Turning
chapter-587

"Repeat it. Tell me again, this time in exact detail, about what you saw that day."

Kiolle had insisted that the information he'd gathered painstakingly over time, observing the healers, was far more important. However, his claims fell on deaf ears in the face of Yuder's judgement, who deemed other information more valuable.

Frustrated, Kiolle had no choice but to recount the events of the day Yuder was interested in.

"A while ago, right after that incident at the Sun Palace, I heard that they would be coming to our house. My father didn’t tell me about it, so I only found out through rumors. Not that it matters; it wasn't anything I needed to know. Still, I had to keep an eye on them, didn't I? So, I decided to take charge and bring them myself."

Given that they were staying at the Crown Prince's palace, and Kiolle was working there as well, guiding them was simple enough.

Kiolle escorted a middle-aged man, who was the leader of the healers, along with one nervous young apprentice, to the Diarca estate. Even among the crowded mansions in the Third Wall District, the Diarca residence was renowned for its elegance. The young healer seemed to shrink in its presence, his shoulders hunched and his spirit subdued.

But the middle-aged leader was a different story. He walked with head held high, following Kiolle. His demeanor remained unchanged, even in front of Duke Diarca, as if harboring some secret scheme.

He greeted the Duke and his attending nobles with a respectful yet unobsequious attitude.

"Hello, my name is Ajihen Toom."

Ah, yes, that was his name. Kiolle vaguely remembered that the man had introduced himself with that name before the Crown Prince some time ago.

"Ajihen Toom? Doesn't that mean 'wise one' in ancient language? Not your real name then. How pretentious to call yourself wise."

A noble beside the Duke sneered. Behind their fans, cold laughter emanated as they looked down upon the healers. The young healer appeared to be so frightened that he was almost prostrating himself.

"Indeed, it’s not my birth name. But if a name is never called or bears no significance, can it truly be considered mine?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I have no family. But I do have comrades who are like family to me. Therefore, the name they call me is my name. You summoned me here to see me as I am with my comrades; hence my name is indeed Ajihen Toom."

"Smooth talker, aren't you?"

Duke Diarca, sitting in the highest seat, murmured with narrowed eyes.

"Fine, call yourself whatever you wish. What matters is the explanation for your recent actions. If you want to be called wise, then so be it."

"Thank you."

"But your words alone won’t convince me. Show me this wisdom you’re so proud of."

No matter his age, Duke Diarca remained formidable. His natural malice, his oppressive aura, and his cold gaze that reduced everyone to mere objects had an instant, crushing effect on all.

Even the audacious middle-aged man who'd asked to be called wise wasn’t entirely immune. Kiolle, standing at a safe distance behind the healers, noticed beads of sweat forming on the back of the man’s neck, despite his seemingly serene face.

The moment he said that, the man started to feel even more like a joke and a scammer.

Of course. In this world, there could be no other madman who wouldn't be scared when facing his father except for Yuder Aile. That man was a calamity all by himself. Even if those healers were true Awakeners, they couldn't be more impressive than someone who single-handedly spewed flames reaching the sky and decapitated a monster the size of a house.

"Understood. However, before I proceed with my story, I would like you to first pay attention to the colleague I have brought with me."

As the sage extended his hand, the young man hunched behind him flinched and raised his head. He was a young man with a complexion resembling the southern people, his skin a deep red, and a distinct scar tearing through one of his ears.

"His name is Diemon. For you to fully believe what I am about to tell you, his assistance is absolutely necessary."

"So, he's going to perform some tricks?"

Another noble jeered lightly. The sage remained unflappable. Duke Diarca waved his hand in annoyance, granting permission.

"Fine. Kiolle, you may leave."

Duke Diarca decided not to let Kiolle hear the conversation he was about to have with the healers. Yet Kiolle didn’t seem to mind as he retreated immediately, heading to his room.

He heard the healers spoke for several hours in front of his father and the other nobles. Surprisingly, they returned to the palace without being thrown out.

"I don’t know what they discussed that day. During dinner, the only thing my father asked me was about the likelihood of me becoming a Swordmaster if I diligently practiced swordsmanship, and how competent Theorado, the current Commander of the Imperial Knights, was. But it's true that my father has since been curious about those men."

At this point, Yuder's expression changed.

However, Kiolle continued, blissfully unaware.

Whenever Duke Diarca encountered Kiolle afterward, he would subtly ask about the healers—what they were like in the palace, how close they were to the Crown Prince.

"I obviously told him that I hardly saw them outside of being near the Crown Prince. If my father had known about them from the start, would he bother to ask me such questions? Clearly, even he's been deceived by those men!"

‘So after all this astonishing revelation, that's your conclusion?’

Yuder looked at Kiolle, whose naivete was overwhelming, and realized anew how his obliviousness was a double-edged sword.

'What a close call that I heard this information in detail today.'

Even if the sage had genuinely met Duke Diarca without any incident, this information was critical. Moreover, this meeting happened after the event at the Sun Palace and was the first direct conversation between Duke Diarca and the sage.

