Yuder finished his daily tasks and sat down in a chair upon entering his room.

Though he had completed his work outside, that didn't mean he could head straight to bed. With an impending departure from the capital, he needed to clean his room whenever he could afford the time.

‘Lately, there’s just so much stuff piling up.’

Dried flowers filled numerous vases, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Drawers were overflowing with gifts that had come from all corners. Among them, of course, were the multitude of clothes and jewels that Kishiar had lavishly given him.

In his past life, Yuder had never felt that his room was too cramped no matter where he lived. But these days, his space felt increasingly unfamiliar due to the clutter.

‘But I have no intention of moving out.’

Yuder had little desire to leave, even after exceeding the allowed period of staying in the dormitory for his group. The only remaining option was to meticulously organize his belongings.

There was no need to reorganize the items he had received from Kishiar; those had already been shoved into the wardrobe. The current issue was the influx of gifts he had received since returning from the west.

Yuder began to sift through the hastily stored items. He sorted them by type; small objects were placed in boxes, and larger items were neatly arranged. Some particularly important items were set aside.

‘This brooch was from the Western Mage Union. and this pen was a gift from the Baron, representing the officials of the West..."…’

The brooch, embedded with a yellow magic stone, had come from Micalin Punt of the Western Mage Union. According to the letter, the yellow color symbolized the union, and the brooch had been engraved with a protective spell and the union's emblem that would be particularly useful for research in the Great Sarain Forest forest.

Though permanent usage was naturally impossible, the letter boasted that it would still prove useful, given the extra effort in its creation. At the very least, it seemed incomparable to the disposable protective bracelet he had received from Alik when he had experienced his second gender manifestation.

This gift held further significance considering it contained a magic stone from the newly discovered vein in the Great Sarain Forest.

‘Thanks to that discovery, the long-stalled process of dividing the boundaries within Great Sarain Forest is restarting.’

The Great Sarain Forest, whose abnormal growth had been halted, was currently being extensively logged. Once that was completed, the nations sharing the forest would reestablish their borders. The speed and efficiency with which the nations had come together, with the large vein as a focal point, was startling.

He had suspected as much, but even the nobles and historically allied western nations couldn’t ignore the opportunity to make a fortune. To secure even a slightly larger share of the magic stone vein, they would have to bow their heads to the Emperor of Orr, who had until now been underestimated. Emperor Keilusa wouldn’t miss this chance; by now, he was likely expanding his influence.

Yuder attached the brooch to the inner lining of his clothes. It looked like a useful item that could come in handy when he left the capital.

Next, the pen that the Baron had sent was not an ordinary quill; it was enchanted. Created to resemble the one Baron used, the nib was fortified against wear, and a grip made of fabric and wood added an element of luxury.

‘The magic on this pen turns water into ink.’

Under normal circumstances, a pen required a separate ink source, necessitating constant preparation. To mitigate this, a select few who wrote frequently used enchanted pens that could turn water into ink.

Of course, even that had its limitations. Despite its high cost, the item only had a half-year lifespan, leading some to label it a monumental waste. Yet, for someone in a position like the Baron, such inconveniences were trivial.

The top of the pen was elegantly engraved with the Baron's initials and the family crest. The mere existence of this pen would assure any ordinary officer that there was a close relationship between Yuder and the Baron.

‘I should definitely take this with me.’

Yuder picked up the pen. As he was organizing a few more items, a letter that had been mixed with the contents of a small box fell out.

‘What's this?’

It was a letter from Prince Ejain he had received not too long ago. Due to events with Kishiar, he had been too preoccupied to read it thoroughly and had forgotten about it after placing it in the drawer.

Yuder unfolded the letter from Prince Ejain. True to form, it was written in beautiful script and emitted a mysterious fragrance.

"To my esteemed friend, Yuder Aile,"

The content of the letter was not lengthy. Prince Ejain seemed to have successfully expanded his influence within Nelarn. This implied that, once the internal chaos of the country was resolved, he would ascend to the throne.

Ejain had written that once peace and laughter returned to the people of Nelarn, he wanted to establish a group similar to the Cavalry there.

"I already have loyal and virtuous Awakeners following me. I believe that they could form the cornerstone of such an organization. At that time, I plan to reach out for an alliance with the Cavalry."

Ejain seemed to be seriously contemplating his future reign. The emotions emanating from the letter felt peaceful and filled with newfound certainty.

"If you, Yuder Aile, who has guided me in thinking about the future and serves as the assistant to the Commander of the renowned Cavalry, could come here, the Awakeners of Nelarn would gain much strength. Although I do not know when, I hope you will consider this favorably."

