Chapter 586

Within the vast territory that nearly encompassed half of the 7th Wall District of the capital, lay the Imperial Knights' compound.

Cautiously scanning his surroundings, Kiolle Diarca descended from the carriage that had entered the compound. Though his position had shifted to that of the Crown Prince's escort knight, his fundamental affiliation was still with the Imperial Knights. Despite having no need to act so cautiously, his shoulders remained tense, filled with an uneasy energy.

"Ah? Is that you, Sir Diarca?"

"Wha—!"

Suddenly, someone called out to Kiolle from behind. For a brief moment, he tensed up as if he had been struck by lightning. Quickly composing himself, he creakingly turned his head towards the source of the voice.

Two members of the Imperial Knights, whose names he couldn't even recall, offered him a casual salute.

"Indeed, it is you, Sir Diarca. What brings you here?"

"You haven't been here in a while. If you have any business, would you like us to assist you?"

Their faces were filled with warm smiles. However, Kiolle's expression had long since turned sour, as if crumpled paper.

"...Are you implying that I have no reason to be here unless I have some business?"

"Huh?"

The knights who had initiated the conversation blinked in surprise at his irritable reaction.

"No, no, not at all. We were just happy to see you after such a long time!"

"Yes, exactly. We can assist you with your duties and perhaps catch up a little—"

"Do I look like someone who can't handle my own affairs without help? Also, this isn't a place where common knights should be idly wandering during duty hours. Who said you could be so blatantly lazy here?"

"..."

Of course, that was the official protocol. But how many in the Imperial Knights actually followed it? Especially coming from Kiolle Diarca, who barely managed to enlist thanks to his family name and was rumored to be inferior even to the lowest-ranked knights in skill!

"Associating with lazy people like you is an insult to me. I have no conversation to share with people whose names I don't even remember. Leave."

Truth be told, the knights had approached Kiolle not out of genuine kindness but because they thought it amusing to engage with the scorned youngest son of the Diarca Ducal House. They felt chills run down their spines, as if he had read their minds.

"So Diarca is still Diarca, huh..."

"I've heard rumors that a lot of people have underestimated him lately. Seems they were true."

They reluctantly retreated, unable to utter another word.

Left alone, Kiolle didn't let down his guard until they had completely disappeared. Then he finally relaxed his tense back and gritted his teeth.

"...That damn Cavalry bastard... Not only can I not crawl up to him, but he dares to summon me here?!"

The reason for his visit was a hastily-written note he had received secretly during the imperial family meal. Scrawled in it were a few numbers and a word. After some thought, Kiolle had deduced that these indicated a date, time, and the name of the Imperial Knights' training ground. This particular training ground was shared by both the Cavalry and the Imperial Knights. It was also the place where Yuder had previously given the Imperial Knights a sound thrashing. As soon as he had realized this, the sender's identity and intentions became crystal clear in his mind.

Since the Cavalry was located within the grounds of the Imperial Knights, visiting under the pretext of some task was simple. The Crown Prince would naturally not suspect him. However, the fact that he had to comply with Yuder's instructions, even while aware of all this, was irksome.

'Damn it! What was up with those guys just now? I thought I had been found out, scared me for a second.'

The knights had been more irritable than usual when they spoke, making him anxious that his motives might be revealed. What he didn't realize, however, was that the knights had read their own base intentions in his irritation, thinking he was appropriately expressing aristocratic disdain.

Thus, the reputation of Kiolle Diarca rose once more that day.

"You're here."

"That's all you have to say after calling me all the way here?"

What else was he supposed to say? Yuder silently observed Kiolle, who stood awkwardly in a corner of the empty training ground. Precisely three seconds after their eyes met, the air seemed to deflate from Kiolle's puffed-up liver, and his previous fears returned.

Avoiding Yuder's scrutinizing gaze, Kiolle turned his head and spoke.

"... I said to His Highness the Crown Prince that I had some business to attend to at the Imperial Knights. I don't think he'd suspect me, but just in case, I'll return as soon as possible."

"Hmm, alright. No need to drag this out."

Yuder extended his hand towards Kishiar, unambiguously.

"Hand it over."

"What, what are you talking about?"

"The information we agreed to exchange. Naturally, you should be the one to go first, since you're likely to have less valuable information."

While Kiolle couldn't argue with the logic, being demanded like that made him feel as though he had been reduced to a pet. He clenched his teeth, but he couldn't help but speak first.

"I've been keeping a close eye on those charlatans. I don't know if you're already aware, but after the last party where we met, they've mostly been in the Bright Palace, making it easier to watch them."

Yuder nodded; he already knew that the Awakeners from the Star of Nagran, including the sage, had been staying at the Bright Palace for a long time. Kiolle continued.

"What I've noticed is that there's absolutely no chance that they are benevolent healers. They hardly ever leave their lodgings, except when they come out to treat the Crown Prince. But whenever they did show up, I followed them to see what they were up to. I even followed them into filthy restrooms, you know?"

Yuder sighed as he looked at Kiolle's innocently blinking eyes.

'I did say it might be better to directly ask, but I never suggested following them into bathrooms...'

"Alright, just tell me what you found. If I deem it useless, I will only share equally useless information in return."

"You sly... even if it's useful, you could just say it's not!"

