"Leaving so soon?"
"I told you, I can't stay out for long."
Yuder's vacation hadn't yet ended, but staying away unnecessarily might raise suspicions among his colleagues—or worse, Kishiar. He had prepared some excuses beforehand, but none could serve as perfect justifications.
"I'll be back in three days."
Yuder left the old drugstore, ignoring Enon's questioning gaze. But three days later, as promised, he did not return.
An unexpected event occurred two days later.
"Still no word from him?"
Yuder stood behind Kishiar, listening as the members reported in. He had planned to begin implementing a new training regimen the previous day, but some members had not returned from their vacations. He postponed it, expecting them to come back soon. Yet one member's absence remained particularly troubling, with no word sent since he left.
The missing member's name was Devran Hartude, an ordinary Cavalry member who had never caused any trouble before.
Kishiar had called in several of Devran's close associates, seeking any clues about his absence. Without exception, they all expressed surprise, insisting there was no reason for Devran to fail to return or to remain silent.
"Devran told us many times how happy he was to have passed the Cavalry's test. He's not the type to disappear without a reason—or to go this long without sending any news. Something must have happened," one of his roommates said, Clenching his lips.
Kishiar, surveying the faces of the members who all agreed with the same sentiment, continued his questioning.
"Did he mention his hometown or where he was going?"
"He said he was going to visit his family. Nothing else really stands out."
"I'm the same," another chimed in, echoing the sentiment.
One of the men hesitated, his brow furrowed as if something had come to mind. Kishiar caught the change instantly, pointing at him.
"Jol, do you remember something?"
"Well... it's not something he mentioned recently, but something he said a while ago… I'm not sure if it's important, but..."
"Say it anyway," Kishiar encouraged.
Bolstered by Kishiar's gentle command, Jol swallowed his doubts and spoke.
"After we joined the Cavalry, Devran and I talked about our backgrounds and where we came from. He mentioned wanting to bring his family and relatives from his hometown here to the capital as soon as he could."
"Doesn't every commoner say that?"
Another member standing beside Jol voiced his surprise.
"True. But Devran seemed unusually worried that the lord might not allow his family to move. When I asked why, he mentioned his younger sibling, then suddenly turned pale and clammed up, saying he'd said too much. It felt like there was something more going on."
Devran's hometown was a small rural village. While Yuder wasn't familiar with life there, if the village was a good place for commoners, Devran likely wouldn't have been so eager to move his family to the capital.
However, for a noble, especially one who valued dignity and the potential benefits of connections, refusing a relocation request from a promising Cavalry member seemed unthinkable. After all, the Cavalry had been personally established by Duke Peletta, the Emperor's younger brother. Accommodating a simple request from a few commoners could even strengthen ties to the Duke. So why had Devran been so concerned?
Still, if Devran had been concerned about his request being denied, it likely meant he didn't think highly of the lord ruling his homeland.
Kishiar, deep in thought, muttered under his breath, "Because of a sibling..."
He rubbed his chin, considering the implications of what Jol had shared.
"First, we should send a message to the lord of Devran's hometown to inquire about the situation. Additionally, we need to send someone to investigate. What do you think, assistant?"
"In the event something has happened, it might be too late by the time we get a response. How about sending a message and dispatching someone at the same time?" Yuder suggested.
"That sounds more efficient."
At Yuder's practical response, Kishiar nodded and, as if struck by an idea, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Yuder, why don't you handle this personally?"
"...Are suggesting me?"
"Who better than you? The assistant with the greatest skills among all 330 members," Kishiar replied, raising an eyebrow with a playful challenge in his voice. The others nodded in agreement, understanding that the Commander himself couldn't be troubled over a minor issue like a missing member. It seemed only fitting for Yuder to handle it.
Yuder, who had assumed he wouldn't be sent due to the looming deadline for investigating the Red Stone in three weeks, was momentarily surprised. He quickly regained his composure.
'It's probably just a delay in his return. Sending someone who can resolve this swiftly makes sense.'
