"I heard your condition has improved lately. Can we talk for a moment?"

Hosanna had struggled to calm his rapid breathing and had nodded.

Since his arrival, Commander Kishiar of the Cavalry unit had never directly interrogated him. Hosanna assumed it was because he was deemed of little value, which ironically gave him some relief.

But why had the Commander come now, especially when he was accompanied by a knight?

The only reason the Commander might have come to see him at this hour was... had they discovered Nahan? If not, the only other thing that came to mind was the story Gayle and Doyle had shared earlier.

His heart raced wildly.

"You look like you'll faint before we even start our conversation. Perhaps you should have some tea first. Nathan, prepare the tea."

"Yes."

"No, no, no, that's not necessary..."

Without daring to look directly at Nathan, Hosanna quickly responded.

"I don't need it."

The idea of drinking tea seemed more terrifying than talking to the Commander. He was certain that if he took even a sip of the tea the knight offered, he'd be plagued by nightmares for days.

Kishiar, after observing Hosanna's desperate voice and pale face for a moment, tilted his head and canceled the order for tea. Only then did Hosanna feel a bit relieved. However, he couldn't escape Kishiar's gaze.

"..."

"..."

In the silence, Kishiar simply stared at the trembling Hosanna. After a while, Hosanna hesitantly looked up at the man who didn't speak. And in front of those piercing eyes, he momentarily lost himself.

"Ah..."

It was his first time seeing Commander Kishiar up close. He was so terrified that he didn't expect to notice anyone's appearance, but the face before him was so captivating that he couldn't think of anything else.

The relaxed posture, the elegantly folded hands over his lap.

The Commander's gaze, which he had expected to be intimidating, was surprisingly gentle and calm. He looked as if he would patiently wait forever for the person in front of him to calm down.

The deep red eyes that stared softly at him.

Strangely, his mind felt hazy, and his trembling subsided.

Lost in his thoughts, Hosanna was brought back to reality when he noticed the Commander suddenly narrowing his eyes. Panic struck him.

What have I done... How dare I stare directly at the Commander?

Seeing Hosanna's confusion, Kishiar chuckled and asked, "Did you enjoy the view?"

"I... I didn't..."

"Well, I've been handsome since birth, so I'm used to such reactions. Even my assistant once admitted that my only strong point is my good looks."

"..."

"It's rare for him to admit anything easily, but he said that without hesitation. Isn't that cute? So, it's not strange for you to be so captivated."

What was happening? Hosanna's mind was a whirlwind.

He was still scared, but the words he heard were so refined, yet the content was odd and frivolous, making it all feel bizarre.

Who was calling whom cute? Did he mishear? Seeing the confusion in Hosanna's eyes, the man continued with a mischievous smile.

"In moments like these, don't you think the listener should join in? Singing my own praises feels a tad awkward, even for me."

"Uh Ah"

Hosanna barely mumbled a response, then closed his mouth. He couldn't believe that the man unabashedly bragging about his good looks was the same fearsome Commander of the Cavalry, a Duke from the imperial family no less.

'I've never heard that the Commander of the Cavalry had such a personality'

"Now, do you have any idea why I'm here?" the man inquired, addressing the bewildered Hosanna.

"I assume it might have something to do with Nahan"

"True, he has recently appeared in the capital. But that's not why I'm here."

"What?"

Hosanna perked up. Although Kishiar had said, 'that's not why I'm here,' all Hosanna heard was that first part.

My God. Nahan was alive. And if he had come to the capital, he must have been well enough for long-distance travel. A warm sensation gathered at the corners of Hosanna's eyes, and he bit his lip.

"Nahan is in the capital? Is this true?"

"The fact that he's alive has already been confirmed, so it's not surprising. What's important is why he would give up fleeing and come all the way here."

For a moment, thoughts of past conversations with Gayle and Doyle flashed through Hosanna's mind.

Awakeners from the Star of Nagran recently sighted in the capital.

The sages close associates, and a mysterious figure believed to be the sage himself.

If the sage were really here, it wouldn't be strange for Nahan to follow. But whether the mission was a benign one, Hosanna couldn't be sure.

""

"You may have already heard, but Awakeners from the Star of Nagran are quite active in the capital lately, even earning a reputation as the Crown Prince's healers. Among them appears to be the one you call the sage. And not long after their appearance, Nahan arrived. It's reasonable to assume a connection."

"Don't you agree?" said the Commander of the Cavalry, smiling.

'The sage as the Crown Princes healer...?'

For a moment, Hosanna felt dizzy.

He knew that the sage had started establishing some sort of connection with the higher-ups to protect the Star of Nagran. Indeed, thanks to that connection, Nahan had been able to rescue other Awakeners imprisoned by the Apeto Duke family.

Back then, Nahan accepted the help because the sage assured, "This is just one of the secret means to protect the Star of Nagran. None of those nobles know our true identity, and I have no plans to deepen the connection any further."

But did the sage really cut off that connection afterward?

Hosanna remembered the time when someone close to the Crown Prince had sought them out to cure his headache. Ostensibly, it was about headache relief, but in reality, it was a risky maneuver to test them for treating the reclusive Crown Prince.

