Chapter 596

The atmosphere shifted dramatically when it was mentioned that the Awakener could copy others' powers. Gakane furrowed his eyebrows and cautiously asked,

"So, you mean they can imitate the abilities of other Awakeners? Isn't that the most dangerous power?"

"Yes, exactly. But according to Gayle and Doyle, it's not as formidable as it sounds because it has some weaknesses."

"Ah, is it complex to control?"

"That's part of it. Also, the copied abilities are significantly weaker than the originals. For instance, if he were to mimic an ability like Gayle and Doyle's sword aura, the copied version would be weaker and have a shorter duration."

"I see... Well, naturally, someone with the original power would be stronger then."

"It doesn't seem that easy to just go around copying abilities. If it's that taxing to use even one, attempting more would be out of the question... Besides, it doesn't sound like he has a great reputation."

The person who interjected was Yuder. His eyes seemed even more contemplative than usual. Whenever Yuder had that look, it was as though he was gazing at something far beyond what any of the members could see. Kanna thought this but kept her observations to herself, nodding in agreement.

"Yes, you're right, as always, Yuder. Though I'm not sure about other things, his reputation really wasn't that great. Gayle and Doyle despised him. He would just take abilities that looked interesting to him without asking for consent. He even had a nickname—Copycat."

"Wow, hearing that nickname, I get why they disliked him. If someone copied our abilities and acted smug about it, I'd challenge them to a duel and drag them to the training grounds immediately!"

Finn wore a face of vehement agreement. Though no one said it out loud, everyone seemed to be pondering what they would do if someone copied their abilities.

No one would feel good about someone else copying something they possessed, especially if it were an inferior imitation.

Moreover, in a closed and diverse group like the Star of Nagran, such an ability would be even less welcome. Its perceived triviality made sense when considering how dangerous it could become, depending on its application and development.

"So, who is this person among the sage's party? What do they look like? Did you find out their name?" Devran asked, nearly out of breath.

"Yes. He has a long scar on one ear. His name is Diemon."

'As I suspected.'

Yuder's eyes darkened even more.

The Diemon he knew now was entirely different from the Diemon he remembered from his past life. This Diemon was youthfully vibrant and timidly followed the true sage who led the Star of Nagran. If not for that prominent scar on his ear, it would have been difficult to identify him as the same person.

The ability Yuder originally knew Diemon to possess was merely manipulation of emotions. But none of that power's traces were found in the abilities used during the recent Sun Palace incursion.

There were only two plausible explanations for all of this.

First, the real ability Diemon had was different from what Yuder originally knew.

Second, Diemon gained a new second ability after the internal collapse of the Star of Nagran.

And now, the revealed truth seemed to lean toward the first option.

'If he can copy others' abilities, then it would be possible for a young man to age, or for him to manifest powers different from what I remember. There would be no fixed ability, per se.'

In that case, what he told Yuder—that his ability was to alter other people's emotions—wasn't an outright lie after all.

'He never used any other power from the moment he first made his name known in his previous life until the day he died. He must have had some reason why he couldn't use anything but that particular ability.'

He still didn't know what that reason was, but now that he was closer to the truth about him, he felt assured that he could prevent future disasters before they happened.

"Is Diemon the only one the brothers have figured out?"

"There's one more. A man with glasses. They say he goes by the name 'Nezo'. He has been a close confidant of the sage for a very long time. It seems he wasn't particularly friendly with the brothers, so I couldn't get any more useful information out of him."

Kanna reported that this man appeared to have an ability related to long-distance vision. It was a shame that they didn't find out more, but even this much was a significant achievement. Knowing at least the types of abilities they were up against ensured that they could handle whatever came their way.

'The help of one person specialized in information really does make a difference.'

However, it wasn't to say that the other informants were inferior to Kanna. Her ability wasn't absolute, after all.

Kanna's skills shined brightest when she was given sufficient material to read. Conversely, her abilities waned when there was nothing to analyze.

So, it was only logical to expand their intelligence unit for long-term strategy, considering she couldn't go out and collect minute details due to her lack of physical strength.

'Right now, we have fewer than ten people in the intelligence unit, but once we establish branches, we'll be able to recruit more. Then we'll have eyes and ears all across the empire.'

Awakeners with various abilities would effectively exert their powers not just within the Empire, but globally, gathering all sorts of information. This was just the beginning.

Keeping his thoughts about the distant future to himself and maintaining a calm exterior, Yuder expressed his gratitude to Kanna.

"Thank you, Kanna. This will be extremely helpful for what we have planned next."

"Don't mention it. If it weren't for the materials and information brought by everyone here, I wouldn't have been able to read so much. We have interconnected tasks, so it's best to help each other out!"

Kanna was well aware of the limitations of her own abilities. With a softer look in his eyes, Yuder glanced over at Kanna and the other informants, then shared some things they should be aware of.

