The vigilance towards Hosanna had naturally slackened a bit, as he remained unconscious for an extended period. Normally, there would've been a guard physically tied to his wrist, but today a long tether connected his wrist to a post outside the tent.

Yuder let out a soft breath, lightly placed his hand on Hosanna's body, and closed his eyes. Within his closed eyes, a golden light flickered as an invisible energy swirled.

Measuring the power of ordinary Awakeners had always been somewhat feasible, and it was much easier than it had been during Kishiar's time. There was no need to exert effort in delving into the body's interior to sense the energy. Yuder quickly grasped the power that existed within Hosanna simply through his senses.

'As expected, he's still far from fully recovered.'

If this condition persisted, even waking up might not enable him to employ his previous level of abilities. There had been instances among the Awakeners who suffered severe injuries from exerting their powers. Like Ershi, a member of the captured Star of Nagran, for instance.

Ershi had been subdued by Ever before her power went berserk, fortunately sparing her life. However, upon waking up, her strength had deteriorated substantially compared to before. Unlike Hosanna, she had regained consciousness relatively quickly but refused treatment and even caused injuries to some of the members. Kanna had even narrowly avoided being fatally stabbed in the neck during the investigation.

Ershi didn't believe in the capture of Baron Willhem or that the secret auction had failed. She had disregarded news of Nahan's escape and the stories of surviving human trafficking victims, simply screaming that everyone was in cahoots while attempting to attack.

Ershi had only become subdued after encountering Ever again.

Originally cautious to avoid overstimulating Ershi, Ever had taken immediate action with a menacing look after Kanna's near miss. Whatever method Ever used remained unknown, but afterward, Ershi became significantly quieter. Only then could Kanna properly read her.

After meeting the newly awakened Marty, he had heard that Ershi had become even more subdued. The last time she met Kishiar, she was even sociable enough to dine alone.

'Is it finally time for death?'

Ershi, who had managed to step back from a madness that could have incinerated everything around her including herself, appeared far more composed than before. She seemed to naturally assume that she would be summarily executed, but Kishiar shook his head.

'No.'

'Why?'

'Let me ask you instead. Why should you die? Can you list a justifiable reason for your execution here?'

At his words, a fire lit up in Ershi's eyes. Only then did he realize that the fire he thought was extinguished was still alive.

'Should I list the names of those I've killed? Hypocrites who don't even know why I did it! What did you all do a year ago when countless people begged for help in the same place? I killed those who deserved to die! If you don't kill me here, you'll be next! I'll tear that smug face to shreds and stuff it into your guts!'

The moment Yuder frowned at the fierce outcry, Kishiar raised his hand to stop him. Even when met with unspeakable curses and insults, not a single ripple crossed Kishiar's smiling face.

Instead of responding that there had been no Cavalry a year ago, he threw an entirely different counter-question.

'Then let me ask you this. Did you think that the servants of Graham Willhem also deserved to die? What about the ordinary people of Tainu who were merely doing their jobs, or the soldiers who were just patrolling? Do you even know who they were, what kind of people they were?'

Names flowed effortlessly from Kishiar's mouth. He had memorized the names of all those who had been hurt or killed in the events stirred up by the Star of Nagran.

As each ordinary name slipped out, the expressions of the surrounding members couldn't hide their surprise, and Ershi's face twisted more and more.

‘So what are you trying to say? Just kill me here and now!’

‘No, you won't die here,’ Kishiar declared quietly.

‘Even if you die, it won't change what has already happened. Just like how revenge didn't solve the real reason you did what you did.’

‘...’

‘So, I'll give you one more chance.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I will give you the opportunity to see clearly what you resent, who you should be seeking revenge against, and what consequences your actions have wrought. We'll revisit this conversation afterward.’

Ershi, and the few members who had followed Kishiar, said nothing. Yuder felt the same.

‘What exactly are you thinking?’

‘As soon as you and your comrades recover, you'll be doing various tasks here. If you don't want to, you could go to prison, but you'll have to atone in some way regardless. And after Tainu fully recovers and the trials conclude, I'd like to hear what you really wanted, what you hoped for from the Cavalry.’

Ershi's eyes oscillated between suspicion and caution. Kishiar was about to turn away from her when something seemed to occur to him.

‘Ah, and I won't forget the objective compliment you gave my face during this conversation. It was unexpectedly memorable.’

‘...’

Ershi's eyes changed meaning, this time wondering if this man who seemed so frivolous could really be an imperial family member and a duke, and if she'd been fooled this whole time.

Yuder, recalling Kishiar's laughter that had bewildered everyone, sighed and shook his head.

Even Yuder had thought for a moment that it was absurd, but he didn't think the words were meaningless.

Kishiar had never fully exercised his authority to manage and punish the Awakeners within the Cavalry. So this declaration signaled to all the members how he would steer the Cavalry going forward.

Some might call his approach lazy and lenient, but Yuder didn't see it that way. Knights had their rules, mages had theirs.

And Kishiar La Orr would write new rules for the Awakeners, in a direction previously uncharted.

"Yuder! There you are! We're about to set off!"

Just as he was about to leave after checking on Hosanna, Kanna burst through the door, her face flushed.

"I'll be in charge of this person right after departure, so don't worry and go back to your post."

"Understood."

If Kanna was taking care of Hosanna, there was nothing to worry about. Nodding, Yuder descended as Kanna climbed into the carriage in a switch. Their hands brushed for a moment as Kanna touched the carriage door. She flinched slightly, her shoulders trembling ever so slightly. Her quick, blinking eyes scanned Yuder's covered face and neck, and the tips of her fingers touching the carriage door, but Yuder remained unaware.

"Then, I'll be going now."

"Ah, wait. Yuder. By any chance, what did you do at the lodging yesterday?"

The voice that asked was unusually soft and cautious. Clearly, some kind of emotional shift had been detected. Yuder hesitated briefly before replying succinctly.

"I had a conversation with the Commander."

"Ah, yes. Of course, since you share the lodging with the Commander."

Kanna, who had been stating the obvious, suddenly mumbled even more softly than before, her lips tightening.

"So, um... has that problem you were worried about been resolved now?"

"Yes, thanks to that."

"I see. That's a relief... truly, a relief."

Her following words started to slow down, and ultimately, the tips of her ears turned a reddish hue. Her demeanor was notably peculiar compared to usual.

"Is there something you want to say?"

Gazing at Yuder's expressionless face, Kanna firmly closed her lips that had been parted in anticipation.

"No, no! Maybe it's because there are so many people here, but I keep picking up weird information. I'm feeling a bit disoriented. Even earlier, I almost—"

Yuder cut off her overly excited chatter.

"Be careful. If you're tired, I can just stay here."

"No need for that!"

Kanna, who had firmly shaken her head, retracted her hands after pushing Yuder's shoulder slightly.

"Go ahead. I'll see you later."

"...Alright."

As Yuder left, he decided he would suggest to Kishiar that they should pay more attention to Kanna's surroundings.

'Reading information against one's will must be draining. She's been enduring it well so far, and maybe I took that for granted.'

At that moment, he didn't know that Kanna's peculiar behavior would continue even after they returned to the capital.

…

Nahan jolted awake.

He blankly stared at the dark ceiling before rolling his undamaged eye to the side. The sound of a creaking wagon and a musty smell filled the air.

"Finally awake, are you?"

The voice beside him, devoid of any emotion, slowly pushed back the hat that had been covering his face. The individual had striking red skin, unmistakably a Southerner.