Moreover, Kishiar likely saw this as a good opportunity to observe Yuder's capabilities. In his previous life, Kishiar had often created situations where multiple tasks had to be managed simultaneously to see how Yuder would cope. Compared to those trials, this was hardly a burden.
"Leave today without delay. I'll leave the selection of your team to your discretion. Choose freely from our ranks."
"I will follow your command."
Yuder swallowed the sigh he didn't let show. This would disrupt the training schedule he had planned for the members and delay his promise to meet with Enon, but he had no choice.
'Devran Hartude... I'll need to learn more about him before selecting who will accompany me.'
Yuder's memories of Devran were hazy. He only recalled that Devran hadn't been in the Cavalry for long in his previous life. With that in mind, Yuder decided to meet with Steiber, Sul's deputy commander, to gather more information about Devran.
"Oh, Yuder, so you're going to search for Devran? If you're the one in charge, I'm sure everything will turn out fine. That's a relief."
Steiber, his kind face beaming, was visibly pleased to hear that Yuder had taken on the task of finding Devran. He shared everything he knew without hesitation.
"Devran is from Hartan, in the east. His ability is to summon fire—quite a strong power, but he's struggled to control it."
Steiber praised Devran's character, describing him as good-natured but fiery, much like his power. However, he expressed concern that this passionate personality might have led to trouble during Devran's return home.
"Steiber, do you think it's possible that Devran didn't return on purpose?"
"Absolutely not. He was never late to training, not once. If something happened and he knew he couldn't make it back in time, he would've sent word to the Cavalry."
Steiber's response was resolute. Yuder nodded, committing the information to memory.
Everyone who knew Devran, including Steiber, was adamant that he wouldn't have disappeared without reason. It was clear Devran had been passionate about his life in the Cavalry, and nothing suggested he would abandon it without cause.
With this in mind, Yuder began selecting members to accompany him on the search for Devran.
'The requirements: someone physically strong and agile, capable of traveling quickly. Someone with useful skills for the search. Someone who will follow my orders without delay. And… someone familiar with Hartan or the eastern region.'
Although Kanna's abilities would have been ideal for the mission, Yuder decided against bringing her, wanting her to focus on her training instead.
After careful consideration, he found only a few suitable candidates. Finally, Yuder wrote down the names of his chosen companions and brought the list to Kishiar.
"Gakane Bolunwald. Jimmy Ocker. Hmm. Just those two?"
"Yes," Yuder replied confidently.
Kishiar, clearly taken aback that Yuder had only selected two. But Yuder had his reasons. Gakane was well-acquainted with Yuder's methods and had a shadow clone ability perfect for discreet movement and communication. As for Jimmy Ocker, despite his young age, his knowledge of the local geography and customs, being from the East, would be invaluable while also avoiding unwanted attention.
"Gakane, I can understand. But isn't Jimmy Ocker still just a kid?"
"He may be young, but you were the one who saw potential in him as a Cavalry member. From what I've seen, Jimmy can handle a mission like this,"
If the mission had involved killing or anything emotionally taxing, Yuder would have reconsidered Jimmy's participation. But this was a search mission, and Yuder had seen Jimmy's talent firsthand during training. The boy understood the weight of the opportunity given to him. Despite his youth, he never complained about missing his parents or even when faced with rigorous training that would make adults struggle.
In fact, Jimmy's maturity stood out, especially compared to noble boys who often entered the Imperial Knights at a young age, only to give up despite their privileges. Jimmy had proven himself through sheer perseverance.
"I assume both Gakane and Jimmy have agreed to the mission?" Kishiar asked.
"Of course."
Before reporting to Kishiar, Yuder had already explained the mission to both Gakane and Jimmy, and both had accepted. Gakane agreed without hesitation, while Jimmy, though visibly excited, had solemnly promised to do his best.
"Alright then. I trust you'll handle it well," Kishiar said, nodding as he folded the paper once again.