"Damn that Diarca. Worthless as always."

Duke Tain spat out a curse, breaking his gaze in another direction and resting a hand on his forehead.

"All that drivel about making use of Duke Peletta to sort out the Western territories. Was this a ploy to watch me flounder? Quite possible, knowing that sly fox."

"..."

Commander Theorado responded by merely nodding slightly instead of replying. His disinterest in the Duke's grumbling was palpable.

"Theo, do you think this is only my problem? What exactly were you doing while I was gallivanting in the South for months over investment matters? You should've informed me sooner about the situation in the capital... No, forget it."

The Duke started to say something to his cousin, but abruptly shut his mouth, not wanting to stoke his rage further. He couldn't forget the fact that he wouldn't have contacted Theorado if not for this incident. Their notorious indifference towards others, combined with an obsessive digging into their interests, was as good as a birthmark ingrained in their blood.

The only difference was that for Theorado it was the sword, and for the Duke, it was speculative investment.

'I bet he's going to argue that he's done his part just by forwarding a letter to Duke Peletta on my behalf.'

A sigh slipped out involuntarily, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He hadn't expected Duke Peletta, of all people, residing like a parasite within the Imperial Knights' territory, to refuse the request of the Imperial Knight Commander. Including Theorado's seeming indifference, it was utterly despicable and infuriating.

Duke Tain rubbed his chin nervously, muttering under his breath.

"Theo, is there any way you could use your power to get the Cavalry and Duke Peletta to leave the Imperial Knights' territory?"

"The Imperial Knights' territory isn't my personal property. It belongs to His Majesty the Emperor. It's impossible with my authority as the Imperial Knight Commander."

"What about if you went personally to ask?"

At the Duke's words, Commander Theorado frowned.

"Do I really need to go that far? Can't you just slightly compromise the pace of the investment hub development beyond the border?"

"Compromise? You make it sound so easy!"

"Even if I went now, it's unlikely that I would be able to meet Duke Peletta."

"What? Why's that? Does he consider us, the Tain, lesser than Apeto? Even if it's the Emperor's will?"

Duke Tain glared furiously. After a moment of silence, Commander Theorado spoke softly.

"He hasn't left the grounds since his visit to the Imperial Mage's office. It's not certain, but it seems he may not be well."

"Not well?"

Duke Tain echoed before rubbing his chin as though something came to mind.

"Ah. You're referring to that thing that half of the Dukes experience. So, it persists even after awakening?"

"I'm not sure about that."

"Typical. The idea that someone on the brink of death would suddenly recover just because they obtained some kind of power, like the Awakener, is preposterous. Those fools of Apeto are indeed idiots. To leap into an investment that won't profit them just based on that. If I were the Duke of Apeto, I would never approve such foolish requests for support."

"So, it is only natural that Duke Apeto is in the state he is now," concluded Duke Tain after pouring out his blunt words, his mood noticeably improved. Suddenly, as if a delightful thought had crossed his mind, he smiled.

"Hmm, Theo."

"Yes?"

"If Duke Peletta's condition is really as bad as they say, he wouldn't personally appear for the monster subjugation mission. He would probably send his underlings, wouldn't he?"

"That seems likely."

"Then, it seems you must send another letter to Duke Peletta."

A cold smile passed over Duke Tain's face.

"Write that we regret his refusal but understand it, and as the situation has become urgent, he should send his men to the West as soon as possible."

"Will that be sufficient?"

"Yes. And as the ruler of the family responsible for the West, I must also notify and prepare my territory there."

'I will make you pay for daring to ignore me.' Duke Tain, swallowing the words unspoken, twisted his lips in a sly smile.

---

Recently, responses to the replies that Kishiar had sent to Theo, the Commander of the Imperial Knights, and Prince Ejain of Nelarn had arrived.

Yuder quickly opened the two letters and skimmed their contents.

'Tain has written that although they regret our refusal to cooperate, they urge us to go West as soon as possible. Prince Ejain wrote that the situation is urgent and he will set off ahead of us. He suggests we meet near the Great Sarain Forest...'

Great Sarain Forest. Yuder murmured the name, slightly furrowing his brow.

'So they intend to go through there.'

The Great Sarain Forest was a massive woodland that could envelop the entire Western border of the empire. It spanned the borders of no less than four nations, including the Orr Empire. With the forests tangled vegetation growing back faster than it could be cleared and its perilously rough terrain, anyone lost would meet their end. This was why handling the monsters in the West was more difficult than in other regions.

Also, the fastest route to Nelarn, Prince Ejain's homeland, had to pass through that forest.

