Episode 372

"I've seen plenty of gamblers' antics in the village where I lived, so I know them well. Those obsessed with gambling don't listen to others, right? They do what they want. But the noble guest immediately questioned the fellow and even asked about the betting amount later on."

In other words, the meaning was that the noble's excessive reliance on the foreigner from the south who came with him that day seemed suspicious.

"Hmm... It does seem special indeed."

"That's what I'm saying. My intuition tells me he's the most suspicious."

After almost becoming the subject of Duke Apeto's experiments and being rescued by Yuder, Devran was more loyal and diligent in his training than anyone else. Although he was a bit rough in speech, his wild instincts developed through experience were to be trusted.

"I remember the name the noble called him. It was Athon. Since you agree with my opinion, Steiber, shall we follow him when he leaves the gambling house later?"

Devran said the man was not armed and did not seem to be a mage or an Awakener. After some thought, Steiber agreed.

But Devran couldn't carry out his intention. The Southerner, clad in clothing that looked suffocating just by looking at it, surprisingly did not even take a carriage when he left the gambling house and disappeared without a trace before they could follow.

...

Someone suddenly touched his cheek.

Startled, Yuder opened his eyes and realized that he had been half-asleep in the position where he was sitting. He seemed to have had a troubling dream, but he could not remember it well. It took him a moment to come back to reality, blinking blankly while the man who slapped him narrowed his brows and offered a faint smile in greeting.

"Did you sleep well?"

"...I apologize. I fell asleep without knowing you had arrived."

"It's natural, coming right after spending the night in a jail."

The cool touch of the hand passed over his cheek, sweeping the disheveled hair from his forehead. The cold yet gentle sensation finally woke him up completely.

Yuder looked at Kishiar, still holding the remnants of the chilly wind from outside, and exhaled deeply.

"I think I told you to lie in bed after the treatment. It seems you didn't even have the energy to go there. Will you lie down now?"

"No, I'm... I'm fully awake now."

Straightening his posture and thinking back to what he was doing just before falling asleep, the answer soon came to him.

'I was trying to think after hearing Enon's words... Maybe I dozed off because the stove was too warm.'

Fortunately, the sun was still high outside the window. It seemed he hadn't slept for too long.

"Did you finish talking with Baron Willhem, Commander?"

"For now."

Kishiar briefly answered, then added after a moment.

"The Duke of Tain's side said they would entrust us with all investigations related to incidents caused by the Awakeners from now on. If necessary, we can use the Tainu Knights and stationed troops, and they have also made clear their intention to let us handle the investigation headquarters we planned to set up in the public security management team."

The priority of investigating incidents caused by Awakeners had always been the Cavalry's job, so it was unclear what they were conceding, but it was good news anyway.

'In return, the Duke of Tain will now begin to secretly cover up secret trade deals and process them in his favor, out of everyone's sight.'

But that was precisely what Kishiar wanted, so it was something to be applauded.

Yuder opened his mouth, briefly conveying this intention.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

Kishiar slightly closed his eyes and smiled, suddenly placing something on Yuder's knee. It was a cookie box that was simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar.

"Nathan bought this yesterday, but now we can finally eat it. Shall we have a little while congratulating, and talk?"

Since they had already enjoyed a full breakfast that covered the tablecloth entirely, Yuder wasn't particularly hungry. However, he couldn't refuse the cookies in the box that Kishiar had opened. Kishiar, watching him with a smile, began to speak again.

"Graham Willhem regained consciousness and was able to talk. The intruders demanded access to the upper basement and the decryption of encrypted information."

"The internal information, is it related to what was stolen from the broken safe then?"

"It seems so, but Baron Willhem desperately wants to pretend that part never happened. I felt sorry for his efforts, so I played along for now. Of course, I plan to meet Graham again privately later."

Yuder nodded, recalling Nathan Zuckerman's report. It was clear that Nahan had not completely obtained the information he had taken from there. If he had been abducted last night, Graham Willhem would have quickly spilled all the information and then been killed.

"The members sent to the security management team have prepared a place to work, and Ever Beck finally found a place where they might be hiding and went to look, but unfortunately, they disappeared last night."

He also added that the signs of a hasty departure made it apparent that they hadn't been gone long. The fact that Ever wasn't seen when they returned earlier seemed to be because of that.

"If we don't find them now... they will surely appear again soon, won't they?"

"It seems so. Judging by the news that many top associations in Tainu will gather to hold an auction this year, it seems that Duke Tain doesn't think of delaying any longer."

Although they were called top associations, they were places where Tain's hand could have reached. Not long ago, Kishiar had predicted that the auction would be held again, and it had become an accurate reality.

In Kishiar's playful eyes, Yuder could easily guess what he was thinking.

'If the news of the auction is known, Nahan will certainly not be able to deny that it will be a golden opportunity. And it will be our best chance to catch both rabbits.'

Sometimes, even knowing the danger, there comes a time when one must step forward to bite the bait in front of one's eyes. The auction that Duke Tain would hold was like that, and such was the choice that Ershi and Nahan, who would see through the identity of that auction, would make.

And the person who made all those choices inevitably the best was right in front of me.

Yuder took a small breath, feeling his heart pound.

Driving prey towards a cliff without them knowing is not easy, not something anyone can do. Standing on a cliff designated by Kishiar's predictions, they were bound to consider that moment an opportunity, not a cliff, achieved through the best choice.

The pieces that had been moving beneath the surface gathered and fell into place as the man in front of him had predicted. How remarkable was it to see up close the spectacle of all the words unknowingly finding their place one by one?

The fact that the moments when the Star of Nagran and Duke Tain had to move inevitably for their respective purposes had suddenly loomed large before them felt strangely unfamiliar. It felt as though he had been asleep for days, even though he had actually only been asleep for a brief moment.

And as if reading such a strange feeling in Yuder, Kishiar spoke.

"Yes... If things continue like this, I'll probably be able to get both rabbits I wanted without a big problem. There were variables that were more turbulent than expected, but it's surprisingly perfect."

Perfect.

He was chewing on those words, repeating them in his mouth, when the following words were heard.

"And the reason I was able to seize this perfect timing is probably that someone voluntarily came forward to avoid tripping me and my Cavalry."

"..."

"Don't you think?"

Although he had said "someone," his red eyes were looking intently at just one place, to the point of bewilderment. Yuder opened his mouth awkwardly, blinking. Just making eye contact made the inside of his throat dry up again.

"...I didn't do anything this time."

"Really?"

"Shouldn't it be adjutant Zuckerman or... Ever who hears those words?"

"Of course, I'll praise them too after everything is over. But now is the time to praise the one who bore everything last night."

A white hand reached out and grabbed Yuder's hand.

"I kept thinking about what I could give to someone who would only feel burdened by anything material. It didn't seem fitting, as if he had become the poorest person in the world. All I can do at most is tell him verbally what he accomplished. And..."

Over the unveiled black stain, Kishiar silently pressed his lips. Yuder's fingertips shrank as if they were pricked by a knife, but the warmth that was pressed remained like a brand.

He wanted to tell him not to say such things.

He wanted to say that such praise, such greetings were not at all necessary for him.

Yuder Aile did not have the right to hear such words.

But all those words could not come out as sound from his mouth. Yuder, frozen in place, cast his eyes downward, painfully feeling the many holes inside himself.