Turning
chapter-565

"Let me repeat myself, listen carefully. For a while now, Gayle and Doyle have been meeting with Hosanna once a day. Initially, they didn't spend much time together, but their meetings have been getting longer."

Kanna, who had been observing Yuder's complexion, sighed and continued the conversation.

"He has also been eating more, and thanks to the dedicated treatment from the medical division, his physical condition has improved significantly. Just last night, Hosanna even asked me how I was doing when he heard that I was unwell and staying in the medical ward."

Kanna had bled profusely due to the backlash from overusing her powers during a mission and had been receiving medical treatment. Fortunately, her recovery was swift, and she had been resuming her daily life since yesterday.

"So, what did you say?"

"I told him I was much better. While I was talking, I also read what he knows about the sage and his surroundings."

"You used your abilities right after recovering?"

At the icy question, Kanna defiantly lifted her chin and shook her head.

"Of course, I didn't overexert myself! Do you think I'm like you, Yuder?"

"…"

Why did the memory of Enon grumbling 'it's because of people like you that we get more patients overexerting themselves' and pulling his cheek suddenly surface? Yuder had nothing to say and just exhaled a short sigh.

"Anyway, it seems like Hosanna has been more open lately; I can read his thoughts more easily now. I think I've learned quite a lot."

It felt more like Kanna's abilities had taken a significant leap than Hosanna becoming more open. Kanna likely knew this too but chose to not explicitly say so, showing a degree of humility.

"Hosanna personally thinks highly of the sage. He views him as an extremely virtuous and trustworthy benefactor. But recently, he seemed anxious about something related to the sage. Maybe it has something to do with Nahan."

It was strange that Hosanna, being so close to Nahan, would think so highly of the sage. Was their discord a recent development?

"Actually, I found this odd. Hosanna would do anything for Nahan. Even knowing that Nahan is acting unusually toward the sage, I didn't sense much doubt from him. He has mental barriers towards people who follow the sage but dislike Nahan, but no such barriers exist toward the sage. Do you get what I'm saying, Yuder?"

Yuder slowly nodded his head.

"I think I understand."

"Good. So, I've also read Gayle and Doyle with a focus on their knowledge about the sage and found something odd."

Kanna's eyes sparkled with confidence.

"It seems Gayle and Doyle have harbored suspicions about the sage, who hasn't come to rescue them even though they are alive. But still, they genuinely believe the sage is a good person and can be trusted absolutely. They consider this normal, but it really isn't. I've never encountered this with anyone else. So, my conclusion is…"

"That you think the sage's abilities are related to this phenomenon."

"Exactly."

Kanna beamed a satisfying smile at Yuder, who had instantly reached the right conclusion.

"If such a strange occurrence only happens around these individuals, it can't be a coincidence. I'd feel even more certain if I could read those Awakeners from the Star of Nagran in the West again, but even with what I have, it's enough. I'm convinced the sage must be a mental Awakener, and moreover, someone who can naturally alter people's thoughts and feelings!"

"Excellent," Yuder said, offering her an unreserved compliment.

"It even aligns with some new information I've recently discovered about the sage."

"Really? You already knew about this, Yuder?"

"It's not so much that I knew..."

Yuder chose not to mention that the information had come from Enon, but he did share what he knew about a man named Karl Enfile, suspected to be the sage. Kanna showed keen interest upon hearing this.

"If he's really the sage, then it means he left his hometown, returned, and deliberately obscured people's perceptions of him. Given that the sage recently appeared in the capital, it might not have been long since people forgot about Karl Enfile."

It was a valid point. Thanks to her ability to read information, Kanna had better instantaneous insights than anyone else. Yuder thought it was a good decision to inform her about the Star of Nagran and the sage as soon as the imperial palace mission had ended.

"It's something worth checking out."

"Shall I take a look? It doesn't seem that difficult."

"Don't overexert yourself."

