Chapter 64: Chapter 64
"…"
An awful silence lingered in the air.
Moments later, from the frozen crowd, Thais Yulman, who had been silent until now, suddenly burst into laughter for the first time.
"Hahaha! My goodness. The last time I saw something this ridiculous was eight years ago, when some fool vowed to create a spell that would force a monster to dance until it died of exhaustion!"
Shortly after, as if caught up in his laughter, Yuder's comrades also began chuckling one by one.
"Hahaha… hahahahaha!"
Amidst the sea of laughter, Kiolle's fellow knights hurriedly rushed to help him to his feet. His face pale, he had fainted, head hanging low.
Without uttering a single word, they disappeared as if marching away in perfect formation. It was a comical sight, hardly befitting the Imperial Knights of the Orr Empire—reputed to be the most beautiful and honorable knights on the continent.
"Yuder, how on earth did you do that? We thought you could only use fire and water!"
"Think of it as my own progress, just as you've all progressed."
"Is it something to be discussed so casually, adding another element to your arsenal?"
Amid the continuing laughter, Yuder, remaining calm as he conversed with the redhead, turned his gaze toward Alik. The young man, feeling as though Yuder's sharp eyes were piercing through his thoughts, nervously stammered.
"H-Hello. Uh, do you… remember us? I mean, you only met my master, to be precise…"
"Yes. I remember," Yuder replied coolly.
"I heard you were looking for the Cavalry. You don't seem like invited guests, so may I ask what your business is?"
"Ah, that's… well…"
Alik cast a resentful look at his master, who was still doubled over with laughter. It was clearly time for him to step in. But Thais showed no signs of doing so.
"My master has something very important to discuss with Duke Peletta. That's why we came so suddenly. But the road… well, it was harder than we thought. Haha…"
"Indeed, it can be difficult."
A faint, cold smile flickered across Yuder's lips and quickly disappeared. He had clearly noticed Alik's growing frustration toward the knights who had ignored their earlier requests for assistance.
"Follow me. I'll guide you."
Alik blinked in surprise, having expected Yuder to be less cooperative. But Yuder had already turned and begun striding ahead.
"Master, that man said he'd guide us. Shall we go?"
Alik grabbed his master's arm, trying to steady him as the man laughed so hard that tears began to form.
"Alik, that man... he's no ordinary one," Thais murmured low enough for only his disciple to hear as they neared the Cavalry barracks.
"I came to see the stone, but it seems I've found another subject worth studying."
"So, they're downstairs now?"
"Yes."
After leading the mages from the Pearl Tower to the guest lounge on the first floor of the Cavalry barracks, Yuder immediately went upstairs to meet Kishiar alone. Gakane had wanted to accompany him, fearing that Kishiar might be angry, but there was no need. Kishiar wasn't angry at all. In fact, he seemed highly intrigued by the situation Yuder had created and resolved.
"Good. I knew you wouldn't act recklessly. Meeting Kiolle Diarca again is simply bad luck… Anyway, now that you've explained the situation, let's move on to the next step."
Yuder, choosing his words carefully, studied Kishiar, who sat comfortably in his chair, a leisurely smile on his lips.
"They didn't explicitly say it, but I believe they're mages, probably from the Pearl Tower. For such individuals to arrive here uninvited and only state they need to see the Commander without clarifying their purpose... it's highly likely they came because of the Red Stone."
The old man with the long beard who casually mentioned magic, and the disciple who respectfully addressed him as 'master'—they perfectly fit the traditional one-on-one mentorship seen among mages. If they were court mages, they wouldn't have concealed their identities. The only plausible explanation was that they hailed from the Pearl Tower.
Of course, Yuder knew who they were from his memories of his past life, but he didn't reveal that to Kishiar.
"If that's your interpretation, then so be it. But what of it?" Kishiar's eyes softened as he rested his chin on his hand, propped up on the armrest.
"How should we handle these mages who've come for the Red Stone?"
"I think the first step is figuring out how they knew the stone was here and what they intend to do with it. After all, you need to understand their motives before you can use them."
"Use them..."
"Even if they've come here under the will of the Tower, in the end, they are still mages. 'Even if the Tower crumbles tomorrow because of the magic cast today…'"
"'If you want to cast, cast it and face death.' …That's a maxim engraved at the top of the Pearl Tower."
