Capítulo 48: Chapter 48
In the past, Yuder hadn't paid much attention to Kishiar's attire. Occasionally, there were members with unique abilities who wore strange clothes, so Kishiar's habit of wearing gloves had never struck him as particularly unusual. However, upon reflection, Yuder realized that since his return, Kishiar had not worn gloves even once.
As soon as this thought occurred to him, a dream from the night before flickered in his mind.
Could the Kishiar of his previous life have suffered the same injury Yuder had during the Red Stone retrieval operation? Was that why he always wore gloves that concealed his hands?
'Now that I think of it, whenever I met Kishiar regularly, it was always in the dead of night.'
If Kishiar had been injured by the Red Stone, there would have been a purplish bruise somewhere on his body. Yet, even Yuder—who had perhaps seen more of Kishiar's body than anyone else, aside from his wet nurse—had never noticed it.
Kishiar would always emerge from the darkness and vanish before Yuder awoke. At the time, Yuder had thought nothing of it, accepting it as part of who Kishiar was. And after Kishiar's death, Yuder had buried those memories, never questioning them.
But now he wondered: If he had noticed something earlier, if he had cared enough to pay attention to Kishiar's condition, could things have turned out differently?
"I said you didn't need to thank me, but that expression on your face says otherwise. You look like you've seen a ghost."
Kishiar's voice pulled him back from his spiraling thoughts. He glanced up to find Kishiar narrowing his eyes in curiosity. Realizing how visibly shaken he must have appeared, Yuder quickly composed himself and shook his head.
"No, it's nothing… Thank you."
"When someone asks, tell them it's a reward for accepting the position of my aide."
If Kishiar said it was a gift from him, it would be easy enough for Yuder to wear it openly without raising any suspicion. The gloves were enchanted too, which made it stranger not to wear them.
Yuder nodded in silent agreement just as Nathan, who had been standing behind them, spoke up.
"It seems we will have visitors soon."
"Must be the other members. Nathan, clear away the remaining food."
Kishiar gave the order casually, as though speaking to a servant. It was an odd sight, considering Nathan was one of the continent's top Swordmasters, but the man simply complied without question, as if it were the most natural thing.
As Nathan gathered the plates and disappeared into the inner room, Yuder slipped on the gloves Kishiar had given him.
The exterior felt like leather, but once he wore them, they clung to his skin with a slick, almost liquid-like coolness. When he flexed his hand, there was no stiffness—none of the rigidity one would expect from leather gloves.
"Just as I thought. They suit you perfectly. My judgment was spot on."
Kishiar praised himself with a self-satisfied smile, clearly pleased with his choice. Yuder didn't respond, feeling no need to offer false politeness. His silence, however, was all the response Kishiar seemed to need.
"By the way," Kishiar continued, "did you confirm that none of the others were injured?"
"Ah, Yes. No one was hurt."
During the return, Yuder had made sure to check with each of his companions about their condition. A few had minor scratches or muscle aches from climbing the mountain, but none had sustained serious injuries like his own. It was a relief.
At the time of the explosion, Yuder had been closest to the Red Stone. He had thought he shielded everyone, standing just a few steps away from the Stone. But even that small distance had made all the difference, leaving him with the injury he now bore.
'Looking back, I should have put up the shield from the beginning.'
Regret filled Yuder's mouth with bitterness. He had been so focused on shielding his comrades from the blast that he hadn't thought about protecting himself adequately. Now, the consequences were weighing heavily on him.
A short while later, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, accompanied by the murmur of voices outside. Since Nathan hadn't returned yet, Yuder stood and moved to open the door himself.
"Commander, I apologize! I was about to bring Yuder with me, but he wasn't in his room... Oh... Yuder!"
Gakane, who had been loudly apologizing with his head bowed, was startled the moment he saw Yuder standing in the doorway. His eyes widened, and his voice rose in surprise.
"Yuder! You were here? What happened?"
The rest of the group appeared just as surprised, their faces filled with a mix of confusion and betrayal. Yuder gestured for them to come inside, glancing at their bewildered expressions.
"...Come in."
Once they settled on the long chairs, Kishiar greeted them calmly, as if he had been expecting the group's arrival.
"Did everyone have a restful night? I called Yuder here for a personal matter. I apologize for not informing you earlier."
"Ah... I see."
Gakane, who had been flustered moments ago, regained his composure. The Eldore siblings, meanwhile, exchanged curious glances, clearly wondering what might have transpired between Kishiar and Yuder.
"You all look curious," Kishiar observed, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Would you like to know what you'll soon find out anyway?"
"Yes," came the firm response from several members, their curiosity evident.
