"…A black tail?"

"Who is Jim?"

Yuder and Kishiar muttered their questions simultaneously before turning their heads. The moment their eyes met, Robel and Marty rushed over and began speaking.

"Jim is a prisoner working with Ershi! He was one of the two people who accompanied me earlier to the Cavalry building to help move Onel…"

"I heard he has the ability to spot other people's weaknesses and attack accordingly. I suspect Ershi mentioned it in relation to that."

Yuder quickly sorted through the torrent of words in his mind.

'Now that I hear it, I do remember. Ershi had specifically called Jim and Peter to go help Robel. So, is it that Jim observed me and reported it to Ershi?'

According to the two, Jim's specific ability seemed more akin to scrutinizing another person's state and identifying anything out of the ordinary.

That 'out of the ordinary' range was surprisingly broad; sometimes Jim could pinpoint a comrade's pain point and other times identify invisible abilities that other Awakeners had used. Yuder roughly guessed what Ershi had been getting at.

'They often say a black tail sticks to someone when they're being secretly trailed. So that means…'

"Someone has been using tracking abilities to discreetly target us," Kishiar voiced Yuder's thoughts precisely.

Jim had claimed to have seen a black tail attached to Yuder from the first time they met. That suggested there had already been tracking in place before he entered the underground dungeon.

'It didn't happen in the East, so it must have been in the West. There are only two possibilities for that.'

Either a traitor existed among the comrades in the Western Branch, or one of the recent test candidates had done something. However, Yuder considered the likelihood of a traitor among his comrades to be extremely low.

'None of the members in the division have tracking-related abilities.'

If they were to pull something like this off, they would have needed external help. And being able to do such a bold act without catching Yuder's eye from within was frankly unbelievable.

An internal traitor would more likely attempt assassination, which is faster and simpler. Therefore, the most probable person to have discreetly tailed Yuder was likely among the numerous Western test candidates.

'During the test, so many energies were erupting everywhere that even I couldn't keep track of them all… One lucky individual could've taken advantage of that to attach a tail.'

Reaching his conclusion, Yuder lifted his head. His dark eyes flickered like those of a predator.

"Considering the enemy hasn't revealed themselves despite tagging us, they must have been waiting for our numbers to dwindle before making a move. However, now that we're aware of this, things have turned out quite well."

Thanks to Gloe's blessing, their departure was delayed by a day, disrupting their original schedule. That allowed for today's events to unfold during their visit to the underground dungeon.

It was fortunate that, of all places, someone with the ability to see the tail attached to Yuder was here. And it was lucky that Ershi, who knew this information, chose to share it as a form of payment for saving a comrade.

'Could this have been the blessing meant to protect me?'

Emun had received a blessing to ward off falling stones from above his head, but not all blessings manifested in such ways. Yuder momentarily pushed aside thoughts of the unknown blessing's power and glanced around the exceptionally tranquil street as usual.

"There's no need to make a big deal here. I think it would be best to go out and see their faces ourselves," he suggested.

"Agreed. Let's do that," Kishiar complied, his face suggesting he had already anticipated Yuder's conclusion. They immediately mounted their horses and headed to where Nathan Zuckerman was waiting. Before leaving, Kishiar called over Robel and Marty, asking them to deliver a message to Emun, the Western Branch Leader.

"Find out the current location of those who ran away without notice just before the second test and those Yuder had directly witnessed. Tell them to chase after any suspicious individuals. Keep the frequency of our contact as before."

"Understood. We will relay your message!"

"Leave it to us."

Yuder quickly pulled the reins as he caught a fleeting glimpse of the two departing figures. No sooner had their trio of horses exited Tainu, than shadowy figures in a secluded inn in Tainu started to stir.

"The Black Monster and his group have finally left Tainu! There are three of them!"

"Good. Remember the advice we received yesterday from the sage serving under Baron Renbow. Wait as long as possible without being detected, and follow them carefully after sunset."

As Yuder and Kishiar had suspected, they were all individuals who had either been eliminated by Yuder during the second test or had opted out, fearing their identities had been exposed. Not a hint of anxiety could be seen in the eyes of these dozen or so menacing figures.

Among them was Seeker, an Awakener whom Yuder had personally eliminated during the second exam.

"That damned monster. He'll soon find out that breaking your neck and dying in the harsh mountains of the West isn't uncommon."

Groups of suspicious individuals dispersed, each heading out of different city gates of Tainu.

The oblivious city remained as peaceful as ever.

…

"We'll head to a small village called Pofuan first, where Crown Prince Katchian had refined mushrooms," Kishiar informed as he effortlessly led the way through the dark forest. Horses were unsuitable for the dark forest, so they were all walking.

