"Hmm, I wanted to see you drunk, but it's unfortunate. You're not even tipsy, are you?"

Mick spoke with a slightly twisted tongue, vowing to prepare stronger alcohol next time. It was a futile effort; it wouldn’t have mattered.

Enon, who was supporting the swaying figure beside him, spoke with a furrowed brow and a tired expression.

"Go to bed, you drunkard. And as for you… it’s late. Can't you just rest here for the night? Is there a reason you must leave right now?"

He had said he would check on the monster briefly, but there was no pressing need to leave immediately. Staying for the night like Kanna had done wouldn't pose any problems.

Yet Yuder, after a moment of silence, shook his head.

He didn’t want to, knowing Kishiar was alone back at the lodging.

"…Thanks for the offer, but I'll be going."

Enon seemed to have expected this, somehow. He sighed deeply and licked his lips as if to say he understood. He closed his mouth, swallowing whatever he had been about to say, and let go of the supporting Mick.

"Fine, then. See you tomorrow."

"Sure."

"Ah! Speaking of which."

Just as Yuder was turning to leave, Mick, who had been leaning on Enon, suddenly perked up and shouted. Had anyone with a weak heart been present, they would have been startled to the point of collapse. Neither Yuder nor Enon reacted, merely observing Mick's antics.

"Sir, you seem to have fewer holes than before. I've been counting, and it seems right. Or is it not? Eh? It seemed so earlier, but now I'm not so sure."

"…"

"Heh, heh, just saying. I don’t know if it’s because you’re healing, but it's fortunate, anyway… Next time, my Lord should join us for drinks. He can hold his liquor quite well, too…"

Mick’s ramblings were cut short as he slumped over again, snoring loudly. Enon muttered disdainfully.

"This guy, when he gets drunk, he keeps getting up and shouting, making a ruckus."

"You’ve seen it a lot, I take it."

"He’s practically an alcoholic. He always finds an excuse to drink at least a bottle a day. At least he doesn’t throw up or crawl on the ground. Still, to think he’s the owner of this establishment. I’m starting to doubt its legitimacy."

It seemed like he had witnessed this behavior more than once during their joint research. Had Yuder found it disruptive, he would have sought immediate solutions. But Enon, despite his complaints, made sure Mick didn't bang his head against the wall, showing his caring nature.

It was this side of him that made others gradually lean on Enon more. Lusan had done so, and now Mick, and even Yuder, whether he cared to admit it or not.

As Yuder stared at this scene, Enon abruptly asked,

"Are you not leaving?"

He had to go. But Yuder hesitated for a moment, his step faltering as Mick snored audibly, blending with the sounds of nocturnal insects.

After a long, silent pause, Yuder whispered in a voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the ambient noise.

"…Enon."

"What now? Don’t you remember me saying to treat me like an older brother earlier? Although someone who refused to call 'grandma' is unlikely to agree to that…”

"Big brother."

Enon, who had been continuing his biting comments, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"You… what did you just say?"

"Thanks for today. But you don’t have to come tomorrow."

With that, Yuder leapt into the wind, soaring away.

Sounds from below suggested that something was going on, but Yuder paid them no mind. Inexplicable sensations simmered and churned within him, only to ebb away repeatedly.

He arrived swiftly at the towering mansion of the Willhem family, not far from his location. No one noticed Yuder's presence as he entered the dimly lit house, where most people were asleep, and silently ascended the staircase.

Yuder knocked very softly on the door of the quarters. When no answer came, he slowly turned the handle. The man he had expected to be asleep in bed was not there. Only then, as he turned his head toward the magic stone stove that was the only source of light in the room, did he see Kishiar, sitting in a chair with his eyes closed.

‘Is he... sleeping?’

Yuder cautiously approached him. The usual Kishiar would have opened his eyes by now, but there was no response.

This was a first, and Yuder found it somewhat disconcerting.

Just as Yuder was about to speak, his gaze fell upon the objects on the table beside Kishiar. An old diary brought from the underground dungeons of the security force, and two letters he had been reading before departing. All this was as he had expected, but his attention was freshly captured by a new, open letter.

After completing his task of sealing the letters, the torn wax seal looked all too familiar. It was the emblem used by the Emperor residing in the Sun Palace when sending secret correspondence.

So, a letter from Emperor Keilusa has already arrived while he was meeting Enon? The communication was faster than anticipated.

"…"

Unknowingly fixated on the letter, Yuder suddenly felt a stirring beside him.

"Commander…"

Thinking that Kishiar had risen, Yuder hastily turned, only to be met by Kishiar’s still-closed eyes and pale face.

Kishiar had not yet awakened, but he also did not seem to be having a peaceful dream. His shallow breaths were rougher than usual, and his long eyelashes fluttered uneasily beneath his furrowed brows.

Only after noting the sweat trickling down between Kishiar's temples, in the flickering shadows of the flame, did Yuder grab his shoulder and shake him.

"Commander? Commander!"

A barely audible sound emanated faintly from Kishiar's throat.

"Commander, wake up. Commander!"

Shaking the shoulder more vigorously than before, Yuder cautiously touched the man’s neck and face with a gloved hand.

"Cold."

Startled by the icy chill of the skin, Yuder was about to retract his hand when suddenly, Kishiar's fingers swiftly gripped his hand. Losing his balance, Yuder fell onto Kishiar's body.

"…"

Just as Yuder was trying to rise quickly and adjust his posture, a faint voice floated above his head.

"No, Yudrain…"

A heavy mumble.

For a moment, everything seemed to come to a standstill.

He felt as if all the blood in his body had rushed to his feet, draining away and leaving him dizzy.

Forgetting even to breathe, Yuder felt the grip on his hand loosening after what seemed like an eternity.

As Yuder's hand fell limp against Kishiar’s body, the man twitched.

Finally, Kishiar’s eyelids fluttered and his red eyes came sharply into focus. For a moment, Kishiar seemed to struggle with his sense of reality, blinking quietly as he looked at Yuder’s face, frozen and pallid before him. Kishiar’s hand moved to touch Yuder’s hair and cheek lightly. Then, a moment later, the familiar faint smile finally curled at the corners of his lips.

"…What is this? My assistant has a talent for waking me up in unexpected ways, it seems."

"…"

Despite his gentle jest, Yuder found it difficult to speak. His eyes, heavy with a dark undertow, scanned Kishiar's face relentlessly through the sharply indrawn breaths.

At this, Kishiar finally tilted his head, as if sensing something unusual.

"What's the matter? Was there some incident outside?"

"…You, Commander didn't wake up."

For a moment, Yuder's voice was astonishingly constricted.

"Ah, did I sleep so deeply that it surprised you? That happens occasionally."

"No, it's not that you simply didn't wake up…"

Yuder hesitated, unsure how to explain what he had just witnessed. He clenched his teeth. For the first time, he realized how difficult it was to keep his composure. With his fist clenched tightly, he finally forced the words out, drawing on the sharp pain sinking into his palm.

"I tried to wake you because it seemed like you were having a bad dream…"

"Hmm…"

"Do you remember, by any chance, what dream you had?"

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