"Hmm… Before I answer, I have a question that I think needs to be addressed first. The 'time' is drawing near; is that going to be a problem?"

The 'time' referred to was, of course, the heat period. Yuder knew full well the risks involved in committing to spend nights with another individual with a second gender when it was unclear when or how the mating urge would manifest.

'A few months ago, I wouldn’t have dared to bring this up, no matter how concerned I was.'

But now was different. Yuder met the man's scrutinizing gaze head-on, a gaze that was simultaneously filled with concern for him.

"That's a bit redundant, don't you think? If it were a problem, I wouldn't have come this far in the first place."

The words might have sounded indifferent, but the implications were anything but trivial. Yuder looked intently at the man who was silently watching him and added decisively,

"Or is there another reason you find it difficult to keep inviting me?"

"Why would that be?"

Eventually, Kishiar let out a chuckle as if admitting defeat, raising his hand. A long sigh escaped from his lips, sweeping across his own face.

"It seems my assistant had good reason for wanting to keep a close eye on me, didn’t you?"

"I won't deny it."

"Good. Do whatever you wish, then."

Kishiar openly expressed his consent.

Feeling emboldened, Yuder immediately moved his belongings to Kishiar’s bedroom that night.

"...So, nothing else has happened since?"

The next day, Nathan Zuckerman quietly inquired. He and Yuder were having another discreet meeting to exchange information related to Kishiar’s activities.

The knight, upon learning that Yuder had moved into Kishiar's bedroom, didn’t seem particularly surprised and simply asked for a brief update on the situation. A convenient conversational partner for information exchange, indeed.

"Yes. After wrapping up work as usual, he spoke with me and then fell asleep. I stayed awake until dawn to be sure."

"But you’re not going to let your guard down just because of one quiet night, are you?"

"Of course not. I plan to continue keeping an eye on him."

Hearing Yuder’s resolute answer, Nathan Zuckerman silently replaced the empty dessert bowl on the table. A new pie appeared in its place, reminiscent of a monster that keeps respawning no matter how many times it’s defeated.

"How has it been on your end, Sir Zuckerman? Anything unusual?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary on my end, but…"

"Was there something else on your mind?"

"When I stepped away from the Duke for a brief moment due to work and returned, I felt a slight change in the flow of surrounding energies. It was similar to the change that often occurs when using magic tools, although I can't be certain."

"Magic tools, you say… I see."

After a few more rounds of strictly business-like conversation, Yuder stood up to leave. Nathan Zuckerman cleared away the empty dishes and offered him something. Upon taking a closer look, it was a medicinal tablet made from ground leaves.

"What is this?"

"It's a recovery agent provided by the Peletta Knights for night watch duties. You didn’t sleep much last night, and it’s likely you won’t get much sleep in the future either, so please take it."

"I'll be fine…"

"It won’t hurt to have it. If even a hint of sleep deprivation shows on your face, the Duke will notice right away. Just take it."

And so, Yuder accepted the tablet, still a bit bewildered but grateful.

Mentioning Kishiar's name made it difficult to refuse. Yuder accepted with a subtle expression of gratitude and ate it.

Three more days passed.

Kishiar remained unchanged. Yuder vigilantly observed him, even cutting back on sleep, but Kishiar no longer engaged in strategy games; he simply slept peacefully.

Thanks to that, Yuder also experienced peaceful nights without waking up to the sudden cold, as he used to. Although he lacked some sleep, considering there were days in his previous life when he would go without sleep to complete missions, this was a small inconvenience.

'The recovery potion given by Nathan Zuckerman turned out to be surprisingly effective.'

Today was the last day he would spend in the west anyway. Yuder meticulously observed the Awakeners taking their tests, evaluating their potential, abilities, and information.

Among the western candidates, many had promising qualities. In particular, those who caught Yuder's eye were Awakeners from the Star of Nagran's western base, who had been rescued along with Marty. They were originally non-Awakeners, but became awakened after coming to their senses under the care of the Western Branch, gaining remarkably powerful defensive abilities due to their difficult pasts.

'If they and people like Marty grow well, the western branch will have unparalleled defensive capabilities.'

Branch Leader Emun's abilities also involved hiding in the shadows, so they would mesh well with such individuals. Their future growth was promising.

In his previous life, each regional branch had Awakeners with particular tendencies. Now that he somewhat understood how these abilities manifested, he could guess how such patterns were established.

However, every positive aspect has a flip side.

Among the western candidates, there were many who had ulterior motives, including spies. Many fled after Yuder exposed one, but he still caught several afterward.

Most were mercenaries sent by the western nobles.

Emun and the existing members of the western branch were shocked that they couldn't filter these people out in the preliminary round, but they quickly channeled their shock into anger and pride.

