When they realized their scheme had been exposed, they changed tactics. They used his father and younger sister as leverage, threatening their lives and subjecting him to brutal torture, stopping just short of breaking his bones.
To make matters worse, they had attached a magic bomb to his body. It was designed to detonate if it detected him using any of his powers, rendering him completely helpless.
Devran could only hope the Cavalry would notice something was wrong when he didn't return.
He cherished his family, but the idea of betraying the Cavalry tore at him just as much. In the short months since he had joined, his loyalty had hardened to a degree he hadn't thought possible.
And now, the hope sent by the Commander himself had arrived.
The man before him, with black hair and cold eyes, was the most skilled among all 330 members of the Cavalry. His presence felt like salvation—faith given form by Commander Kishiar. Tears welled up in Devran's eyes. His patience and faith hadn't been in vain.
"Using your family to threaten you... Did they show any proof that they're alive?"
"No, but I heard their voices, outside where I'm being held…"
The man—Yuder Aile—spoke in a chilling tone, showing neither pity nor scorn. His coldness, which Devran had once found distasteful, now brought immense reassurance.
"On the day of the fire, did you see who the real perpetrator was?"
"I didn't see them. But I know who it was."
"Who?" Yuder asked, his voice as cold as ever.
"Subordinates of a man called the Warden. One could control wind, the other fire. I overheard them complaining about how hard it was to control their elements…"
"I know who you're referring to," Yuder said calmly, recalling his recent fight with Kiolle da Diarca. The Warden's Awakener subordinates—those who controlled fire and wind—were currently lying unconscious outside, felled by a single stone.
'That's fine,' Yuder thought. 'But Zakail Hartan... he's more dangerous than I expected.'
Yuder had suspected Zakail Hartan of plotting something, but the scale of the plot was larger than he had imagined.
Zakail Hartan, the youngest son of the elderly Lord Hartan, had been far down the line of succession, unlikely to inherit any title or estate. Yet his situation changed 'coincidentally' after his father and eldest sister died.
With his older brother set to receive a higher title and focused on his role in the knights, Zakail stood to inherit the estate. But could so many coincidences really be natural?
Yuder's gut told him no. He added another line to his growing suspicion:
'If the Apeto family, eager to expand their influence in the East, joined forces with Zakail, who had no real claim to inheritance, then everything begins to make sense.'
The elderly Lord had suddenly sent Devran's sister away just before the critical moment of succession, acting on a tip about his eldest son. And who could have provided that tip? The very one who stood to gain from causing an incident that would disrupt the inheritance.
Zakail claimed his delayed response to the fire was due to an errand he was running for his father in a nearby village—a convenient coincidence on the day of the incident. Yuder knew that the most suspicious people often had excuses that were too convenient.
During the fight with Kiolle, the Warden of the Apeto family had seemed particularly irritated by Zakail's request for help. That irritation had been the biggest clue confirming Yuder's suspicions.
'Listening to Devran's story makes it even clearer.'
Their biggest mistake was trying to squeeze Devran Hartude, a Cavalry member, into their scheme as the perfect scapegoat.
Zakail likely wanted to dispose of Devran, the son of a common woman, using him to cover up the larger conspiracy. Devran's unexpected leave and return had made him a perfect target. The Apeto family, eager for any opportunity to capture a Cavalry member who might know something about Kishiar, couldn't resist.
Together, Zakail and the Apeto family had laid a trap, staging Devran's death.
They must have thought the Cavalry would take a long time to notice Devran's disappearance and send someone to investigate.
But Kishiar sent people far sooner than they expected. And, unfortunately for them, Yuder was one of them.
No, it was about to become their misfortune.
Yuder listened as Devran sobbed on the floor, while a cold fury burned inside him. Despite everything, Devran was still alive. His limbs were intact, and if he could escape, he would become an essential witness to unraveling this plot.
"Devran, what do you think they would have done to you if they couldn't get the information they wanted?" Yuder asked calmly, already planning his next move.
