"Did you sleep well?"

The next morning, when Yuder woke up, the Kishiar he met was shining like never before. Perhaps it was the perfect weather, but his face radiated with sunlight, making it almost difficult to believe it was real.

As Yuder stared blankly at him, Kishiar, who was seated in a picture-perfect posture, tilted his head and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It seems you slept extremely well," Yuder remarked.

"Of course, I slept well. Thanks to someone," Kishiar said, a glow emanating from his face that made it impossible to doubt his words.

The tactical game they played yesterday had evidently worked wonders. Yuder felt a tingling sensation deep in his chest as he went to the bathroom to wash up. When he emerged, taking a bit longer than usual, Kishiar was busily writing something at the table.

"You're working before breakfast?" Yuder inquired.

"As soon as I woke up, thoughts of the tasks ahead poured into my mind like a waterfall. I couldn't resist. I haven't felt like this since I first awakened," Kishiar responded.

Yuder couldn't see the contents of the paper that Kishiar was zealously writing. Sensing Yuder's gaze, Kishiar offered a sly smile.

"Would you like to know what I'm planning to do today?"

There was no reason to refuse. Yuder nodded silently and approached Kishiar, who extended his arm, pulling Yuder to sit naturally on his lap. When Yuder made no move to resist or stand up, Kishiar lightly kissed his still-damp cheek and lips.

"After I finish these letters, we'll have breakfast while sending the couriers. Then I'll call Nathan to request the return of some documents and brief him on upcoming tasks. I'll meet with the legal scholars, the nobles, and the administrators. After that, we'll visit Lady Justin, the manager at the Shuden Trading Company in the capital, to collect items I've previously ordered. For dinner, we'll have a cozy, family-only gathering at the palace."

The words 'family-only' and 'cozy' struck Yuder. From Kishiar's expression, he sensed that this 'family' likely involved more than just the Emperor and Empress.

'Is he planning to call Crown Prince Katchian?'

Whether the Crown Prince would come was uncertain, but Kishiar seemed not to consider refusal a possibility.

"You'll need more than a day," Yuder remarked.

"Not just me, my assistant will be overwhelmed too. But it's already exciting," Kishiar said, finishing his writing and signing the document. Throughout their conversation, his quill had been moving at an impressive speed.

"Done. Would you like to read it before I send it off?"

"If you don't mind, I would," Yuder agreed.

"Nothing here that an assistant can't see," said Kishiar.

Yuder picked up one of the completed letters. It was addressed to the Emperor. Since it wasn't encrypted, there was no need to decipher it. He read through it quickly.

After offering earnest words for the Emperor's health and well-being, Kishiar got straight to the point for which he had sent the letter.

"Your Majesty, I would like to discuss a method that could make the newfound light you've acquired easier to manage. I am certain you will be pleased to hear it... Furthermore, I would like to accept the caring concern you've previously suggested, and hope to dine with you tonight at the First Palace of Sun Palace. Someone from Dawn Palace will contact Your Majesty."

The "newfound light" the Emperor had acquired was undoubtedly the Awakened ability. What could make it easier to manage was probably...

"I see why you want to bring me back to the palace," said Yuder.

It was clear that Kishiar intended to recommend Yuder as an assistant to train Emperor Keilusa in his new abilities.

"Originally, I planned on giving you more time to rest, but as of yesterday, I've concluded there's no need to delay. One reason is that His Majesty desperately needs rapid progress in his abilities. Will that be alright?"

"Had you not offered, I was going to ask for it anyway."

"Why would I do that when you're in charge of all the Cavalry training programs and are the most knowledgeable about awakened abilities?"

The rest of the letter was mostly easy to interpret.

Dinner at the First Palace of Sun Palace traditionally required all the family members of the Emperor to be present. As Kishiar had subtly implied earlier, it seemed he was intent on definitively assessing Katchian's stance in a private setting tonight.

'In a world where Emperor Keilusa, the Empress, and even he himself didn't exist, it's clear who would have been the Emperor. It's just a natural progression.'

Until now, Kishiar hadn't shown much interest in Crown Prince Katchian. The change in attitude was evidence that yesterday's conversation had significantly impacted him.

He believed Yuder's story.

Realizing this through the sudden dinner invitation gave Yuder mixed feelings. Suppressing a tingling sensation somewhere in his heart, Yuder spoke.

"This part here… what is this 'caring concern' that you previously suggested?"

"Ah, that's nothing much. His Majesty offered to take over the duties I've been handling in the capital since he felt rejuvenated and eager. He suggested that I focus on what I want to do."

"And what is it that you want to do?"

"Cavalry matters. I told him back then that it wasn't necessary... but given that the second Cavalry recruitment and branch establishment announcement will be moved up to tomorrow, I thought I'd just accept His Majesty's consideration like an impulsive younger brother."

"I'm sorry, did you say tomorrow?"

For a moment, Yuder thought he had misheard. But Kishiar's smiling face remained unchanged.

"Yes, tomorrow."

"And it appears that, contrary to initial plans, I may personally take action for establishing the branches."

Originally, the establishment of Cavalry branches and recruitment were to be done by sending qualified members from their respective regions.

Yuder had observed Kishiar preparing for this in the midst of party planning. Selecting suitable members and preparing for deployment were straightforward, but the current hurdle was the local aristocrats, who would host the new branches.

The feudal lords generally represented indigenous powers that had protected their lands for a long time. In some ways, they wielded authority even greater than the Emperor himself. It was unlikely that they would willingly accept a Cavalry branch stationed in their front yard. The establishment of a branch was tantamount to reasserting the Emperor's authority throughout the land.

Deploying commoners to establish a branch would be slower and more difficult than if Kishiar, an imperial family member, took it upon himself to do so.

