"Why should I stop when no one has yet to apologize?"

"This...this devil!"

"Yuder. Why bother being kind? Judging by your cheeky backtalk, you certainly don't act like a loser. Why don't you grovel a bit more? Or should we do it for you?"

One of the Cavalry members watching from a distance shouted loudly, causing the knight to flinch. Yuder tilted his head and looked down at him.

"Maybe it's time for a switch."

"If we're switching, Finn and I want to go first!"

Upon hearing talk of a switch, the knights who were lying down felt a mix of despair and hope at the sight of the cute faces of the Eldore siblings who had suddenly stepped forward. The despair came from the severe humiliation, while the hope came from the thought that they might stand a chance against the other Cavalry members who were not Yuder.

Yes, yes. We could beat those seemingly weak individuals!'

But at that moment, the Eldore siblings began to inflate like giant loaves of bread, crushing the knights' hopes.

"It's been a while since we did this."

"I'm not sure if I can control my strength."

Oh, God!

Looking up at the Eldore siblings who were growing endlessly large, each knight called out to God internally. Their uniforms, made from specially processed fabric, strained and seemed ready to rip, as their bodies transformed into solid, muscular stone from the neck down. Yet their adorable faces were still small, perched on top of their shoulders, a sight both terrible and horrifying.

The horror peaked when Finn, having completed his transformation, casually stepped forward, instantly shattering a sword beneath his foot like a piece of hard candy. The knights, having lost all fighting spirit and reason, simultaneously bowed their heads and screamed.

"We surrender! We admit defeat!"

"Please stop now! We apologize! We'll tell you who ripped the pouch!"

Yuder, looking down at them, chuckled. They had proven themselves cowards and fools to the very end.

---

"Darn, what a waste. We rarely transform, and we didn't even get to touch them."

"But it was fun when Phieny shot invisible arrows at the pouch ripper at the end, making him pee his pants."

"That was fun."

"And it was funny when the guy who insulted our Commander cried in punishment."

"Did he pee his pants too? Why are there so many cowards in the Imperial Knights?"

Yuder, hearing the Eldore siblings' chatter, barely cracked a smile.

They were on their way back to the Cavalry building, having left a warning for the defeated knights. If they didn't want today's events to become public, they should behave better in the future. Of course, there had been a bit of additional punishment before they left, but it was a fitting consequence.

As Yuder mused on this, Steiber approached him and whispered something out of earshot of the other members.

"Yuder."

"Yes."

"Do you really think we should leave the red-eyed knight's mouth unchecked?"

The red-eyed knight Steiber referred to was Kiolle. He was the only one who had escaped the Cavalry's punishment. Looking scared yet eager to speak, Kiolle watched Yuder but ultimately didn't say anything and vanished after tending to the other knights.

'Considering he didn't run off and actually helped, he might have changed... just a little.'

"It will be alright."

Based on his observations so far, Kiolle wasn't particularly kind or intelligent. Yet, he lacked the shadowy demeanor often associated with scheming. Perhaps, due to his pampered lineage, he had lived comfortably without needing to flex his intellectual muscles. But thanks to his simplicity, Yuder found it somewhat easy to understand him.

'Had he been smarter, he could have made better use of the information he had observed and heard during our encounters. However, seeing as that has not happened... probably the most he can do in this situation is to report it to his superiors.'

Truthfully, he wasn't of good quality as an heir of power. Despite his pride in his bloodline, he didn't seem overly ambitious, and whenever he opened his mouth, he made enemies, making it hard for him to survive for long.

Could such a person really change?

If so, to what extent?

'If Kiolle manages to survive a long time in this life... would that also be considered a variable?'

Nonchalantly contemplating thoughts that would have offended Kiolle if he knew, Yuder moved on. Despite having exerted quite a lot of effort, he felt more energized than before he went out. He wasn't sure if this was a normal situation, but he intended to keep an eye on the situation.

"Yuder! Where have you been?"

Upon returning to the Cavalry building, Yuder was greeted by Kanna, who had been busily scurrying about.

"I went out briefly to assist Steiber with some Sul Division related matter. But why?"

"The Commander has decided to change the departure schedule for the west! Originally, the Commander was planning to depart last with the third detachment, but now he's going with the first. He was looking for you; hasn't he seen you yet?"

"What?"

"Is that true, Kanna? The Commander definitely left his office... when did he come back?"

Simultaneously doubting his own hearing at the shocking news and questioning Kanna, Steiber, who was next to him, anxiously chimed in. Only then did Kanna seem to recognize his presence and widened her eyes slightly.