Devran's swollen eyes darkened with fear and hatred.
"...They said they'd send me to the Apeto main house. There are more skilled torturers and mages there... They said I'd make a good test subject..."
Devran gritted his teeth, his voice trembling.
"I remember them saying that."
"Test subject?" Yuder repeated.
"That's what they kept calling me. They used the term 'test subject' and spoke in a language I couldn't understand."
Were the Awakeners captured by the Apeto family being used for some sort of experiment?
'...I've heard something like this before,' Yuder thought, searching his memories of his past life.
When Awakeners first appeared, mages and priests had flocked to them, eager to study their powers and any peculiarities. Most research was conducted openly, but there were dark rumors of secret investigations—ones that employed methods too unethical to be exposed to the public.
As time passed, and the Awakeners became more common, much had been learned about their abilities, and the need for such dangerous research lessened.
'But it didn't just slow down… So many chaotic incidents were happening back then. That must have contributed to it.'
Yuder shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He had heard enough from Devran. It was time to act.
"Devran, can you stand?" Yuder asked.
With a bitter chuckle, Devran replied, "Yeah, I can."
Despite enduring days of torture, Devran's resilience had not waned. Whether it was his sturdy frame or sheer determination, he managed to push himself up, leaning heavily against the wall for support. Yuder was quietly impressed by his grit as Devran groaned but bit down on the pain.
'Such is the way of the Cavalry,' Yuder thought.
"From this point on, I'll be freeing the others trapped here. Once we know why they were detained, I'll release them with you. You must escape. If you find your family along the way, that's ideal. If I find them first, I promise I'll protect them and bring them with us. So, you can rest assured. Your ability is… ah. About the bomb you mentioned—where is it?"
"On... my back."
Devran hastily lifted the hem of his ragged shirt, revealing a small black magic stone placed in an awkward, hard-to-reach spot. It was a cheap piece, embedded with a low-level spell. As long as the condition for detonation wasn't triggered, removing it wouldn't be difficult.
Without hesitation, Yuder detached the stone and tucked it into his pocket. Devran let out a sigh of relief, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief.
"You've... removed it?"
"Yes."
"Just like that…"
"It's simple if you know how. Here, catch." Yuder tossed a small dagger to Devran, one he had taken from the guards outside. Devran caught it, his expression hardening with renewed resolve.
"Can you use your ability now?"
"It's fine. Every single one of them we meet on the way out... I won't let them go."
Despite his injuries, Devran's fighting spirit hadn't wavered. He had been tortured and intimidated by a mere low-grade magic bomb, something Yuder knew any recruit shouldn't fear.
Yuder made a mental note to suggest adding training on dismantling such devices when he returned to the Cavalry. If Kishiar was in charge, he'd likely approve.
"Let's go."
They stepped outside the cell. Yuder quickly unlocked the doors to all the cells and signaled to Devran.
"I'll break their chains. Let's work together to get them out."
Their operation proceeded quickly and efficiently. Before long, they had gathered all thirteen prisoners and the two guards who had been held in the eight cells—everyone except Kiolle, who was in the last cell.
Most of the captives were like Devran—Awakeners from the East who had resisted being taken to the Apeto Duchy and were imprisoned for it.
By a stroke of luck, Devran's family was among them.
"Father! Dermilla!" Devran shouted, rushing toward them.
"Brother!" his younger sister cried out, her voice muffled by a gag. Their father, unable to speak, had been forced to swallow a pill that took away his voice, likely because they thought he was too old to endure the gag.
But they were alive, and their conditions could be treated. Devran hugged his family tightly, tears streaming down his face.
His family had been in the very next room, trapped in silence, unable to confirm each other's well-being. Watching the emotional reunion, Yuder exhaled, relieved.
The fact that they had been imprisoned but not killed showed just how much the Apeto Duchy valued the information they hoped to extract from Devran, a Cavalry member.
But why? Was it truly necessary to go to such lengths for information about the Cavalry?