"Was there some alarming news in the letters?"

The soft question came as soon as the letters were read and set aside. Yuder looked up and met the gaze of Kishiar, who was sitting not far away, watching him.

"Why do you think that?"

"Your expression is different than usual."

There could be only one reason for a change in expression while reading. Yuder looked down at the letters in his hand and opened his mouth.

"...I was a bit surprised to hear that Gakane was injured."

"Ah. I've heard that news. It's fortunate that he wasn't seriously hurt."

Kishiar nodded slowly, as if understanding. If a close comrade was in danger, anyone would react differently than usual. That wasn't the real reason, but Yuder responded quietly.

"Yes. It truly is... fortunate."

A fortunate event.

In his previous life, what had left an indelible scar on the entire Cavalry was now simply summed up in that one word.

Gakane Bolunwald's untimely death had been the first thing Yuder wanted to change when he returned to the past. But they couldn't be together at the very moment when Gakane was in danger again.

The fact that Yuder could not be with him due to external factors when Gakane was in crisis was the same as in his previous life. However, the outcome was different. It was proof that his own efforts to change the future had clearly had an effect.

Things beyond his reach could be changed.

This gave him renewed confidence that he could also change the death of Kishiar La Orr and everything surrounding it.

'And the future beyond that.'

Yuder looked straight into Kishiar's face, more squarely than ever before. Kishiar briefly tilted his head, wondering at the meaning of that gaze, and then quickly closed his eyes, flashing an attractive smile.

"By the way, did Gakane Bolunwald tell you about the ore vein discovered beneath the Magic Spring Ruins? It's quite interesting."

"Yes."

After answering, Yuder fell silent for a moment and continued.

"Could the vein be the reason why magic started to accumulate there?"

"Well... If I must say, I think it's the other way around."

Kishiar answered briefly and explained.

"Do you know how magic stones form?"

"I know they are produced in places where magic is thin."

"Right. Then have you thought about why places with many magic stones have thin magic?"

Yuder was familiar with the everyday use of magic stones but had never considered that aspect. As he shook his head, Kishiar nodded, as if he had expected that response.

"It's a simple issue if you understand how magic stones are formed. They require magic to be concentrated for a long time and hardened like a rock. So, a place where magic stones are abundant was originally a land with enough magic to be concentrated."

"...So the thin magic in places with many magic stones is the result of the original magic being transformed into stones and being consumed?"

"You catch on quickly."

Kishiar praised him, smiling as he continued his explanation.

"Magic stones are now very common, but they were rare minerals in the past. In the era when the first Emperor was just establishing the Orr Empire, the term 'magic stone' did not even exist. Mages used this as the basis to point to magic stones as the main cause of the phenomenon of thin magic."

Unlike the old times filled with abundant magic power, as time went by, the magic gradually began to thin. Correspondingly, the number of Mages also decreased, and it became harder to find those who could wield outstanding magic.

Kishiar explained that, in contrast to this, the discovery of magic ore veins had gradually increased. Unlike the magic power that naturally existed and circulated in the air, once the power stored within a magic ore was exhausted, it was gone forever. However, no one could find a way to eliminate the emerging magic ore, so even those who, like the Western Mage Union, were trying to solve this phenomenon, couldn't find any particularly good solutions. The Mages had started to focus more on creating magic tools rather than researching magic, and this was ultimately the reason why.

After learning the previously unknown relationship between magic power and magic ore, Yuder carefully sorted out his thoughts.

If what he says is true, it would be more correct that the magic ores were created because a large amount of pure magic started to accumulate, rather than because of the magic ores found under the magic spring.

Kishiar was right; the cause and effect were reversed.

Yuder recalled the words Enon had spoken while looking at the Magic Spring Ruins.

The bitter assertion that natural magic wouldn't accumulate so abnormally, so it must have been artificially created.

Kishiar had also previously revealed that the range of the Great Sarain Forest and the range of the magic pooled underground matched so well that it could not be considered a coincidence.

