"Yuder! Yuder! Wait a moment."
Yuder paused at the sound of her voice, just as he was about to slip away from the monotonous reading and writing class.
In the world Yuder lived before his death, Kanna had been one of the few who adapted better to the current Cavalry unit than most, despite never being an official part of it.
Maintaining friendly relations with the diverse members of the Cavalry unit—who varied widely in social status, age, gender, and place of origin—was no ordinary feat. Yet Kanna had done so with ease.
Though her physical abilities were not exceptional, especially compared to her unique powers, Kanna never complained during the grueling training sessions. This earned her the affection of many.
It was hard to believe that the tense and rigid expression she wore when they first met belonged to the same Kanna who had become a sociable and competent member of the Cavalry unit.
Kanna never forgot her gratitude towards Yuder, who had helped her pass the entrance exam for the Cavalry unit. Although they rarely had the chance to meet due to their different training schedules, they always exchanged warm greetings whenever they crossed paths.
Thanks to Kanna and Gakane spreading stories about Yuder's advice during the Cavalry unit test, as if it were a mysterious experience, Yuder received far more friendly attention from his colleagues than before.
For someone who had once been isolated among the Awakeners due to his quiet nature and perceived bad luck, it was a strange experience.
"Phew. It's so difficult to catch a glimpse of your face."
Kanna, who had called out to Yuder, approached him, panting slightly but smiling.
"What's the matter?" Yuder asked.
"Oh, nothing much. I was just wondering if it's true that you haven't chosen your division yet."
Yuder met Kanna's blue eyes and nodded slightly.
"It's true."
"Is there any reason? The commander was curious about it."
At those words, Yuder paused for a moment.
"The commander?"
Why was Kishiar La Orr's name brought up here? Yuder's face, as he tilted his head and asked back, showed subtle emotions that Kanna could hardly perceive.
"I went to the commander's office earlier with Jodie to report on our division selections. He asked if I had any idea which division you might choose."
"…"
"I actually thought you would've chosen your course on the first day. Do you have any concerns? If you need advice, you can tell me anything. I'm confident in reading information, so if you need help, I'll do it for free."
Kanna occasionally used her ability to help her fellow unit members. Her power to read the information of objects was surprisingly helpful to many people.
It was like fortune-telling—helping people find what they had forgotten or making them realize things they didn't know about themselves.
Naturally, many people were eager to experience it firsthand, even if they had to pay for it. Everything was unfolding just as Yuder had expected.
"No, I'm fine."
However, Yuder had no reason to seek Kanna's help. Not yet, anyway.
For him, the most important thing right now was not to overlook the valuable human resources he had once neglected and forgotten.
'However... that man's intentions do concern me...'
Yuder hesitated for a moment before speaking to Kanna.
"Did he say anything else besides that?"
"Anything else?"
Kanna seemed to search her memory for a moment, then shook her head.
"I don't remember anything in particular."
"I see."
"Maybe he just thought I was the one who talked with you the most and asked out of curiosity. After all, you only have to decide by tomorrow, so don't feel pressured."
Although Kanna said this, Yuder didn't think so. She didn't fully understand the kind of person Kishiar La Orr was.
Most of the unit members held deep faith and affection for Kishiar, who underwent tough training with them and treated everyone fairly. However, that man was not as fair as they believed. In reality, if they knew the truth...
Yuder furrowed his brow as he recalled several memories related to Kishiar. Most of them were far from pleasant.
'But the person I need to protect and keep on my side first is still him.'
Though Kishiar was the man Yuder had killed in the past, this time was different. He was still alive and wouldn't die in the future. Not only that, but Yuder had to ensure that Kishiar remained alive and continued to hold the position of the Cavalry's commander. Yuder would make sure of it.
Composing himself, Yuder bowed his head lightly to Kanna to express his gratitude. For a brief moment, her face showed a hint that she wanted to say something more.
"Oh, speaking of which..."
"Yes?"
As he looked at her, silently asking if there was anything more, Kanna slightly furrowed her brow.
"The commander thinks that you and I are close, but isn't it a bit much that you still don't speak casually with me? You speak casually with Gakane and your roommates, so why do you keep using formal language with me?"
Caught off guard by her unexpected remark, Yuder momentarily froze. It was the first time anyone had ever pointed that out to him, in either his previous life or the present. Why did he use casual language with some people and formal language with others? Well...
"Since you started using formal language first, I just followed suit."
"Oh, so it's not a big deal then?"
Of course, it wasn't a big deal. Yuder had always been terrible at building relationships, perhaps due to his years of living alone in the mountains.
The reason he was able to lead a group for nearly ten years was that the Cavalry was a unique organization that promoted people based solely on the strength of their abilities.
"Actually, I was really concerned about it. I was curious about the reason. But if it's simply that, I'll start using informal language with you from now on. Is that okay? After all, the members usually use casual language regardless of status."
"Do as you please."
As Yuder slowly replied, Kanna's expression brightened.
"Great. I should have asked earlier. This feels refreshing. See you later, then!"
Yuder watched Kanna's retreating figure disappear.
He couldn't have imagined that many Cavalry members, who had found it difficult to speak to him properly due to their thoughts about him, would, upon hearing Kanna's words, begin using informal language with him the next day.
At that moment, only one thought filled Yuder's mind. As soon as the day's tasks were over, he would go to where Kishiar La Orr was staying and deliver the decision he had made. That was all.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The training of the Cavalry ended around sunset. After finishing dinner, Yuder managed to shake off Gakane, who was clinging to him, asking to play cards together, and headed to the upper floor of the dormitory building.
After climbing the seemingly endless spiral staircase for several floors, he finally reached the fifth floor. There, a white, antique door adorned with a golden lion's head as a door knocker appeared. It was the symbol of the imperial family - the lion that swallowed the light.
Yuder paused as he saw the door knocker, feeling a strange emotion. Once, he could have entered this room.
After Kishiar La Orr handed over the position of leader of the Cavalry to Yuder, he used the original structure of the room without any changes.
The only difference was that, unlike Kishiar, who had used an entire floor for personal purposes befitting his high status, Yuder had converted the remaining space, except for a small bedroom, into a place that could be used for public purposes.
People found it eerie that he could use the space of the former commander, rumored to have been killed by him, without any problem. But for Yuder, this was the only place where he could breathe without worrying about others' eyes.
It felt as if the room he had used for nearly ten years would appear as soon as he opened that door. It was a familiar yet strange feeling.
Yuder suppressed his emotions and reached for the door knocker. However, before he could knock, the door opened from the inside, revealing a tall man.
"…Hmm?"
"…"
Apparently about to go somewhere, Kishiar, dressed in simple clothes with a long coat over them, momentarily widened his eyes before his expression returned to its usual state.
Perhaps it was because they had encountered an unexpected situation, but Yuder felt his heart beating a little faster, even though he thought he had mentally prepared himself for the visit.
Since his return, this was the first time he had properly faced Kishiar, and it was also the first time they had met alone.
During the Cavalry test, Kishiar had used a transformation spell on his face, allowing Yuder to maintain an objective emotional state. Apart from that, there had been no reason to worry about him, as they had barely glimpsed each other among the 300 Cavalry members.
But now, it was different. It was like facing a monster waiting for him in a dead-end alley with no escape.
Yuder looked up at Kishiar and took a thin, deep breath. Finally, his racing heart calmed down a bit.
Despite knowing that the other party wouldn't have any thoughts about it, the constant intrusion of uncomfortable emotions and unnecessary feelings must have been due to the strong memories of the past.
Kishiar La Orr. Yuder had known him for less than two years. However, his existence had left an indelible and powerful mark on Yuder's life, whether the time had been short or long.