'He's certainly no ordinary man.'
Yuder marveled anew at Kishiar's abilities during their brief conversation.
Swift action and decisiveness when identifying necessary skills. A privilege that seemed trivial but likely stemmed from foresight into the future of the Cavalry. An unpretentious attitude, disregarding status. A mind capable of sincerely and unbiasedly receiving and considering others' words.
Having once held the same position as Commander of the Cavalry, Yuder now felt Kishiar's capabilities even more vividly.
During his tenure as commander, Yuder had met many kings and nobles, including the Emperor of the Orr Empire, and respected individuals both within and outside the country. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he'd encountered nearly all the high-ranking figures of the continent. But possessing power and status didn't necessarily equate to wisdom.
Those with power were often suspicious. The more one had, the more they became wary of their surroundings. Those who deviated from this norm were either uninterested in worldly matters or indifferent to everything.
Yet Kishiar didn't fit into either category.
'I thought the same back then. He was always different from the imperial family image I'd vaguely imagined.'
"..."
A bitter taste suddenly filled Yuder's mouth as he recalled the reason for Kishiar's early death.
"Alright, let's get moving again."
Before Yuder's thoughts could wander further, Kishiar announced the end of their break. The scattered members regrouped and reformed their ranks. Gakane, who had gone to drink water, returned to Yuder's side.
"Yuder, what did you talk about with the commander?"
There was a look of disbelief in Gakane's eyes.
"We didn't talk about much."
"Even so... It seems like you're not having any difficulty with him at all."
"I haven't done anything wrong, so why would it be difficult?"
"Well, I guess that's true."
Gakane sighed quietly, his gaze fixed on Kishiar's broad back as he walked ahead.
"I always feel scared when I stand before him. I must be a coward."
His last words were a whisper, barely audible, but Yuder heard them clearly.
'Coward? Gakane Bolunwald, the social butterfly?'
Yuder found it amusing, almost as if a passing dog had spoken, but Gakane seemed to be quite sincere.
Gakane Bolunwald was tall and well-built, even among the 330 Cavalry members. He came from a reputable family, was cheerful, and had a dazzling appearance. He was even an Alpha, as Yuder had learned the day before.
With such promising future prospects, it was hard to believe Gakane saw himself as a coward. It seemed as if he was being too modest.
'I didn't think he had a self-deprecating personality.'
But that wasn't a big problem. The Cavalry was only going to thrive from now on. Once Gakane adapted, he would change.
Reminiscing about how Gakane had actively represented the Cavalry in various tasks from his past memories, Yuder shifted his gaze away from Gakane's worried expression.
Something more important came to his mind after hearing that Gakane was an Alpha.
'Come to think of it, I haven't told Kishiar about the matter regarding second gender manifestations.'
However, Yuder wasn't too concerned. After all, Kishiar had said earlier that it was fine to speak comfortably whenever he had time. Yuder decided he could pass on the information later.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
As they neared the location of the Red Stone, the mountain forest grew eerily quiet. At first, they had felt no signs of beasts or birds, but now, even the buzzing of insects had ceased.
It was around this time that the first signs of physical distress appeared. One of the Knights of Peletta faltered.
"Guh... Hah…!"
"Lug!"
A knight staggered and collapsed, prompting another knight beside him to cry out his name in alarm and rush to his side. Everyone halted, turning their attention to the fallen knight. His face was deathly pale, and sweat dripped from his forehead like rain.
"What happened?"
"S-sorry, Your Grace. I feel like something's pressing down on my head…"
When Kishiar approached to ask, the knight attempted to stand but immediately collapsed again. His complexion turned even more ashen.
"Urgh..."
"Don't force yourself to move."
Kishiar gently prevented the knight from rising and turned toward General Gino, who was calmly inspecting the situation.
"It's starting. They held out longer than my men, but we'll begin seeing dropouts soon."
"Do they all react like this, as if something is physically pressuring them?"
"Yes, the symptoms are similar. But it seems this knight pushed himself too far."
"I told them to retreat the moment it became unbearable," Kishiar said.
The knight's expression darkened.
"I apologize. But the thought of being the first to fall behind..."
His eyes flickered between Kishiar and General Gino, whose expressions remained composed, and then to the horsemen beside them. To Yuder, the knight's stubbornness seemed pointless and foolish.
"General, you said the symptoms ease as the distance increases?"
"Yes. Once they're further away, it fades as if it never happened."
"He doesn't seem capable of descending alone. Someone will need to assist him."
Kishiar's eyes scanned the surroundings, his gaze settling on the Eldore siblings.
"Hinn Eldore, Finn Eldore."
"Yes?"
"The ability you said can only be used when you're together—can you use it now?"
The siblings, who looked identical as if they were reflections in a mirror, exchanged a glance. The knights seemed puzzled, but the Cavalry members, aware of the siblings' purpose on this journey, remained calm.
"It should be possible if it's near the place where we rested by the spring earlier," Hinn estimated, glancing at her younger brother, Finn, who responded with a nod.
"Good. Try it right away," Kishiar ordered.
"Understood."
As the Eldore siblings approached the fallen knight, he looked a bit alarmed.
"W-what ability is this? I can make it back myself. There's no need to—"
"Don't worry. It's nothing dangerous. How can you say you can manage when you can't even stand?"
"We'll send you back to the spring where we rested earlier. Take a moment to recover and head back when you're ready."
Their calm confidence easily quelled the knight's hesitation. The siblings stood facing each other, enclosing the knight between them.
"I've heard about their teleportation ability in training, but it's the first time I've seen it in action. Will it work?" Kanna whispered to Yuder, concern lacing her voice. But Yuder wasn't worried.
'It may have limitations, but in a non-combat situation like this, it should be fine. There's no rush.'
The Eldore siblings possessed the ability to teleport entities or objects between them to any place they had both previously set foot. However, the ability had its restrictions—short distance, lengthy casting time, and it couldn't be used while in motion, making it impractical for many situations. Still, it had its uses.
'They were mostly deployed for missions that required combat power. Their teleportation ability was mainly for relaying tactical orders to advancing forces. That was sufficient.'
Yuder had never worked with them directly. Although he had sent them on a few missions since becoming leader, this was his first time witnessing their ability firsthand, making it an intriguing experience.
'Let's see how well they handle this.'
Kishiar seemed equally curious, observing the siblings as they clasped hands around the knight and closed their eyes to concentrate. His arms were crossed casually, his eyes sharp with interest. The knight, however, was growing visibly uneasy.
"Your Grace, Deputy Commander—I'll go down on my own. I apologize for my earlier stubbornness. But this—!"
"Be quiet. It's almost over, Let's go!"
Just as Finn opened his eyes and spoke, a whirlwind of blue energy swirled from the siblings' joined hands. The energy enveloped the knight, a light gust of wind picking up around them. The knight gasped, looking as if he might faint.
"What is this? Wait, just a moment—!"
Before he could finish, the blue whirlwind fully surrounded him, and in an instant, he vanished. The wind died down, and the blue energy was drawn back into the siblings' clasped hands, as if absorbed.
"It's like the teleportation magic said to have been used in ancient times," General Gino remarked quietly, showing interest for the first time since the journey began. Seeing this, a sense of pride flashed on the Eldore siblings' faces.
"I wondered why such young-looking children were brought along. Was this the reason?" Gino asked.
"Not the only reason, but yes, that's one of their skills. Their true strength lies in offense," Kishiar explained.
General Gino's gaze swept over the other Cavalry members.
"I'm curious about the abilities of the others, given your choices."
Kishiar smirked. "Still as competitive as ever despite your age, I see."
Gino smiled faintly. "I'm merely curious, not competitive."
"Is that so? Well, you may claim otherwise, but I can see it clearly."
With that, Kishiar gave the order to resume their journey.