Yuder had a second gender as well. He was an Omega. Until he passed the Cavalry test, it hadn't manifested, but it suddenly began to emerge after a few months.
There had been countless people over the years who looked down on Yuder, an Omega, for being the leader of the Cavalry. Among the Awakeners, there were many who refused to acknowledge him.
The reason they couldn't drive Yuder out openly was because he possessed a strength greater than any Alpha, and he was the only scentless Omega who didn't experience a heat cycle.
However, Yuder was the only one with such power, so despite his best efforts, he couldn't prevent discrimination and crimes against Omegas.
'Will it manifest at the same time as it did before?'
Those who hadn't awakened their second gender couldn't detect the second gender of others. Hence, Yuder couldn't tell whether Gakane and the woman he was conversing with, had manifested their second gender or not.
"Um... do we have to demonstrate our abilities while explaining them?"
"It doesn't seem like we have to."
Although they couldn't be sure, the woman's expression became more serious as she listened to Gakane's words.
"This is a big problem..."
"Why is that?"
"My ability... well, it requires some preparation. The results aren't immediately visible either."
"Is there such an ability? I've heard that most abilities are visible, like magic or swordsmanship."
Gakane tilted his head, but Yuder had no doubt in her words. It was an obscure fact that among the initial Awakeners, there were few with unique abilities, but there were various types of abilities out there.
In a few years, the number of Awakeners would increase, and more people with diverse abilities would appear. However, such ability users were very rare, and since they usually didn't have the ability to protect their bodies, they often died quickly.
If she was a proper ability user but encountered an official who didn't understand her ability, she might have been denied the application altogether. Yuder suddenly found himself interested in the woman.
"What is your ability?"
Startled by Yuder's sudden question, the woman turned her head. She hesitated but eventually answered obediently.
"I can read the information of whatever I touch."
"Information? How is that possible?"
"Well, for example, when I hold an object, information about it suddenly enters my head. If it's a book, I'd know who wrote it and what the contents are. But it's not always possible, only when there's significant information to read. There's hardly anything to read about newly created objects. And the older and more information-rich something is, the longer it takes. That's about all I've figured out so far."
"Wow."
Gakane's mouth fell open, his expression a mixture of belief and doubt.
"Can you read people too?"
"I've never succeeded in that."
'It's true.'
Yuder could read sincerity in her eyes.
'But words can be fabricated. It's the perfect ability to be labeled a liar. She probably couldn't even apply and was rejected in the past.'
An ability to read the information of objects she touched. At first glance, it was hard to grasp how extraordinary that ability was.
But what if that ability could evolve beyond its current level? What if it could read people, nature, and eventually even things that were invisible to the eye?
'Everyone would desire it.'
It could become more than just impressive; it could be a terrifying weapon. Depending on who wielded it, it could have the power to kill or save people.
As Yuder considered this, he suddenly recalled some information he had briefly heard and forgotten about in the past.
'Come to think of it, a few years ago… there were rumors that the king of Duvern had obtained an Awakener who could read the future.'
Duvern was a vassal state of the Orr Empire, sharing a western border with it. Because of the king's claims of having an Awakener who could read the future, Yuder, who had been anxious about the increasingly darkening world situation, had sent a member of his Cavalry to investigate.
However, the only information the returned member reported was that the Awakener who could read the future had died, entangled in Duvern's political strife, and that the Awakener's origin was the Orr Empire.
At that time, Yuder had thought that if there really was an Awakener who could read the future, they wouldn't have died so meaninglessly, and he had dismissed the information as false and forgotten about it.
But if there was someone like the woman in front of him who could read an object's information, perhaps there had really been such a person.
Perhaps she could only read the past at the moment, but if her ability developed, it might even become possible for her to read the future.
Yuder needed information. He needed far more information than what his past self knew. To do that, it was necessary for people with abilities like the woman in front of him to join the Cavalry.
Yuder glanced at how many people were left in the line. There were still about seven. That was enough time.
As he rummaged through his pocket, he found something familiar. When Yuder pulled out an old bracelet from his pocket, both the woman and Gakane looked at him in surprise.
"Why that?"
"Read this."
The woman hesitated as she took the abruptly offered bracelet.
"Me? But I told you, my ability doesn't work on everything... Huh?"
The woman, who had been speaking, suddenly stopped. Yuder saw the aura-like energy emanating from her entire body. That confirmed it. She was indeed an Awakener with the power of the Red Stone.
"The person who made this was an old man. Your grandfather?"
"That's right."
"I see. About seven years ago… you received it just before he passed away. Yu…der. Yuder? Is that your name?"
Instead of answering, Yuder just faintly raised the corner of his mouth.
"Your ability is real."
"I told you so."
"But the officials probably won't believe it."
At Yuder's cold remark, the woman's expression hardened. Gakane opened his mouth as if to say it was unfair. Yuder quickly continued before they could react.
"So, when they ask you to explain your ability, don't tell them what you told us. Just say it's an ability with tremendous destructive power."
"What?"
"What are you talking about?"
The man and woman tilted their heads in unison.
"The officials only accept the applications. They won't bother to test abilities that seem difficult to verify indoors. In fact, depending on how you use the information you've read, it could be an excellent ability to destroy enemies, so it's not a lie. When you actually take the test, just tell the examiners about your ability properly and ask them to bring you an old object to verify your ability. For now, let's just make sure you successfully submit your application. If you don't even apply, you won't have any further opportunities."
Yuder's voice was almost monotonous and incredibly calm. However, the content of his words, spoken in such a composed tone, contained a sharpness no one had expected.
It might have been a trick, but it wasn't a lie. Gakane and the girl both felt a similar sense of wonder at Yuder, who seemed to know the test process very well, but soon, amazement took over.
"Wow, that's amazing. Can we really do that?"
"It depends on how badly you want to join the Cavalry."
Yuder would never have said such a thing in the past. But having gone through the same process as them, becoming a member of the Cavalry, witnessing all the world's irrationality, and then coming back from the dead, his perspective had changed.
To Yuder now, Gakane and the girl felt like very young, newly Awakeners of the Cavalry that he needed to take responsibility for. They were people whose future he couldn't predict, so they still had potential.
His kindness was born out of necessity, but on the other hand, he felt a bit bitter that he hadn't completely escaped the mindset of a Cavalry commander.
"Well, you're right. The officials are just the registrars, not the examiners. If we can't even submit our applications, we won't have any more chances."
Gakane patted Yuder's shoulder with an admiring expression. The girl appeared lost in thought for a moment before nodding her head as if making up her mind.
"I'll do that. Thank you for the advice. I didn't introduce myself earlier. My name is Kanna."
"As you read earlier, this guy is Yuder, and I'm Gakane Bolunwald. I hope we all successfully apply and get accepted into the Cavalry, and meet again."
At Gakane's words, Kanna smiled, her face visibly more relaxed.
"That would be nice. Even if it's just talk."
"Next, please come in."
Finally, a voice called Kanna's turn. Suddenly, there was no one else in front of them. Kanna took a deep breath, waved her hand in farewell, and entered. The entrance and exit were designed separately, so they couldn't know if they would see her again.
If she succeeded in applying, they might meet in the test hall or the Cavalry if she was lucky; if not, they wouldn't see her again.
"Yuder, aren't you nervous?"
Gakane asked Yuder, who was thinking about a better way to stay in touch with Kanna later, with a strange expression on his face.
