“Your lips are dry, Your Majesty. I will refill your tea.”

The loyal, aged head attendant meticulously poured tea into the Emperor's cup. After sipping the tea, Emperor Keilusa finally spoke, his eyes clear and resolute.

"The reactions are largely as expected. The confusion over Duke Peletta's journey to the south and their attempts to discern our movements."

"Is that so? That's fortunate."

"Duke Diarca plans to use Baron Renbow and the Crown Prince's healers to mess with the Cavalry recruitment. I must send a letter to Kishiar."

"Though Kishiar might already suspect, more detailed information is always better."

The head attendant smiled kindly.

"Yes. And, naturally, despite receiving flowers, Duke Diarca seems not to withdraw from the Sun Palace's intruder investigation. That's good for us. We'll prepare for their proposed suspects while subtly informing the Crown Prince about the real culprit. And we should plant something in Baron Renbow's house to monitor the situation closely..."

Emperor Keilusa's lips flowed with plans for the future. Observing his calm yet decisive manner of organizing tasks, the head attendant internally swallowed his joy and admiration.

No matter how many times he saw it, the Emperor's healthy, undisturbed dedication to work made the attendant's decades of palace experience seem trivial, often leaving him choked with emotion.

'I never thought I would see him like this again.'

Emperor Keilusa had miraculously returned from death's door. Now, he no longer groaned in pain.

It was all because he had become an Awakener. Since his awakening, he slept well and finished his meals. The palace cook, as loyal as the attendant, still cried when collecting the Emperor's empty plates.

Of course, the aftermath of his near-death experience didn't vanish magically. His body was still frail, and his strength weak, but the servant did not worry.

"Hmm... Has it gotten this late already?"

Glancing at the clock in his office, the Emperor removed his glasses and massaged his temples, easing the fatigue in his eyes.

"It's time for training. I should change."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will assist you."

The biggest change since the Emperor became an Awakener was this 'training'.

Previously, Emperor Keilusa had little fondness for physical exercise. As a young Crown Prince, he preferred reading or discussing with scholars over dedicating time to horsemanship or swordsmanship.

Even after becoming Emperor, this preference remained unchanged, with minimal exercise for fitness and occasional walks with the Empress.

But now, things were different. The Emperor changed into simple clothes and trained alone in a secluded space, away from prying eyes. This training, meant to control the power of an Awakener, was not just sitting still.

Even the head attendant, watching from a distance, was sometimes surprised by the intensity of the physical exercises, the first step in the training.

'Baron Aile, who taught His Majesty, said that without controlling the body, one cannot control power.'

The Emperor patiently followed the training regimen given by his young teacher, Yuder Aile, before his departure. There were times when the exercises were so strenuous he felt like dying, but that was not a sign of trouble, just a lack of stamina, as his young teacher had coldly pointed out.

“If you desire to wield your power more effectively, you must be prepared to pay the price. People are willing to sacrifice something as precious as their own lives to gain immense power, yet strangely, they are reluctant to invest the safer, always available commodities of effort and time. But I assure you, the latter offers far greater rewards at a far lesser cost.”

Yuder Aile spoke calmly, advising against impatience for immediate results.

His words seemed to come from someone who had lived for decades, and they were undeniably true.

During the training, the Emperor was drenched in sweat. He used to dislike this sensation, but now it was different.

Thinking that this sweat was the price for the strength to never lose his beloved again, he wouldn't mind sweating ten times more than he currently did.

"You have sweated profusely. The bathwater is prepared, Your Majesty, please proceed."

After the training, the exhausted Emperor, lying on the ground, struggled to rise upon hearing the head attendant's words. Once he would have needed support, but after his awakening, he always tried to rise on his own.

"There was a message from the Dawn Palace during your training, Your Majesty."

"The Empress? Is it about the walk after dinner?"

"That as well, but it seems there's a pressing matter concerning Herne."

"Herne?"

"Please see this, Your Majesty. It's a letter from the Empress."

The Emperor, soaking in the bath, dried his hands to read the short letter from the Empress. His lowered red eyes soon finished reading and turned back to the head attendant.

"I see. Trouble in Charloin, and naturally, Herne reacts. Duke Herne, recuperating at the southern villa, expressed significant displeasure over this matter."

"I should inform the Cavalry."

"The Empress said that the First Princess of Herne, who conveyed this news, had already gone there."

"Ah, if it's her..."

"Yes."

The Emperor nodded slightly, handing back the letter with a faint smile.

"Perhaps this incident might draw out the fox hiding in its den for years. Well... I trust Kishiar to handle that well. I should focus on matters here, ensuring my brother has nothing to worry about."

Even at that moment, the Emperor was receiving voices of many through the items and agents he had secretly planted.

Secret conspiracies. Conversations thought to be unheard. Information leaking without knowledge.

The Emperor committed all these to memory, knowing they would one day become his weapons.

Finishing his bath, he gave a new order to the head attendant.

"Speaking of which, I heard the Crown Prince's healers have been venturing out frequently. After Kishiar announced the list of Cavalry collaborators, he said they would reveal themselves in time. It might be now. Ensure the Cavalry is handling it without any lapse."

"Understood, Your Majesty."

The head attendant bowed deeply.

—---

"Diemon. What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing... It's just that I feel like someone is following us..."

At the time the Emperor issued his order, the five Awakeners following the Sage were outside together for the first time in a long while. Dressed as pilgrims, they followed the Sage unhesitatingly, whispering among themselves.

"Foolish indeed. Did you forget that Nezo, with his abilities, confirmed there were no suspicious people around before we left? Don't look around suspiciously for no reason. What if those with Nahan see you? What do you think they'll think?"

Langbarton chided Diemon, who possessed the ability to copy abilities, causing him to furrow his brow.

"But Nezo can't see everything, can he? And even if the brothers that follow Nahan see us... So what?"

"So what? Are you saying that what you're doing right now is right?"

Langbarton retorted, shocked, as the Sage glanced back at them. The two immediately fell silent, though Langbarton didn't hide his suppressed anger.

'Diemon, this foolish boy. Ever since he accompanied the Sage alone some time ago, he's been increasingly arrogant. Today, he's completely overstepping. He doesn’t even know how dangerous a time this is for someone who can only copy other people’s abilities!'

Their risky outing today was due to the recently published list of collaborators with the Cavalry. After the shocking incident where the Star of Nagran was mentioned among the collaborators, the Sage had put aside most other matters and was making efforts to find Nahan, suspected to be somewhere in the capital. This task had to be handled secretly, only among those who knew what the Star of Nagran was, making it difficult to seek help from people like Baron Renbow.

Navigating the capital, unfamiliar and without much help, was challenging. They had to move without attracting attention, but surprisingly, it was the Sage who provided significant assistance in this endeavor.