Kishiar soft smiled, his eyes gleaming. "Today, you all will accompany me to the Imperial Palace with the Red Stone. We will present the stone to the Emperor and receive our reward for completing the mission. Though it's a secret mission, and we can't celebrate publicly, you should feel honored by the opportunity to meet the Emperor and receive his commendation personally. Additionally, while we're there, I plan to officially appoint Yuder Aile as my Cavalry assistant."
The bombshell of news hit the group all at once, leaving them momentarily speechless.
"The Imperial Palace?"
"We're meeting the Emperor?"
"Yuder will be the Commander's assistant?"
Each member echoed the most shocking revelation to them, their eyes darting toward one another. The Imperial Palace of the Orr Empire was a place few had the privilege of visiting. Even some nobles never stepped foot in it during their lifetimes.
Moreover, the current Emperor had not appeared at any official banquets in years, citing ill health. It was only natural for their expressions to freeze in disbelief at the prospect of meeting him and receiving rewards personally.
Yuder, however, was not startled by the idea of entering the Imperial Palace. He had done so many times in his previous life. What truly caught him off guard was the fact that they would be going to the palace before he had convinced Kishiar not to take the Red Stone to the Pearl Tower, and that he would meet the Emperor—someone he had never seen in his previous life.
The Emperor, Kishiar's only full sibling. In Yuder's past life, the Emperor had passed away not long after this point in time, leading Yuder to assume that his health was already in critical condition. But if the Emperor was well enough to give a commendation today, there might be more to his condition than what was publicly known.
'I'll have to find a way to tell Kishiar not to send the Red Stone to the Pearl Tower... but finding the right moment won't be easy. What should I do?'
"If we're leaving today... when do you plan for us to set off?" Yuder asked, a hint of speculation in his tone.
"Right now," Kishiar replied without hesitation, his answer direct and final.
"So, we don't need to prepare anything?"
"What's there to prepare? As long as you're in your proper uniform, that's sufficient."
Kishiar found the question amusing, a small smile playing on his lips as he rose from his seat. The members, still hesitant, followed his lead and got up as well, though not without some lingering uncertainty.
Yuder's eyes scanned his comrades, stopping at Kanna. Her face was alarmingly pale—far too pale for someone simply nervous about a visit to the Imperial Palace. Something was clearly wrong.
'...What's going on?'
Her complexion was as white as a sheet, and even a brief glance revealed she was deeply troubled. As Kishiar headed toward the inner corridor to retrieve the box containing the Red Stone, Yuder slowly approached Kanna, lowering his voice.
"What's the matter?"
"Ah!"
Kanna flinched, stepping back abruptly. Her eyes darted around nervously, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I— I mean, that is..."
"Kanna?"
"Oh, well... I mean, if I go there... I mean..." Her voice wavered, and she seemed to tremble uncontrollably. Her usual lively demeanor had vanished, replaced by confusion and fear.
"What's wrong, Kanna? Are you not feeling well?" Hinn asked, noticing Kanna's distress.
At Hinn's worried question, Kanna backed away even further, shaking her head with increasing intensity.
"I mean... do I have to go there?"
"Where do you mean? The Imperial Palace?"
The moment he mentioned the Imperial Palace, Kanna's face lost the last traces of color. She was clearly reacting to the mere idea of going there, and her anxiety had reached a peak.
"Why all of a sudden?"
"No, it's not... I mean... I apologize for talking nonsense,"
"It doesn't seem like nothing..." Finn commented from beside Hinn, tilting his head in confusion. Kanna, however, said nothing further, clamping her mouth shut.
Before Yuder could probe any deeper, Kishiar returned with Nathan from the inner corridor. Kishiar was now adorned in a splendid cape, holding the box containing the Red Stone with an air of calmness, seemingly unaffected by the potent energy that radiated from it.
"Alright, let's depart now. We'll be riding in a carriage this time, so it should be comfortable."
Kishiar's tone was casual, unaffected by the stone's energy, as he led the way out. The rest of the group hurried after him, with Nathan quietly following behind.
Waiting for them at the rarely used back gate was a grand carriage. It was large enough to comfortably accommodate seven people and was emblazoned with the emblem of the Imperial Palace. The extravagant use of gold detailing was overwhelming, even to those accustomed to noble finery.
But it wasn't just the carriage that drew their attention. The eight horses pulling it had been replaced by Misty Wind Horses, a rare breed known for their speed and resilience. Perhaps they were chosen because ordinary horses couldn't handle the energy emanating from the Red Stone. The sight of the luxurious transport drew spontaneous gasps from the group.
"Incredible..."
Kishiar turned toward Nathan. "Nathan, I'm counting on you to handle the coachman's role."
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder