Chapter 573

"I was going to say that even if your goal was world domination, I'd still support you. Guess I got it half right."

Only half right? The only commonality between saving the world and conquering it was that both concerned the world they lived in. It was a wildly audacious joke, but the individual it pertained to remained unfazed. Kishiar was as he always was—neither laughing at Yuder's words, nor particularly scrutinizing them.

After repeatedly observing Kishiar's demeanor, Yuder finally spoke, hesitating as if he couldn't find the right words.

"Do you not find what I said... absurdly ambitious?"

"Why would I think that?"

Kishiar counter-questioned.

"If you're only saying that because it was me who said it..."

"While it's true I'm prepared to believe whatever you say, that doesn't mean I don't have any basis for it," Kishiar replied decisively.

"If claiming an unseen goal is absurd, then wouldn't priests, who believe and follow an unseen God, be absurd in their very existence?"

"Isn't that different from this?"

"Depending on your perspective, not really. The existence of divine power as evidence of God has been a long-standing debate among mages. The logic was that the existence of magic power doesn't necessarily mean you should believe in magic. Priests weren't fond of the topic, to say the least."

Wasn't it more than just a topic priests weren't fond of? Wasn't it a taboo subject that could brand you as insane?

As Yuder pondered his response, Kishiar overlaid his hand atop Yuder's clenched fist. Slowly caressing the back of Yuder's hand, Kishiar continued.

"Wanting to prevent an impending calamity is different from vaguely clamoring for world peace or salvation. If the Yuder I know had the latter kind of aim, I imagine he would be in a temple, not with the Cavalry. Perhaps wearing priestly robes that would make someone like me uncomfortable."

Each soft-spoken word from Kishiar struck deeply into Yuder's ears and resonated in his mind.

"But you chose the Cavalry, not the temple. That signifies that you deemed your abilities as an Awakener more essential for your aims than prayers. Considering what you've been doing all this time, everything appears to be rooted in practical efforts, far removed from absurdity, don't you think?"

His long fingers wove between Yuder's, enumerating each of his past deeds.

"You've taught others to increase their chances of survival, without fear of envy or jealousy. You've faced dangers head-on, nipping problems in the bud, even saving lives destined for death. To anyone observing, this is closer to the attitude of a military leader preparing for war, rather than its opposite."

"..."

"Self-proclaimed prophets and madmen who cry that the end is near have always existed. However, those who only talk never provide evidence or prepare for anything. That's the difference between you and them. That alone is reason enough for me to believe in you."

No one.

No one had ever given Yuder such an answer before.

Quietly blinking, a whirlwind of memories from his past life swept through Yuder's mind.

'Yudrain, are you in your right mind? If you're going to spout nonsense, leave and go do what you were instructed to do.'

'True. The disasters have worsened over the years. Last year's earthquakes and droughts were followed by a harsh winter. But to say these events and the appearance of monsters are omens of impending doom is laughable. Are we saying that it's the end of the world, like in the time of the First Emperor a thousand years ago?'

'Commander of the Cavalry, you wander the lands these days seeking to be a hero, don't you? Isn't what you've achieved so far enough? If you're that bored, get a wife. Ah, is it because your body is some sort of Omega that you can't?'

'Even if what you say is true, it's difficult to officially acknowledge. The King of Nelarn can only protect Nelarn; we can't afford to stretch our hands towards the Empire.'

'Well, Commander, I'm not so sure. Weren't the results from the last investigation of the cracks inconclusive? No unusual elements were found. Perhaps you're overthinking this because the last event was too taxing?'

Doubt. Scorn. Mockery. Concern.

None of these reactions that Yuder had grown accustomed to were present here.

Standing before eyes that seemed to genuinely listen, Yuder felt as though the burden he'd been carrying for so long had lightened for the first time.

He bowed his head and took a deep breath.

"You truly believe what I'm saying."

"Yes, I do."

"..."

"Then speak. What do you mean when you say a disaster is coming, and what needs to be done?"

Yuder bit his lip lightly and looked up. Then he finally spoke the thoughts he had kept to himself for so long since his return from death.

"You've likely seen the strange cracks that appeared when monsters began to emerge unusually in the West. Do you remember?"

"Of course. I ordered an investigation into whether similar cracks have appeared since, but no news has come so far."

"I've seen similar things before."

"Is that what you're trying to address?"

The conversation with someone who seemed to understand him completely flowed without any hitches.

Yuder nodded slightly.

"Yes, but in my opinion, that's only the beginning."

"What comes after the beginning?"

"Listing them all would be pointless; there will be numerous disasters."

Earthquakes, droughts, harsh winters, torrential rains, famine, plagues, war, and people who bewilder others like sages, as well as those who look out only for themselves. Yuder listed them all and added one more point.

"Soon, priests and mages will lose their power, while the Awakeners will increase exponentially."

It was one of the pivotal issues during the chaotic times of his previous life.

The number of Awakeners grew, while the ranks of mages, priests, and knights dwindled. Mages who could hardly cast any spells, priests struggling to heal even minor injuries, and knights who couldn't even produce auras were fiercely fighting to protect their privileges, shunning the emerging Awakeners among them.

As a result of these power struggles, many established groups lost their vitality. Even the collapse of what seemed like an eternal Pearl Tower happened as an extension of this struggle.

All existing powers, including magic and divine forces, were like faint candles compared to the power of the newly emerged Awakeners. Yet the people holding the power were these older groups. Among the Awakeners, who gained strength overnight but failed to unite or gain respect, disorder and chaos erupted.

Any norms for systematically solving disasters were lost. With everyone scrambling to address immediate issues, no one sought to investigate the root causes.

"I thought it might be a sign that this board... no, the world is falling apart. So, I conducted an investigation of my own," Yuder recalled.

The memory that led Yuder to this conclusion dated back to the time when the Pearl Tower was collapsing. At that time, he had been closely investigating the traces of cracks that frequently appeared at the disaster scene.

Mages, who had shown no reaction to Yuder's requests for assistance, were conducting their own research under the premise that, "Perhaps the situation a thousand years ago was similar to what we face now."

Although the research was fundamentally aimed at restoring the mages' power and authority, and was not of any practical help, Yuder found their findings to be somewhat worthy of consideration once he obtained the information.

What piqued his interest specifically was the notion that the circumstances of the world nearly a thousand years ago, when it had almost perished, might be similar to the disasters happening now.

He began to travel the world to investigate matters related to this. He met experts from various countries to seek their advice and rushed to the scenes of unusual disasters to gather information.

However, people did not view his efforts as purely altruistic. Opinions abounded that the Cavalry Commander who ignored even the Emperor's orders to go around doing his own thing was harboring dangerous intentions.

Some mages and knights from other countries he met to convey his ideas also first suspected that there might be a hidden political motive behind Yuder's actions. If not, the mockery followed that he must be mad.

"It's easier on the conscience to proceed secretly when nobody believes me anyway," Yuder reasoned, ultimately making the dangerous decision to investigate the world's state on his own.

"In the end, I never got a chance to properly verify whether my thoughts were correct, but I'm not displeased with how things have turned out."

Since he had been executed, there was no way to know what had happened to the world afterward. All he resolved was not to repeat the same mistakes in this life.

"The things I need to accomplish my goal remain the same as before. If the Commander and His Majesty the Emperor maintain their health, and the Cavalry continues to hold its center, then that will be sufficient."

"..."

"Those are all the words I wish to offer."

Kishiar remained silent for a long time. Only when warmth returned to Yuder's hand, which he held, did he finally open his mouth.

"What should we do now?"