Chương 16: Chapter 16
Externally, Nathan Zuckerman appeared to be nothing more than a skilled adjutant with a moderate talent for swordplay—certainly not a Swordmaster. However, the truth was that his abilities were formidable enough to rival even the Awakeners, a fact that had left many astonished.
Unlike the flashy knights Yuder had encountered earlier, Nathan Zuckerman exuded a deep, profound aura, a result of the mana he had painstakingly refined and accumulated over many years. The sheer quantity of his mana was comparable to that of the exceptional mages Yuder had once faced.
For a mage, the amount of mana stored within was crucial, but for a swordsman, the quality of mana was far more important than its quantity. Infusing a sword with mana was significantly more challenging than casting spells, requiring only the purest, most meticulously refined mana to empower the blade adequately.
The fact that Nathan Zuckerman had amassed mana equivalent to a powerful mage was a testament to his extraordinary skill.
'I didn't realize it back then, when I met him much later... He was remarkable from the very beginning.'
This realization was made possible by Yuder's heightened sensitivity to the energies of others, a sense that had become far more acute than it had been in the past.
While his abilities hadn't changed much from thirteen years ago, this heightened perception seemed to have been etched into his very soul, unaltered by the passage of time.
Perhaps it was more of an instinct he had honed from encountering countless powerful individuals over the years, rather than an innate power.
"..."
Yuder did not drink the tea Nathan had offered him. Instead, he surveyed the room. Its appearance hadn't changed much from before. The divine sword, still resting on a transparent stand atop the heater, remained in its place.
'It's still emitting that unsettling energy.'
Yuder tried to ignore the divine sword, which seemed to reach out to him with its ominous energy.
"Oh, you arrived before me. My apologies."
A few minutes later, Kishiar returned. Nathan, who had opened the door for him, silently took his coat and gloves, tidying them away with practiced ease. A duke who had his adjutant take care of everything, yet didn't have a single servant at his beck and call—such behavior was certainly unusual.
But Yuder, knowing from past experiences that Kishiar always acted this way, said nothing.
"Ah, chamomile tea. It's in season now. Nathan brews it exceptionally well. You can drink it without concern. Surely you don't think he'd poison it?"
"No, I don't."
"Hahaha. Just a joke."
As Kishiar sat down in front of Yuder, a fragrant scent filled the room. Initially, Yuder thought it was the scent of an expensive soap, but then he detected the lingering aroma of a strong perfume. He momentarily stiffened before relaxing his shoulders and turning his gaze towards Kishiar.
The ends of Kishiar's golden hair were slightly damp.
"You appear to have taken a bath."
"Huh? Ah, yes. You're quite observant."
Kishiar brushed his hair back with a smile. However, Yuder did not return the gesture.
'That perfume… It's the one that's popular among noblewomen. There's no mistaking it.'
Why would someone still have a persistent scent of perfume on their body, even after bathing? Who had Kishiar met, and what had he been doing? Yuder could make an educated guess.
'He always was quite the playboy...'
Though Kishiar's reputation wasn't exactly flawless, his popularity had never waned. His godlike physique and stunning looks had always been coveted by many, and he was notorious for never turning down the temptations that came his way.
In Yuder's past memories, it had seemed as though Kishiar lived more quietly after becoming the commander, but that clearly wasn't the case.
Well, it wasn't for Yuder to dwell on. He merely thought that abstaining from such dangerous games—perfect for ending up on the wrong end of a blade—might help maintain Kishiar's reputation.
"I'm curious why you've called me."
"Ah, yes. I wanted to talk about what happened today," Kishiar replied, savoring the tea before swallowing.
"Fortunately, I arrived just in time this time, but it could have gone differently. Or I might not have taken sides at all. Why did you act so recklessly? I thought you were far from impulsive."
"..."
"Kiolle da Diarca is stubbornly persistent, which could become annoying. He has a very high sense of nobility."
Kiolle da Diarca? It took a few seconds for Yuder to remember that this was the name of the knight he had clashed with earlier in the day.
