Turning
chapter-331

"Commander."

Not long after, the members saluted in unison at the sight of Kishiar who had just entered the reception room. Nathan Zuckerman followed him, his effort to conform to the role of the idle Knight of the Peletta apparent in his deliberately disheveled outfit. For the first time, Yuder felt deep sympathy for Nathan and rose from his seat. Enon opened his mouth, rolling his third lemon.

"Are you going to stick with the Commander all day again?"

"I guess so."

"If you have time, come to me."

"Why?"

"You, have you already forgotten why I was called here?"

Enon asked fiercely. The reason why he, who didn't want to leave the capital, was sitting there was purely because of Yuder's injury.

"I have to return to the capital as soon as possible. In the meantime, I’ve been looking around and thinking about something, so come anyway."

"Okay. Sorry."

"Don't keep saying you're sorry, think about taking care of yourself and getting better."

It was hard to tell if it was a reprimand or worry, but given Enon's personality, it was likely the latter. Yuder faintly smiled, then nodded his head slightly.

"According to Baron Willhem today, Tainu has many sights and attractions. You would want to see all the beauty that you might never see again, right?"

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, Kishiar, who had started talking to the members, was in the middle of his speech, in the perfect demeanor of a prodigal Duke.

"Good. I will give a week's rest to both the second dispatch team that has come this far and the first dispatch team that has suffered a lot in the Great Sarain Forest. Don't worry about the cost, just don't cross the border of Tainu and rest as much as you like."

At Kishiar's words, everyone cheered. In fact, they all knew that their real task was not to go out and play, but to search for traces of the illegal trade of the Tain family, but there's no one who wouldn't be happy at being told they could freely spend money and have fun. Baron Willhem's servants glared at the departing Cavalry members, who were leaving in groups with insect-bitten faces, but no one paid any attention to their gaze.

Yuder approached Kishiar, watching the happy members disappearing. Nathan Zuckerman, forcing himself to look down at his loose black cravat, greeted him first.

"You're here."

"Yes."

He looked at Yuder's face with an expression as if he had a lot to say, but didn't know what to say, and then sighed. In fact, ever since they reunited outside the Great Sarain Forest after Yuder regained his sight, he had been maintaining such an attitude. It was understandable considering the complex feelings he must have had knowing what his lord had been doing because of Yuder. As Yuder pretended not to notice and turned his head, Kishiar invited him out with a cheerful face as if he had been waiting.

"Yuder. I think we should go out today too, what do you think?"

"Where to?"

"Anywhere would be enjoyable as long as I'm with my assistant."

"…Understood."

Yuder accepted without asking further.

"Nathan, you're coming too. Follow us within ten steps so that my assistant won't be uncomfortable."

"Yes…"

Nathan answered with a clouded face, looking as cold as ice.

"Do you have someone you want to go with, assistant?"

"I am…"

When he lightly glanced around, all those who had not yet left and were still remaining avoided Yuder's gaze. Enon, who had his umpteenth lemon in front of him, also furrowed his brow and lowered his head as soon as his eyes met Yuder's. His dislike couldn't have been more apparent.

"There is none."

"Well, this will be a rare, modest outing."

Despite Kishiar's announcement that he would be heading out with only two accompanying personnel, there was no significant objection from the Willhem Household. The Baron, preoccupied with matters, regretfully sent a message via a servant stating his inability to join them. The indifference in his demeanor, which seemed unlikely given he was dealing with a Duke, clearly conveyed his assessment of Kishiar.

"Commander. Is it true that Baron Willhem desired to meet you because of the alcohol spilled yesterday?"

"Who said that?"

When Yuder shared the story he heard from Lusan, Kishiar burst into laughter.

"That wasn't why he wanted to see me. Outwardly, he was grandiose, claiming he could offer more assistance, but he must have felt regret internally."

"Then..."

"He called me to inquire about the Divine Sword. I acted ignorant and slipped away, which should keep him churning inside for a while."

The sword Kishiar possessed was, of course, the real Divine Sword. However, he deliberately played dumb, feigning a misunderstanding of Baron Willhem's words. The Baron, guessing that Kishiar was stalling because the sword wasn't truly divine, was furious. Yet, he could not openly rebuke him.

