Turning

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Chapter 102

"So, in my opinion, allying ourselves with Zachlis Hartan and establishing a link in the east could turn out to be... a beneficial choice in the long term."

"That sounds sensible. My elder brother would approve."

Kishiar, who had chimed in with Yuder's words, scrutinized the purple speckles that had trickled down to his elbow before he lifted his eyes. Hidden beneath his long eyelashes, his crimson irises clearly locked onto Yuder's face.

"But, what about this man named Nahan? What did he look like? The report only mentioned a large scar on his left face."

Yuder slightly furrowed his brows, unable to grasp Kishiar's intention for such a sudden question. Kishiar subtly gestured towards Nathan Zuckerman, who was behind him.

"Did he appear to be of southern origin like Nathan?"

Yuder's gaze turned towards Nathan Zuckerman, who was sitting expressionlessly. His skin hue was unique, casting a distinct red shade, and the brilliant blue eyes under his ashy hair contrasted with his complexion, creating a striking impression.

The red skin tone he possessed was one of the most commonly thought features of the southerners. But, in Yuder's memory, Nahan had an ordinary skin color, except for his scar.

'His hair color was somewhat similar to Nathan Zuckerman's eyes...'

Yuder recalled Nahan's hair, dark enough to appear almost black, contrasted with his cold, gray eyes.

However, there were countless people with deep blue hair or gray eyes. They did not have features as immediately noticeable as those of the southerners.

He had not dismissed the possibility that even that appearance could have been conjured by illusion, but Yuder, sensitive enough to sense the faintest energy released during power usage, doubted it.

"I'm... not sure."

"Do you know that Nahan means 'revenge' in the southern language?"

"Pardon?"

That was news to him, despite his rebirth. Caught off guard, Yuder blurted out a question, and Nathan, who had been standing behind Kishiar, slowly opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

"Sanan re Uzan. Nathan re Gamu. Ruhan re Nahan. Moda Suyrin Anzan neum re Ur."

It was a language with a unique accent. Yuder recognized that Nathan spoke in the southern language, but he didn't comprehend its meaning. He only registered the words 'Nathan' and 'Nahan' tucked in the middle.

"What did you just say?"

"Birth and death, blessing and curse. Mercy and revenge. Everything is as the day and night of the desert. I recited an old southern adage."

With that, Nathan added another sentence.

"It's one of the most famous proverbs where the word 'revenge' is used."

Indeed, isolated from the rest of the continent by a vast desert, the area had unique proverbs.

"What does it mean?"

At Yuder's question, Nathan opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

"The desert's day is parched and scorching, devoid of a drop of water. However, the night is so cold that everything you have freezes. Since even the day and night bound in the same day are so, it's natural for everything else to be contradictory. It means, strive for what you want, either way."

Before Yuder could fully contemplate the meaning of those words, another wave of agony surged along his arm, and he gritted his teeth, bracing against the pain.

"Then, may I ask, what does the word 'Nathan' within you signify?"

"Blessing. It's a name I bestowed."

The answer unexpectedly came from Kishiar. As he set down the Purification Stones, now devoid of light having used all its purifying power, his expression remained stoically calm. However, Yuder was greatly surprised by his words.

"Are you... saying this, Commander?"

"It's the name bestowed upon me when I was freed from slavery in my youth and brought into the palace. His Highness chose that word after hearing a certain maxim."

Yuder had never heard this from them in his previous life. He knew that Nathan Zuckerman, the adjutant who had long served Kishiar and hailed from the southern country, but he was shocked to learn that it all started from his time as a slave during his youth.

'It wasn't just about emancipation, Kishiar bestowed a Knight's title upon him, made him an adjutant, and kept him by his side until he became a swordmaster... This is no ordinary bond.'

And the fact that such information was hidden from the public suggested that Kishiar highly valued his adjutant and greatly appreciated his abilities.

Even though Kishiar, his lord, who had given such great favor to him, could not have been ignorant of who had killed him, Yuder wondered why Nathan Zuckerman in his past life did not seek revenge against him, but quietly disappeared from the Peletta territory.

A question he had deliberately avoided pondering in his previous life suddenly resurfaced. Regardless of Yuder's thoughts, Nathan continued speaking.

"That's why I think his name is probably not his real one."

