"I'm fine. More so, thinking that your recent demeanor is closer to that of Commander Yudrain is truly fascinating."

'...Commander's demeanor?'

Yudrain Aile was suddenly speechless when a man who had never seen him as the Commander said that.

"I thought you were quiet because you were not feeling well, is that what you were thinking?"

Since revealing the secrets of his past life, Yuder had been proactive in sharing information about upcoming events, but he rarely mentioned anything about his own self from that time.

Especially his time as a Commander, a period he particularly did not wish to speak of.

But was Kishiar curious about Yudrain Aile from that time?

The current Commander was Kishiar, a fact that would never change. A faint sense of perplexity rose in his eyes at the man's interest in something that would never happen.

"Ha ha ha."

Kishiar laughed, seemingly amused.

"I'm sorry, but whatever you were thinking... it would have been completely different from the reality."

He admitted that in their conversation, he had spoken to Elpkins somewhat condescendingly, as he used to. But it was nothing compared to his demeanor as a Commander. Back then, he would never have approached anyone directly during a mission.

That was Yudrain Aile's way as a Commander - leave the people skills to others, and focus on what he did best. This meant acting first, smashing everything in sight, and leaving the aftermath to others.

At that time, he hadn't even considered the option of handling things differently. His mind was entirely occupied with the immediate tasks at hand and the subsequent duties that awaited him. Human emotions were unnecessary in his efficient approach to moving forward.

His primary responsibility was to maintain the Cavalry in a strong position for a long time by earning the Emperor's trust and supporting him. Before being a human being, he was the Commander of the Cavalry and the Empire's most potent human weapon.

'Since I worked as the Deputy Commander of Shin for a long time, I hardly ever had a casual conversation with Ever, who I knew the longest.'

He barely knew that Ever enjoyed dancing, let alone her family situation or hobbies, though he remembered how Ever handled battles and injuries.

'Even when people thought I was crazy, I remember she tried to help me, even though she didn't fully believe in my stance...'

Back then, Yuder didn't fully trust even the words of his Deputy Commanders, his peers when joining the Cavalry. He faintly realized that it was an act of kindness only when facing execution.

Even after requesting so many people to believe in his thoughts, he had built walls around those who tried to help, leading to Yudrain Aile's unfortunate end.

In the midst of Yuder's darkening gaze, Kishiar gently but firmly took Yuder's supporting hand.

His train of thought was interrupted, bringing him back to reality. Their eyes met in the darkness.

"Yes. The image I saw and inferred can't be exactly the same as reality. That's obvious. But still, no matter the situation, your attitude towards Awakeners and serving the Cavalry remains the same, doesn't it?"

A soft voice echoed in his ears.

"The one who created a sanctuary for Awakeners with second genders suffering during their heat period, now offers unique tasks and invites oppressed Awakeners to join the ranks. I believe there's no significant difference in these two roles. You do it because it's necessary, not necessarily out of a sense of benevolence."

This time, his speechlessness was for a different reason.

"...I..."

"Of course, I must admit that your change in tone, perhaps due to meeting an old subordinate, was particularly charming."

Kishiar said this, smiling faintly.

'Knowing what I did in my past life... and yet he says such things.'

He wanted to protest, to insist that his time as Commander Yudrain Aile should not be viewed fondly or romanticized, that there should be no similarities between then and now.

But ultimately, Yuder couldn't utter a word. It was always like this with Kishiar La Orr.

An indescribable feeling weighed heavily inside his chest. Gazing at the man's face, shrouded in darkness, he felt his heart pounding fiercely.

"Earlier, I sensed a cold pain, but now it's turned hot again."

Kishiar murmured, seemingly aware of all the unspoken sensations swirling within Yuder.

"It's good to feel each other's intense emotions in moments like this. I wouldn't be able to guess the depth of emotions beneath this face, just by looking."

"..."

Yuder realized then that his emotions had seeped into Kishiar. He exhaled deeply, and Kishiar hesitated for a moment before slowly moving his head closer.

"From heat... to yearning. Right?"

Instead of responding, Yuder gazed into his obscured eyes.

While it felt overly honest to convey emotions so directly, since he already knew, it was time to act.

Slowly curving his lips upward, he gently raised his head and their lips met. The contact was brief but felt simultaneously long.

It wasn't a romantic place or situation, but this brief encounter decidedly cleared Yuder's mind. And it seemed he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"It seems like my vessel has fully recovered. With such a reward, I could use my divine power twice more."

"Don't even joke about such things."

"It's not a joke, it's true."

Kishiar's face, now smiling, looked genuinely better than before. He stood up without Yuder's support, indicating some recovery and stability, relieving Yuder's tension.

They continued their search, following Elpkins' directions to a room on the third underground floor. Fortunately, it didn't take long to find.

"This must be it."

"Yes. It seems to be the right location."

Lifting a ceiling block, they peered into a small room below, its atmosphere starkly different from the bloodied, horrific room where Elpkins was held.

In a room extravagantly decorated to the point of being suffocating, a woman so emaciated that her bones seemed to protrude lay prostrate. She slowly lifted her head as if she heard the sound of a ceiling block opening and, upon locking eyes with Yuder, opened her mouth as if to scream.

Yuder swiftly leaped down, covering her mouth.

“…Hmph!”

“Hmm. I apologize for the sudden intrusion. Rest assured, I'm not here to harm you. Of course, I understand it's not easy to relax just on my word.”

Following suit, Kishiar descended and continued gently, causing the woman, who had been gasping for breath, to roll her eyes and examine them. Yuder, seeing her slightly calmed, spoke up.

“I’ve come to verify something, so if you assure me you won’t scream and alert the Nukijo gang outside, I will let go of your hand. Blink twice if you agree.”

“…”

After a moment, the woman slowly blinked twice. Yuder removed his hand from her mouth and stepped back. The woman murmured with anxious eyes, “Who are you?”

“We're from the Cavalry, here to fix this place.”

“…Cavalry? What is that?”

Yuder's gaze sharpened. Her response was one of the worst they had anticipated before coming here.

“You don't know the Cavalry? How long have you been here?”

“…I don't know. How long it’s been.”

The truth of her words was evident in her hair. The woman, emaciated with a heavy, lavishly adorned dress, had hair so neglected it was a tangled mess.

Her matted hair, gaunt face, bloodshot eyes, and a ridiculously expensive dress that seemed incongruous.

All these factors led to one conclusion.

“So, you're the one using the power to suppress the Awakener's abilities across this place.”

“…”

At those words, the woman's body shook violently.

“H-how…”