"...Reserve your strength, Priest Lusan, for the one I will bring soon."

And then, he disappeared as quickly as a blink. The Cavalry members only managed to collect themselves and breathe properly after he was gone.

"Wh-where did the Commander go? Don't tell me he went to find Yuder alone?"

"Probably. He did say to Priest Lusan to conserve energy for the one he would bring..."

In response to Emun's question, Gakane mumbled. Even the usually amiable Gakane struggled to maintain composure in this situation, his expression stiff.

"Kanna, are we really not going after him?"

"A monster that grows stronger the more it's attacked, what is that all about? No matter how powerful Yuder is, how could he defeat it alone?"

"I don't know..."

Kanna answered blankly towards the Eldore siblings huddled next to her.

"But we should do what he asked and wait for now."

Yuder was undeniably the strongest member amongst the 330 Cavalry members. Everyone here had received help for their ability development from Yuder. Kanna trusted Yuder's strength as much as, or even more than, she trusted Kishiar.

But strangely, she couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling.

And that unease became a reality a moment later with a massive earthquake that seemed to tear apart the Great Sarain Forest.

---

"That earthquake... I truly thought the world was ending. I still can't believe that you caused it alone. When the Commander brought you back..."

After the entire story, Yuder felt the trembling of Kanna's small hand holding his own.

"We thought you were dead."

"Kanna."

"Listen, don't ever do that again."

With a voice choking back emotion, Kanna pleaded.

"Promise me here. You won't do it again. No matter how dangerous it seems for others, you won't step in alone."

If it was anyone else asking, he might've agreed just to reassure them. But Kanna had the ability to discern lies and truths hidden within words if she wished.

'So that's why she kept holding my hand.'

Kanna tightened her grip on his hand as Yuder remained silent.

"Won't you promise?"

"I'll try."

"That's the best you can do, huh."

I see. Kanna gave a short reply and, letting out a sigh, she released his hand.

"But remember this. You only have one life. No matter how strong you are, death means the end. Have you ever considered those around you?"

Without realizing it, Yuder found himself smiling faintly. Indeed, her words were true. No matter how strong you are, death is the end. No amount of achievement, wealth, or power can accompany you in death.

And no one knew this better than himself.

"I know."

"No, what do you know? You don't know anything."

As if all her previous cheerfulness was a lie, Kanna retorted coldly and hit Yuder's shoulder once more.

"I'm furious that I only realized now that you're such a fool. If I knew, I would have vehemently opposed when the Commander said he was leaving you behind."

Yuder had wished for that too. But he stayed quiet, fearing that saying so would only make Kanna more upset.

"...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. What are you apologizing for when you can't even promise to stay out of trouble?"

After saying so, Kanna fell silent, unable to overcome her sense of distress. A few moments later, Yuder heard a rustling noise from her at his side.

"What does this look like?"

"...A sword?"

"Right. Your sword. When the Commander brought you here, he didn't manage to bring it along, so someone else brought it later. But... touch this part here."

Kanna guided Yuder's hand to touch a certain spot. His numb fingers caught a rough, lengthy string. But as soon as he touched it, it crumbled and broke off piece by piece.

"Do you remember the red string that was originally attached to your sword? Luckily the sword is intact, but that string and the sheath are completely ruined. What you just touched was the last remaining piece of the string."

Yuder silently focused on the coarse sensation at his fingertips. This string was a gift from Enon, who had forced it on him, saying it would help steady his energy. He had kept it tied to his sword ever since.

It wouldn't matter if he made a new sheath, but despite its worn-out appearance, the string had never been damaged by fire or water before, so he couldn't easily guess what it meant for it to have broken in this way.

"You were in a very dangerous fight for your sword to end up like this. Do you understand?"

"..."

Listening to Kanna's sharp voice, he touched the spot where the string had been tied for a long while.

"Sir Yuder. It seems you have woken up."

"Priest."

Not long after, Priest Lusan entered the room. Yuder had never been so grateful for his presence. If Lusan had arrived even a little later, Kanna would have seemed ready to confine him to the room forever.

"Let's see... Are you in pain?"

"No."

"How are your senses?"

As Lusan asked, he gently touched various parts of Yuder's face and arms. After a moment's thought, Yuder shook his head.

"I can feel your touch, but there's no pain."

"..."

Yuder thought Lusan would be relieved to hear he was not in pain, but for some reason, he was silent. Sensing his dark mood, Yuder cautiously asked.

"Is there something wrong with my condition?"

"It's quite peculiar. After all the divine power I poured into you, there's no heat."

Lusan muttered heavily.

"You would know that the monster was venomous. You drenched your entire body with its blood, so you can imagine what kind of state you'd be in, right?"

"It must not have been a pretty sight."

He hadn't given it much thought when he was covered in blood, but thinking about it now, he started to worry more about Kishiar, who had immediately picked him up after seeing him in that state.

"Yes. But that's not the problem. When I use divine power, it seems to heat up momentarily, but then it quickly returns to normal and the stained area expands. So now I've applied some herbs and wrapped you in bandages."

Lusan sighed worriedly.

"The reason you're hardly feeling anything now is probably due to the venom covering your skin and the pain reliever herbs. I don't know which one is having a stronger effect... but if it's due to the pain reliever, your senses will gradually return as time goes by, and you'll start to feel pain. I'm sorry I couldn't do more due to my lack of skill..."

"That's not true."

Yuder responded quickly. Being weak to monsters was an inherent flaw and a natural limit he had. Wounds inflicted by monsters in his previous life had often taken longer to heal than other injuries, and it was likely the same this time. But the young priest wasn't about to hold back his self-deprecating sigh. After mumbling gloomily for some time, Lusan, with weak movements, touched near Yuder's eyes and opened his mouth.

"Ah, as for your power, I'm not sure either, but the Commander instructed me to check that too once you wake up, so I will. Yuder, can you exert your strength now?"

Strength, eh? Yuder slowly flipped his palm and placed it in front of his chest, making a slight effort. He intended to summon an amount of water the size of a pea onto his palm, but as time passed, he didn't feel anything.

"Did it work?"

"Did you intentionally create just one drop?"

Kanna, who was beside him, questioned.

"I tried to create an amount the size of a pea in my hand."

"If it wasn't intentional, it seems you haven't recovered in that aspect yet."

Lusan pronounced his judgment in a grave voice. Yuder was struck by a considerable shock. It would have been better if his strength had been excessively appeared like before. The opposite had never even crossed his mind.

"..."

"Do you finally get that you can't act recklessly now? ...But don't worry too much, Yuder. You'll be able to recover. The Commander, and we, will find a way."

"I am..."

Yuder opened his mouth with a hard-to-express feeling, then closed it again. As Kanna was patting the back of his hand, the sound of fighting from outside was heard again. Just as Yuder turned his head, paying attention to the noise, Lusan suddenly raised his voice.

"Yuder. It's fortunate you woke up early, but you must know that sleep is the best rest. Now that we've checked your condition, take this and get some more rest."

"I'm okay... But what about outside..."

"Yuder, drink this."

Kanna joined in and poured something into his mouth. Yuder didn't even have a chance to say anything before his consciousness started to blur again.