Time flew by at an insane pace as he took care of various matters before leaving the capital. Even when he managed just the bare minimum amount of sleep, the days felt insufficient.

He increased the training intensity for the members, and personally supervised their condition. At the same time, he kept an eye on the progress of Thais Yulman’s research and even found time to assess how to best utilize the mansions and lands that the Cavalry had won as prizes in the recent event.

The mansions were initially used as residences for important collaborators of the Cavalry, as well as for members who had rendered significant services. In one particularly serene and beautiful mansion in the Sixth Wall District, Hellem had already moved in with her pet Penpen. Near that mansion, Steiber, who had been living above a dilapidated bakery, relocated with his family.

Another mansion was soon to be formally allocated to Thais Yulman and Alik. Although Thais said he didn't care where he conducted his research, he didn't decline the offer of a more spacious and comfortable home at no cost.

The new site was located near the main headquarters of the Cavalry, on land hardly utilized by the Imperial Knights. Kishiar had already decided what buildings to erect on this land and swiftly brought in the engineers who had previously built the main headquarters to complete the foundation work.

Yuder patrolled the construction site with an air of discontent, driving away idle members of the Imperial Knights who had nothing better to do than look for trouble. Afterward, Yuder sought out Enon to update him on the whereabouts and abilities of the sage and his party.

These days, Enon was particularly on edge, juggling tasks between the intelligence unit and supervising the medicines made by Thais Yulman for Awakeners with second gender. Having conveyed all the necessary information, Yuder was about to leave when Enon caught him and made him ingest a horribly bitter energy stabilizer.

“...”

“Is it bitter?”

Fearing a backlash if he said it wasn't, Yuder simply nodded. A fierce smile appeared on Enon’s face.

“I’ve taken some inspiration from the ingredients in the second gender stabilizer made by that mage Thais Yulman. It seems suitable for use as a stamina restorer.”

“Why give it to me?”

“What do you mean, ‘why’? Isn’t it obvious? Someone mentioned you were late for a meeting because you were loitering around the Commander's office. I can guess what you’ve been up to, you know?”

“...”

How did he not get caught? Surely, one of the intelligence agents must be the culprit. But then again, Enon is also part of the intelligence unit, so it’s not strange for him to know what happened during the meeting.

‘...Enon’s deduction based solely on my tardiness is more impressive, really.’

Enon was still unaware that Yuder had confided in Kishiar about time travel. However, the way Enon looked at him, he seemed to suspect that something had changed in Yuder's relationship with Kishiar.

‘I should talk to him.’

While Enon might not relish discussing matters related to Kishiar, he was the one who had offered unconditional help, even revealing his own identity when Yuder was troubled by secrets. Yuder at least wanted to let him know that his mind felt more at ease with Kishiar after playing a strategy game together.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you complaining that it's too bitter?”

Unable to decipher the meaning behind Yuder’s gaze, Enon abruptly shoved a large piece of hard candy into his mouth.

“There, all set. Off you go now.”

“...Thanks, I'll enjoy it.”

The candy that Enon had forcibly given him had a dual taste of lemon and sweetness. With a bulging cheek, Yuder headed to the training room for Emperor Keilusa's final session and noticed that the expression of the chief attendant had turned somewhat peculiar. But being a seasoned palace servant, he said nothing and simply greeted Yuder. The Emperor, who had arrived earlier to warm up and experiment with his power, seemed equally composed.

Throughout the last seven hours of training, Emperor Keilusa never once complained of fatigue or irritation, completing every task splendidly. In Yuder's eyes, he was a flawless student. He accepted teachings without reservation, asked questions about things he didn't know, and endured hardships steadfastly. It was no surprise that he progressed more quickly than expected.

Thanks to this, the Emperor's abilities had improved dramatically in a short period, incomparable to when he first joined the Cavalry.

Yuder believed that, at this level, the Emperor would not face any risks from either failing to harness his powers properly or overexerting himself.

"The scheduled training ends here."

"...Phew."

As soon as Yuder's announcement concluded, the Emperor collapsed heavily into his chair, stretching himself out against its backrest.

"You've done well."

"You've worked hard, Count. But I believe you've gotten a worthy answer for your efforts."

"Indeed, I have."

Over sweat-soaked golden locks, his eyes glinted coldly, full of a deep sense of accomplishment.

"I've learned what power is, how to use it, how to achieve my goals without exceeding my limits, and what needs to be done in the future. All thanks to your guidance."

Yuder then gave the Emperor some final pieces of advice.

"As you've felt throughout the training, your power benefits from being discreet and from being used in larger amounts at once. For the transmission and movement of the medium for your power, always make use of your subordinates. Also, listening alone consumes less energy than using both eyes and ears, so keeping just your ears open will help in utilizing your power."

Emperor Keilusa could use as his eyes and ears any object that passed through his hands, regardless of the type of object. This meant that, given the right conditions, there would be nothing in the Empire that he couldn't see or hear. To use this effectively, he had to carefully conceal his power and prepare advantageous conditions.