Should Ejain request assistance in establishing an organization similar to the Cavalry, it would be beneficial for Yuder to maintain close relations with him.

If the day ever came for Yuder to visit, it wouldn't feel too unfamiliar. He had visited Nelarn a few times in his previous life.

Yuder silently read through to the postscript at the end.

"P.S. Not long ago, I suddenly had a fever that startled everyone. They thought I was poisoned, but it turned out that I had manifested my second gender—Alpha. Although I'm still adjusting to having a second gender, I believe I will get used to it soon."

Ejain was an Alpha, not surprising. From the letter alone, it was evident that he was adapting and developing well as an Awakener, so Yuder wasn't overly concerned for his future.

Ejain was capable enough to claim a throne and build an empire even when times were tough; now he had also gained truly loyal subordinates. The fact that he still called Yuder a friend made him slightly uncomfortable, but the time to correct that had long passed.

Yuder tucked the letter back into its place, contemplating the faint aroma it emitted, which perhaps came from Ejain's second gender. Even though the scent had largely dissipated over time, touching the paper gave him a tingling sensation that was hard to describe.

The scent was conveyed not only through the sense of smell but also through the skin. It seemed that Prince Ejain had just manifested his Alpha status and the aroma clung intensely to the letter he had written.

Yuder pondered for a moment before pulling out a piece of paper and began writing a reply with the Baron's pen. He penned the customary greetings he'd often used during his days as a Cavalry Commander, and filled the rest of the page with some cautionary advice he knew for a newly manifested Alpha.

‘…With this, I can consider repaying the compassion he showed me in my previous life.’

Handing it off to Kishiar would ensure that it would get sandwiched between the letters going to Nelarn.

Yuder placed the letter to be sent on the table.

The next day, Kishiar, who received the letter, responded cheerfully that he would deliver it well. Unbeknownst to him, he would be ensnared by the unexpected beauty that was Kishiar as he sipped his tea and stayed much longer than anticipated.

…

"Alright! Second regular meeting of the Intelligence Unit, commence!"

"Applause!"

Awkward clapping filled the recreation room as everyone heard Eldore siblings' shout.

"Devran, why aren’t you clapping louder? Do it like Gakane."

"Why should I? Yuder didn't tell me to."

Devran questioned with a scrunched face.

"Just because it's fun? Anyway, I brought some snacks today, so let's talk while eating."

"Sure, we also have a special guest today."

Everyone's eyes turned toward the day's special guest, Kanna Wand. Kanna grinned and greeted them with an exaggerated aristocratic flair.

"Fine, you’ve all had these fabulous meetings without me, which I'm a bit envious of, but I’m included today, so it’s alright. Hinn even brought me some butter cookies."

"Are they good?"

"Absolutely delicious. Where did you get these? From the Fifth Wall District?"

"Let's halt the small talk and focus now."

The room quickly quieted down at Yuder’s words as he flipped through his documents. While his eyes still twinkled playfully, he looked around seriously at the Eldore siblings, special guest Kanna, a seemingly more tired but invigorated Gakane, and Devran, whose face had considerably tanned from sun exposure.

Except for Enon, who worked alone, today's meeting gathered all members of the Intelligence Unit. The meeting was a mid-term review organized for those who would soon vacate the capital to help the second recruitment of the Cavalry.

The main topics of the meeting were information sharing about the Star of Nagran and the sage, which was why Kanna had been specially invited.

"Firstly, if anyone has acquired new information since our last meeting, please share."

"Can I go first?"

Gakane timidly raised his hand.

"I felt like I haven’t been contributing much since our last meeting, so I did some legwork. While I didn’t find much about the sage, I did learn something about the southern tribe symbols that Yuder had asked us to investigate."

"Really? How?"

"I’ve had some interactions with people from the South recently. I asked them what I should do to learn more about the South, and they lent me a book. It was written by someone who visited the South about 15 years ago. Apparently, it's now out of print."

"Ah, really?"

Gakane placed the worn book on the table for everyone to see. The old cover didn't even display a title.

"After reading it, I found out which tribal symbol Yuder had sketched. It definitely belongs to the Ansuma Mehet tribe. In our language, it means 'Wolf’s Eye.' It was traditionally the largest tribe in the South and even united the entire region to form a nation once."

Despite the busy schedule, Gakane's explanation flowed smoothly.

"And the author of this book assessed that this tribe is far more dangerous than any other in the South."