"Why would I do that? If you bring valuable information, it's in my interest to reciprocate, so that our relationship continues to be mutually beneficial."

"..."

"It's common sense if you have a brain, don't you think?"

"Are you saying I don't have a brain?!"

Having met Yuder several times now, Kiolle seemed to have developed a knack for understanding even his subtle insults. His fists clenched in irritation, but he had no choice but to start recounting what he had observed.

"... Listen, the reasons I suspect they're charlatans are as follows."

Since meeting Yuder, Kiolle had resolved to tail the so-called healers wherever they went.

He endured even the most distasteful activities just to understand their actions. He questioned them, observed them eating, and even followed them when they left their lodging for walks. Eventually, they became so wary of Kiolle that just the sound of his footsteps was enough to make them visibly uncomfortable.

However, the middle-aged man who seemed to be their leader was an exception.

Unlike the young healers who couldn't hide their discomfort and fear around Kiolle, this man had no fear. He always spoke with an overly polite tone that was almost irritating, bowing his head and adding, as if cursing, that if anyone wanted treatment, they should come to him. The way he spoke made him sound as insufferable as a pompous priest.

But this man was also the one whom Crown Prince Katchian trusted and kept by his side the most. Therefore, Kiolle decided to witness firsthand the moment these men had a direct meeting with the Crown Prince.

At this point, Yuder's eyes sparkled with intrigue.

"So you finally saw it?"

"Yes."

After meeting Yuder, Kiolle had worked hard to gather information about these people. In order to win the Crown Prince's favor, he bowed his head more deeply than before. Perhaps because the Crown Prince had started to trust him more after the Cavalry party incident, Kiolle had finally gained the honor of attending the Crown Prince's treatment sessions.

Kiolle then described what he had seen with a serious expression.

"The treatment was as simple as I've heard. The aged leader would sit beside His Highness, who was lying on the bed, take his hand, and engage in what seemed like an endless conversation. The others sat quietly, burning incense and herbs... Occasionally, they would summon servants to refill the Crown Prince's tea. That was it."

Truthfully, it was so dull that Kiolle had almost dozed off halfway through. But he could swear that this really was the extent of it.

"It was as if they were merely discussing health and emotions, no magical aura or anything. How could this even be considered treatment? They are charlatans, pure and simple. Do you really believe they are Awakeners? Hard to believe based on this alone."

"..."

Afterwards, Kiolle subtly suggested to the Crown Prince that these healers seemed to be getting a lot of respect for doing nothing. As a result, Kiolle was ordered to wait outside during future treatment sessions.

'This guy... He's treated as lesser than even the sage.'

If it weren't for Kiolle being Diarca, Crown Prince Katchian would've probably driven him away without a word. Yuder sighed and clicked his tongue inaudibly.

The absurd and laughable part was, Kiolle still believed that the Crown Prince was gaining more trust in him day by day.

"His Highness shares tea and strategic games with me every other day now. And I was the only one permitted to accompany him during meals recently. He trusts me," Kiolle said.

"Uh-huh... Sure."

Yuder suspected that it was more likely for Katchian to engage with someone he considered easy to handle than with someone he genuinely trusted. He guessed that either the Crown Prince had realized Kiolle was less clever than he appeared, or Kiolle had inadvertently revealed a vulnerability he himself was unaware of. It was a remarkably accurate conjecture.

"Ah, but aside from the aged leader who primarily performs the treatments, the younger ones do seem to be true Awakeners."

Ever since their arrival, the number of rats in the Bright Palace had increased, and rumors about ghosts had started circulating. Kiolle had even heard soldiers, who were on night duty, say that they couldn't move forward on paths they knew well, as if a wall had suddenly appeared.

In the past, he hadn't believed it, but after hearing from Yuder that they were Awakeners, he couldn't just dismiss it lightly. He volunteered for several night shifts. Other soldiers and knights were shocked, but he insisted. As a result, he discovered that the rumors were, to some extent, true.

"It was dawn. I was going to the bathroom when I found four rats gathered in a circle, their tails intertwined as they spun around."

"And then?"

"I drew my sword and shouted, and they vanished."

The next day, Kiolle hounded the healers, interrogating them if they knew anything about the incident. Complaints about filthy rats appearing because of those unfortunate newcomers were just a bonus. The healers dispersed, avoiding Kiolle's gaze without uttering a word.

After that, all the tales of rat sightings around Bright Palace ceased entirely. So did the soldiers' eerie stories. People guessed that Kiolle must have been dreaming, but Kiolle believed it was no mere coincidence.

"And you know... this is a bit of a different topic, but I think it's certain that my father was unaware of their true nature."

"Why do you think that?"

"After they visited our home, Father asked a lot of questions about them. In my opinion—"

"Hold on."

Yuder raised his hand to interrupt him.

"Did the healers meet your father? The Duke of Diarca?"

"Yes."

"When did they go to see him? For what reason?"

"Well, it was not too long ago. I think Father wanted to hear directly from the healers about the Crown Prince's treatment. Is that important?"

"..."

'Of course it's important. What could be more important?'

The Duke of Diarca, who had only dealt with the healers indirectly up until now, had for the first time personally met them. How could such an event not be significant? Yuder clenched his fist for a moment before loosening it again.

"Tell me again. Properly. The exact timing and everything you saw that day."