"Since I've now exposed all my power, I thought it was high time I revealed everything. Had I known you'd be this shocked, I would've waited a bit longer to speak."

"Excuse me?"

Kishiar's words barely registered with Yuder, who was in a daze from the shock. It was only when Yuder finally managed a weak response that Kishiar chuckled softly.

"You look as if I've done something terrible to a child."

"Terrible..."

Absent-mindedly echoing Kishiar's words, a spark of understanding flashed in Yuder's mind.

"What are you implying? Despite your ill health, do you still have the energy to jest?"

"Hmm, good. It seems your eyes have regained their focus."

That's more like Yuder. Kishiar, seemingly satisfied, narrowed his eyes as he responded nonchalantly.

"All right. The real problem isn't with me. The reason I'm bringing this up now is that there's one more thing we need to understand in order to move forward, based on the achievements we made yesterday."

"And what would that be?"

"The reason why the Emperor hasn't shown himself outside the Sun Palace for years."

Speaking carelessly about the Emperor's health was always strictly forbidden, considered highly confidential. Yuder began to wonder just how far Kishiar intended to share with him today.

"As everyone knows, His Majesty has been in ill health for some time now."

"I've heard about his illness..."

"Yes, indeed. But when we met him in the Sun Palace, did he truly seem so seriously ill that he couldn't possibly venture out anywhere?"

Yuder recalled the Emperor Keilusa he'd met at the Sun Palace. This young Emperor, resembling a sensitive scholar with glasses, didn't seem so severely unwell that he couldn't even attend a party within the palace, even though signs of illness were somewhat apparent.

One peculiar thing Yuder had noticed then was that the Emperor seemed to carry out his work and rest in one place only, without letting even his attendants or servants into the same space.

Invisible illness preventing him from going out, curious dialogues Kishiar has been dropping... Lost in thought, Yuder met Kishiar's gaze.

"...I apologize if I'm jumping to conclusions, but are you suggesting that 'the vessel' you mentioned is the reason?"

"Correct."

A soft compliment returned in a whisper.

"His Majesty's vessel is currently cracked. He's been trying to minimize movement to prevent the leakage of life force, but if he can't find a way to mend it, he'll eventually weaken rapidly until he reaches his limit. It's similar to the situation I found myself in after the cracks started forming."

"Do you mean..."

"Yes. We're hoping that the power of the Red Stone might be the answer to restoring His Majesty's health. More accurately, I am."

It was then that Yuder started to understand the connection between the retrieval of the Red Stone and the actions of the Emperor and Kishiar thus far.

'So that's it. Kishiar, who was in the same situation, improved after awakening the power of the Red Stone. So, they're hoping that by studying the retrieved stone, they might find a cure.'

They probably made the same decision in their past life too, although what followed must have been different from the present.

While seeking a cure for the Emperor by retrieving the Red Stone, Kishiars vessel was instead significantly damaged. What might they have thought then? They presumably succeeded in separating the stones power then as well, but Emperor Keilusa died quickly, and Kishiar, after becoming extremely weak, was assassinated.

'Does that mean they failed to heal both the Emperor and Kishiar with the power of the separated stone in their previous lives?'

Or maybe some problem arose in the Pearl Tower where the research was carried out. Lost in thought, Yuder listened to Kishiar's continuous words.

"It took quite a while to convince His Majesty, who had initially given up, and prepare to come here. After the vessel started to have serious issues, the time it takes to reach the point of no return varies from person to person. For me, it took about five years to reach my limit. However, it's likely His Majesty has a shorter amount of time."

Kishiar's voice echoed gravely.

"After the experiment ended yesterday, I sent a letter to His Majesty to finalize the one-month period he had given. We'll discuss the details later, but for now, consider it as if we've passed the test given by His Majesty."

Had he done all of that while still bedridden due to his ill health? Catching Yuders questioning gaze, Kishiar continued with a slight, troubled smile playing on his face.

"A promise is a promise, isnt it? Regardless of how sick I get, I must fulfill my duties before I rest. Compared to my reckless assistant, I at least know my health is precious, so dont look at me that way."