"That... makes sense."

"Actually, after receiving the first report where you wrote his name, I initiated an investigation under His Highness' order. There seemed to be an individual, assumed to be the same person as 'Nahan,' who had been gathering Awakeners in a similar manner throughout the empire since a year ago."

Upon hearing the unexpected news, Yuder even forgot his pain and lifted his head. Nathan, as if understanding Yuder's surprise, slightly nodded.

"We had a fairly easy time finding him thanks to a considerable amount of records left by those who found him suspicious and reported him. Whenever a certain number of people gathered, he would lead them abroad and then return alone to repeat the same thing in another area. As you surmised, there's a high chance he belongs to a certain group."

"So... he might return to the empire again."

"Most likely, yes."

When Nathan agreed with Yuder's words, Kishiar immediately followed up.

"We'll have to report him to His Majesty as someone to watch out for. We'll need to send a missive to the administrators in each region. Further investigation will also be necessary."

While it was still unclear what the future held, if they continued tracking Nahan's information, there was a high likelihood they would see him again. Yuder decided that if he met Nahan again, he would definitely capture him alive and bring him here.

"But Yuder,"

Kishiar called Yuder as he brought a new Purification Stone.

"Yes."

"I heard that you injured your own arm to break free because of Nahan's powerful illusion ability, but the report did not mention what kind of illusion power you experienced exactly."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp pain, as if stabbed by a knife, surged up. Seeing Yuder's fingers twitch, Kishiar spoke softly.

"What kind of power was it? What have you seen that you'd felt compelled to injure yourself?"

"..."

Yuder looked at his arm, trembling with pain independent of his will, with a gaze soaked in consternation. What kind of illusion had he seen? As if he could ever tell.

Perhaps it would've been better for him to leave and reveal the violet spots on his arm in front of everyone. After all, the thing Yuder truly wanted to hide wasn't the spots, but Kishiar that he had seen in the illusion.

What face would the man before him make if he confessed that he had seen him? Regardless of how he would interpret it, the atmosphere would definitely become awkward, and on top of that, the Kishiar in the illusion was not the Kishiar of the present, but the Kishiar he had killed in his past life. That was the real issue.

He could never tell. Bearing the pain radiating from his aching arm, Yuder opened his mouth.

"...Must I really tell you?"

Kishiar, who had slightly widened his eyes at his question, offered a subtle smile, apparently pondering over something.

"Oh. Perhaps you've seen something embarrassing? Someone naked, perhaps..."

"What are you thinking? No, that's not it."

His resolute response was naturally met with a chuckle.

"Ha-ha. Truthfully, you don't need to explain in detail. As long as we know the type, we can find a way to handle it the next time we encounter it, and inform the entire Cavalry. That's all."

While he had no intention of revealing what he had seen, keeping it a complete secret was proving difficult. After a moment's thought, Yuder decided to provide a simplified version of the information.

"It seems to show the target an illusion that triggers their fear."

"Fear? How does it know what they're afraid of?"

"I suspect it pulls from the target's memories to construct the illusion. Considering those who have succumbed to insanity from the illusions, I thought it was better to get out of it early, even if it meant hurting myself."

At Yuder's calm explanation, Kishiar slightly tilted his head.

"I'm glad it worked, but I'd prefer if you didn't resort to such methods next time you two meet."

If they were to face a similar situation again, Yuder wouldn't hesitate to harm his arm once more. However, he chose to remain silent in front of Kishiar for now. Meanwhile, Kishiar had already consumed more than half of the Purification Stones, piling them on one side of the table.

Considering the Purification Stones had lost their power and become useless, it was as if a large sum of money was being spent in a very short time. But Kishiar showed no sign of regret.

"Now... finally, it's reached inside the elbow."

Kishiar gazed satisfactorily at the progress he'd made. The spot had been reduced to half its size due to his generous use of the Purification Stones, so his sense of accomplishment was justified.

"Take a break and wipe off your sweat."

At Kishiar's light gesture, Nathan Zuckerman immediately approached the table and handed him a handkerchief he'd pulled out. After watching Kishiar wipe the sweat from his forehead and neck, Nathan also offered a handkerchief to Yuder, who was gazing blankly.

"I'm fine, actually..."

"Wipe yourself off. You're soaked far more than me."

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