Turning
chapter-588

"According to the information that the assistant has brought, the identity of the intruders in the Sun Palace is as we suspected—the Star of Nagran," Kishiar summarized with a calm face.

"Yes."

"It must have been easy for Duke Diarca to make a secret deal with them behind the Crown Prince's back. The issue was that they were more conspicuous than expected. However, we gained both in evaluation and information, so there's no need to be angry."

"Yes. The sage appears to have already won a good deal of trust from the Crown Prince through healing, and if he can earn the trust of Duke Diarca through this incident, he will have had good reason to take the risk."

"He must have known that this would deepen the internal strife within the Star of Nagran, yet he proceeded. He must have something he strongly desires. Most likely power, but... We need to watch for signs of brainwashing among those around him, starting with Duke Diarca."

It was Kishiar, of course. He had perfectly deduced the entire situation from the few words Yuder had provided.

"I think so, too."

"As for the brainwashing, it seems that it has already begun to some extent, according to the information Kanna brought."

Kanna had been reading useful information in collaboration with intelligence agents who had collected potential evidence from the house where the Star of Nagran people had stayed. It seemed like Kanna had discovered something and reported it to Kishiar before Yuder.

"What was the information?"

"The owner of the leather strap that Gakane brought has been confirmed. It is a man named Baron Renbow, who has taken the place of Baron Durmand."

"So that means..."

"Yes. He's the liaison between the Star of Nagran and Duke Diarca. He seems to have a decent relationship with the Crown Prince as well. According to the information read from the strap, he has been more than willing to help them out."

It's unlikely he'd suddenly become so benevolent. If he was a nobleman loyal to Duke Diarca, the odds were high.

But if the sage had influenced him to act this way, then it was a different story.

'I need to dig deeper into these people.'

If Kanna had already found that much, she might have also discovered the capabilities of other men near the sage. Yuder opened his mouth as he turned over these thoughts.

"So, it seems that he has learned about Sir Zuckerman's skills. What are your thoughts on that?"

"You mean the information that Nathan is a Swordmaster."

Kishiar's expression remained impassive. There was no sign of surprise or anxiety, even though a long-hidden talent of one of his subordinates had been revealed.

"Well, whether or not he believes the information is a separate matter. After hearing the questions he posed to Kiolle about Theo and Swordmaster following that information, along with the news of the Emperor's health, he'll likely be distracted for a while. It's actually a good turn of events."

Yuder had also anticipated that Duke Diarca would not fully trust the information given by the sage, but Kishiar's confidence seemed even deeper.

'But, Theo?'

"By Theo, are you referring to Theorado Van Tain, the Commander of the Imperial Knights?"

Yuder recalled a past incident when they had quarreled over the use of the training ground. At that time, Kishiar had directed him to Theorado for permission, suggesting they were acquainted.

'He called him Theo back then too. Are they actually close?'

"We weren't particularly close. In our younger years, we briefly trained under the same master—His Majesty, who was the first prince at the time, and myself, in the art of the sword. That's the extent of our relationship."

Kishiar responded smoothly, as if he had read Yuder's thoughts. Yuder stared at him silently for a moment, prompting Kishiar to glance back and ask,

"You seemed curious. Was I mistaken?"

"What does Commander Theorado Van Tain, have to do with a Swordmaster?"

Yuder deflected the question rather than answering it. Kishiar suppressed a light chuckle before responding.

"Well, you probably know to some extent because of your work in the West, but Theo has little interest in anything other than the sword, due to his strong lineage from Tain Duchy. Many believed that if a new Swordmaster were to appear in the Empire, it would be him."

That's why there had been so much speculation that the recent "New mark on the Emperor's Sword Mark" left by Kishiar might actually have been the work of Theorado Van Tain. Despite his denial, the suspicions persisted.

"Perhaps Duke Diarca hasn't let go of that idea yet. Upon hearing that Nathan is a Swordmaster, the first person he inquired about was Theo. He probably suspects that the information was intentionally altered to hide the fact that it was actually Theo, not Nathan, there."

'Indeed, if someone hears that an adjutant who had been quietly serving Duke Peletta for decades suddenly has the skills of a Swordmaster, they would naturally suspect the information is altered.'

However, it was absurd to think that the next person Duke Diarca asked about was Kiolle's likelihood of being a Swordmaster. That question alone was an insult to all Swordmasters in the world.

"Anyway, we have a good understanding of Duke Diarca's current mindset, so there should be no issues in dealing with him moving forward. Good work."

Normally, Yuder would have left to attend to the next matter at hand, but today was different. He had additional information he wanted to share with the one man who knew his secret.

"Commander, there's one more piece of information I'd like to share."

"Judging by your expression, it's not something Kiolle provided. Is it related to the 'previous game'?"

"Yes."

Yuder looked down at the tactical board that had been neatly placed on the corner of Kishiar's desk. Since that day, the board had never left Kishiar's workspace.

As he traced the lines drawn on the board with his eyes, Yuder slowly began to speak.

"This is not the first time I've heard the name the Star of Nagran."

"You seemed to know little about them. The situation must have been quite different before?"

"Different, yet similar."

In his previous life, the Star of Nagran had also split from within and perished in internal strife. However, back then, Yuder had only learned about them after everything had already ended.

Yuder briefly described the events of that time.

"There was a dangerous group gathering Awakeners to attack the nobles and royals of various countries. They had the same name as now, but back then they fell apart due to internal strife before they could execute their plans."

Their base near the southern desert had been completely devastated, and they had since vanished entirely.

"A few years later, another group appeared with the same name."

Yuder recounted the story of the false sage who had enchanted many but ultimately met his end at Yuder's hands.

"I had information linking that false sage to the previously disappeared Star of Nagran. And indeed, I saw him among those who recently arrived in the capital alongside the sage."

"Internal strife, ruin, and now a second sage."

Kishiar's fingers tapped slowly on the armrest of his chair.

"Among them, it seems the internal strife is proceeding similarly to before, leaving the rest of the seeds yet to blossom."

"Yes. Many circumstances have changed, but their internal discord remains the same."

"That's inevitable. If the current sage was moving with similar intentions as before, then someone like Nahan who despises the nobility and the non-Awakeners would have judged that they can't walk the same path."

Indeed, the internal strife was already happening in the capital. It was not far-fetched to think that the same events as before would occur again.

"Before such events repeat themselves, I wish to stop everything."

Both the current sage and the internal strife were of course individuals that the Cavalry must be cautious of. However, the person who concerned Yuder the most at this moment was the fake sage, Diemon, who had ruined many things like an unseen storm in his previous life.

Upon hearing that, Kishiar paused his tapping on the armrest.

"Initially, I had thought of letting the sage's actions be, assuming they would contribute to the chaos in Diarca. But if the entity my assistant is guarding against becomes an even greater threat later, then we must also change our strategy."

"What do you suggest?"

"Although the sage and Nahan appear to have different goals, I believe their underlying purpose is the same. They both aim to serve the group of Awakeners called the Star of Nagran."

That was true. Both the sage and Nahan acted with the goal of serving the Star of Nagran in mind. This was a fact that could be easily ascertained from the words of the Awakeners affiliated with the Star of Nagran.

"Without the support of their affiliates, no cause can wield any power. A cause gives birth to influence, and influence in turn gives power. What would happen if a third party appeared and offered those within the Star of Nagran a new and safe path?"

"..."

At that moment, a bright light sparked in Yuder's mind.

This was directly related to what the Cavalry was striving to accomplish.

"...You mean offering them new job opportunities, money, and a life of freedom?"

"Exactly. If they no longer have to live in hiding and are provided with money and freedom, I'm really curious what choices those who've had only two options will make."

If the existing causes were to disappear, then all actions taken thus far would lose their power. While neither the sage nor Nahan would easily give up their plans, all that would be left after the causes vanished would be their transparent desires.

Kishiar flashed a warm smile.

Yuder felt the corners of his lips rise involuntarily.

"Many from the western branch and those residing here from the Star of Nagran will have much to contribute in this recruitment."

…

Finally, the second recruitment for the Cavalry officially began.

The moment news spread that all regional administrative offices of the Empire were accepting recruitment applications, people began to line up in droves.

"Move! I was here first!"

"What are you talking about? I've been here since dawn!"

"Hey, let's be friendly. We're going to be comrades if we pass."

The fervor for the application was even more intense than initially anticipated. Even the complacent administrators and provincial nobility were taken aback.

Physical transformation Awakeners, who usually lived in hiding, emerged after a long time. Many parents who had children awakened at a young age also came to apply.

And peculiarly, although they were a minority, even perfectly healthy nobles began to apply.

The reason was simple. Revlin Shand Apeto and Pruelle Van Tain, who had been a temporary member until now, had shocked the aristocratic world once again by being the first to line up and submit their application for full-time membership. Inspired by them, some young nobles who had been hiding their awakened abilities began to apply as well.

The Cavalry dispatched first-round members to various regions to sort the applications. Those who had lied about being an Awakener or those with ill intentions were eliminated like the receding tide in the first round.

Those who passed were gathered at a designated location for the second round of tests. This time, the first-round dispatched members met each applicant in person to test their abilities and conduct interviews to judge their suitability. Those who seemed unfit for life as a member, but still wished to work as an Awakener, were earmarked for future employment in new branches.

"So, they’re hiring and paying people even before a branch exists? Does that make sense?"

"The Duke of Peletta and His Majesty are generously supporting it. They're even providing accommodations for those without homes."

"Is that really true?"

As rumors spread, more and more people flocked to apply, making the work of the first-round members increasingly difficult. Despite their relentless effort day and night, their faces were full of joy as they sent their reports back to the capital.

At the same time, in the western branch of the Cavalry, the first branch to be created, Marty and Robel, who had become rumored as a happily awakened couple, were having a conversation.

"Robel, we’ve received a letter from the south. Stop what you're doing and come read it."

"Got it!"

Dropping the load he was carrying, Robel rushed in and hastily opened the letter. A complex smile formed on his face as he read it. Noticing the expression, Marty asked with a concerned look.

"What does it say? It’s a letter from the Star of Nagran, right?"

"Yes. It seems they couldn’t believe the details I sent last time. Now that the second recruitment phase has started in the south, they finally seem ready to believe. They're asking for more details."

The letter had come from a colleague who had moved to a southern base from their old western base. Robel had spent months secretly trying to establish a line of communication with other members of the Star of Nagran. They trusted each other enough not to reveal Robel’s new role in the Cavalry.

The letter discussed how many people from the western base were struggling to adapt to life in the south, how they didn't want to live this way forever, and how they all wanted to achieve freedom, if possible.

This implied that, although they couldn’t entirely let their guard down about Robel leaving the Star of Nagran, the internal situation was becoming so tense that they couldn't ignore it.

"Everything is happening just as the Commander predicted," Marty, who had recently learned to read, murmured as he looked at the letter.

"Yes. According to him, there seems to be a fair number of people inside who are willing to leave if given the opportunity. It’d be good if we could help."

Without hesitation, Robel quickly wrote a reply and headed toward Emun Philang, the respectable official branch leader of the western branch.

Emun, who had been busily reviewing applications, broke into a tired but genuine smile.

"This should be sufficient to send now. I'll share the news with the members in the south as well. Thank both of you."

"It’s nothing. It’s what we should be doing."

"The Commander and Yuder will be grateful too."

At that, Robel and Marty exchanged awkward smiles.