Turning Chapter 1092

Chapter 1092

Welliven's sister-in-law sent a very sincere answer despite the sudden question.

'-Some time ago, a letter came asking if I had seen a man secretly leaving the village. He was a child who had lost his only family to illness and was very depressed, but after becoming engrossed in the stories of the outside world told by wandering merchants who visited the village, he kept wanting to leave. After he left, no one knew where he went, and everyone seemed worried. That's all I've heard.'

However, since Welliven had not informed his family about the information related to the 2nd Cavalry recruitment exam, his sister-in-law did not know that someone from the same village as her had come to apply for it. The information that Fay had become a Cavalry member had also not leaked to his hometown.

'So that's how it was.'

The fact that Welliven's sister-in-law knew information about Fay was a significant gain. However, what caught Yuder's attention was a different part.

'...Wandering merchants?'

Could it be that the merchants mentioned here were the same ones who had impersonated the Shuden Trading Company and sold goods? It might not be, but his gut feeling told him it was probably correct.

"Commander Welliven. What do you think about the possibility that the wandering merchants who visited that village might be the same individuals as the wandering merchants we are currently looking for?"

"Ahem. Come to think of it... that part was bothering me too."

Welliven also seemed to have had the same thought as he scratched his head.

The merchants who had impersonated the Shuden Trading Company had been wandering around the entire North even before the Cavalry recruitment exam was held. So in terms of timing, there was a very high possibility that they were the same individuals. Moreover, didn't that village have conditions that were really good for those merchant bastards to target?

'It's small, remote, closed-off, and even a place where descendants of southerners gather, so is there any place better to target than there?'

He needed to find out more details, but if those guys were the same individuals, it meant that Fay had been in contact with dangerous people from the South before joining the Cavalry. Was this something that only happened in this life?

'Even if the timing is different, looking at the process of how the northern trade route was created in the previous life... the Fay of that time might have also entered the Cavalry through a similar route after contacting such guys.'

Then, was Fay a spy connected to the South? Yuder tried his best to recall his memories of him.

'Guys who came in as spies from the beginning inevitably show signs. It's very difficult to maintain contact with the outside while being in the Cavalry. Fay didn't have such signs. However...'

That was Yuder's perception until the time when he could fully focus on his duties as the Cavalry Commander. From the time he started wandering around to investigate the signs of calamity and destruction that were gradually engulfing the world, he could no longer grasp the things happening within the unit in detail as before. So if Fay had changed, it was most likely from that time.

'Right... come to think of it, wasn't it Fay who often accompanied the southern envoys who frequently visited the empire around that time?'

Katchian pursued a policy of close exchanges with the South. However, he was very wary of Yuder communicating with southern figures, so even when important southern figures visited, he prohibited Yuder from directly being in charge of escorting them. Well, that wasn't so strange. Katchian really disliked sending Yuder as an envoy to King Ejain of Nelarn.

'He was probably afraid that the weapon he had to hold in his hand might have other thoughts.'

If Ejain hadn't directly voiced, "I had quite some expectations when I heard you were sending the famous Yudrain Aile, the Cavalry Commander, but if not, there's no need for the empire to take time to meet," he might not have been able to meet him.

Anyway, despite that, the task of accompanying envoys from the South increased day by day, so Yuder sent down most of those tasks to his deputy commanders. However, Deputy Commander Ever of Shin, who had the longest career, was busy acting as a proxy when the commander was absent, and the Deputy Commander of Jung was often replaced after Gloe, who had endured the longest, passed away in an unexpected accident, so they were not in a position to be entrusted with important tasks.

So naturally, most of the work related to that fell to Fay, the Deputy Commander of Sul.

If Fay had joined hands with either the South or Katchian to betray Yuder, there would have been no better opportunity than that time. Because until the day he was captured, Yuder didn't pay much attention to what the deputy commanders were doing.

'I don't know the reason why Fay changed. It's closer to being difficult to know the answer because there are so many things that come to mind. But it doesn't matter even if I don't know that.'

