"I have a rough idea of who my brother might have sided with. The Apeto Duchy has been expanding its influence in the east lately."
Upon hearing this, Gakane glanced subtly at Devran, noticing his nod of agreement with Zachlis's assessment.
"I heard that name as well when I was captured," Devran added.
"I see... Apeto..."
'Could those Yuder is currently facing also be tied to this family?' Gakane wondered. He didn't know much about the Apeto Duchy but decided to include the name in his letter to Kishiar.
"I deeply apologize for failing to address the internal strife in our household in time, leading so many to commit irreversible sins. Especially you, Devran—I have no excuses."
Zachlis gave a formal knightly salute, surprising not only Devran but also the other commoner Awakeners present. None had expected him to take such responsibility.
"Well… Zachlis, you didn't betray me,"
"Still, your father and Dermilla could have died. If I had been here, such a tragedy would never have occurred…"
The sincerity in Zachlis's formal apology left Devran unable to remain cold toward him. Sighing heavily, Devran glanced at his younger sister standing behind him before lowering his head.
"Hasn't Lord Zachlis also lost family? It's alright. My family and I are still alive."
From what Gakane observed, it seemed Zachlis was more distraught over the harm inflicted on his lover and her family than the loss of his own relatives.
While it wasn't uncommon for noble families to lack deep familial bonds, Zachlis's feelings for Dermilla were clearly genuine.
"Lord Zachlis, could we borrow a messenger bird? We need to report to our Commander immediately."
"Of course. I'll be contacting the knights' order as well. I suspect I'll be staying here for some time."
Zachlis declared that Zakail would remain confined to his chambers until the matter was resolved. At his command, several anxious servants entered the reception room and escorted Zakail, who had been freed from the shadow clone, out.
Zakail looked half-dazed as he was led away, as if he genuinely believed his brother might accept the title of Lord of Hartan.
"Devran, let's go upstairs and write that letter to the Commander. Jimmy, keep a close eye on everyone here. Make sure nothing happens."
"Will do."
Jimmy's face was full of resolve as he gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist. In the past, such a stance might have been seen as cute, even amusing. But now, no one dared laugh—not after seeing the sword aura Jimmy exuded.
Following Zachlis's guidance, Gakane borrowed a messenger bird, one reserved for those working in the Hartan lord's castle. He tried to keep the letter concise, summarizing what Devran had told him alongside his own findings. However, the situation was complex, and it took longer than expected to fit everything in.
"It's a shame. It would've been helpful if Kanna were here." Gakane murmured
"Huh? Kanna? Oh, the deputy commander of the Jung Division?" Devran asked, looking puzzled as Gakane paused mid-writing, lost in thought.
"Yeah. Her ability to read information from objects would've been a huge help. If Kanna had seen Lord Zachlis's letter, we could have immediately known who wrote it, and we might have figured out where you were taken much sooner. It was hard to gather information since no one in the village was willing to talk."
At first, Gakane had assumed this was a minor incident. But he hadn't expected things to escalate so dramatically. Who would have thought that Devran's disappearance before coming here would involve a group as significant as the Apeto Duchy?
'This might become bigger than I thought.'
Nevertheless, their original mission—to find and protect Devran—had been accomplished. If the situation grew more complicated, Gakane knew it would be up to their Commander, Kishiar, to take over.
'I just hope Yuder will be alright, especially if he's alone with the bandit leader facing the Apeto Duchy alone... even though he's strong, I can't help but worry.'
Gakane watched as the messenger bird carrying their letter flew off into the distance until it disappeared from view. He then turned to Devran.
"Let's go, Devran."
"Are we leaving immediately, as planned?"
"We have to."
"Hmm..."
Gakane tilted his head at Devran's hesitant response, noticing his low hum of uncertainty.
"What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
"Well… the reason we wanted to escape earlier was because we thought Zakail would be alone. But now that Lord Zachlis is here, the situation has changed. There's no immediate need to rush away with the injured, right?"
Devran suggested they might be better off staying and joining Yuder. Gakane considered this for a moment.
"I can manage with my injuries, but some of the others need proper care..."
'He's got a point.'
