Chapter 393

The chattering mouth that had been prattling on suddenly clamped shut. Round eyes peeping through blue strands of hair looked at Yuder with a new excitement and anticipation.

"...A proposal for the right to appoint an aide?"

Yuder did not respond verbally, but quietly nodded his head.

Finn still remembered the short conversation he had heard previously at the Western Mage Union base in Great Sarain Forest, along with Hinn and Gakane.

"I remember, of course. But why? Are you planning to give it to me already?"

"If I am, would you consider accepting?"

Excitement surged through Finn's parted lips. The boy, whose soft cheeks had turned red like a young animal, seemed as if he would nod his head at any moment, but he did not forget his caution, curious as to why such a sudden offer was being made.

"Are you making this offer to me alone, or is it also for Hinn and Gakane in Great Sarain Forest?"

"It's a proposal made first to you. Those two are not here."

"Aha. You mean you need someone here to aid Yuder."

Finn's eyes narrowed as he quickly grasped the unspoken meaning.

Though the Eldore siblings sometimes appeared more naive and thoughtless than the youngest member in the Cavalry, in fact, their ability to read situations and judge matters was more exceptional than many adult members. It meant they hadn't lived as naively as they seemed.

"But why do you need help to the point of using the appointment right in advance?"

Yuder lowered his voice after confirming once again that no one was around.

"I'd like you to watch and investigate some people in Tainu on my behalf. Without anyone finding out. ...Can you do it?"

"Of course I can! I'm confident!"

Finn exclaimed, thumping his chest.

"But who are these people in Tainu? Someone I've seen before?"

"No."

Yuder looked into Finn's sparkling eyes.

"...They are southern merchants who came here yesterday under Duke Tain's orders."

Last night, Yuder had seen southern merchants in a tavern and inn connected to a warehouse filled with Duke Tain's secret trade goods. Kishiar had instructed Nathan Zuckerman to watch them, but Yuder felt the need to investigate them separately.

It wasn't because he didn't trust Nathan Zuckerman and the Peletta Knights, but because he sensed an indescribable premonition from the way the southern merchants seemed to detect his presence unusually quickly.

'I can't be certain since I didn't exert effort, but... I must consider the possibility that they might be Awakeners.'

The idea of appointing Finn as an aide in advance came from this reason. What Yuder wanted was a watchful eye to consistently monitor the southern merchants without anyone noticing. Finn was ideally suited for this task.

His unruly, mischievous demeanor meant he could move a bit freely among his colleagues without raising suspicions. He knew how to utilize his unassuming appearance and quick judgment, without exposing himself to danger.

He had planned to use the appointment right to gather individuals responsible for information gathering within the Cavalry, so advancing the start wouldn't be a poor choice.

"The Commander has already told Zuckerman to watch them, but I think..."

"You mean it's necessary for us to investigate on our own, aside from the Peletta Knights?"

Finn immediately caught on to Yuder's intention and interjected.

"Yes. I'd prefer to do it myself, but I think it's hard for me to pay attention to that right now, so I'd like to ask you."

"Hmm... you know what? Yuder is really lucky."

With eyes narrowed like a pleased cat, Finn suddenly grinned slyly and whispered.

"Actually, this was still a secret, but not long ago, I succeeded in using the teleportation ability by myself, you know? It would be perfect to use for this job, wouldn't it?"

The Eldore siblings originally possessed the ability to teleport people or objects within a short range when they held hands. Yuder had heard that the ability had been expanding in terms of distance, but he didn't know it had developed to the point where they could use it separately.

Yuder, surprised by the development that had not occurred in his previous life, rarely opened his eyes wide, and Finn made a satisfied face at the reaction.

"How did you..."

"Remember when we all gathered to hear advice from Yuder about developing our abilities? Yuder told us that, for us, extending the range of our teleportation ability is important, but we should also train to be able to use it in any situation."

Of course, he remembered.

It happened just after he had been able to modify the Cavalry training methods. Many Cavalry members had come asking for personal advice to further develop their abilities, and Yuder had spent all day answering everyone. Of course, the Eldore siblings were among them.

"To use it in any situation, we first had to consider when we were not together, right? Actually, it hasn't worked so far, but it seems that being forced apart in Tainu helped us succeed."