However, due to their abilities far surpassing average humans, their walking speed was exceptionally fast.

"We'll have to veer off this path and go through the Guanamar Mountains. If our attackers are trailing us, it might be wise to slow down near the entrance and wait for them," Kishiar added.

"A spot where the enemy would lower their guard, thinking they have the advantage. A perfect place for an ambush," Yuder mumbled, prompting a smile from Kishiar.

"Exactly, very textbook. But don't offer to act as a decoy or anything of that sort."

Yuder paused, exactly on the verge of suggesting just that.

"Why? I'm the one being chased; it makes sense for me to cause the distraction."

"The scent emanating from you has intensified since we left Tainu. Didn't you notice?"

Yuder's eyes twitched. He raised his hand and sniffed his palm but couldn't discern any difference.

"…I can't tell," he admitted.

"If you're not aware of it yourself, then for now, it's probably fine. But it's still better to be cautious. If bait is needed, I'll volunteer."

"Really?"

"Ever since I've found out how much my adjutant and assistant were concerned about me, to the point of pausing their work, I ought to demonstrate my own resilience to ease their worries."

"..."

A chilling silence settled in the air following Kishiar's softly muttered words. Yuder's eyes swiftly darted, and upon meeting Nathan Zuckerman's gaze, the man subtly exhaled.

Through this, Yuder was certain that during his absence, Kishiar, who had woken up from sleep, had heard from Nathan Zuckerman on whatever had transpired between the loyal knight and the assistant.

It didn't seem that Yuder was surprised or disappointed, but the fact that Kishiar would willingly take on the most dangerous task just to prove 'there's no need to worry about me,' was breathtakingly like him.

"Let's use our strength wisely, extract information after capturing them, and then bury their faces in the ground—arrange them in a way that makes it easier for those in the base to pick them up."

"Understood."

Hearing the somber replies from Nathan and Yuder, Kishiar broke into a smile.

At that moment, an incongruous twinge of unease briefly fluttered within Yuder's chest and then disappeared.

Yuder thought that Kishiar's mood would have been somewhat subdued, given the fact that his hidden past had been exposed and he now knew how he died in his previous life.

But look at that face. Not a shadow of what Yuder had expected was there. Rather, Kishiar's face seemed more radiant, more relaxed than before.

This wasn't Kishiar pretending that nothing had happened. To Yuder, it felt quite the opposite.

The crimson eyes that glanced at Yuder while uttering 'to ease their worries' conveyed a silent message, clear in their intent—'there's no need to worry about me due to yesterday's events.'

How could Yuder argue against that?

Kishiar was the type of person who emitted an unexpected light, even when one would expect him to be at his darkest. And because of that, Yuder found himself once again without regret for yesterday's decision.

"The sounds are getting closer."

Finally, they reached the mountain's entrance. Even without Nathan Zuckerman’s words, Yuder had already sensed the presence of approaching humans through the wind.

"There are eighteen people in total. Some of them are moving rather quickly. Perhaps they possess speed-enhancing abilities."

Kishiar voiced much more detailed information than Nathan Zuckerman had. There wasn't a hint of tension in his voice.

"Their abilities will be hampered in terrains with many obstacles. Using the mountain's features, we can capture them quickly."

"Good to know. Thank you. Alright, prepare yourselves. They'll be here soon."

With a brief expression of gratitude for Yuder’s information, Kishiar raised his hand to signal.

Almost immediately, several shadows, like flashes of light, swooped down and landed with a thud. They were carrying comrades on their backs, and one of them precisely pinpointed Yuder’s location and shouted,

"Over there!"

"Finally, we meet again! You monster of the Cavalry."

"Who are you? How did you follow me?"

Pretending to not know what you already do is a difficult task. Thankfully, the darkness veiled any awkwardness, and the enemies chuckled, obliging with an answer.

"You're surprised to see an Awakener with tracking skills as exceptional as mine, aren't you? Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through to set up this trap? You could've died quickly if I had just dealt with you then and there. Now, because of your trivial schemes, remember that you'll die in even more pain and at a later time."

"Do you think you’ll tell me who sent you?"

"Of course not. What would a man about to die do with that information?"

"Exactly. It doesn't matter, as I'll find out soon enough. Now, one last question."

"Find out soon? Are you insane? What are you talking about?"

"Seems like you're too scared to think straight."

At Yuder's composed demeanor, the enemies let out incredulous laughs. Even as they did, more of their comrades, who had arrived a bit late, were steadily joining them.

Regardless, Yuder spoke unwaveringly.

"Is there anyone here willing to surrender and say something nice? Come out and kneel within the count of three, and I'll spare just that one person."