"Ah, Steiber. I'm sorry. The Commander had left his office? I'm not sure about that. He came back with Zuckerman just a while ago and asked if I had seen Yuder while discussing the schedule change."

"Kanna. Did you see the Commander yourself?"

Yuder unusually asked hastily. Kanna, with a flustered face, nodded her head.

"Yes."

"Then his health is... no. Thank you. I need to go up right away."

He intended to ask if he seemed to be in good health, but it hit him that it would be faster to see for himself. Holding Kishiar's clothes draped over his arm tightly, Yuder left Kanna and Steiber behind and ran up the stairs.

"This is Yuder Aile. May I come in?"

Standing at the Commander's office, knocking and waiting for a response felt like several years. He was trying to suppress his anxiety when, after a moment, the door opened. But the person who appeared was not the expected Nathan Zuckerman, it was Kishiar himself.

"..."

Surprised but at the same time deeply relieved. His heart, which had been anxiously racing, slowed to a steady pace as if it was never agitated. Yuder looked up at Kishiar, who was dressed in white, and slowly scanned his entire body.

He didn't feel the precariousness he had sensed last time, nor did he feel the uneasy, wild energy. Kishiar was as robust and composed as ever. Only after he was certain of this fact did he discreetly let out a deep sigh.

Given that he had disappeared from the quarters, I wondered where he had gone.

Kishiar, who had similarly been scrutinizing Yuder for a similar length of time, quietly opened his mouth.

"I couldn't find you at the training ground at the back, or in the dining hall. Where did you go?"

"I stepped out to return something you left behind and ended up assisting with some Sul Division issues."

"Issues? In such a short time?"

Kishiar, who had responded by raising an eyebrow, took a step back after a moment, uttering an 'Ah.'

"I was so impatient that I nearly left you outside. Come in and talk."

Yuder followed the space Kishiar made for him inside. The Commander's office was no different from usual, but just the fact that the owner had returned and taken his place made it feel strangely different.

"Sit down."

Kishiar, sitting in front of the guest table, invited Yuder to the seat across from him. As soon as Yuder settled into the chair, he quickly asked the question he was most curious about.

"I heard from Kanna that you're planning on changing the schedule. May I ask what happened?"

"Just as you heard."

A brief response from Kishiar was followed by a soft smile passing over his eyes.

"When I woke up this morning, I found it strange that my body felt incredibly light. Up until yesterday, my energy was so rough, I felt rundown. But today, it was peaceful as if a throbbing tooth had been removed. I thought there might be a discrepancy between what I was feeling and reality, so I paid a visit to the palace."

He had gone to the palace with Nathan Zuckerman in a carriage. Yuder tried to calm the rapid beat of his heart and lightly cleared his throat.

"So..."

"The head court mage and His Majesty's personal physician both confirmed that my cycle had passed. They assured me that I would soon return to my usual state."

My God. I really did it.

The mysterious events of the night before, which had happened as if enchanted, passed through his mind in a flash. Yuder, who had unknowingly been gripping his hand tightly, loosened his grip and let out a quiet breath. Not knowing what to say that would seem natural, he hesitated for a moment before finally uttering a sentence.

"I'm truly relieved."

"Yes, I am too. Not just that my energy has calmed down, but even the early symptoms of the upcoming heat period that I had anticipated have completely subsided, except..."

"..."

Suddenly, it felt like cold water had been poured over his head, leaving him chilled.

'...The early symptoms of the heat period have subsided?'

"What do you mean by that?"

"This part, honestly, no one can confirm for certain, so I will have to rely on my instinctual judgment. But it's exactly as I said. Until yesterday, there were signs and a fever that it was coming soon, but today, even that has completely subsided."

"Could you be mistaken?"

In response to Yuder's question, Kishiar tilted his head.

"Well... However, I decided that keeping my perfectly healthy body cooped up in my bedroom just to check would be a waste."

Could such a thing be possible? No. Everything that had happened yesterday was strange, so he should not think about it rationally. Just because his cycle had passed, there was no way that the careful Kishiar would suddenly move up the departure schedule. He had failed to consider that point first, focusing only on the fact that his condition had improved.

'If I was only trying to deal with the tangled energy mass and accidentally touched the part that was functioning normally...'

Suddenly, his mind felt even colder. Without hesitation, Yuder opened his mouth and called out to him.

"Commander, I..."

"Do you have something to say?"

Kishiar responded as though he was waiting. Yuder bit his lip once, then took a deep breath.

"It seems that what I did last night... may be related to your changed physical condition."