Anyway, the current Fay was just a new recruit who had only recently awakened. Even if many things had gone wrong, that much was certain. Then, all they had to do was make sure it didn't go the same way as in the previous life. It was a difficult yet simple task.

'Unlike the previous life when I couldn't guess anything, now I already know his background and connection with the southern merchants.'

No matter what else happened, it was within the expected range. And now, there were many people who would help Yuder besides himself.

'Right. So I should stop digging more into Fay in the capital and focus more on the guys here. That's the right thing to do.'

Yuder conveyed that conclusion to Welliven.

"I think the wandering merchants who stopped by that village are definitely the same individuals as the ones impersonating the Shuden Trading Company. It will become clear when Sir Zuckerman catches them, but before that, let's try to gather more information from that village."

In the reply sent by Welliven's sister-in-law, there was a mention that those guys seemed to have put silly ideas into Fay's head by telling him stories of the outside world. That meant they had quite a bit of conversation with the villagers, so if they dug into that part well, it seemed like they could find out more about what those guys were aiming for while moving around in this North.

When he said that, Welliven nodded.

"I think that would be good. I will report to the Duke and prepare to send knights."

"I will report to him now, so it's alright. Since it's an urgent matter, Captain, please focus only on the work."

When Yuder said that and stood up from his seat, Welliven blinked his eyes.

"I'm a grateful old man, but you don't have to go that far when you're on vacation. I think you've already helped enough... why don't you rest more?"

Just like the Northern Branch members, Welliven was also concerned about Yuder's vacation.

'I do think this is something to be worried about to this extent, but...'

"It's fine. I've already rested enough. This much isn't even work for me, and it's much more efficient this way."

After answering firmly, Yuder looked at Welliven for a moment and opened his mouth.

"Even though I visited suddenly without notice, you readily helped me, so I was able to learn information I didn't know before. So it's not appropriate to say that I helped you. Rather, I should be the one thanking you."

He meant it sincerely. If he hadn't helped Yuder without asking or questioning, he wouldn't have been able to find out about Fay so easily. Such unconditional trust was a very rare experience for Yuder.

"I don't think resting is the only meaning of a vacation. If no one in Peletta is harmed because of these incidents, I think that would be a better vacation for me."

Welliven's eyes widened slightly. He stared at Yuder for a long time as if seeing him for the first time, then suddenly opened his mouth and burst into laughter.

"Looking at you like this, Baron... you resemble our Duke quite a bit."

"Pardon?"

"Not in appearance, but in behavior. The moment I heard those words just now, it reminded me of the young duke who suddenly barged through that door more than a decade ago."

A faint light of recalling the past flickered in Welliven's eyes.

"At that time, I was burning with the mission to protect this Peletta, but on the other hand, I knew well that my skills were lacking, so I was always afraid of everything. I was so desperate to not show it that I couldn't look around, and I didn't want to acknowledge others' sincerity even when I saw it. Enk was similar. We knew that he had started to sincerely care for Peletta, but we ignored and refused to acknowledge it."

"..."

"To us like that, he barged through that door and said this. That he didn't come here to live in hiding and disappear, but to work as the lord of Peletta to take responsibility for and help the people of Peletta... and that included me and Enk, so we were absolutely necessary. He said he would definitely keep his promise, so we should watch by his side until then and make a contract. A strange contract that no other lord had ever made."

He was looking beyond the door where no one was. As if the young boy duke of that time was still standing there.

"At that time, we felt great shame. Because someone much younger than us already knew what was truly important. Only then could we throw away the heavy burden that didn't match our position for the first time and have the courage to look around."

A warm glow spread across his face.

"Listening to his words at that time was the best choice in my life. And even now... somehow, I feel the same way as I did then."

"..."

Yuder also felt a bit strange. He pondered over that feeling and returned to the inner castle of Peletta, leaving Welliven's send-off behind.

"You're here? I just received some interesting news."

Inside the Duke's office, which he no longer hesitated to enter as before. Kishiar, who faced Yuder as he entered, showed a bright smile and waved a letter.

"...What news do you mean?"

"I got a message from Mick. He said he would stop by Peletta again soon. Along with the people from the Cat Whiskers Trading Company he met nearby."