Back then, what had Nahan, who managed to escape from that situation, asked Hosanna?

'Hosanna, what do you think the sage would say about the Crown Prince?'

And what had Hosanna replied?

'He is a good man; he wont put us in such risky situations again. At least I hope so.'

'Yes, we can only hope so.'

At the time, he had merely thought the words to be a bit odd and hadn't taken them seriously. Why would he care what the Crown Prince or the nobles had in mind? He had no intention of getting further involved with them.

However, after his and Nahan's disappearance and the sage making a point to come all the way to the capital, he had to reconsider. If the sage was truly building a reputation among the nobility as a healer, then the only reasonable explanation had to be related to the events back then.

Nahans abilities were not primarily intended for healing either. So, surely, the sage and his followers could mimic something similar.

Am I overthinking this? But if my suspicions are correct... and if Nahan found out about it after arriving at the southern base

Nahan knew about it, he would certainly confront the Sage directly to confirm his intentions, regardless of how many soldiers were on the lookout to arrest him in the capital.

Although it seemed that Nahan would follow whatever the sage said, Hosanna knew there were standards he held. He differed slightly from others who were simply charmed by the sage's humanity. Nahan had always been faithful to the cause of the Star of Nagran and its Awakeners.

He had a goal and a dream: to save his comrades through his own strength, without begging for mercy or pretending to the corrupt powers that be.

This had been a promise since they first met the sage in the desert and jointly adopted the name of the Star of Nagran.

But what if Nahan were to conclude that the promise had been broken?

If the sage did not refute this or failed to persuade Nahan as before...

"Every Awakener from the Star of Nagran we've encountered has consistently spoken of discord between Nahan and the sage. We already know how much Nahan despises the nobility. I highly doubt he would travel all this way to aid the sage, who has now become the healer for the Crown Prince," Kishiar spoke slowly, making his throat go dry. No matter how much he swallowed, it felt like he had swallowed a needle.

"Who do you think would win?"

"What are you talking about?"

"If Nahan and the sage were to fight, who would come out on top?"

Hosanna's shoulders, which had been moving up and down, came to a sudden halt.

"What a strange thing to say. The sage has always looked after and protected us. While it's true that Nahan can be a bit brusque... He too acts for the sake of our people. Such an event is impossible."

"Are you certain?"

"..."

"Then why has no one come to find you and your captured comrades after the incident in the west?"

"That's because...!"

"Don't tell me it's because the Cavalry is fearsome. That's not an answer in this situation."

Hosanna's lips trembled; his head felt like it was about to burst.

"I don't know anything. I can't say anything."

"Hosanna, if I were you, I'd think more deeply about protecting what's important, rather than claiming ignorance. How good do you think the situation is for you now, given that you can't even walk? Even we in the Cavalry know how much Nahan despises the nobility. Do you think the sage, who has now sided with them, would be merciful to him?"

Hosanna wanted to block his ears from Kishiar's soft-spoken words. But his hands wouldn't move.

"It's truly odd. You don't even believe the situation will be peacefully resolved, yet you fail to notice the contradiction."

"I... I should go..."

And there it was, the piercing discomfort of an unresolved dilemma, hanging heavily in the air.

The inside of his eyes burned as if inflamed. Even as Hosanna gasped and mumbled, Kishiar maintained his tranquil voice and posed a question.

"Now, may I ask you something at this point?"

"..."

"Ever since I learned about this matter, I've instructed my men to ask a particular question to all the Awakeners from the Star of Nagran that we are protecting. Strangely enough, no one has been able to give a proper answer. Or rather, it seems like they didn't even hear the question in the first place."

But this time, he hoped it would be different. That's why he had come. With those thoughts, the man opened his perfectly formed lips and asked again.

"..."

"Do you remember what the sage's power is?"

For a moment, all sound seemed to stop.

He definitely heard something, but he couldn't quite grasp it. It was like the wind, entering one ear and exiting the other.

However, moments later, Nathan Zuckerman appeared in Hosanna's field of vision. Realizing that the southern knight was looking at him with a stoic expression, a sudden surge of fear pierced through the dusty air filling Hosanna's mind. Within that eerie sensation, he faintly recalled the words he had just heard.

Fear, oddly enough, cleared his mind. It was a very strange feeling.

"Ah"

Hosanna hunched over, clutching his head. Shivering for no discernible reason, he opened his mouth.

"The sage, the sage's power, you say? That is... I... I..."

He knew. It was something everyone on the Star of Nagran knew very naturally.

But he strangely couldn't speak it. As if he had forgotten all the words that could describe it. It was as if he only now realized that an unseen hand had been muffling his mouth.

'What on Earth is this...'

"As expected, you can't answer."

Kishiar murmured quietly.

"If you ever become able to answer this question, we'll meet again."

He rose from his seat. The shadow of his towering figure cast over the bed.

Hosanna remained huddled in place, dazed, as he heard the door close behind him.

"To break a mind-shaking power, one needs a mind-shaking chaos," Kishiar said as he exited Hosanna's room, moving forward.

"Judging by the fact he could barely comprehend my question, it seems like it's having some effect, Nathan."