Chapter 374

"If it's a charity party... May I inquire precisely what kind of party it is?"

"It's a party with the purpose of inviting nobles from various places in Tainu and the western region, to enjoy festivities and raise funds for the development of the West. My father, the Duke of Tain, commands Baron Willhem to host it irregularly."

Listening alone, it was impossible not to see the blatantly obvious intentions of the Duke of Tain, who seemed to consider everything in the West as his own.

"I heard that last year, a similar party was held during an auction. At that time, guests from external merchants and the Willhem Family overlapped, and it was said to have been very chaotic."

"...And since the end of last year's auction, secretive 'items' have begun to reveal themselves, starting in the southern part of the Empire. New drugs, dangerous magic tools, even situations involving the beginning of illegal fight clubs trading foreign fighters."

It was hardly a subtle coincidence. Kishiar gently added, with a look that suggested he did not believe it to be a coincidence at all.

"I believe that many of those who visited last year are likely to come again this year. Therefore, I am currently gathering information about those who came to Tainu during last year's 'party' through those who provide me information."

Among those who came last year, there were certainly those involved in secret trade and buyers, so if he could find them, he would be able to quickly obtain the necessary information by comparing them with those coming this year. It was possible since Pruelle was of the bloodline of the House of Tain.

"Once the work is finished and I report to His Highness, I will return to the capital for a while. I'll try to come back as soon as possible, but please take good care of my younger brother Nipollen in the meantime."

Pruelle would immediately begin persuading the other forces within his family, including the rest of his siblings. What Yuder and the Cavalry needed to do was protect his precious youngest sibling, Nipollen, as promised, and grasp substantial evidence.

Having learned the extent of Pruelle's involvement in this matter, Ever looked at the cat with newly responsible eyes and nodded.

"Understood. I will do my best to protect Prince Nipollen. Could you tell me what to be cautious of when dealing with Prince Nipollen before you leave, if it's okay?"

"I was certainly planning to tell you separately... but it's quite reassuring that you brought it up first."

"Any Awakener who wants the protection of the Cavalry should naturally be cared for by me as a Deputy Commander. Feel free to tell me whenever."

Pruelle's eyes softened with relief. Yuder, looking at the rock-solid Ever, recalled her from his previous life.

'I remember, she often took charge of the adaptation training when new members joined. Did she have the same thoughts back then?'

Among the few original members who stayed with him after he became Commander, there was always an awkward tension between Yuder and them that couldn't be expressed in words. Though they worked well together, that wall never disappeared until the end. Back then, even showing a bit of personal interest in each other was something unthinkable.

The realization that he knew how she would develop her abilities and how she would change, yet only now grasped this aspect, was slightly bitter.

"Information about Prince Nipollen will be shared only with those present here and the other two Deputy Commanders. If Kanna comes back later, I'd like you, Ever, to pass it on."

"Understood."

Upon hearing Ever's reply, Kishiar wore a smile at the corner of his mouth and moved on.

"Based on the information received from Prince Pruelle, we will be extremely busy on the day of the auction and the party. The goal is to find out the whereabouts of the 'objects' that Duke Tain has hidden in Tainu by then, and to prevent all the Awakener groups targeting them. Currently, we plan to split into two groups..."

Could it have been because he momentarily recalled Ever's previous life? Yuder felt a tingling sensation on the back of his hand as he watched Kishiar smoothly explaining the plan ahead. Now, gloves hid his hand and fingertips, but those smoothly moving lips had once touched them.

The kiss that started politely by lifting the other person's hand and pressing down from the back of the hand to the fingertips often symbolized the ultimate affection. Typically, it was performed by those below to show respect, love, and acknowledgment to those above, but occasionally some monarchs paradoxically offered that kiss to their subjects. In any case, the act was never devoid of profound meaning.

It would have been better if they had kissed as usual. That would have been familiar. However, Kishiar had unabashedly lowered himself before Yuder. Even though he could understand why Kishiar had done so, the moment was so overwhelmingly emotionally painful. Perhaps it reminded him of a moment from his previous life.

Perhaps, a day like Yudrain Aile's appointment as the 2nd Cavalry Commander.

"..."

