Chapter 687

"I am acquainted with some here who can provide aid," the Sage had revealed.

It was a startling realization that the Sage, too, had a time before awakening, and hence, acquaintances within the capital. The young Awakeners, including Langbarton, had never considered that the Sage might have lived in the capital prior to his awakening.

Yet, that was all they knew; the Sage's exact identity and past remained shrouded in mystery, a detail they neither knew nor particularly sought to uncover.

Soon after, the Sage informed them of sightings in the capital of individuals resembling Nahan's comrades, and a wall marked with a signal exclusive to the Star of Nagran was discovered nearby.

"Nahan was searching for us... for the Sage as well," they realized.

Debate ensued over the trustworthiness of this information and whether it was a trap to capture the Sage. In the end, it was the Sage who volunteered to sacrifice himself.

"This man cares little for his own life. I simply wish to prevent Nahan from leading his brethren and all of the Star of Nagran into danger."

This declaration stirred respect and admiration among the young Awakeners. Langbarton was moved to near tears and renewed his vow to protect the Sage at all costs.

Thus, they left a new signal near the one left by Nahan's group.

Almost immediately, a response came from Nahan's side.

After several exchanges, they secretly agreed to meet at a new hideout, the date being today.

"There it is."

Tension mounted as they approached the new hideout. After learning of Nahan's infiltration, they had moved to this location, unfamiliar to most of them.

In the past, meeting comrades would have been a joyous occasion, but now, they couldn't shake off their anxiety.

'We planned to arrive at the hideout first to confront them, but what if one of them has already snuck in there? It's unlikely, but... no, even if so, I don't believe we'd lose. Still... Damn! Diemon's nonsense is making me worry unnecessarily.'

Nahan had caused much disruption, fracturing the relationships among their southern base comrades and allowing a suspicious group to infiltrate.

Langbarton knew he could never forgive them if they threatened the Sage.

'The Sage is too kind, always offering chances even to the likes of Nahan. But not me. That creature is the evil of our group. Even if not today, it must be eradicated.'

Initially, Langbarton hadn't felt so strongly, but over time, he and the other young Awakeners had grown increasingly wary and resentful of Nahan.

Unaware of the oddity of his feelings or that Diemon's premonition might not be entirely wrong, Langbarton took a deep breath. He looked around, half-expecting to find suspicious onlookers or enemies, but saw only ordinary passersby. After hearing a loud vendor hawking dried fruits outside a nearby fruit shop, Langbarton quietly entered the hideout.

"Ha, if it weren't for the pharmacist, we would've continued searching elsewhere, oblivious to their arrival here today."

Beyond the lodgings where the Sage and the young Awakeners had entered, Devran Hartude, who had just been energetically attracting customers at the fruit store watched by Langbarton, set down the jar of dried apple preserves he had been holding.

In front of him stood Enon, pressing down his hat, appearing like a customer pondering whether to make a purchase.

Their presence there was not without reason. It was because Enon had brought news that 'Karl Enfile', an official who had vanished from the capital long ago, had suddenly reappeared.

Karl Enfile was a name presumed to belong to the Sage leading the Star of Nagran, before he became an Awakener. Having revealed himself after several years, he sought certain information from those he knew in the past, then departed once he received responses.

The information he sought pertained to the whereabouts of a suspicious and dangerous group roaming the capital, including a man bearing extensive burn scars on one side of his face.

The Sage began searching for the location of Nahan.

Having heard the tale from his trusted sources, Enon was certain of this.

Ideally, this news would have been first reported to Yuder, but he was in the south at the moment. Therefore, following the intelligence instructions Yuder had left before his departure, the remaining intelligence members gathered to collaborate upon hearing the news.

Enon had discovered more. He knew the location of a mysterious sentence someone had suddenly painted on a wall somewhere in the capital. Its meaning was difficult to grasp for those not affiliated with the Star of Nagran, but the Cavalry had Kanna, who could discern a wealth of information with a mere touch, and a few former Awakeners from the Star of Nagran.

"This was left on a day when dawn brought a light rain. So, three days ago. The one who painted this was engulfed in immense anxiety, vigilance, and suspicion. The meaning seems to indicate a rendezvous. Hmm. Are the Sage and Nahan planning to meet? The exact date isn't clear, but it might be best to ask Gayle and Doyle."

Following Kanna's advice, Gayle and Doyle, greeted with innocent faces by the intelligence members, joyfully examined the drawing presented to them.

