Yuder recalled the moment he first met Kanna, seeing the bitterness in her expression.
When he first met her at the front of the Blue Crown for the Cavalry's entrance test, Yuder thought of her as a rigid and angry person. He simply thought that she was the type of person whose face would show such an expression when she was overly nervous, but that was not the case. After hearing her current story, he finally understood why her expression was so severe.
For Kanna, that moment was a once-in-a-lifetime choice and challenge.
After telling her entire story, Kanna's eyes conveyed more unease and sadness than the refreshing feeling of someone who had spilled her secrets. She bowed her head silently in front of Kishiar, like a criminal waiting for her punishment.
"What were you planning to do next if you left the Cavalry?"
Kishiar's first question was very succinct. Kanna blinked blankly, perhaps taken aback by his unexpected response, and finally opened her mouth.
"As I originally planned... I'm thinking about going abroad."
"With your abilities, it won't be easy to become a mercenary, will it?"
"I was thinking of joining a wandering theater troupe. I think I would do well as a fortune teller."
"I see. That would have been fine. You've thought hard about it."
"…Pardon?"
As Kanna asked with a puzzled face, Kishiar's voice suddenly turned cold.
"But Kanna Wand, don't you think the members who have known you will miss you a lot if you suddenly leave the troop?"
'Kishiar La Orr, why does he keep saying such strange things?'
Kanna's abilities were essential to investigate the Red Stone. Her abilities were much more promising than she thought.
How could a wandering theater troupe dare to compare with the safe and glorious Cavalry? Even if she really committed a crime and was dragged away, they had to stop it at all costs. Yuder was not pleased with what Kishiar was saying.
As Yuder's eyes secretly sparkled, Kanna opened her mouth with a look of determination.
"If they miss me, I would be really grateful and sad. I was really happy while I was in the Cavalry, and it was fun to meet good colleagues. I owe a great debt to the Commander who accepted me and to Yuder, who helped me in many ways, which I can never repay. However, for that reason, I think it's right for me to leave the troop for the Commander, Yuder, and my colleagues. If I have to be punished for lying about my background as an orphan with no family when I joined, I am willing to accept any punishment."
Her eyes were filled with sadness, but her face was incredibly calm and dignified when she said it was right for her to leave.
"You are willing to accept any punishment?"
"Yes."
"If you're willing to accept it, there's no need to refuse."
"Commander."
Yuder called Kishiar, frowning. However, the moment their eyes met when Kishiar turned his head to his call, Yuder realized that he had misunderstood something.
He didn't realize it because his voice was so serious, but there was a mischievous glint in his red eyes that he was facing.
"My members are strange. I've worked so hard for two years to build the Cavalry, but the talented ones who have passed through numerous competitors all seem to have no attachment to the Cavalry."
"..."
"I don't know whether my eyes are strange, or the members are strange."
Kanna, who had been hanging her head, slowly rolled her eyes upward, seeming perplexed by the odd remark. Kishiar looked down at her with languid eyes, a leisurely smile on his face, and opened his mouth.
"So, Kanna Wand. Your punishment is to become the Deputy Commander of Jung Division."
"... Pardon?"
"To be frank, one who has not received the last name can't be considered a family, so you didn't tell a lie. Regardless of what Count Gallon says, you can't leave the Cavalry. But you asked for the punishment yourself. You tried to leave the supposedly blissful Cavalrt so easily, so you have no choice but to work hard and pay for your sins."
"But, but Commander. What does that mean? I..."
Kanna was about to retort with a startled expression, but Kishiar cut her off with a decisive wave of his hand.
"That's the end of it. No more words are necessary. Go back."
Yuder finally let out a sigh of relief. As he followed Kishiar, who turned without hesitation, Kanna shouted in confusion from behind.
"Commander. How did you understand my words just now? Me, a deputy, absolutely not. Yuder! Say something!"
"It's better than being an assistant."
"What?"
"What are you saying?" Kanna shouted, but Yuder did not answer.
He didn't want to admit that he had spoken of leaving the division like Kanna, refused Kishiar's offer, but ended up becoming the Commander's assistant.
'Well, that aside… appointing a deputy in Jung division wasn’t something I recall from my previous life.'
