Chapter 891

‘According to what others have told me, Kiolle successfully rescued the Crown Prince that day and managed to escape.’

After the barrier cast by Yuder was broken, Kiolle was fortunately discovered by Kanna's group passing by and they successfully escaped from the temple. It had been two weeks since then, and since he hadn't seen Kanna, he couldn't know exactly what had happened, but he heard from Kishiar that Kiolle had sent a letter to Duke Diarca. Thanks to that letter, Duke Diarca's household abruptly abandoned their plan to attack the Cavalry.

And now.

As Yuder was recalling the information, he suddenly remembered Kiolle's voice, full of resentment and shouting, on the day of the hailstorm.

"I'll contact you in about a week! After I've escaped the clutches of that arrogant Duke of Herne! And I'll catch those swindlers too, so just you wait!"

Hmm... Yes, that was when the sage was still alive. Right after Yuder went out to see Kiolle, he had said something about taking the Crown Prince and reporting to his father after leaving Duke Herne's residence.

‘Of course... None of what he said actually happened,’ Yuder mused to himself.

"Are you talking about the time you said you'd contact me on the day of the hailstorm?" Yuder asked, trying to piece together his thoughts.

Kiolle's face brightened a bit. "Yes, that's it!"

"You said you'd contact me after a week, but it's been much longer than that."

"Why are you blaming me for that?! I had no news from you because you were in a coma, and even after I heard you'd woken up, you weren't active outside, so I had no choice but to come here myself!" Kiolle exclaimed indignantly.

Yuder looked at the anxious Kiolle and nodded. "Alright, I understand. Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"You're a guest who came to see me, regardless of the circumstances. We can't just stand outside and talk."

"What? What's wrong with my appearance!"

"Are you asking because you don't know?"

From the hat and scarf covering his face to the unnecessarily luxurious, garishly patterned clothes, Kiolle's appearance was suspect. It didn't feel like something worn to be inconspicuous but rather like a wealthy noble with a bizarre sense of aesthetics. Yuder wondered whether this was fortunate or unfortunate for Kiolle.

Continuing the conversation in such a state would draw unnecessary attention. It was better to quickly find a secluded spot inside the branch.

Kiolle grumbled under his breath, but upon catching Yuder's glance, he flinched and hurriedly followed behind. They hadn't walked far before they entered a busy street, where familiar faces began to greet them.

"Yuder. Did you just finish training the new recruits?"

"Do you want to join me for a meal?"

Everyone showed interest only in Yuder, ignoring the person following him. Kiolle, head bowed and shoulders hunched as if guilty, fiddled with his hat and scarf, his anxiety palpable.

"No, I can't right now."

"Why? Oh. You have a guest?"

"..."

"Alright then, no choice! Let's go!"

The members who had invited Yuder for a meal gracefully withdrew and disappeared. Many continued to greet Yuder as they passed by. Initially cautious, Kiolle gradually began to realize that no one was paying attention to him, and his tense posture relaxed.

Yuder, closely followed by Kiolle, who was sneakily looking around, almost witnessed Kiolle's clumsy moment when he nearly tripped over a stair step. Had Yuder not used his earth attribute power, Kiolle would have likely fallen flat on his face.

"Are you not paying attention?"

Kiolle gasped in response, "..."

"What's so fascinating? It's just people living their lives."

Yuder hadn't expected a real answer to his rhetorical question. So, when Kiolle replied after a moment, Yuder felt an unusual sense of surprise.

"...It's just that there are so many people still bandaged up, yet the mood is so light."

"What?"

"It's strange. In the Imperial Knights, after returning from monster extermination training, we used to be so cautious around the injured that we could barely breathe. Why does everyone here seem so cheerful?"

At first, Yuder thought Kiolle was picking a fight, but Kiolle genuinely seemed perplexed. Yuder paused before giving a proper answer.

"Being downcast doesn't make things better. Besides, we haven't done so poorly as to warrant it."

As he spoke, Yuder felt a strange emotion. He had thought of all his actions on the day of the hailstorm as failures, but now he was calmly explaining this to Kiolle.

But it was true.

Feeling down about failures doesn't improve the next task. And while Yuder might not know about himself, the Cavalry hadn't performed poorly enough to be dejected. There were injuries, but no serious casualties or deaths, and they had miraculously kept Charloin intact. Knowing this, none of the injured were resentful; instead, they took pride in their scars. Their support allowed Yuder to stand here and speak so confidently.

Even though he had come to terms with these thoughts after speaking with Kishiar and others, explaining it to a third party like Kiolle felt different.

Kiolle, too, listened to Yuder's words with an unusually serious expression, silently contemplating. It almost made Yuder wonder if this really was Kiolle da Diarca.

"Come in here. We won't be disturbed for a while."

Yuder opened the door to an empty reception room, checked inside, and then beckoned Kiolle in. Kiolle finally removed his scarf and hat, sighing in relief.

"So, where are you staying now? Are you still at Duke Herne's place?"

Since Duke Herne had died on the day of the hailstorm, Kiolle no longer had a reason to avoid the Duke Family as before. Considering Myra was on their side and the current busy situation, Yuder thought there was no need for Kiolle to change his lodging. However, Kiolle's answer was unexpected.

"No... I'm staying at the Imperial Knights' quarters where I was supposed to stay originally. The Crown Prince is with me."

"Really?"

"The First Princess of Duke Hern said it was fine to leave if it was uncomfortable... but with the Crown Prince here, that's not an option."

Yuder looked at Kiolle's face, narrowing his eyes inquisitively.

"Are you really Kiolle da Diarca? You haven't been brainwashed somewhere, have you?"

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?!"

"Never mind then."

"...But actually, I did come here to talk about... brainwashing."

"What?"

Yuder furrowed his brow at this unexpected remark. Kiolle, clutching his fist on his knee and looking down, hesitated for a while before taking a deep breath.

"I heard that the swindler died on the day of the hailstorm. Is that true?"

"I didn't verify the body myself, but it's true."

The body of the sage, horrifically murdered by Diemon, had long been taken care of by the time Yuder awoke.

"But why hasn't the Crown Prince's behavior changed at all then?"

"What do you mean his behavior hasn't changed? Explain clearly."

Kiolle lifted his head, meeting Yuder's gaze. There was a change in his demeanor, now seemingly more subdued and serious, as if he had relinquished something. He slowly began to speak.

"It's exactly as I said. Even after waking up following the day of the hailstorm, the Crown Prince still seeks that swindler. Despite being informed of all the external news about what crimes he committed, how he died, His Highness doesn't believe it."

"..."

"He keeps insisting that we must save the sage, claiming that all this is a trap to slander him... Ha. The person who supposedly brainwashed him is dead, so why is His Highness still in this state? I thought you might know something."

Though his tone was briefly interrupted by a sigh, Kiolle's expression when mentioning the Crown Prince's condition was notably somber and troubled. Yuder discerned a different emotion in Kiolle's eyes, a change from before.

The look was different from when Kiolle would mindlessly worry about the Crown Prince, noisily voicing concerns about his own honor.

Kiolle appeared genuinely disheartened.