‘Something's off… it's bothering me.’

Yuder Aile generally trusted his instincts when he felt something was amiss.

While often indifferent, he possessed a keen sense in specific areas, almost like an animal's instinct. This was especially true when it came to recognizing imminent dangers, gauging an opponent's strength, or discerning the growth potential of those around him who should be nurtured.

However, Yuder, who was usually swift to act based on these instincts, found it hard to rely on them when it came to Kishiar La Orr.

And for good reason—the instincts that alarmed him this time were triggered merely by a strange chill he felt when waking up a few times and noticing that Kishiar had been playing strategy games more frequently than before. Other than that, there seemed to be no reason for concern, leaving no room for doubt.

The chill that startled him awake could simply be due to Yuder's body entering a certain biological phase. As for the strategy games, Kishiar had recently played a memorable match, so it wasn't entirely strange that he was more focused on them.

Yet, despite all rational explanations, an inexplicable feeling gnawed at Yuder's senses whenever he tried to dismiss it. That was the problem.

Something was nagging at him, and he couldn't figure out what it was.

‘Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any issues. But what if there's a possibility, however slim, that I'm missing something?’

He would rather be overly sensitive than negligent. The chances of there being no problem were 99%, but Yuder was troubled by that remaining 1%. It was inevitable because the person involved was Kishiar.

Yuder didn't want to overlook even a moment's strangeness, not because he remembered Kishiar's unexplained disappearance in his past life.

‘Quite the opposite, actually.’

The more Yuder knew about Kishiar, the more a minor oddity would raise his hackles. It was genuinely strange.

‘I still can't pinpoint what exactly feels off. So, the only thing I can do now is…’

He continued to observe Kishiar, scanning the surroundings. Others in the vicinity were also included in this scrutiny.

"Hmm? Something different about the Duke—or should I say, Commander? I honestly can't tell."

Marty, who had come for a private meeting with Yuder to discuss business, tilted her head in confusion.

"I've always heard you're a bit unusual… so I can't really say if anything's changed since the last time I saw you. Oh! Did you perhaps get a haircut?"

Robel, who stood beside her, chimed in, subtly rolling his eyes. Although he couched his words, they seemed to suggest that it was difficult to discern any strangeness now when the individual was already known to be peculiar.

"No, never mind. Let's get back to the matter at hand."

"Ah, yes."

Robel quickly handed Yuder a letter he had been holding. It was a letter sent just yesterday by one of Robel’s colleagues stationed at a key location in the south, at the base of the Star of Nagran.

"Out of those at the southern base, a total of 23 have expressed a clear desire to apply for the new unit and branch staff positions. Most of them are people who have stayed at the western base. As of the time this letter was sent, some have already made plans to leave the base in groups. They will head to the nearest southern city to apply."

"Wouldn't it be risky if they get caught?"

"Well, it's possible, but I've heard that lately the atmosphere among them hasn't been good. Some people are even leaving the base. It seems they're just going through the motions."

How bad could it be? Yuder quickly skimmed through the letter Robel had handed him, finding the answer almost immediately.

"- The mood is sour because Sera hasn't received a response to her letter to the sage for a long time. After a lengthy meeting, they sent another, but in the meantime, a few more have left, saying they might start a fight. I've been doing as you suggested, poking at the nervous ones to see if they're thinking of leaving. Meanwhile, many of those who followed Nahan have become friendly with Southern merchants…"

Yuder would bet money that the unanswered letter to the sage was the one intercepted by the Eldore siblings and Gakane, which had spurred their burglaries.

‘It seems that because we intercepted the letter, the information about the Southern merchants hasn't properly reached the sage's side yet.’

Taking advantage of the confusion among them, Robel had played his role well. Yuder readily offered him praise.

"Good work. We welcome any support for those who just want to live ordinary lives. Please continue."

"Yes, of course."

According to Robel, he hadn't been able to find out the exact locations of the Southern base and other bases due to his former colleagues' extreme caution.

"The Southern base's location has changed since my time there. It's now in a desert, and they're using powers to hide the entrance, which changes often. This letter went through several channels just to reach here, so anything more would be…"

"It's better not to ask questions that might raise suspicion. Knowing how many people are thinking of leaving is more important than their exact location, so don't push yourself."

"Yes."

Yuder scanned Robel's smiling face. Even Robel, so diligent and well-disposed toward the Cavalry, still had no idea what the 'sage's ability' was.

That was separate from his faith in the Cavalry; he frequently interacted with other Awakeners who had yet to break free from the sage's indoctrination.

'That damned brainwashing ability.'

Simplistic, but for that reason, powerful and persistent. Nevertheless, Yuder wasn't anxious; he knew that with time, they would find a way to break it.

'Kishiar is more of a concern at the moment.'