He had decided to remember only what he had done with that fledgling knight and forget the rest, and as a result, it had almost completely disappeared from his memory. Clearly, his mind didn't deem it worth remembering.
"I acted thinking that such a situation wouldn't arise. It's fine."
"It wouldn't arise?"
Kishiar asked with a curious expression.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm much stronger. Even if they had gathered everyone on their side, there were many on my side who possessed enough power to overcome them. That's enough to handle whatever happens."
"So, you weren't stalling for time waiting for me to arrive—you simply believed you were much stronger?"
"Yes."
"Interesting."
Kishiar burst out laughing.
"So, how do you plan to deal with Kiolle da Diarca's grudge? He's already pressuring his family to punish you."
"Is it troublesome?"
Instead of answering directly, Yuder responded with a question of his own.
"If it's troublesome, you can dismiss me."
"..."
Kishiar's smile deepened. He leaned his face on the hand resting on the armrest of his chair, his red eyes gleaming through his golden hair.
"You've just made it into the Cavalry unit, and you're saying you have no regrets?"
"..."
As long as Yuder's future didn't mirror his past, he didn't care. Being expelled from here didn't mean there was no way forward.
In fact, leaving might even increase the chances of Kishiar remaining as the Cavalry commander. Considering that, it wasn't a bad outcome.
"I thought I'd scare you a bit, but it's been a while since I've met someone who doesn't get scared. Have you always been this fearless?"
"...It seems so."
As Yuder recalled, Kishiar had given him a similar compliment before.
...Yuder, you're too fearless, and that's a problem. But that's what I...
'No.'
Yuder closed his eyes, letting the useless memory from the past drift away. No, that future would not come. There was no need to recall it since he would ensure it wouldn't come to pass.
"Why did you suddenly become so serious? It's as if I asked something I shouldn't have."
"No, it's nothing. Even if they hold a grudge against me, it doesn't matter. I'll make sure to avoid any damage to the Cavalry."
"Ha-ha, Nathan, did you hear that? He says he'll sort it out himself."
Kishiar burst into laughter again.
"A commoner orphan claims he can take on a great duke family with a lineage spanning a thousand years. That's really entertaining."
"..."
Nathan's ice-blue gaze briefly met Yuder's face before quickly averting.
"I'm curious why you think your power is so extraordinary. From what I've seen, you're impressive, but I'm not sure it's enough to warrant such confidence. Do you think you can defeat me too?"
Against Kishiar La Orr? It was a dangerous conversation, one that could easily lead to accusations of treason if overheard. But Yuder focused solely on the underlying meaning.
Could he, as he was now, defeat Kishiar if they fought?
The abilities of Kishiar that Yuder had seen in the past were primarily physical. Even just one of his skills was extraordinary, and he seemed to possess a high level of magical defense. A direct confrontation wouldn't be easy.
'Besides, he wasn't even at full power... He's the only opponent I've never seen at full strength.'
Despite this, Yuder was probably the only one who knew so much about Kishiar's abilities. This knowledge came from his time accompanying Kishiar as deputy commander.
Kishiar was a leader who preferred to analyze situations and strategically place capable individuals in the right roles during incidents, rarely stepping forward himself.
This was the exact opposite of Yuder, who would always take the lead before his subordinates whenever something happened.
'I've seen him use one or two abilities at once, but never all at once... And I've only heard about him using the divine sword, never seen it.'
The fact that Kishiar was the owner of the divine sword became known during the mission to retrieve the Red Stone, but Yuder hadn't accompanied him then and didn't know the details. Those who had been there were ordered to keep their mouths shut about what had happened.
What Yuder heard later was that Kishiar had drawn the divine sword for the first time to urgently deal with an enemy's surprise attack, and the situation had been resolved instantly.
As far as Yuder knew, that was the first and last time Kishiar had used the divine sword.
What if Kishiar were to use all his abilities at once, while also wielding the divine sword?
'I don't know how the power of the divine sword manifests... but it probably enhances his existing abilities.'
Kishiar didn't directly display his abilities even during training, preferring to take on a teaching role. Imagining unknown abilities had its limits.
"I'm not sure. I don't fully understand your abilities, Commander."
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