Chapter 506

The fallen Baron Durmand was immediately carried away by his attendants. The servants swiftly cleaned up the vomit that had spattered in all directions, but a mishap had occurred; the clothes and shoes of numerous nobles close to him were soiled because he had suddenly vomited.

Among them was also Duke Diarca.

"My God, the Duke's shoes are ruined!"

"What are you all fussing about? Are the floors more important than His Grace's health?"

Amidst those who were making a bigger fuss than the person involved, the nobles who had just been encouraging Baron Durmand to drink were at a loss as to what to do next.

'What on earth happened?'

It appeared the poison had taken effect, but Yuder, who had drunk more before, seemed perfectly fine. It was hard to make sense of the situation.

And Duke Diarca felt the same.

'Why is that man perfectly fine?'

Was there a traitor among them, or was it the absurd notion that this man of common birth was immune to poison?

The situation was highly suspicious, but as they had to hide the fact that Baron Durmand had collapsed due to the ingested poison and not just an allergic reaction to Quelochet, further investigation seemed difficult. The priority was to distance themselves from Baron Durmand.

With a wave of his hand, Duke Diarca dismissed the nobles who were about to clean his shoes in a fluster. Those who caught his gaze immediately understood what he wanted.

"Your Grace, Duke Diarca, how distraught you must be."

"It's just that I had stepped in to help an old acquaintance, and to think this would happen... My heart feels like it might stop if I think about how shocked you must be. Shall we leave for now?"

"Yes... perhaps it's best."

"Are you leaving then?"

It was then that Yuder spoke calmly. Although the Duke didn't respond, Yuder continued nonchalantly.

"Isn't it a bit early to leave? I thought you might be curious as to why Baron Durmand collapsed while I remain unaffected."

"..."

At those words, Duke Diarca, along with most of the others, turned their heads. Yuder casually shook the wine bottle he was holding.

"Do you happen to know why I was severely injured while dealing with the monster in the West? It was due to the poison it carried."

People's eyes shifted toward the giant head of Pethuamet behind Yuder. Could that terrifying monster not only be enormous but also venomous?

"Having been heavily affected by the poison and then recovering, I seem to have developed a significant resistance to poisoned substances. I suppose I have the Emperor, my Commander, and my excellent comrades to thank for my fortunate survival."

Of course, half of this was a lie. But the modesty paid off, as the faces of various nobles twisted in displeasure.

It was better to hide the weakness of being vulnerable to monsters, while only half-revealing the strength of being resistant to most poisons. After all, the term 'significant' is inherently subjective.

The more the enemies found it difficult to gauge Yuder's limitations, the less likely his comrades were to be in danger.

"Thank you for involving me," Yuder said.

"The reason why Baron Durmand, who was said to never had any side effects from drinking Quelochet, yet immediately vomited and fainted after this sip, and why I'm still perfectly fine—no doubt, they all share the same answer," he added.

If Yuder hadn't been resistant to poison, he would have been the first to collapse and vomit. His icy eyes said as much.

The faces of those who had prepared the drinks and medications along with Baron Durmand turned pale.

"Resistant to poison? That's absurd."

"No, it has to be a lie. This is clearly an inside betrayal."

"Does this mean that the Cavalry will continue to investigate the matter?" A noble, neither from Diarca's side nor friendly toward Yuder, asked with interest.

"Yes. We plan to thoroughly investigate any secrets hidden in this drink, including the person who gifted it."

"..."

"What does this have to do with Duke Diarca? If you suspect Baron Durmand, do as you will. If you're going to investigate, let the Cavalry handle it!"

"Such uncouth manners."

Voices rose in protest from behind the silent Duke Diarca.

Suddenly, the Duke, who had been standing quietly, raised his hand to silence everyone after someone whispered politely in his ear.

"Do as you wish."

"Your Grace..."

"I too am deeply disappointed in Durmand. I'm tired; let's honor the Crown Prince and retire for the day."

Straightening his back, Duke Diarca brushed past Yuder. Following him, many nobles also disappeared, as if they had no more business there. When the Duke mentioned that he would pay his respects to the Crown Prince before leaving, the prince showed a faint smile, tinged with regret.

"So soon? That's unfortunate."

The nobles from the side of Duke Diarca felt that the expression on the Crown Prince's face was somehow a bit different from before, although it was hard to pinpoint exactly why.

'Is he still holding onto a grudge? Normally, he would leave as soon as the Duke departs.'

Was there still a problem between Duke Diarca and Crown Prince Katchian, even after everyone thought the relationship had been mended? What impact could this have in the future? With the Cavalry making significant strides and their newfound fame, this subtlety was not a good sign for those aligned with Duke Diarca.

While thoughts raced through many heads, members of the Cavalry gathered around Yuder as soon as Duke Diarca had left.

"Yuder! About earlier... was it okay to speak so bluntly? Won't there be some sort of reprisal? Especially since..."

"Yuder, you kept it a secret from us that you had a resistance to poison! We were really worried when we thought you got hurt! It's good that you didn't, but..."

"Don't worry. I'm truly alright," Yuder reassured his comrades with a brief reply, brushing off their concerns. Then he turned his head toward someone who had been quietly standing in a corner.

"Gakane."

"..."

Gakane hesitated, lifting his head before lowering his eyes again. The other members seemed to understand why Yuder had called Gakane and subtly cleared the space around them.

"...Ah, should we go dance again? Want to join me?"

"Sure."

"I want to eat some fruit. It looked delicious earlier."

"You still want to eat that after seeing someone throw up? You're truly worthy of being in the Cavalry."

"And yet you already have a fork in your hand."

"I had no choice. That's a separate matter. I didn't get to eat breakfast because of all the preparations."

Yuder moved through the space left open by the retreating members and grasped Gakane's shoulder.

"Thanks for earlier."

"..."

Gakane broke his silence, lifting his head once more. His eyes, tinged with a shade of green, shimmered with complicated emotions.

"I feel like I haven't done anything to deserve your thanks. I wasn't any help to you at all."