Chapter 886

"It's fortunate, then, that waiting for me while I slept wasn't too tiresome for you."

For a moment, he was at a loss for words. The weight behind those words felt overwhelmingly heavy.

He knew all too well the man before him, who carried a light demeanor and face, yet held immense loyalty and steadfastness within. Therefore, that moment, when Kishiar's eyes saw nothing but him, felt exceptionally significant.

How could he speak such words with such a calm face?

Was it really that important to him that Yuder Aile wasn't bored?

Yuder exhaled deeply to quell the ripples spreading within his heart. Then, nodding towards the man smiling slyly, he said,

"As you say, there were quite some surprising changes during my outing, so it wasn't boring."

"Ah, as expected."

"But... it's a pity that the one who should have heard it with me was not present."

Upon hearing Yuder's words, Kishiar, who had been smiling, suddenly froze. He undoubtedly understood the meaning behind those words.

What emotions he went through today, and what thoughts he had while waiting here. He was overly frank in expressing his feelings, a bit embarrassingly so, but still, he wanted to tell him.

After a moment, the happiest smile yet spread across Kishiar's face.

"Oh dear. I've made a grave mistake. I didn't realize my assistant was feeling lonely without me. What if you had secretly shed tears in your solitude?"

"It wasn't to that extent, but..."

"How can I just overlook such a grave sin? I'm not someone who can live with guilt. I must seek forgiveness immediately."

"That's not necessary to that extent..."

Just when he almost resolved never to speak of it again, the man who had grasped his hand drew him closer, pressing his lips against Yuder’s nose with a soft sound. Then, without a pause, his kisses fell like rain upon his cheeks, chin, forehead, and eyelids.

"Wait a moment... Comm..."

Yuder had no chance to protest that his weight might hurt him, as his lips continually stamped his face like a seal. Only after he gave up and calmed down did he stop and hold him tightly in his arms. Their entwined bodies shared breaths of relief.

With their gazes closely intertwined, Kishiar, half-closing his eyes and smiling, murmured,

"I wasn't bored without you either, but that doesn't mean I didn't miss you."

"..."

"To wait for a loved one is to feel such emotions."

To wait for a loved one, that's the feeling.

The vague emotions became clear and concrete with Kishiar's words, seeping into Yuder's mind. Yuder mulled over these words for a long time.

"Now, will you finally tell me what happened today? I'm ready to listen."

"Before that, do I have to keep talking in this position?"

Yuder felt a bit peculiar speaking while half-lying on Kishiar's chest, with his hips perched on the edge of the bed. Kishiar chuckled briefly and then loosened his embrace. He shifted slightly, moving towards the edge of the bed, and patted the blanket invitingly.

"Come up. We can sit side by side and talk."

The time when Yuder hesitated to lie in the same bed as the Commander had long passed. Climbing onto the bed, Yuder sat beside Kishiar.

Leaning back and resting his shoulder against Kishiar's, he was suddenly reminded of the Hail Night.

That day, just before losing consciousness, he sat with Kishiar on the muddy, blood-soaked ground, much like now. Of course, back then, Yuder couldn't control his body properly, so their shared support was more out of necessity than anything else.

But now, they sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning against each other, not out of necessity, but simply because they wanted to. Then and now, this small contact and the warmth it brought provided Yuder with a unique sense of security.

"Today, I unwrapped my bandages and went out. I met with Enon and talked..."

Yuder began his story softly, feeling the warmth spreading from his shoulder. As he spoke all the words he had wanted to share with Kishiar upon his awakening, a bright emotion he had long forgotten slowly returned to him.

To be specific, yes, it was a feeling of joy.

Kishiar sometimes reacted as Yuder expected, and other times quite the opposite. Yuder found it amusing to see his reactions, like when he worried about Yuder's tongue after hearing about Enon stuffing a piece of lemon into his mouth, or when his expression turned serious at the mention of the guard from Mclara.

"Yes, I had sent an investment to the Lord of Mclara in advance. When I was planning to establish an external training base for the southern branch of the Cavalry I told him to contact me if anything happened. Mutual assistance is always beneficial."

"So, you had done that."

"If it weren't for the information you provided, I wouldn't have thought to do anything there in advance. I'm glad it was effective."

"He might be materialistic, but he keeps his promises when money is involved."

"So, you think Mclara is neither the beginning nor the end of this?"

"Yes, in my opinion..."

Yuder continued his narrative. When he finally spoke of seeing the enormous trap Hellem and Alik had made, Kishiar seemed quite amused.

"I've only heard about it, but everyone who saw it said it was incredible. It was a shame I couldn't see it from this bedroom window."

"It was indeed incredible. But more than that... Did you hear about Alik bringing a new magic tool and helping the other Awakeners?"

"I heard that Alik used a magic tool and that the successful candidates and members worked together, but that's all."

It seemed that when Kishiar received the report, it was right after the event, so relatively unimportant details were either generalized or omitted. To the Cavalry members, Alik's new magic tool must have been impressive, but not as important as the story of the mages' trap or the number of monsters killed.

To this day, the talk about the magic tool was dismissed as merely 'impressive' or 'a new view of mages,' with no further reaction. Yuder was the only one who realized its potential, though now there would be one more person who understood.

"In my view, the new magic tool that Alik created shouldn't just be passed over. And neither should Alik himself."

"Really?"

Yuder spoke frankly about the fact that such a thing didn't exist in his previous life and his new appreciation for Alik.

"Alik is attempting to understand and use the power of Awakeners similar to, or as if it were, magic power, and he has actually created a new magic tool that yielded results. In the previous game, no mage had ever done something like that. If done right, he might pave a new path for Awakeners that has never been seen before."

"Using the power of Awakeners like magic power..."

Kishiar stroked his chin, deep in thought. Yuder expected him to comment on Alik, but Kishiar's response took a slightly different turn.

"Long ago, the first mage to create a magic tool theorized that it might be possible to craft similar tools using aura or divine power. Of course, due to opposition from various factions, that idea was buried."

"Is that so?"

"That mage had boldly claimed that as long as the quality and quantity of power generated by magic were sufficient, there would be no tool that couldn't be created. Many of his designed tools are still in use today, but some are impractical due to the lack of magic power needed to operate them and are merely kept in storage."

Specifically, a substantial number are stored in the Orr Empire's Imperial Library. As he said this, Kishiar smiled secretively.

"Among the legendary tools he designed were an incredibly fast carriage that runs on its own power and a door that travels through space. Isn't that interesting?"

"...You're thinking of showing these to Alik."

Kishiar didn't deny Yuder's words. The emotions he felt were honestly conveyed in his sparkling eyes.

"Hearing about it, I'm curious to see how he would interpret them. The power of Awakeners is currently immeasurably more abundant in both quality and quantity compared to magic power."