"Oh, this drawing...! I've learned about it! The circles and sticks here indicate the number of days until the event, so five days! The sun symbol next to it means daytime. And below that is..."

According to what the brothers revealed, the Sage and Nahan were scheduled to meet today, right here.

And Devran, one of the intelligence members, realized that one of the stores where he had taken a job undercover for intelligence gathering was nearby, devising an excellent use for it.

"How fortunate that I've worked at this store. With winter approaching and less work, the owner had gone elsewhere, leaving the place deserted."

"Right. You were so dedicated to your side job that we thought you were about to quit the Cavalry. Who would have thought it'd come in handy here! We were really surprised."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

Behind Devran, who was boasting, Hinn and Finn, small enough to easily hide behind the stacked fruit boxes, suddenly stood up and teased him.

"Gakane! How's it over there? Can you manage?"

In contrast to the Eldore siblings, who were petite, Gakane, with his tall stature and strikingly handsome appearance, had no place to hide and was tucked away in a very small storeroom at the corner of the fruit store. He cracked the door open slightly and smiled sheepishly, his eyebrows softening. His clothes were covered in dust from how tightly he had squeezed himself in.

"Uh, I can manage. I'm alright."

Gakane could have hidden in the shadows for a brief respite, but this was an indefinite wait, preventing him from unnecessarily draining his strength. He enviously watched Enon, who, with a nonchalant face, intently gazed at the pickled lemons.

'Even the pharmacist is remarkably good-looking... Oddly, he doesn't seem to catch anyone's eye. Could that be some sort of trick or ability? I wish I could do the same.'

"Right. It's tough, but since Nahan hasn't arrived yet, just hold on a bit longer."

While the Eldore siblings were comforting Gakane, Enon, who had been silent until then, suddenly turned his head toward a certain direction.

"It looks like they're coming from over there."

"Where?"

Instead of answering, Enon gestured with his eyes. From not too far away, individuals with an unmistakably unusual aura emerged from an alley.

Recognizing the scar on the face of the man in the center, the Eldore siblings quickly ducked back behind the boxes. Gakane also vanished like the wind.

Devran, concealing his sharp gaze, resumed attracting customers with a smiling face.

"Oh, don't hesitate, take a jar with you. You know how staying indoors during winter can damage your skin and weaken your body? But eating these dried apple peel preserves regularly can prevent that. I'm not just trying to sell this, your complexion doesn't look good."

His earnest and unpretentious expression and voice somehow lent credibility to his words, even though they were the same as any other vendor. This knack for making his wares seem worth a try revealed why he was a favorite among the merchants.

"Wow, Devran. Maybe you should have been a trader?"

"Indeed."

As the Eldore siblings murmured among themselves, Nahan and his companions nonchalantly passed the fruit store.

Or so they intended.

"Really? Are these apple peel preserves that good? How much?"

Ironically, Devran's effective sales pitch caused one of Nahan's followers to stop in his tracks. Fortunately, the others passed by without pause, but Devran could feel the sweat running down his back.

Worried that Nahan might recognize him from the time he was trapped in the East, he had smeared his face with more soot than usual and even pressed down his hat, but it was hard to relax.

'Damn it. Should've just kept walking!'

"Yes, sir. Just three coins."

Long accustomed to shop work, his mouth and mind operated splendidly independently.

"Three? Seems a bit expensive..."

"It's because of the good quality jar. You can reuse it for something else."

"Hmm..."

"Pepp! What are you doing there? Hurry up!"

While the man hesitated, one of Nahan's companions called out from a short distance.

"I'll be right there!... Give me one of those."

Devran quickly handed over the apple preserves. As he did, Nahan, who had been standing still as if waiting for the man, smoothly turned his head.

They first knocked on the door of a brick house where the Sage's group had entered. Shortly after, the door opened, and everyone went inside.

"Phew!"

"Well done, Devran."

As Devran let out a deep sigh, his colleagues emerged from their hiding spots and praised him.

"I'm really curious about what those guys will talk about in there."

"How long should we wait before going in?"

As the Eldore siblings flashed dangerously twinkling eyes and smiled, Gakane calmly responded.

"Let's wait until Devran finishes tidying up and then approach."

However, they didn't get the chance to make their move. Just as Devran had finished organizing his makeshift shop and removed his apron, a loud explosion erupted from the house.

"Aaagh!"

As people screamed and ran, the intelligence members exchanged glances.