If they left now, Zachlis would be left to monitor Zakail alone. Worse, if something happened to Yuder, they wouldn't be able to rush to his aid quickly. Gakane considered the situation for a moment before replying.
"Alright, we'll stay here just for tonight. We can have a proper meal and—"
"Gakane! Devran!"
Suddenly, the door flew open, and the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Jimmy burst in, excitement and alarm on his face as he gestured at them.
"Come quickly! There's another massive fire in the mountains!"
"What?"
"It's even further away than before, but I think Yuder might be—"
Before Jimmy could finish, Gakane dashed outside. The area where they had sent the messenger bird was right beneath the tallest roof of Hartan Castle, offering a clear view of the surrounding landscape.
As soon as they stepped outside, the sight confirmed Jimmy's report. In the distant mountains, a massive pillar of fire shot into the sky, towering and fierce, as if it were trying to reach the heavens.
"With flames that big... everyone in the area must have seen it," Devran murmured, stunned by the sight.
"Devran, could you make a fire that size?" Gakane asked.
"No. The biggest fire I can conjure is about the size of the one we saw earlier. That... that's beyond my imagination. Even if we gathered all the Awakeners with fire abilities from the Cavalry..." Devran trailed off.
It had to be Yuder. Gakane's instincts screamed at him, the certainty sharp and clear.
"Yuder... what on earth is happening out there?"
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
When Yuder Aile stepped into the large chamber at the far end of the cave, the scene inside was exactly as he had anticipated. The familiar Warden sat in a circle with several of his cronies, engaged in idle conversation.
"We should probably drain some energy out of that noble brat before questioning him at dawn. No.3, you handle it. And has there been any word from headquarters yet?"
"Unless something unexpected comes up, we should hear back by today..."
"Huh? Who's there?"
The man who noticed Yuder and Nahan's entrance gasped in surprise. Before he could fully grasp what was happening, Yuder raised his hand and swung it lightly.
"Argh!"
Chaos erupted in the cave as a powerful whirlwind swept through the chamber. People and objects were flung into the air, swirling helplessly in the storm. Screams echoed as they collided with the flying debris.
"Save me!"
"What's happening?!"
Yuder observed the chaos, watching as the men and furniture crashed into each other within the whirlwind. But suddenly, a sharp pain pricked his hand, and he glanced down.
'What is this?'
However, the situation didn't allow for a thorough inspection, so he pushed the thought aside and refocused. Once he was satisfied that the chaos had sufficiently disrupted the room, he silenced the wind. As the whirlwind dissipated, the men and wreckage fell to the ground, groaning in pain amidst the broken furniture.
"Ahh... Ahh...!"
"M-My arm...!"
"Nahan, gather them all together. I'll tie them up."
"As efficient as ever. I doubt there's another in the world who could subdue this many people so easily, except you, brother."
Despite Yuder repeatedly telling Nahan not to call him brother, the latter never seemed to take the hint. But now was hardly the time to correct him, so Yuder simply frowned and got to work.
After tying up the fallen men and gathering them in one place, Yuder counted seven in total. The Awakeners who had fought against Kiolle under the Warden's orders had been knocked unconscious by a blow to the back of the neck and were quarantined separately.
The Warden and his subordinates, who had witnessed the whole process, were frozen in terror. They stared at Yuder and Nahan, unable to comprehend who they were or what had just happened.
"Who... who the hell are you? Who sent you?" the Warden stammered, his face swollen from being hit by the broken funiture.
"That's not important," Yuder replied coldly, stepping closer to the Warden.
"I'm short on time, so let's make this quick. Do you work for the Apeto Ducal Family?"
"…Kill us!" the Warden shouted defiantly, ignoring Yuder's question, his toothless mouth trembling with bravado.
"Whoever you are, we won't talk. Just kill us!"
'So quick to ask for death.'
Yuder found the sight absurdly amusing. These men, who had kidnapped innocent Awakeners and treated them as mere tools in a power struggle, now puffed up their chests and acted brave after a mere beating. They had even dared to attach crude bombs to the backs of their captives, yet now they were asking for death as if they had any honor to preserve.