"My apologies. We've spent two years here doing nothing but patrol duty, so discipline is a bit lax among us. It's the alcohol talking, I hope you understand."
There were many soldiers in the Cavalry who were used to such a scene, most of them commoners, and they didn't say a word. Yuder was the same. However, it was a bit surprising that the Peletta knights, whom he had thought would uphold their knightly duties and say something, merely nodded without uttering a word.
He had thought they followed Lord Kishiar without bias, but he began to think that perhaps there was something more to them.
'Anyway, the soldier who guided us was named Sunz. Sunz... Sunz...'
Yuder tried to recall from his memory someone with the name or surname Sunz, but he couldn't quite remember. Just as he thought it might have been a misunderstanding, Sunz stopped in front of a building located in a less populated area.
"This is the lodging we prepared for you. It's small, but most buildings here are. It should be sufficient for a few nights' rest."
"Thank you."
On behalf of everyone, Gakane expressed gratitude.
"Don't mention it. But if I may ask... the noble person who went with the general earlier, is he really Duke Peletta?"
Sunz asked cautiously, his face betraying an eagerness that he'd been trying to suppress.
"Yes, he is."
The guide from the Peletta knights answered simply, prompting Sunz to open his eyes wide in surprise.
"I knew it! My goodness, I never thought I'd see a descendant of the Sun God in my lifetime. You all are... the Peletta Knights following him, right?"
Sunz's excited gaze darted back and forth between the Peletta knights and the Cavalry members, failing to hide his excitement over his flushed cheeks.
Yuder saw the knight guide from the Peletta Knights looking back at him with a troubled expression, as if asking what he should reply.
It seemed like he was having trouble deciding how to explain the yet-unknown existence of the Cavalry to Sunz, but there really wasn't anything complicated about it.
Once this operation was over, the existence of the cavalry would naturally become widely known. High-ranking individuals including General Gino already knew of their presence here, so there was no reason to hesitate. Yuder quietly opened his mouth.
"These five here are knights from the Peletta Knights. And we are members of the Cavalry."
"Yuder."
Gakane's eyes rose in concern and caution, questioning whether it was okay to reveal so easily. But Yuder remained calm.
"By Cavalry, do you mean... the group that the Emperor recently announced he was recruiting, those who've gained power from the Red Stone... It's true then."
"Yes."
"I didn't expect to meet you so soon."
There was no sign of aversion towards the Cavalry in Sunz's expression. He simply seemed genuinely fascinated, then looked at Yuder as if something occurred to him.
"Ah, if you are those people, you should be careful when wandering around the village."
'Village? Why?' Yuder wondered.
A look of confusion crept onto Yuder's face, and Sunz scratched his head, flashing an awkward smile.
"Well... many of the resting soldiers possess abilities like you all. There was even one among those you saw earlier."
"What? Really?"
Both Eldore siblings exclaimed in unison, their eyes sparkling with interest. Sunz simply nodded in agreement, "Yes."
"The abilities aren't that extraordinary, but we've never seen others with abilities outside of our group, so if everyone found out about you, it'd probably cause a commotion. We have quite a few in our Southern Army who are crazy about fighting."
"Even so... why didn't those with abilities apply for the Cavalry test?"
Kanna asked in a puzzled tone.
"I don't think there was a rule that soldiers can't take the test..."
"You're right."
Sunz agreed with Kanna's words.
"But just because there's no rule doesn't mean you can just rush in recklessly. There was no guarantee of success, and we're quite content with our current lifestyle. We thought there would be many others who felt the same way."
'Hold on.'
Yuder sensed something in Sunz's words. When one says 'we', it usually includes the speaker.
"Are you, by any chance, one of those ability users?"
"Ah, yes."
Sunz slowly nodded, seemingly realizing his slip-up late. Yuder, refined through many years, was somewhat skilled in detecting powerful individuals in his vicinity, but this didn't necessarily mean he had the precision of a magic-user or an Awakener with a detection ability.
He hadn't sensed any formidable aura from Sunz, so the idea that Sunz was an ability user hadn't crossed his mind. Before Yuder could ask about his ability, Hinn, with a look of curiosity, beat him to it.
"What ability do you have?"
"Really, it's nothing much. Just a little thing... I can see what's hidden behind. It's a handy ability when playing card games."
'A Vision ability user?'
At that moment, Yuder finally remembered where he had seen the name Sunz before.
'Right. Sunz… Sunz.... So that was it.'
Just as Sunz had said, there certainly were awakened individuals who already had jobs. Among those who, despite having abilities sufficient to join the Cavalry, chose not to, the majority were typically in the military.
Around the time General Gino Bordelli retired long ago, they gathered and formed a new unit within the army. The man who became the leader of that unit was none other than Sunz.
It was a secretive establishment, so there wasn't even a proper inaugural ceremony. He had only heard about it through the military grapevine, but he remembered the name clearly. There was no doubt.
The person who felt the most unpleasant surprise upon hearing of the unit's establishment was Yuder himself, the representative of the Cavalry, which was why he couldn't forget him.
'If my memory serves me right, his full name is Sunz Messial.'
That special unit, composed of awakened individuals within the military, remained low-key, almost non-existent, from its establishment until the moment Yuder died.
Thus, Yuder concluded that they were not a threat to the Cavalry, but were created to separate from the regular soldiers in the military. He put aside his unpleasant feelings and focused on his main tasks.
However, while imprisoned and facing death, Yuder came to realize for the first time that perhaps he had been mistaken.
The soldiers who had captured him, tortured him, and kept a constant vigil were not ordinary. Though the Mana Hole had been destroyed, rendering him unable to use his abilities or recognize other ability users, he knew the men watching him were not ordinary, considering he was once the commander of the Cavalry.
Those who captured him had kept a strict guard until his dying moment, fearing he might escape or regain a shred of his power.
Even during his tortured, disoriented imprisonment, Yuder desperately strained his ears, trying to hear what the others were saying. It was then that he picked up the name of that special unit.
The Emperor no longer trusted the Cavalry. The only force he controlled like his own limbs was this special unit. Due to their role in this 'Great Hunt', they would receive greater rewards, guarantees of honor and position.
When Yuder heard these conversations, whispered joyfully among the soldiers, all hope was lost. An intense premonition that there was no longer a way for him to survive filled him with bitterness.
Of course, the 'Great Hunt' they referred to was Yudrain Aile.
He didn't know who had established that special unit that he had thought so little of, when, or for what purpose. He couldn't identify where his information had been compromised.
But now, if he met the representative of that special unit, things would change.
The special unit had not yet been created, and its representative was stuck in some corner of the Airic Mountains, a soldier as ordinary as they came. Now, in this condition, it would be easy to eliminate him in advance. If Sunz was killed, the future would definitely change!
Yuder tried to muster the strength to kill the man before him. But when he met the unambitious black eyes of the man looking at him, the power he had gathered wavered and dispersed in an instant.
"...Did I say something strange?"
"Yuder. What's wrong? You look stern."
From beside the confused Sunz, Gakane patted his shoulder and spoke in a low voice. Yuder then sighed, feeling the last of his rage vanish.
'...What was I thinking?'
During his life, he had killed many and made many kneel. His subordinates had called him a stubborn devil with nothing but brute strength, but even then, he had a few principles he had set for himself.