The Divine Sword in question was currently wrapped thickly in cloth around its sheath and hilt and hung from Kishiar's waist. It had been concealed this way since leaving Great Sarain Forest, with the passage of time naturally staining the cloth, making it look ordinary, even a mere practice sword, to the untrained eye.

"What can I do? Even if I tell him, he doesn't believe it's the real Divine Sword. Regardless of what I say, it would seem like a lie to him."

They spent the day touring various parts of Tainu, riding in a carriage provided by Baron Willhem. Kishiar purchased an enormous amount of items from all sorts of stores under the guise of gifting them to people around him. Among them, of course, were items intended for Yuder, who was playing the role of the Duke's lover.

Expensive new sword sheaths and dazzling gloves that couldn't be used in everyday life, cloaks made lavishly with gems and embroidery, and boxes containing precious leather shoes, quickly piled up next to Yuder's seat like a mountain. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have accepted such gifts, but rejecting them now could potentially undermine their mission.

After buying several items to gift to Nathan Zuckerman and forcing them upon him, Kishiar, with a cheerful face, visited a new store. It was a jeweler's shop, distinguished by a sign featuring a red deer's head.

"Hmm. A snuffbox made of Erihill jade, indeed. Truly reflective of the western land trade hub. It's rare, even in the capital, to see such a variety of precious foreign items in circulation. What do you think, assistant? Does it appeal to you?"

"...I don't smoke, so I won't be able to use it."

When Yuder politely declined, Kishiar, widening his eyes, picked it up. The snuffbox, carved out of blue jade, was just the right size to fit in a man's palm. Kishiar playfully retorted while easily opening the gem-cut lock and revealing the empty interior.

"One doesn't necessarily only put tobacco in a snuffbox. People often carry more things in here than you might think."

"That's correct. One can indeed fit quite a number of things in there."

The jeweler, thrilled by his rare big-spending client, immediately nodded and added proudly to the explanation upon hearing Kishiar’s statement.

"You can also carry various incense other than tobacco, and some people carry their daily medicine. It has an additional lock inside, ideal for items you don't want to be discovered."

"Is that so? I didn't know that."

"When you twist it like this, a small space inside is revealed."

The merchant, proudly explaining that only the craftsmen of Aeril could create such a thing, twisted a certain part of the cloth lining inside the snuffbox. As he did, the bottom opened, revealing another small and flat empty space.

"An interesting item indeed. I like it. I'll buy this one as well."

"Thank you. You won't regret it."

"This kind of item must have been difficult to import. How did you manage?"

"Difficult doesn't mean impossible. All goods entering Tainu go through the verification of the Red Deer Consortium, funded by the Tain House. We are one of the places that have a long-standing contract with the Red Deer Consortium."

At the mention of the Tain House from the confident merchant, Kishiar's eyes momentarily twinkled secretively.

"Oh... I see. So, the item has passed the verification of the Tain House. I don't have to worry about counterfeits."

"Of course."

"Can I see more of these kind of items?"

With a vague smile, the merchant responded that it would be difficult to select such items right now.

"However, if you come back in a few days, I will have more items that you might find interesting. If you let me know where you are staying, I'll contact you."

"It's no fun if I can't see them right away. Well, I'll stop by again if I remember."

"I'm truly sorry to disappoint you."

"That's alright."

Kishiar turned around, as if he was a debauched noble whose interest had dwindled.

"I might as well visit the Red Deer Consortium directly. How do I get there?"

"It would be difficult for you to visit there without an introduction. It's not a place where they sell goods directly..."

"What a shame. There's no item I want to see right now, and you can't even tell me where the source is... Do I look like someone who needs an introduction?"

As the smile faded from the man's face who had been laughing until a moment ago, an intense chill was felt, so powerful that it was hard to believe he was the same person. The merchant, under the peculiar pressure that silently bore down on him, held his breath and blinked rapidly.

"No, that's... uh... that... I..."

"I?"

"I, I was about to... uh... I was about to offer... to write you a letter of introduction."

Only then did Kishiar smile again. The merchant, startled by the sensation that disappeared as quickly as a mirage, hurriedly disappeared into the back of the shop.

"...Are you planning on going there right away?"

"Of course."

Kishiar lightly answered Yuder's question.

"That's because I want to give a very special gift to my lover right now."

"..."

Unknowingly, Yuder once again shifted his gaze slightly. The gaze of Nathan Zuckerman was intensely hot.