But… that couldn’t be all he was after.

Yuder recalled the third tactical game Kishiar had last played yesterday. It was a new strategy, unlike anything he had ever used in his past life. And thus, a victory was crafted.

A new path found through new information.

Yuder thought that perhaps the direction Kishiar intended to take from now on might be slightly different from before. But what did it matter? In the end…

"I will follow the path you choose."

Yuder's future path would also be the same.

…

A little earlier, in the barren desert of the south.

Men with reddish skin from the southern lands stared off into the distance with cold faces.

"This is definitely where Nahan disappeared and reappeared."

Onakwei, a wounded southern merchant who had accompanied Nahan to the south, surveyed the surroundings with deeply set eyes. They had discreetly followed Nahan from a distance after dropping him off and were taken aback when he disappeared near the desert.

After several days of surveillance, they discovered traces of Nahan's reappearance. However, by then, he had already left the desert with his other comrades. Onakwei and his companions wanted to continue chasing after the man they considered an unsettling beast, but as it was not a direct order, they reluctantly held back. Instead, they thoroughly investigated where Nahan had gone and from where he had reappeared.

What they discovered was a force that distorted the surroundings near the beginning of the desert.

"Swin, with his keen eyes, confirmed it. A fairly large area near here has this 'power' spread out. It seems to have the ability to remain hidden, unnoticeable to those not granted permission."

"It must be a stronghold."

"Yes, what we were looking for."

Being Awakeners themselves, it didn't take them long to speculate what lay within that power once they recognized its existence. But identifying its existence and finding the actual entrance were two different matters. They spent several more days and finally managed to break through into the stronghold.

"Intruders have broken in!"

"Is it the Cavalry?"

"No, it’s southerners!"

The Awakeners, whose peaceful daily life was invaded, cried out in alarm. Children and the sick hastily retreated to hidden shelters, while those trained for such invasions quickly surrounded the southern men.

A woman who seemed to be their leader stepped forward, brandishing a sharply honed farming tool.

"From the look of you, you’re no ordinary lost travelers. Who are you? Depending on your answer, you may not leave here peacefully."

The blade of what should have been a simple farming tool ominously wavered. She was a person with the ability to control metal.

The southern merchants were not greatly perturbed even in this threatening situation. After confirming that the place was a village, they raised their hands in a sign of no harm intended. The one who stepped forward was Onakwei, who had received direct orders from their superior 'Aton' to locate this place.

"We are Awakeners like you. We reached this point through a fellow named Nahan."

Even though Onakwei had no intention of ever meeting Nahan again, he calmly lied. Upon hearing his words, the Awakeners of the Star of Nagran speculated that the southern Awakeners must have heard from Nahan how to make contact with them.

"Nahan... is not here right now."

Realizing that they were all Awakeners, both parties relaxed their aggressive stances, cautiously eyeing each other.

"How did you get to know Nahan?"

"I can't go into details, but let's just say we've helped each other. We didn't intend to intrude so abruptly; we had no choice but to enter when we couldn't find another way. My apologies."

At this, the Awakeners of the Star of Nagran finally let their guard down a bit. Although the newcomers were unfamiliar, their demeanor wasn't hostile, so there was no indication of an attack. In any case, they were a collective of various Awakeners who had trickled in from all over, so they quickly regained their composure in this situation.

"Fine. They just happened to wander in because of Nahan. Let's get back to work."

Watching them disperse, their varied abilities dissipating, Onakwei quietly opened his mouth.

"We've roamed the Empire quite a lot, but this is the first time we've learned of a group like yours. If there's a leader, could we meet and talk?"

"Hmm... Well, come this way and let's talk. The entrance to the village is narrow."

A woman who had introduced herself as Sera led them into a small house. The long table set for the meeting was the only piece of furniture there. After seating Onakwei and his companions, Sera issued a stern warning.

"The chairs here are enchanted. Make a wrong move and you'll be instantly bound. Losing your memory and getting kicked out wouldn't be an issue, so it's best to converse politely."

"Intriguing."

"Isn't it? Places like this exist only here. All thanks to the sage."

"The sage is your leader then? We thought Nahan played a similar role."

Given that the southern merchants they had met in the west had only encountered Nahan and a few Awakeners who followed him, this was a reasonable assumption. Naturally, the Awakeners following the sage took offense to the conjecture.

"Who said that? Was it Nahan?"

"So it wasn't?"

"No. Our leader is the sage. A humble and gentle guide who has nurtured this place. He's nothing like Nahan!"

Voices erupted in excitement, each person interjecting with their own comments. The atmosphere didn't seem tense, as if they were freely expressing their grievances like they would to any new Awakeners in their village. Anyone with a political sense could easily deduce quite a bit about the Star of Nagran just from that exchange.

Onakwei exchanged glances with his companions. They all quickly surmised that this conversation could be very useful for them.

'Intriguing. To think there's such a large group of Awakeners tucked away in the furthest corners of the Empire, so active that they even have factions.'

Aton, who had sent him here, had guessed right; besides Nahan, there would surely be other Awakeners, possibly even those who could communicate with them.

'This is certainly an opportunity.'

Nahan was too clear and dangerous in his desires to collaborate with, but this sage seemed to be on a somewhat different path. If they could use this group, everything would become a lot simpler.

After listening intently to the Awakeners from the Star of Nagran for some time, Onakwei smiled.

"I'm quite intrigued to meet this sage of yours after hearing about him. Where is he now?"

"Why do you ask?"

"There's much more I'd like to know about this place."

"We don't even know who you are, aside from the fact that you're Awakeners, or where you've come from. How can we trust you?"

Despite her skepticism, Sera ultimately agreed to send word about their desire to meet the sage. She said she would pen a message to convey their request.