Chapter 883

In the end, the guard from Mclara returned, leading six Cavalry members, five Imperial Special Forces members, and twenty regular Imperial Soldiers sent by General Gino during that brief time. His departing figure, once filled with anxiety and worry, was now brimming with hope and joy.

Yet, Yuder watched his retreating figure without a trace of a smile.

‘It's probably just the beginning.’

The appearance of the abnormal cracks described by the guard was exactly as Yuder remembered from his previous life. They appeared briefly before vanishing, leading most who saw them to believe they had imagined it or hallucinated. Only when calamity struck later would they recall and speak of the strange omens they had witnessed.

Could he be certain that the abnormal crack that appeared in Mclara this dawn was the first of its kind? Yuder was convinced it was not.

‘Surely, they must have appeared elsewhere after the Charloin incident. It's just that no witnesses were present or the reports never reached the higher-ups.’

Kishiar remembered well the information Yuder had provided about the Lord of Mclara's fondness for money and had certainly made good use of it. The Lord's attitude, as described by the guard, proved it.

He had preemptively worked his influence in the four cities identified by Yuder. If the Lords there learned of the incidents between Mclara and the Cavalry, then probably...

"Reports of overlooked abnormal cracks will start coming in one after another."

Noble Lords were invariably full of pride. Admitting an inability to handle a bizarre incident in their domain and seeking external assistance was no easy task, especially if it meant relying on a newly formed group like the Cavalry.

However, the Lord of Mclara, who had previously, in the previous life, decided to establish a Cavalry branch in his domain for the sake of money, had no such qualms this time either. While he couldn't be described as having a pleasant nature, he was a pragmatist who delivered cleanly once paid.

With his prompt contact with the Cavalry, rumors spread that he had protected his domain and received substantial support, including money. This would likely prompt the Lords of the other three major cities and those nearby, who were watching the situation keenly, to follow suit.

Starting was difficult, but once the way was paved, the rest would be easier.

"Yuder, is it really okay to send only that much support? What if monsters appear as they did before?"

Ever, having seen off the departing group, asked with a hint of worry.

"If we were certain that the crack would appear only in Mclara and end there, then focusing all our strength there would be the right choice."

"Ah... So, Yuder, you think there might be more of these occurrences elsewhere?"

"Based on the discussion with the Commander, it seems likely."

Unable to disclose the basis of his certainty, Yuder instead implicated Kishiar. Mentioning Kishiar's name usually made the members accept even incomprehensible orders more easily.

"Ah, if the Commander said so... It makes sense. There's no rule saying the strange cracks have to appear only there. Then, it's important to distribute our strength."

"We can't be sure what will happen, but if an incident like today's occurs again, I'll continue to entrust the support arrangement to you, Ever. Is that alright?"

"Of course. Thinking about it, maybe the Commander considered all this when giving that order."

"That order?"

"Ahh... Yuder, were you not aware? We decided to call for volunteers from other branches to come here."

Upon hearing the word 'volunteers', a faint memory seemed to stir within him. Yuder recalled a conversation he had with Kishiar the previous night, heavy with sleepiness.

-In case things continue as you have mentioned, I thought it might be insufficient with just the personnel from this branch, so I prepared in advance. It’s fortunate in a way that we started recruiting the second batch of members...

Yes, he had indeed spoken about preparing for the possibility of needing more personnel than the branch currently had. That must have been the part Ever was referring to.

'No need to worry, then...'

“I believe I've heard about it. It's coming back to me. How is the situation with the volunteers?”

“It seems we will have more people than expected. In the Eastern and Western regions, even among the successful candidates, there were volunteers. I'm a bit concerned about bringing in people who haven't been properly trained yet... But the Commander seems to think it's not a bad idea. After all, the new recruits from the South have been a great help.”

"...Right."

The successful candidates from the East and West.

Faces of a few people he had met while traveling recently flashed in his mind.

'Gloe and Marin would be quite helpful if they come now. Of course, I should first check if Marin has actually gone to the Western branch after meeting us...'

“But Yuder, are you really alright now?”

“As you can see, I'm perfectly fine.”

“That's truly a relief. I've been so worried since we parted in that hailstorm. I haven't seen the Commander's face properly since then...”

“The Commander, too, will shake it off and rise soon enough.”

Talking about Kishiar made Yuder hesitate involuntarily. He had only been down for an hour or two, but an anxious desire to return to Kishiar, who was likely still in his chamber, crept up on him.

“That would be good. I hope to see him soon. Please tell him we miss him.”

“I will.”

Ever grinned and, mentioning that she had a backlog of work, disappeared. Yuder joined Gakane, who had been watching from a distance. Enon was nowhere to be seen.

“Enon?”

“He said he didn’t need to hear more and left earlier.”

“And what will you do now?”

“I’d like to say training... but I haven’t been given the go-ahead for that yet. Without a master to learn swordsmanship from, and without Kanna, all I can do is help others, really.”

‘...Nathan Zuckerman and Kanna are gone? Where did they go?”

This new information made him turn his head in surprise.

“Not just those two, Pruelle and Nipollen left with them. They departed this morning... I don’t know the details, but it seems the Commander gave them some kind of mission.”

“The Commander?”

“Kanna mentioned it might take a few days. So, they might be traveling quite far... You didn’t know either?”

Nathan Zuckerman, Kanna, Pruelle, Nipollen. It was an intriguing combination.

A task that required sending all four of them...

‘Could they be searching for that Nahan fellow.’

A shapeshifter and an information collector. The fact that Nipollen had been sent, despite the risks, was concerning. If the task required Nipollen's presence, it likely involved identifying an Awakener. Among potential missions, the only one that came to mind was this.

Kishiar was not one to send people on dangerous missions without certainty. Yuder surmised that Kishiar must have sent Nathan Zuckerman on a few missions before, gaining some assurance that led him to decide to send others.

'He must be highly considering the possibility that he's still alive.'

The moment he stabbed Hosanna, the image of Nahan beyond him flashed in his mind. At that time, Nahan's condition seemed too dire to believe he was anything but dead.

Yet, could it be that Hosanna had ultimately sacrificed his own life to push him into an escape route, ensuring his survival?

“...”

"Yuder! I know you've just woken up and might be a bit tired, but if you're up for it, would you like to take a walk outside?"

Just as Yuder clenched his fist, glaring at the ground, Gakane approached with a cheerful voice, patting his back.

“Don’t you want to check out what’s been going on in the branch while you were asleep? Actually, the people here did some remarkable things on the day of the hailstorm. There are many who haven’t seen you yet, so it might be nice to go out and greet them.”

Perhaps noticing the change in Yuder’s expression, Gakane's suggestion seemed quite comforting at the moment. While Yuder still longed to go to Kishiar... it wouldn’t be bad to assess the situation with his own eyes first.

Yuder nodded slowly.

“...Alright.”

“Great. Good decision!”

Gakane, enthusiastic like an excited large dog, led Yuder out. The branch's exterior was much busier than the inside. And the most noticeable thing of all was...

“...What's with that huge pit?”

“Hahahat. I knew that would catch your eye first.”

Gakane laughed heartily, as if he had anticipated this reaction.

“It’s an incredible collaboration created by Hellem and Alik on the Hail Night.”

“Collaboration...?”