"I've placed the items the Duke requested under that desk over there. You're the only one who can understand his intentions after examining them, so take a look and make your judgment."

Yuder rose from his seat and walked towards the area indicated. Indeed, there were stacks of books and papers hidden in a place unlikely to catch anyone's eye.

Surveying them, Yuder noted that each item emitted a stale, half-rotten smell. He picked up a few of the closest books.

The text was in an ancient language he barely understood, but fortunately, the titles also had small translations in the modern script, making them easy enough to understand.

'<The Age of the First Chapter of the Holy Book. How Did Divine Power Resurrect a Ten-fold Torn Limb? Taboo Experiments with Divine Power>… <Magic that Transcends Death: Evidence and Examination—Human Subjects>… <Human Time and Divine Time>… <Methodological Magic for the Perfect Preservation of Life and Death>…'

At first glance, it seemed as if the topics were randomly selected. But that couldn't possibly be true. The person who had ordered these books must have had a clear reason for choosing them.

Yuder set them back down and quickly skimmed through the titles of other books and papers. Aside from a few that had no titles, most were on similar themes.

"Healing, death, protection, and time," Yuder muttered, naming the recurring terms.

'Time was a subject I mentioned in Duke Tain's experimental diary that caught my attention, but the rest are…'

Books that seemed to explore taboo methods for absolute protection or escaping from death through potent healing were the majority. There was only one conclusion to be drawn from this.

It seemed as though Kishiar was not seeking to understand why Yuder appeared as a condemned man in his dream. Rather, he was looking for a way to prevent such an event from ever happening again, or a solution if it did. He was even willing to peruse these dangerous books to find it.

Yuder picked up the book '<Methodological Magic for the Perfect Preservation of Life and Death>' once more.

It was one of the few whose title was not written in ancient text. The title sounded reasonable, and he thought the content would be easy to read. Surprisingly, the book was filled with more illustrations than text, all of which were absurdly cruel and gruesome.

Yuder frowned involuntarily as he skimmed through the horrific images.

Whoever wrote this book had an unscrupulous mind; no sane person could glean anything from it. The only ones who might were psychopathic killers or equally deranged mages who wrote books like this for the sake of pleasure.

Without uttering a word, Yuder slammed the book shut and tossed it aside harshly.

'Some of the books here might not be forbidden texts, but this one definitely is. It's clear why it was banned.'

He had only skimmed one, but his desire to investigate further had entirely vanished.

Yuder took a long, deep breath to calm his emotions.

At the very least, it was clear that Kishiar La Orr had a certain level of determination in seeking answers about the recent dream.

It was undeniable that he was keeping all possibilities open, without any limitations.

In search of an answer solely for Yuder's sake, a heavy sense of resolve weighed down on his shoulders. Unconsciously, Yuder closed his eyes.

"...I can hear the carriage approaching. It seems they have returned."

Nathan Zuckerman broke the silence, as if he had been waiting for Yuder to absorb all he could from the books. Though Yuder heard nothing, he trusted the Swordmaster's keen senses, far beyond that of any ordinary man.

Kishiar, who had left for the Grand Temple, would soon return. Yuder returned the book to its original place on the shelf.

"Thank you for your counsel, Sir Zuckerman."

"Have you made your decision?"

"I had intended to discuss something with the Commander upon his return, regardless. But without having seen these books, I would have had difficulty confirming the rightness of my coming here."

Whether he read the books or not, Yuder's intended course of action wouldn't have changed. But knowing he hadn't arrived too late brought a different sense of relief.

"So, if there's nothing pressing on your end, Sir Zuckerman, could you return later?"

Nathan Zuckerman's gaze met Yuder's. The faithful knight rose silently, bowing his head before departing.

"Very well."

Left alone, Yuder looked around the Commander's office. The room, arranged according to Kishiar's tastes, was a place both were intimately familiar with, having spent countless hours together.

Closing his eyes, Yuder could vividly recall every object's location. Following this trail of memories, he stopped in front of an ornately curved drawer.

As he opened the first compartment, an organized array of items caught his eye. Without hesitation, Yuder picked up one and headed for the table.

