"...I'm glad your taste aligns with mine. It makes bringing you on as my assistant feel worthwhile."
"Pardon?"
Yuder, lost in thoughts about Thais Yulman, had missed Kishiar's comment. He turned his head a beat too late to ask for clarification, only to find Kishiar already gazing at him, head slightly tilted.
Their faces were alarmingly close.
"..."
For a brief moment, Yuder's attention was completely captured by Kishiar's face. Kishiar, too, blinked and held Yuder's gaze.
After a short pause, Kishiar was the first to break it, a faint smile gracing his lips.
"We almost bumped into each other."
"Ah... yes."
Yuder snapped out of his trance, quickly averting his eyes.
"Did you fall for my face up close? You were staring quite intently."
The strange flicker of emotion Yuder had felt vanished in an instant.
"No, that's not the case."
Despite his immediate denial, Kishiar pressed on, as if holding a winning hand.
"Really? You weren't just looking?"
"I wasn't."
"I should've bumped into you. The angle seemed perfect for a kiss."
A cold shiver ran down Yuder's spine, and he glanced back in alarm. Thankfully, Kanna was still trailing behind, lost in her own world.
"Making such comments to others could lead to misunderstandings. Please refrain. I'm your assistant, nothing more."
He wasn't sure what purpose such teasing held for someone like him, who had yet to awaken his second gender. Accepting the role of assistant didn't mean there was anything beyond that. The future wouldn't repeat the past.
"'Anyone'? That stings. Are you just 'anyone'?"
Kishiar, indifferent to the discomfort he caused, let out a small chuckle, his shoulders shaking lightly as he slowed his pace, falling behind Yuder. It was clear he only meant to tease.
"Alright, I'll stop. No need to distance yourself. Weren't we just making plans together, happily?"
"..."
"Choosing you as my assistant seems like a good decision. I think we'll make a great team, don't you?"
Kishiar had a remarkable way of turning a simple phrase into something entirely different. Yuder sighed softly, and Kishiar chuckled again.
As Yuder watched Kishiar's laughter, he reflected on the strange feeling he'd just experienced. It was a face he had seen countless times, both in his previous life and in the one he had returned to now.
But something felt different this time.
Was it Kishiar's vibrant eyes? Yuder had always seen him as someone whose smile concealed a weary blade and a deep fatigue. Yet, up close, Kishiar's face showed none of that.
It made sense, given that this was the past—before everything had happened. But the simplicity of that fact felt surprisingly jarring.
The image of Kishiar in his dream—lonely, joking with an empty face, as if hollowed out—flashed in Yuder's mind. It felt as if he had just glimpsed what that Kishiar, who had been standing at the brink of death, had lost.
Yuder instinctively raised his hand to his chest, pressing lightly, before quickly pulling it away.
He still couldn't quite express the emotion that had stirred within him.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Later that day, Kanna shared her past with her comrades in the carriage, speaking briefly but with confidence. The group, deeply concerned for her, grew to resent Count Gallon for what he had done. They comforted her and swore to keep her story secret.
Kishiar returned, carrying the Red Stone in a box, just as he had when he first arrived at the imperial palace. The following day, he appointed the deputy commanders and an assistant before the entire Cavalry.
"Shin's deputy commander: Ever Beck. Sul's deputy commander: Steiber Rendley. Jung's deputy commander: Kanna Wand. And the Cavalry assistant: Yuder Aile. These four will share the commander's duties and support each other."
Among the three deputy commanders, the only one Yuder wasn't close to was Steiber from Sul. However, thanks to his memories of his previous life, Yuder already knew what kind of person Steiber was.
Steiber, the oldest of the current members, was a simple man—a bakery owner and head of a family, in his 40s. He had exceptional control over water and was well-liked.
In Yuder's past life, he had been Sul's deputy commander, while Steiber remained a regular member without any special duties. Yet, the members of Sul had respected Steiber more than they had Yuder.
Now, Yuder found that Steiber Rendley was well-suited for the role of deputy commander. He admired Kishiar's insight once again. Though Kishiar often seemed oblivious, he understood the group's dynamics and who excelled in which areas.
