Turning Chapter 899

Chapter 899

"Finally, I can sleep a bit less."

Kishiar, with sleep still lingering in his eye, stretched and rose from his bed. The first thing he did upon getting up was not to eat or change clothes, but to lightly press his lips against Yuder's cheek.

"Thank you for today as well."

It was an embarrassing act, but with no one watching, it seemed harmless. Yuder stepped out of the bed and followed the walking man, recounting the day's events.

"The fifth crack was spotted in Makla, and the first in Boucheleg."

"It's happening fast, considering the fourth just occurred not long ago."

"The time the cracks were visible was significantly shorter. Had people not been searching so diligently, it would have been missed, disappearing as briefly as it appeared."

The prompt deployment of the Cavalry members to areas where cracks were frequently spotted had greatly impressed the southern regions. The trust Cavalry had built up in Charloin played a big role in this. People were eager to help, not for a reward, but realizing that aiding in gathering information about these strange cracks would ensure their safety as well.

"How are the breakwaters being built in the coastal areas progressing?"

"Charloin's are almost done. The work in other areas will soon be complete with the addition of more labor."

Constructing structures to withstand high waves was a massive undertaking. However, with the added strength of the Awakeners and the voluntary help of those idle in winter, everything was being completed remarkably quickly.

"If Steiber has arrived, you can start the joint training you planned."

"Yes. I intend to start it tomorrow."

"Then all that's left is to wait for the arrival of those yet to come... and to meet Aton again."

A cold smile formed on Kishiar's lips. Yuder shook his head.

"No. The most important task remaining is your recovery, Commander. Do not overlook that."

"Right. There's that too."

After a simple meal and changing clothes, Kishiar lay back down on the bed. Yuder sat beside him, holding a box containing the Red Stone's medium.

What Yuder was about to do was something he had attempted before.

Now able to handle pure power due to his proximity to the medium of the Red Stone, he planned to use his fully harnessed ability to transfer the power from the medium into another's body.

It wasn't an easy task, but previous success gave him some confidence.

'I believe this method will be effective, but I mustn't be complacent.'

As Yuder took a deep breath to calm his mind, Kishiar chuckled softly.

"My assistant seems like someone who doesn't know how to be nervous, but that's not the case, it seems."

"What are you saying, Commander? I am human, after all. It's natural to be nervous facing an important task."

Especially since the person he was about to perform this task on was none other than Kishiar himself. It would be more fitting if Kishiar were the one more nervous, but he appeared relaxed and in good spirits.

Seeing Yuder's expression, Kishiar half-closed his eye and whispered soothingly.

"It's alright. Whatever you're going to do, I'm fine with it. I'm prepared to accept whatever happens. Ah, but don't overexert yourself to the point of harm."

His words, so characteristic of him, instantly eased the tension that had been building inside Yuder.

Upon hearing Kishiar's readiness to accept whatever may happen, Yuder wanted to caution him against such reckless declarations. For a moment, Yuder's usual impassiveness faded, and his eyes narrowed in concern, disappearing beneath his eyelids.

Then, with renewed determination, they opened again.

"...I'll begin now."

Yuder opened the box. Upon removing the black cloth that covered its contents, the familiar dark red stones were revealed, along with an unexpected folded note.

'What's this...?'

"What's wrong?"

"It seems... His Majesty didn't just send the medium."

There was no seal or signature on the note to indicate the sender, but Yuder knew there could only be one person who would have included it – Emperor Keilusa.

Carefully picking up the note, Yuder handed it to Kishiar. As Kishiar unfolded it and read its contents, he let out a laugh of disbelief.

"Haha, His Majesty indeed."

"Is it important news?"

"No. It's just a scolding. Would you like to read it?"

Yuder hesitated to read a private note sent by the Emperor to his brother, but Kishiar had already turned it towards him, leaving him no choice but to read the plainly written message.

The young hero of the empire suffers too much because of you. As the Emperor, as your brother, I can't help but feel ashamed and sorry. Don't embarrass me further, and from now on, just report back via letter. I hope this item will be of help to you and the Baron.

The note was indeed a scolding, just as he had said. Yet, despite its stern tone, the final sentence clearly conveyed the Emperor's wish for Kishiar's recovery.

Is this what brotherhood is like?

Yuder, who had no siblings, couldn't fully understand, but he felt somewhat relieved knowing the Emperor trusted him. Despite the Emperor's exalted status, there was an oddly close and intimate feeling, leaving Yuder with a peculiar sense of ease. He wondered if it was appropriate to feel this way about His Majesty, the Emperor of the Empire.

While Yuder pondered, Kishiar, having chuckled silently for a while, set the letter aside.

"Let's get back to it then. We must respond to His Majesty's expectations."

"Yes."

With a now relaxed heart, Yuder looked again into the box. The stones, resembling raw gems, were the mediums containing the power of the Red Stone created by Thais Yulman. The same stones that had saved Emperor Keilusa, Yuder hoped, would now aid Kishiar.

"..."

The air shifted with a whoosh. One of Yuder's eyes gleamed golden, and power began to flow from his fingertips. Like the previous trial, but faster, colorful energies rose above Kishiar's body.

These energies, marking territories and lines like a beautiful map on his body, seemed like living entities within Kishiar, breathing and moving, constantly changing. Yuder's differently colored eyes meticulously scanned them.

'The rest has certainly helped; his energies have balanced out more evenly. But... because of that, the Awakener's powers are not aligning properly.'

Much of Kishiar's Awakener's power was used to wrap around and protect his vessel. This meant that a slightly greater absolute amount of this power was necessary compared to the others.

Kishiar, up until now, had been finely balancing the quantities of his various powers, depleting them evenly. However, currently, it was difficult for him to manually adjust them as before, especially since all his powers had similarly recovered. There wasn't enough power to envelop his vessel. With the protective power around his vessel being less than usual, the vessel itself seemed perilously unstable, and the other powers within it appeared on the verge of entangling disastrously.

'So... it's as if there's a lack of an entity to balance all these powers.'

In human society, this could be likened to a sudden and unreasonable reduction in soldiers and knights responsible for protecting a city and overseeing its law and order. If there's a breach in security, even places that usually seem stable can quickly encounter problems. And what about areas that were already troubled? Chaos was inevitable.

"Are you feeling any pain?"

"Hmm....... Not at all."

"You've recovered much of your strength compared to before. However, from my perspective, it still seems like the balance of the Awakener's power is off, delaying the recovery of your vessel."

"Then we'll need to supplement that part, just as you said."

Kishiar responded gently.

"Yes. Please inform me immediately if you feel anything unusual."

Yuder clasped a medium in his hand. As a tingling sensation pricked his fingertips, a concentrated power within him began to overflow, elevating to an extreme level.