In Kishiar's time as the Commander, he didn't appoint a deputy in the Jung division, which had a critically low number of members. Later, when Yuder took over the position and the Jung division grew, a deputy position was added. However, he didn't expect it to happen again now.
The reason Kishiar made Kanna the deputy of a division with only ten members was probably not because the role was genuinely needed.
It was more likely an act of consideration to lessen her burden and make her stay in the Cavalry more comfortable. But this again changed the future Yuder knew. It was a positive result.
"Yuder Aile."
"Yes."
"What were you planning to do with that power of yours when Count Gallon came to the Cavalry?"
While contemplating, Kishiar suddenly started talking. Yuder kept silent for a moment, then briefly glanced around to check where Kanna was. She was slowly following from quite a distance. It seemed safe enough to respond.
"I was planning... to give him a bit of a hand."
"How much is 'a bit' in your terms?"
"Enough for rumors to circulate that anyone who messes with a member of the Cavalry won't be able to leave in one piece."
Hearing Yuder's response, Kishiar tilted his head with a peculiar smile.
"Who do you think will clean up after that?"
"Didn't you say you would take good care of your assistant, sir?"
He boldly retorted, implying that surely he couldn't handle even that much. Laziness, like a well-fed beast, shimmered above Kishiar's red eyes.
"That's right. I did say that."
The Cavalry needed a strong presence and reputation now more than ever. Even with all kinds of praise from the Emperor, it would still only be known to those in the know.
To make the existence of the Cavalry widely known across the continent, it was necessary to create a few noisy episodes.
In his previous life, the event that had marked the beginning of that saga was when Kishiar announced he was the owner of the divine sword. However, in this life, that incident had not occurred. But what if an incident involving a malicious nobleman being soundly beaten and chased away by the Cavalry members trying to protect a comrade occurred?
Even if it couldn't match the saga of the divine sword, the world would be profoundly shocked by the fact that commoners could dare to do such a thing to a nobleman and face no repercussions whatsoever.
'And they would never forget the name of the Cavalry.'
It seemed that Kishiar, too, had already done that level of calculation, hence his amusement.
What would the nobleman's pretentious face look like after experiencing a disgrace that would forever stain his history? Yuder felt a rare sense of satisfaction and silently curled up the corners of his mouth.
"Then, I take it you approve."
"Don't keep all the fun to yourself. Invite this onlooker too. Is there anything more entertaining than watching a fight?"
A fight to watch. Upon hearing those words, Yuder remembered the old man and the young man he had met earlier. He had recognized who the old man was, a man who loved to watch fights, the moment he saw him.
'Thais Yulman, one of the elders of the Pearl Tower, an Archmage. I didn't expect him to be visiting the imperial palace at this time.'
Unlike other mages who had been honored with the title of Archmage, Thais wasn't proficient in attribute magic. He had gained his fame solely due to his diverse research results aimed at piercing the essence of the world through magic.
He had proven that air and magic were different, and he had researched the differences between materials created by magic and real nature.
Even though he couldn't use attack magic, it was well-known that nobody was better than him when it came to breaking down magic.
Why would Thais Yulman, of all people, have come to the imperial palace? Moreover, why was he dressed like an ordinary noble old man instead of wearing the robe exclusive to mages of the Pearl Tower?
'Well, considering his timing and his expertise, the conclusion is obvious.'
Simply put, he may have just wanted to visit quietly without revealing his identity and meet the court mages of the Orr Empire.
However, an Archmage who specializes in magic research appearing in the imperial palace as soon as the Red Stone was retrieved was a clear sign of his objective, wasn't it?
Thais Yulman probably rushed here from the Pearl Tower the moment he heard the news of the successful retrieval of the Red Stone. He must have been unable to bear his desire to immediately take the stone and study it. His will could be considered the will of the entire Pearl Tower.
'Kishiar must have secretly reported the retrieval to the Emperor alone, but for some reason, it feels like the news has already spread across the entire continent.'
In his previous life, when he investigated the Red Stone, he could not find out who had refined the stone in the Pearl Tower. The information within the Pearl Tower was top secret.
Moreover, by the time Yuder had started his investigation, several years had already passed since the collapse and ruin of the tower. Even whether Thais Yulman was dead or alive by then was unknown.
'Thais Yulman... I'll have to remember that.'
