It was emotion.

However, it wasn't Yuder's emotion. The intensity of the feeling was so strong that it almost felt like pain, and Yuder was perplexed upon realizing that such powerful emotions were storming within the man who appeared so beautiful and tranquil.

"…Commander."

"Hm?"

"Is something the matter?"

"A lot has been going on."

The man answered as if he had been waiting for the question.

"I have to find ways to help His Majesty, especially since it seems he plans to frequently use his new ability. We also need to discuss how to utilize the monster corpse obtained during the intrusion, and according to reports, the harvest in Peletta is so good this year that their storage is full. We'll have to find a solution. Plus, there's a relic that's arrived from Nelarn that needs examining."

Setting aside the other matters for the moment, the last point caught his attention.

'A relic from Nelarn... According to Prince Ejain, it's from the blind sage, presumed to be Archmage Luma. So it has finally arrived.'

If it was indeed an object connected to Luma, it would naturally pique his interest.

However, none of these matters explained the emotional turbulence he'd sensed in Kishiar. Compared to that, a relic seemed trivial. Yuder let out a small breath and spoke.

"If His Majesty is seeking methods to utilize and train his awakened abilities, I will compile effective training techniques from our Cavalry and submit them. I may not know how to make use of the monster corpse, but I have gathered some more information about the suspected intruders from the Star of Nagran, which I can share now. As for the harvest issue... Why are you looking at me like that?"

He thought he had spoken as he usually would, yet Kishiar's eyes were peculiar.

"Just thinking that you seem to have truly recovered."

"Enon said the same thing earlier."

Kishiar sat down next to Yuder's bed. Yuder didn't avoid the hand that reached out towards his cheek. The tip of the thumb lightly brushed beneath his eyes, which no longer shone golden, before withdrawing.

Through that touch, Yuder felt sure once again.

'Something is indeed different.'

Yuder, who rarely hesitated to speak his mind to anyone, found it different when facing Kishiar. He stared at the man, so adept at concealing his feelings, and spoke firmly.

"I heard you received divine power from Priest Lusan this morning."

"The pharmacist must have told you."

"So something did happen, didn't it?"

"Hm... There's a letter that came along with the relic from the prince. Would you like to receive it?"

A small letter emerged from Kishiar's pocket. Yuder accepted it but set it aside without even looking at it.

"Commander."

"Yes, I know why you're asking."

Finally, Kishiar raised both his hands and smiled again. However, this smile faded away almost as quickly as it had appeared.

"I had a dream. Because of it, I couldn't sleep well. Even with divine power, I can't heal myself. So, I did what I could to avoid causing you concern before seeing you."

"…"

"That's all there is to it. Truly."

From his experiences with Kishiar, Yuder knew he wasn't lying. Kishiar lightly touched his own forehead and eyes; he looked a bit tired.

The fatigue in his eyes evoked memories from a previous life, causing Yuder's fingertips to twitch involuntarily.

'A dream so disturbing he couldn't sleep well... Is the impact of the connection affecting Kishiar once again?'

Yuder had long known that the dreams Khisiar had were not ordinary. For some time now, Kishiar had been having dreams related to his past life.

Up until then, he had rarely remembered them upon waking. But what about the most recent, unsettling dream?

That time, Kishiar dreamt almost the same dream that Yuder had. It was a dream about a period when Yuder, in his past life, had just started learning swordsmanship from Kishiar. He couldn’t recall the conversations they'd had in the dream, but he did remember, as vividly as dawn, the first basic swordsmanship routine Yuder had practiced and demonstrated. He tried it out as soon as he woke up.

‘The last memory from my previous life that I recalled was... what I saw on the day I treated the Emperor.’

It was a memory right after Kishiar was killed.

A chill settled in his chest as he revisited that moment. His hands stiffened, and a dark haze clouded his vision.

‘I thought it was possible because we both slept at the same time on the same day when we had the same dream before. But that wasn't the case this time.’

In the absence of understanding this inexplicable 'connection' between Kishiar's dreams and the reality, there was nothing to be sure of.

The connection between him and Yuder had become more robust through these events. According to the last memory he had while healing the Emperor, the threads linking the two had increased to an uncountable number.

‘If what he saw is truly what I think it is,’

He understood why Kishiar was so unsettled that he couldn't sleep again, why he needed the restorative effects of divine power, and why he tried to hide all of this from Yuder.