If these words were true, could someone who had trapped the magic under the Great Sarain Forest have predicted that so much magic ore would be created?

The history of the abnormal expansion of the Great Sarain Forest reaches back a thousand years. Back then, the term "magic ore" did not even exist, so the chances that they didn't know are higher.

Who could have performed such a massive task, and if so, what was the purpose, what was the method? Now he couldn't guess at all.

In the end, all I can trust is Kanna.

Commander, what will happen to the ownership of the discovered ore vein?

Basically, it belongs to the country of the discoverer, but that's mainly possible because the discoverers usually belong to the country where the vein is located. This time, the vein could cover the entire Great Sarain Forest, so it might be quite tricky. Well, that's something for His Majesty to worry about. All we have to do is try to finish our investigations before the news of the discovery spreads.

Yuder agreed, putting down the letters in his hand and turning his head towards the window. The distant view of Tainu seemed slightly different from usual. Until a few days ago, it had been hard to find a place with lights on at night. People, panicked by the explosion and city lockdown, had hidden inside and extinguished their lights early. But now, the number of buildings with lights on was almost as many as when he first arrived.

The clear evidence that the enhanced security by the Cavalry, the Peletta Knights, and the Western Mage Union had helped regain stability.

In some ways, that scenery was also a result he hadn't achieved in the past. Yuder's memories of the West were of a place moaning from the aftermath of terrible destruction.

It seems like it's about time to head out.

Following Yuder's gaze, Kishiar stood up from his seat.

Tonight, Kishiar was planning to go out during the night, unlike usual. The ostensible reason was to make a round and encourage those diligently managing Tainu's security, but his real purpose was different.

A few hours ago, they had secretly received news through Ever's messenger service that Baron Willhem, who had mysteriously slipped out of the mansion and made a sudden appearance at the security management team, was now in the area.

Soon enough, as expected, Baron Willhem had begun to make his move, with an impending auction and party on the horizon.

Since security was stable and there was no sign of the Star of Nagran moving again, I thought he would begin to act.

Within the Security Management Team, the Cavalry members, led by Ever, were secretly observing what Baron Willhem was doing. During this time, Kishiar decided to visit the Red Deer Consortium while the guard was down.

They concealed themselves in the darkness, donning black cloaks that hid their figures and wearing their hats upside down as they silently slipped out. Seated on the driver's seat of the carriage parked behind the building was only Nathan Zuckerman, dressed not in his usual knightly attire but the clothes of a common driver. He silently bowed his head in greeting to Kishiar and then took hold of the reins. As soon as Kishiar and Yuder were inside, the carriage departed at once.

"Only three people, but if we compare by strength, it's rather excessive."

Though their numbers were only three, by ability alone, there were two Sword Masters, one High Priest, one Mage, and two Awakeners. It was an extraordinary combination that could not be seen elsewhere.

The carriage swiftly traveled the road, arriving at its destination in no time.

The Red Deer Consortium building, cordoned off with lines to prevent ordinary people from entering, looked ghastly even from a distance. As Yuder disembarked from the carriage, he realized that Kishiar had already magically disguised his face.

"You have arrived," he stated.

Two members of the Peletta Knights, guarding the Red Deer Consortium building, approached and greeted them in a whisper, "The Tainu Knights guarding this place will return in two hours. We will signal you from outside when the time is near."

Under normal circumstances, the Tainu Knights would have guarded this crucial place diligently, but because they were now jointly managing security, an opportunity had been created. Yuder followed Kishiar into the building. Many things had changed since their previous visit, but the most prominent alteration was the large hole conspicuously present on the first floor of the building. It was the trace of an explosion when the Star of Nagran had invaded.

After entering, Nathan Zuckerman was the first to move ahead. Familiar with the way even in the darkness, he led them to the basement.

The door that had once been closed when they came with Graham Willhem now stared at them coldly.