It was only natural, given how well the Commander and his assistant kept everyone in line.

'Emun did do something good, at least.'

Busy as he was, Emun did a fantastic job identifying the potential in an Awakener who might have been kicked out without even taking the preliminary exam. When Yuder saw the Awakener’s name on the list for the second round, he felt the same way as when he first encountered Kanna Wand at the application center.

That very person now stood before Yuder for the final test.

"Hello... I am Gloe."

Gloe, a commoner girl without a family name. Currently only sixteen, she was the one who had served the longest as both the Deputy Commander of Jung Division and Deputy Commander of Shin Division in the Cavalry that Yuder led in a previous life.

'Originally from a wandering troupe. Spent her childhood reading cards for money.'

Fittingly, her awakened ability also manifested through the worn-out cards she carried.

"My ability is to read these cards to give you blessings you'll need in the future. I can only do it once a day... but the effects are certain."

The long, unkempt black hair that mostly covered the face and the somber voice made the word "blessing" sound almost like a curse. Occasionally, there were those who rubbed their arms with a shiver, seemingly sharing the same sentiment.

"Could it be real? I can't believe it..."

"A blessing for the future? Such a vague ability, isn't it? How did she pass the first round?"

"Hey, Emun. Why did you pass her?"

Someone among the members poked Emun's side, to which Emun shook his head with a firm expression.

"Just watch. Her ability is real."

'Yes, it's real. And quite impressive at that.'

"I will now demonstrate my ability... Is there anyone who would like a reading from me?"

When Gloe scanned the surroundings, everyone deliberately avoided eye contact. Emun, who had passed her in the first round, was the exception as he couldn't participate.

Yuder, noticing Gloe's growing discomfort, raised his hand.

"Do it for me."

"Ah! Yes... Understood..."

It seemed Gloe recognized who Yuder was, as her face turned even paler. The atmosphere around her grew colder, as if the temperature had dropped by about 5 degrees, but Yuder didn't mind and stepped forward.

Gloe shuffled some old cards on the table and drew five.

"Choose one card from these five."

Without hesitation, Yuder picked the middle card. The flipped card depicted a jester with a pointy hat, playing a trumpet and dancing. Gloe softly uttered the card's name.

"Festival of the Trumpeting Jester."

At that moment, a faint and transparent mist rose from the card and seeped into Yuder. It was a warm and mysterious sensation.

"A blessing has been cast upon you, which will protect you from a single impending danger."

"Really?"

"I can't tell from here..."

"A danger to Yuder's body? Can such a thing even happen? I doubt we can verify this blessing's effect."

As the western members murmured and questioned the authenticity of the blessing, Gloe looked lost.

"No, usually the blessings are immediately verifiable or at least within a day... I'm not lying. It's real."

"I understand."

"Yes?"

"It means you've passed."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for applying to the Cavalry so early. If you ever think of coming to the capital, let Emun Philang know anytime. We'll arrange a place for you."

"...What?!"

While Gloe was doubting her ears, Yuder asked her one more thing. After hearing her answer, he returned to his judging seat. Kishiar, who had been sitting with his arms crossed, tilted his head and asked,

"Was she that impressive?"

"Though it's called a blessing, it's closer to foresight. It's a great fortune that she came to the Cavalry this early."

From what Yuder knew, the types of blessings Gloe's cards could bestow weren't many, but they varied in intensity. In other words, if one knew in advance which blessing would be bestowed, they could guess the nature and intensity of the impending danger.

Kishiar nodded after hearing the story.

"So, what did the assistant ask her at the end?"

"I asked how strong the blessing from that card was."

"And her answer?"

"She said it was the strongest blessing her cards could currently bestow."

Realizing the implications, Kishiar's eyes changed slightly.

"That means..."

"It seems my journey from the west to the south won't be as smooth as I'd hoped."

However, he had the chance to prepare in advance, so in a way, it was a stroke of luck.

That's what he thought as he responded, but Kishiar seemed to have a slightly different idea.

"We were told we'd see results within a day, right? In that case, we should delay our departure by a day."

"There's really no need to do that…"

"It's fine. Isn't it better to stay here, where we can control the risks, than to be exposed to uncontrollable dangers outside?"

In the end, Kishiar postponed the departure date from the west by one day.

'Hmm… The healing potion that Nathan Zuckerman gave me has also worn off… Well, one more day should be fine.'

However, in the early hours of the next day, Yuder suddenly woke up.

Confused as to when he had fallen asleep, Yuder blinked his eyes. Just then, a faint clicking sound echoed in the darkness.

His confusion evaporated instantly, replaced by a bone-chilling cold. Instinctively feeling for the spot next to him, he found it empty.

Yuder realized this was the perfect opportunity to investigate Kishiar's strange behavior.