From the perspective of people like Marty and Robel, Kishiar seemed no different from before. The next target should be someone who knew him well.

Just as Yuder was contemplating this, he raised his eyes to find the two people still there, seemingly having said all they had to say.

"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss?"

"No, it's just... actually, I had a favor to ask you for the next time we meet. It seemed like a good time now…"

A favor? Any simple favor could be handled by other members in the Western branch. What could this favor be that he had to wait to meet him again to ask?

Yuder nodded, giving Robel permission to speak. Robel's face flushed.

"Uh… I heard that the assistant to the Commander of the Cavalry is responsible for planning and supervising all training within the Cavalry. Is that correct?"

'Ah, so that's it.'

"Yes, more or less."

"Strictly speaking, we may not be considered members, but we're still working for the Cavalry at the branch, right? I was wondering if there's a way to get separate training for the abilities we possess, so they could be put to better use in the future."

"If you're looking for systematic training, wouldn't it be better to join as a member of the second round of recruitment this time?"

"No, I don't want to be a member. I'm not particularly proud of my powers."

Marty frowned visibly at her response.

"However, I've heard from many members who were able to develop their abilities in unexpected ways and found it easier to control their powers after receiving training from the Commander's assistants. I understand when they say that not using my power isn't the only answer for me. If I could have that opportunity, I would like to give it a try."

For someone who had said she wanted to get rid of her awakened abilities due to nearly being killed by betrayal from other Awakeners, this was a quite a radical statement.

Realizing that her time in the Western Branch had been good for her in some way made Yuder feel better. He thought, 'Whatever the reason, it always comes down to Kishiar, doesn't it?'

Yuder let out a small sigh and nodded.

"Exactly, not using an awakened ability isn't the answer to everything. An uncontrollable ability can activate unintentionally and cause confusion."

"You're right. My ability is particularly like that, and I want to correct it."

Marty's ability was to temporarily steal the energy from those she touched. Thinking of Robel, the person who would be in contact with her most often, it wasn't hard to guess why she was motivated this way.

"Understood. While it's not to the level of the members, I can teach you a few useful training techniques. And…"

As he was speaking, an item that could be helpful in this situation popped into Yuder's mind.

"If it's alright, I'd like to offer you an item that will assist you until you achieve the desired results from your training."

"Is there such a thing? What is it?"

"It's an Awakener Control Device."

"A Control Device?"

"What is that? The name sounds a bit scary."

Seeing the apprehensive faces, Yuder explained in detail what the Control Device was. Though it was still a prototype and wouldn't completely inhibit abilities, Marty eagerly accepted it, convinced that it would help her prevent accidental activations.

"It's amazing that such a thing exists! Thank you. Now people who come into contact with me won't suddenly faint or stumble. I'm glad."

"If you could, please let me know how effective it is over time."

"Of course!"

Yuder handed over one of the Control Devices he had brought with him. As he was watching their retreating figures, a voice called out from behind him.

"I thought you brought that thing for the prisoners here, but it turns out that wasn't the case."

The voice belonged to Nathan Zuckerman, the next person Yuder had planned to visit.

'Well, that saves me the effort of searching for him.'

Yuder turned his head. The Southern knight was holding a box that looked familiar.

"That is…"

"It's a task from the Duke. As always, for his tea time."

Indeed, what he was carrying were the same snacks they had had when they were last in the West. The knight looked unfazed doing such a trivial task. His dignified demeanor of doing what had to be done left Yuder with nothing to say.

Instead of mentioning the box of snacks, Yuder decided to answer the question Nathan had posed.

"I thought it best to give it first to the one who needed it most since there are only a few of these items available now."

"Urgency, is it? I see."

Ordinarily, one would assume that prisoners should be given top priority. However, by Yuder's standards, Marty wasn't far behind in terms of importance.

"More importantly, may I have a moment to speak with you? I've been looking for Sir Zuckerman."

"What is it?"

"I have questions related to the Commander."

Beneath Nathan Zuckerman's stern forehead, his eyes blinked as if trying to gauge Yuder's sincerity. A moment later, without another word, he changed his direction to follow Yuder. It was a surprisingly quick decision, dispelling any notion that he might decline due to being busy.

"Do you have any issues with the Duke?"

"That's exactly the question I wish to ask you, Sir Zuckerman."

"Pardon?"

How could he even begin to explain this? It felt quite challenging, given that he had hardly ever brought up such a topic with others.

However, Nathan Zuckerman was Kishiar's most loyal subordinate, the one who had observed him the longest. If even he was unaware of Kishiar's anomalies, it was better to assume that no one else knew either.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Yuder slowly opened his mouth.

"The Commander is… without any issues, I assume. He'll be competently performing his duties today as usual."

"…"

"However, I've been feeling that something seems strangely off for some time now."