Turning
chapter-343

Awakened individuals possessing transformation abilities were something Yuder had encountered a few times in his past life. However, the cases where they could transform into humans were exceedingly rare. Most commonly, they could change into something resembling a specific animal or object, and some had even transformed into monstrous appearances to commit various crimes.

A common trait among them was that the more diverse their transformations, the quicker they reached the limits of their concentration, resulting in a shorter duration of the transformation. To achieve a perfect transformation, one had to be well-acquainted with the subject. Pruelle's ability did not seem to diverge significantly from this standard, but the mere fact that he could transform into a human was considered of considerable worth.

'That's why Nahan's illusion ability was so extraordinary.'

Nahan's illusion had a similar effect to transformation by changing the perception of targeted subjects within a specified range. Not only was the mental flexibility to develop the illusionary ability to such an extent impressive, but the truly remarkable aspect was the strong mental fortitude that supported it.

Mental strength refers to the willpower that can be exerted in an unshakable state of mind. Yuder guessed that Nahan's strong mental strength came from his unwavering beliefs. Even though they might be somewhat distorted, his intense stubbornness and faith were the foundation, enabling his abilities to exert such power. It was in the same context that Kanna's abilities had greatly advanced since her will had strengthened upon becoming the Deputy Commander of the Jung Division.

'So, conversely, that could also become a weakness...'

Yuder thought that the transformation ability Pruelle had demonstrated might be backed by a willpower that ordinary people wouldn't even consider, most likely very strong. Regardless of how long he had been awakened, if he could already wield power at that level, there was enough potential for him to become an extraordinary talent that no one could match, depending on his training. The fact that such a talent had gone unnoticed and unrecorded in his previous life seemed a waste to the former Cavalry Commander.

What had happened to him that he not only wished to leave the family he was born and raised in but also spoke of wanting to upend it like Apeto? Yuder thought long and hard about the brief emotion revealed by the seemingly calm young man, and the will that he might be harboring behind it.

"Pruelle Van Tain, the first child of the Tain family. He’s known for being extremely restrained in his social activities; he has come a long way,"

Returning from a salon hosted by Western nobles, Kishiar recited this information as soon as he heard that Pruelle Van Tain had been there.

"The Tain family as a whole is known for this, but the current Duke and Duchess of Tain particularly do not seem to care about their children. There's almost no information about the children, including the first child, throughout their growing years. They don't appear in society, have no close friends, and thus have virtually no presence."

"So, they neglected their children?"

"You could say it's a liberal atmosphere if you want to put it nicely."

Unpinning the clasp of his cloak draped over his shoulders, Kishiar turned with a chilly smile.

"But hearing what Tain's eldest child came all this way to say, it seems likely that he doesn't see it that way."

"Are you thinking of meeting him?"

"It seems I must. I'm curious about what he has to say, and the cunning move of coming to you first to deliver his message is quite intriguing."

Kishiar, having wiped his hands with a wet towel, approached Yuder and sat down. Throughout the day, three people sat there facing Yuder, but none felt as distinctive as Kishiar. He leaned back, relaxed, as if he were the master of everything that existed in that place, and sighed deeply with his eyes narrowed. The warmth flickering in his eyes, now slightly tired as compared to before he left, was like the flames of a brazier.

"So… aside from meeting with a stranger, did my assistant do nothing else today?"

"I met with Ever and Enon for a moment as well."

Yuder first explained about the letters received from colleagues when he met with Ever. However, he did not want to elaborate on having received an aphrodisiac suppressant from Enon, so he simply mentioned, "I heard that there is no significant correlation between the fever that started yesterday and the medicine."

"That's good... It's fortunate that you seem to feel much better after resting."

Yuder hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

"How were you, Commander?"

"As boring as I expected."

The response came back immediately.

"Perhaps I couldn't bear the gloomy reaction, so I had to listen to Petrikun's Aria five times in a row."

Petrikun was a general known to have lived in the distant past, famous for his dramatic downfall when he was stabbed by a male lover after losing a crucial battle due to indulging in hedonistic pursuits. His story was often sung in songs and poems, even now.

"…You must have been uncomfortable."

"It's fine. Sorry to say, but I wasn't listening to them at all."

