Side Story

<The Day Before It Began>

"In that case, I will follow after taking care of things here. Sir Aile, please go ahead."

When Nathan Zuckerman uttered these words, he was seized by an unusual sentiment.

Such a statement would have been unthinkable for him in the past.

Currently, in a critical situation where his sole lord and master, the one and only object of his loyalty, might be in danger, it was unthinkable to send someone else ahead while staying behind. To those who knew Nathan Zuckerman, it would have been obvious.

However, these words were not spoken impulsively. They were infused with clear rational judgment, trust, and an unspoken intention.

Would the black-haired man before him understand the weight and meaning behind Nathan Zuckerman's words? Nathan quickly dismissed such thoughts as unnecessary.

The man in question, Yuder Aile, who had never once shown surprise or dismay in the face of enemies, hesitated for the first time.

Finally, Yuder Aile cautiously, yet deliberately, met Nathan Zuckerman's gaze and asked, "Is that alright?"

This question was not born of a lack of confidence in his position or out of concern for Nathan Zuckerman's feelings.

The expression fleeting across his slightly dirtied pale face seemed to understand more about the significance and incredibility of Nathan Zuckerman's statement than Nathan himself.

The question was possible because of their mutual understanding and the values they both held dear, encapsulating a strange yet profound respect and trust.

The man before him understood the elements that Nathan Zuckerman valued to an almost unbelievable extent.

At that moment, Nathan Zuckerman managed to completely resolve the unusual sentiment he had felt. His gaze, regaining its usual calmness, rested on Yuder Aile's face.

"You possess the power to move faster than me, don't you? And if it's related to the Cavalry, it would be better if Sir Aile goes."

It was a purely rational judgment. No matter how far Nathan Zuckerman's physical abilities and swordsmanship surpassed those of ordinary men, it was difficult to move faster than someone who could leap upon the wind and cross the skies. Moreover, in terms of skill, Yuder was one of the few in the world whom even a swordmaster like Nathan Zuckerman could not easily confront.

‘And furthermore…’

Though unspoken, both men were aware of another reason.

The relationship between Kishiar La Orr and Yuder Aile.

Nathan Zuckerman's only lord held the black-haired man before him in the highest regard, more than anything in the world. Who else could understand what that meant as well as Nathan Zuckerman?

He remembered a scene he had witnessed recently during Yuder Aile's unexpected heat period. His lord had held Yuder, growling like a beast deprived of its senses, tenderly yet securely, sitting quietly in the darkness of a rocky crevice, ensuring no harm came to him.

The look in his eyes, filled with gentle reassurance yet unmistakable sorrow.

Without saying a word, his inability to take his eyes off Yuder clearly revealed to Nathan Zuckerman what Yuder meant to Kishiar.

Yuder Aile had become, was, and would continue to be Kishiar's only exception.

However, it was crucial that this was not just a one-sided feeling on Kishiar's part. To Yuder Aile, Kishiar was also the only one. The attitude Yuder displayed during his heat period, fiercely desiring Kishiar in his delirious state, was not something that sprung from nowhere. Beneath his seemingly calm and cool demeanor, Nathan Zuckerman had always glimpsed a similar flame flickering in his wild eyes.

That intense, raw flame, never shown to others, even made Nathan hesitate briefly when he caught a glimpse of it. His lord had accepted it with great joy.

Something unimaginable from their usual demeanor naturally flowed between them when together. Despite knowing each other for less than a year, the depth and breadth of their relationship felt as vast and unfathomable as an ocean, often surprising Nathan with its intensity.

“…Understood.”

In the silence, Yuder, who had been intently looking at Nathan, slowly nodded his head. It was not a mere acknowledgment but a clear gesture of gratitude for Nathan's decision.

"I'll follow shortly."

Someone had to stay behind to handle the aftermath here. Given his experience, Nathan's choice was undoubtedly the best.

Nathan Zuckerman watched quietly as Yuder swiftly disappeared, stepping into the wind. His thoughts drifted back to his time in Peletta, specifically to the time when Kishiar faced constant threats of death.

“Nathan. Repel everyone inside the castle and get out. That's an order.”

The day had begun under an ominous sky. Dark clouds shrouded the heavens, and an unusually sticky breeze pressed unpleasantly against the skin. The terrible pain from a recently cracked vessel had worsened, and Kishiar, lying in bed, looked so haggard it was difficult to bear seeing his eyes open.