'It must be an incredibly urgent situation.'

He neatly folded the two letters and looked over at the Commander's seat. It was empty again today.

Was it an illusion that Kishiars condition didn't seem to be improving at all? He was fine the rare times they had spoken, but since then, he had returned to this state.

Was it that hard to exert one's natural strength?

Yuder sighed and shifted his gaze toward the corridor. Working alone without Nathan made the fact that Kishiar was there feel oddly like a fantasy. The only sound filling the quiet space was the crackling of the magic stone stove.

Suddenly, he got up and, with the letters in hand, headed towards the inner part of the corridor. The tiles were laid in a way that it was hard to silence one's footsteps, in anticipation of intruders. But to someone who had lived in this space for nearly ten years, it was not a difficult obstacle.

Finally, after slowly making his way between the slight gaps in the tiles, he stood before the Commander's bedroom. A large door stood in the way of his entry.

'...This is too impulsive and rash.'

A cold voice echoed in his mind.

'Why are you here?'

Indeed. He himself couldn't entirely understand why he had acted on such an impulse.

Kishiar understood why he was locked alone within, fending off others. He wasn't resting; he was battling the vast energy within him. If he deemed himself unable to meet others, that judgment must have been correct.

Even though he knew...

"..."

The hand he'd raised as if to knock stopped at the door. For a brief moment, Yuder was torn between a peculiar urge to knock on the door in front of him and his rational mind. Yet, that moment was shattered by the sound of knocking coming from not too far away.

Yuder glanced at the closed door briefly before turning his body. Unlike when he arrived, his movement to leave was incredibly swift.

Heading back toward the office where there was a magic stone stove, another soft knocking sound was heard as he approached the door.

"Who is it?"

"Ah, Yuder. So you are there. It's me, Kanna. I've been looking for you and they told me you'd be in the Commanders office at this time."

A familiar voice sounded from outside the door. Before he opened the door, Yuder adjusted his uniform robe with a tug. Suddenly, a peculiar mark was revealed by the reflection of the light streaming in through the window above the dark blue double doors.

Five indents, as if something blunt had been pressed hard into them. It was clear that they were artificially created, and peculiarly, they were a bit higher than his eye level. The moment his gaze was stolen by those indents, Yuder suddenly realized what they were.

'...Fingers?'

The day he couldn't open this door, Kishiar had braced his hand around there. Even if it were a wooden door, there would have been dozens of protections applied to it, making it harder than steel. Yet, he couldn't believe how easily it was dented.

"Yuder?"

"Ah. Sorry. I was tidying up a bit. I'll come out now."

Yuder opened the door and stepped outside. Kanna, who had been about to say something with an apologetic expression, suddenly cocked her head.

"Did the Commander happen to be out today? If so, I could directly speak and pass on the message to the Commander here..."

"...No. He's not here. Just tell me."

Fortunately, Kanna didn't ask any further and opened her mouth as she moved her steps down the stairs first.

"I'm sorry for bothering you when you're busy. It's about Gayle and Doyle."

"What happened to them?"

He thought that perhaps they had caused some accident being allowed to freely wander within the Cavalry, but Kanna started a completely different story.

"Gayle and Doyle originally lived in the West and drifted into Star of Nagran, so we thought that one of their bases should be there, and we've been trying to read the information. While they were helping with the dishes today, I used my abilities a bit and it seems that I've read the correct locations, maybe because their guard was down."

"Where are they?"

"One is deep within the Great Sarain Forest, another near the Southern Desert, and the last base is... If I read it correctly, it seems to be near the mountain where the Red Stone was."

"The Rik Mountain range?"

"Mm-hmm."

Kanna, who had just nodded, soon wore a serious expression.

"Could the assassins who attacked the Commander at that time have been from there? And we're supposed to head to the West soon. We might encounter them again. That thought worries me."

'Indeed.'

It didn't seem likely that a guy like Nahan who forced strange beliefs and called all Awakeners his siblings would be involved in such actions. But, if their speculation about the division within the group called Star of Nagran was correct, it was a possibility.

'If we exclude the fact that those who could access the top-secret information related to the retrieval of the Red Stone were extremely limited within the Empire...'

Moreover, if it was the Great Sarain Forest in the West, it was indeed the destination they were about to head to soon. Several thoughts crossed his mind in an instant.

"Thanks for letting me know. I will report to Commander and Zuckerman."

After replying, Yuder added a remark after a moment of silence.

"There's no need to worry."

"Mm."

Only then did Kanna turn around with a much brighter face. Yuder added another variable, the 'Star of Nagran,' to the plan for the Western monster extermination mission he held within him.