Kishiar replied with a smile, lifting the corners of his mouth.

"An unreached spear cannot hurt its target."

"..."

"More than that, I was much more worried about you."

Yuder felt a momentary trembling sensation at the tips of his fingers. His heart ached slightly due to an emotion different from the reflexive heat he felt in the morning.

"It seems like you got much better during your rest from what I can see, but it might not be the case from your own judgment... How is it? Do you think it was good to rest today?"

If a gentle warmth could conquer a person faster than a cold blade, Kishiar was undoubtedly the best striker in that aspect.

Yuder lightly bit his lower lip, then exhaled deeply and opened his mouth.

"Yes. Thanks to your concern, I rested well. I feel... better, I think."

The experience of stating that his mood had improved felt strangely unfamiliar, and his words hardly flowed. Had anyone ever shown so much interest in his mood?

The reality of being placed at the very center of attention of a single person felt like being a kettle burning on a hot wood fire. In some ways, it was more painful than being a boiling kettle, simply because that one person was Kishiar.

"Alright. Now let's enjoy a delicious dinner and make our hearts even happier."

Kishiar cheerfully pulled the bell cord to call the servants.

"If I say I came back early because I wanted to have dinner with you, would you believe me?"

Though his attitude seemed like a joke, the likelihood that it was true with Kishiar was high. He indeed returned earlier than expected.

"…Did you say that at the gathering and then come back?"

"Of course. The Aria was getting too long, and I thought I might miss the time, so I said that there will be many opportunities to listen to songs, but the honor of dining with a waiting beauty and tonight's dinner can only be enjoyed once. Everyone was shocked."

"..."

Kishiar laughed mischievously, his face full of joy.

When the servants of Baron Willhem entered, he ordered a few dishes made from the special products of the West that Yuder did not know about, saying that he wanted to eat them. Later, it turned out that they were all desserts made from ingredients he had never seen before, each one so sweet that it made the tongue tingle. It was to the point where he doubted whether that was the only information he had obtained from attending a gathering of Western aristocrats.

It was clear that Willhem was somewhat biased in judging Kishiar’s assistant's taste, but Yuder silently moved his hand as usual and swallowed the food placed before him.

"The eldest son of the house of Tain seems to have no intention of coming yet, so in the meantime, I'll have to read the report letters from Great Sarain Forest," said Kishiar, who had finished his meal much faster than Yuder, as he unfolded the small letters he had taken out from his pocket. Naturally, there were many more letters than those Yuder had received.

"Kanna says she seems to have found circumstantial evidence related to the illegal trade of the Tain Duke's house. Is that true?"

"Mm... it seems so," Kishiar replied indifferently after quickly flipping through a few letters.

"Based on the information we extracted from the thousand pieces we discovered, we searched a few more places. There, we found the routes where the sold people and drugs had been exchanged. It seems to be headed toward Tainu via a base in Great Sarain Forest. Our judgment that there would be an intermediate base here has become even more certain."

"Nahan and the Star of Nagran side must already know this information."

"It's a matter of who finds that intermediate base first," Kishiar murmured, folding the letters.

"Baron Willhem is acting as if such a thing doesn't exist, but the words of the nobles I met in the salon were different."

"Did you find out something?"

"Their words were..."

Just then, a soft knock was heard from outside. It was the servants returning to clear away the empty plates. The servants who entered during the moment Kishiar paused hurriedly cleared the dishes and straightened up before leaving, but one servant did not leave with the others, staying behind to tidy the tablecloth.

After hearing the door close behind him a moment later, the servant, who had been left alone adjusting the tablecloth, looked up. He stared directly at Kishiar for a brief moment, then lowered his head to offer a bow.

"...I have the honor of meeting you for the first time, Your Highness Duke Peletta. Please forgive the rudeness of meeting you in this way."

"Are you Tain's first child?"

"I am Pruelle Van Tain."

The man, who had calmly responded while fiddling with the tablecloth, soon reverted to his original appearance in the blink of an eye. Seeing the golden-red hair, red eyes, and distinct freckles of the young man's face, Kishiar tilted his head and smiled, a completely different expression from when he faced Yuder.

"Indeed. Just as I heard from my assistant, you possess an interesting ability."