‘If my suspicion is correct…’

Yuder hesitantly moved his usually impassive lips to ask again.

"...May I inquire what dream you had?"

"I'm always willing to answer any questions from my assistant, but this time, I think knowing it won't make either of us feel better."

That sentence seemed almost like a stamp of approval on Yuder's thoughts.

He could continue to feign ignorance about that dream. But the moment Yuder remembered the complex and painful emotional storms he had briefly felt in Kishiar, he knew he couldn't.

‘If I am involved in Kishiar’s dream, then it's something I must resolve, no matter what.’

"Even so, if that dream is related to me, I would like to know. Please tell me."

Yuder asked, even though he had already anticipated the answer. Lowering his eyes, he felt his body becoming increasingly tense as he waited for the response.

"...It was a dream where you die."

When he heard that, Yuder briefly doubted his hearing.

"You were standing under a guillotine in the square, condemned."

"…"

"The first time I had that dream was the day after healing the Emperor, and I barely remembered it when I woke up. So, I soon forgot. But... when I dreamt the same dream the next day, things started to become a bit clearer. And finally, yesterday."

Kishiar paused for a moment. For the first time, Yuder saw him hesitate so visibly.

"…I finally realized who the condemned person I saw in my dream was."

Faced with those deeply shadowed, crimson eyes, Yuder found himself at a loss for words.

“...”

"When I woke you before by calling your hidden name, you said it felt like the secrets you were trying to hide were being shared with me. Ever since we both had that shared dream, I even considered the possibility that it might be a form of prophetic dreaming."

"..."

"But if that dream really was prophetic, then what was the meaning of the one I just had? From the moment that thought crossed my mind, sleep eluded me."

Kishiar's voice grew softer, almost to a whisper. Yet Yuder could hear him as clearly as if he were shouting directly into his ear.

The dream Kishiar had was not of the day Yuder would kill him.

What Kishiar saw was a day so far in the future that it could only be known by Yuder. It was a day long after Kishiar La Orr had died.

After finishing, Kishiar closed his mouth. The atmosphere grew still as if the world contained only him and Yuder.

Yuder thought he should say something. It wasn't the dream of the day he dreaded most, so there were plenty of comforting words he could think of.

But Yuder couldn't bring himself to say anything. His usually cool head had lost its clarity.

…

"Sage, do you have a moment right now?"

The Crown Prince had granted the healers a room that was exceedingly lavish. However, the room given to the sage alone was the best among them.

As soon as he stepped into the stunning room, the Awakener shrank back, overwhelmed by its opulence. It was only when he saw the sage, sitting there with a gentle expression, that he regained his composure. The room's overpowering scent of wealth and prestige lost its luster in front of that serene and wise face.

"What brings you here at this late hour?"

"Everyone is worried about you meeting with Duke Diarca alone with Diemon tomorrow. Isn't it too risky?"

"Don't worry. Haven't I explained enough? Only by demonstrating the power that Diemon possesses will they trust us."

"But you know very well how displeased that knight, the son of Duke Diarca, has been with us. Ever since we started staying here, he's been directly questioning us, and it's unbearable."

The Sage chuckled.

"Excessive worrying will eat away at your heart and harm your body. Kiolle also did the same but didn't cause us any harm. He's just curious."

Hearing those words, the Awakener felt a sense of ease wash over him. The tension that had nearly choked him because of Kiolle's constant probing disappeared, and his breathing improved.

"You're right. I was too worried."

"I understand. Who else would care so much for this person if not you?"

"Sage…"

Touched, the Awakener bit his lip and then composed himself.

"Oh, there's another matter I need to inform you about. Actually, I should have mentioned this first... We received news from our southern base."

"Is everyone well?"

The sage inquired kindly, but the Awakener's expression turned somber.

"Well… Nahan has returned."

"Nahan? Has he returned with everyone?"

The Sage's question hung in the air, marking a pause that seemed heavier due to the Awakener's troubled expression.

"No, he returned alone, they say. And... as soon as he recovered a bit after a few days, he disappeared again with the men who had followed him. They didn't say where they were going, but according to Sera, who sent the news, it seems he's headed to the capital to find the sage."

For a moment, the gentle smile on the sage's face faded. The Awakener spoke with a worried expression.

"Do you think he'll really come here?"