Chapter 85: Chapter 85
"Thank you... Thank you, Yuder. I will never forget this favor."
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
Yuder bowed his head slightly, watching as the siblings repeatedly expressed their gratitude, their eyes brimming with tears. It had been pure luck that he'd arrived in time. Had he been even a little later, Devran's family would already have been dead, and Devran himself would have likely been dragged off to the Apeto Duchy.
"No need for thanks just yet. Save it for when we've safely escaped this place and reunited with Gakane and Jimmy at Lord Hartan's castle."
"Gakane and Jimmy? They're here too?"
"Yes, but they're inside the castle. Reaching them will be difficult. Don't try to go in. Instead, use your power to create a fire large enough to be seen from the castle walls. Gakane will recognize it and come to you."
Gakane would assume Yuder had started the fire, but Yuder trusted that Gakane, with his sharp judgment, would quickly realize it wasn't his doing. After all, Gakane was a seasoned veteran, one who had endured grueling training without pause. Among the current Cavalry members, there was no one more reliable when it came to handling missions flawlessly.
"Ah... understood."
"We'll help too."
As Devran nodded, other prisoners—many leaning on one another for support—raised their hands, offering their help. One of them, who had been imprisoned the longest, mentioned he'd been there for over three months.
Seeing their teary-eyed expressions filled with hope and gratitude, Yuder felt an odd sensation stir within him. It was a feeling he wasn't accustomed to. Perhaps it was because he'd never saved anyone in his past life, or maybe it was something else entirely.
"What abilities do you possess?"
Hoping to shake off the weight of responsibility pressing on him, Yuder quickly shifted to practical matters. Most of the prisoners had physical enhancement abilities, while a few, like Devran, could manipulate elements. Yuder considered the group for a moment before speaking again.
"Form a protective circle with the elemental users and ordinary people in the center. The rest of you, form a defensive perimeter around them. We've encountered several enemies on our way here, but none were Awakeners, so they should be easy to handle. Once you're outside, don't come back. Head straight for Hartan's territory and meet up with my group."
He instructed them to leave Hartan's territory immediately after the reunion. With Zakail Hartan present, it wasn't a place they could afford to linger.
"What about you, Yuder?"
"I'm going to deal with the Warden. I'll catch up afterward."
"Will you be alright? Alone, how will you—"
"I got here on my own, didn't I? I'll manage."
Technically, he wasn't entirely alone—he had the uninvited guest Nahan with him—but Yuder decided not to mention that. Devran gave him a look, torn between worry and annoyance, but ultimately nodded in understanding.
"Right. You're strong, so you'll be fine. Just be careful—there's always at least one mage with those bastards, and the torturers are skilled swordsmen. They shouldn't be underestimated."
The information about the possibility of more than one mage was useful, so Yuder made sure to remember it.
"Before we go, wait a moment. You, your name is Dermilla, isn't it?"
"Yes."
After finishing his conversation with Devran, Yuder gestured for his younger sister to approach, calling her over in a low voice.
Even while Devran had been with the Cavalry, time had continued moving in Hartan. Given her long-standing secret relationship with Zakail Hartan's brother, there was a high chance Dermilla would have valuable information.
"Zakail Hartan seems to be behind everything that's happening. Do you know anything about him?"
"Lord Zakail?"
Dermilla was sharper than expected, with a surprisingly calm demeanor. As soon as Yuder posed the question, she seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation and opened her mouth.
"Oh my... Does that mean Lord Zakail is targeting Hartan?"
"It seems likely."
"I see. I always thought that Lord Zachlis would never abandon me. He often said he felt trapped by his family's overwhelming ambition. The Lord wanted to marry Zachlis off to a noblewoman from another village to expand their influence. And Zakail... he always sought to gain things without working for them."
'Acquire without effort'—wasn't that exactly the situation Zakail was in now? Instead of responding, Yuder merely gave a faint smile.
"You seem to have a good sense of people."
"Yes. Though he is a noble, Lord Zachlis is truly an honest and admirable person."
