The moment Kishiar granted permission, the Elder Priest of Beltrail departed, stirring a cool breeze. As the people who watched his retreat felt the tense atmosphere dissolve, they relaxed and exchanged subtly interested glances.

A public clash had occurred between Duke Peletta and the House of Duke Apeto. The sense that neither side would back down gave rise to a premonition of an imminent and tremendous tumult.

"Yuder. Let's leave the others to the imperial army now, and head back."

"Understood."

Lusan observed the black-haired Cavalry member who had remained quietly by Kishiar's side.

'Right, I should thank him.'

He had been too flustered before to express his gratitude. He knew he might never see him again if he missed this chance, so now was the time to thank him.

"Excuse me, could you wait for a moment?"

Lusan rushed over, mustered his courage, and grabbed the sleeve of his benefactor's cloak.

"..."

The black-haired man turned his head with an expressionless face. Lusan flinched involuntarily, but soon realized that the man's look was more of curiosity than annoyance, and he relaxed.

'Does he not remember me? It was such a chaotic situation, so it's understandable.'

"I, uh, I wanted to thank you for your help earlier......"

As the man turned his emotionless face, Lusan noticed a thin wound on his neck and his words faltered.

"You've... got... a wound on your neck. It seems like you should get it treated..."

"I'm fine..."

"Let me do it."

Before he even finished speaking, a radiant light enveloped the man's body. There was no need to pour so much divine power just to treat a small wound, but Lusan deliberately used more force than usual. His intention was to express his gratitude by using his greatest strength, his divine power, to its fullest.

A moment later, the light receded, revealing the man with slightly widened eyes. The wound on his neck had long since vanished without a trace.

"You're young but you possess incredible divine power."

Kishiar, who had been watching a few steps away, commented with an intrigued tone. Not expecting the noble Duke to speak to him, Lusan responded cautiously, feeling a tightening in his chest.

"Ah, yes. As a sign of gratitude... I poured more to aid your recovery."

"With that kind of skill, you must be from the Healer's guild. What's your name? How long have you been a priest?"

"No, not from the Healer's guild. I'm still a novice priest, not yet a full priest. My name is Lusan, and it's been about four years since I started walking the path of a priest."

The Healer's guild was one of the internal groups of the Grand Temple. It was famous for being composed of priests renowned throughout the continent for their exceptional divine power. But Lusan, who hadn't even advanced to the level of a full priest, was in a position where he had to worry about whether he could even become an ordinary priest, let alone join the Healer's guild.

"A novice priest?"

Kishiar furrowed his brow, candidly showing surprise in his eyes.

"Unbelievable. With such impressive skill."

"Thank you. But just because my divine power is strong, doesn't mean I can become a full priest straight away...... haha."

In truth, Lusan hailed from a humble shrine in the western countryside, having been recommended to the Grand Temple due to his remarkable divine power by an elderly priest who recognized his abilities. Upon reaching the Grand Temple, it was suggested that he would quickly move through a few months of priesthood training before being placed in the Healer's guild, given the level of his divine power.

However, the problem lay with his character. Lusan did not obediently follow his superiors like the other novice priests. If he deemed something wrong, he would refuse to do it even at the risk of his own life, and this attitude quickly drew the ire of those above him. In the end, he fell from grace in the Grand Temple where political maneuvering was often more important than divine power.

"...I see."

Even without hearing the full story, a twisted smile momentarily danced on the lips of Kishiar, suggesting he had inferred the circumstances.

"There are too many blind leaders in this world who insist on ignoring what is clearly in front of them. However, does that make the existing issues disappear? Was it Lusan, you said? You'll soon be ready for your priest ordination, so keep your spirits up."

"Thank you."

Lusan was touched and almost grinned foolishly as the noble descendant of the Sun God's bloodline not only called his name but also gave him lavish praise.

"Thank you for the healing."

The Cavalry member with black hair who had been standing quietly expressed his thanks formally. Lusan nodded with a small smile.

"Don't mention it. As a novice priest, I rarely use my divine power, so please seek my assistance anytime if needed."

However, in reality, Lusan assumed that he would likely never meet them again. He had always said the same thing to many people he had healed by chance, but no one had ever sought out an insignificant novice priest like him again.

'Life can indeed bring about such events. It's a relief that I'm creating a good memory before getting kicked out of the Grand Temple.'