His eyes, bloodshot from days of sleeplessness, were deeply sunken. His face, so thin that not a hint of flesh seemed left, was shrouded in an unmistakable shadow of death. The smell of rotten blood, which he had been coughing up for days, clung to his body, refusing to dissipate no matter what.

Struggling to maintain his sanity amidst the chaos, Kishiar’s famed beauty still shone through, eerily reminiscent of a candle flickering before it extinguishes.

With great effort, Kishiar shifted his shadow-draped eyes to look at Nathan Zuckerman, gasping for breath. Between his labored breaths, the sound of boiling blood could be heard.

“Go out... as I mentioned before. Cough... Cough.”

“Your Grace.”

“...Go! It seems it will start soon…”

As he spoke, blood burst from his nose and eyes, a sign of worsening condition. Kishiar stopped Nathan Zuckerman from approaching with an outstretched hand and then coughed violently for a long time. It was a struggle to swallow the screams of agony and meet his end with some semblance of humanity.

Nathan Zuckerman had never once disobeyed his orders immediately. But that time, for the first time, he hesitated to follow the command.

However, Kishiar, as if reading the reason for his hesitation, raised his head and shouted clearly.

“Why are you still here? ...Your last duty isn’t to stay by my side! No need to answer. Go!”

Confronted with Kishiar's unmistakably disappointed gaze, Nathan Zuckerman clenched his teeth and turned away. He realized it was time to accept that he could no longer do anything for his lord.

Kishiar had wanted to be alone at the moment of his death. Knowing the cases of previous imperial family members who had walked a similar path, the stronger the inherent power, the more horrific and intense the backlash at the end. Nathan knew that if Kishiar's vessel, strong and diverse in power, were to break completely, it could potentially bring down the entirety of Peletta Castle.

Therefore, he had previously instructed Nathan Zuckerman on what needed to be done when the time came. Nathan Zuckerman gathered the few who remained in the castle and led them outside. Afterward, he had to evacuate those gathered outside the castle gates, worried about the Duke, and prepare the knights to guard against any unforeseen aftermath.

"Please leave. The Duke has given his orders."

"Ah..."

The only ones left in the castle were essential servants, a few Peletta Knights, and a handful of retainers. They were fiercely loyal to Kishiar but remained unaware of the true reason behind their young Duke's prolonged suffering and imminent death. They vaguely assumed it to be an incurable and dangerous illness.

Kishiar had prearranged for those remaining in the castle to leave the moment his orders were given, preparing for his death. Most cooperated, but that did not mean they fully understood the situation.

“It’s unthinkable that no one can be with the Duke at his deathbed…”

Despite being prepared, when the moment arrived, none could move calmly. Only one person among them understood the cause and consequence of this situation: Hellem, the mage who had been with Kishiar since he came to Peletta. She sighed, "So it has come to this..." and helped Nathan Zuckerman with a calm demeanor. Without her, the process would have taken much longer.

The loyal knight, unmoved by the others' questions or grief, solemnly closed the castle gate and looked up at the ashen sky.

The dark clouds, now heavier, occasionally flashed with lightning, casting an ominous, blood-red light. This sight deepened the people's sense of dread and sorrow. Only a terrible silence interspersed with muffled sobs filled the air. Yet no one dared to suggest re-entering the castle.

The reason was simple: it was against Kishiar's wishes.

Nathan Zuckerman, amidst a storm of pain, silently gazed at Peletta Castle.

Kishiar La Orr, to the very end, made a choice true to himself – to protect others, to die in a somewhat humane manner, and be remembered as such.

In such circumstances, who could have reversed the lord's decision and entered the castle? Even if Kishiar himself would have accepted it, would he really?

Even if the Emperor and Empress had been there, they wouldn't have opened the castle gates.

But what about Yuder Aile?

If he had been in the same situation, could he have opened the gates?

Nathan Zuckerman, watching the small figure of Yuder Aile disappearing into the distance, quietly answered himself.

'He would have.'

Yuder would have opened the gates without a second thought. This was a judgment close to certainty, formed from the time he spent observing Yuder Aile.

That's why Nathan Zuckerman had chosen to yield. And after finishing his tasks here, he planned to follow and see once more how right his judgment had been.