But even someone like Zachlis had been deceived by Zakail's schemes. Although he had promised to return, it seemed Zachlis hadn't entirely believed in his lover's death. Given his busy schedule with the knight's order, it must have been difficult for him to fully grasp his sibling's constant plotting while confined within the territory.
"There's a good chance Zachlis believes your family is dead by now."
Yuder explained that the villagers thought Devran had killed his family, set their house on fire, burned down half the village, and then committed suicide in prison. They needed to keep the three family members out of sight to avoid the truth spreading and causing more issues.
"It might be unsettling, but once we're completely out of here and safely in the capital, I'll contact him."
"Oh, by the way..."
Dermilla, who had been listening quietly, suddenly looked as though she remembered something important.
"A few years ago, Lord Zachlis apologized to me, looking regretful. He told me that he accidentally revealed his plan to marry me and leave this place forever to his brother. He wanted to establish a new life through his position in the knight's order... But he said it wouldn't matter much, as neither he nor Zakail could inherit the territory or title. I forgot about it at the time, but now I wonder..."
While the information wasn't directly helpful, it did provide insight into Zakail's potential motivations.
Sibling rivalry between two heirs, with neither able to inherit the title, would naturally create tension. Perhaps Zakail had been harboring ambitions of the impossible since then.
"Also, there were rumors that Lord Zakail troubled his father by quitting school abruptly and returning a year ago. Since then, he's been wandering through the nearby villages without any clear reason."
"A year ago... After he returned, did you notice anything unusual, especially regarding the Awakeners?"
"It was odd, actually. To be honest… I thought he fled to the capital because of the way that person treated him with such hostility. They particularly despised anyone who awakened and gained power."
"That's enough for me. Dermilla, I hope you never return to the village. Also, I found this in your burned house. If you need it, I'll return it to you."
Now that Yuder had confirmed the Devran family was alive, the double brooch he'd found in their home had served its purpose. As he revealed the brooch, Dermilla's eyes widened, her mouth falling open in shock.
"That... that's..."
Yuder nodded gently, gesturing for her to take it. Overcome with emotion, Dermilla carefully accepted the brooch from Yuder's hand. Watching her joy, Yuder briefly regretted giving it back so quickly, especially when he noticed the discomfort in Devran's grave expression.
"Those who wish to leave should go now. Remember all the precautions I've told you."
Yuder whispered a few additional instructions to Devran, including a message to relay to Gakane and Jimmy. One key task was to inform Kishiar of the current situation as soon as Devran could access the public communication device in the next village.
As the released prisoners began to make their way out of the cave, they shared whatever scraps of information they had gathered during their captivity with Yuder.
"Urgh!... Arrgh!"
"Grunt!"
'Ah, right. I forgot about the three who fainted on the way out.'
Just moments after Devran and the other freed prisoners had disappeared from view, Yuder remembered the small detail he had overlooked when he heard muffled groans coming from deeper within the cave.
The Awakeners, finally free from the bombs attached to their bodies, were overflowing with determination despite their weakened physical state. Their renewed willpower allowed them to manifest their abilities more strongly than Yuder had anticipated. He hadn't considered the possibility that some of them might struggle to escape, regardless of their physical condition.
'Now, all that's left is Kiolle da Diarca and…'
Yuder turned his attention to Nahan, who had been silently observing his every move.
"The one hidden by illusion—release him now."
"You figured it out."
"That person must be the companion you were looking for."
Yuder had noticed earlier that the number of prisoners Nahan had brought from the cells didn't quite match the number in sight—one person was missing. Since then, Nahan had been unusually quiet, as though he were concealing something.
"Yes, you're right."
At Yuder's words, Nahan moved his fingers, and the dark cave wall next to him rippled before peeling away, revealing a young boy with a pale face.
Yuder was slightly surprised to see that the one Nahan had been hiding was so young. The boy appeared to be around the same age as Jimmy, making him the youngest among those who had been imprisoned.
"You had this boy purchase all the supplies and goods for your bandits?"
"No need for suspicion. This little brother has a power perfectly suited for that kind of task."
Nahan responded with a cold smile, meeting Yuder's gaze—a look that clearly expressed disgust, as if Yuder were staring at something vile.
"What kind of power?"
"The power to make friends."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone