Yuder visualized the unknown client in his mind—a figure of immense wealth and power, someone incredibly meticulous. Most likely, the client had hired mercenaries as a safeguard, ensuring that even if the operation failed, no harm would come back to them.
They had gathered and dispatched over ten Awakeners, thinking that would be enough to confront someone like Kishiar and achieve their goals.
Had they understood the true extent of Kishiar's power, they would have realized that even a dozen weren't sufficient. However, Yuder's unexpected presence at the scene had sealed their fate.
"The client had a proxy, you said. How did you contact them?" Kishiar asked, his tone measured.
"T-they were always different people," the captive stammered. "And since we entered the Orr Empire, the proxy never appeared in person. It was always through letters."
"And you burned all the letters, of course."
"...Yes,"
Kishiar fell silent, deep in thought. His gaze eventually drifted toward the box Yuder held—the one containing the Red Stone, still exuding its heavy, sharp aura.
"Very well. I have one last question. If you had succeeded in retrieving the Red Stone, where were you planning to take it?"
Where could they have hidden from the watchful eyes of the Imperial soldiers patrolling the mountains, guarding the Red Stone? Where could ten people possibly disappear?
All eyes turned to the captive, waiting for his response.
"It's... from here... uh...uh?"
Suddenly, the man choked, bending over as he retched violently.
"Cough, hack. Urgh, aah!"
His body began to swell grotesquely, turning a sickening violet hue. As his eyes bulged, threatening to burst, Yuder felt a deep sense of dread.
"A barrier!"
Reacting on instinct, Yuder swiftly created a barrier of water and air around everyone just as the man's body exploded. A black mass spread in all directions, releasing a noxious, toxic energy throughout the enclosed space.
"...What just happened?"
The explosion subsided, and Finn mumbled in shock, his mouth hanging open. The scene was horrific. The remaining intruders, those who had still been alive, were now dead, their bodies destroyed.
The room itself, from ceiling to floor, had become a melted, grotesque mess, corroded by the toxic energy. If Yuder hadn't acted quickly, they would have met the same fate.
"What was that noise...? Commander! Are you alright?" Gakane burst through the door, eyes wide in shock at the scene.
"I'm fine. Is everyone else unharmed?" Even Kishiar's brow was furrowed in concern as he surveyed the room, seeming surprised by the unexpected event.
"We're fine."
"We're okay too," Yuder and the Eldore siblings responded quickly.
Kishiar's gaze then shifted to the box holding the Red Stone. Yuder subtly nodded to confirm it was still intact. The Red Stone was safe, and so were his companions.
"That was a close call. I didn't expect they'd lay a double layer of the Oath's prohibition,"
"The Oath's prohibition? But Commander, you said you already broke it," Hinn asked, in confusion.
"I did break one," Kishiar replied with a dry chuckle, though it lacked any real humor. It was a chuckle born from disbelief. "But I hadn't anticipated they'd use two different types of Oaths."
"Originally, only one Oath can be placed at a time. However, in rare cases, people use illegal means to impose a double prohibition. The stronger the Oath, the more devastating the consequences of breaking it. A cruel, wicked strategy indeed. We've been outmaneuvered."
During his time as commander, Yuder had encountered cases where double prohibitions were used to control people. Those subjected to such Oaths usually understood their restrictions well and knew never to speak of them.
However, those who had just died didn't seem to realize they were under a double Oath. If they had known, they wouldn't have spoken so easily, even after Kishiar broke the first layer.
'Was this situation deliberately designed?' Yuder wondered silently.
The man's body, ruptured by the failed prohibition, had released a toxic substance, lethal upon contact. If any of it had touched Kishiar or the others, it would have caused severe harm, even if not fatal.
Yuder could feel a silent malice directed toward Kishiar. Though he had been able to defend them now, Yuder couldn't help but wonder if this was something Kishiar had faced often in his absence—and whether Kishiar had truly come away unscathed each time.
"Commander," Yuder said quietly, his voice tinged with concern, "do you have any suspicion about who might be behind this?"
Kishiar's gaze flickered, and shook his head and his answer was vague. "Well... I'm not certain yet."
Yuder couldn't tell whether Kishiar genuinely didn't know or if he had suspicions he didn't wish to share.
"Since we couldn't discover where their hideout is, I'll order General Gino to conduct a thorough search," Kishiar continued.
"Now?"
"The sooner we act, the better our chances of finding traces they couldn't erase," Kishiar explained. His gaze once again fell on the box in Yuder's arms.
"But we won't be participating in that search. We're leaving immediately. Pack up and get ready to move. Even though we're all tired, we can't afford to stay here."
Yuder nodded in agreement. The middle of the night was far from ideal for travel, and it would be risky moving without the protection of the Peletta Knights. Still, the mansion, now under the unseen gaze of an unknown enemy, wasn't safe either.
"Understood," Yuder replied, watching as the rest of the team members, their expressions serious, began to leave the mansion one by one.
As Yuder prepared to follow, his eyes lingered on the wreckage—the bodies scattered across the floor, the shattered windows, the broken ceiling, and the furniture reduced to splinters. The once elegant mansion was now a shadow of what it had been when they first arrived. The owner would surely be devastated.
"Yuder."
Kishiar's voice called from behind, pulling Yuder from his thoughts. He turned to see Kishiar's gaze fixed on the box he held.
"Ah, I nearly forgot to return the box to you, Commander," Yuder said, assuming Kishiar's look was a silent request to retrieve the Red Stone. He extended his arm to offer it.
But Kishiar shook his head. "No, the box is fine. I'm talking about your hand. What happened to it?"
My... hand?
Only now Yuder realized Kishiar's attention wasn't on the box, but on his hand gripping it.
'Ah... The spot where the energy from the Red Stone burst through yesterday... Hmm?'
On the back of Yuder's hand, a purple bruise had swollen to the size of a small bird's egg.
It hadn't been that large earlier when he had retrieved the Red Stone. At the time, it had been nothing more than a tiny mark, like a nail puncture. When exactly had it grown this much?
There was no pain, and he hadn't felt any change, so Yuder looked down at his hand in surprise.
'It's definitely bigger. It's not my imagination.'
"Judging by your expression, you've only just noticed," Kishiar said, letting out a soft sigh. He seemed to understand the situation just by looking at Yuder's face. "I wanted to test your abilities, but I didn't intend for you to get hurt in the process."
"No, it's not that," Yuder replied. "I didn't notice because it didn't hurt."
"And here I thought I promised to treat you well,"
He extended a hand toward Yuder, palm facing upward, like an invitation to dance. The movement was so graceful that for a moment, Yuder almost forgot they were standing in the middle of a half-destroyed mansion.
"Place your hand here. I'll treat it," Kishiar instructed. "And set the box down, just in case the Red Stone reacts."
"…Are you going to use your divine power?" Yuder asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"What else would it be?" Kishiar's response was gentle, and though Yuder wanted to protest, his curiosity about Kishiar's divine power won out.
After a brief hesitation, Yuder placed the box aside and held out his bruised hand. Kishiar took it immediately, his fingers cool to the touch.
Yuder's shoulders tensed instinctively.
"Relax. This is purely for healing, no hidden intentions," Kishiar whispered, his voice low, with a twinkle in his eyes as if he'd sensed Yuder's unease.
"...I wasn't thinking that way," Yuder replied stiffly.
Kishiar laughed at his seriousness. "Hahaha."
Living a solitary and tough life had left Yuder's hands knotted and scarred. In contrast, Kishiar's hands, though pale and smooth, were surprisingly cold and calloused, like those of a seasoned swordsman.
The unexpected touch stirred memories in Yuder, ones he had long since tried to bury. He bit his lip, forcing those thoughts away as Kishiar's hand began to glow with a soft white light that enveloped the bruise. The warmth of divine power was unmistakable, and Yuder, feeling it firsthand, was even more certain of its potency.
'At this level, he could easily be among the highest-ranking priests of the Sun God…'
"Surprised I can use divine power?" Kishiar asked softly, as if reading Yuder's thoughts. Yuder blinked, startled, then nodded.
"...Yes."
"It's understandable," Kishiar replied easily. "Not many people know about it."
Yuder hesitated before asking, "Can... Can His Majesty the Emperor use divine power like this as well?"
"Of course he can," Kishiar said, his tone casual, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.