Even though his body had fully recovered, he couldn't open his eyes. The reason was the sluggish restoration of his inner energy. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have been helpless in this state, but now he knew there was one method he could employ.

A method only Yuder Aile could execute.

It was the same approach he had tried on Kishiar—directly inspecting the power of the Awakener within.

Normally, he would have waited a bit longer for him to wake up on his own before attempting it. However, considering the Sages and other members of the Star of Nagran had appeared, there was no time to delay.

'Nothing would serve as better proof that I can precisely see and manipulate the insides of others than this. If it seems too difficult to manipulate, then I'll stop right away.'

Yuder took a deep breath and focused his mind, confirming that the member that had left for a meal had not yet returned. A golden light flared in one of his eyes, and a red energy extended from the veins on the back of his gloved hand.

Moments later, energies sleeping within Hosanna's body glowed and revealed themselves before Yuder's eyes.

'So far so good... this works well even on others.'

Perhaps due to having practiced several times on Kishiar, Yuder found it much easier to inspect the insides than before.

With caution, Yuder quickly scanned Hosanna's interior, making sure the strong Red Stone energy entwining his hand didn't manifest too intensely.

Like all other Awakeners, there was a red-hued power underneath Hosanna's belly. However, it was incomparably smaller than Kishiar's and the energy flow seemed insignificant. It was like a candle on the verge of going out.

'Sharing energy as I did with Kishiar could be dangerous. Let's start by gently stimulating it.'

Yuder removed his gloves and revealed his reddened hand. The moment his fingers touched, the energy within Hosanna jolted as if pricked by a needle.

Simultaneously, Hosanna's body also responded violently, like a fish speared by a harpoon.

"…Ah!"

"…"

His eyes remained closed, but his breathing grew significantly stronger and his heartbeat quickened.

As his body started moving, the previously stagnant energy began to flow as well. Until now, the energy had been faint like a puddle in a drought, but it became clearer, following the rhythm of the heartbeat. Though it looked strained, it was undoubtedly effective.

Confirming this, Yuder started to move his hand that lay over Hosanna's jittering energy. The Awakener energy, essentially of the same Red Stone origin, reluctantly began to follow like a toddling child.

As the stagnant energy became more lively, Hosanna's fingertips also started to tremble intermittently. After repeating this several times, warmth returned to his previously cold body temperature, and his cheeks and lips also regained their rosy hue.

Yuder then withdrew his energy. The light in his eyes dimmed, and the violent red energy gradually calmed. He felt somewhat fatigued, even though only a few minutes had passed.

'But it's bearable.'

He continued to intensely observe Hosanna's eyelids, which looked as though they could open at any moment. After what felt like an eternity—

"Ah... ugh."

Finally, the trembling eyelids laboriously opened, revealing deep hazel eyes within.

The once blurry, unfocused eyes that seemed unaware of their surroundings slowly cleared up after a few sluggish blinks. Eyes that had been vacantly scanning the ceiling turned sideways to meet Yuder's face.

"Hosanna. Are you conscious?"

"..."

"I am Yuder Aile of the Cavalry. Do you remember who you are and why you're here?"

"..."

Dry lips seemed on the verge of making a sound, but then stopped. Moments later, confusion, questions, and shock began to rise one by one above Hosanna's eyes.

'Fortunately, it doesn't seem like he has lost his memory or become foolish.'

Yuder had been wary because it wasn't uncommon for Awakeners who had pushed their powers to the limit and neared death to suffer such fates. It was a relief.

As if instinctively trying to flee, Hosanna attempted to use his abilities. However, his body merely flickered a couple of times; he couldn't even exert proper strength, let alone teleport.

'As expected.'

Without a word, Yuder raised a cord connected to Hosanna's arm to show them.

"In your current state, you can't use any abilities. Even if you did, it would only affect the person connected to you. So, stop wasting your energy. If you want to live, I recommend you rest without exerting yourself for a few years."

"...Huh, eh, cough, cough."

Hosanna attempted to speak but ended up coughing softly from their parched throat. Yuder lifted a finger and created a small droplet of water.

"You're probably parched. Drink this first."

Hosanna breathed slightly faster, as if anticipating an attack. Just like the brothers Gayle and Doyle, they seemed to be afraid of Yuder's very existence.

"Just open your mouth. I'm controlling the amount of water for convenience."

