"Return? In this state?"
Kiolle's voice was thick with disbelief as he spat out the words.
"How am I supposed to explain what happened here because of you? I have to talk about Paviel, who died—"
"That's your problem, not mine," Yuder interrupted coldly. "If I hear so much as a whisper of suspicious activity from the Diarca House near this place, you'll find yourself sealed in a coffin, forever asleep."
Yuder's ominous warning of eternal slumber, spoken so casually, sent a chill down Kiolle's spine. His anger flared up again, but the fear of the overwhelming force before him kept it in check.
"…"
After glancing at Yuder and the faces of the others surrounding him, Kiolle slowly backed away. Moments later, without another word, he turned and sprinted down the mountain, not daring to look back.
"He was so arrogant, but a few words from Yuder shut him up," Jimmy scoffed, a satisfied smirk spreading across his face as Kiolle disappeared from view.
However, Gakane, with a uncomfortable expression, leaned toward Yuder and whispered, "Are you sure it's fine to just let him go like that? If he spreads lies about what happened, the Diarca House could come after us."
"Don't worry," Yuder replied calmly. "He swore an oath to keep his mouth shut in exchange for his life."
"An oath? You managed to make him swear it in such a short time? Well… I trust you know what you're doing."
Nodding in acceptance, Gakane's eyes then drifted to Yuder's arm, where blood still trickled slowly.
"It looks like you're still bleeding. Are you feeling dizzy? We should get moving."
"Yeah, let's go, If you lose too much blood, you might faint."
Yuder cast one last glance toward the cave entrance before leading his companions down the mountain. As they descended, he briefly recounted what had happened inside the cave. His comrades fell silent, clearly shaken by the tale.
Jimmy struggled to understand Nahan's strange behavior, while Gakane deeply regretted not being by Yuder's side. Devran, on the other hand, felt a chill from the words hinting that darker secrets might lurk behind the heinous acts of the Apeto family, who had targeted the Awakeners.
But they all agreed on one thing: they needed to report everything to Kishiar as soon as possible.
"You're Yuder Aile, the Commander's assistant in the Cavalry, right? I've heard a lot about you."
Upon returning to Hartan, Yuder immediately met with Zakail's brother, Zachlis. Though not in the best condition physically, his current injuries were tolerable compared to the countless severe wounds he'd suffered in his previous life.
Back then, Yuder had to wait for treatment until after reporting to the Emperor, even with serious injuries. Now, he sat comfortably, receiving care for a sword wound while speaking with Zachlis.
Unlike his brother Zakail, Zachlis was a man Yuder found easy to converse with.
"I'll get straight to the point," Zachlis said. "I love Dermilla, and since her brother Devran is family, I want the best for him. I'll do whatever it takes to achieve that."
"Does that mean you won't support Diarca House, unlike the late Lord?" Yuder asked bluntly.
Zachlis' eyes widened slightly before his expression hardened with resolve.
"Yes."
This single word was essentially Zachlis declaring his willingness to align with the Cavalry, Duke Peletta Kishiar, and even the Emperor. Normally, a knight making such a statement might not have been particularly interesting, but circumstances had changed.
Zachlis Hartan was in a position to become Lord of Hartan if he so desired. While Hartan was a small fief, it was still one of the traditional, long-standing noble families of the East. Having an ally embedded within the Eastern power base, which supported the Diarca family, could be a valuable asset to Kishiar and the Emperor.
With the calculations finished in his mind, Yuder met Zachlis' gaze directly and nodded.
"I understand. I will relay your thoughts to our Commander. After we depart, he'll reach out to you personally. Until then, it would be best if you maintain the same outward position as your late brother."
Yuder's words implied that Zachlis should continue appearing aligned with the Diarca Duchy until Kishiar made contact. Zachlis responded with a faint smile.
"Understood. I'll keep Zakail from taking any public action in the meantime. And if I find the two Awakeners who escaped, as you mentioned, I'll contact you immediately."
Yuder had asked Zachlis to search for the two mercenary Awakeners who had been beaten by Devran and fled, as well as to keep an eye on the cave where they'd been hiding. With everyone either dead or missing, the Apeto family would likely notice something was amiss and begin investigating. They needed to find the escaped mercenaries before Apeto's forces did.
"Um... I've finished treating the wound on your left hand, but do you have any other injuries?"
The physician's cautious voice broke into the conversation just as it was wrapping up. Yuder glanced at his bandaged left forearm and shook his head.
