Chapter 349

Pruelle had told Kishiar that if there was anything he wanted to ask, he should pass it through him.

"Very well. There's one thing I want to ask first. I was curious why you approached my assistant in the garden and not anyone else. You seemed particularly interested, and I'd like to know why."

"Understood. Nipollen. Can you tell me why you approached that person earlier? What was the reason?"

Pruelle asked gently, and the child who had been silently staring at the ground, perhaps unaware that the conversation was about him, finally lifted his head slightly. His transparent dark pupils glanced at Yuder and then turned back to his brother.

"...Same, feeling, I had."

"Same feeling?"

"Brother, me."

Nipollen's voice was so soft and slow that it was hard to grasp if one didn't pay attention. But with a few words almost like a whisper, Pruelle seemed to understand perfectly, and his eyes widened a bit.

"Do you understand what he means?"

"Uh, it seems that the reason he approached Sir Aile might be because he felt something similar in him, something like what Nipollen and I have."

"You never mentioned that your brother has the ability to sense the energy of the Awakeners, did you?"

"Until now, I thought Nipollen only felt relieved around me because I had similar abilities. But it seems that it might not have been the only reason."

Pruelle couldn't hide his confusion, but his words didn't seem to be a lie.

"Then, will you also ask him why he avoided me when I reached out to him? He looked scared and avoided me."

Pruelle relayed the question to his brother once again.

"Nipollen, didn't you feel the same sensation from that person as you do from me or yourself?"

Nipollen's answer came even slower than before. The child, who had clamped his small lips shut and lowered his head, hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"What does that mean?"

"It seems that he couldn't be entirely sure whether he felt it or not."

Yuder's question was met with a troubled look from Pruelle.

"Even if he can sense the energy of the Awakeners, he might not be able to distinguish it completely."

'...No, maybe it's an ability that goes beyond just distinguishing.'

Yuder swallowed a response he couldn't give to Pruelle, looking at Nipollen. Pruelle and Nipollen may not know, but Kishiar was someone who concealed powers far more potent than the Awakener's energy. Yuder hadn't even realized these abilities until Kishiar himself confessed and demonstrated them. If Nipollen had sensed these from the start, then it was entirely understandable that he was wary of Kishiar, feeling that Kishiar was different from those who only had the power of the Awakener.

Glancing at Kishiar, he too seemed to be harboring similar thoughts, the interest in his eyes becoming sharper.

'It seems that Nipollen has awakened not only the ability to transform but also another ability closer to sensing power.'

Yuder also had an excellent sense for detecting when fellow Awakeners were using their abilities. However, that had been honed through long experiences and memories of meeting many Awakeners. It had to be different from someone born with this ability to sense.

'To meet such an extremely rare ability here. Along with Pruelle, there was another immense talent hidden.'

It would be confusing and frightening now, as he might not even know what abilities he possessed, but it was fortunate that he seemed somewhat less guarded against other Awakeners with the same abilities.

'It shouldn't be a problem to take refugee in the Cavalry. If it goes according to my thinking, it might even be helpful.'

"...Fine. My curiosity has been satisfied. Tell him thanks for answering."

"Thank you."

"When should I start protecting your sibling in the Cavalry?"

"I've already achieved the purpose of my visit, so after understanding all the information I can obtain from this place, I plan to return to the capital to discuss this matter with my siblings. At that time, I'll leave Nipollen behind, so please take care of him."

"Good. While you're here, let's see each other often and move together. I'll contact you again."

Before they left the room, Nipollen had transformed into a cat again. Leaving the well-behaved cat seated on the cushion, Kishiar dismissed the glittering-eyed servants and left the mansion, announcing that he would continue his walk.

"Nipollen van Tain; more interesting than expected."

"Yes. It seems like it's not just transformation abilities."

"I think so too."

At Yuder's answer, the man smiled, closing and then opening his eyes.

"Now that I have a beautiful cat to look after, I need to choose someone responsible for it. I'll have to think about who would be suitable."

After finishing the conversation disguised as a stroll, they returned to the annex and met Nathan Zuckerman, who was waiting for a report. He had been away on a nominal errand to buy something for Kishiar but had been chasing after Baron Willhem's knights.

"Here are the specially made fruit cookies from the famous bakery in Tainu you requested."

"Good. I'm pleased to finally have them. Well done, Nathan."

The man, now devoid of his previous gloomy expression since he had worked hard, casually handed over a few paper bags to Kishiar and immediately began his report.

"While tracking the movement of the knights and guards who had increased patrols in Tainu, I've identified a few places where a significantly large number of people were gathered."

"Where is that?"

"The warehouses near the Red Deer Consortium, located in the outskirts where the city gate is, and the streets dense with pubs that commoners frequent."

"Taverns and warehouses. They sound like places good for hiding something. Is that all?"

"The Peletta Knights are taking turns tailing them, but other than a change in the overall movement, it hasn't been easy to catch them. The warehouses are heavily watched, while the taverns are overrun with decoys."

"Report immediately if you find out anything more."

After Nathan Zuckerman withdrew, Kishiar called Ever, who had been waiting for them.

"I finished my walk but the day is far from over. I thought about getting a guide to the Finard Square you mentioned. What do you think?"

"I've been waiting for this. I will properly guide you today."

Ever's eyes sparkled, and he grinned.

This time, Ever, Finn, and Emun joined the carriage ride, which Nathan Zuckerman had previously taken. Ever complained lightly, mentioning that she had gone to the square with them yesterday.

"The security management team is next to Finnard Square. When the three of us went, they absolutely refused to believe that we were members of the Cavalry. If it wasn't for the note the Commander wrote, they wouldn't have let us in."

Kishiar thought to himself, 'That must have been the case.'

On the surface, they appeared to be just a woman, a child, and a scrawny, ordinary young man, which must have looked quite amusing. However, their true nature couldn't be discerned by their appearance alone. Ever and Finn Eldore were beings capable of unleashing destructive abilities several times greater than other members even when alone. Emun had the stealthy and observant ability to hide in darkness and see much more than others.

"The one in charge of that place is the Commander of Tainu Knights, a middle-aged man named Jeymer Phil, who has no enthusiasm at all," they said. "I mentioned that I wanted to gather opinions related to this investigation on behalf of the Commander, but he seemed very bothered by it. However, it was convenient to look around the prison since he didn't follow us."

"So, did he express his opinions?"

"According to the orders of Baron Willhem, he did strengthen the security of Tainu, but from his personal thoughts... He seemed to believe that the Commander was surely mistaken," they said.

Ever muttered this with a scowled face. Yuder made a mental note to remember the name of the knight Jeymer Phil, whom he hadn't met yet.

"Even after losing three of their comrades, they show that kind of attitude? Seems like there's little camaraderie among them."

"It seems that many members of the Tainu Knights were not originally from there. Many moved from other knight orders for different reasons. They consider themselves no different from mercenaries, and I overheard them having self-deprecating conversations."

This time, the one who answered was not Ever, but Emun.

"Really? Truly, they are knights fitting of a duke's household that must save money. How was the prison?"

"The prison was much larger than we thought. It is a place that incarcerates and punishes criminals not only from Tainu but also from the surrounding villages, so there were many people coming and going."

Ever said that the scale of the prison was enormous, ranging from the basement's first floor to the third floor, and there were many visitors for meetings. It did not seem as secluded as they had thought.

"As we passed by, we noticed some people in a corner of the basement's first floor. When we asked a guard, he said they were beggars who had recently been brought in from another village after losing their memories. But..."

A smile rose in Ever's eyes, one that she couldn't hide.

"Emun and Finn recognized a few faces among them."