"It's really not a big deal. I just need to see if the same mental gaps I sense from Hosanna, Gayle, and Doyle are present in those related to Karl Enfile. And, you know..."

Kanna paused, a sly smile curving her lips. It was a look that made one think of Hinn and Finn.

"Remember I was in the house of Count Gallon before joining the Cavalry? Well, Count Gallon was a second-rank officer in the palace, specifically in charge of the imperial library and archives."

Technically, he would be her father, but neither Kanna nor Yuder considered him to be such.

"Lately, I mean after the party, the Gallon household has been annoyingly persistent in contacting me. So, I was thinking this could be a good opportunity to find out more about Karl Enfile, who managed the documents in the Blue Crown."

If the lower officials of the Blue Crown were in charge of the documents, then by extension, they were under the Empire. That meant they would have been under Count Gallon, who managed the royal library and archives.

An unexpected link, but Yuder shook his head.

"There's no need to go out of your way to contact them for this, Kanna."

"I wasn't planning to. They've been a nuisance, trying to form a connection with me ever since the party. I was going to give them a piece of my mind anyway. If I use them for this, wouldn’t Count Gallon be of some help to me?"

Kanna seemed quite pleased with her idea. Her stronger, resilient demeanor contrasted sharply with the woman who had once confessed to still experiencing nightmares from her days in the Gallon household.

In the end, Yuder agreed to her plan.

"But you mustn't act alone. Either I, Gakane, Hinn, or Finn must accompany you."

"Don't worry about a thing, Yuder. Just wait for the news I'll bring!"

Kanna concluded confidently but then softened her eyebrows.

"By the way, why did you seem so out of it earlier?"

The shift in conversation brought Yuder back to thoughts of Kishiar from the day before, plunging him into a dark mental space. Noticing the quick change in Yuder's expression, Kanna looked as if she suddenly had a hunch about something.

"Uh... S... a... r... e... Worrying... this isn't it, right?"

"...What did you say?"

The words were stretched so peculiarly that it was hard to understand at once.

"Oh, never mind if you didn't get it! Ah, I went to see the Commander earlier to report my return to duty today. He looked... kind of tired like you! Everyone must be tired today! Haha. Ha!"

"..."

"..."

Kishiar's face, which had looked tired since yesterday, flickered in Yuder's inner eyelids. Had he dreamed that dream again? Was that why he looked so exhausted?

As if her heart had frozen, Kanna exhaled while watching Yuder, a look of concern in her eyes.

"Yuder. If you're really struggling with something serious, you don't have to tell me. But you know that I'm always on your side, just like I said before, right?"

Yuder looked at the face of his friend, who was cautiously trying to console him. During a time when he couldn't focus even in the West due to issues related to Kishiar, Kanna had been his comfort.

Kanna's abilities were developing at an unprecedented rate. Her 'Information Reading' had gone beyond merely perceiving someone's past actions and could now quickly deduce the most likely scenarios that would soon unfold.

If not for her ability, they wouldn't have caught the rats that had infiltrated the palace so quickly, and the doors would have been easily breached by surprise attacks.

As Yuder had thought when he first discovered her abilities, Kanna might soon be able to foresee even the distant future, not just the past and present.

When that day comes, the secrets about Yuder Aile's future would also be revealed.

'In fact... she did say she had read something from me that time too.'

However, Kanna hadn't elaborated on it. Yuder thought it was time to know about it, something he had considered should eventually be addressed.

"Kanna."

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Ask away!"

"I want to know what you read from me before."

"..."

Kanna looked as if she wanted to smack her own mouth, which had just said, 'Ask away.'

"Um, Yuder, that thing is, you know... Do we really have to discuss it right now?"

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine. Just tell me."

"Uh..."

"I want to know what you know. No, I have to know."

As Kanna wrestled with the dilemma, she looked up as if something had struck her. To Yuder, her bright blue eyes felt like mirrors that could not hide anything.

"...Yuder. Do you think I might have seen something about you that I absolutely shouldn't have? Is that what you're so worried about right now?"