That saying was attributed to a mage who had spent his entire life studying the magic of moving celestial objects. Hundreds of years ago, he famously attempted to pull the moon down to the earth. Though his magic failed, his words were immortalized as a motto symbolizing the spirit of the Pearl Tower.
"So, are you suggesting we appeal to the mages' greed to persuade them?"
Yuder hadn't said it directly, but Kishiar immediately grasped his meaning.
Mages of the Pearl Tower were notorious for their fanatical devotion to their craft. They often disregarded ethics in their pursuit of magical perfection.
If Thais Yulman had no particular interest in the Red Stone and had been sent by the will of the Tower, he likely wouldn't have bothered leaving the palace, much less seeking out the Cavalry. But here he was, dressed in shabby clothes and enduring insults from the Imperial Knights without revealing his identity. Given his research interests, his arrival could potentially work to their advantage.
"They didn't seem like bad people. I plan to investigate the Red Stone with the help of a few members, including Kanna. But wouldn't it be beneficial to have more assistance?"
"Originally, the court mages were supposed to investigate the stone first. Why should I try to persuade a mage from the Pearl Tower instead of relying on the court mages?"
"If you truly trusted the court mages, wouldn't you have already handed the stone over to them, regardless of my opinion?"
Yuder spoke with a calm certainty, presenting the most reasonable answer. A satisfied expression spread across Kishiar's face.
"Indeed, my assistant is sharp. It's fortunate not everyone is as quick-witted as you," Ki
Yuder knew from his previous life how power-hungry the court mages could be. Many of them sought influence rather than honing their magical abilities, and it was only natural that those ambitions led them to become court mages. Though they seem professed loyalty to the emperor, behind the scenes, they colluded with various nobles, engaging in shady deals.
Whatever the current emperor's intentions might be, Kishiar certainly couldn't trust the court mages completely. The risk of information leaking was too great. It was much safer to win over a single archmage obsessed with research than to entrust the palace mages with something as critical as the Red Stone. That likely played a role in why Kishiar accepted Yuder's suggestion so readily.
"Fine. Let's head down, then. Let's see what kind of talent the Pearl Tower has sent us," Kishiar said, rising from his seat.
Yuder thought Kishiar would head straight out of the quarters, but to his surprise, Kishiar walked over and peered closely at his face.
"...Commander?" Yuder instinctively tensed, his voice cautious.
"You haven't had a chance to wash your face after training. You're a mess."
Without waiting for permission, Kishiar pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped Yuder's cheeks and forehead. The scent from the handkerchief made Yuder's back stiffen. It was a fragrance he hadn't expected, familiar yet distant, lingering in the recesses of his memories. The sharp, clean scent was unmistakably Kishiar's.
"Please... stop," Yuder protested, feeling an odd sense of discomfort.
"We're almost done anyway," Kishiar replied nonchalantly.
Yuder tried to turn his face away, but Kishiar followed him, wiping even up to his nose before finally tucking the handkerchief back into his pocket. His casual behavior left Yuder momentarily speechless.
"You could've just told me to wash up. Why go through all this?"
"What's wrong with showing a little kindness?" Kishiar smiled mischievously.
"And why put the handkerchief back? It's dirty now; you should just leave it."
"Don't be so sensitive. I'm fine," Kishiar laughed and patted Yuder's shoulder. If anyone should be acting with more sensitivity, it ought to be Kishiar, a noble, not Yuder, a commoner. Yuder couldn't help but regret not washing his face earlier.
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"You must've had a long journey. Thank you for coming," Kishiar cheerfully greeted the mages as he descended with Yuder.
"Are you His Excellency, Duke Peletta?"
"Yes, but here, my position as Commander of the Cavalry takes precedence, so please address me as such," Kishiar responded with a smile.
Seeing Duke Peletta in person, Alik was stunned. First, by his ethereal beauty—like the incarnation of the Sun God—and second, by his sharp yet charming smile.
'I heard he was a spendthrift, unintelligent, and impulsive. But where did these rumors even come from?'
Stealing a glance at his master, Thais, he noticed that the older mage's expression hadn't changed in the slightest.
'Master really is something. If you knew the rumors were wrong, you could have told me earlier!'
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