Turning

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Chapter 118

A cacophony of cheers began to echo from afar. It was the appearance of the Cavalry. From beyond the transparent wall of the balcony, imbued with magic, the Crown Prince and Duke Diarca watched a man boldly riding a white horse at the head of the group. It was Duke Peletta, Kishiar La Orr, the man they had just been speaking of, who waved with a leisurely smile on his face.

The Crown Prince's eyes narrowed, the sight of him recalling a myth of the Sun God, who had overturned a thousand stars rushing towards the ground and had eventually risen brilliantly.

“…He looks healthy every time I see him.”

“You're right. Who could have expected that Duke Peletta would live so healthily at that age?”

Duke Diarca sipped his transparent crimson wine, chuckling softly.

“Fate can be quite ugly.”

“Yes, indeed. Incredibly ugly. To someone, it feels as if the blessing of God is really there.”

The Crown Prince’s gaze moved beyond Kishiar to the dark-uniformed processions behind him. Those who wouldn’t have dared dream of such a place just a little while ago wore bright smiles that seemed to mock him. As the Crown Prince turned his head and sank deeply into the plush chair, Duke Diarca quickly sensed his discomfort and broke the silence.

“No matter how strong the blessing of God is, it's ultimately a curse. Remember, the most meaningful thing is power, right?”

“...”

“Now that power is in your hands, Your Highness. Still, do you feel threatened by Duke Peletta?”

“There's no reason to.”

Upon hearing the terse response, Duke Diarca smiled like a grandfather imparting wisdom.

“That's right. All Duke Peletta can do is just play these little games. No matter how he tries to compensate for his inferiority, it does not change who will lead this Empire in the future.”

Duke Diarca’s icy gaze landed on Kishiar's head as he steadily approached. The young Duke reflected in his eyes was a truly annoying and bothersome existence.

“We need to make that fact clear this time.”

Finally, Crown Prince Katchian met Duke Diarca’s gaze squarely. Laughter rose over his dark, gem-like eyes, resembling the Duke’s.

“Good. I'm looking forward to it.”

“The preparations will start soon, so please enjoy.”

As Duke Diarca's words came to an end, a sharp scream erupted from the center of the previously cheering crowd. The Crown Prince casually propped his chin, looking down at the cavalrymen who could not hide their confusion amidst the panicking crowd.

“What's that!”

“Who are those guys?”

It has begun.

Yuder looked around, listening to the screams and shouts that reverberated noisily in his ears. There hadn't been any problems in front of the Cavalry during their march of the fifth wall. However, as they entered the district of luxury residences, filled with ostentatious and towering balconies, several masked assailants suddenly appeared.

Their faces concealed by cloth, they used elongated, blade-like fingernails and fists as hard as steel to take several bystanders hostage. They then swiftly blocked Kishiar and the Cavalry's path, plunging the surroundings into fear.

"What the devil are you doing! How dare you in the sacred capital where the Emperor himself resides! Surrender immediately!"

As the march came to a standstill, several Imperial Troops, previously dispersed to maintain order, converged rapidly. They brandished their swords, but it was to no avail.

One of the intruders stepped forward, creating a fierce flame. The troops lost their fighting spirit in an instant, succumbing to fear and retreating.

"Did you just see that? He spat out fire! It's an Awakener!"

"Run away!"

The street turned into complete chaos. The Cavalry members, having realized that the intruders were Awakeners, also lost their previous composure, filled with tension.

"Commander! What should we do?"

Sul Division Deputy Commander Steiber yelled toward Kishiar with a grim expression.

"If you order us to capture them, we will charge in immediately!"

Unlike the members who were focused on Kishiar, Yuder glanced towards the luxury accommodations not too far away. Balconies there were crafted with special magic and mechanisms, making it impossible to see the inside from the outside. So, he couldn't tell who was sitting there.

'But surely, they must be watching us from somewhere over there.'

Yuder speculated that Emperor Katchian, or rather, the Crown Prince, whom he knew, would surely be doing so. He, who was naturally more suspicious than others, would have wanted to see for himself what was happening here.

It was apparent to anyone that among the many opportunities generously given to the Cavalry by the Crown Prince and Duke Diarca, there would be a trap. However, the timing was much faster than anticipated.

He thought they would watch for the first day of the festival and move on, but it seemed the opponents didn't even want to give them that much leeway. The fact that they sent not ordinary beasts but Awakeners also indicated immense malice.

Though it was undoubtedly a dangerous situation, Yuder wasn't overly worried. The man who stepped forward was Kishiar La Orr. He and Yuder had anticipated such events from the start and accepted everything.

He should be able to handle this much.

"Are you the famous Commander of the Cavalry, Duke Peletta?"

One of the intruders, who had taken an old woman hostage, asked Kishiar with a heavily scratched voice.

"That's right."

The Duke's response was cool and collected, his demeanor surprisingly elegant in contrast to the sharpness of the question.

Those who heard Kishiar's voice momentarily felt embarrassed for their earlier panic. As everyone suddenly fell silent, the commotion around them gradually subsided as if by magic.

"All of this... all of this is your fault!"

Feeling the change in atmosphere, the intruders intentionally raised their voices and tightened their grip around the hostage's neck, forcing her to scream.

"Please, spare me...!"

The momentary calm exploded into chaos once more. Kishiar's gaze briefly landed on the hostage before returning to the intruder.

"I'm not sure what you mean. Are you saying that your act of threatening the innocent people of the Orr Empire is my fault?"

"Are you denying it? You lured us here with lies and then abandoned us!"

One of the intruders yelled angrily in response to Kishiar's words.

"We put everything on the line to join your Cavalry, trusting in you, and yet you didn't even bother to look at us in person! You just randomly picked to your liking and kicked out the rest without a second thought!"

Upon hearing this, the entire Cavalry stiffened. Yuder felt an unexpected surge of emotion.

'They weren't just simple Awakeners, they were the ones who had applied for the Cavalry test.'

The claim that Kishiar didn't personally see the people and randomly picked was not true. He had been using magic to alter his face at the time. Moreover, according to Yuder's knowledge, those who failed the Cavalry test were given enough money for their return trip, with some to spare.

Yet if they chose to stay in the capital, that was their decision, not because of Kishiar or the Cavalry. However, those unaware of the circumstances were moved by their desperate outcry. Yuder turned to look at Kishiar, feeling the rising tension within the Cavalry.

'It would be better to shut them up and knock them out before they say more.'

Yet Kishiar remained calm, a faint smile playing on his face.

"There are countless like us within this capital, because of that useless Cavalry you created to play Commander! We're all doomed! Now we will kill everyone and we will die too!"

The capital and central region had been tolerant towards Awakeners. This was especially true since Kishiar, a member of the imperial family, was one of the first Awakeners. To the general populace, everything about the imperial family was seen as a blessing from the Sun God. The central region, where the emperor's power was most directly exerted, was no exception.

Yet the masked stranger's cry was enough to plant a seed of doubt and fear in the hearts of the common folk.

Could they truly trust Awakeners possessing such powerful abilities to be safe? How could they guarantee they would not randomly murder people as they were doing now?

Could Kishiar, who had formed the Cavalry with such people and then did nothing for months, really be concerned about the safety of the citizens?

As the intruder growled and snarled, appealing their unfortunate situation, the crowd saw a different side of 'Awakeners.' Until now, Awakeners to them had been the elegant Duke Peletta in his fine uniform and his stalwart followers, but now these terrifying individuals, who were howling and choking an old woman in front of them, were also Awakeners.

Doubt and fear filled the streets. It echoed the inexplicable hostility they had experienced in the eastern region. Having traveled the east, Yuder was sensitive to this atmosphere.

'If they keep shouting, it will be too late.'

He didn't know why Kishiar was leaving these men unchecked, but he felt he couldn't endure it anymore. Yuder slightly raised his hand, intending to deal with them now and face any repercussions later.

Yet, as if sensing this, Kishiar glanced back for a moment. Caught off guard, Yuder tensed up, like a child caught doing something wrong.

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