to Gakane the recruitment of an aide that he had been contemplating while he watched Gakane wrap a fresh bandage.

"Gakane, I have something to tell you once I get better…"

"What is it?"

"Gakane! Come out! It's time for a shift change!"