Reluctant to open his mouth, Hosanna left Yuder no choice but to support his head and gently force his jaw open. When a small stream of water flowed slowly into his mouth, Hosanna finally swallowed it, eyes flickering cautiously. It resembled a timid dog accepting water.

After sipping the small amount of water over an extended period, Hosanna seemed to sag with exhaustion, as if he had just completed a monumental task. His eyes seemed to struggle to stay open; it appeared that this was the limit of his physical strength for now.

"You're awake, and that's enough. We'll talk later."

"..."

Seeming unfazed, Yuder watched as Hosanna drifted back to sleep. His large, brown eyes harbored questions about Yuder until the end.

"Yuder! I'm back! Got caught up eating and lost track of time."

Not long after, the member of the Cavalry who should have been on watch returned. He hadn't even considered the possibility that Hosanna had awakened.

Instead of pointing out the crumbs on the cheerful member's face, Yuder handed him the cord tied to Hosanna's arm.

"Hosanna woke up briefly. He drank some water and went back to sleep, but this means his recovery will speed up considerably."

"Wha... What?"

"Don't let your guard down just because he can't use his abilities. Keep it a secret that he has awakened until the Commander gives instructions. I think we should also reduce the number of people monitoring him to just a few. Now, I'll be going."

"What did you say?!"

Ignoring the astonished cries behind him, Yuder left the room.

His expression appeared intensely serious, but it was not because Hosanna had woken up; it was because of the man he was soon to meet in the briefing room upstairs.

"... He probably won't be too pleased, either."

If he reported that Hosanna had woken up, he would inevitably have to tell Kishiar what had happened while he was awake. He was confident that he could cleanly explain and make understandable the reasons for using the power of the Red Stone and its apparent effects. Yet, Yuder couldn't help but feel a slight worry and concern that he knew would inevitably flit across Kishiar's face, no matter what he did.

Facing a giant monster alone had been easier for Yuder than that momentary expression. But the unfamiliarity, while still uncomfortable, was no longer painful, which was quite strange.

Stopping in his tracks, Yuder ascended the stairs with a suddenly softer expression.

That day, many things within the Cavalry had changed before nightfall.

The number of guards constantly surrounding Hosanna had increased from one to two, and Lusan began to frequent his room as if it were his own dining room. In addition, security was tightened to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the area, and news of Hosanna's waking up was only to be known by the members in charge of surveillance and the Deputy Commanders.

Aside from that, the number of personnel securing the entrance to the Cavalry headquarters had also doubled. However, thanks to a clever arrangement of party preparations and dance practice, this change was not visible on the surface. No one knew that the innermost depths of the Cavalry headquarters, which seemed preoccupied with the upcoming party and receiving awards, were actually becoming increasingly solidified in preparation for what would follow.

People were more interested in the ongoing trials of political machinations, the new and beautiful jewels that nobles were acquiring, or whether the Emperor would make an appearance at the upcoming party, than in any changes within the Cavalry.

And this included Duke Diarca, who had also ordered a special gift to be prepared for the Cavalry.

…

Finally, the day of the party to honor the Cavalry dawned.

The official start time of the event was around sunset, but the members woke up as if it were dawn, busily polishing and preening themselves.

The formal wear they donned was similar to what Kishiar had tailored for them during the previous harvest festival, but it looked entirely different. The belts around their waists and the outer decorations had changed somewhat.

The formal wear that Kishiar had designed was fundamentally simple and white, allowing for a completely different impression with just a few changes in outerwear. Members were amazed at how different they looked with the simple addition of elegant winter scarves or shawls, or small fur capes that covered only their shoulders.

"Wow, did our Cavalry always have so many striking figures? Everyone's suddenly transformed into nobility; it's hard to get used to."

"Steiber seems to have changed the most among us."

Deputy Commander Steiber, who had slicked back his hair with some stylish oil for today, looked at the members and chuckled.

"When is the Commander coming down?"

"He should be down soon!"

"Then we should start preparing 'that carriage' now."

Check out the new project:

Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Graduate student Yi-han finds himself reborn in another world as the youngest child of a mage family.

– I’m never attending school, ever again!

‘What do you wish to achieve in life?’

‘I wish to play around and live comforta-‘

‘You must be aware of your talent. Now go attend Einroguard!’

‘Patriarch!’

My future would be guaranteed once I graduate. For my future!