"I've learned some things myself, so I'll share them here. Remember everything you've heard today and make sure you don't forget."

The information Yuder shared was concise. He was now completely certain that the perpetrators behind the invasion of the Sun Palace were from the sage's entourage, and behind them was the Diarca family. He also mentioned that they had recently come face-to-face for the first time.

"Wow... so it was them after all."

"Hold on, then the recent announcement from Prince Katchian that they were taking on the mission to capture the perpetrators of the Sun Palace invasion is...?"

Quick to catch on, the faces of those who had figured out the implications behind Yuder's information subtly changed. Considering their complicated feelings, Yuder calmly spoke first.

"I can't go into details, but the Crown Prince didn't take on this mission with full knowledge of the situation. Regardless, now that he's involved, there's likely to be tension between the Diarca family and Crown Prince Katchian for a while. I don't think this will have negative implications for His Majesty the Emperor or our Commander. We should just focus on doing what we have to do."

The atmosphere shifted distinctly at the mention of Duke Diarca and the Crown Prince. The only commonality in everyone's expression was the absolute absence of goodwill.

For most, political issues still seemed like a complex narrative from a distant land, yet the memory of Duke Diarca and his cohorts from the last Cavalry party lingered deeply. So deeply, in fact, that since that day, the name "Duke Diarca" had become almost as infamous within the Cavalry as the Imperial Knights.

In simpler terms, people had grown to dislike him so much that they started changing the names of their training targets and balls to mock him.

'Ever since we used that half-hearted apology from Baron Durmand as a training target, we've really learned something...'

If word got out that they were using such disrespectful tactics during training, there'd be hell to pay. But frankly, Yuder didn't mind the growing audacity among the members.

"Most of you already know, but I'll be leaving the capital soon to assist the Commander in the second recruitment of members," Yuder said, locking eyes with each of the intelligence officers, his gaze full of resolve.

"I'll be prepared to return at any moment if the situation in the capital changes. But for that, I'll need your help. So, please take good care of things while I'm away."

In the past, leaving the capital teeming with enemies wouldn't have been an option. If Kishiar wasn't present, and Yuder was also gone, who would handle any unforeseen crises?

But now, it seemed feasible.

Even in Yuder's absence, he was confident that everyone would perform their roles adequately.

Hadn't he trained them rigorously for just such occasions?

'Still, just to be safe, I should intensify the training schedule before I leave.'

Unaware of Yuder's thoughts, the intelligence unit members smiled broadly, moved by his words. Yuder too felt content, contemplating new training methods for them.

Thus, the intelligence unit meeting concluded in a warm and cordial atmosphere.

"Yuder, a moment," Kanna said as the meeting dispersed, skillfully pulling Yuder aside. She spoke in a low voice, too soft for anyone else to hear. "I think the bait I threw at Count Gallon, who claims he wants to play my father's role, might catch something."

"Information about Karl Enfile?"

"Yes. You should've seen how he raged at my audacity, only to reconsider and start pleading. Anyway, I'll let you know when I'm certain."

"Understood."

"Oh, and about Hosanna. Ever since meeting the Commander, he's been deep in thought. It might just be a matter of time before he opens up. Should we push him a little? What do you think?"

"If you think it's necessary, go ahead. I trust you."

"Mmm. I appreciate your trust, but shaking Hosanna was initially the Commander's success, so I'm hesitant to intervene further. How did he even manage to do what even I couldn't? Could he actually possess some kind of persuasive power? Well, if it's him, it's possible..."

In truth, Kishiar wasn't the first to try shaking Hosanna. Kanna, who had been responsible for him all along, was the first to attempt it but to no avail. Eventually, they had to rely on Kishiar and Nathan Zuckerman.

'I never doubted that Kishiar would be successful, but it was surprisingly effective...'

"...By the way, Yuder."

Kanna was mid-sentence when her eyes suddenly widened upon seeing Yuder's face, as if she had seen something unbelievable.

"You look... happier? Could it be because I mentioned the Commander?"

"..."

"No, no! You don't have to answer!"

Just as Yuder was about to speak, Kanna raised her hand to stop him, and swiftly stepped back. Moments later, she hastily offered her goodbyes, saying she had remembered something she needed to do, and then vanished.

"..."

Was he actually happier? Yuder asked himself.

'It seems so.'

The truth was, he had arrived last to the Intelligence Unit's meeting today because he had lost track of time, utterly entranced by Kishiar's face and lingering over his tea.

It was unlike him, as he always prided himself on moving quicker and arriving earlier than everyone else. But strangely, he wasn't angry about it. Love seemed to have a paralyzing effect on his rationality, to the point that it became frightening.

To be honest, even at this moment, he wanted to see Kishiar.