Except for Ever from Shin, all the deputy commanders were different from Yuder's previous life. It was a promising start.
That afternoon, a carriage bearing the emblem of Count Gallon arrived at the Cavalry's barracks within the Imperial Knight's quarters.
As Yuder, Gakane, and the Eldore siblings watched the arrogant nobleman and his soldiers enter, Yuder smirked darkly.
An hour later, the nobleman—who had tried to sell off an unawakened Kanna without even conducting a proper ceremony—was in a pitiful state, causing a ripple of shock across the capital.
The disgraced noble family became a laughingstock, and despite their protests to Duke Peletta and the Emperor, no one paid attention.
Why should anyone believe and punish based on the claims of a man who hadn't witnessed the events himself? According to him, dozens of trained soldiers had been overpowered by just four Cavalry members. The nobleman had even declared he would kill them first. Wasn't it simply self-defense? If their opponent had been a Swordmaster, would the situation have been any different?
The Emperor's written reprimand to the protesting nobleman doubled as an evaluation of the mysterious Cavalry's prowess. It quickly became a topic of conversation among the people.
For the first time, the nobles—who hadn't even bothered to learn the Cavalry's name—felt an unsettling fear creeping up their spines.
The news spread rapidly, not only within the capital but across the empire and eventually the entire continent.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Kishiar La Orr and Yuder had anticipated.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Your Majesty, the Empress has come to visit."
The Emperor sat at his desk, rubbing his weary eyes as he finally set aside the document he had been struggling with for some time. Through his spectacles, his fatigued eyes were concealed, but in that moment, he didn't feel like the Emperor of the immense Orr Empire that had endured for over a millennium.
"Let her in."
The door opened promptly, and a woman with pale blonde hair entered, guided by the chief attendant. She took a brief look around the room—cluttered with empty teacups, scattered papers, and books—then let out a deep sigh, signaling her readiness to hear more. Approaching the Emperor, her gaze softened.
"While I understand you can't leave this place, didn't I tell you to clean up more often?"
"Nagging the moment you arrive?"
Despite his words, the Emperor's tone was gentle. A faint smile—one he wouldn't even show his brother, Duke Peletta—crept onto his face. Seeing this, the Empress moved behind him. The sight of the Emperor's thin frame, visible through his shirt, stirred her with quiet concern.
"I worry for you. You look worse than before."
"My face is the same as always."
"No, it isn't. You look unwell. Have you been taking the herbal medicine I sent?"
Feeling the Empress's slender fingers brush his shoulder, the Emperor smiled faintly. Even the excruciating pain that often ravaged his body, and the humiliation that accompanied it, felt insignificant in her presence.
"Of course I have. Why wouldn't I take what you send? I even had some just before you came."
Only after confirming when and how he had taken the medicine did the Empress let her concern ease, though only slightly.
"So, you really have been taking it all."
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Never. You've never lied... but..."
The Emperor tightened his grip on the Empress's shoulder before slowly raising his hand to hold hers. Her hand was soft and warm, while his felt rough, like aged bark, and as cold as death.
"Did I startle you?"
Before he could pull away, the Empress firmly clasped his hand, holding it tightly.
"I wasn't startled."
The Emperor blinked in mild surprise before letting out a quiet laugh. The two held hands in silence, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun streaming through the window.
After some time, as warmth gradually spread through the Emperor's hand from hers, their conversation resumed.
"How did Duke Peletta's visit go? What did you think of him?"
"I'm still not sure," the Emperor responded softly. "But he seemed more enthusiastic than I expected. I was surprised when he volunteered to take on the task we had originally planned to give the mages. I wonder what prompted him."
"Isn't that a good thing? Duke Peletta is surely worried about you as well."
"He's right to be worried. What I'm enduring now will one day become his burden."
"There you go again, You always speak so harshly," the Empress murmured, applying a gentle pressure to his shoulder. Though they were brothers, closer than anyone else, the Emperor never openly showed his affection for Duke Peletta.
Given the enemies that lurked around them, the Emperor's guarded nature was perhaps inevitable. Yet, the Empress couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness whenever she saw how pessimistic he could be.