A fleeting memory from the past momentarily flowed through Yuder's mind and then vanished.

'What a useless thought...'

Afraid that his perceptive counterpart might notice, he looked down and turned his gaze, only to lock eyes with a cat on a chair. The cat slowly blinked its big eyes and wagged its tail's tip.

"...Finding the whereabouts of the objects involves going to Graham Willhem, and I think we'll need a little help from Prince Pruelle."

"If it's something I can help with, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Can you transform into Baron Willhem?"

Even as Yuder was lost in thought, the conversation flowed smoothly. Pruelle, hearing Kishiar's question, seemed to gauge something, closed his eyes, opened them, and then nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course, it's possible."

"You're confident it won't be noticed even by Graham, his brother?"

"That won't be a problem either. But if the Baron appears elsewhere while I'm going to Graham, it might arouse suspicion among the lower-ranking people. That part may be a bit tricky."

"I'll take care of that."

Kishiar's answer was imbued with an unwavering solidity, as if he had already thought everything through.

"It seems that because of the story about the Divine Sword used to rescue Graham, the senior priests from the Western Sun God Temple have decided to visit here. It's a private gathering, and the Baron will undoubtedly be present. You'll go to Graham at that time. I'll send Nathan to let you know the details."

"Understood."

After exchanging a few more words, the meal came to an end. Before leaving, Pruelle called Ever aside for a moment.

"Deputy Commander Beck."

"Yes?"

"Actually, I have seen you at the Apeto Duchy trials held in the capital."

Upon Ever's response, indicating she didn't understand what Pruelle was referring to with a 'I see.', Pruelle hesitated for a moment before awkwardly smiling.

"...There were those who secretly tried to harm the victims during a brief recess in the trial. I was really impressed when you caught them on the spot and threw them on the courtroom floor."

"Ah... Yes. There was such a time. I didn't know you saw me that day."

Ever's ears turned red as she trailed off at the end of her sentence. Yuder recalled the time when she had told a similar story during early morning training.

"I'm really glad to have the chance to meet you here, the person I saw back then. By chance, when His Highness told you about me, did he also mention what my hopes are?"

"No..."

"My dream is to join the Cavalry after this affair is settled. It's my first dream, other than keeping my younger siblings safe. I wish I could stand with the Deputy Commander someday."

Ever blinked a few times. It was quite astonishing for the heir closest to inheriting the dukedom to say such a thing, but shortly after, she shyly yet refreshingly nodded and smiled.

"Yes, I hope that happens for you. If you have the ability to transform, sadly, you'll be going to the Steiber's Sul Division instead of the Shin Division I'm in charge of."

At that moment, Yuder saw a fleeting look of shock and disappointment flash like lightning over Pruelle's face, who had been acting so cleverly.

"Is there a big difference depending on the division?"

"Uh, well..."

"Prince Pruelle, may I ask something?"

Yuder stepped in, interrupting Ever, who seemed to be contemplating how to respond to the unexpected reaction.

"Uh, sure, why not... What is it?"

"When I briefly visited the prison, it seemed like I found something related to the 4th underground floor. I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

"The 4th underground floor?"

Pruelle finally recovered from his shock and turned his head. After hearing about Yuder's discovery of the Tain family's crest engraved on the wall on the 3rd underground floor, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"If the location matches the crest on the wall... there might be a high probability that the 4th underground floor actually exists."

"So it does exist for sure?"

"According to the book I gave to His Highness, it was definitely designed to be there."

Pruelle responded, recalling the memory.

"The first Duke Tain made that place after taking Tainu as his territory. It's said that he frequently conducted research there, even during political affairs."

Yuder's eyebrows raised at the word "research," and Pruelle quickly added:

"He was not well-known, but he was a mage. He was the disciple of the Archmage Luma. He didn't act as a mage, so it's mostly passed down as a record within the family... but there are records that Archmage Luma often visited Tainu to see him."

Yuder didn't know that the first Duke Tain was a mage. But Kishiar seemed to know, nodding and adding:

"Though he was the least talented of Luma's disciples, he was acknowledged for his ability to research. What he researched is unknown now... but perhaps the reason the prison is so large is that it also served as a research facility."