"...I havent said anything."

Yuder quickly averted his gaze.

"It'll be good news for Yulman, who's outside."

"Yes, his idea played a crucial role in this matter. If his brilliant idea had been mishandled, we all could have been in serious trouble."

""

"In fact, since the time when Thais Yulman sent the mid-term report about this experimental plan, I've been communicating with His Majesty. His Majesty had said that if the experiment were successful, he would let me take all priority in future research related to the Red Stone. He affirmed his promise in the response he sent this morning."

"Thats fortunate."

"Yes. When you told me in the carriage that it would be a waste to send the Red Stone to His Majesty without utilizing it I honestly didnt expect such an outcome."

At Kishiars words, Yuder instinctively thought of Kanna. He had managed to fulfill his promise to Kishiar and enabled Kanna to properly interact with the Red Stone once again. However, she still hadnt woken up. A heaviness settled in his heart at the thought of her.

"Im worried about Kanna. She hasn't woken up yet."

"From what Nathan told me, both the doctor and the priest said there were no major issues with her physical condition."

"Ive heard that too. But if I had been more careful then"

As Yuders voice trailed off, he couldnt help but feel a pang of regret.

"Even if you had been more careful, the outcome might not have been different. You did the best you could at the time. You were the one who stopped the power of the Red Stone from exploding. So, by that logic, wouldn't it be my responsibility for not properly protecting the members? When Kanna Wand wakes up, the one she should resent is me, not you."

Yuder's head snapped up at this.

"I didnt mean to imply that it was your fault, Commander."

"I know."

Kishiar's response was soft, almost comforting.

"Don't worry too much, let's wait another day. If she still doesn't wake up, I'll find a way to wake her up."

Coming from anyone else, these words might have felt like an empty promise, but when spoken by Kishiar, they oddly resonated like a powerful prophecy. Yuder felt his heavy heart lighten slightly, realizing he had been more tense about this than he had thought.

"...Thank you."

"You mentioned before that you couldnt understand how you were able to stop the power of the Red Stone."

Yuder recalled his conversation with Nathan last night and responded, "Yes."

"At that time, I saw a red light, similar to the energy of the Red Stone, leaking from the glove you were wearing. The two lights seemed somewhat connected. How did you feel about it?"

"Connected... Im not sure about that."

Yuder carefully recounted his memories of that moment, details he hadnt fully disclosed to Nathan Zuckerman.

"Given the urgent situation, I felt like I could somehow stop the stone from exploding. I reached out and the next thing I knew, I had done it."

"It's really fortunate nothing bad happened."

"Yes."

"No, I mean you."

Thinking that he meant it was fortunate for everyone, Yuder was about to respond when Kishiar gently but firmly corrected him. Expecting to be reprimanded for his recklessness, Yuder fell silent as Kishiar paused.

After a few seconds of silence, Kishiar's next words held a completely different meaning.

"...But if it hadnt been you, everyone might have been hurt."

Yuder lifted his gaze that had unconsciously lowered to the floor. Kishiar was smiling, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"You did well."

"I didnt expect you to compliment me."

Taken aback, Yuder stuttered a reply, causing Kishiar to shake his head.

"While I'd prefer my members not to engage in life-threatening risks, we cant always avoid it. If it hadnt been you, the situation could have gotten out of control."

You did well, Kishiar muttered. As Yuder met his gaze, his heart pounded unsteadily.

As Yuder found himself at a loss for words, Kishiar furrowed his brows a little more, reaching out to ruffle Yuder's hair. Surprised, Yuder blinked a few times, and Kishiar's hand brushed past his ear, returning to its original position.

'What was that?'

Was there dust in his hair? As he stared blankly, Kishiar glanced at his hand and grumbled.

"Don't let your guard down too much."

"Pardon?"

"When someone who's usually alert shows an unexpected response, it seems I have developed a disease where I unknowingly want to touch more."

"..."

The uneasy feeling faded quickly.