"I'm fine."
"Your right hand seems uncomfortable, too..."
Was it that obvious? Yuder tried to ignore the throbbing in his right arm and shook his head again.
"I'm not uncomfortable. I'm fine. You can leave now."
"Ah, alright..."
"I'm going to get up now. Rest well tonight, and have a safe journey back."
As the physician stood, Zachlis rose as well. Yuder had already informed him that he would leave quietly in the early morning, so there was no need for any formalities.
Once they left, Yuder found himself alone in the bedroom. Since he had sent everyone out under the pretext of discussing matters with Zachlis, this was his only chance to check the extent of the spreading spots on his right arm.
Quickly, he removed his gloves and pulled off the top part of his uniform, unbuttoning the undershirt beneath.
'This is...'
He had expected it, but the sight was grim nonetheless. From the tips of his right fingers to his elbow, and up to his shoulder, his entire arm was stained with a dark purple hue. His brow furrowed involuntarily at the sight—the color was ominous, like venom spreading under his skin.
"It doesn't look good..."
However, something was different from what he had anticipated. His palm was a deep, almost black, purple, but the area near his shoulder was a much paler violet. He couldn't quite understand the color difference, but he mentally noted it. Any information could be useful.
As he clenched and released his fist, his arm spasmed, causing him to grit his teeth in pain. That was when it happened.
"Hey, Yuder. Are you done talking with Sir Zachlis? Listen, my sister Dermilla said she won't be going to the capital tomorrow—"
"Yuder! I finished writing the report to send to the Commander before we leave. Could you check if anything's missing?"
"…"
Devran and Gakane burst open the door and poked their faces in, cutting themselves off as they caught sight of Yuder's half-undressed form, and the eerie purple discoloration covering his arm. Silence fell between them, and for a rare moment, Yuder felt a rare sense of awkwardness.
'I should have locked the door before undressing.'
In his haste to check the spread of the spots, he had completely forgotten. Now, he had to think of how to explain the strange purple stain on his skin—how it came about and to what extent it affected him. This felt more daunting than facing an indiscriminate killer.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next morning, as they left Hartan at dawn, the group rode in silence. Despite the plan to bring the other Awakeners and Devran's family along, they had chosen to leave them behind in the village. Only Devran joined the group heading to the capital, and their pace was fast.
The reason was simple: Yuder's right arm.
Yuder had tried to explain the discolored spot to Gakane and Devran, but his efforts were in vain. He didn't know much more than that the spot seemed to be caused by the energy from the red stone. In the end, he vaguely concluded that the condition had started before he arrived and that he had been working on improving it using methods Kishiar was aware of, though the exact treatment remained unclear.
Both men had fallen into silence after his explanation. Devran, who had been rescued despite Yuder's worsening condition, looked at him with newfound respect. Gakane, who seemed to understand what "before he arrived" truly meant, wore a more complex expression. Yuder discreetly motioned for Gakane not to say anything further, especially in front of Devran. Gakane understood immediately, and they agreed to minimize the group's size for now.
With Zachlis remaining in Hartan, Yuder felt some relief. But he knew it wasn't over yet.
'No way,' Yuder thought. 'This isn't going to be simple.'
"Yes, Yuder. I'll send the report as it is. For now, rest."
Jimmy, who had gone to bed early due to a fever, wasn't surprised when they decided to leave for the capital with just the four of them. However, as they rode silently through the morning, he began to notice something was off.
"Guys, why hasn't anyone said a word since we left? Did something happen while I was asleep?"
The others stayed quiet as the sun began to rise. Gakane forced a smile.
"There's nothing, Jimmy."
Jimmy, however, wasn't easily satisfied.
"But... the way you're leading Yuder's horse... something must have happened, right? It's strange how quiet everyone is, except for me. I feel like I'm being left out."
Ironically, Yuder, with both arms injured, found it difficult to hold the reins as tightly as usual. Though he didn't mind, the others insisted he not ride alone. Gakane had even suggested sharing a horse, but the animals were too weak to carry two full-grown men.
'It's still better than riding together.'
"Jimmy, you should focus on your own health. How's your fever?"
Yuder finally spoke up. Jimmy's slight fever had worsened after his sleep. His cheeks and forehead were still flushed red, either from the tense mission or perhaps from something more significant. Yuder had already felt Jimmy's forehead earlier and suspected that the boy was on the verge of manifesting his second gender.