"..."

Yuder silently opened his eyes.

'Was it a dream?'

He had dreamt of a time from his past life—one of the earliest moments after he had joined the Cavalry. It was the first time he had had a conversation with Kishiar.

He remembered beginning to learn various things from Kishiar, starting with the sword. Those memories had blurred long ago due to the passage of time. However, the recollections that resurfaced in his dream were incredibly vivid, as if they had occurred just yesterday. Yuder had experienced this sudden clarity of forgotten memories multiple times before.

'Was that also among the memories I had lost?'

But it seemed unlikely that he would forget something as trivial as that.

The texture of the practice sword that he gripped in his palms, Kishiar's voice whispering in the dark, and even the slight upward curl of Kishiar's lips—all appeared in his mind with unsettling clarity.

Yes, there had undoubtedly been such a time.

A time when nobody had died yet, when his second gender hadn't manifested, and when he was wholly focused on learning new things.

Back then, Yuder had felt that adapting to his radically changed living environment was somewhat against his nature. But looking back, he thought that might have been the most peaceful period of his life.

Yuder rose, feeling as if his chest had become slightly lighter. The fragrant and sharp aroma wafting from the aromatic pouch placed next to his pillow tickled his nose.

Was the Empress's aromatic pouch, said to bring good dreams, the cause of today's dream? Though seeing Kishiar in a vision twice yesterday likely had the most significant influence, the pouch might also have played a role in bringing forth a trivial yet peaceful memory from many.

'If it’s a good dream, then it's good in its own way.'

Yuder of the past would not have admitted it, but the present Yuder knew that he had been quite enamored with the first sword he had touched. Although he was aimless and unaware of his own limitations back then, training was as close to his true calling as anything could be.

And he had realized that through Kishiar.

Yuder got out of bed and stood on the floor. He was the only one in the room, as his chamber was right next to Kishiar's. As he walked towards the still-dark window, he saw the palace's rear view.

The stunning imperial garden, breathtaking from any angle, failed to stir any emotion in him. His eyes were unconsciously searching for something else, something hidden deeper.

'I remember there being a small training ground somewhere over there during my previous stay... Ah, there it is.'

Was it because of the dream about training? For some reason, he wanted to move, even if just a little, right then. Spotting a vacant lot in a corner of the garden, Yuder didn't hesitate to change his clothes. Slipping out unnoticed was no big deal.

The training ground, located a short distance away from the palace, seemed quite small compared to those designated for the Cavalry and the imperial knights. Had he not stayed here for a few days before, he would never have known such a place existed.

Yuder entered the ground, holding a decorative sword he had casually taken from the palace. Then he stopped in his tracks upon discovering a person who had arrived there before him.

“...”

Kishiar was swinging his sword in silence at the center of the training ground.

Despite the chilly weather, just enough to see his breath, he donned only a thin layer of training clothes. Yet, he didn't seem cold at all. From his shoulders, as he practiced one move after another with a wooden training sword, heat emanated, creating a mirage-like haze.

He swung, sliced, lunged forward, and stabbed. Then, with fluid motions, he kicked off the ground and circled back to make another powerful slash. Despite the simplicity of these actions, there was not a moment of hesitation. His movements flowed smoothly like unstoppable water, yet carried the weight of a massive mountain.

Yuder had known that Kishiar practiced his swordsmanship every dawn when they shared a room in Tainu. But seeing him now from the outside, he somehow appeared both unfamiliar and new. Unconsciously tracing Kishiar's movements with his eyes, Yuder suddenly realized why they felt so familiar and stiffened.

'That is...'

If he was not mistaken, these were the same movements that appeared in the basic swordsmanship manual, the ones Yuder had tirelessly repeated in his recent dream.

Just as Yuder was planning to go down to the training ground and replicate those movements, Kishiar completed his final move. Lowering the sword he had held high, he turned around. His eyes, which had been frighteningly focused and devoid of emotion, changed the moment they met Yuder's.

Yet, somehow, he felt slightly different from the usual Kishiar.

"Swinging a sword around at this hour? Did you sleep well?"

That peculiar atmosphere quickly dissolved the moment he spoke. Yuder looked up at the approaching man and nodded.

"Yes, I felt a bit stiff, so I came down."

"How did you know about this place?"

"I passed by it when I was here before."

"Ah, you did? You have a keen eye."

"Is this a place you have always used for training?"

"Yes, that's right. I used this place often until I left the palace. I even trained Nathan here."

Kishiar looked around, smiling.

"Normally, such physically demanding training would be impossible, so we couldn't have had a training ground. But I insisted on having one, even if it's small."

That explained why the training ground, despite being part of the palace, was so small and inconspicuous.

Kishiar kindly offered to lend Yuder a wooden training sword since he had finished his own practice. Yuder politely declined and assumed his stance with his decorative sword.

It was the first move of the same basic training manual Kishiar had been practicing earlier.

As he swung the sword, Yuder felt an unwavering gaze on him. Maybe it was because he had just dreamt about the past, but for some reason, the sensations overlapped.

Yuder shook off the weighty feeling clinging to his limbs and deliberately put more force into his moves. At first, he struggled to concentrate, but as he continued, his surroundings gradually faded from his consciousness.

After precisely ten repetitions, he lowered his sword and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes, there stood Kishiar, as still as if he had stepped out from the past.

Suddenly, something deep within his chest ached.

"Last night, I had a strange dream."

In that odd atmosphere, Kishiar quietly spoke to Yuder.

"I don't remember it well, but one thing is certain. I think I was watching you, just as you are now, swinging your sword. You followed the swordsmanship textbook to the letter."

"What?"

For a moment, Yuder felt as if something heavy had abruptly settled upon him.

"This is the first time I've remembered a dream featuring you after waking up. Could it have been a premonition?"

Yuder licked his lips a few times, as if lost in thought, finally struggling to speak. "No, it probably wasn't."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because... I had the same dream."

Kishiar remained silent for a moment.

"So, this is another instance of a 'connection' similar to before?"

It probably was. He should have anticipated such an occurrence since Kishiar had a history of calling the name Yudrain in his sleep. However, he couldn't help being surprised when it actually happened.

"I suppose that seems likely."

"Sharing dreams, huh? Considering what happened yesterday, it's not that surprising. It felt like it wasn't my dream, so maybe this connection originated from you to me..."

The man who had been quietly speaking suddenly looked at Yuder's face and shut his mouth, humming thoughtfully. A smile soon appeared on his face.

"The idea that my assistant was watching me even in a dream is suddenly so touching that I feel like crying. Do you often dream of me?"

Yuder had indeed often dreamed of Kishiar, but it wasn't the Kishiar of the present.

"I suppose I should try to dream more often of being with you, since I can't beat you at it."

"You don't need to make such an effort."

Yuder sighed and replied. The man who had chuckled softly approached and put his arm around Yuder's shoulder.

"If you've finished practicing, let's go inside and have breakfast. We also need to think more about treatment options for you. You could catch a cold if you cool down too much."

Guided by the arm pulling him, Yuder began to walk. When he glanced up, he no longer felt the strange atmosphere that had surrounded the man earlier.