Chapter 889

"Of course, I believed you would say that, which is why I mentioned it just now. His Majesty spoke out of concern, so don't worry. It's merely a worry, not an obligation."

It was a relief, yet the newfound understanding of the Emperor's intentions was still somewhat astonishing.

‘If he had truly intended to appoint me as the person in charge of the Imperial Palace, he must have anticipated the troublesome matters that would follow. Could he really be alright with that?’

Though such an idea was far from his mind, let's assume for a moment that Yuder becomes the person in charge of the Imperial Palace, responsible for protecting the Emperor and the palace. Regardless of Yuder Aile being the hero of the West, this would undoubtedly cause an uproar.

The reason was simple. The current nobility of the capital likely remembered Yuder more for his audacious behavior at the last party—dancing with Duke Peletta, a man, and speaking insolently in front of Duke Diarca—than for his achievements.

Yuder speculated that Emperor Keilusa hadn't mentioned or seemed concerned about this incident outwardly, perhaps due to his awakening and the credit he had earned, warranting a blind eye.

The appointment of Yuder Aile as the person in charge of the Imperial Palace meant publicly acknowledging him as a close confidant of the Emperor. This would signify that all the controversies he had stirred up, including being rumored as Duke Peletta's male lover, were sanctioned under the Emperor's name.

‘The sheer shock of such news would keep the country in uproar for at least half a year.’

The current situation of silent consent wasn't much different from an outright affirmation, but there's a significant difference between officially taking action and doing nothing. The politics of the nobility were always so.

The mere thought of how loudly Duke Diarca and the nobles would protest and launch pointless attacks if Yuder became the person in charge of the Imperial Palace was enough to give him a headache. The intelligent and rational Emperor Keilusa would surely know that in his already busy agenda, there was no need to add unnecessary tasks.

Yet, the Emperor had first expressed to Kishiar his desire to keep Yuder close. The trust that emanated from this fact was heavy, unfamiliar, and profound. It was not the kind of trust Yuder remembered existing between sovereign and vassal.

It was almost like... a level of trust and closeness one would show only to family or close kin.

Kishiar had brought up the topic nonchalantly, probably wanting to directly convey how deeply the Emperor trusted and valued Yuder.

Yuder let out a long, silent breath.

"...Suddenly, I feel the need to work even harder than before."

Kishiar didn't ask why. The smile on his face suggested he already knew the answer.

"But don't overdo it. It's only been a day since everything happened."

Yuder understood Kishiar's concern, but in a situation where Kishiar couldn't take the lead and with an imbalance already occurring, he couldn't promise not to overexert himself. Unable to lie, Yuder shifted his gaze and changed the subject.

"...By the way, I heard from Gakane earlier that currently, Sir Zuckerman is absent on a mission with Kanna, Elle, and Nipollen. May I ask what the mission is?"

"You probably already have an idea. It's likely as you suspect," Kishiar readily followed the change of topic, answering smoothly.

"Do you believe that Nahan is still alive, Commander?"

"In truth, I'm not completely certain. However, we've found traces in a specific area of the desert where Nahan is presumed to have been transferred. Bloody bandages and a piece of clothing that seems to be from an arm."

Yuder's eyes turned cold.

"Did Kanna confirm that those items indeed belonged to him?"

"Yes, she did. Moreover, the place where they were found is quite peculiar."

Yuder listened as Kanna interpreted the last information of Hosanna and described the midland of the trading groups existing in the southern desert.

He hadn't visited the southern regions in his previous life, but he vaguely remembered hearing about this midland.

"...I see. Then, as you think, Commander, it seems likely that Hosanna used the trading group managing that midland to send Nahan to his destination. I also understand why you thought it highly probable that an Awakener would be there."

"Right. So we have to hope that those who left for that place will bring back something more concrete. And until they return, we must fervently hope that no greater calamity befalls us here."

Yuder nodded gravely.

"Given that the strange disturbances have already reached Mclara, I think it's only a matter of time before some disaster strikes. But... at least this falls within the range of what we anticipated, so it won't be like the Hail Night."

It must be different this time.

Yuder clenched his fist tightly, his face stern.

However, his serious mood was soon broken, thanks to Kishiar's relaxed invitation.

"...Well, it seems we've pretty much done all of today's work. How about we have dinner together now?"

'Dinner? Ah...'

It suddenly occurred to him that Kishiar hadn't properly had a sip of water since he woke up.

"I'm sorry. I should have prepared a meal as soon as you woke up. My thoughts were short-sighted. Let's at least get you some water..."

"It's fine. I'm not hungry. What matters more is you."

"Pardon?"

Yuder was puzzled, but Kishiar pierced through with a smiling face.

"I heard about everything that happened today, and it seems the only thing you ate was a slice of lemon given by the pharmacist, right? It's been a long time since sunset, and if that's all you've had while running around and then waiting here for me, you must be starving. Aren't you hungry?"

"..."

Kishiar was right. Since waking up, Yuder had only had the lemon Enon fed him.

He had been so busy being surrounded by others and hearing various things everywhere he went, and after coming here, he was so focused on watching Kishiar that he hadn't even felt hungry. Yuder blinked several times and then slowly opened his mouth.

"...You're right. I just realized I haven't eaten. I'm not particularly hungry..."

"See? I knew it."

Kishiar's eyebrows softened as he smiled.

"But this means we can eat together now, which is great. I can't remember the last time we had a meal together."

Thinking about it, Yuder realized it did seem like a long time. He didn't have the memories of the past two weeks of sleep like Kishiar did, but judging by the dates, it certainly had been a while.

More than the possibility of Nahan being alive or an impending disaster, the man right in front of him not being hungry was much more important at the moment. Equally important was having a meal together with him.

In the past, Yuder Aile would never have made such a decision or thought in this way. However, the current Yuder Aile had undoubtedly changed significantly compared to before, leading him to conclude that this was now the natural priority.

Many of those he had met in his previous life had transformed into entirely different beings, and he realized he too had undergone changes, perhaps even more profound.

"How does it taste?"

Yuder had barely sent out the message when the members, working together, brought him a meal resembling a small mountain. He slowly nodded, smiling at the man's face across from him.

"...Yes, it's good. Please, Commander, eat a lot as well."

In truth, there was a larger quantity of food in front of Kishiar than in front of himself, but upon reflection, it had always been that way. Kishiar always placed more food in front of Yuder, even though eating less wouldn't have been a problem.

And Yuder, for his part, had never complained, simply consuming whatever was given to him.

While eating, he suddenly remembered a time long ago, when he still hadn't taken kindly to Kishiar's presence. He had eaten an enormous amount of dessert that Kishiar had offered him.

'It happened not just once, but several times.'

The most memorable was the incredibly large dessert tower he had eaten while staying briefly at the imperial palace after his awakening. Back then, he had simply thought he ate it because he wasn’t someone who refused food that was given to him, not deeply considering why Kishiar would offer him such precious food in such large quantities.

But now, he clearly understood.

Yuder looked at the pile of fruits and soft bread in front of him and smiled faintly.