And not everyone was there. If Kiolle was to be believed, only the sage and the false sage from his previous life were present.

'How could this not be important?'

Although Kiolle was horribly inarticulate and lacked observational skills or talent, he was still the son of Duke Diarca. Everything he nonchalantly observed and heard was inaccessible yet crucial information from the outside.

A chill ran down his spine, and his head spun. Yuder dredged up all the information he had gathered so far and added Kiolle's story to it.

The conclusion he reached after some time was simple.

'It's certain that those men infiltrated the Sun Palace.'

Moreover, the aggressive and cruel tactics of summoning monsters and controlling animals and humans were not necessarily the will of Duke Diarca. It seemed as though the individuals involved had chosen this course of action themselves.

Kishiar had already suspected that the events were not typical of Duke Diarca's modus operandi. If Duke Diarca had summoned the sage immediately afterward, looking perturbed, then it would have been safe to assume it was indeed his doing.

‘Duke Diarca prefers to manipulate from behind the scenes rather than spill blood openly. He must have wanted to use many spies, not just the sage... yet, the only direct attack we received that day came from the sage's side.’

There was only one implication. The only effective means Duke Diarca had utilized to gather information within the Sun Palace that day had been the Sage and other Awakeners.

Even though they had ultimately failed to breach the last line of defense, formed by Nathan, Kanna, and Gakane, they had still gotten through. The Sage must have known this too.

‘No, could it be that they intentionally chose such a conspicuous method?’

The sage had managed to persuade Duke Diarca that day. To do so, he would have naturally offered something of significant value to the Duke.

Yuder pondered what he would have offered in the sage's position.

‘Ability to penetrate numerous defensive lines and secure the imperial palace with just a few individuals. Also, they returned the favor of monsters with monsters, earning both public fear and acclaim. Plus, they might have offered information that Duke Diarca wasn't aware of until then.’

The current Duke Diarca was extremely cautious and didn't prefer direct methods. Other Dukes who opposed him politically had often criticized his approach as cowardly.

However, after the Cavalry gained significant praise for monster subjugation in the west, his recent blatant intrusion using a monster into the Sun Palace earned him unprecedented reviews. Duke Diarca who must have been irritated by the way things had happened in a much more drastic way than he expected, would surely not be ignorant of that fact.

And then, the most crucial piece of information—information.

Yuder suspected that the one who offered this 'help' was none other than the fake sage from his previous life, Diemon. Although he couldn't confirm what exactly Diemon had done there, as Kiolle hadn't seen it himself, that didn't mean he couldn't make educated guesses.

Kiolle had clearly told him that after the conversation, Duke Diarca had inquired about the 'Swordmaster.'

‘Swordmaster. Why would that term suddenly come up in that context?’

That day, the only one who had directly killed the invading monster was Nathan Zuckerman.

Nathan Zuckerman was a hidden Swordmaster. To kill the monster, he had to release a master-level aura.

Kanna and Gakane were the only witnesses, but there was one more entity that knew—the monster that had been slain.

What if that monster was not merely controlled just to be there at that moment? What if, like Emperor Keilusa, who could see and hear through objects, someone had been monitoring through that monster?

And what if the fake sage Diemon was involved in this?

Perhaps Duke Diarca had learned of the presence of an unfamiliar Swordmaster in the Sun Palace that day. Considering he likely knew about the new sword mark on the Emperor's Sword Mark, would it be so difficult for him to connect the dots?

‘...It's nothing less than information about the new Swordmaster, Nathan Zuckerman, who had been hiding his identity all this time. If he had information on him, then surely he can endure some other issues.’

Was this speculation too far-fetched? Yuder had a feeling it probably wasn't.

Oblivious, Kiolle kept grumbling at him for more information. Yuder looked at Kiolle's face and spoke.

"Kiolle."

"When the hell are you going to stop calling me like that?"

"Keep an eye on your father from now on."

"What are you talking about?! Are you telling me to be hostile towards my dad?"

Caught off guard, Kiolle became furious. Yuder ignored his reaction and continued speaking.

"From what we've found out, the individual who calls himself a sage specializes in mind manipulation, most likely psychic abilities."

"Mind control? Psychic abilities? Are you saying that guy is manipulating my father?"

"We can't be sure yet. We don't fully understand how he uses his abilities, and given that he's met with Duke Diarca, anything could happen in the future. Just keep an eye on whether Duke Diarca starts behaving differently."

"What, what, what?"

"And you should also be cautious from now on. Don't get too close to them and avoid extended conversations. If I notice even the slightest change in you the next time we meet, I'll put you to sleep for the rest of your life. Just so you know."

"What...?"

This was not just information sharing; it was practically a bombardment. Yuder walked past Kiolle, who stood with wide eyes and an open mouth. Just as Yuder was almost out of the training ground, Kiolle seemed to snap back to reality and shouted after him.

"What the hell are you talking about?! Come back and explain! Are you ignoring me? If you take one more step, you won't get away with it...!"

'I'll have a lot to report when I get back,' Yuder thought.