"Commander?"

"...Ah."

Only then did Kishiar, having blinked once, shifted his gaze to see Yuder's face and paused momentarily.

"When did you arrive?"

"Mealtime was upon us. I knocked repeatedly but received no response, so I let myself in."

"Has it gotten that late already?"

"Do you perhaps not feel well?"

It wasn't normal for such a sharp man to be oblivious to the sound of knocking. It seemed his choice to push his body to the limits, heading west as soon as his duties ended, might have been overzealous. Yuder, carefully observing Kishiar's face, asked cautiously. Kishiar shook his head slightly, a faint smile gracing his features.

"No, I'm fine. I was just deep in thought, more so than I realized."

Yuder sneakily peeked at the map Kishiar had been looking at.

'... It seems to be a map of the West... what are these red markings all over?'

But before he could inspect it more closely, Kishiar completely folded the map. Yuder realized that if it was an important matter, he would come to know of it eventually without having to ask. So he withdrew his interest from the map.

"You must be hungry. If I didn't respond, you should have eaten first. I recall no strict rule that everyone must wait for me to start eating."

"I'm not particularly hungry, and of course, your mealtime takes priority, Commander. I was worried about your health."

"Ah... I see. Was it Nathan who asked you to check on me?"

The man, quick to comprehend the situation, rose from his seat.

"Alright. Let's go eat."

"Yes."

"Weren't you tired on your journey? You must have used a lot of your abilities."

Kishiar asked as he opened the door and walked out. Yuder followed behind him.

"Actually, I was so energetic that it became a problem, so I'm fine."

Although it was a sincere answer, Kishiar chuckled as if he found something amusing.

"Is that so? You seemed like you might be feeling trapped while at the headquarters. To the point where I thought you might have felt liberated using your abilities freely without restrictions or pain outside for the first time in a while."

It was true that he felt a sense of freedom, being able to use his abilities outside without any constraints or pain. However, he had never felt as if he was doing something he didn't want to do out of obligation while at the headquarters.

'Did I show any signs of disliking my work recently?' Yuder hesitated briefly before responding slowly.

"I didn't feel that way... Did you notice anything strange about my behavior?"

"No. Nothing was amiss."

Kishiar responded in his usual tone.

"The problem always lies with me."

It was an ambiguous answer, seeming like a joke and not, making it difficult to discern his intentions. As Yuder pondered whether he should ask about the meaning behind those words, Kishiar suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Hold on."

"Commander?"

Kishiar, who had halted abruptly, reached out toward Yuder's head and plucked something from the hair. What he had assumed to be a speck of dust was, upon closer inspection, a silver strand of hair. It must have attached itself during their journey, where Yuder rode the horse together with Ejain.

"It was bothering me."

"You should have just told me."

His body, left unclean and even soaked in rain, was bound to have more than just a single strand of Ejain's hair stuck to it. That Kishiar would directly pick something from there without hesitation was not a typical act for a member of the imperial family.

At this rate, there will truly be no words to say if I'm arrested for insulting an imperial family member one day.

But the problem was that, unlike before, he didn't vehemently avoid it. Yuder quietly lowered his gaze and followed behind him as if nothing had happened.

"Speaking of which, you seemed to be conversing quite a bit with the Second Prince of Nelarn while riding together."

"Yes."

"From what I heard, he seemed to have taken quite a liking to you since the time you encountered each other in the palace... but how did you find him on your journey?"

Was he asking about how Yuder felt about Ejain?

Yuder reflected on the conversation he had with Ejain while riding. He had dEmunstrated a diplomatic skill capable of gaining the cooperation of Emperor Keilusa, despite still being a prince. He was curious about Yuder, especially after having seen him several times up close, but he didn't have much to say.

The conversation with Ejain today was nothing but remarks about how he envied the Awakeners and felt the Cavalry was underestimated. Most of Yuder's impression of Ejain was biased toward the memories and information from his past life. If he wiped those out, nothing would remain.

"...Just as when I first met him, he seemed to still hold great interest in the Cavalry and the Awakeners. He said he had been interested in the Cavalry even before coming to the Empire."

"And?"

What else was he supposed to say?