"Well, Commander. We shall take our leave now."

The door opened, and in came the voice of Steiber Rendley, the Deputy Commander of Sul Division, who was unable to conceal his excitement. The tall man who had come in halted his steps upon spotting the shadow seated behind the coal stove.

"You're here."

"I felt someone was waiting, but naturally assumed it would be Nathan."

"Unfortunately, it's me," Yuder responded, emotionless. Kishiar, in the process of removing his outer garment, smiled faintly.

"Unfortunate? This is more like an unexpected stroke of luck, isn't it?"

It was the first time they had seen each other and the first conversation they had since yesterday. Although it felt strangely like meeting after a long absence, everything also flowed seamlessly, as if nothing had ever happened.

"I heard you went to the Grand Temple. Summoned by the Pope, I believe?"

"Yes. He wanted to meet the new master of the divine sword personally."

"And what did he say?"

"He said he was pleased to meet the new master of the divine sword before departing for God's side."

"That's surprisingly straightforward approval. Others might not have been so pleased."

The current Pope was extremely old and not one to explicitly express his political opinions. To put it kindly, he was a quiet and devout man; otherwise, one could say he maintained a neutral stance, refraining from intervening in any conflict.

"The meeting was supposed to be a private one, but oddly enough, word got around and many people insisted on joining. It made it easier for me to prove that I am indeed the master of the divine sword. All I had to do was unsheathe it in front of a host of witnesses."

Yuder immediately grasped the implications behind the words.

‘So the Papal side intended to keep today's meeting highly confidential. However, thanks to some fortuitous rumors, they had no choice but to acknowledge it after seeing him drawing the divine sword in front of everyone,’ he thought.

The source of those 'fortuitous rumors' was not hard to guess.

‘It must be a collaboration between the Emperor and Kishiar,’ Yuder concluded.

If only the Pope and his close associates knew this, it might have stayed a rumor. But others had witnessed it too, dispelling any notion that it was merely hearsay. Kishiar had walked the path he was meant to take, looking remarkably relaxed, as if he couldn't possibly be bolstered by sedatives and headache medicine.

"What's the reason you've waited for me this far? And what's this about a tactical game board?" Kishiar inquired.

The man who unsheathed the sword and placed it on top of the magic stone stove approached Yuder. His shadow flickered, growing larger and smaller as it danced in front of the multicolored flames of the magic stone stove.

"I have something to discuss with you, Commander. But this caught my eye," Yuder replied.

"It wasn't exactly placed conspicuously," the man retorted.

"It caught my eye nevertheless," Yuder insisted.

Yuder tapped the tactical game board and pieces that he had taken from Kishiar's drawer. Kishiar's eyes momentarily narrowed as he observed the board, perfectly arranged according to the rules they followed when playing the game.

"You said you learned a little as a child, but you seem rather well-acquainted with it," Kishiar observed.

"It's no lie," Yuder confirmed.

By Yuder's standards, considering it was a game he had learned ten years ago in his previous life, stating it as a childhood memory wasn't wrong. He hadn't enjoyed the game since Kishiar's passing, so in a way, he had only learned it for its cultural significance.

Kishiar reached for a game piece representing a lord that was closest to him. As he did, an old imperial adage slipped from his lips, "There's no tool like a tactical game for simplifying matters."

In his previous life, Kishiar had taught Yuder the tactical game, uttering the same adage.

‘It is said that Farnacius, the genius strategist during the era of Secret Emperor always played a tactical game when discussing important matters. Sometimes, playing a game can be helpful for an honest exchange.’

Of course, Yuder hadn't agreed with this, promptly forgetting it shortly after hearing it. However, when he decided that today was the day for an important conversation, that saying was the first thing that came to mind.

"Alright, let's play after a long while," Yuder agreed.

Without asking further, Kishiar took a seat opposite Yuder.

His golden hair, usually impeccably styled, now slightly disheveled and covering his forehead, captured Yuder's attention.

Yuder picked up a black piece laid in front of him.

"Let's begin, then," he announced.