Although this was not the meaning of being able to use it in any situation, the fact that they had finally succeeded in using their abilities separately was a remarkable achievement.

The result of Kishiar separating the Eldore siblings had blossomed this way. Perhaps he already knew something about the siblings' new challenge.

"Then what about Hinn?"

"Of course, Hinn succeeded too. She first did it when Gakane was injured and needed quick treatment, and the road was blocked. Amazing, right?"

That was news to him. The development of the other members had contributed to Gakane surviving instead of dying, unlike in the previous life.

"So when did you first succeed, Finn?"

"Me? I, um..."

Finn, who had been answering confidently, for the first time closed his mouth and playfully scrunched up his nose.

"When I went to help Yuder investigate the prison."

He managed to leave with a promise for next time, but Finn was still in a state of residual anger against the Tainu Knights at that time. It was only natural that he wanted to throw a piece of dog dung, that he happened to find while heading to catch a carriage back to Baron Willhem's mansion, under the knights' feet.

"But that... actually worked, you know."

Although it was a ridiculous reason, if the Eldore siblings had advanced one step further for the sake of their comrades, it was a good thing. Yuder praised them honestly.

"I see. Congratulations to both of you."

"Thanks. But we still have a long way to go. We will find a way to develop further together with Hinn!"

Finn said he would act for the mission as soon as he returned to the security management team and conveyed Kishiar's answer to Ever. Yuder informed him of the location of the inn where the southern merchants were staying and their appearance, emphasizing not to approach them excessively.

"They seemed very sensitive to signs. Be careful."

"Don't worry. If we intend to, no one can suspect us. Ah, of course, it's just me for now."

Some time had passed since Hinn had left, but Finn still often habitually used the word "we" to refer to himself. However, the fact that neither sadness nor regret was reflected in his awkward smile meant that the Cavalry and Kishiar were sufficient to fill each other's voids as siblings.

That fact was somewhat comforting.

"So is it time to start the historic first mission of the Cavalry's Secret Information Team? I'm totally excited! See you later, Yuder!"

Yuder silently watched Finn Eldore's departing figure before turning away. It was now time for him to make a brief outing as well.

...

"What's going on? I didn't call for you, why are you here so early?"

"I wanted to have a brief chat with you."

Enon opened the door to his lodgings with a scowl and stared at Yuder's face before snapping at him.

"Hmm. It seems something must have made you rather impatient?"

"..."

As usual, Enon had an uncannily sharp sense of intuition, different from Kishiar's. As Yuder said nothing, Enon let out a snort and opened the door a little wider, allowing him to enter.

"Come in for now. I don't have much time, so speak quickly."

The inside of the lodging looked somewhat different from the last time he had been there. Suspicious-looking magic tools and piles of paper were scattered everywhere, and pens rolled about in place of forks amid half-eaten food dishes.

Mick and Hellem were seated across from each other, talking over the cage of Pethuamet, completely engrossed in conversation and scribbling on paper without noticing their visitor.

"What are you looking at? Ignore them and come up here. You said you came to talk to me."

Enon's voice raised from the top of the stairs as Yuder observed them. Yuder turned his gaze and followed Enon into a small bedroom. The piles of dried herbs on the table beside the bed gave a true sense of Enon's dwelling place.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I want to know how far the research has progressed. And... what's best for recovery when a mage has overused their power and become exhausted?"

"...Why are you suddenly asking about that when you're not a mage?"

Enon asked after a moment of silence. Yuder was surprised to see such an agitated expression on a face that usually remained unchanging even when biting into a raw lemon.

"I know people who can use magic even though I'm not a mage."

"What I mean is... No, forget it. Don't speak. Don't open your mouth! Enough!"

Enon suddenly yelled in anger, interrupting himself, and sat down a few steps away from Yuder.

"The research is progressing better than I thought. They know a lot of methods I hadn't thought of, so it's been a significant help. I've gained quite a bit of knowledge this time, especially from the mage named Hellem."

Even though Enon had lived for a long time, his knowledge didn't extend to every area. Watching Hellem and Mick researching the monster, he seemed to be quite impressed, even softening his previously furrowed expression.

"Anyway, right now, we're extracting the monster's fluid for investigation, and simultaneously feeding it pieces of magic stone to observe the absorption and excretion process. The latter is almost completed."

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