"What kind of magic is this?"
"It's not magic. It's my power."
Yuder explained patiently to Kiolle, who was staring up at him, his once-handsome face now smeared with dirt. Kiolle hadn't even thought to fix his disheveled hair.
"Everything pure that comes from nature obeys me. That includes the sword you wield, crafted from iron refined by fire. It means it responds to me, not to you."
Yuder gestured again, and Kiolle's sword seemed to lift itself before settling back down. Kiolle's eyes widened, as if he'd just witnessed a ghost inhabit his weapon.
"...That's impossible."
"There are far more impossible things I can do."
Yuder flicked his fingers, and flames suddenly ignited on the sword still in Kiolle's grip.
"Lord Kiolle!"
Kiolle, unable to endure the searing heat, dropped the sword. The flames danced briefly along the fallen blade before vanishing completely, leaving no trace of burns or damage on the weapon.
Kiolle, now disgraced for dropping his sword—a treasure as dear to a knight as his own life—in front of everyone, stood covered in dust and gasping for breath, his disbelief clear in his eyes.
Yuder sighed softly as he noticed Kiolle glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
'If he decides to attack with deadly intent, it could be troublesome. I only meant to humble him a bit.'
"Why didn't you join the Sul Division?"
One of the Cavalry members behind him asked curiously. As Yuder turned to answer, someone else spoke up first.
"Why limit oneself when one can do both?"
"Commander!"
Kishiar had been standing behind the Cavalry members, unnoticed. The knights, who hadn't realized his presence due to the surprising events, now turned their shocked gazes towards him.
Failing to notice the tall Duke, who stood out with his striking appearance, was nearly a disgrace for the Imperial Knights.
Detecting a presence was a skill drilled into knights from childhood.
"It seems you've been having some fun while I was speaking with Theo."
Kishiar walked slowly to the front of the Cavalry. His crimson eyes took in the sight of the fallen Kiolle da Diarca, the discarded sword, and Yuder's face.
Yuder felt a twinge of unease at the smile on Kishiar's face as he looked at him.
"Yuder."
"Yes, Commander."
"Commander, Yuder only stepped in to protect us!"
When Kishiar called Yuder's name, Ever quickly spoke up from behind him. The other members, who had been holding their breath, began to raise their voices in agreement with her.
"That's right. They were the ones who disrespected us and told us to leave first."
"They ignored us when we said we needed to train!"
"...I didn't call Yuder to scold him. It's good to see camaraderie forming already, but let's avoid any misunderstandings."
Kishiar chuckled as he spoke, causing Ever, who had stepped forward, to blush.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Now, Yuder, why didn't you wait for me before taking action? You've already drained your opponent's will, haven't you? There's nothing left for me to deal with."
Kishiar teased Yuder with an exaggerated wink, his tone light and playful. It was clear he wasn't reprimanding Yuder but rather commending him.
A wave of shock rippled through the knights, as if they had all been hit by the same revelation. Even Kiolle stared at Kishiar as though he'd been struck on the head.
"Just as my unit said. Why should others interfere in a matter I've already resolved with Theo? Theo understood everything and made a generous decision. If you have any complaints, address them directly with your commander."
Kishiar spoke casually about Theo, the commander of the Imperial Knights, as if he were an old friend.
However, the knights found it hard to believe that their respected commander had willingly conceded the important training ground.
"Why would the commander allow such a thing? This place is reserved for knights. Why should our training time be cut short for them? What kind of place is this..."
One of the knights couldn't contain his frustration and shouted out. Amusement flickered in Kishiar's eyes.
"Is that so? Then go ahead and train here as well. There's plenty of space. Use any area you like."
His voice, now lower and more serious, captured everyone's attention.
Kishiar looked directly at the knight who had spoken out, a smile playing on his lips.
"But there won't be any compensation for whatever disasters might occur during your training. They'll happen during official training hours. Whether your sword catches fire, the ground turns over, or trees shatter... A brave knight of the Imperial Order should be able to handle it all. Right?"
"..."
The knight's face turned pale, a mix of insult and terror flashing across his features.
"We're about to begin our training. Those who are confident can stay. If not, feel free to leave."
After a tense moment of silence, the Imperial Knights retreated. Yuder noticed Kiolle, who had been glaring at him, push away the support of a comrade and stand on his own.
"I'll remember you."
But as soon as Kiolle picked up his sword and left, Yuder quickly dismissed him from his thoughts.
'What's the point of remembering someone who will soon be gone?'
"Yuder, are you okay?"
As the knights vanished, the Cavalry members who had been standing back rushed to Yuder all at once. They were as upset by what had happened to Yuder as if it had happened to them, cursing the knights and feeling an even stronger bond with one another.
"Yuder... You were amazing. I should have stepped in more. I'm sorry."
Yuder patted the back of Gakane, who was looking down, his mouth shut like a scolded child.
"It's okay."
"But still... I don't deserve to be your friend. I'm really ashamed."
"It's okay, really."
Even if Gakane had stepped in, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. But the fact that he had tried was a miracle in itself. It was the first time anyone had ever stood up for Yuder.
"I used to think you were a bit of a downer because you never talked much, but now I see you in a new light."
As Gakane stepped back, another member, who had been standing behind him, flashed a thumbs-up and smiled.
"I guess I'll have to change today's training plan a bit. Learning to wield a sword is important, but understanding your own abilities is even more crucial. This is the only training ground in the area protected by magic, so don't hold back. The protective sigil etched here by Archmage Est is still active. Feel free to push your limits."
Only then did Yuder understand why Kishiar had chosen this place for training.
Following Kishiar's instructions, they revealed their true abilities to each other and trained to regulate their powers by comparing their maximum and minimum outputs.
Yuder succeeded without much difficulty, but many of the other members were awkward and uncertain, as the training was not what they had expected.
"Our power is unprecedented. The more you understand yourself, the more of an asset it becomes. Keep that in mind."
During the training, Kishiar replaced his usual laid-back smile with a clear and firm tone.
As one member slammed a massively transformed hand onto the ground, the whole area shook with a thunderous noise. Yet, the protective magic held, and the impact didn't extend beyond the training ground.
"Yuder. Come to my quarters for a moment after the training is over."
Before the training ended, Kishiar approached Yuder under the guise of checking his progress and quietly instructed him in a voice so soft that no one else could hear. Yuder looked at him and gave a slight nod.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
'I wonder why he called me. Is it about that novice knight incident?'
After the training was over and he had bathed, Yuder climbed the stairs alone. The only reason he could think of for Kishiar to call him privately was that.
'An unexpected event... I can't predict it.'
Ever since Yuder had chosen the Shin Division, his reality had shifted. Things that hadn't happened before were becoming more frequent, and sometimes, the future knowledge he possessed was rendered useless. This felt like one of those times.
He knocked twice on the lion-headed door knocker in front of the top floor where Kishiar resided. The door opened immediately, and a familiar face appeared.
"Welcome. Are you the one expected tonight?"
"..."
Yuder recognized the man but was meeting him in this timeline for the first time. He nodded toward the handsome man with the icy expression.
"The Duke has stepped out briefly. He'll return soon, so please have a seat while you wait."
The man's body, sculpted from years of wielding a sword, was marked with thin scars over strong muscles.
With his distinctive light red skin from the southern countries, the man guided Yuder to a table and offered him a teacup that seemed to have been prepared in advance. The delicate porcelain teacup looked almost ironic in his large hand.
"Please, have some."
"..."
After completing his tasks, the man quietly retreated to the bookshelf and stood. Though it seemed he was merely standing, his position allowed him to survey the entire room at a glance.
'So this is what they call a Swordmaster.'
Yuder felt a subtle admiration for him.
This man was none other than Nathan Zuckerman, the hidden Swordmaster who served as Kishiar La Orr's adjutant. Yuder had heard he wasn't from the Empire, but from somewhere in the southern countries, though he had forgotten the specifics.
Nathan had blindly followed Kishiar loyally, and after Kishiar's death, he vanished as if he had never existed, never to be seen again.