"So... what happened?"

"The Commander had not yet returned, so we first confiscated the hidden monsters and isolated the involved mages."

"They wouldn't have complied willingly... Was there any resistance from the other mages?"

At Yuder's anxious inquiry, Lusan fell silent for a moment.

"There was... But the members captured and imprisoned those people as well."

"I see."

Yuder realized anew that his comrades were not as naive and weak as he had thought. The firmness with which they had acted, despite his fears that the newly appointed members might be overpowered by the mages in Kishiar's absence, was almost laughable.

"Thankfully, many mages, including the leader, helped, so there wasn't much quarrel during the process. After all, if one has any sense of honor or shame, they couldn't cover up for them."

The priest, who began wrapping the bandages again, seemed to be putting much more force into his hands than before. It was not a misperception. Lusan made no attempt to hide his anger towards the mages who had captured and hid the monsters.

"After the Commander brought you, Yuder, I spent all night treating you and couldn't properly report on it. I only reported after daybreak..."

Only after Yuder's treatment had somewhat concluded did Kishiar finally emerge from the room. The mages, who faced him as he boldly removed his hat to reveal his face a contrast to when he first arrived were all struck dumb and opened their mouths wide in surprise.

There was certainly a tall man among the Cavalry members. But since he was so silent, no one had taken much notice of him. Who could have imagined that such a breathtaking face was hidden beneath his rough hat and cloak? Even Gakane Bolunwald, who had melted the mages' guard with just his face, lost his luster next to him.

The unidentified man responded briefly to the mages who asked about his identity.

"Commander of the Cavalry, Kishiar La Orr."

The entire mages present were shocked by his words. Mages, being more traveled than ordinary people, were surprised that they were seeing a member of the Empire's imperial family up close for the first time. Even if that member was Duke Peletta, notorious for being a headache to the imperial family due to his lack of wit.

They had known that Duke Peletta was the Cavalry Commander, but they had not thought he would be in such a dangerous place. While the mages were swallowing their confusion, their leader Micalin stepped forward to confront him.

"Have you been hiding your identity?"

"I had to, given the circumstances. I trust you'll understand."

Even with just a few words exchanged about the current state of the base, the mages quickly realized how different the man in front of them was from the rumors. Kishiar looked at them not with his usual smile but with eyes as cold and dark as frost.

"It seems like it's time for us to have a frank discussion about how the situation turned out like this."

After receiving reports from Kanna and the other Cavalry members about the information they had gathered and the story Lusan had told Yuder, Kishiar asked Micalin to confirm the truth. Micalin could not refute it. Among the facts that Kanna had discovered were even dangerous statements and actions by the mages under him, facts that even he, their leader, hadn't been aware of.

"Someone is risking his life to save you, to the point of lying there on the brink of death, while others can't even make the bare minimum effort for cooperation and are so engrossed in their own greed as to find this matter amusing. What do you think?"

...As the Leader, I have nothing to justify. The failure of the mages under my guidance is entirely my responsibility.

Behind Micalin, who clenched his eyes shut in sheer embarrassment, the mages of the Western Mage Union lowered their heads in silence.

As the Cavalry Commander, I have no intention of letting this matter slide easily.

Originally, the punishment of a mage who committed a crime was traditionally and conventionally decided by other mages. The tightly-knit group of mages, bound by secrets and obstinacy, was not lightly open to outside interference.

However, Kishiar declared he would participate in the punishment of the guilty mages alongside Micalin. In the face of his unilateral notification that he would inform the Court Mage Office and the Pearl Tower in the capital if they refused his involvement, the mages of the Western Mage Union couldn't make any excuses.

Kishiar met with the guilty mages, leading his Cavalry. The icy gaze of the man who smirked coldly at those who couldn't hide their complaints and disrespect towards the Cavalry in their furious eyes was filled with chill.

Try and kill me if you dare. But immediately, the Cavalry will become the common enemy of all mages, was the rash curse spat out by a mage, to which Kishiar merely nodded.

Indeed, death would not serve as a proper punishment. You shall personally experience what you considered insignificant and thought you could control.

The punishment he announced seemed superficially simple, but its content was anything but.

At Kishiar's command, the Cavalry members dragged out the mages. They brought forth a small monster that the mages secretly captured, who had been fed part of the magic stones from their amplification circle and left unconscious, and placed it before them.

If you defeat this monster, no matter what the Leader says, I will not punish you. I won't even ask you to take any responsibility for this incident.

The mages froze. They had only captured it for research purposes; they never imagined they would have to fight and defeat it. But they couldn't just back down without even raising a hand in front of the Cavalry and their comrades. Gritting their teeth, they surrounded the Pethuamet. They began preparing their most difficult and powerful spells.

Was that alright? What if that monster grows again because of what they

It wasn't surprising that the mages tried to create another Pethuamet for their research, but it was shocking that Kishiar not only didn't stop them, but also told them to fight it properly. Lusan chuckled softly at Yuder's astonishment, as if he understood it.

Don't worry. Before it began, the Commander told the members and the Leader of the Western Mage Union how to act and guaranteed that he would take responsibility for anything that happened.

The result came very quickly. The mages were instantly terrified when they saw the Pethuamet swell a bit each time they attacked it. Most of them could count the types of magic they could use without a magic tool on one hand.

Although the monster, initially the size of a palm, had grown only slightly, a few attacks from it mercilessly shattered the protection circle and the remaining buildings that they had managed to restore at the base. Looking around for help, they found no one willing to lend them a hand.

There were those overwhelmed with fear, trying to flee, but the members of the Cavalry did not allow them to escape so easily. They blocked the mages trying to escape and several times coolly drove them back towards Pethuamet. Some, like the Eldore siblings, took advantage of the situation, pretending to stumble and destroying more magic circles than even the monsters could.

The guilty mages resisted and tried to fight back, but there was no one soft enough in the Cavalry to be defeated by such weak attacks.

Amid the chill and wordless response, the mages finally started to feel the bone-aching difference between themselves and their opponents and the terrifying power of a monster that could not be controlled by human strength.

In the midst of the gruesome spectacle that forced them to feel the recklessness of their actions, other untouched mages wore bitter expressions but none stopped the carnage until the end.

"It was around then that Sir Yuder woke up."

Assuming Yuder would be startled and rush out if he knew what was happening, they kept the unfolding situation a secret.

Kishiar watched the mages writhing on the ground, finally falling, never showing a hint of pity or laughter. The same was true for the members following him.

The situation finally ended after all the mages expressed their intention to surrender. They held out for quite a while, but in the end, no one could defeat the monster. All they could do was act shamefully, fleeing to prevent the monster from growing and trying to protect their bodies.

After everything was over, Kishiar personally drew his sword and cut down the small monster. The monster, which the mages could not even touch properly, he neutralized with a gesture and quickly transformed into a cold corpse by cutting out its tongue.

In the silence where no one dared to speak, a low voice echoed.

"Remember what it means to try to control the uncontrollable. A fortune like this doesn't come twice."

In the end, the guilty mages were expelled from the Western Mage Union and punished by being sent back to the Pearl Tower. Upon returning to the Pearl Tower, they would be faced not with the hospitality of their colleagues, but with a proper investigation and cold punishment.

The Pearl Tower existed within the Empire, but its status encompassed all mages across the continent, not belonging to any single nation. Being expelled from such a group, there were barely any places left to go. It was both an advantage and a disadvantage of the seemingly broad yet narrow mage community.