Days later, he was suddenly and inexplicably ordained as a regular priest. If he had known that a request for a permanent priest would arrive from the Cavalry as if they had been waiting for this moment, he would not have agreed.

---

With the disturbance at the Sharing of the Sacred Flame ceremony, another storm of controversy swept across the capital. However, the focus was not on who the culprit was or what efforts were being made to solve the problem. Whenever people gathered, they enjoyed gossiping about the uproar between the two ducal houses.

"Do you think that young lord can really become a Cavalry? I heard that the House of Apeto is completely upset."

"Duke Apeto was so angry upon hearing the news that he beat his servant to death."

"Duke Peletta announced he would visit the House of Apeto to meet the third son. Would they even open their doors for him?"

"There's no way they'd open their doors if the third son might be taken from the house. They'll definitely reject him at the gate!"

While there were many rumors, all the reactions were not much different from what Kishiar had anticipated.

Duke Apeto officially denied that Revlin was an Awakener and claimed that an ordinary person like him couldn't join the Cavalry. Kishiar, however, using his authority as the head of the Cavalry, publicly transmitted a request for a meeting. Rumors that Revlin was being confined and abused were already rife in the capital. Kishiar also added that he needed to confirm Revlin's safety with his own eyes.

The numerous foreign envoys present in the capital, along with the citizens, took great interest in this matter. The unfolding drama in the Orr Empire, known as the continent's loser and boasting the oldest history and culture, brought them a hidden pleasure. For a long time, they had been watching the situation with curiosity, wondering whether a power shift would finally occur within the ever-unchanging empire.

As the conflict between the two dukes who refused to yield even an inch became more intense, the Emperor finally intervened. Emperor Keilusa, who had not once made an appearance outside of the imperial palace despite the festivities, conveyed his opinion to the two dukes via a letter.

In summary, it was an order to stop disturbing the capital for unnecessary reasons during a time when all eyes were on them due to the festival, and to resolve the issue according to the law.

Upon receiving the letter, the two dukes had dramatically different reactions.

By law, it had to be determined whether Revlin was truly an Awakener before deciding whether it was appropriate to accept him into the Cavalry. The Apeto family had consistently claimed that the third prince was definitely not an Awakener, but they had not tried to provide any evidence to support this. It was because they knew they would be at a distinct disadvantage if the matter were to be verified.

Many nobles, including Duke Apeto, protested vehemently, arguing that the Emperor was blatantly favoring his younger brother, Duke Peletta. However, public opinion sided with the Emperor. His words to resolve the issue according to the law sounded much more just than the Apeto family's attempts to sweep the matter under the rug, so this result was only natural.

After protesting and getting nowhere, the Apeto family, unable to withstand the unfavorable public opinion, took a step back. They eventually allowed Kishiar to visit the Apeto family's main estate to meet Revlin.

"Revlin, I just can't understand why you're doing this. Even now, you can say that you're not an Awakener, and that all of this was simply a misunderstanding on Duke Peletta's part. It's a simple matter," said Second Prince Lenore, as he faced Revlin, who was confined to his room. Since Revlin's return from the Sharing of the Sacred Flame ceremony, the brothers had repeated this conversation numerous times. However, the conclusion was always the same; Lenore, in his anger, would leave the conversation unfinished.

But today, things could not end that way. After all, the disgraceful event of their father, Duke Apeto, accepting Duke Peletta's demands had occurred.

Lenore recalled the brief conversation he had had with his father just before coming here.

"I just can't understand what's gotten into that boy. They say an enemy within is more dangerous than one outside, but I never dreamed I would see my own son siding with the enemy in my lifetime! Are you telling me, Lenore, that as his elder brother, you had absolutely no inkling about what was happening?"

Duke Apeto, imagining the Cavalry and Kishiar stepping into the prestigious Apeto family's main residence, trembled in rage. With Revlin confined to his room, all his anger was directed toward his second son, Lenore.

"I apologize. I also had no idea that Revlin was taking the fact that he was an Awakener so seriously. If I had known, I would never have allowed him to meet the Cavalry..."

"I don't want to hear it! And yet, you're saying you want the position of the heir?"

Facing Duke Apeto's annoyed gaze, Lenore clenched his fists in humiliation and gritted his teeth.