He couldn't possibly say that he'd become a powerful Awakener, one of the few in the future, and that his power would make Nelarn a nation strong enough to compete with the Orr Empire.

He also couldn't mention the fact that he saw glimpses of Ejain's character even at this point, a character that valued talent and extended a helping hand to Yuder, who was facing execution. Yuder tried his best to recall only his encounter with Ejain today.

"Despite being injured, he quickly shook off the shock and stood up, showing a strong character."

"Hmm. Anything else?"

"We've only met twice, so I don't know much more."

Finally, Yuder gave up on extracting more words and responded with a feeling of surrender, causing Kishiar's eyes to soften.

"But it seems my assistant views him quite favorably."

"If I must say, it's more that he seemed to view me favorably."

Although Yuder was Kishiar's assistant, he was only twenty and had just recently received a last name. He was a fledgling who had not even been in the Cavalry for a year, and the Cavalry was just beginning to stir.

Originally, it would have been impossible for him, a commoner, to assess a prince of a nation.

'I suppose Kishiar would ask me such a thing...'

"This mission is not only to assist the prince but also to observe who he is."

Standing in front of the bustling dining area, Kishiar responded in a voice so low it was barely audible.

"I will continue to observe whether he is a person who can bear the weight of the throne and keep his promise with His Majesty. He will likely be evaluating us in his own way as well."

""

"So, be careful."

Kishiar, who had lightly patted Yuder's shoulder, entered the dining room first. The members and knights who were eating at the far end of the long table stood up and greeted him all at once.

"Have you arrived?"

"You're late."

"I was briefly reviewing the report I received. Please sit, I'll continue."

"Yes!"

Yuder followed him, taking a seat on the vacant chair next to Gakane. As Kishiar, who was at the head of the table, sat in front of the untouched soup and bread, Prince Ejain, who had been seated right next to him, gave a polite greeting.

"Regrettably, we started our meal without you."

"Don't worry, it's not a formal occasion. I am concerned, however, whether these hastily prepared dishes will be to your taste."

"No, they are incredibly delicious. Having left in such a hurry, I didn't get to have a proper meal. Eating warm food after such a long time is like a balm to my fatigue. I am deeply grateful."

Upon hearing Prince Ejain's remarks, his retinue also expressed their gratitude.

"They would be pleased to hear you enjoyed the food."

---

"I wonder how can it seem like a different world over there, even though they are just having a conversation?"

Kanna, seated across from Yuder, mumbled curiously.

"They're eating the same food as us."

"Do you think it's because they can eat without making a sound?"

Emun, sitting next to her, with a full-faced smile, added.

"I would make a sound even if I were eating with a wooden spoon and a wooden bowl, but they are not making a sound at all."

"I see... that's true."

"Yuder. Kanna got your soup and she put a lot of meat in it."

Gakane whispered this as he listened to the conversation between Kanna and Emun.

"People don't know. So eat a lot."

At his words, the presence of chunks of meat became more palpable in the bowl. Yuder thanked Gakane in a whisper.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

Gakane muttered, seemingly embarassed, that it was hard to sneak in a lot of meat near the hungry Eldore siblings.

"I drew their attention, and Kanna carried it out. It was fortunate we weren't caught."

The rose-like vibrancy was back in his hair and eyes, perhaps because he had eaten well. Yuder vaguely remembered a story about him being nicknamed 'Living Rose'. It seemed strange at the time, but it made sense now.

The meal ended not long after. After ensuring that everyone had finished their meals, Kishiar stood up and suggested going directly to the reception room to Prince Ejain.

"The largest space is there, so we should have our formal conversation there."

"Understood."

Yuder promptly followed Kishiar. With Nathan Zuckerman still absent, he had to guard the Commander. However, as soon as Kishiar sat in the chair arranged in the reception room, he gave Yuder an order.

"Yuder."

"Yes."

"Would you bring the map I left on the table in my room earlier?"

Yuder glanced at the Cavalry members who were following him in, nodded, and went upstairs. There was only one map in Kishiar's room. The paper he had been studying so intently that he hadn't even heard the door knock was still half-folded on the table. Yuder took it and went downstairs.

In the meantime, the conversation had already begun.