"When you return after completing your task, I plan to maintain one or two of the most important mediums, even while sleeping. I want to show my progress to my teacher, so I'll have to work hard."

"Do so, but don't overextend yourself. As I've always said, a person with power is—"

"Stronger when they can better control their abilities and know their limits. I've memorized it now."

"Yes, that's correct."

"Don't worry. Who would give up a new life given to them so easily?"

A rare smile crept onto Emperor Keilusa's face. It was a smile that was both similar to and distinct from Kishiar's, but when he smiled like that, the resemblance between the siblings was striking.

"I see that the owner has just returned to the Dawn Palace. I would like to have dinner together, so I must leave now."

With a pleased expression, the Emperor hoisted his weary body upright. All traces of fatigue seemed to have vanished from his face as he mentioned the Empress. Yuder then realized that the Emperor had never relinquished the one medium he had connected to the Empress throughout the arduous training. A wry smile formed in Yuder's mind.

‘At this rate, you won't need anyone to teach you when I return.’

"Please convey my regards to the Commander as well. Stay well until the next time we meet."

Before Yuder left the Cavalry, Emperor Keilusa had his servants give Yuder a few luxurious balls made of fur and a plush velvet cushion. It was a small gift from the Emperor for the kitten.

"Commander, I'll be entering."

Having completed his training with the Emperor, Yuder knocked on the Commander's office door and opened it a moment later.

Kishiar was sitting not at his work desk but on a sofa. The first thing that caught Yuder's eye was his somewhat casual yet captivating attire: his coat was off, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

However, what Kishiar was doing in that relaxed attire was rather strange. In one hand, he held something glittering; in the other, something resembling a seashell. He was performing what seemed like meaningless movements with them.

"What are you doing, Commander?"

"Ah, I was examining a relic that came from Nelarn."

Only then did Yuder realize that the glittering object was the Mirror of Truth, a magic tool previously obtained from the Shuden Trading Company. It looked merely like a glint of light in Kishiar's large hand from a distance.

"Has the Count left?"

While still fiddling with both items in his hands, Kishiar casually asked.

"Yes, he wrapped things up wonderfully until the end. He left a gift for Nipollen along with his regards for you, Commander."

"What kind of gift?"

"Balls made of fur and a purple velvet cushion."

"Ah, how thoughtful of him."

Kishiar let out a smile. Yuder navigated through a pile of documents covering the floor—applications from members—and headed toward where Kishiar sat.

As he sat quietly, contemplating what Kishiar was doing, the Commander spoke first.

"I've sent the letter you gave me yesterday with the goods to be delivered to Nelarn. They said he should be able to receive it by the end of this month at the latest."

"Ah, I see."

"You wrote quite a lengthy letter; the prince will be pleased."

"Well, it was just a single page, but I included some precautions regarding his Alpha manifestation, which made the content a bit dense."

"Really? I'm curious about that. I am also an Alpha Awakener, so could you share any knowledge you may have?"

It was a naturally flowing request. Yuder then recited the same information he had written in the letter to Prince Ejain. The content wasn't anything special—just some advice on avoiding the heat period with sedatives, keeping a distance from other Awakeners that had manifested second genders, recommended incense for masking scents, and how one's scent might change depending on emotional or physical conditions.

After hearing everything, Kishiar thanked Yuder, admitting there were a few facts he hadn't known.

"Come to think of it, I remember the prince saying he felt like you already knew about his future. I didn't understand it back then, but you did know about him from the previous game, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"How was he in that previous life?"

'How was he,' indeed. While Yuder pondered how to answer, Kishiar's hands, which had been busy manipulating the seashell and the mirror, momentarily paused.

Reflecting on his memories from the previous life, Yuder slowly began to speak.

"The Silver King followed by Six Stars. Guardian of the Barrier. Ruler of the Setting Sun. These are some of the other names I remember him by."

Kishiar's red eyes blinked slowly as they absorbed Yuder's words.

"Even back then, he had become the King of Nelarn. It was a position he earned only after shedding far more blood than he does now, but he was highly regarded as a formidable ruler with an iron will."

"The Iron-Willed Ruler... feels quite different from now."

"The Nelarn he ruled was renowned as the strongest and safest place in the entire continent. Thanks to his excellent use of his abilities, no one could physically harm him, and Nelarn itself was impenetrable."

"Thanks to his defensive abilities, you mean."

"Yes."

"Quite impressive. Have you personally met him?"

"I have."

Yuder hesitated for a moment, contemplating whether it was good to share this information, but eventually decided to speak honestly.

"He didn't believe what I said, but he did try to save my life once. The man he is now is not the man he was then, but I did give him some advice in the West, and I did want to repay that debt."

"Your life?"

Kishiar's eyes seemed to shift slightly. Was it Yuder's imagination? After blinking once, those red irises met Yuder's gaze again, looking no different than usual.